A/N: It's been a while, but here's chapter two! And France makes an appearance! :)
Disclaimer:I do not own Hetalia nor its characters. I do own the charaters of Aphrodite and Love, though.
Chapter Two: The Girlfriend
For the next couple of days Ditty was getting accustomed to living in London with England. She had been worrying whether she would be able to connect with her host, but fortunately he seemed to be a really nice gentleman. Ditty got her own room and its adjacent bathroom, as well as free access to anything she needed, be it the kitchen or the TV. Most of the time though she would spend with England, observing him, trying to figure out his character and listening to him talk about his former foster child.
"Yes, I know," he said after Ditty told him about her first impression of America. "He is quite full of himself and rarely listens to others. Even though he's still a kid and knows next to nothing about the world," he added grudgingly, squatting down and checking on the scones in the oven. It was after dinner and Arthur had offered to prepare something sweet to the afternoon tea.
"Well he did gain independence from you, right?" Ditty casually leaned against the counter. "That has to mean that he's at least capable of taking care of himself."
England raised, turning away from her. "Yeah, I guess it does."
Aphrodite immediately picked up his defeated tone of voice.
"I'm sorry, that was insensitive," she apologized, remembering the data from the folders that she'd read before.
"It's ok. It's been almost 250 years now. I should've got over it already."
"If you didn't, then that means there's still something you have to do before that. Like, talk to America about that, maybe."
"It's not really an easy subject, you know."
"Yeah, but imagine the relief you will feel when you've finally gotten it out of your system."
England supported himself on the counter with one hand and rubbed at his face with the other one.
"I… I never got the guts to do it, actually," he admitted. His voice seemed tired and resigned at the same time. "After the war we didn't talk much… or rather, we didn't talk at all. I had my people take care of all matters 'America' instead of doing it myself, and it was a bumpy century. It took a hundred years after the Revolutionary War for me to finally look him in the eye… and even then I could not confront him about what had happened. You know, it was too late, and it wouldn't have changed anything."
"Maybe you'd at least feel better today if you had talked to him then."
"And what would I have said? What was there to tell him? He didn't regret what he did and I didn't believe that our relations could be fixed. I just… had to adapt to the new situation. That's all."
"What if he wants to be on good terms with you too?"
"Yeah, right," England smiled bitterly. "He's turned me down so many times that I have no idea why I'm even trying anymore."
"Turned you down?" repeated Ditty. In her head it sounded like a romantic relationship in making; such thinking was probably just a habit, though, necessitated by her profession.
"He constantly shows me that he doesn't need me," England seemed to have missed the implications of his previous words. "Criticizes me, pushes me away and ridicules me. I sometimes wonder if his rare gestures of good will are actually there just because he wants to indulge his boss."
"But he did help you in the war, right?"
"Yeah… well… he did…"
"You know, Arthur," Ditty gracefully brushed her hair away from her shoulder. "I don't really believe that he could hate you. From what I've read, you two have been pretty close during his colony times." She made a small pause; the idea of people being countries still perplexed her a bit. "Anyway… could you call him?"
"What?" England's eyes grew wide. He didn't expect that.
"Call him. Or invite him over. Or go to his place. I need to see how you two interact with each other to devise a good plan."
"You'll be able to see us together next week, when there's a conference at France's place."
"I can't wait till next week, Arthur! Call him now, at least!"
England was astonished to see her so determined, but decided to indulge her in her request. He reasoned with himself that Aphrodite, as Love's right hand, must have known what she was doing.
"But what am I supposed to tell him?" he asked, already holding his cell phone.
"That you just wanted to say hello or something."
"We don't do that. He'll get suspicious."
"Then ask him about next week's meeting."
"We don't really do that either."
"Don't you two ever talk about anything?" Ditty seemed a bit frustrated at this point.
"Well, we usually just hurl insults at each other…"
"Oh for God's sake," Ditty snatched the phone from England's hand and searched for America's number.
"You are quite impatient for a person that has to deal with people in love for a job," observed England, now slightly worried about what she could do with the phone.
"I am very patient, but you're not cooperating. Or maybe I just have little patience for the tsundere types."
"The what?"
But Ditty had already dialed the number and was waiting for America to pick up.
"Hello…?" came a voice from the other end of the line.
"Oh my, Arthur, I think I have accidentally called some poor soul," chirped Aphrodite, shoving the phone into England's hand while giving him a meaningful look. England took the phone, staring at Ditty with mild anxiety.
"Hello? America?"
"England? Who was that just now?"
"That was… err…" England stared some more as Aphrodite pointedly mouthed the words no one. "Um… that's just my friend, she's visiting me right now…" he was relieved a bit to see Ditty giving him an approving nod.
"Cool! I didn't know you had female friends! Did you find her through a dating site?"
"You…" England spluttered. "You bloody git! I'll have you know that I am perfectly capable of finding friends in the real world!"
"Geez, calm down. It's just so unusual, I've never seen you with a girl before. Is she someone new?"
"Um… yeah, you could say that."
"Wow, that's unexpected," said America and behind these words England could feel that America had already made an opinion on his relationship with Aphrodite. "Are you taking her to the meeting next week?"
England looked at Aphrodite, who nodded. "Yeah, I think I just might."
"Wow, you're serious about her! I can't believe an old geezer like you actually found a…"
"The fact that I'm older just means that I'm wiser and more mature than you are!" snapped England. "You bloody brat!"
"Haha! Should you be calling me names when she's around?"
"Maybe I wouldn't if you stopped acting like a spoiled punk!"
"A punk? Isn't that your domain?"
"Shut up!"
"I hope you're not feeding her with your scones. If you do that I doubt she'll survive for long."
"The scones!" shouted England, more to himself than to America now. Aphrodite suddenly realized that there was a smell of something burning all over the kitchen.
They could hear America laugh mirthfully at the other end of the line, but England quickly disconnected and dropped the phone. Ditty provided him with the gloves and he swiftly slipped them on, but it was already too late. When he opened the oven, they were greeted with a puff of smoke and a sad sight of half-burnt scones.
"Um…" began England. "That didn't go very well, did it."
"Yeah, I guess," replied Ditty, looking into the oven as well. "But at least I have some data now."
England snickered bitterly. "Now he thinks you're my girlfriend."
"That's fine, it's what we've been aiming at anyway. We actually use the girlfriend strategy quite often. It's super effective."
"So…" England glanced over at her and cleared his throat. "So… since I've burnt the scones… maybe you'd like to go out for the afternoon tea? I know a place that serves some good blends."
"Of course!" Ditty grinned at him. "Can we go sightseeing on the way there? I really want to see Big Ben!"
"Oh… yes, if you'd like to."
"Great! And I'm sorry about your scones."
"It's ok." her host sighed defeatedly. "Happens all the time."
After three hours of sightseeing and drinking delicious tea, Aphrodite and England were back at the latter's apartment. England took out his embroidery kit and began the work while Ditty settled herself on the couch, quite exhausted from the trip.
"That was the best afternoon I've had in ages," she said. England quirked an eyebrow with a small, amused smile.
"Literally?"
"Well," Ditty laughed. "Maybe not literally. But it's been a while."
"I'm glad you enjoyed yourself."
"Of course I did! Did you?"
"Yes, quite."
"Even though you've seen all those places a thousand times?"
England smiled again, still not averting his eyes from his work. "Yes. Although sightseeing in London indeed does not amuse me as much, I enjoyed your company. I'm… I'm usually alone in here. I have been alone ever since the Revolutionary War."
Aphrodite noticed the sadness in his eyes as he said it. "You never tried to make friends beside America?"
"No. When America left me, I just… closed up. I don't want this to happen to me again."
"But you're suffering."
"It's better this way. It sucks, but at least it's steady."
"How do you know it would not work out with someone else?"
"Think about it. If the person that I cared for so much, that I… loved so much," England's voice was slightly trembling now, "…if even he left me, then what can I expect from people who are merely my friends or acquaintances?"
"Arthur," Ditty got up from the couch and walked to him. "Don't say that. You can't just assume that it will go wrong and so not try at all."
She stood behind him and wrapped her arms around his shoulders, leaning closer. England winced at the unexpected touch, but didn't struggle.
"I think," said Ditty cheerfully, "that you are a very fine gentleman and I see no reason why you shouldn't have someone to love you."
England glanced sideways at her, clearly not believing a word of it. Aphrodite looked him in the eye.
"Really," she emphasized.
"But…"
"Stop moping. We'll do something about that loneliness of yours. We never fail. And my boss is a genius."
"I bet she is, but…"
"No 'buts'," Aphrodite placed a finger on his lips to silence him. England looked at her in bewilderment…
…and that's how France found them seconds later, bursting into the room.
"England! I've heard you've found yourself a girlfriend…"
France stopped in his tracks at the sight, taking it in. "Oh my, I hope I'm not interrupting anything…?"
Ditty straightened herself and flicked her hair away from her shoulders. England just stared at the unexpected guest.
"How exactly did you get into my apartment?"
"Mon Dieu, it's really not that difficult, especially if one is as curious as I was…"
"About what?"
"Well, America called me and said that you have a girlfriend, so obviously I had to check that" replied the Frenchman, eyeing Aphrodite with an approving smile. "But Angleterre, I never knew you actually had such good taste in women. Enchanté, mademoiselle," he said as he approached her and stretched out his hand. Aphrodite slowly took it and France kissed the back of her palm. Then, for a split second, his expression changed, but it vanished before anyone could notice. Only his eyes now held a strange mix of playfulness and mysterious understanding.
"Francis," he said, looking up into Ditty's eyes. She almost blushed.
"Um…" she briefly glanced at England and replied: "Alice. Nice to meet you."
"Alice," he repeated, finally letting go of her hand. "A nice name, but not nearly befitting your extraordinary beauty."
"Thank you," this time she did blush. He was so charming.
"So, Angleterre," France apparently liked to use his language around Ditty to impress her. "I've heard you're taking this beautiful lady to our meeting at my place next week."
England cleared his throat. "Yes, in fact I am."
"So she knows?"
"Yes, she does."
Ditty giggled, covering her mouth with her hand. "Oh Francis, I can't tell you how excited I am! I never knew people like you existed! It is so nice of Arthur to let me meet all the others! And I swear," she added as an afterthought, ignoring the look England was giving her at her strange outburst, "the secret is safe with me! I will not let it out to anyone!"
England did not stop staring for the entire evening, as Ditty continued to blab to France about various unimportant things and he in turn apparently tried to woo her away from Arthur. When France finally left, with the romantically delivered promise of meeting again next week, England eyed his "girlfriend" suspiciously.
"Is there a reason you've suddenly changed into an airhead?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow. Ditty brushed her hair away.
"Of course. It is best that I act like an idiot, so nobody would suspect me of executing any plans," she replied casually.
"Is that a part of what you usually do as well?"
"Yes, in fact it is."
England looked at her, thinking about her impressive acting skills. "You're really good at this, aren't you?"
"Of course!" she beamed and winked at him. "I've learned from the best of the best."
A/N: Next chapter: the world meeting in France. America will make an actual appearance!
Read and review, please :)
