hetalia © hidekaz himaruya

There were so many people on the line. From five years old to elderly couples. Sure this new innovation of mixing foods—fishes and potatoes, in some choices pasta were there—drew unexpectable attention from Prague.

Czech had heard the news since a week ago from her co-workers in the central office, but hadn't mind it seriously. But when Slovakia came for a biweekly visit, and accidentally listened to people's talking in the gas station line, it turned out to be a bad midday for her.

Like this.

He dragged her into the line—when she was chilling out under the umbrella on the ice cream cafe and a half-finished parfait on her side of table. I don't want to be alone, he reasoned, but when Czech intimidated him he finally admitted that he needed her to get at least 50% of discount or free additional serving.

"You can talk to the owner properly and fluently," Slovakia added, "my Czech is getting rusty."

He got double smacks on arm for that; and for forcing her so.

But eventually, Czech was being Czech. Seeing that he puffed his cheeks and sulked then got his eyes all-teary (crocodile tears, she mocked), she sighed and shook her head, "You are helpless."

And here she was. He pushed her to stand before him so that the owner or employee would recognize her as the nation and later she would point her thumb over her shoulder with saying, "Hi, this is Slovakia, your former nation and my lifetime partner too so will you treat us equally?"

"No," she refused his idea boldly. "If you want free foods, introduce yourself at your own risk."

Half an hour went by but the line was barely moved. Slovakia stood in calm, on the other hand Czech grunted in nearly one minute twice, sometimes fanning herself or puffing her cheeks. The peak of her madness was when Slovakia's glass had nearly been emptied, ice cubes as the remaining and he began chewing them noisily—even when he poured the things into his mouth, shook the glass to ease him consumed them, and everything turned to be an annoyance she could not resist anymore. And she turned, fists on both side of her body, and her anger sounded like squeaking, "You are annoyiiiiiiing!"

Slovakia almost jumped on shock, and by the time he parted his lips to ask whether she was in her PMS or she had just remembered another credit she had recklessly made an agreement of, people—particularly the owner, he noticed by the corner of his eyes—began to realize, "Miss Czech? Miss Czech! Oh, yes, it is her!"

Her face brightened in red, eyes were fulfilled by shame and shock.

"Come on, come, come here, Miss! You want for how many servings? Come, move forward!"

The people gladly pushed her towards the front. Ones who recognized Slovakia mimicked the action for him, and even the first person in line permitted both to have his halfway meal.

She received the gift in agape, more baffled when the owner said that both could have it free along with extra drinks and pudding bonus.

He had done with all of his brunch but she barely touched hers, let alone the bonus dessert. Slovakia even squatted before her, who was sitting on the bench with slumped shoulders, to examine what was actually happening to her.

"Have no appetite?"

Czech pursed her lips, then started to bite little by little. "Not like that."

"It doesn't please you?"

"This is delicious," but she shrugged, "I just ... kind of wondering people nowadays."

"How could it bother you?"

Czech rolled her eyes and shook her head, commenting with gesture of how helpless he was for her, again, "If it were not because of you making me yell at you, they would not have noticed that it was me."

Slovakia propped his chin. Still decided to let her have her own time.

"Not that I urge them that I should be looked at all the time, or be desperate of attention that much. I just ... just ... yeah, the world is fickle. Is changing. People are getting busy with their own business even though it is in the public area. Smartphones, social media. Don't think that I am conservative, too, please—as we are benefited from them, too. It is just ... the change itself, especially in human behavior surprises me. This is unpredictable."

Slovakia smiled warmly, an assuring one, and he took again the seat next to her. Hands both in his pocket. "As the creatures who have survived for centuries, sure this is very amazing but shocking at the same time."

Czech sighed.

Slovakia added more, "Yes, world is fickle. Neither of us knows tomorrow, also our own existence."

end.

a/n: ow, welcome to the archive, czech and slovakia! (and this piece is a result of my boredom while i was on several lines for stuffs ...) (and the genre tho, so lame ... sorry orz) but thanks for reading! o/