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Title: 10-11
Rating: PG-something...
Pairings/Characters: America/Russia (Oh! You see that? Yeaaah booy! XD), England, Japan, and Poland.
Notes/Warnings: Holy fack, it's another case of ho!fred. Although not really. Lol, you'll see. Also AU! But that should've been obvious.
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Despite what many people would think, the setting for their small congregation is nowhere dark or seedy or located in any suspicious place. Instead, they hold majority of their talks in the living room of a rather spacious apartment kept in pristine condition by the owner and loyal Lieutenant, one Kiku Honda.
The two remaining Captains are present; Ivan Braginsky makes himself comfortable on a white armchair next to another of the same piece of furniture occupied by Arthur Kirkland himself, a small dark cherry wood end table being the only barrier between them.
On opposite sides of the coffee table in front of them and place dead center of the room, sits Kiku and the only other "officer" present, dressed in his normal wear of a pleated skirt paired off with a form fitting flannel and green bandana used as a headband, Feliks Łukasiewicz. Each sits in the middle of two love seats, upholstered in white and overall completing the furniture set, both naturally and unnaturally quiet as they wait for the opening remark that will set off the discussion.
And of course, last but certainly not least is Alfred Jones, who takes his usual position of latching onto Ivan by sitting sideways on his lap, looking very much like the street walkers in his short skirted pink dress with the thin straps and added green sash around the waist to claim his loyalty. One of his arms is kept wrapped around the other man's shoulder, stationed purposefully so that his fingers are able to dance around the bare skin that remains uncovered by the skimpy white top Ivan wears without calling to much attention to the action that leads into him making a lazy circle with one finger on the other's shoulder blade.
Ivan reads the message clearly, and is the first to begin the small conference by asking, "Where's Lovino?"
"He's with Feli," Feliks answers hastily, glad that he is finally able to speak. "Just keeping him company or something since he's like, still so totally wrecked over the whole Gilbert thing."
One or two annoyed sounds are made at the thoughtless explanation before all eyes flicker over to Alfred, still perched oh-so-comfortably on Ivan's lap, waiting to see if he will have any reaction to the news. He gives away nothing.
"That's perfectly fine by me," Arthur comments while picking out a carton of cigarettes from the inside of his jacket. "With him gone, we'll be able to get through this whole thing faster."
Just as he's about to light the freshly placed cigarette between his lip, his eyes dart over to meet Kiku's , brown baring into green, he realizes that perhaps he should have asked if it was alright to go along and smoke in another person's home.
"Is this alright?" he asks, to which he receives a long stare rather an answer. With a somewhat exasperated sigh, he removes the cigarette from his lips and places it back in the carton. "Let's get on with it then."
"Where are you off to in like, such a hurry?" Feliks asks. "Seriously, you're totally jittery and all that. Anxious much?"
"I'm not anxious," Arthur retorts. "And what is it to you if I have somewhere to be?"
"Oohh, Arthur's got a girlfriend."
"That's not the case."
"Oh, so a boyfriend then. Well whatever, it's not like we can judge or anything."
It's in that moment Ivan calls out to Feliks sharply and reprimands him, telling him to keep quiet before turning his attentions towards Arthur. "Do you have other business to take care of?"
Arthur hesitates in giving a response, but all the same he finally does reply, saying, "I'm allowed to visit with my brother today."
Alfred's finger traces a lazy circle against Ivan's shoulder blade and instantly the other nods and says, "We should get through this quickly then. Feliks, how are the girls doing?"
"Fab," comes the reply. "Seriously, there've been like no problems at all. It's super weird but it's not like I'm not totally grateful or anything. No one's been hit, hassled, or threatened, and everyone's been paying up on time."
"About time you've got them to work their corners the right way," says Arthur.
"Oh, like you would do so much better than me."
"Feliks," Ivan growls at him.
"No disrespect," the blonde mutters with a slight eye roll. "I will admit it took me a little longer to get things handled, but you gotta check it before you wreck it, kay? The way those girls were treated before me where like totes beyond horrible. Eliza had to help me out, yeah. She went total berserk on some Johns, which was actually full out and something, and in my honest opinion, she should so totally be the one to take over the empty Lieutenant or Cap-"
The sudden glare coming from both Arthur and Kiku stops him from continuing on. He's taken aback at first, but the sudden realization of his words has him bring his hand up to his mouth as a small, "Ooohhh" sounds out as he looks down into his lap to avoid looking at Alfred.
"There have been a few low key pushers working some back alleys," Arthur says suddenly, all for the sake of moving past Felik's indiscretion. "A few from my lot took care of them though, they shouldn't be making any more trouble."
"Did you offer any business trade?" Ivan asks.
"No, I didn't. Though that was only because they happened to be dealing designer. Unless our policy on that has changed…?"
Ivan shakes his head with Alfred's slight scratch to the back of his neck. "No, we stay green."
"That's what I thought."
"Marketing has so gone down though," Feliks says. "Not that I'm like saying we should push designer or whatever, but what we do have needs to be like, I don't know, like more available or something."
"That'd be grand and all if we had that many dealers willing to push," says Arthur. "But after the incident that landed Toris in the hospital, not many soldiers want to be put in a position such as that. They'd rather work the gambling dens or the race tracks."
"What about that little tiny kid with the humungo brows that follows you around some of the time?"
"That is my little brother," says Kiku, speaking up for the first time.
Feliks raises his hands in mock surrender. "Sorry."
"There is a strong chance you'll be receiving more to work under you," Ivan directs at Arthur. "It's possible we may lose the tracks."
"What? To whom?"
"To the cops," Feliks says. "Where've you been?"
"It seems because… the one who paid off the officer turning the blind eyes is no longer available," Kiku begins to explain, "he sees fit to turn us all over for not accepting his double priced standard bribe."
"Which is sooo stupid," Feliks groans. "This bitch, obviously does not understand how this works."
"All the same, what do we do about that?" Arthur asks. "The tracks are, as much as I hate to admit it, one of our most valuable sources of revenue. We can't lose it, and we can't kill a cop."
"No, we can't," Ivan agrees. "But I think we know someone who is perfectly able to."
"Oh, totally," Feliks says sarcastically. "All we have to do is just get him to leave Northwood and we'll be good. No disrespect to you meant, just the idea."
"Despite the way he presented his argument," Kiku inputs, "Feliks does make a point. Vash will never leave Northwood, it does not matter who he has helped in the past, he remains neutral now."
"Then we have no one," Arthur tells them. "My eldest brother would, but he's not getting out any time soon."
"We could still hire an outside source from Northwood," Kiku says. "It doesn't have to be Vash."
"No," Ivan agrees. "But it would be preferable. We need a reliable ally that is also self-sufficient enough to take care of themselves."
"Why don't you just like, get your sister to do it?" Feliks asks him.
"I would prefer to keep her out of it," Ivan replies while ignoring the way Arthur taps at the side of his head.
"Well there has to be some free lancer who can do it, they can't all totally suck."
"If it will put worries at ease, I will look into the matter of finding someone for hire," Kiku offers. "I had wanted to accompany some soldiers into the area for awhile now to gain insight on the amount of new tags along our borders."
"Wait, what?" Feliks asks unbelievingly. "Okay, this is all getting to be a little too much already."
"Stop being so overdramatic," Arthur scolds. "It's usual business."
"Well sorry for feeling a little overwhelmed when our man power isn't like it was before now that Gilbert and Mattie are-"
The glares that silence him this time around are ten times the ones that had been thrown at him before. Feliks actually shut him mouth completely, no noise, nothing as he silently berates himself for once again mentioning the subject they've all been dancing around for weeks since it's happened.
"Kiku, you will look into hiring and assessing the damage at the borders," Ivan picks up and continues on. "Feliks, stay with the girls and worry only over them."
"Should I take after the arms dealing?" Arthur directs at Ivan. "Or is that something you want to handle?"
"Not particularly."
"We should put that business on hold for the time being."
The four active participants slightly jump at the sound of a new voice joining theirs and almost simultaneously slide their eyes to the blonde who's been silent for the entire time.
Alfred uncurls himself from around Ivan and stretches himself out, his heels hitting the hardwood flooring with a slight clack and he straightens himself out and stands for the first time since they've all taken their seats. He takes a few moments to right his dress and sash, and even pat his hair into place all while saying, "If we're having border issues, the last thing we should be doing is have a running line of AK's and 16's distributed to those who may hand them off to anyone wanting to take something."
Once he assumes his appearance is more than satisfactory, he turns to them all and says, "Revenue is important, but we earn that through the territory we have, so we can drop that for now while we figure out this tagging stuff. Kiku, are you sure you can handle all that?"
The other nods once, the simple gesture being the only affirmation needed.
"I don't know," Alfred goes. "Not that I don't think you couldn't handle it all, but I think you should take Arthur with you just in case. Y'know what I mean?"
"To an extent," Kiku answers, but nods all the same.
"I wouldn't mind," Arthur tells him. "Someone needs to look over the West block in my absence though."
Alfred dismisses the thought with a wave of his hand. "Ivan can do that."
"Lovino has become more vocal in me leaving the dens to him in any case," Ivan says. "I do not mind."
Arthur fixes him with an indescribable expression, somewhere mixed between a knowing one and being astounded almost. Ivan replies with a steady gaze back, one that eventually causes Arthur to look away and keep his thoughts to himself. This silent exchange goes by unnoticed, more or less, by the others in the room, and is put even more out of thought as Alfred claps his hands together.
"Okay," he says cheerfully. "Now that all that's settled, we can get out of here and go back to work."
Just as he turns to Ivan, ready to give the signal for their departure, the other puts his hand up, wanting him to wait. Alfred only raises an eyebrow at him, but nods his permission. Even with as much though, it still takes Ivan more than a moment's hesitation before he's able to say what he wants.
"There is one more matter of business," Ivan says carefully.
"Hm?" Alfred sounds. "What's that?"
With some apprehension, Ivan rises up from his seat, ignores the tingles in his leg where it's gone numb from the other's weight resting upon it earlier. After a small bit of mental encouragement from himself and the curious expressions thrown at him from the others, he's able to say, "With Gilbert and your brother gone, you're two officers short, Alfred."
The other members snap their heads instantly in Ivan's direction, surprised by not only his words but by the audacity he has to bring a light on the one subject they've all been adamant in keeping low key. In Ivan's defense however, there does seem to be some form of nervousness around him as he awaits some sort of response from the other.
"I know, I know," Alfred says, perfectly calm and collected. "I guess… Eliza can take Gilbert's spot."
The revelation snaps Feliks out of his silent mode as he can't help but ask, "Whoa, seriously?"
"Yes, seriously."
"What about the Captain spot?" Arthur asks.
"That can stay the way it is," Alfred says quickly.
"But, Alfred-"
"No one is replacing Matthew!"
While Alfred's words are not shouted or even truly all that risen, the tone he used is so commanding and so unlike the one he had been using when finally submersing himself in their political discussions that it renders them all silent and puts them at unease. In fact, no one is truly comfortable enough to break the still other than Alfred himself after going through a small ritual of patting his hair into place for the sake of calming himself down.
"Feliks, tell Eliza to come talk to me," he says. "As soon as she can, I'll tell her myself."
Feliks keeps his eyes lowered as he replies with nothing more than, "Yes, sir."
And just like that, Alfred's commanding aura is replaced with his usual demeanor of carefree smiles and oblivious attitude, and though no one feels daring enough to speak up again, the tension suffocating the room just moments ago has disappeared completely.
"Alright then," Alfred says. "Since we're all caught up now and have new stuff to handle, hit the block, all. Get back to work."
With one last look at them all, and an even longer one directed at Ivan clearly saying to follow him, he turns on his heel and makes his way for the front door. Kiku stands from his seat right as he begins to walk away from the scene, insistent to play the good host and escort him to the exit. Ivan attempts to follow directly after, though he's held back by Arthur after the other shoots his hand out to wrap around his wrist to call his attention, which he gains almost immediately.
"Get him to understand that we're not replacing his brother," he tells him. "We're simply adding on another Head, that's all. We need that spot filled."
"What do you think I've been doing?" Ivan replies. "It's not so simple, he's set on keeping it open."
He pulls away from Arthur's grasp and is able to leave the room without further disturbance. The remaining Captain and Lieutenant are left to collect themselves on their own time.
"Well that was some drama," Feliks mutters just loud enough to be heard.
Arthur ignores the comment while standing from his own seat, ready to leave and deal with his personal affairs before hitting the block again. "Shouldn't you be visiting Toris?"
"Yeah, I totally should." Feliks stands up from his own seat, takes a moment to rearrange his skirt and follows after Arthur, who has already began to leave the room. "For his sake, y'know. Like, could you just imagine not being able to see me on a daily basis?"
"Perish the thought," Arthur says sarcastically and picks the carton of cigarettes out of his jacket once again.
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Disclaimer: Yes, this is fiction. Completely. Totally. As long as the names stay the way they are.
-I had this posted on my LJ, because it was something a friend and I were doing but never did anything with it, so yeah, here it is.
-I decided that I'm going to finish writing all the half-written things I have floating around my USB drive, and this is the first in a series of inter-connected one-shots, which I'm not even really sure how many we had planned and since I'm winging it on my own now, I need to figure that out because I only remember some scenes.
-Anyway, anyone remember Nothing but a G-Thang? ("You mean that fic that you haven't fixed because a chunk of the middle was cut out when it uploaded and it's been a year?"... Yeah, that one.) This doesn't take place in that universe, but it is pretty much the same thing.
-Even though I have Lullaby as top priority, I posted this today because reasons made me think of reasons and I really hate my life right now, but those feelings are for my original fiction blog place thing.
-Is ho!fred even a thing anymore? Idek…