Author's note:

Hey everyone! I just thought I should let you know that just because I'm starting this doesn't mean I'm going to drop my other one J I'll juggle between updates as best I can! Thanks! XOXOXO

Chapter One: Inconveniences

Out of place.

That was the only way to describe the six teenagers that stood in the airport that day, clumped together as if they were afraid of being separated. Their clothes were awkward and stiff; nothing like those of the Americans that swarmed around them. All six of their faces were pale, like they were either deathly afraid of airports or didn't get very much sun where they were from.

Both of these guesses, in many ways, were the truth.

"Ugh, this is so unawesome!" A boy with eye catching white hair groaned with a thick German accent, gesturing wildly with his arms. "When the hell did Alfred say he would be here?"

"Stop being an impatient dummkopf," a shorter male with impeccable brown hair and glasses scolded him. "He said he would be here as soon as we got off the flight. Which, obviously, he isn't."

"He will be here!" The tallest of the six, a muscular man with blond hair, roared. "He can't just leave us stranded in his own country!"

"I didn't know you were such an optimist, West," the white haired male grinned.

"It's not optimism, its trust. Besides," but before the blond could finish his sentence, a girl with long brown hair standing beside him began to jump up and down excitedly.

"Everyone, shut up for a second!" She pulled a cell phone out of her pocket. "I'm getting a call from Alfred!"

"Answer it!" The white haired one grabbed her shoulder.

"I was about to, Gilbert!" She scolded, brushing him off of her before answering the call. "Hello? Alfred, is that you? Yes, this is Elizabeta!" She paused, her face slowly melting from excitement to anger. "What do you mean you forgot?!"

"He forgot about us?" Gilbert screeched. Elizabeta silenced him with a wave of her hand.

"But you don't understand, we don't have anywhere else we could go!" Elizabeta cried. "You can't just say we can stay with you and then just ditch us at the last minute! We're not-… No, I don't care if you're too busy with your 'fast food'! No, wait, don't hang up! We… hello?"

She slowly took the phone away from her ear, her face murderous.

"I'm. Going. To kill him." She rumbled.

"Not if I kill him first!" The tall blond bellowed, sparking several curious looks in his direction.

"Stop being a buffoon, Ludwig," the brunette wrinkled his nose. "People are starting to stare."

"Can't you see, Roderich?!" Ludwig continued to yell. "We're stuck here with no way home until next year! And we don't even have a place to stay!"

"Uh," a voice from behind them made everyone jump. "Not to intrude on your conversation or anything, but I couldn't help but overhear."

A girl, probably around seventeen, stepped out in front of them.

"Hi, I'm (f/n) (l/n). I know this is random and weird, and you're probably more than a little creeped out, but was that Alfred Jones on the phone just then?"

"Yes," Elizabeta said warily. "Why?"

"He happens to be my friend. Well, sort of my friend. And I'm guessing you guys are the guests he was supposed to have staying with him this year?"

"Yes, we were," Roderich answered this time.

"Yeah, well he asked me to meet him here and help him show you guys around the city. But he's not exactly here…so, uh, sorry about that." (Name) tucked a strand of (h/c) hair behind her ear, smiling apologetically. "You really don't have any other place to go?"

All six of them shook their heads, and (Name) bit her lip, weighing her options.

"Well, I can't exactly leave you guys alone here. Unlike Alfred, I actually have a conscience." (Name) hesitated. "So I guess you guys can come stay at my place for a little while. Just until we can work something out, alright?"

"Are you for real?" Gilbert laughed raucously, slinging an arm around (Name)'s shoulders. "That's so awesome!"

"Get off of her, Gilbert!" Ludwig shouted, shoving Gilbert off of (Name) and then turning his sky blue eyes to her. "If she is serious about taking us into her home, she is to be shown the utmost respect. Is that understood?!"

"Yeah, whatever, West," Gilbert winked at (Name). "She realizes what she's doing by taking the awesome me into her house! She obviously wants the G!"

"Ja, I don't think you're using that term correctly," Roderich sniffed.

"You're all so loud," a short, blond haired male standing slightly off to the side remarked.

"No one even asked for your opinion, Vash!" Gilbert whined.

"Everybody shut up!" Elizabeta broke in. "Let (Name) say what she needs to say. You all need to take a lesson in manners!"

All at once six faces turned to (Name). She shrugged her shoulders and retrieved a set of keys out of her jacket pocket, turning them over and over in her hands.

"Well, I lived with my parents until last month, but they decided to ditch me and move to Fiji after they retired. So I kinda have a huge house all to myself," (Name) let out a small laugh. "And if Alfred was ready to let you all stay with him, I don't see any reason why I shouldn't. Like I said, it would just be for two, maybe three weeks, until you guys can find somewhere else to stay."

"Thank you," a girl hiding partially behind Vash spoke up. '"You're so nice to do this…"

"It's no problem," (Name) gave her a smile. "I've got too much room in my house anyway. It was getting sort of lonely…it'll be nice to have people filling up the empty space, you know?"

"Gilbert knows all about empty space," Roderich smirked. "Mainly because that's the only thing in his brain."

"You're a real asshole, you know that?" Gilbert said, but he let out a short laugh nonetheless. "Whatever, I don't care about your stupid unawesomeness anyway. We're going to be staying with a smokin' hot chick!"

"If you talk that way about her she will never allow us to stay in her home!" Ludwig growled.

"He's right, you know," (Name) grinned. "Now c'mon, let's go. This airport smells like Alfred."

"Whoa, it really does!" Gilbert sniffed the air as everyone began to follow (Name) out of the airport and into the sunny California day.

"Okay, get in everyone," (Name) motioned to a small, dingy looking Sedan with chipping (f/c) paint near the back of the parking lot.

"Into that piece of crap?" Gilbert gawked. Ludwig promptly smacked the back of his skull with his palm.

"Hey, it may be a huge piece of junk, but it's my huge piece of junk," (Name) affectionately patted the hood of the car. "Now get in before I change my mind about letting that little comment slide."

(Name) hopped into the driver's seat and looked at them expectantly.

"Shotgun!" Gilbert called, dashing madly to the other side of the car.

The remaining five looked at each other, unsure of what quite to do next. Eventually, Roderich shook his head and got into the middle row of the car with an indignant sniff. He was soon followed by Vash, Ludwig, Elizabeta and Lilli.

"Okay, everyone ready?" (Name) started up the car and the engine sputtered loudly. Without waiting for a response, she pulled it into reverse and backed out of the parking lot.

"Are you sure you are properly obeying the speed limit?!" Ludwig cried as the car sped at a rather dangerous speed down the highway.

"Eh?" (Name) turned away from the road to twist in her seat and look at Ludwig. "Sorry, mind repeating that?"

"Never mind, just turn back around and face the road!" Ludwig clung tightly to the small grab handle above his head.

"She's trying to kill us," Roderich realized, his eyes wide. "I'm going to die without having composed more symphonies than Mozart!"

"Chill out!" Gilbert leaned back in his seat and rolled his window down. "Look outside, the view is awesome!"

"Right?" (Name) smiled. "I've lived here for six years and I'm still not used to how beautiful it is. Wait, you guys never told me your names, and I kinda need to know that sort of thing if you're gonna be staying in my house."

They introduced themselves one by one, and (Name) took careful note of each of their names.

"Well, at least we'll die somewhere nice," Roderich said gravely after they had all been introduced.

"Would you stop?" (Name) laughed lightheartedly. "We're here, you're not gonna die."

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," Roderich looked warily at the long, twisting driveway ahead of them.

(Name) shrugged and leaned into the steering wheel, veering sharply up the driveway (nearly crashing into several stereotypical California palm trees on the way up). By the time they finally reached the top of the driveway, even Gilbert was looking a bit green.

"Welcome everyone!" (Name) jumped out of the car and turned to face her house. "Mi casa es tu casa and all that."

"Holy shit, you weren't kidding when you talked about extra space…" Gilbert joined (Name) in admiring the house. It was a hefty, three story home with comfortable stone and plaster walls and more windows than Gilbert could count (but, in all fairness, Gilbert can't count very well). The front lawn was spotless, a romantic stone path snaking through the grass from the end of the driveway all the way up to the long wraparound porch.

"It's so beautiful!" Elizabeta was next to emerge from the car and gawk at the house. "Oh, thank you so much for giving us the chance to live here with you!"

"It's no problem," (Name) laughed. "Like I said, there's too much empty space anyway. Now, grab your stuff from the trunk and you can go unwind and unpack for a little while. There are eight bedrooms in total, including mine. I don't care what rooms you guys pick as long as there's no fighting. Alright?"

"No promises!" Gilbert snickered and snatched his red and black skull-and-crossbones duffle, making a wild dash for the front door.

"Gilbert, wait!" Ludwig called after him. "Remember to be polite! This is not our home!"

"He can't hear you anymore," Vash sighed, watching Gilbert try to pry the locked door open. "His ears are too clogged from all the stupid."

"Grab your stuff, I'm gonna go unlock the door for him before he rips it off the hinges," (Name) smirked dryly and hurried off to Gilbert, who was attempting to pick the lock with a twig he'd found.

Ludwig, Roderich, Elizabeta, Vash and Lilli collectively retrieved their things and trailed onto the porch. By the time they reached it, the door was wide open and Gilbert was sprinting madly around trying to find the biggest room.

"Ooh, this is so exciting!" Elizabeta slung her bag over her shoulder and joined Gilbert in his search (although in a slightly more calm fashion).

"I don't care where my room is, as long as it's quiet and away from all the yelling," Vash wrinkled his nose. Lilli slowly reached out and took his hand, bringing her wide green eyes up to meet his.

"Is it alright if I find a room next to yours, big brother?" She asked.

"Fine, whatever, as long as you're quiet," Vash agreed, leading Lilli down the hall to try and locate rooms relatively close to each other.

Ludwig and Roderich shared a glance before Roderich pushed his large suitcase into Ludwig's arms.

"Carry this to my room for me," Roderich said simply.

"Nein! You will carry it yourself!" Ludwig shouted, but Roderich was already mounting the spiral staircase in the center of the room. Ludwig gave chase, trying to return the suitcase, but Roderich had already found a room by the time Ludwig reached him.

"Thank you, just put it down over there," Roderich gestured to the large vanity at one end of the room.

"Fine, but only because I already walked it all the way up here!" Ludwig scowled and placed the suitcase in the corner.

"Good, now get out of my room. I'm busy," Roderich smirked and slammed the door in Ludwig's face.

Ludwig briefly considered breaking back into the room and teaching Roderich a lesson, but he decided better of it and instead wandered down the hall, looking for an empty room.

After a great deal of this aimless wandering with no results, Ludwig leaned against a wood paneled door to take a short break and get his frustration under control. To his surprise, the door swung open, and he fell backwards and onto his back.

"Ludwig?" (Name)'s face appeared above him.

"(Name)?" Ludwig blinked, disoriented and confused.

"What are you doing on my bedroom floor?" (Name) asked slowly, cocking her head to the side.

"My apologies!" Ludwig quickly got to his feet and stood erect before her. "I didn't know where I was going, and-"

"Nothing to apologize for," (Name) interrupted him with a shrug. "Stuff like this happens. What's wrong, did you have trouble finding a room or something?"

"Ja," Ludwig scratched the back of his neck, his eyes dropping to the floor. "Sorry, I don't mean to burden you with this."

"No problem," (Name) took Ludwig's hand and led him out into the hallway. He recoiled in shock at first, his cheeks beginning to light with heat, but as he quickly returned to his sense and followed along. "Here, we'll find a room for you," (Name) said from behind her shoulder.

She released his hand once they found a room (a small but cozy little space on the third floor), but Ludwig would not soon forget the warmth of her hand in his own, nor the unexplained pounding of his heart as she did so.

No, he definitely couldn't forget that.

German word cheat sheet:

Dummkopf: idiot

Ja: yes

Nein: no