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Description
England soon returned to the room in which he had left his little colonies.  With his job of cleaning up after dinner complete, the old nation was wiping his hands as he made his way through the open doorway.  He was frowning a bit to himself.  Doing all these household chores had been bothersome at first.  It had made the mighty Empire feel like such a house-wife, but he was surprisingly becoming accustomed to it.  It did give him some sense of pride to have a well ordered house and know that it was because of his own efforts, rather than that of a servant's.  England added a bitter grumble to his frown as he thought more about it.  He didn't like to admit it, but the fact was that he also somewhat enjoyed a few aspects of the domestic lifestyle, and was even quite good at a few.

If only it was as easy for him to adjust to his new role as a "parent."  He was feeling more comfortable around America, at least.  He felt so much more at ease being back in the American colonies.  Hopefully, he could get some rest where he would not have to think about wars, or work, or dealing with his most recent hassles.  What on earth had he been thinking taking on a French colony?

"No, not wike dat! It's gonna fall!"

America's voice interrupted England's reflections.  England pocketed his handkerchief and raised his head to see what was going on.  If those two were fighting again….  England was not able to finish his threatening thoughts.  What he saw when he looked up made him pause.

"Like this?" Canada shifted his position and checked for approval.  America beamed.

"Perfect!  Hold it just wike dat, while I get da bwanket."

As America rushed off to pull a comforter from a bench, England put a hand over his trembling mouth and carefully side-stepped to a chair in a corner.  He didn't want to be noticed.  He wanted the boys to continue as if he was not in the room so that he could have the best show possible.  It seemed that the two were clumsily trying to assemble some kind of fort with cushions from the furniture and a blanket.  Little America was giving out orders during the entire construction phase, as if he was an expert on building pillow forts.  Being a silent spectator was not easy for England.  He found it difficult to keep from laughing as he watched the young duo struggle to keep their structure upright.  Watching them play was so comical and amusing and...and…adorable.  England cursed his inner thoughts for sounding like a doting mother, but he couldn't help it!  It was all so CUTE!

Once the job was finished, both boys stood back to admire their handiwork.  That's when America noticed England watching them out of the corner of his eye.  He turned with a big smile to England and waved at him.  Canada followed America's eyes and shied away at the sight of the older nation.  He made a move to stand behind his twin, but America put an arm around Canada and held him close as he waved.

"Wook at us Engwand!" America called to his mentor.  "We made a Indian tent!  We're Indians!"

England was disappointed that he had been discovered, but he smiled and waved back at the boys.

"That's very nice," he said with approval.

Luckily, America seemed to be content that England had seen their creation.  After getting acknowledgement, he turned back to the crude tent and tugged Canada with him inside it.  England chuckled.  The two of them barely fit inside their mound of pillows, but that did not seem to discourage them.  England entertained himself for awhile by watching the care-free antics of his little colonies.  After a time, he sat back to relax in his chair with a book, while the boys played on.  He was careful to keep his ears open for any trouble as his read and to take peeks at the children every now and then.

Meanwhile, the boys were having the time of their lives on their end!  When America had reinitiated the play, Canada had found it hard to get into the game at first, knowing that England was watching them.  But America's persistence soon sucked the self-conscious Canadian into his wild imagination.  Canada eventually forgot all about England.  For a while, he almost forgot about all of his troubles.  He almost felt like he was a care-free kid again, just playing with a new friend.

It turned out that the boys were excellent playmates.  They might have been very different, but it could not be denied that they also had a lot in common, at least when it came to play time.   America constantly took the lead, but Canada didn't really mind.  Excluding the one time when America said that they should pretend to hunt Canada's bear for dinner, everything America suggested sounded like fun, so Canada went along with it.

Like America, Canada was also unusually strong.  Both boys were thrilled when that was discovered.  Finally they were both able to wrestle with someone their own age who was similar in strength!  For once, they could each give it their all and not have to worry about injuring their opponent.  At first, it seemed like America was the stronger and faster of the two, but after being beaten by America over and over and over again, a certain annoyed Canadian became very determined to win.  America quickly learned that Canada was a force to be reckoned with when he got serious.  America was still a tiny bit stronger and faster, but Canada could use strategy to turn the tables on his brother.  America was quick and great at offensive attacks, but Canada's quick thinking and winning defensive skills made the boys almost evenly matched.  England allowed them to tussle playfully for a few minutes before he interrupted them.

"That's enough of that, you two," he spoke up in the middle of one of their matches.

England's stern voice made the boys freeze in a rather interesting position.  Canada was on his back, easily keeping America at bay by holding him up in the air with a foot on his stomach.  Before the time out, America had been kicking and struggling to get closer to Canada so that he could completely pin him down.  America's left and Canada's right hands had been interlocked together in a game of mercy that Canada had also been winning.  Canada's other hand had a tight grip on America's right wrist.  America had been using his right hand to try seizing Canada by his apparent weak point: his unruly hair curl.  To throw the whole look together, the ribbon that ran through the neckline of Canada's shirt had come undone during all of this and America had been tugging at one of the ends of it with his teeth.

"ARRRRWGH!" America whined, before spitting Canada's ribbon out of his mouth.  "But it was just getting good!" he further complained to England; ignoring Canada, who was obediently lowering him back to the solid ground.  Canada did not argue with England, but he was just as disappointed as his brother that their fun was cut short.  He had been winning for once.

"That's what concerns me," England replied to America.  After all, a bit of innocent physical competition was all well and good to get their wiggles out, but England did not want them to get too caught up in it and accidentally hurt themselves (or anything else in the house, for that matter).  "Why not play something less aggressive?" he suggested.  "You may finish your little round in the morning, if you must—but outside."

"Alwight," America huffed.  Then, quickly switching gears, he took Canada by the hand and anxiously forced the confused boy to accompany him to another part of the house.  "Come on, Maf'oo!  I know what we can pway!" the fearless leader sang out as if he had just been struck with gleaming inspiration.

England followed at a distance.  He watched curiously as the two disappeared into America's nursery and soon immerged, lugging with them a large bag.  It was America's set of wooden building blocks.

"We're gonna pway bwocks in da sittin' woom, kay?" America informed England as they passed by.

England nodded.  "That sounds most acceptable," he said with a proud smile, while following the tykes back to the room.

America promptly dumped the contents of the bag out on the floor, once he and Canada had made it back to their starting point.  In no time at all, the lad had marked out the construction zone and was soon making plans for an impressive block-tower to rival all block towers, with Canada.

England was going to return to his seat and his book, when he was suddenly struck with some inspiration of his own.  He turned away from his chair, and began to make his way back to the kitchen, instead.  He looked back at the boys one last time before he left the room, just to make sure they would be alright on their own.

"I'll be in the kitchen if you need me," he called to the tiny builders.

"Uh-huh!" America gave a rushed answer.  He sounded as if he was only half-listening.  The truth was, he was just too engrossed in his project to care that England would be absent from the room.

Canada was too busy trying to keep up with America's ideas for their structure to notice that England had even spoken.  England exited the room with a good feeling.  Maybe Canada was good for something, after all.  He seemed to be keeping America occupied.  How convenient was this?  Now England could be free to do what he wanted without worrying.  He knew that if it had been just he and America, America would have either tagged along with him and gotten in his way, or would have strayed away from his wholesome activity of stacking blocks in favor of some innocent mischief, after being left alone.  A playmate seemed to be just what the boy needed.

England could hear the boys stacking the blocks, as he put out a few ingredients on the table in the kitchen.  He continued to listen to the sweet noises while he set to work on his own project.  England was extremely relieved that America and Canada appeared to be getting along so well.  He had been a bit concerned over their different personalities and how they might react with one another.  He would feel much better when he would have to return to Europe, knowing that the boys could coexist peacefully.

"No, no!" America sounded like he was scolding Canada.  "Dat's not how it's s'possed ta go!"

England stopped what he was doing.  He listened carefully to Canada's hesitant reply.

"B-but…w-what if we did it like this, instead?"

"Hey, yeah!" America seemed to agree with Canada's suggestion, whatever it was.  "Dat might work!  And we could stack a bunch over here, too: like this!  You do that side, and I'll do this one!"

"A-alright," Canada spoke quietly as usual, but now his voice was actually starting to sound more upbeat.

England went back to his baking with a small smile on his face.  It was also nice to see Canada coming out of his shell.  The Nation pondered a few things about Canada as he worked.  Ever since England had met him, Canada had been silent and withdrawn.  If England was honest with himself, he would admit that he didn't really dislike Canada.  England's problem was that he was unsure of how to handle himself around the boy.

America's cheerful countenance made it easier for England to let his guard down around him.  Before England had met America, the small embodiment of the New World had been living as if no one had any control over him, despite the fact that he was rapidly being populated with settlers, and other nations were making claims to him left and right.  As soon as it was discovered that there was a young boy who represented the American lands, wondering around on his own, England had known immediately that he had to claim him for the British Empire!  It was only natural that the boy was in need of a strong, guiding hand, right?  Right!  England had set out to conquer America with only profit in mind, but America had been surprisingly ok with the idea of being owned by England.  That had completely taken England off guard.  America had been readily accepting of England as an older brother from the very beginning, which was another reason that it was easier for England to be himself around the boy.  It was almost as if England could feel the callused parts of his nature softening when America was around.  England could no longer look at America as a piece of rich land to possess.  To England, America was the family that he had never had, but always secretly wished for.  England was actually…happy when he was with America.

However, Canada was a different story.  England had acquired Canada under very different terms.  America had always believed that he had belonged to no one before England came along.  Canada had belonged to (and had been quite attached to) France before England had seized control over him.  Because of that, England didn't expect Canada to adore him the way America did, but the boy didn't have to act so terrified of him!  Honestly, it was not like England was going to roast the boy on a spit and have him for dinner!

When England had first taken Canada under his wing, the boy's very presence seemed to only be a constant reminder of America.  They looked so much alike, it was uncanny.  Every time England looked at Canada, all he could think about was America.  He had yearned to see his darling little brother so often while he had been taking care of Canada alone.  Instead, all he had was a boy who looked like America, but acted nothing like him.  Instead of running to tackle England with hugs, Canada would back away from England.  Instead of chatting happily with England, Canada could only mumble broken English with a disgusting French accent.  England did not hold anything against Canada for disliking him so.  England was used to it.  If only Canada did not look like an exact replica of the one person in the entire world whom England prayed would never hate him.  Watching Canada reject him had been like watching America reject him.  Spending time alone with Canada had only made England long to see America more.  All of this also caused England's temper to be shorter with the "fake America."

England found Canada's shy attitude annoying and his constant silence unsettling.  He never knew what Canada was thinking, and that really got on his nerves.  The boy appeared small and weak, but England could tell that he had a special inner strength of his own.  England knew that he could do everything in his power to try and change Canada, but deep down, a part of the boy would always be French.  England didn't trust anything French.  He was careful around Canada because of this.  He tried to be as fair as he believed he should be in his governing of Canada, and he tried to make sure that the boy didn't lack for anything.  But at the same time, he didn't want to give Canada any special treatment.  England sadly ended up falling back on asserting his authority as much as possible on Canada when he was around him.  England's extremes, like his temper flares and tendency to use his domineering personality to the point of scaring Canada, were typically unintentional.  England didn't realize he was being cruel most of the time.  It was how England was used to behaving in public.  He did not know how else to treat the poor kid.  To keep himself from feeling guilty whenever he actually recognized that he was being harsh, England would tell himself that it was probably necessary to make sure that Canada understood who was in charge, anyway—just in case he should ever have any thoughts of rebellion.

England sighed to himself; now almost finished with his task.  He was positive that Canada despised him.  It was understandable, but as far as he could see, there was nothing he could do about that.

*************************************************************************************

Some time passed, and the boys continued to play, while England continued his work in the kitchen.

"Are ya done, yet?" America asked, getting impatient.

Canada strained to place the last block on the top of their tower.  "I cannot reach…"

America stood on his tip-toes.  "Dat better?" he called up.

"Y-yes," Canada said as he steadied himself.  He was standing on America's shoulders.  America was holding his ankles for support.

While England had been away, the boys had built tower after tower.  Each one, more impressive than the last.  When they had finally reached the point when they realized that they could not build any higher, America had come up with the "standing on top of the shoulders" idea to solve the problem.  At first, he had just climbed on top of Canada when the idea had hit him and had told Canada to "hold still" when the boy had protested.  The first few attempts at this plan had not gone very well.  They had both kept falling over and/or knocking down their beautiful towers in the process.  America had had his heart set on being the one on top, but no matter how hard they tried, they could not manage to stay upright like that.  Frustrated, America had finally consented to try switching the positions.  That had worked wonders.  Canada had been wobbly under America's weight, but America made a great steady base.  Canada was also infinitely better at balancing in the air than America had been.  They were able to build many towers like that with little difficulty.  The one they were working on at the moment was certainly the best, by far.

"I did it!" Canada squeaked, happily when he finally got the final block in place.

America cheered in victory at the announcement.  "Yay!"

Suddenly, the boys toppled backwards in all of their excitement with a collective "Whoa!"  They both fell on their backs.  America shot up and crawled over to Canada.

"You okay?"

Canada rubbed the back of his head.  "Yes, thank you."

America helped him up, and they both stared in awe at the finished tower.

"Itn't it gweat?!" America boasted on their newest creation.

Canada nodded, feeling pride welling up inside him, as well.  It was pretty impressive.  After a few seconds, America turned to Canada with a spark of anticipation in his eyes.

"Weady?" he asked, looking like he could not hold it back anymore.

Canada could feel a yawn coming.  It was getting later, and he was starting to get tired.  He walked over to his bear, who was a few feet away and sitting next to America's rabbit.  The boys had placed their animals together so that they would not be lonely.  Canada sat down and lifted his toy up.

"No.  I think I will watch this time," he told America as he snuggled his bear.

"AW!" America looked let down.  "Ya sure?"

Canada gave another nod.  "You can go on, if you want to.  I do not mind."

"Well…" America shifted back and forth; unsure of what to do.  He looked at the blocks, and then he looked back at Canada.  "Okay…if ya weally don't care….  CHARGE!"

America took a flying leap at his and Canada's masterpiece.  He toppled most of it on the first tackle.  Whatever was left standing, America took down by any creative means he could come up with.  He kicked, hit, and used other blocks as projectiles to knock down any remnants that dared to stand upright (creating his own sound effects for each mighty collapse in the process).  Sometimes, he would even shout crazy things about there being a giant monster on the loose.  Canada had to giggle out loud at America's antics.  That only encouraged America to put on a better show.  The whole procedure dragged on longer than usual.  When he was at last satisfied, the boy finally collapsed to rest on his back in the middle of his wreckage.

America loved creating and building things, but he also appreciated the fine art of destruction.  According to him, half the fun of building their towers was that they would get to knock them down later!  Every time the boys had finished a block project, America had led Canada in smashing the buildings to smithereens.  And each and every time the product of all their hard work was laid to ruins all over the room, America would excitedly gather it all back up and begin making plans to rebuild their block tower bigger and better than before.  That was how the boys had ended up standing on top of each other.  America had kept insisting that the towers needed to be taller and taller.

Sure enough, when America was recovered from his latest rampage, he sat up, threw a few blocks in the air and shouted:

"Wet's build it again, but BIGGER!"

Canada almost jumped up to help, but a voice cut in on the pair.

"Bed time," England decreed, as he stepped back into the room.

Canada flinched.  He turned around to face England.  Before Canada could do anything else, he felt a small hand snatch up his own.

"You gotta catch us first!" America challenged with a smile.  With that, he dashed off, dragging a reluctant Canada close behind him.

Canada was mortified!  "What are you doing?!" he fiercely whispered to America once they were out of the room.  "You are going to make him mad!"

"No I won't!" America laughed.  "We do dis all da time!"

America ducked under a table.  Canada had no choice but to follow, unless he wanted to get used to a life without an arm.  America put a hand over his lips in a "shushing" motion once they were hidden.  Canada waited nervously.  England's boots suddenly appeared in the room.  Canada gulped while England slowly paced the room around them.

"Hm…I wonder…" England playfully mused out loud.  "Where could they have got to?"

Next to him, Canada could hear America trying to suppress his giggles.  He was sure that England could hear it, too.  He hugged his bear close.  America squeezed Canada's hand.

"See?" he turned to encourage his partner in crime.  He was confident that Canada was having fun, too.  "It's a game."

The large boots came to a stop in front of them.

"I do not think I like this game," Canada whispered back.

Without warning, England's face suddenly descended under the table.  America gave a squeal of delight.  Canada squealed as well, but not from enjoyment.  England tried to grab the two, but America ducked and pulled Canada out of reach.

"WUN!" he shouted.  They crawled furiously to the other side of the table, where they escaped and ran off once more.

"You can't escape from me that easily!" England called in mock anger.

"Yes we can!" America called over his shoulder.  "You'll nevuh catch us!"

Canada just wanted this game to stop, but America kept running and pulling him along.  The boys rounded a corner.  For a moment, it looked like they had lost England.  America was tugging Canada towards another doorway.

"We can hide in here!"

Just as they were about to cross the threshold of their new hiding spot, England jumped out of nowhere.  He had taken a short-cut and snuck into the same room that the boys where going to hide in from another entrance.  He now blocked the doorway with a satisfied smirk on his face.  The older brother's sudden appearance made the toddlers almost jump out of their skin.

America automatically whirled around to retreat but collided with Canada, who had been too stunned to move.  Canada fell back and America plopped down on top of him.  Momentarily dazed by the collision, America released Canada's hand and both boys rubbed the bumps on their foreheads.

England didn't give boys time to collect themselves again.  He took the opportunity to attack his helpless prey.  Reaching down, he caught America around his torso.

"Gotcha!"

"EEEEEEEEK!" America screeched.

Canada felt the heavy load of America diminish as England lifted the tickled boy up in the air.  America playfully fought to get free.  As he was pulled away from his terrified twin, he wiggled and tried to grab onto Canada.  He managed to catch the arm of Canada's bear.  When Canada felt his teddy bear being pulled away too, he didn't even think about it.  He did what any kid with a loving attachment to a toy would do: he shut his eyes, tightened arms around the bear, and held onto it with everything he had!

RIP!

Description
England soon returned to the room in which he had left his little colonies.  With his job of cleaning up after dinner complete, the old nation was wiping his hands as he made his way through the open doorway.  He was frowning a bit to himself.  Doing all these household chores had been bothersome at first.  It had made the mighty Empire feel like such a house-wife, but he was surprisingly becoming accustomed to it.  It did give him some sense of pride to have a well ordered house and know that it was because of his own efforts, rather than that of a servant's.  England added a bitter grumble to his frown as he thought more about it.  He didn't like to admit it, but the fact was that he also somewhat enjoyed a few aspects of the domestic lifestyle, and was even quite good at a few.

If only it was as easy for him to adjust to his new role as a "parent."  He was feeling more comfortable around America, at least.  He felt so much more at ease being back in the American colonies.  Hopefully, he could get some rest where he would not have to think about wars, or work, or dealing with his most recent hassles.  What on earth had he been thinking taking on a French colony?

"No, not wike dat! It's gonna fall!"

America's voice interrupted England's reflections.  England pocketed his handkerchief and raised his head to see what was going on.  If those two were fighting again….  England was not able to finish his threatening thoughts.  What he saw when he looked up made him pause.

"Like this?" Canada shifted his position and checked for approval.  America beamed.

"Perfect!  Hold it just wike dat, while I get da bwanket."

As America rushed off to pull a comforter from a bench, England put a hand over his trembling mouth and carefully side-stepped to a chair in a corner.  He didn't want to be noticed.  He wanted the boys to continue as if he was not in the room so that he could have the best show possible.  It seemed that the two were clumsily trying to assemble some kind of fort with cushions from the furniture and a blanket.  Little America was giving out orders during the entire construction phase, as if he was an expert on building pillow forts.  Being a silent spectator was not easy for England.  He found it difficult to keep from laughing as he watched the young duo struggle to keep their structure upright.  Watching them play was so comical and amusing and...and…adorable.  England cursed his inner thoughts for sounding like a doting mother, but he couldn't help it!  It was all so CUTE!

Once the job was finished, both boys stood back to admire their handiwork.  That's when America noticed England watching them out of the corner of his eye.  He turned with a big smile to England and waved at him.  Canada followed America's eyes and shied away at the sight of the older nation.  He made a move to stand behind his twin, but America put an arm around Canada and held him close as he waved.

"Wook at us Engwand!" America called to his mentor.  "We made a Indian tent!  We're Indians!"

England was disappointed that he had been discovered, but he smiled and waved back at the boys.

"That's very nice," he said with approval.

Luckily, America seemed to be content that England had seen their creation.  After getting acknowledgement, he turned back to the crude tent and tugged Canada with him inside it.  England chuckled.  The two of them barely fit inside their mound of pillows, but that did not seem to discourage them.  England entertained himself for awhile by watching the care-free antics of his little colonies.  After a time, he sat back to relax in his chair with a book, while the boys played on.  He was careful to keep his ears open for any trouble as his read and to take peeks at the children every now and then.

Meanwhile, the boys were having the time of their lives on their end!  When America had reinitiated the play, Canada had found it hard to get into the game at first, knowing that England was watching them.  But America's persistence soon sucked the self-conscious Canadian into his wild imagination.  Canada eventually forgot all about England.  For a while, he almost forgot about all of his troubles.  He almost felt like he was a care-free kid again, just playing with a new friend.

It turned out that the boys were excellent playmates.  They might have been very different, but it could not be denied that they also had a lot in common, at least when it came to play time.   America constantly took the lead, but Canada didn't really mind.  Excluding the one time when America said that they should pretend to hunt Canada's bear for dinner, everything America suggested sounded like fun, so Canada went along with it.

Like America, Canada was also unusually strong.  Both boys were thrilled when that was discovered.  Finally they were both able to wrestle with someone their own age who was similar in strength!  For once, they could each give it their all and not have to worry about injuring their opponent.  At first, it seemed like America was the stronger and faster of the two, but after being beaten by America over and over and over again, a certain annoyed Canadian became very determined to win.  America quickly learned that Canada was a force to be reckoned with when he got serious.  America was still a tiny bit stronger and faster, but Canada could use strategy to turn the tables on his brother.  America was quick and great at offensive attacks, but Canada's quick thinking and winning defensive skills made the boys almost evenly matched.  England allowed them to tussle playfully for a few minutes before he interrupted them.

"That's enough of that, you two," he spoke up in the middle of one of their matches.

England's stern voice made the boys freeze in a rather interesting position.  Canada was on his back, easily keeping America at bay by holding him up in the air with a foot on his stomach.  Before the time out, America had been kicking and struggling to get closer to Canada so that he could completely pin him down.  America's left and Canada's right hands had been interlocked together in a game of mercy that Canada had also been winning.  Canada's other hand had a tight grip on America's right wrist.  America had been using his right hand to try seizing Canada by his apparent weak point: his unruly hair curl.  To throw the whole look together, the ribbon that ran through the neckline of Canada's shirt had come undone during all of this and America had been tugging at one of the ends of it with his teeth.

"ARRRRWGH!" America whined, before spitting Canada's ribbon out of his mouth.  "But it was just getting good!" he further complained to England; ignoring Canada, who was obediently lowering him back to the solid ground.  Canada did not argue with England, but he was just as disappointed as his brother that their fun was cut short.  He had been winning for once.

"That's what concerns me," England replied to America.  After all, a bit of innocent physical competition was all well and good to get their wiggles out, but England did not want them to get too caught up in it and accidentally hurt themselves (or anything else in the house, for that matter).  "Why not play something less aggressive?" he suggested.  "You may finish your little round in the morning, if you must—but outside."

"Alwight," America huffed.  Then, quickly switching gears, he took Canada by the hand and anxiously forced the confused boy to accompany him to another part of the house.  "Come on, Maf'oo!  I know what we can pway!" the fearless leader sang out as if he had just been struck with gleaming inspiration.

England followed at a distance.  He watched curiously as the two disappeared into America's nursery and soon immerged, lugging with them a large bag.  It was America's set of wooden building blocks.

"We're gonna pway bwocks in da sittin' woom, kay?" America informed England as they passed by.

England nodded.  "That sounds most acceptable," he said with a proud smile, while following the tykes back to the room.

America promptly dumped the contents of the bag out on the floor, once he and Canada had made it back to their starting point.  In no time at all, the lad had marked out the construction zone and was soon making plans for an impressive block-tower to rival all block towers, with Canada.

England was going to return to his seat and his book, when he was suddenly struck with some inspiration of his own.  He turned away from his chair, and began to make his way back to the kitchen, instead.  He looked back at the boys one last time before he left the room, just to make sure they would be alright on their own.

"I'll be in the kitchen if you need me," he called to the tiny builders.

"Uh-huh!" America gave a rushed answer.  He sounded as if he was only half-listening.  The truth was, he was just too engrossed in his project to care that England would be absent from the room.

Canada was too busy trying to keep up with America's ideas for their structure to notice that England had even spoken.  England exited the room with a good feeling.  Maybe Canada was good for something, after all.  He seemed to be keeping America occupied.  How convenient was this?  Now England could be free to do what he wanted without worrying.  He knew that if it had been just he and America, America would have either tagged along with him and gotten in his way, or would have strayed away from his wholesome activity of stacking blocks in favor of some innocent mischief, after being left alone.  A playmate seemed to be just what the boy needed.

England could hear the boys stacking the blocks, as he put out a few ingredients on the table in the kitchen.  He continued to listen to the sweet noises while he set to work on his own project.  England was extremely relieved that America and Canada appeared to be getting along so well.  He had been a bit concerned over their different personalities and how they might react with one another.  He would feel much better when he would have to return to Europe, knowing that the boys could coexist peacefully.

"No, no!" America sounded like he was scolding Canada.  "Dat's not how it's s'possed ta go!"

England stopped what he was doing.  He listened carefully to Canada's hesitant reply.

"B-but…w-what if we did it like this, instead?"

"Hey, yeah!" America seemed to agree with Canada's suggestion, whatever it was.  "Dat might work!  And we could stack a bunch over here, too: like this!  You do that side, and I'll do this one!"

"A-alright," Canada spoke quietly as usual, but now his voice was actually starting to sound more upbeat.

England went back to his baking with a small smile on his face.  It was also nice to see Canada coming out of his shell.  The Nation pondered a few things about Canada as he worked.  Ever since England had met him, Canada had been silent and withdrawn.  If England was honest with himself, he would admit that he didn't really dislike Canada.  England's problem was that he was unsure of how to handle himself around the boy.

America's cheerful countenance made it easier for England to let his guard down around him.  Before England had met America, the small embodiment of the New World had been living as if no one had any control over him, despite the fact that he was rapidly being populated with settlers, and other nations were making claims to him left and right.  As soon as it was discovered that there was a young boy who represented the American lands, wondering around on his own, England had known immediately that he had to claim him for the British Empire!  It was only natural that the boy was in need of a strong, guiding hand, right?  Right!  England had set out to conquer America with only profit in mind, but America had been surprisingly ok with the idea of being owned by England.  That had completely taken England off guard.  America had been readily accepting of England as an older brother from the very beginning, which was another reason that it was easier for England to be himself around the boy.  It was almost as if England could feel the callused parts of his nature softening when America was around.  England could no longer look at America as a piece of rich land to possess.  To England, America was the family that he had never had, but always secretly wished for.  England was actually…happy when he was with America.

However, Canada was a different story.  England had acquired Canada under very different terms.  America had always believed that he had belonged to no one before England came along.  Canada had belonged to (and had been quite attached to) France before England had seized control over him.  Because of that, England didn't expect Canada to adore him the way America did, but the boy didn't have to act so terrified of him!  Honestly, it was not like England was going to roast the boy on a spit and have him for dinner!

When England had first taken Canada under his wing, the boy's very presence seemed to only be a constant reminder of America.  They looked so much alike, it was uncanny.  Every time England looked at Canada, all he could think about was America.  He had yearned to see his darling little brother so often while he had been taking care of Canada alone.  Instead, all he had was a boy who looked like America, but acted nothing like him.  Instead of running to tackle England with hugs, Canada would back away from England.  Instead of chatting happily with England, Canada could only mumble broken English with a disgusting French accent.  England did not hold anything against Canada for disliking him so.  England was used to it.  If only Canada did not look like an exact replica of the one person in the entire world whom England prayed would never hate him.  Watching Canada reject him had been like watching America reject him.  Spending time alone with Canada had only made England long to see America more.  All of this also caused England's temper to be shorter with the "fake America."

England found Canada's shy attitude annoying and his constant silence unsettling.  He never knew what Canada was thinking, and that really got on his nerves.  The boy appeared small and weak, but England could tell that he had a special inner strength of his own.  England knew that he could do everything in his power to try and change Canada, but deep down, a part of the boy would always be French.  England didn't trust anything French.  He was careful around Canada because of this.  He tried to be as fair as he believed he should be in his governing of Canada, and he tried to make sure that the boy didn't lack for anything.  But at the same time, he didn't want to give Canada any special treatment.  England sadly ended up falling back on asserting his authority as much as possible on Canada when he was around him.  England's extremes, like his temper flares and tendency to use his domineering personality to the point of scaring Canada, were typically unintentional.  England didn't realize he was being cruel most of the time.  It was how England was used to behaving in public.  He did not know how else to treat the poor kid.  To keep himself from feeling guilty whenever he actually recognized that he was being harsh, England would tell himself that it was probably necessary to make sure that Canada understood who was in charge, anyway—just in case he should ever have any thoughts of rebellion.

England sighed to himself; now almost finished with his task.  He was positive that Canada despised him.  It was understandable, but as far as he could see, there was nothing he could do about that.

*************************************************************************************

Some time passed, and the boys continued to play, while England continued his work in the kitchen.

"Are ya done, yet?" America asked, getting impatient.

Canada strained to place the last block on the top of their tower.  "I cannot reach…"

America stood on his tip-toes.  "Dat better?" he called up.

"Y-yes," Canada said as he steadied himself.  He was standing on America's shoulders.  America was holding his ankles for support.

While England had been away, the boys had built tower after tower.  Each one, more impressive than the last.  When they had finally reached the point when they realized that they could not build any higher, America had come up with the "standing on top of the shoulders" idea to solve the problem.  At first, he had just climbed on top of Canada when the idea had hit him and had told Canada to "hold still" when the boy had protested.  The first few attempts at this plan had not gone very well.  They had both kept falling over and/or knocking down their beautiful towers in the process.  America had had his heart set on being the one on top, but no matter how hard they tried, they could not manage to stay upright like that.  Frustrated, America had finally consented to try switching the positions.  That had worked wonders.  Canada had been wobbly under America's weight, but America made a great steady base.  Canada was also infinitely better at balancing in the air than America had been.  They were able to build many towers like that with little difficulty.  The one they were working on at the moment was certainly the best, by far.

"I did it!" Canada squeaked, happily when he finally got the final block in place.

America cheered in victory at the announcement.  "Yay!"

Suddenly, the boys toppled backwards in all of their excitement with a collective "Whoa!"  They both fell on their backs.  America shot up and crawled over to Canada.

"You okay?"

Canada rubbed the back of his head.  "Yes, thank you."

America helped him up, and they both stared in awe at the finished tower.

"Itn't it gweat?!" America boasted on their newest creation.

Canada nodded, feeling pride welling up inside him, as well.  It was pretty impressive.  After a few seconds, America turned to Canada with a spark of anticipation in his eyes.

"Weady?" he asked, looking like he could not hold it back anymore.

Canada could feel a yawn coming.  It was getting later, and he was starting to get tired.  He walked over to his bear, who was a few feet away and sitting next to America's rabbit.  The boys had placed their animals together so that they would not be lonely.  Canada sat down and lifted his toy up.

"No.  I think I will watch this time," he told America as he snuggled his bear.

"AW!" America looked let down.  "Ya sure?"

Canada gave another nod.  "You can go on, if you want to.  I do not mind."

"Well…" America shifted back and forth; unsure of what to do.  He looked at the blocks, and then he looked back at Canada.  "Okay…if ya weally don't care….  CHARGE!"

America took a flying leap at his and Canada's masterpiece.  He toppled most of it on the first tackle.  Whatever was left standing, America took down by any creative means he could come up with.  He kicked, hit, and used other blocks as projectiles to knock down any remnants that dared to stand upright (creating his own sound effects for each mighty collapse in the process).  Sometimes, he would even shout crazy things about there being a giant monster on the loose.  Canada had to giggle out loud at America's antics.  That only encouraged America to put on a better show.  The whole procedure dragged on longer than usual.  When he was at last satisfied, the boy finally collapsed to rest on his back in the middle of his wreckage.

America loved creating and building things, but he also appreciated the fine art of destruction.  According to him, half the fun of building their towers was that they would get to knock them down later!  Every time the boys had finished a block project, America had led Canada in smashing the buildings to smithereens.  And each and every time the product of all their hard work was laid to ruins all over the room, America would excitedly gather it all back up and begin making plans to rebuild their block tower bigger and better than before.  That was how the boys had ended up standing on top of each other.  America had kept insisting that the towers needed to be taller and taller.

Sure enough, when America was recovered from his latest rampage, he sat up, threw a few blocks in the air and shouted:

"Wet's build it again, but BIGGER!"

Canada almost jumped up to help, but a voice cut in on the pair.

"Bed time," England decreed, as he stepped back into the room.

Canada flinched.  He turned around to face England.  Before Canada could do anything else, he felt a small hand snatch up his own.

"You gotta catch us first!" America challenged with a smile.  With that, he dashed off, dragging a reluctant Canada close behind him.

Canada was mortified!  "What are you doing?!" he fiercely whispered to America once they were out of the room.  "You are going to make him mad!"

"No I won't!" America laughed.  "We do dis all da time!"

America ducked under a table.  Canada had no choice but to follow, unless he wanted to get used to a life without an arm.  America put a hand over his lips in a "shushing" motion once they were hidden.  Canada waited nervously.  England's boots suddenly appeared in the room.  Canada gulped while England slowly paced the room around them.

"Hm…I wonder…" England playfully mused out loud.  "Where could they have got to?"

Next to him, Canada could hear America trying to suppress his giggles.  He was sure that England could hear it, too.  He hugged his bear close.  America squeezed Canada's hand.

"See?" he turned to encourage his partner in crime.  He was confident that Canada was having fun, too.  "It's a game."

The large boots came to a stop in front of them.

"I do not think I like this game," Canada whispered back.

Without warning, England's face suddenly descended under the table.  America gave a squeal of delight.  Canada squealed as well, but not from enjoyment.  England tried to grab the two, but America ducked and pulled Canada out of reach.

"WUN!" he shouted.  They crawled furiously to the other side of the table, where they escaped and ran off once more.

"You can't escape from me that easily!" England called in mock anger.

"Yes we can!" America called over his shoulder.  "You'll nevuh catch us!"

Canada just wanted this game to stop, but America kept running and pulling him along.  The boys rounded a corner.  For a moment, it looked like they had lost England.  America was tugging Canada towards another doorway.

"We can hide in here!"

Just as they were about to cross the threshold of their new hiding spot, England jumped out of nowhere.  He had taken a short-cut and snuck into the same room that the boys where going to hide in from another entrance.  He now blocked the doorway with a satisfied smirk on his face.  The older brother's sudden appearance made the toddlers almost jump out of their skin.

America automatically whirled around to retreat but collided with Canada, who had been too stunned to move.  Canada fell back and America plopped down on top of him.  Momentarily dazed by the collision, America released Canada's hand and both boys rubbed the bumps on their foreheads.

England didn't give boys time to collect themselves again.  He took the opportunity to attack his helpless prey.  Reaching down, he caught America around his torso.

"Gotcha!"

"EEEEEEEEK!" America screeched.

Canada felt the heavy load of America diminish as England lifted the tickled boy up in the air.  America playfully fought to get free.  As he was pulled away from his terrified twin, he wiggled and tried to grab onto Canada.  He managed to catch the arm of Canada's bear.  When Canada felt his teddy bear being pulled away too, he didn't even think about it.  He did what any kid with a loving attachment to a toy would do: he shut his eyes, tightened arms around the bear, and held onto it with everything he had!

RIP!