Bound by Destiny | COUNTRYHUMAN AU

Late night talks

I woke up to the same tortured screams. It was Poland and I had no doubt that he was experiencing another nightmare. Two weeks had passed since the incident and yet the signs of my ability's side effects had yet to wane. Which was strange considering that Singapore was more or less fine. Traumatised but fine. He was finally speaking to me again–a relief–but tension still lingered.

"Nightmares again?" Singapore asked as I rushed towards Poland's room like I had been doing for the past few nights. Nodding, I entered Poland's room. He was thrashing about in his bed, screaming. Grabbing his shoulders, I shook him to wake him up. Gasping like a fish out of water, his eyes snapping open as they darted around frantically. Clawing at my sleeve, he blubbered, "It was so bad. TR was back and I...I..." Hesitantly, I patted his head and said soothing words. If it weren't for his current state, he would probably kill me if I tried to touch him. As he slowly calmed down, I began to sing a lullaby. It was a lullaby that Oma used to sing to me when I was growing up and I always fell asleep listening to it.

"Schlaf jetzt ein

Schlaf jetzt ein

Schlaf jetzt ein

Schlaf ein..."

I sighed softly when I finished the song. Poland had fallen asleep at some point and Singapore had taken to leaning against the door frame. His eyes were half-lidded as he yawned. Slowly getting off Poland's bed, I drew the blanket over his body. Turning to face Singapore, I told him, "You should go to bed. You're practically falling asleep."

"You're a good singer," Singapore commented.

I felt blood rushing up to my face and I was grateful for the red stripe on my face, "Thank you but I really think you should go to bed. We have a long day tomorrow."

"Do you think you could stop his nightmares?"

I looked at Singapore quizzically. "You could use your ability, no? I mean if it's what caused the nightmares in the first place, surely it can reverse the effects of it. All you need to do is get UN's permission," he continued. I shook my head violently and hissed, "My ability is a destructive one. There's no way I can reverse the effects. All I can do is try to calm Poland down after his nightmares." Singapore flinched and I felt a twinge of guilt. We stood in silence and my mind began to drift.

Should I really try using my ability? But what if it makes things worse. Worries flooded my head as I thought over all of the ways my ability caused further damage. But...on the other hand, it might just work. I mean...if a snake's own venom could be used to make an antivenom, couldn't the same work for me? You aren't a snake though. A flash of movement caught my eye and I saw Poland's brows furrow. Instinctively, my hand reached out as I patted his head. He made a soft sound before his expression ironed out again. Singapore eyed me, as I continued to pat Poland's head. It felt almost hypnotic–my actions–pat, pat, pat.

My movements became mechanical as I continued to pet Poland's head and I slowly sat back onto the edge of his bed. It felt good to watch him sleeping so peacefully. His mouth curved into a soft smile and in his sleep, he looked like an angel. (Of course, one who knew him for a long time–America for example–would know that he was not.) A distant part of me was aware Singapore was staring at me and I shifted slightly so I couldn't face him.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Hmm?"

"Who taught you that lullaby?"

I knew that Singapore was trying to make me trust him so that he could ask me about using my ability again. It was a tactic many royals used when communicating with their subjects or other royals. Despite knowing this, I decided to humour him for a bit. "My grandmother used to sing this to me when I was young," I answered softly, afraid that I would wake Poland up. I heard the soft rustle of fabric as Singapore sat on the ground next to me.