Hetalia Oneshots

USUK - Star-Spangled Memories

A/N

Enjoy some platonic USUK~

____________________________

Art by: @nk_NNNK512 (Twitter)

____________________________

Upon American soil stood both the national personifications of the United States and England, right behind their President and Prime Minister respectively upon the podium in front of the White House, amid numerous American flags.

Under the sunny Washington DC sky, the Englishmen met the Americans to discuss and talk about matters that concerned both countries.

The two personifications stood in attention as the band performed the host country's beloved anthem. America, in solemn respectfulness, placed his right hand upon his breast, and sung the words in his mind, as scenes of the past played in his mind. 

Oh, say, can you see
By the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed
At the twilight's last gleaming?

He could see himself in his mind's eye, standing upon Fort McHenry, watching the British warships attacking the coasts of dear Baltimore, and yet did his people wave their beloved flag, their symbol of defiance and victory. He could see his uniformed self, back in the day, musket in hand, fighting tooth and nail with his elder brother for his independence. 

Whose broad stripes and bright stars
Through the perilous fight
O'er the ramparts we watched
Were so gallantly streaming?

He remembered, after the war, watching Francis Scott Key write down the poem which became the anthem of the free country. He remembered the lawyer-poet's joy as he wrote and shared his patriotism. And now as long as America breathes, his song will be the anthem.

From the corner of his eye, he glanced at England, who stood straight and tall, keenly listening.

 The Englishman's memories of the past were always stirred whenever he set foot on American soil. The strongest memory of them all was him upon his warship, weeping at the sight of America's stars and stripes fluttering in the distance, signaling the loss of his dearest younger brother.

And the rocket's red glare
The bombs bursting in air
Gave proof through the night
That our flag was still there

The Englisman would have wept again, but he had a firm grip over his emotions. After all, countless years have passed since then, and weeping was pointless. Both had a good relationship with each other down the years to the present, despite the occasional insults they threw at each other over the lake.

O say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free
And the home of the brave?

As much as the Englishman hated to admit, his younger brother turned out to be very capable of running a country on his own, which he ran pretty well so far, despite some hiccups. He was still somewhat miffed about the whole independence thing, but in the words of his younger brother, "It is what it is".

After the talks, the two men sauntered down the halls of the White House. The evening sun streamed through the windows and the gentle taps of their shoes filled the silence between them.

America was tempted to tug at his tie and pop open his collar. It was a hot day and he was sweating in his stuffy suit. The moment his hand reached up to his collar, England interjected, his old brotherly tones resounding,