What is... "Home?" (Hetalia Fanfic, W.A. '13 Finalist)

Chapter 85~!

Melina's POV~

Well, we all know how much nightmares suck. And I'm pretty sure everyone knows how bad fever dreams can be. Well, after being bitten by a poisonous snake and killed, I had a dream that made me wonder what the hell had happened to me. Was I in hell? Was this just some crazy crap that had no explanation? Seriously, (pardon my language, but) what the fuck was going on?

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I sat up slowly, relieved that my pain was gone. With a hand clapped to my chest, I breathed heavily, sweat dripping from my brow. The afterimages of that dream were stamped to the backs of my eyelids, and I shuddered. 'So much blood...'

I took a look around the room and gasped. "I guess I'm not in hell, but who knows," I whispered as my eyes raked across the porthole revealing a view of the sea. I'm on another ship? "What the hell?"

Gripping the sheets, I flung them away and jumped out of bed. My bare feet slapped the wooden floor as I ran up to the deck and pulled the door open. My eyes were met with the sight of the deck, a few sailors here and there, and the unblemished oceanic horizon. Glancing up, I noticed crimson sails billowing in the strong breeze. I took a few steps forward and promptly had to hold my hair back from my face. After a month, my hair had grown down to touch my shoulders. Maybe going back in time messed with my hair's growth rate, I dunno. My armpits weren't affected, thank god. Haha~

"Alright, who kidnapped me this time?" I shouted, making a few heads turn my way. I instantly blushed and wanted to hide.

A voice by my ear spoke up. "Hi, Melina~!"

I whipped around, trying to see who'd said that. There was no one there! "What the-?"

"Look up!" the voice called again, and I did, seeing a figure waving to me from the crow's nest. Chocolate brown hair twisted in the wind as she smiled. "Hey there!"

My eyes lit up as I gasped. "Kadi?"

"Uh, there should be a "Captain" in there somewhere," was her retort.

A blond boy of about sixteen stood up from behind some crates, where he'd been sitting and chatting with a couple of the sailors. With another gasp I stared at Matthew in shock; he looked different now! More confident and - dare I say it? - buffer, even! What the...

I raced toward him as he took a few steps forward and opened his arms to me. I ran into his embrace, throwing my arms around his neck while he held me securely.

"Mattie! I missed you so much!" I cried out, burying my face in his shoulder.

"Thank god..." Matthew whispered in my ear, stroking my hair. "I was so worried about when you'd wake up. I missed you, too."

I lifted my legs, bending them at the knee so I wasn't touching the ground, and he didn't even struggle to keep me aloft. "Wow, you got stronger," I commented, looking at him and smiling brightly.

"Maybe a little," he admitted as he set me down and connected his lips with mine. I closed my eyes, my hands resting on his bare shoulders while his hands gently held my waist.

Lemme tell you something: In the month I had been away from him, his kisses were one of the things I'd missed the most, so this felt amazing.

When we pulled apart, I brushed a lock of his hair out of his eyes and looked at him. "Where're your glasses?"

He smiled. "At the bottom of the sea, actually." He was quick to explain, though. "It's okay, I've managed without them for this long. I don't need them that badly."

"Why are they in the ocean?" I asked, my gaze trailing down to his shoulder. "And have you been working out? Seriously, you've tanned and have muscles like America now! What the heck...?"