YAIY! OTP time! Well, for the most part. I'm into Ameripan in any way, shape or form, really, but I prefer it the best with both males or with fem!America. Anyways, this was a total last-minute thing to raise my grade in English for first semester. This little series may or may not be continued, depending on my busy schedule. But I have a very big plot for a sequel, don't you worry. We'll have to see how motivated I am to continue.
Warnings: None, other than improper Japanese, I'm sure.
Disclaimer: If Maggie Napier owned Hetalia, it would have even more crack and gayness.
Chapter 1—Demon Rose
"You have enough money to make this long distance call, but not enough to fly home for your birthday?" Yanmei cried in disbelief into the phone.
"You know I want to, more than anything," Kiku admitted, brushing her long, black bangs into place. "But Yanmei, I just got settled into my new apartment and my new job. I can't."
"Kiku, you up and left right after Christmas. Your birthday is two days from now—"
"Ugh, don't remind me." Kiku snickered. "I'm definitely not looking forward to being twenty six already."
"On'nanoko, these are the best years of your life. Enjoy them," Yanmei advised.
"Is that a wrinkle I see?" Kiku shrieked jokingly at her reflection in the dirty public bus's window. Her seat partner, a balding, middle-aged man, with twenty extra pounds around his gut, sneered at her again for her rather loud conversation with her half-sister… in Japanese.
"Excuse me, miss, but could you keep it down?" he snapped. "I'm trying to rest."
"G-Gomen," Kiku stammered. "I- I mean, sorry, sir. I will try to wrap it up soon," she added with a slight Japanese accent.
"Taking public transportation, imouto?" Kiku could picture the smirk on Yanmei's face, even from thousands of miles away.
"Damare," Kiku clicked her tongue, and blushed. "I don't have a car yet, so I have to make do with the Los Angeles public transportation system until then." She felt ashamed at times when she'd noticed how downgraded her life was now as compared to when she lived in Kyoto. A mod condo to a dingy, pricey apartment in Little Tokyo, a new sports car for LA public transportation, hearty bentos for cheap ramen… but Kiku had to remind herself it was all worth it. She was an American citizen now. She would make a future for herself here.
"Suit yourself. Hey, I gotta go. Eun Young's coming over any second now and this time she's bringing her new boyfriend," Yanmei said dejectedly.
"Hey, don't feel so down, shimai-sama," Kiku sighed. "I'm there in spirit."
"I miss you, Kiku. Call back, soon."
"Sayonara, shimai-sama."
Kiku Honda snapped her phone shut and scooted herself as far away from her unfriendly seat partner as much as possible. She pictured a better life for herself in America, she really did. It was the land of dreams. And here she was, barely making ends meet in Los Angeles, her dream city. She knew she should be grateful for the opportunity to even be there, but Kiku wanted more out of life. She wanted to be a young, sophisticated traveler.
Ne, like that's ever going to happen, she thought to herself.
She was lucky her parents even supported her decision to move out of Japan. Yanmei was shocked as well, but all three had caved in to Kiku's pleas and promises of creating a new life for herself in America. That was five years ago, when Kiku was fresh out of university. Only since December had she been considered an actual American citizen, and before then, she took series of crappy jobs and lived with many different roommates, trying to save the money her relatives had given her. Once her citizenship was official, Kiku splurged on her own apartment and began working at one of the hottest restaurants in Hollywood—hence the public transportation.
Little Tokyo was nothing like home, but at least she got a taste of it in one little town.
"Next stop, Union Station," the robotic voice announced.
Kiku snapped out of her thoughts. "Sumimasen… er, excuse me," she told her seat partner as the bus began to slow.
And that's when she felt it. That stupid… presence, the feeling that someone was watching her. Kiku had felt it ever since she moved into downtown LA two years ago. It was the same face she seemed to see, and only at night.
Kiku knew if he were a stalker, he'd had made his move a long time ago. It was weird—she'd never actually seen the man, yet she had a vague feeling of his watchful presence. The feeling wasn't haunting either; it was more of a pleasant feeling, like she was being protected. On many occasions she suspected he was a guardian angel, but then she remembered she wasn't a Christian.
The whole thing made her brain hurt. Kiku stepped off the bus and walked into Union Station, walking fast to catch the Yellow Line straight into Little Tokyo.
On the train platform, her head buzzed with a weird sensation, like someone was trying to communicate with her mentally. This wasn't the first time it happened either. At work, every time she passed this certain table, she felt the same sensation… but no one was at the table. One of her co-workers noticed Kiku's jumpy behavior and sent her home early.
Now that she could concentrate more, the sensation did seem to be talking to her.
It said in a low voice, "Hello, Kiku."
After a quick stop at Marukai, Kiku walked up to the Kinokuniya Bookstore, where she bought most of her reading material. While browsing the manga section, the presence felt stronger than ever. It seemed to be right behind her, almost touching her.
"Good evening, Kiku." It was the same voice from earlier.
Kiku gasped, but could not move. Eyes wide, she pretended to be engrossed in books.
"Don't speak," he continued, "And don't turn around. I'm just here to confirm that I'm real. The sooner you get home, the sooner your questions will be answered. But before you step into the building, you must invite me in. I'll be waiting."
"Wha—" But when Kiku turned, she saw no one in the same aisle as her.
Walking out of the store empty handed, Kiku pondered her follower's words.
"Before you step into the building, you must invite me in."
What did that mean? And why the hell were people so vague nowadays? Kiku hurried home, a chilly wind blowing through the city.
Pulling her coat tighter around her shoulders, Kiku thought about the man's words again, taking in any knowledge plausible. The February air seeped into her skin, and made her shiver… or were her own thoughts doing that?
Wait. Kiku stopped dead in her tracks and paled as she realized it. Demons can only enter a household when invited. If she had to invite the man in, then wouldn't that make him a demon? Kiku gulped. She really hoped not.
She stopped in front of her apartment building and took a deep breath. Was he already here? Only one way to find out.
"Hello?" she called, probably to no one.
"You take you time getting here, you know," said the voice from somewhere in the shadows.
"Where are you? What are you?" she asked, staring at her reflection in the glass mirror.
"Invite me in first."
Kiku took another deep breath and opened the door. Something inside told her inviting him in would be all right.
I must be out of my mind, she thought, stepping in but keeping the door open. "Won't you come in…"
"Alfred."
"Alfred," Kiku repeated, her voice not sounding as velvety smooth as his.
"With pleasure." He stepped into the building.
Never before had Kku ever seen such a beautiful creature. He was tall and pale, extremely elegant in his crisp business suit. His shaggy blonde bangs fell in his face sexily, and his hypnotizing sea blue eyes were hidden behind rectangular spectacles. Kiku felt like she could swim in Alfred's eyes forever. She could see the centuries of knowledge underneath his incredibly good looks. He must have an interesting history of some sort, Kiku knew.
Suddenly, Kiku felt plain and ugly in Alfred's presence. Her pixie-cut black hair wasn't cute anymore; it was childish and stupid. Her almond-shaped brown eyes were definitely not as alluring as Alfred's; they were cloudy. Their height difference was significant; Kiku felt like a midget compared to Alfred. He held himself so highly, almost like a god. Even under the cheap florescent lights, Alfred seemed to be glowing perfectly.
"I-I—" Kiku couldn't speak.
"Seventh floor, right, Kiku?" Alfred flashed Kiku a dazzling smile.
"Ah… er, hai. I mean, ne. I mean… yes!" Kiku sputtered, not quite finding her voice, not quite losing it. "But… How do you know my name? And my apartment floor?"
"I have my ways." Alfred winked and led Kiku to the elevator. "'Kiku' means 'chrysanthemum' in Japanese, right?"
"N-Ne," Kiku replied, stepping inside and pressing her floor button. "Yes."
Silence. It was especially uncomfortable for Kiku who felt unsatisfied next to the extremely handsome Alfred. What did he want with her? Plain, dime-a-dozen, uninteresting Kiku. She had no talents, other than keeping tidy and silent like a Japanese housewife should be. She could cook, but she was only mediocre. How could someone like Alfred stoop down to be seen with her?
And why did Kiku let Alfred manipulate her so much? It was like he was getting inside her head! Never had she invited another guy into her apartment so early into a relationship. Although, now that she thought about it, she'd felt Alfred's presence for two years.
It still didn't make a difference. This was the first time Kiku actually met Alfred. She didn't even know anything about him, and he knew her name, where she lived, where she worked, and where she shopped. He probably knew a lot about Yanmei, too.
"Is there a last name to go with 'Alfred?'" Kiku finally piped up as the elevator doors opened on her floor.
"How silly of me." Alfred chuckled, following Kiku onto the seventh floor. "Alfred F. Jones." He stuck out a hand for Kiku to shake.
Kiku stopped in her tracks If she shook his hand, would she fall further under his spell? She didn't want to take any chances, so she greeted him the Japanese way—she bowed.
"Pleased to meet you, Jones-san," she said automatically. She was used to this at home, but here in America, it seemed out of place and weird.
"Alfred is fine, my dear," Alfred clarified, gesturing for Kiku to stand straight again. "No need to be so formal."
Kiku simply blushed and walked on, her knuckles turning white for clutching her purse so tightly. Once she reached her own door, she fumbled for her keys with shaky hands. Alfred stood behind her, a little too close for Kiku's liking, but she didn't have the voice to tell him to back off.
"You're real," she stated, still not truly believing it. "All this time, I—"
"I'm very real, Kiku," Alfred interrupted, his lips almost brushing her ear. "Never forget that."
Kiku gulped and finally opened the door, hesitantly stepping over the threshold. Alfred did not follow.
"Why aren't you…" she started, but shut herself up.
"I wasn't invited," Alfred replied, smirking.
"Before I do, you have to tell me what you are. A demon?" Kiku guessed, her hand clutching the doorknob. "Demons cannot enter a household unless invited."
"Heavens no," Alfred denied, shaking his head. "I have much more class than that."
It all made sense now. His extremely good looks, his presence only at night, his cool, calm demeanor… Why hadn't Kiku seen it before?
"If I let you in, you'll kill me!" She shrieked in sudden realization. The nerve! He was just playing with his food!
"If you don't, you'll be dead by tomorrow night," Alfred countered, his face serious. "Unless you want to live in this dingy apartment for the rest of your life. I'm going to give you a choice, Kiku, if you let me in."
"You'll let me live?" Kiku asked, a little to hopefully.
"'As long as the sun and the moon shall endure,'" Alfred quoted. Kiku recognized it from one of her favorite children's books, Anne of Green Gables.
Pondering Alfred's proposition, Kiku's eyes never left the blonde's. She had a decision to make, and she had to make it now
"While you think," said Alfred, "let me tell you something. I know what you truly want, Kiku Honda. You want to live, and you want to be young for as long as possible. You want to travel, but you also want the money and time to d it. I can make it happen, Kiku. I'm giving you a choice, here."
"How do you know this?" Kiku raised an eyebrow skeptically.
"Because I've met people like you," Alfred replied. "You're not the first one to want this. But you're not like the others. There's a subtle hint in your eyes that tells me you want it more than anything in the world. You're unsatisfied with life, but you're not desolate. You're fortunate, but nowhere close to accomplishing your goal. Give me what I want, and I'll give you the chance to go wherever you want."
It wasn't much of a choice—it was a gamble. If she let him in, there was no telling whether he'd kill her or not. If she shunned him, she'd already dug her grave.
This was her life, and she only had one.
"Alfred," she said with a controlled voice. "Won't you come in?"
That amazing smile returned. "You're a smart girl, Kiku Honda."
Japanese Translations (correct me if I'm wrong):
On'nanoko-girl
Gomen-sorry
Imouto-sister
Damare-shut up
Shimai-sama-honorable older sister
Sayonara-goodbye
Ne, hai-yes
Sumimasen-excuse me
Reviews, questions, and crits make Maggie a happy girl~ Am I too OOC for y'all?