A/C: I got this little plot bunny while watching some T.V. and couldn't get it out of my head...so I decided to finally write it out! YAY! Kind of inspired by the song Air Hostess by Busted but then I went off on a tangent like I always do and BOOM we have this fic. Once again sorry for any OOC-ness I'm still working on my characterisations. Anyway Enjoy! ^_^
Disclaimer: I do not own Nintendo (do I look old and rich?) And is FrUK canon yet? No? Then I don't own Hetalia.
"Sir, all electrical items must be turned off for take-off. Please switch off your Nintendo 3DS please."
I tear my eyes away from Sonic for a second to confront the person who felt that the need to interupt my winning streak, only to be struck speechless by the the sight of the two very dark eyebrows. The eyebrows furrow, "Sir, I must insist that you switch your Nintendo off during the plane's ascent" and I notice the lithe of an English accent. Beneath those monstrosities that pass for eyebrows the most mesmerising eyes lurk. Those radioactive moss green eyes burn with the intensity of pirate battling storms conjoured by Poseidon himself and the strenght of a powerful empire. They remind me of a pair of eyes I havent seen for about ten years.
I'm pulled out of my trance by a gruff throat clearing from the flight attendant whose eyes had captured my attention. I realise that I've been staring at him. His cheeks are slightly flushed in embarrassment, pleasure if I allow myself to hope. "Yes, of course." I save my game and pocket it till later. Satisfied that I have finished with my DS for now, the flight attendant continues up the narrow aisle.
My eyes follow him until he's seated with three other people. The woman with long brown hair leans over to the small Asian man and whispers something into his ear while looking down the aisle. They break apart with wide grins. The other man greets my flight attendant with too much enthusiasm, his glasses glinting. I feel a pang of jealousy, who was this person and why were he so close to my flight attendant? Wait! Where had that thought come from? I'm not the jealous type, normally people are jealous over me. I am never jealous of someone I just met!
Just as I'm contemplating my sudden attitude change, I feel the familiar tug of gravity in the pit of my stomach as the plane begins to ascend. My eyes atuomatically find my host. He's seated next to the overly enthusiastic man with the cow lick, chatting amiably with the woman with the flower in her hair. She smiles at something he says and I decide to look away before I get jealous again.
The rest of First Class are lounging comfortably in their reclining chairs. Some have their pillows ready for the long haul flight to Australia from Iceland. Many of them are flying for business, like myself. The man infront of me is a stoic Dutch man who is muttering to his Belgian sister about the cost of the flight. The open bright First Class compartment is a breath of fresh air compared to the cramped Business Class.
The planes evens out and with a ding the seat belt light is switched off. A rough voice laced with a thick German accent booms over the intercom. "Hello, this is your pilot Gilbert Beilschmidt speaking, I would like to welcome you to the non-stop flight from Reykjavik to Sydney. The flight should be 19 and a half hours, roughly, kesesese. So sit back and enjoy the flight." And with that the intercom abruptly shuts off.
I undo my seat belt and retreive my ipod form my hand luggage. Just as I am listening to Paper Child the flight attendants begin making rounds to check the passangers. My flight attendant is talking to the Dutch man infornt of me as I look up. He finishes inquiring after the man he turns to my seat.
"Is there anything I can do for you, sir?" he asks in his despicably appealing voice.
"No, I am fine, thank you." I reply, refusing to stare again.
"If that changes please contact me or another member of the cabin crew." He looks like he's about to leave.
"My name is Francis." I declare, voice lacking its usual confidence.
He looks at me, surprised, "It's nice to meet you Francis, I am Arthur and I shall be your host for the flight. If you need anything please don't refrain from asking." And with those easily misconstrued words he leaves. At least now I can stop referring to him as my flight attendant, I think sadly.
I settle back into my chair, making myself comfortable for the long journey. I must have fallen asleep because suddenly I am jerked awake by turbulence. The cabin crew are checking the passengers again. Unfortunately the woman checks on me while my lovely Arthur tends to a Scandanavian couple.
"Um...hello? Earth to Franny." Her green eyes are searching my blue ones. I realise I've been staring at Arthur again. I try to look away but she follows my gaze and sees Arthur. An alarming smile appears on her face.
"Oooh, hello there. I see our Arthur has caught your fancy." she winks "Sorry but you're stuck with me for now" she grins again.
"What? No, no..." I lamely protest. She gives me a knowing look. And that's when I realise.
"Oh! Elizaveta ! I didn't know you worked as a hostess now." I look up at my long time friend.
She laughs "Silly Franny!" she sticks out her tongue. "Let me guess you didn't even realise that Gil is flying the plane?" When I don't say anything she grins widely. "Oh my! You must be really taken with Arthur if you didn't even realise the pilot was Gil." She laughs loudly enough to attract the attention of Arthur and the Scandanavian men.
"So how is your darling boyfriend? Has he finally decided to pop the question?" I ask, turning the attention away from me.
"Oh I see what you're doing! Yes, Gil asked last week but we haven't announced it yet. Now back to you" her eyes glint mischievously. "So Franny you finally found a man who reaches your standards" she winks. "Unfortunatley for you the fellow with the cow lick and glasses, that's Alfred, also has a thing for him."
I feel my heart drop. I knew they were close from their earlier conversation but now I feel my chances of wooing Arthur are next to none.
Seeing the look in my eyes Eliza hurriedly states "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure Arthur thinks of him as a brother anyway." she smiles encouagingly "Plus you have something he doesn't."
I look up at her confused "And what is that if I may be so bold as to ask?" I ask her curtly.
She ignores my tone and happily says "You have me!" There is a strange look in her eyes. "You stay here and I'll get Kiku." Without further word of explanation she gets up and runs to the the small japanese man.
She returns ten minutes later with the small man. His face is deceptively blank.
"Herro, I am Honda Kiku. We wirr herp you win Arthur-kun's heart." He states as if it's the most natural normal thing in the world.
"Okay..." I look a the pair, frowning slightly, unsure whether I should accept their help. Suddenly I hear Arthur's musical laugh and look up to see that it was Alfred who had elicited it from him. Jealousy and anger boil in the pit of my stomach. I look at the pair with renewed purpose. "Okay, so what's your amazing plan?"
"We'll get him to come over to you as often as possible, so all you have to do is flirt your pants off" Eliza had said with a wink then they had departed. Okay that shouldn't be too hard, after all I am known for being a master of l'amour, I thought trying to psyche myself up. I looked up at Liz's face waiting for the signal that she was about to send Arthur out to check on the passengers.
And suddenlyArthur is making his way towards me, I take a deep breath stealing myself.
"Liz said you looked a bit flustered, are you alright? Would you like me to get you a drink of water?" He inquired politely.
I thought of my best line "I wouldn't mind a glass of you." I cringe internally, What the hell was that!? Why is it that when I want to flirt with someone I like I can't? I can flirt fine with other people!
A furious blush crawls onto Arthur's cheeks. "You Frenchmen can't keep your hands to yourself! Think you can have whatever you want! Bloody Frog!" And with that he angrily turns on his heel and walks back up the aisle. For some inexplicable reason I liked being called Frog, it reminded me of someone who was very dear to me, even if he never knew it.
A few minutes later Eliza and Kiku are back.
"What the hell did you say to him?" demanded Liz angrily. "He's in a foul mood now."
"My mind blanked, I said the first thing that came to mind." I say looking away from Kiku and Liz, who are more disapppointed than they should be.
"Keeks, what should we do now?" Liz looks down at Kiku like he's an expert at gay couples.
"Werr, we have to force them together for some time. Francis-san, do you have anything in common with Arthur-kun?" Kiku looked at me imploring.
"How should I know! I barely know the man." I say angrily. But wait "I went to school in England for a year when I was 14. Could that help?"
"It might make you favourable to him again. And I have a plan for you two to spend more time together" answered Kiku.
Liz attacked Arthur's chair while he was dealing with the Dutch man again. Since Arthur had no place to sit, he'd have to sit in the only vacant seat left. Which just happened to be next to me. My stomach was filled with butterflies of excitement and nervousness. Arthur made his way down the aisle to me. He stopped frowning infront of my chair.
"Excuse me sir but due to unforeseen circumstances I am in need of a seat and the only vacant seat is next to you, I hope this doesn't cause any problems." And with that he sat down next to me.
I sneak glances of him from behind a curtain of my long blonde hair. The way his pale blonde hair spikes up in all directions is actually quite endearing. It reminded me of a friend I had who no matter how much he tried his hair would always be untameable. It was adorable to say the least.
"So, what part of England are you from?" I try to make polite conversation.
He rolls his luminescent eyes "I was born in London but we moved to Highgate when I was young. What part of France are you from?" He politely inquires.
"I lived in the Aquitaine region but more recently I've moved to Paris. I run a famous restaurant there. Actually I am going to Sydney to experiment with some new ingredients. You have any hobbies aside from air hosting? " I ask trying to maintain a conversation with the grumpy man.
"I had a friend from the Aquitaine region when I was younger." there's a sad look in his eyes "Actually, I am a published author, so that makes this my hobby."
"I had a friend from Highgate as well. We met at boarding school, I was an exchange student you see, and we got on like old friends always messing and teasing but unfortunately there was a family emmergency and I had to leave without saying goodbye. I always regreted it... Sorry for depressing you" I tuck a piece of hair behind my ear and laugh nervously.
Arthur looks up at me through dark eyelashes, it's only then that I realise that I'm taller than him. The look in his enthralling eyes is one of shock, horror and maybe just a bit of hope.
"What was the name of your friend may I ask?" Arthur asked slowly, as if he can't quite understand what's happening.
"Funnily enough, mon petit chou was also called Arthur, Arthur Kirkland...honhonhon" I replied smiling.
"...Sorry but what did you say your name was again?" Arthur asked, his porcelain skin turning ashen.
"Mon Dieu, pardonnez-moi, I am Francis Bonnefoy." I held out my hand for him to shake. Athur took my hand before saying "Athur Kirkland at your service." His voice held a tremor. I look up into those mesmerising eyes again and finally understand why I thought he was familiar. That explains why I got jealous over him before I even knew him!
I look over at Arthur again and see the slender 12 year old boy that I fell in love with. He still has those dark eyebrows that I often mocked him for. He was small in stature back then too. His hair still resembles a headbanging punk's unruly spikes. He's just as polite, grumpy and secretly caring as he once was. Kiku had called him tsundere earlier and I finally know why. He still has the look of determination in his eyes that resembles a king leading his army to war. However now those eyes are glassy with unshed tears and they look both astonished, happy and furious all at once.
"Arthur, what's wrong?" I reflexively bring a hand up to cup his cheek. He flinches away from my hand, I let it drop to my lap. "Arthur, please?" I search his eyes for an answer.
Finally he meets my beseeching gaze "You left me, I thought you liked me. You had asked me to visit you in France over the summer and I thought you'd ask me out then but then you went and disappeared without any word. You left me heartbroken, a child of twelve isn't supposed to be heartbroken." A single tear rolls down his delicate cheek. I wipe it away with my thumb.
"Arthur, Je suis trés desolé! I am so very sorry! I had no say in the matter, I was summoned back to France due to urgent family matters. I wanted to say goodbye but I couldn't because it would have broken my heart and even if I had wanted to I didn't have the time. I wanted to contact you so many times over the years but I believed you had forgotten me." My voice wavering on the last words, voicing a fear that had haunted me for ten years. Arthur looked up at me, his face slightly flushed from nearly crying. I offered him a tentative smile and held my arms out for a hug. Arthur rolled his eyes but never the less accepted the embrace muttering under his breath "Bloody Frog".
I rest my head on top of his, smelling his intoxicating smell again, like nothing ever happened. I can see Liz and Kiku with cameras pointed in our direction. The Alfred however looks angry, jealous and diappointed all at once. Some part of me is satisfied that now he knows that Arthur is mine. Arthur begins to pull away. When he looks up his cheeks are wet.
"If you mention this to anyone frog, I will personally cut your precious hair."
His attempt at a threat defuses a tension between us and soon we're talking like old frenemies again.
Finally, the seat belt light flashes on to announce our descent. I can't believe I've been talking to my childhood crush for around nine hours now. We chatted like nothing had happened between us and I soon found myself falling in love with him again. The way his eyes light up when he talks about something he's passionate about is just adorable and attractive. He's just as smart as he was and sarcastic. His favourite insults are still about my stubble, saying that I still can't grow a decent beard.
Arthur gets up to attend to the passengers disembarking from the plane. Before he leaves I hand him my card and I tell him to give me a call before he leaves again. He blushes and nods before walking away. I watch him with hope filled eyes.
"Soooo, mission accomplished! " Liz says suddenly from behind me. I turn around and she's standing there with Kiku behind her, a camera in his hand and a pleased smile on his face. Liz is grinning like a maniac.
"Also Gil told me to invite you and your new boyfriend to dinner tonight to announce our engagement...don't tell him I already told you about it. Anyway we have to go and do hostess-y stuff. BYE!" And with that she makes a hasty retreat followed closely by Kiku.
I wait behind for all the other passengers to leave before I go. Arthur is at the door. I walk up to him and he glances up happily upon seeing me. The sun is glinting off his hair, his eyes are bottomless pools of green and I decide right there that I won't wait any longer. I pull him into an embrace. He grips my shirt to save himself from falling backwards. I tilt his face up to mine and our eyes meet. I know in that moment that I have to do this.
Finally, after ten years of waiting, I kiss Arthur. He's shy and shocked at the beginning but soon he responds with an equal pressure. He fights for dominance just like I always imagined he would. I run my tongue along his bottom lip and he relents and allows me to dominate the kiss. I wrap my hands around his waist and his hands curl into the front of my shirt. I deepen the kiss as we realise at the same time that a flash has gone off. We break apart and look at each other. Arthur's lips are swollen from my kiss and I can't help but be proud of myself. He also looks sufficiently flustered. I know I must look the same but I can't bring myself to care right now because I was the one to make Arthur look like that, not Alfred.
Arthur turns toward Liz and Kiku about to scold them for taking pictures of us. I wind my arms around him from behind again and rest my head on top of his head. Kiku snaps another picture before pocketing his camera. Liz is trying to look apologetic but isn't succeeding. Alfred looks down right furious and is refusing to look at Arthur. I, myself, am revelling in the feeling of Arthur in my arms and at how comfortable he is in my embrace. I kiss the side of his head above his ear and catches his attention again as he looks at me.
"Come on, let's get something to eat. I know this quaint little café not far from the airport." I tug his hand and he begins to protest but Liz tells him to go and Kiku hands him his bag. He waves his goodbyes and I tell Liz that we'll meet them for dinner later at an amazing restaurant I know and with that we're making our way across the tarmac.
I'm pulling Arthur with me and I hear him saying "Not so fast" and under his breath "Bloody frog" and everything feels right, perfect, whole.
A/C: It's nice to finish this finally, I started it then stopped it then started it again...but now it's done and I'm a free elf! ^_^ In casd anyone is interested the band with the song Paper Child is Colours In The Street and they're French...and awesome! Not happy with how it ended but right now I have school tomorrow and I have to get ready...curse my lack of organisation skills! Anyway reviews are much appreciated! (OvO)
Greece's-catgirl-minion x