Reporting for Duty
Night Four: Deck the Halls
"Bzz! Buzz! BUZZ!" Shooting one eye open I glared at the annoyance that was sitting on my chest trying to wake me.
"Peter I swear to god, make that noise one more time and your dead." Peter yelped jumping off my and ran off to the living room, the back of his sailboat onesy trailing behind. I sat up and held my head. Around ten thirty last night Peter finally came in with two bags full of clothes, we had to dig though them together for his night clothes and our fathers' credit card. Finally after transferring the accounts getting peter bathed we finally got to sleep. Until I remembered that he kicks in his sleep. So here I am 25 years old waking up at eight o clock in the morning still tired, making breakfast for a hyped up 12 year old. On the brighter side Alfred's going to take us decorating soon.
"What are having for breakfast?" Asked peter swinging his feet at his seat on the other side of the dining counter.
"Eggs."
"I want a bagel."
"I don't have any Peter."
"But I want-"There was a knock at the door, Peter jumped from his seat opening the door.
"Ho-Ho-Ho!" I peeked my head out to see Alfred decked out in a red hoodie with a white eagle on it and a huge brown sack in his arms.
"It's the nice man from yesterday!"
"His name is Alfred."
"Oh Hi Alfred! Can we go decorate now?"
"No Peter you still need to eat your eggs."
"I said I want a bagel!" My grip tightened on the handle of the frying pan taking deep breaths. This kid was already getting on my nerves.
"Peter… I don't have any bagels"
"But-"
"Eggs sound great!" Alfred blurted out dropping off his sack walking over to me.
"What you haven't eaten yet?"
"Nope, too bust prepping for today."
"Like what?" I asked placing 3 helping of eggs on separate plates passing one to Peter, who despite all the fuss dug in happily.
"Like... it's a surprise" He said with a grin claiming one of the plates as his own. I pouted a bit as I ate my own eggs. The past two days have been enough surprises on their own.
"I'm done, can we go decorate now?" Peter asked practically hopping with excitement.
"Peter... Look down." I said placing mine and his plates in the sink turning on the cold water to begin splashing over them. Peter looked down just now realizing he was still in his pajamas.
"ACK! I'll be right back!" He cried dashing back to the back room the back flap of his pj's falling off revealing his odd birthmark of a transistor radio.
"A Transistor radio?" Alfred questioned glancing at the door Peter had just run through. I chuckled rolling up my sleeves up to my elbows, washing the dishes. I could hear Alfred abandoning his spot and walking over to something in the living room. Finishing up I wiped a small amount of sweat off my forehead. Suddenly I felt something being placed around my neck opening my eyes I looked up to see Alfred smiling down at me softly.
"Figured you'd want it back." He said, Curious I looked down to see my dark green tie hanging around my neck.
"Thanks"
"No problem" He began to tie it for me. I smiled it felt kinda good to be taken care of like this.
"Ohhhhhhhhh!" Shooting my head to the entryway of the kitchen I could see Peter grinning from ear to ear in yet another sailor suit.
"What you little brat?" I snarled.
"Oh nothing." He laughed a light shade of pink forming on his cheeks. Alfred finished up my tie and grabbed his back.
"Okay we all ready to go decorate?" HE asked walking to the door. Peter cheer as me and him followed behind Alfred. In the hallway a pair of young teens in green and red elf costumes stood arguing about something.
"And I'm telling you I won that game!" The taller male shouted. His shoulder length black hair swishing away from his tanned face. He was lean and had a tight green top and slide off his shoulders. His red pants tight with black and sliver chains riding off the sides. His big brown eyes looking down at the shorter girls he was arguing with.
"And I'm saying you're full of it!" The shorter busty female yelled stamping her foot down glaring hard up at the other. She like the taller had black hair only it was all let out covering part of her also tanned face. Her outfit was similar too only it was a red top that covered her shoulders and a green skirt with black tights underneath.
"Hey, hey what's wrong you two?" Alfred asked trying to defuse the fight.
"Ah! Guess neither of us wins" They said in unison looking down disappointed."
"What do you mean?" Alfred asked
"Well you see…." The male started
"We were having a rock paper scissors tournament in order"
"To see who gets to greet you guys when you came out."
"But it seems we both failed."
"Oh well!" The finished together smiling. The male stepped forward.
"Hello my name is Demetri!"
"And I'm his sister Kira"
"And we're here to guide you to your decorating needs!" the said once again in unison. I stared at the twins in utter confusion; they just keep getting weirder by the day.
"Cool! Let's go let's go!" Peter said happily tugging on my arm following the elves to the elevator. When the doors opened for the lobby I could hardly believe it. Over night they had put in a nine-foot tall tree and had over fifty boxes of decorations lying around. Staff members all over, all of them helping to decorate the tree minus Ludwig who was ordering the Italian chef Feliciano, and another blonde in a black suit a gun strapped to his back barking at some tom foolery. There were even some of the costumers helping with the decorating.
"Welcome to the decorating area decorate to your hearts content!" the twins announced taking us to an empty table where Alfred dropped his sack.
"So what's in the sack Mr. Alfred?"
"Hold on you'll see. He replied opening the back pulling out some white paper sting, and some markers. Both me and peter tilted our heads confused as to what these things had to do with decorating a Christmas tree.
"Arthur why don't you go put up some bulbs"
"What? But I wanna see what this all is for!"
"You will I promise."
"Fine, but if your lying, you gonna pay Jones."
Once Arthur was out of ear-shot I bent down to Peter and whispered something in his ear about what the paper was for.
"While your doing that I'm going to talk to a couple of my friends okay?'
"Kay!"
"Oh, and make sure Arthur doesn't know what your up too"
"Aye, Aye Alfred" Ruffling his hair I left him wandering over to Vash who was yelling at Kiku once again for not having an option.
"Vash, lighten up on him. Hercules is helping him just fine!"
"Huh? Oh Alfred where have you been?"
"That's not important. You know Lilly's having trouble with an ornaments over there" I said pointing over to Lilly a meek little girl with mussy light brown hair with a purple ribbon tied to the side, she was in a pink dress currently messing with a little rabbit ornament trying to put it on the tree.
"Silly girl" before he could finish his sentence Roderich began to walk over to help her. Vash frowned and ran over to aide her glaring at Roderich while he was at it. I smiled another match made in heaven.
"Uh… Arigato Jones-san" I turned back around and Kiku was bowing down to me.
"Don't worry about it Kiku just keep up with the good work."
"H-Hai!" Smiling He went back to Hercules and resumed to decorate the back of the tree. Walking around the tree I could see Demetri and Kira advertising to decorate at the elevators. There were a pair of guests hanging around near by a blonde haired male in all black holding up a brunette girl in a nice white and black outfit.
"Jeremy, move more to the left!"
"I can't move any more fatass!
"Don't call me fat you Jew!"
"Fuck you!"
"Hey I got it! Let me down."
"Hell no, stay up there forever Brands" I laughed a bit as the girl got off the males shoulders and retired to a bench where Felix, wearing a red and pink two piece Christmas outfit, and Toris stood helping Yao and Elizabeta pass out milk and cookies. Around the corner Ivan stood being tugged around by Natalia on one side and Yekaterina on the other. Up on the huge ladders above us were Lovi and that idiot Francis's errand boy from the other day racing to the top to beat Gilbert with putting up the star. Holding up their ladders below was Arthur's ex-secretary and Juliet each one rooting for one. Juliet for Gilbert and Ember for Lovi and Antonio. After rounding the entire thing I got to where he was. He was attempting to tie a present ornament on to the tree furrowing his large brow as it gave him trouble. He looked so cute. Quietly I walked over gently placing my arms around him helping him tie it on.
After the ornament was hung I turned my head to face the person behind me who insisted on assisting me with such a simple task. Surprise, Surprise it was Mr. Alfred Jones. I couldn't help but smile.
"There you are. Now, what have you sent my brother to do?"
"That's still a secret, Mr. Kirkland."
"You keep a lot of secrets."
"And you seem to keep figuring them out."
"That I do… What are they doing?" I asked pointing up at Lovi and Gilbert who were currently trying to fight physically while putting up their respected stars.
"Oh that, It looks like two competitive fools trying to put the second most important piece of the tree.
"Second most? I thought it was the first."
"That's what you think now" He said slyly smirking at me. Quickly I turned my head away from him not letting him see my cheek turn red.
"Mr. Alfred! I finished!" Peter shouted waving over at us.
"Great!" e replied covering my eyes with his big hands.
"Hey! What's the big idea?"
"You'll see, now stop squirming."
"Fine" I pouted again tapping my foot as my patience wearied thing.
"Alright it's done. You can see now." Slowly Alfred moved his hands away from my eyes and a bright blinding light flooded my eyesight. Finally coming in focus the tree looked beautiful full of decorations, lights and its garland holding it all together perfectly consisted of… miniature flags?
"What's with the flags?" I asked looking up at Alfred who still stood behind me.
"Why not? I mean almost everyone who works here and stays here is from a different country"
"Ohh I get it now." My eyes suddenly caught a glimpse of a flag I've never seen before it was red with a diagonal white slash in the middle and black on the other/
"What countries flag is this?" I asked walking over to the sorry excuse for a flag.
"That's mine!" Peter said proudly walking over to it.
"What do you mean that's yours? Your English!" I yelled at my dumb younger brother.
"No! Its my country, Sealand!"
"There is no Sealand!"
"Yes there is!" Alfred sighed behind me I peeked over my shoulder his face was full of disappointment.
"What?"
"I can't believe you, fighting with your brother over a flag. And here I thought you were better than that Arthur."
"What- but- he!" I grumbled hitting Alfred's shoulder lightly over and over. He and peter began laughing at my pointless efforts on hurting the taller male. Tell the truth the whole time I was doing it I was smiling it felt nice messing around with them. The whole rest of the day flew by like a blur of games, drinking, food, and most of all fun. By ten o' clock we all were grouped up in the bar partying when my phone went off. I picked it up and a familiar deep voice began to speak to me on the other end.
"Arthur are you there?" Asked the voice.
"M-Mr. President?" I clamored up, the past two days I completely forgot why I was even here in the first place.
"Yes, are you enjoying the party?"
"Ye-Yes of course! ... Wait are you here?"
"Yes I am. Listen I would like to discuss with you about your offer."
"That's great!" The voice on the line chuckled darkly.
"I knew you would agree. Meer me in the convention room on the third floor."
"Right!" Closing my phone I snuck out of the bar bolting for the elevator. Once I arrived at the third floor I opened the convention room doors and stepped inside. I would be completely pitch black if not for the giant room sized widows that illuminated the room with a serene blue light from outside. Looking closer out the window I could see the faint signs off snow gently falling from the sky. Entranced by the sight I walked closer to the window almost unaware of my phone ringing once again.
"Hello" I answered still gazing out the window.
"Good you're here"
"Of course I'm here; you said you would talk about my offer"
"Right, but before we get to business I need to tell you something."
"What" The voice dropped its deep serious business tone.
"Merry Christmas."
"Alfred?"