Of what happened after all

In the end, this is what happened.

But you are not here

It is not unusual for Italy to open his eyes to a dimly lit room in the at any odd hour of day or night, an incessantly ticking clock and an empty bed devoid of warmth both reminding him that the lost love from a childhood an eternity ago he had been dreaming of is simply a fragment of his past but not his future…and Feliciano knows that his heart is broken once more.

But I hurt you

"We could have been something more," was what Japan murmured with a somewhat wistful look hidden in his eyes; Korea glared back with burning hatred and a scathing remark, "But you invaded me, hurt me, killed me, and this is all we'll ever be."

But I gave you up

Hong Kong slips soundlessly from the shelf, proceeding to glide out of the room, away from China—again and again, because after that fateful day China handed his son over to a laughing conqueror, they are not a family anymore and there is no reason to stay—back to his island home, without a glance back at the broken Chinaman on his knees.

But I said I didn't want you

It still haunts Romano, the words that spilled from Spain's lips as he begged for Veneziano, and Lovino forces himself to wrench his body away from the arms of Antonio, no matter how much it rips his hearts apart to do so, because he is so deathly afraid of hearing that rejection again.

But you went through that

Canada awakens every once in a while, at some ungodly hour during the night, to the sound of shrieks and howls and pleading, which are the nights he sighs and turns to his bedmate, throwing his arms over the trembling Russia in an unfruitful attempt at comfort; Canada is not warm enough for Russia, who is trapped in blizzards and blood and his own history.

But you were not loyal to me

"Arthur, look at me, please," are always the words America uses when all he can stare at is the door separating him from his former mentor, his present…(what are they now, he is unsure, but he wishes so much that it is something precious, something valuable), but somewhere in his heart, Alfred knows that England will never truly look at him ever again, not after 1776.

But you left me

The King of Scandinavia, now broken, chuckles hoarsely, "Are you satisfied, now that you have taken away my family, Sverige?" as Sweden wonders when their brother has become so shattered, but a voice—which sounds remarkably like Norway, filled with bitterness and a tinge of stinging accusation—tells him that he is the one who has hurt and crushed Denmark (his past protector, his once lover, his eternal brother) so entirely.

But you made that decision

Switzerland stares down impassively at the bowed head before him, unreadable emotions building up and washing away like a sand wall swept away with the force of a wave behind those green eyes, before the rage and memory and betrayal swallows the neutral nation whole and he clenches his fist, and Austria can only watch Vash walk off with an unexpectedly gut-wrenching rejection:"It's a little late for an apology now, Roderich."

But we are not together

Estonia wonders every day, every night, if they will ever become true brothers, but the scars he sees whenever he happens to walk in on Lithuania in the shower and the manner in which Latvia runs to hide in the closet—sometimes under the sink in the cupboard—whenever someone comes to visit, give him an answer: no, they will never be real brothers, if only because Estonia himself is too used to fearing reaching out to others.

But I am not who I am supposed to be

It's a tender topic that neither brother would ever mention on purpose, so Ludwig and Gilbert usually avoid mentioning the Berlin Wall and the memories associated with the accursed monument, but the hesitant silence and awkward tension between the two is inescapable when Germany brings politics into the conversation...and they both realize that Prussia is already dead.

and that is why we have become what we are right now.

/ If you have not read the previous chapter, I advise you to go read it. It's this chapter's twin and other half, the alternative.

I know I should reference the historical things going on up there, but they're like, the major events in Hetalia fandom and I'm a lazy ass, so... PM me or ask questions on reviews if you don't understand what event any of the sentences pertain to (if anyone asks me about the USUK one, you're a liar or a fake Hetalia fan and I'm not answering).

I wrote this down a long time ago, but I felt like I should post it sometime later. Seems like it's a splendid way to start off the year. At least I'll try and write something a little lighter next chapter.