America x Dying!Reader: The Fourth Time

Disappointment was on his face as he realized that she had walked past without even noticing him. He sighed, and went back to talking with his friends. For some reason, that night he surprised his older brother, Arthur, by not wanting to drink any soda.

The second time he saw her near him, they were in middle school, and she was in his class. Alfred being himself, of course, tried to brag about being a hero and listed many things he had done out loud to the whole class; just to impress her. While Alfred was yelling out to the whole class, he took peeks at the girl sitting all the way in the back, her eyes trained on a book and earbuds playing music.

Realizing that she wasn't listening, he ran over and yanked the earbuds out, not realizing that that could count as bullying.

"Why aren't you listening to me; do you think you're too 'good' to listen to someone like me?" Alfred spoke in a taunting voice, although his concerns were voiced out. However, it seemed that she had gotten the wrong idea.

"What the fuck are you doing, you bastard!?" Everyone in the class gulped as she stood up and punched Alfred in the face. Alfred, being strong, didn't feel much, but then again, it might've been him being distracted by how pretty she looked while angry keeping him from feeling the pain. Meanwhile, the girl continued to stare defiantly into Alfred's eyes, and he hoped they would never look away. "I don't even know your fucking name, and you say you're a hero and something!? Please, everything you say is only bullshit!" Alfred felt pain in his heart at hearing that she didn't even know his name. He sighed and sat down. He couldn't exactly stop bragging, could he? Then everyone would know that he liked her...

So Alfred continued to brag, even when his heart was broken because she didn't even pay attention to him and hated him; and she didn't even know his name...

The third time he saw her close to him, they were in high school, she was in his house, and she had forgotten him entirely from her middle school years. So why was she in his house?

Because of Arthur.

Alfred could only watch helplessly as he saw his older brother kiss her on the cheek and the two of them both blushing. He never thought that this would happen, but she had walked up to Arthur and declared her love to him in front of the entire school. And Arthur, who was blushing so much the red went higher than his eyebrows, quickly stammered out that he liked her too, and the next thing you know, you had the perfect couple. Alfred was left gaping and holding back tears as he saw the two of them go out on dates. She looked so beautiful...but her beauty wasn't meant for him. She and Arthur said goodbye to him, and the only non-depressing thought he could think was that, at least know she knew his name.

When the two of them went out on their first date, Alfred was left crying in his room, thinking about the love he had lost.

But then again, Alfred thinks morbidly, you can't lose what was never yours.

The last time he sees her up close, is when she is in the hospital, because of cancer. She had gotten chemotherapy, but it was too early to see if she was okay, so they were in the hospital.

Alfred rushed there as soon as he could, and he was kneeling by her bed when they said that she didn't have much longer to live. Even on her deathbed, she was still beautiful. Like an angel, with her hair splayed out and eyes shining. Alfred gulped, knowing that he never had a chance. As he whispered comforting words in her ears, and gently pushed hair out of her face, she kept looking around, as though Alfred wasn't there.

"...Arthur? ...Arthur?"

And it was those final words that did Alfred in, as his brother burst into the hospital room and comforted her, as the two of them both had tears on their faces and they kissed one last time. They were holding hands, and smiling at each other even with tears in their eyes, and what Alfred wouldn't give to become Arthur even for that one moment; Arthur had had enough moments with her already, so why not spare Alfred some time?

And as the doctor told them that she would sleep forever, Arthur was still crying, but smiling. His smile however, proved to be false as he slunk down to the floor and sobbed in his hands.

Alfred didn't want to comfort him, because really, who was more hurt here? But he did so anyway. Arthur looked at him through all his tears, and Alfred wished he could've been Arthur instead.

"Do you know what her last wish was?"

Alfred shook his head no, seeing as he wasn't Arthur, he wasn't her love, and he wasn't the one for her.

"...She wanted the two of us to find different loves."

And it was that moment, in crushing agony, that Alfred realized that his brother and the girl he was in love with all knew his pain, his unbearable agony.

And it was that moment which prevented the two brothers from ever loving again.