The Girl by the Sea (Countryhumans AU)

Confrontation

Written: March 3, 2024

I stand frozen, staring America in the eyes through his shades. I nod quickly, instinctively reaching for my hair pin, only to realize I didn't wear it. I swallow hard. "You warned me, but, but-"

"Then why slip the secret, Oki-tot?" America menacingly approached, causing me to back into a wall. He rested his hand against it, staring down at me. "You are so short." He scoffed. "Kinda makes me want to see what would happen if I used all my strength on you." His other hand stroked my cheek, devoid of affection.

"America, I just want to go home." I gently pushed his hand away from me, cautiously walking away.

"Oh no. Not yet you aren't." As we meet under a streetlight, I notice a dark bruise marring his face. It was a dark shade of violet, splotches of pine green and honey edging it.

"What-What's wrong with your face?" I ask sympathetically, pointing to his face. The American scoffed.

"Australia happened." He seethed, spitting ashes. "The cur decided to fight." America roughly grabbed my shoulder. "It doesn't matter now. You broke the deal, and you will be dealt with." America growled like a car engine.

"Got a problem here?" Russia's russet coat flowed in the gentle wind as her features got more prominent in the light.

"Yeah, ya ankle biter." I heard a familiarly nasal accent call. "Leave my lil koala alone." Australia ran at America, charging at him with inexplicable rage.

As Australia charged at America, I felt a surge of panic and fear coursing through me, torn between wanting to intervene and knowing that any attempt to do so would likely only make things worse. I watched helplessly as the two of them clashed, their fists flying in a frenzied blur of motion, each blow landing with sickening thuds that echoed in the stillness of the night.

"Stop it, please!" I cried out, my voice hoarse with desperation. But my words were lost amidst the chaos, drowned out by the sounds of their struggle as they grappled with each other, locked in a deadly dance of violence and aggression.

And then, as suddenly as it had begun, the fight was over. Australia lay crumpled on the ground, blood oozing from a gash on his forehead, while America stood over him, panting heavily, his fists clenched at his sides.

"Enough," Russia's voice cut through the tension like a knife, her gaze icy and unyielding as she stepped forward, her presence commanding and authoritative. "This ends now."

"You're damned right it does!" China and Taiwan call in unison. America flashed back to look at them. North emerged from behind our cousins, his eye dark and burning with homicidal intent. I stay by Australia, brushing away the blood from his forehead. Tears blurred my vision as the shouts of the people above me relentlessly went on.

China whipped off her slipper and clutched it. Taiwan sighed, took off his glasses to clean them, and pushed them back on. Russia remained focused on America, her eyes boring into his back like a starving hawk.

"Damn it." North growled under his breath. "Damn it all." As the tension reached its peak, I could feel the weight of the moment pressing down on me, suffocating me with its intensity. The air crackled with electricity, charged with the raw emotion and simmering anger that hung between us like a thick fog.

But amidst the chaos and turmoil, there was a glimmer of hope – a flicker of resilience that refused to be extinguished. I looked up at Russia, her unwavering gaze steady and determined, and felt a surge of courage coursing through me.

"We can't let him get away with this," I whispered, my voice barely audible above the clamor of voices around us. "We have to stand up to him, together."