Disclaimer: Hetalia is (c) Himaruya Hidekaz. This is just fanfiction.

Warnings: Alternate universe (AU), use of human names for characters that have them.

A/N: In which things kind of, sort of happen, and there are cats-in-a-box, or something. (Also, it's come to my attention that the mix of human names and nation names might be a bit awkward; think I should keep it as-is, or stick with just one? If it's just one, I'll probably use country names, since I'm not overly comfortable with giving other people's characters names.)

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Scene Zero
Two

No one spoke a word as they gathered in the lounge room, instead exchanging glances once seated. The tension was palpable, while Taiwan reached forward for the teapot she had set down only seconds before; biting her lip in concentration, she began to pour tea out, though no one besides herself and Hong Kong actually took a cup.

As the silence dragged on, Thailand buried his face in a book, a clear sign that he wished to be ignored, while Yong Soo continued to scribble something on the clipboard he always carried with him. A part of Kiku wanted to blurt out an apology – a spontaneous action he was bound to question later – but the sound of the door opening behind them stopped him.

Yao rubbed a hand across his eyes as he entered, before pinching the bridge of his nose. Taking a seat beside Yong Soo, he sighed, "We got lucky last night, aru. Vietnam will be released in a couple of hours, and it looks like their poor excuse for police have cleaned things up nicely. Or well enough, so that people won't be stumbling into trouble."

Nursing the cup in her hands, Taiwan managed a sigh of relief, and sank further back into the couch. Hong Kong shot her a brief glance, as he shifted forward to place a number of papers onto the already crowded coffee table between them.

"The data patterns from last night."

Yong Soo slid a couple closer to him, "Report's going to be fun to write up, I'll say. At least they aren't watching our every move, so I don't have to worry about explaining certain decisions on the field." He grinned at Kiku, who shifted uncomfortably at the words. With a scowl, Yao grabbed the teacup closest to him and drained it, before setting it back down with more force than necessary.

"I'd say something about it, but without the intervention Vietnam would have ended up fighting to her death. And what would we have done then, aru?"

"When you're worried, you should just say it," murmured Taiwan, as a plume of steam rose from her cup when she blew into it, "But Levels usually don't upgrade on the spot, do they? Not like that."

"Nope, and that's what I'm going to have to try and figure out. It was a pretty drastic change, you know." The prospect seemed to excite Yong Soo more than anything, never one to back down from a challenge, "Might call up Eduard and see if he has anything on it. I think Alfred might know something as well, since where he's at has almost everything. Besides, it never hurts to use all your resources and connections."

With a roll of her eyes, Taiwan set her cup down and stood up, "If I listen to any more I'll just get a headache; I'm turning in for the day."

"At midday?" Kiku asked, unable to stop himself (though he had a fair idea of the answer already), and thus earned a frown in reply.

"I've been up all night, trying to keep Yao from going completely hysterical, and then had to do the initial write-up for the report when Yong Soo passed out from exhaustion. I think I deserve the break."

While he scrutinised the pages left on the table, Yao waved a hand, "Well, you all might as well take it easy then, aru. Take the chance while you can."

"Are you sure you don't need help with the report?" Kiku asked, while Hong Kong left the room at a speed that might have been deemed unnatural, had anyone bothered to notice. Thailand, who had fallen asleep in a seat located near a window, mumbled something under his breath; the book in his hands had long since slipped to the carpeted floor.

The Chinese man smiled vaguely as he stood up. Picking up the blanket Taiwan had abandoned on the couch, he walked over to where Thailand was and tucked the other in, as comfortably as possible. He didn't turn around as he spoke, "We need someone to properly map the area. Also, it might be a good idea for you to get out as much as possible, aru."

Kiku could not help but raise an eyebrow at the implications, yet the tone of Yao's voice held no room for arguments. Besides that, he knew that there was the matter of explaining his actions behind 'borrowing' a highly dangerous object, still in its testing stages, and it seemed that his cousin was allowing it to slide. For the time being.

Loosening his grip on the couch's arm, Kiku stood up and managed a half-bow before he turned and left the room, pulling the door closed behind him. The hallway was completely abandoned, light filtering through half-curtained windows as shadows crept across the floor and up walls. Ignoring the murmured conversation in the room he had just left, Kiku tucked his hands behind his back as he made his way to the stairs.

In a way, it felt strange to be outside, especially on ground level. It was as if he were exposed and vulnerable to the world, despite the tessen he carried. Kiku had grown to be practically fond of his stake-outs above ground, where he could watch the world below him move without a care in the world, without the need of his presence to be acknowledged; an undisturbed place between ground and sky, though it was only through the advancing of humanity's technology that it was even possible.

True, though, that such moments of peace were often broken by the high shift in disturbance in the area, and he could never forget that there was a reason for being here. It was not a vacation to some strange, new place, but merely another area listed as a high danger zone.

So many people could die, so easily, if the situation were to get out of hand.

The chatter of people, as they surged along in groups, snapped Kiku back into reality, and he stepped back quickly before unintended contact could be made. They barely glanced at him, caught up in their own lives, and while a part of him could only wonder how they could live so freely – so happily – the sudden realisation he had entered a rather populated area was almost shocking.

Voices that overrode each other, hands linking while cars zoomed past; people smiling, unknowing, bags in hands as the world moved on- closer, they were always moving closer and he wasn't moving at all…

Kiku turned and ran. The clenching of his throat was painful, almost more so than his wounds from last night, as the sight of the people before him – in the distance – remained in his mind.

He didn't stop until the images faded, their voices nothing more than a hum in the wind. Trailing a hand across the sleeve of the shirt he wore, certain he had reopened the wounds, Kiku looked around to familiarise himself with his surroundings. They had spent the week prior poring over maps, and it didn't take him long to work out exactly where he was. Once that was out of the way, he allowed himself a chance to just appreciate the scenery before him.

Unlike the bustling city life, it was more serene here, as houses stretched out before him and trees provided shade; while small front yard gardens dotted the area with colour. A calmer atmosphere seemed to permeate everything within its hold, a non-threatening existence; a part of him wondered if they had ever been touched with the chaos his family had been brought over to deal with.

As he allowed himself the luxury of walking down the road, Kiku's mind turned to other matters, though they were something that had been discussed with the family so many times over, it seemed pointless to continue.

If we were not like this- if we had been able to live like a normal family, without the responsibility of other's lives over our heads- What would it be like?

They rarely, if ever, interacted with the outside world, due to the differences in views and the fact that it was near impossible for anyone to really understand what it was they did. It was true that Eduard, Alfred and even Francis (amongst others) were passable company, without the need to discuss how broken their own personal lives were, and they were all still human, after all.

Yet it was their blood that, somehow, marked them for a life that could have been double-sided, if the outside world were ever invited in.

Even if you are capable of saving millions of people in the profession you choose, at least you get a choice. In this case, we were branded from the start, and there was no way around it.

A keening meow caught Kiku's attention, and he turned to glance over to his side, freezing mid-step when he caught sight of the source. Without another thought, he hurried over to the box that read, quite clearly in permanent marker; please give them a good home.

For a moment, Kiku could only stare down uselessly at the four kittens within the cardboard box itself, while they continued to meow for attention, pawing at the sides. Slowly, so as not to startle them too much, he bent down and reached out to them. They did not seem to mind, allowing him to pet them with a content purr.

Even though he knew that Yao would never allow pets within their temporary residence – it made no sense, as there was more than enough room and no one was allergic to cats (not to mention the amount of Hello Kitty merchandise…) – Kiku could not help but argue with himself as to whether or not he should take them with him.

Not only that, but he had no idea as to how long they had been out here, left to their own devices and trapped in a box that kept them away from the outside world, with only a tattered blanket to keep them company. It would not have come as any sort of surprise to think they were hungry, but he had nothing on him, except for the spare change Taiwan insisted he keep for emergencies.

Kiku stood up, decision made, even as the kittens seemed displeased at the sudden lack of attention. Glancing down at them, he could not help but smile at the sight; "I'll be back. Can you wait that long?" Voice low, on the off-chance anyone was around to hear him – unlikely, as the street was completely abandoned – and they stared back at him with bright eyes.

It was a simple enough task to retrace his steps, back to where people gathered, voices rising and weaving through each other as they continued on their way. No one spared him a second glance, if any at all, as Kiku sought out a convenience store, finger tapping a silent beat against his wallet.

Taiwan and Yao would probably chew him out, if they ever found out what he chose to spend his money on, but Kiku could not bring himself to really care about that, as the doors slid open before him. He was not one to spend money on frivolities, after all, so they would not even begin to suspect; and it was not like there would be any way to trace him back to his actions, especially with such an impulsive decision on his part.

When Kiku moved closer to the register to make his purchase, he could not help but raise his eyebrows at the sight of the cashier speaking enthusiastically to his current customer. Waving the scanner in one hand, it was almost as if the conversation was one-sided, even as the blond tried to bring him back on-track.

"-and do you know what Antonio said, right after that? It was something along the lines of; but they like me, otherwise why would they be here? And brother was so angry at that point he actually tried to-"

Realisation that he was actually listening in on the conversation caused Kiku to shake his head, as he took a couple of steps back once more, glancing at the neatly stacked products before him. Picking up a bag of salted peanuts, he stared down at the nutritional contents, blocking the cheerful voice from his mind, even as another, even more enthusiastic voice joined the conversation.

Names were thrown back and forth for a moment – Elizaveta, Roderich, Lovino, Antonio and… Gilbird? Huh? (Kiku could only conclude that his mind was playing tricks on him) – until the blond snapped, and the cashier began to apologise profusely, almost to the point of tears.

If anything else of even potential interest was said, Kiku would never know, as his attention was diverted by the dark grey sky he caught sight of. And, although most casual observers would not have seen it before the automatic doors slid open and they stepped out, he could only notice the drizzle that had started. Kiku wandered around the store once more, picking up an umbrella on his way back to the register just as the previous customers left.

"So why do I have to carry all this, West-?"

"Does that really deserve an answ-" The doors slid shut once more, cutting the sentence, as well as the sound of rain, short.

Kiku set the items down, even as the brunet smiled at him and chimed, "Good afternoon! Having a good day?" It was strange to see him so cheerful, despite the apologies less than three minutes prior.

"Eh? Aah…" The completely casual tone threw him off slightly, despite part of his brain knowing that it was just common courtesy on the cashier's part, "Good afternoon." Unable to work out an appropriate response for the second question, Kiku could only give a half-hearted shrug at the end, though it seemed that the other didn't notice, or care. Being polite was just part of his job, after all…

As Kiku made his payment, the cashier could only remark, somewhat airily while he stuffed the purchases into a plastic bag, "The news didn't say anything about rain today."

"Is that so…" He could only watch as the doors slid open once more, allowing a small group of teens in, as they chatted amongst themselves.

An empathetic nod, "Maybe it's because the weathergirl is sick, since they've been wrong the past week. I mean, Ludwig says it's completely ridiculous and I shouldn't waste time thinking about it, but-"

"Feliciano, are you talking someone's ear off again?" One of the girls from the group called, as she waved a hand at him, grinning. He waved back with his free hand, even as he ripped the receipt from the machine and passed it over to Kiku with the change.

Mumbling his thanks, yet refusing to believe he had been caught by surprise from the unexpected interruption, Kiku could only walk out as Feliciano practically sang Have a good day, ve~ and began another conversation with his new customers.

The drizzle had increased into a downpour, even as Kiku opened the umbrella and stepped out into the elements. Most people were in a similar position, as they hurried on their way, fewer words exchanged. The reminder that the kittens were on their on, and completely exposed to the weather, helped Kiku to pick up the pace.

As he turned into the street from not too long ago, his eyes instantly fell on a bright red umbrella in the distance as it bobbed from side to side; blinking, Kiku reprimanded himself as he sought out the cardboard box, before stopping once more.

It was obvious the box was still there – though it would not be long before the message was completely unreadable – but someone else was huddled over it, holding their jacket over the box in an attempt to shield the kittens from the rain.

Part of Kiku considered turning and walking away, because it was the most obvious choice for him – what was he supposed to do now? He couldn't walk up to someone like that just because he spontaneously decided to buy some food for abandoned kittens – even as he approached the huddled figure. His presence was ignored completely, until the shelter of the umbrella caused the person to look up.

Kiku froze up as their eyes met; the idea that someone could actually notice and give him their undivided attention, that wasn't family or work-related, was almost laughable to him. The familiar clench of his stomach almost had him turn and leave without another word.

"Would you mind giving a hand?" A calm voice, a simple question, unaware of Kiku's internal struggle, as the young man before him stood up (he was tall, Kiku noted, though it did not come as a complete surprise). Tying the drenched jacket around his waist, the brunet glanced back down, even as the umbrella was shifted to accompany his height.

"Eh? Ah, well…" Kiku's grip on the plastic bag tightened, as he turned his gaze down at the box. He could not help but shift uncomfortably at the attention, though he knew there was no discernable reason as to why he should feel like he was being scrutinised; and by a stranger, of all people. "If it is no trouble at all, uhm…"

"It isn't. Thank you."

Kiku's view of the kittens was obscured once more as the stranger bent down to gather them in his arms. As they stood up, he was taken by surprise as the animals were pushed into his arms while his lost his grip on the umbrella itself. With three slightly irate kittens in his arms, Kiku could only stare at them, while trying to work out what had just happened.

"My house isn't far from here… if that's alright with you." An almost thoughtful hum as the brunet next to him considered his words, shifting his hold on the fourth kitten, "They'll be alright there."

Unable to look back up to give a reply, Kiku nodded. The bag in his hand crackled with each movement, and one of the kittens in his hold seemed to want to paw at the contents, a perfect distraction from his thought processes. It currently fell on following a stranger and what am I doing in the first place, neither really a cause for concern despite Yao's occasional moments of paranoia.

He was no longer a child, after all, and more than capable of taking care of himself.

"Here."

The same calm voice snapped Kiku out of his thoughts, and he watched as the brunet unlatched the front gate. As soon as he had the door to his house open – Kiku could not completely tear his gaze from the garden itself, for some reason – he reached forward for the other kittens, depositing them gently in the shelter of his home.

With a vague smile, he passed the umbrella back to Kiku, "Thank you…?"

The lilt in his tone, question undeniably there, caused the Asian to shift (the possibility of bolting without another word squashed by common courtesy), "… Kiku."

"Kiku," he repeated slowly, as if to make sure his pronunciation was correct, "thank you."

"A-ah, it was no problem at all…"

"Heracles."

"Hera-" Kiku could not stop his face from burning, at the realisation that they seemed to beginning to talk in circles, and instead thrust the plastic bag into the other's hands, ignoring the look of surprise on his face. "T-this is-!"

He missed the widening smile on Heracles' face as he peered into the bag, "… cat food?"

"Well… I just thought, I mean…" Why was he trying to defend his actions now? And why did he hand it over in the first place? Aside from the obvious fact that he really had no use for it, and throwing it out was a waste…

A light touch on his shoulder caused Kiku to jerk back, and Heracles blinked at the action as he spoke; "How much did it cost? Ah, would you like to come inside as well…?"

"No, that… that is alright." He bowed deeply, the burning of his face most definitely noticeable now, "Thank you for the offer, but I must be going now."

"I see. Thank you."

Kiku turned away quickly, before he could reconsider – before Heracles could make another offer, no matter how innocent – and hurried out, back into the weather's embrace. The wind around him had picked up again, downpour heavier, as the gate behind him shut with a clang.

As he hurried down the street, contemplating how long it would take to make tea, Kiku could not help but look back once more, though the door was already closed and there was no one else out there.

With a shake of his head, he continued on his way; it had only been a chance encounter, he knew, and the possibility of meeting that man again – Heracles, was it? – was slim at best. It was not like it mattered either way, though.