”I have to... look after people. I.. I have to make sure everyone's safe...”
“Who told you that?”
It earned him a glare.
“If I hadn't dropped it and killed those lives, Arthur, it would've earned me an invasion of Japan. That means at least another year of the war, maybe losing 100,000 of my men... and on his...”
He looked up at the elder men, blearily. His eyes were grazed, almost a little bloodshot. It was clear he hadn't slept much, if at all.
“You know what Japan's soldiers are like. I... I couldn't have let them do any more to themselves. I had to protect them, too. A war still going on when the majority were still trying to fix themselves and recover... would've hurt everyone more...”
He didn't look away. Rather, his gaze grew harder.
“England, why do we even have war? Why did we have to have this war? So many people got hurt. I shouldn't have bothered jumping in. My people got hurt. It was nice to win, but we got hurt. You got hurt. Even Germany got hurt...”
“America, you should know full well yourself why.”
“And why.”
“Sometimes you have to have to fight for peace. No matter the pain.”
Alfred had taken a few steps towards the other, almost as though he was advancing on him. The Englishman was clearly not happy with the other but he made no moves to step back himself.
“That doesn't mean you couldn't have told me! At least I wouldn't have spent all that time thinking that you just didn't like me and were still sore about it and that you didn't want to be around me!”
“Shut up.” Arthur hissed.
America stopped.
Alfred didn't reply for a few moments. He gently got a hold of the glass he'd been drinking from, and thoughtfully took a sip. As he placed it back down, he sighed, and ran a hand through his hair exasperatingly.
“Don'tcha thing I know that? Why do you think I decided to do it? I just.... thinking of it now, I don't like the power. I have... I.. I care for people, Arthur. I care for you. I care for everyone, even if they damned well don't like me.”
He suddenly laughed, a hoarse, rather chilling laugh. Arthur blinked.
“Which—Which is why I have to do this thing, right? Don't mean I like it, though. But I'll make pain if I have to so that people can be safe. If that's how you're going to put it... I.. I just want people to be safe and happy, Arthur...”
“Don't you bloody know anything?! What if I did tell you? Wouldn't you be spending every bloody fourth of July and thinking of how in pain I was? Would you be able to enjoy one flipping day that actually means something to you then?”
“But it's still not the truth, Art--”
“Alfred, the truth hurts. You can go on all you want about how much truth is most important, but it can hurt. I'm sure it hurt you – heck, you're here now, rambling and looking like you got no ruddy sleep. You know what, Alfred? You may not flipping believe it, but I don't /want/ you to be hurt.”
Weep, Little Lion Man 5b/6
“Who told you that?”
It earned him a glare.
“If I hadn't dropped it and killed those lives, Arthur, it would've earned me an invasion of Japan. That means at least another year of the war, maybe losing 100,000 of my men... and on his...”
He looked up at the elder men, blearily. His eyes were grazed, almost a little bloodshot. It was clear he hadn't slept much, if at all.
“You know what Japan's soldiers are like. I... I couldn't have let them do any more to themselves. I had to protect them, too. A war still going on when the majority were still trying to fix themselves and recover... would've hurt everyone more...”
He didn't look away. Rather, his gaze grew harder.
“England, why do we even have war? Why did we have to have this war? So many people got hurt. I shouldn't have bothered jumping in. My people got hurt. It was nice to win, but we got hurt. You got hurt. Even Germany got hurt...”
“America, you should know full well yourself why.”
“And why.”
“Sometimes you have to have to fight for peace. No matter the pain.”
Alfred had taken a few steps towards the other, almost as though he was advancing on him. The Englishman was clearly not happy with the other but he made no moves to step back himself.
“That doesn't mean you couldn't have told me! At least I wouldn't have spent all that time thinking that you just didn't like me and were still sore about it and that you didn't want to be around me!”
“Shut up.” Arthur hissed.
America stopped.
Alfred didn't reply for a few moments. He gently got a hold of the glass he'd been drinking from, and thoughtfully took a sip. As he placed it back down, he sighed, and ran a hand through his hair exasperatingly.
“Don'tcha thing I know that? Why do you think I decided to do it? I just.... thinking of it now, I don't like the power. I have... I.. I care for people, Arthur. I care for you. I care for everyone, even if they damned well don't like me.”
He suddenly laughed, a hoarse, rather chilling laugh. Arthur blinked.
“Which—Which is why I have to do this thing, right? Don't mean I like it, though. But I'll make pain if I have to so that people can be safe. If that's how you're going to put it... I.. I just want people to be safe and happy, Arthur...”
“Don't you bloody know anything?! What if I did tell you? Wouldn't you be spending every bloody fourth of July and thinking of how in pain I was? Would you be able to enjoy one flipping day that actually means something to you then?”
“But it's still not the truth, Art--”
“Alfred, the truth hurts. You can go on all you want about how much truth is most important, but it can hurt. I'm sure it hurt you – heck, you're here now, rambling and looking like you got no ruddy sleep. You know what, Alfred? You may not flipping believe it, but I don't /want/ you to be hurt.”
He looked down, and sighed. He glared.