Because USUK Independence Day stories are too mainstream!

Really, though, the only Independence Day stories I've seen have been angsty and/or overly romantic. Or whatever. So I decided a change of characters was in order.

However... Even if you don't want to read this because it seems to be more AsaKiku than anything else and you want USUK around July, I suggest you read it... This story has an awesome twist, if I do say so myself. :)

Also, if you get a short ways through and decide Arthur's being OOC - well, there's a reason for that. Read to the end, please, while I grin evilly, like all good fanfic authors do. :)

So, happy Canada Day (though I didn't have an idea for that holiday for a one-shot so, sorry) and happy Independence Day. And happy normal day for everyone else. :)

In an estate agents in Washington D.C., on the 3rd of July, the employees were all excited. Almost too excited to work. Smiles were on their faces and even the boss couldn't stop the chatter discussing plans for the next day.

The only people who weren't caught up in the anticipatory atmosphere were the foreigners who now lived and worked in the US. Only a few were diligently working in the stuffy office, little fans whirring as they tried to cool the occupants down. However, as the day wore on, the workers found themselves swept away with their partying colleagues.

Kiku was not one of them, quickly typing up the mountain of descriptions for their website. However, that was not to say that the Japanese employee was not distracted. A lot of his colleagues were making plans for the next day. The year before, it had not bothered him in the least and he had politely declined meeting with others. But he had overheard one of the men discussing how he had asked his special someone to go with him to the parade and was planning to make a date of it. So Kiku was listening intently to hear if Arthur had decided what he was doing.

A few months ago, Arthur had been transferred from a sister company in London. Apparently, he was excellent at his job and Kiku had indeed witnessed the young man being rather persuasive to young couples seeking bigger houses. He had hair like straw, rather large eyebrows and a soft smile; Kiku found all of these rather attractive. These features complimented rather nicely his unearthly, bright, green eyes.

And his accent! His voice melted Kiku's heart and he always found himself drawn to it from across the room. He could still remember the first day he met Arthur – Kiku had ended up stuttering when the Brit had introduced himself. The kind smile he flashed Kiku in response had made it almost impossible for Kiku to stand.

Now, he was hopeful for a chance to get to know him beyond the murmured conversations in the break room. If Arthur was attending the parade at the National Mall, perhaps he could accompany him and whoever else was going this year. Better yet, if Arthur planned to spend it alone, maybe Kiku could ask him to spend time with him.

Not hearing Arthur's heavenly tones, Kiku glanced round, wondering where he had gone. He blinked in surprise and tried not to gasp when he found Arthur standing next to his desk, smiling down at him. "Are you still working?" asked the Englishman. "You're very diligent. I can't work with all this noise – it's very distracting, don't you think?"

Biting at his lip, Kiku shook his head. "I have been in America so long, I can tune noise out."

At this, Arthur chuckled. "I see. Well, what are you doing tomorrow?"

Seeing his chance, Kiku took it. Hesitantly, trying to give himself an air of being undecided, he said, "I haven't decided yet. Last year, I spent it alone."

"We can't have that!" said Arthur, smiling a little. "What say you to accompanying me on my first year with this disruptive holiday? I doubt I would appreciate loud Americans cheering in my ear."

A small smile spread across Kiku's lips. "I would very much like that, Kirkland-san-" He cut himself off, blushing. Whenever he was nervous, Kiku would slip back into using Japanese honorifics. "I-I mean, Mist-"

"Just call me Arthur... Kiku, isn't it?"

"Y-Yes!" cried Kiku, amazed he had remembered.

"Shall I meet you here a couple of hours before the parade?" asked Arthur, tilting his head slightly. Kiku watched his hair shift across his eyebrows, tickling at his eyes and almost hiding them. He appeared to be on the verge of requiring a haircut but it only served to make Kiku's heart tighten and flutter, losing his breath for a moment.

"Ah, er, yes."

Something flickered within those green eyes, something akin to triumph. A grin appeared on Arthur's face and he looked so pleased that Kiku could feel himself begin to blush again. He shifted in his seat a little as he gazed back. "Then I shall see you tomorrow."

"Hai," breathed Kiku.

"It will be a day to remember," Arthur assured him before hurrying off to speak with someone else.

When Kiku watched Arthur emerging from his car the next morning, he was surprised by what he was wearing. For the few months he had been working with him, he had only ever seen Arthur in a suit. Now, he was wearing tight, black jeans with a metal chain and a v-necked black t-shirt with a strange band design on it. What appeared to be a Star of David or a pentagram – Kiku could never tell the difference – hung around his neck, bouncing against his chest as he walked around the car to him. A pair of black boots were laced all the way to his knees. On a wristband was a Union Jack, proudly displayed to the world.

"Good morning, Kiku," he called with a grin whilst he was still several feet away. Kiku blushed a little and glanced away, trying not to stare. "You look good like that."

"Th-Thank you..." said Kiku, hesitantly. He wasn't sure he looked good at all. After all, he was wearing a thin hoodie adorned with the American flag over a plain, white t-shirt and a pair of light blue jeans. His Converse sneakers also had American flags on them. A pin with the same flag was attached to his shirt. He had tried to be patriotic, considering he had a dual citizenship, but now he thought he looked stupid in the face of Arthur's attire.

"Shall we?" asked Arthur, gesturing down the street.

Kiku nodded and they began to make their way in the direction of the National Mall. "Y-You look good, too," he managed to murmur as he caught up with his long strides.

"Thanks," said Arthur, distractedly.

"Um," said Kiku, trying to think of a topic of conversation. "Are you looking forward to today?"

"Oh, yes," said Arthur, glancing at him with a grin. "Definitely."

Pointing at his wristband, Kiku said, "Perhaps you should have worn the Stars and Stripes?"

"No, I'm not doing that." Arthur waved the hand and shook his head. "I prefer the British."

Thinking that was an odd turn of phrase, Kiku jogged to catch the attention of his crush once more. "So, you are patriotic, too?"

"Hm? Oh. Yes, of course!" cried Arthur, throwing his fist in the air as if he was in a rock concert. "And that is why I will never wear the blasted Stars and Stripes. The Union Flag is better. It's symmetrical."

"Ah, well, I suppose it is," said Kiku with a fond smile. Arthur outside of work seemed a bit rebellious. He wondered what he had done during his teenage years. In that get-up, Kiku had no trouble imagining him having a tattoo somewhere.

"Which do you prefer, then? Those things?" Arthur gestured at Kiku's accumulated flags. "Or the Japanese flag?"

"I like both," said Kiku, diplomatically.

For a moment, Arthur seemed disappointed. Then he chuckled and shook his head. "Of course. Is there any place in particular you'd like to stand when we get there?"

"No, I don't mind," answered Kiku, forcing himself not to mention that he would be fine as long as he was beside Arthur.

"Okay." Arthur nodded, possibly thinking before he suddenly spoke again. "Let's get ice cream."

"Eh? Now?" asked Kiku, surprised by the change in the conversation.

"Yes."

"But it's the morning... Is it such a wise idea to be eating ice cream right now?" Kiku fidgeted with the sleeve of his hoodie to avoid Arthur's gaze but he glanced up when he felt the man stop beside him. Turning, he glanced up to find Arthur grinning wickedly at him.

"Do you think eating ice cream now is... naughty?"

Kiku shivered when he said the last word, confused. Arthur's whole demeanour seemed to have changed. "I- Well... It's not t-too bad..."

"I think it's naughty," Arthur said, smirking at Kiku. Once again, on that word, Kiku shivered. "But it's a holiday so I think we can do all the naughty things we want, don't you?"

The only thing Kiku could do was nod.

After stopping by a vendor to buy ice cream, Arthur held out his hand to Kiku, his cone in the other hand. "We'll need to hold onto each other so we don't get separated," he told the smaller man.

For a moment, all Kiku could do was blink. Hold hands? In public? He turned red. It was like a display of affection. Should he take the proffered hand? They hardly knew each other so it didn't seem prudent.

However, it was a good idea to stop them from getting lost. Hesitantly, he slowly moved his hand up until he had placed it lightly into Arthur's. The other man smiled and tightened his hold on Kiku. Almost too tight. A small gasp escaped Kiku and the grip was slackened.

"Oh, sorry," said Arthur, grimacing. "Not used to holding people's hands, you see."

"A-Ah? Really?" stammered Kiku. "Well, um..."

"Come on," Arthur interrupted, tugging lightly at his hand.

Kiku stumbled after, taking quick licks at his ice cream. Catching up to him, Kiku glanced at his companion. The Brit was licking at his ice cream. Slow, swirling licks. Kiku almost tripped over his own feet as he stared. It was almost sensual, the way Arthur was eating his ice cream. Poor Kiku tried to calm his heartbeat.

As they reached the gathering crowd, Arthur turned to say something to him. Instead of speaking his mind, however, he said, "Oh!"

"What is it?" asked Kiku, nervously. "Is there something wrong?"

"You've got- Ah, here, let me."

And, suddenly, Arthur was leaning towards Kiku. The estate agent froze, brown eyes wide as he watched Arthur lean towards him and- Something slick and wet touched his cheek and Kiku flinched away from Arthur. What was the man doing?! Arthur pulled back as well, his tongue flicking back into his mouth.

"Sorry," said Arthur, though he didn't look apologetic at all. "You had some ice cream on your cheek and my hands were full." He shrugged, as though licking someone's face was the logical answer in that situation.

Kiku could only shake his head. "N-No... It's all right..."

During the parade, Arthur didn't let go of Kiku's hand and the Japanese man was both pleased and rather alarmed. There were more people around and he could feel a few of their gazes on them. However, being able to be so close to the man he admired from afar was exhilarating and Kiku almost missed the parade entirely as he wondered where the day would lead.

They bought some hot dogs and chattered to each other as they wandered the capital afterwards. However, Kiku found that they were talking about himself more than Arthur. How he had moved to America a couple of years before he had left his Japanese high school. How he had struggled to fit in despite the help from a nice boy who had become a fast friend. They still kept in touch, of course. He told Arthur of his college years and his subsequent search for a job.

Kiku discovered little new about Arthur. The man only divulged that he had not actually been born in London and that he had moved there only for a few years before being transferred to America. He had older brothers and a dog but that was all he found relevant to their conversation.

"What kind of dog is it, Ki-Arthur?" asked Kiku as they wound their way amongst families and friends who had converged on the park.

"Oh, it's just a hound," said Arthur. When he glanced at Kiku, he shrugged and added, "I'm not entirely sure on species."

"Ah, I see. What's its name?"

"Cerberus," Arthur replied with a grin.

"From the Greek myth?"

"Exactly."

Chuckling, Kiku nodded. "I suppose it must be big, then?"

"Huge," was the answer.

"But it is friendly?"

"To the right people," said Arthur with another odd grin. "Where would you like to be for the fireworks? They'll be setting them off soon, yes?"

"Ah, hai," said Kiku, startled by the switch in conversation. "Anywhere is fine."

"Here?" suggested Arthur, gesturing to the ground. There was a brilliant view over the Tidal Basin. The monuments were clearly visible and it would look amazing with the sky lit in different colours. Perhaps even romantic, Kiku noted, glancing at his companion.

"Yes. This looks like a lovely spot."

"Lovely indeed," sighed Arthur. When Kiku glanced at him once more, he spotted Arthur gazing at him, a hungry look in his eye. Quickly, he looked away, his heart beating quickly as they sat down to wait.

The sky lit up with amazing reds, dazzling whites and brilliant blues. Kiku smiled at the intensity of the celebration. No matter how long he spent in America, he always marvelled over how big everything was.

"Hey," said Arthur, quietly, tugging at Kiku's sleeve. The Japanese-American glanced over to see that Arthur had lain down, his arms pillowing his head. "It looks better like this."

So Kiku obediently lay down beside Arthur, smiling at how romantic this seemed – like something out of the shojo manga he read when he had the time. Instead of using his arms as a pillow, Kiku lay with his arms straight, watching the myriad of colours above him. "You're right," he admitted, his smile growing.

"Mmhmm."

Something touched Kiku's hand and he glanced down to find that Arthur had stretched out his arm. His pinky was brushing against Kiku's and Kiku chuckled before he linked their hands. This seemed to signal to Arthur something – perhaps that he was not wrong about Kiku's sexuality – and he twisted his hands. After a few flicks and turns of his wrist, Arthur and Kiku's hands were twined. Arthur's grip was strong and Kiku could feel himself swooning.

"Are you hungry?" murmured Arthur.

Turning his head, Kiku found himself gazing into Arthur's eyes. They were truly out of this world, the way they seemed to glow in the dim park. For a moment, he almost forgot to reply. "Ah, yes. A little."

"I thought we might not be able to find an open restaurant, so there's food in a cool-box in my car. And we can go to... well, I have some place I want to show you. You simply won't believe it!"

Arthur looked so enthusiastic that Kiku nodded, happy to follow him to the ends of the Earth if needs be.

They pulled up and parked in front of a house with one of their company's For Sale signs on the lawn. It was situated in the suburbs and had obviously been built at the same time as the others on the estate: they were all square and white, black tiles for the roof and carefully kept grass in the front yards. The building they were outside, however, looked a little unkempt, the grass a little longer than the others and the walls dirty. A couple of trees separated it from its neighbours.

"Apparently a young couple inherited this from their aunt and was looking to put it on the market," explained Arthur. "I managed to talk them into using us instead of another company." He grinned. It's beautiful inside; wait until you see it!"

"It does look nice," agreed Kiku with a small smile at Arthur's mounting excitement. "Should we really be going inside to eat?"

"Well, everyone else will be at barbecues and parties. No-one will notice and we can clean up after ourselves."

"Hmm." Now a little uncertain, Kiku gave Arthur a worried look.

"Don't be like that, Kiku," murmured Arthur, looking disappointed. He reached over and Kiku tensed, surprised at the movement. But Arthur only took his hand and squeezed reassuringly. "We won't get into trouble and, even if people are upset with us, I will talk our way out of it. No-one will punish you, I promise."

Placated, Kiku nodded slightly and Arthur smiled back. They both left the car and Arthur walked round to the trunk, jingling the keys in his hand. Inside the storage space was a white, plastic box and a bag full of food. Some tools also littered the trunk, rather messy for what Kiku expected of Arthur Kirkland.

"Do you need help?" asked Kiku.

"Oh, well..." said Arthur, a little hesitantly. He tilted his head, thinking, before breaking out into another hungry grin. "Actually, why don't you take the bag and unlock the door. I'll need two hands for this."

Kiku nodded and grabbed the indicated item, noting that there were rolls and buns and other non-refrigerated food. He took the keys and started up the path. Behind him, he heard Arthur grunt as he brought out the box before shutting the door and locking it. When he reached the door of the house, however, he heard a thud and spun round.

"Ah, dammit!" Arthur was grumbling as he pushed himself back onto his knees. The box he had been carrying was on its side, the lid a little ways from it, its contents spilled on the path. Glancing up, Arthur caught Kiku's gaze and grimaced. "Tripped over a root."

"I will help-" began Kiku but Arthur shook his head.

"No, no: you go in. It'll only take a moment."

Inclining his head, Kiku turned and unlocked the front door, slipping inside. Immediately, he knew something was odd. From under one of the doors, he could see a faint glow, as though a fire was shedding its flickering light on the room beyond. Confused, he made his way forward and opened it.

Beyond the door was half of a wooden floor. It extended from the door until it ended in a jagged line, the floorboards splintered. There it opened into a large pit within which, somewhere, several fires seemed to burn. The light played across Kiku's face but it felt cold. Something black moved within the hole.

Confused and concerned, Kiku turned back to the front door, desperate to find Arthur. Did he know about this? Or had someone come in since he had viewed the house.

Instead of moving, however, Kiku dropped the bag.

Arthur was standing in the doorway. However, in the twilight, Kiku could see that his hair was no longer golden – it was a vibrant red, similar to the flames within the pit. His eyes were glowing an unnatural green. Amongst the strands of his bright hair, Kiku could make out a pair of jet black horns. Behind him, almost blocking out the remaining light from the outside world, were a pair of leathery wings, points at the top and bottom of them. They looked like lethal weapons. A dark tail looped around his waist and took the weight of the cool-box. It also ended in a point and appeared to be deadly.

"Na-?!" began Kiku but he froze as he heard footsteps behind him.

Whoever – or whatever – was behind him took a deep breath, sucking the air from the room. "Arthur?" said a low, rumbling voice which shook the walls.

"Al!" cried Arthur in a sing-song voice. His wings spread and lifted him from the floor, though the walls did not seem to impede the man. With unnatural speed, Arthur passed by Kiku. "You're here! I brought you a present!"

Slowly, Kiku turned round, unsure as to whether he should stay to witness whatever was happening or make a run for it. What he saw stopped him from moving completely as it struck fear deep within him. Or, perhaps, some form of dark magic was keeping him immobile.

Another man – if that was what they could be called – had emerged from the pit. His hair was the darkest black, almost as though Kiku was looking into a black hole. A single strand stuck upwards but these were not his horns: the newcomer's horns were large and black, curled around on themselves like goats' horns. His eyes glowed an icy blue and his clothes were a shade lighter than his hair. What appeared to be a bomber jacket covered his leather clothes. He had larger wings and a thicker tail which swished behind him as he caught Arthur who had flung himself into his arms. Those intense eyes were staring at Kiku, holding him in place.

"Another present?" rumbled the thing. "What's the occasion this time? A few months ago it was for Valentine's Day – which I still say was weird, y'know."

Waving a hand, Arthur backed up a little, hovering above the floor with his wings spread. "That was just an excuse. Besides, it's easy to trap humans on that day, what with a lot of them being lonely. Did you know that a lot of them call it 'Singles Awareness Day'?" Arthur laughed. "Anyway, this time of year is much harder to bring someone who will willingly open the door to Hell."

He couldn't help it: Kiku gasped as his eyes widened. What had he done? Had he just doomed the world?

Ignoring his outburst, Arthur floated over and grabbed his chin, tilting his head every which way to show the other his face. "Look at his soul. Look how pure it is! And he willingly walked into our domain! Won't you have fun with him?

Doesn't he make the best birthday present?"

"Birthday present? We don't have birthdays, Arthur," replied Alfred, looking bemused.

"Well, you love Americans, don't you? So I figured their national 'birthday' could be yours!" Arthur beamed at his companion. "And he's the purest I've seen in a long while, don't you think?"

"Yeah, so I see," replied Al. Grinning, he moved forward and Kiku could see cracks forming across the wooden floor from wherever the demon stepped. "You've done well, Artie."

Arthur pouted. "You know I don't like you calling me that, my King. Well," he added, looking thoughtful. "I suppose I like it well enough when we're in bed. Anyway, what would you like to do with this one first?"

Kiku tried to find his voice, protest at his treatment. Instead, he found that he couldn't speak as the King of Hell approached, moving at a slow pace. His devilish grin widened as he reached his new prize. Terrified and distressed, Kiku could only stare at him, feeling tears well up.

"I think we shall take him as a bedmate, Arthur," he answered his friend. "And I think we shall begin soon. After all, you know what tears do to me." With that, he leaned forward and licked up one which had trickled from a brown eye, his hot tongue scratching along Kiku's cheek. Where he touched left a burning pain which left Kiku screaming even as the doors to the house slammed shut.

The house on that street has never sold. The grass has overgrown so much so that it is like a miniature jungle. Paint is peeling from the walls and one of the shutters is hanging from its hinges. Steps leading to the porch have rotted, so much so that it appears to be dangerous to step on. The trees still grow and shed leaves every year.

No-one dares go near it.

Neighbours avoid looking at it from their windows. If any of them need to pass by, they go at a run. When people come to view the property, they are warned off by the locals.

For, at night, at least once a week, pained screams can be heard echoing from its boarded windows...

So, if you ever see a Japanese man with black-haired and red-haired companions, you had best avoid talking to him - even if he looks either horrified or upset. You might find yourself entering an abandoned house willingly, even if it is against your better judgement. *cackles evilly*

But, yeah, so... For some reason, this happened. I've had a few ideas for an Independence Day story which involves Arthur and Alfred. One was an AU and focussed more on what was up with Arthur instead of the birthday boy. And the other involved alternate worlds, Artie being a hero and demons. So, I guess, the idea for demons came with me when I decided on not having Alfred a main character. (I didn't list him as a character cause I wanted his appearance to be a surprise.)

Arthur can touch people without hurting them because he's not as evil as Alfred the King of Hell. I mean, he's not the King. Also, Arthur's specialty is using the correct combination of his silver tongue and subtle touches to get what he wants. Which sounds wrong... What I mean is, he tells convincing lies and gently lays a hand on someone's arm and whatnot.

Alfred's mention of a present at Valentine's Day and how it was weird is simply because I couldn't think of another day before 4th of July bar then for a holiday which would be the perfect time to enact a plan to snare a lonely human. And it's weird cause of the holiness, etc. The mention of "Singles Awareness Day" by Arthur is just him pointing out the day is not as holy as it seems.

Arthur adds oddly because a) he's a demon and would obviously act differently and less like a "gentleman" and b) he's terribly excited to be getting a present for Alfred's birthday. :)

The mention of Kiku's friend from High School was just to hint that, maybe, he knew Alfred - which was so not the case.

I like to think the other nations in this universe are either demons or souls of humans they tricked into Hell - like, maybe, Ivan tricked Yao with promise of money. Or Yao tricked Ivan with promises of love and companionship and friends and the end to his loneliness. Ooh. That's good. I like the latter better. Mwahahaha.

I kinda tried to figure out what Americans actually do for Independence Day - the Internet is rather vague... I hope people do stand around selling ice cream. If not: eh, AU. Doesn't need to be accurate to this world.

Arthur likes the British, by the way, because they were well on their way to taking over the world before the American Revolution and stuff. Also, their accent draws in the women and men daft enough to trust him. It makes him go like this: :D

Ah, Alfred can't come out of hell too much so Kiku doesn't need to worry about unleashing the King of Hell on the world. That's why Arthur takes him souls in the first place - gives him a better standing in demon court.

... I so want to write a story about the demons and stuff... Urgh, I have too much stuff to write, though... :/

Anyways, that's me done. So have a nice time. Try not to be kidnapped by demons, will you, my dear American readers. ;)