Chapter 1
The snow crunched under the turning wheels of the carriage, the pristine white flakes flattening under the hoofs of the horses pulling it along the gravel road now covered in white. The road made the carriage shake and rattle, making the nobles inside grow impatient at arriving at their destination. A blonde woman waved fan at herself, letting out a breath at watching the snow outside. She looked on the opposite side of her, narrowing her green eyes at her son. "Arthur, sit up straight."
The boy didn't respond and also didn't follow instructions, continuing to stare out the window at the pure white scenery of the forest they were riding through and not correcting his slumped stature. Arthur's father was sitting beside his wife, looking at his son with cold eyes that said if he didn't listen, he would get punished for it. "Listen to your mother, Arthur." Arthur looked up at him, their eyes connecting and then sitting up straight like his mother told him to do. The carriage came to a slow halt and the horses whinnied, signalling the family inside that they had finally reached their destination. The carriage driver hopped off the front seat and opened the door, offering a hand for the female. She took it and stepped down on the ground, looking at the giant mansion in front of her as her husband stepped out and then Arthur. They all walked foreword and there at the doorstep of the manor was the Honda family, the whole reason they were there. Mr. Honda stood there with a petticoat on his torso and his wife stood at his side with a purple gown, their son standing beside them with a pleasant smile on his adorable face.
Mr. Honda stepped down the steps and met Arthur's father, both of them shaking hands and smiling at the other. "Ah, Nigel. It is a pleasure to see you every year." Nigel nodded and looked at Mrs. Honda, taking her hand and kissing it as a friendly gesture, rubbing her palm with his thumb. "And such a pleasure to see you again, my lady." Mrs. Honda just smiled as a thank you and the grown ups all walked inside the home and away from the cold, Arthur being left behind and forgotten.
Arthur looked at the boy who was still standing outside, walking up to him with a small smile. "I've been waiting all year to see you again, Kiku. Coming here is almost like a vacation for me."
Kiku smiled at him and his earth brown eyes held a melancholy look to them. "As do I, Arthur. I always look foreword for you and your family coming here for the holidays." He had trouble pronouncing his R's, but that was only because he was of Asian decent.
The Hondas immigrated to England all the way from Japan years ago, making their living by being merchants, selling food, clothing, and many types of Sushi to the public. Since the citizens of London had not much experience of foreign food, they had soon made a profit off of popularity and had many shops open up in the city. They sold so much in their shops that they made a fortune and soon had created the famous Honda company, turning their small shops into prosperous restaurants and growing their popularity even more. Arthur's family, the Kirklands, were wine makers. They made their fortune off of the wine they sold to higher nobles than them. The Kirklands and the Hondas met at a banquet and made a deal the they would sell their wine if they got 15% of the money they made. The deal was made and now they were business partners, the two families growing to like each other. Kiku was the heir to the family line and had a lot on his shoulders when he became older, but their was a difference between the Japanese boy and the English child. Kikus parents adored him like parents were supposed to do, while Arthur was treated like he was the air itself. Completely alive, but invisible to everyone.
The two boys followed the adults inside the house and the main butler closed the door behind the two young gentleman, the two walking into the large parlour and seeing their parents already chatting on the large couches. Arthur and Kiku sat on their own couch, both of their feet swaying as they didn't hit the ground. Even though they were only 10, they had class and sophistication that lower class boys their age would never have. Arthur looked at the black haired boy and he looked back at him. "How have you been Kiku? I guess you're family is already for Christmas. God knows my family isn't."
Kiku smiled and snatched some cookies from the table that was set in the middle of the circle of couches, sweets laying on a silver platter for them to take. He passed one to Arthur and returned in his seat. "Yes, we have already set up the garden in lights and the tree is already up in the main hall." He took a bite from his treat.
Arthur nodded in an understandment and then took a bite from his cookie as well. His house wasn't even decorated yet and his parents hadn't been going out lately so they hadn't bought any presents yet. Not that they would by any in the first place.
"Kiku? If you wish, you can go play in the garden with Arthur." Mrs. Honda said with a sweet smile. Arthur noticed that Kikus mother was one of the most kindest and heartfelt women he had ever known, her brown eyes shimmering with adoration for her son. "I'm sure this is rather boring for you."
Kiku nodded and him and Arthur hopped off the couch and stepping out of the room, both of them scarfing down their cookies as they headed out the door. They walked out into the large garden and Arthur took in all the lights, consisting of many colors and hanging on trees. They boarded the black iron gates that surrounded the garden and the flowerbeds were lined with the bright blue light bulbs and every tree in the vicinity was decorated like a Christmas tree, the white snow on the branches and ground made the scenery even more magical. The Hondas seemed to have put effort into their decorating for the holiday. They both stepped out into the snow, their shoes making the snow underneath their feet crunch where ever they stepped. Kiku suddenly shivered and he stepped back, his arms hugging his small body. "Sorry, but I need to find more appropriate clothes. I'll be right back." He hurried off back into the house, tapping his shoes on the ground and rid them of snow before he went inside.
Arthur watched as he left and continued to walk into the garden. He felt something cold and small hit his nose and he looked up, seeing that the grey sky was now sifting down snowflakes onto the ground below. He held out his hand as they landed in his palm, smiling a little as the feeling of serenity filled his mind. They dropped onto his blonde head of hair and he sighed, his breath coming out in puffs of air. The sound of a kid shouting broke him out of his stupor and he opened his green eyes, seeing a ball roll about a few feet away from him, leaving a trail as it stopped. The Honda family garden was open to the public on Sundays so it didn't surprise him that some people would walk in today, especially when it was this beautiful. He could hear more footsteps coming towards him and out of the bushes, another boy came running out with the widest smile he had ever seen on someone who looked his age. He leaned down and grabbed the ball, standing back up straight and he seemed to finally notice Arthur, staring at him as the snow fell silently.
Arthur inspected the boy. His eyes were like the ocean depths themselves, a beautiful shade of blue that reflected his every emotion. His hair was a dirty blonde that was shade or few darker than his own and a pair of glasses blocked the perfect view of his eyes, he wore a simple white dress shirt and dirty trousers, rubber boots on his feet that protected his toes from the cold. He looked average but also he had a dignifying sense about him. The boy just stared at him and he cocked his head to the side.
The silence was broken as another voice cut off their concentration, this time it sounded young and had a very thick French accent. "Alfred! Did you get the ball?" Another boy came out, also sharing blonde hair but this boys was a little more bleacher and longer. His eyes were more of an ice color than the other boys, who he guessed his name was Alfred. The French boy looked at Arthur and his eyes widened. "What is this? You don't live here, do you?"
Arthur shook his head as he looked at the two. "No, I'm just a visitor here." Alfred stepped foreword and he looked at him, his eyes narrowing in curiosity behind his glasses. He poked Arthurs forehead with his finger, the other hand holding the ball at his side. "Why are your eyebrows so bushy?" By his voice, he could tell he was American with how he lacked a British accent. Arthurs eyes widened and his cheeks dusted a light shade of pink, pushing him back and sending him a glare. "It comes from my family!"
The French boy laughed a little and stepped next to Alfred, looking at the Brit with a smile. "So what is your name?" Arthur looked at them both, the pair of blue eyes staring at him and waiting for an answer. "Arthur." The bleach blonde boy smiled and nodded a little at him. "I'm Francis, and this is Alfred." Alfred nodded and he looked at the more nobly dressed boy. "You want to play?"
Arthurs eyes widened and he looked back at the manor, not seeing anyone being a witness if he ran off. He nodded and turned back to them. "Alright. But only for a little while." Alfred and Francis nodded and went on a head out of the garden. Arthur took one more last glance at the mansion and then he followed them, running to catch up to them. No one would care if he left for just a little while, right?
Authors Note: Happy new years everyone! And what a great way to start off 2013 than starting a Hetalia story! I've had major writers block for a while now and I've been on the Hetalia fandom for quite some time too. So the other day I got this idea in my head and there you go, a USUK story that involves drama, romance, betrayal, and lots of angst that I plan to write. Also, I want to thank you guys for reviewing my stuff. I'm new to this FanFiction thing and I wanted to make a good impression. I guess I did with Office Love, which I plan to write for once my writers block is gone, and I cant be more grateful for you guys to accept my awful writing and favouriting meJ.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or any of its characters. That all belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya and Funimation.