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[fifty]

To be made pretty later.

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[fifty]

Sure I am! I found that sweater, didn't I? [Case closed.]

[keepscalm]

And then you threw it at me, and now you're being a prat. Presently, you're not searching.

[So there.]

[fifty]

No! I also found-- [America looks around wildly. Shelves, shelves, shadows crawling eerily on the floor, shelves--] These! [America holds up! Something. It's impossible to tell what at this distance.]

[keepscalm]

[England, of course, has no idea what America is holding up, particularly when the motions of the shadows get his attention more than whatever tiny thing is in America's hand. His gaze flickers to the floor, but the movement of his eyes isn't too noticeable at this distance.]

—what? [He manages to inquire after the item once he tears his gaze away from the floor, but in his distraction, he's also momentarily forgotten what America even said. So it's really more inquiring after what America is talking about in general.]

[fifty]

These bracelets! [It doesn't matter so much what they are as it does that he found them.]

[keepscalm]

...bracelets. [Even with his lingering disorientation from the shadows, England still sounds unimpressed.]

[fifty]

Best friend bracelets! [America clearly didn't notice the shadows.]

[keepscalm]

[It's for the best, really. England doesn't know if he has the energy to console America about moving shadows right now.

He gives a snort.] Oh, yes. Very useful find.

[fifty]

There are two, so we could both wear them! [Is America joking? He's decided to be infuriatingly difficult to read all of the sudden.]

[keepscalm]

[America has to be joking.

England's disbelief is plain on his face even from across the store. He glances dubiously to the hand holding the bracelets.

After a moment, he decides to call America's bluff. He scoffs.] Fine. Give it to me, then.

[fifty]

Okay, hold on! [America is pretty sure the bracelet will break or get lost if he throws it, so he trots dutifully over to where England is to show him the bracelets. They're cheap and plastic and one says "best" while the other says "friends".] Which one do you want?

[keepscalm]

[This is ridiculous. America is completely, totally, one hundred percent having him on. It's just juvenile! The bracelets don't even look nice!

Even if it's sort of nice to think that America might consider England his best friend.

After a moment of blank, stupefied consideration, England comes back to life and snatches up the one that says "best," of course. He doesn't put it on yet, but he does hold it in his palm for a moment, scrutinising it.]

If I wear this silly thing, you can't take it back, you know. [The bracelet itself, or the sentiment behind it? England leaves that vague.]

[fifty]

Yeah, you can keep it. [America is already putting on the "friend" bracelet.]

[keepscalm]

[Ugh.

England slips the bracelet over his hand and onto his wrist, trying to ignore his own flushing face.] This is ridiculous.

[He says, fully aware that he has still agreed to wear it.]

[fifty]

[America's grin widens impossibly.] You're still wearing it.

[keepscalm]

[England flusters, as he does.] Well— you're the one who suggested it!

[That's obviously just as bad!]

[fifty]

Yeah, so? [America's mood is even more indomitable than usual today.]

[keepscalm]

So! [England doesn't want to say it out loud, that's even more embarrassing than wearing it! But he has to say it. For the sake of making America more embarrassed than England is.] They match! They say "best friends!"

[Also they are tacky plastic bracelets for children and they are centuries old.]

[fifty]

You don't have to wear it, y'know. [If you have some problem with it or something!]

[keepscalm]

I— [Well, that's true. But...

England looks away, encircling his hand protectively around his own wrist and, consequently, the bracelet.] ...it would be very rude to turn down a gift like this.

[If you were actually best friends with someone, that is.]

[fifty]

[America looks pleased with himself.] Then let's keep looking for stuff! [This is a normal exchange, definitely.]

[keepscalm]

...fine. [There's a hesitation, at first, that really makes it sound like England is going to say something else on the matter, but he lets it go for now.

Still, it takes him a moment to release the bracelet, and longer still to turn away from America so that he can resume searching.]

[fifty]

[America heads back over to his own section of the store, passing empty shelves and ignoring how silent everything is except for his footsteps. For a little while, at least, it seems like they're capable of silently working on something together.]

[keepscalm]

[Only while England is overthinking.

He returns to the shelves, but the ones he can see are empty. Only once he stands on tiptoe and reaches to run his hand along a higher shelf does he discover something else. It slides along the shelf a little as England's hand collides with it, and he realises quickly from the feel of paper and the flat surfaces that it's a book.

He slides it off the shelf, supporting it with both hands as he brings it down to eye level. It's very, very old, and he opens it up to find that the ink has faded, but not so much as to make it illegible.

He doesn't say anything, knowing America is unlikely to be interested in this kind of book, but he does glance back in America's direction.]

[fifty]

[America is on his hands and knees, crawling around on the bottom-most shelves, so only his feet are at all visible to England and even then he'd have to squint. He'd seen something catch what little light there is down here... Aha! His fingers touch porcelain. A tea cup? But it doesn't have any handle...]

Find anything else? [America's voice is slightly muffled.]