A/N: Chapter six! This one's really long, and it's only half of the content I planned to fit into this chapter… So… I'm learning to expand my descriptions better, I guess…?
If you like Hetalia, go to 'World Paradise Hetalia' and ask for Alice~ she's the leader, and she'll make sure you get a character to RP! However, we will soon be moving to World Hetalia High, a site of the same nature also headed by Alice! We're still looking for lots of countries, so please join us! (Tell them Romano sent you~)
Edited thanks to the power of reviewers (Your humble entertainer is listening, folks... Corrections can be made!), or rather just one: Ninja Lady Jae. And I learned something new in the process!
I don't own Hetalia!
It was the next day when something finally happened, and an opportunity for escape presented itself quite neatly to me. A perfect chance, you might say. Well, not perfect, as you will see, considering the fact that (as most of you can guess) I did not manage to escape successfully. I can account this to a lot of things, between Turkey's stubbornness and my own unfortunate predisposition to messing up even the simplest of plans.
Not that my particular method of escape required much planning, or even any at all.
However, it took a while to get to that point, and a significant amount of embarrassment, so I doubt you'll be hearing about my escape this time.
I suppose I should explain.
The next morning, I was able to get up myself and not be woken by the slam of a door. I shuffled down to the first floor compliantly, because in the morning I can actually be a decent person. I don't have the energy for a temper, then.
I grabbed something to eat from the kitchen, no idea what, maybe a fruit or something, and poured myself a cup of black tea from the stuff Turkey had apparently already brewed for himself. Well, he was sitting there at the table and didn't complain or anything; and I would have told him to fuck off anyway if he'd complained about me stealing some of it, though I prefer coffee to wake myself up in the morning. Need my damn caffeine... And tea, no matter the kind always reminded me of that bastard England.
In any case, it was a quiet, dare I say almost enjoyable morning. Not that I would admit it to Turkey. Because who needed another thing for the bastard to try and tell me how much better it was to live with him? Then, as he was on his second cup of tea (at least that I'd been there for) and I was tracing my fingers along the rim of my empty glass, there was a knock at the door.
Thankfully, it was not a loud, annoying, obnoxious knock like the previous day. It was a firmly audible knock, and it roused me from my still slightly sleepy daze. I still didn't offer to get the door. Turkey sighed, stretching as he stood from the table, and went to open the front door.
"Good morning, Turkey!"
"Morning, Bahar. What brings you here…?"
My ears perked up. Bahar… That's what he'd called Alice the other day. I crept out into the doorway of the kitchen and peered out. Yup. It was Alice alright.
The cheery smile and wavy hair held back with a headband gave it away quickly. And then she spotted me peeking out of the doorway and waved over Turkey's shoulder.
"Lovi~ Hi!" she called happily, waving.
I flushed hard and backed further into the kitchen, giving her a an almost imperceptible wave with the fingers of my left hand. She giggled, walking past Turkey at a skip, and, unfortunately, was quick enough to grab my arm before I could completely retreat into the kitchen.
"U-uh… Alice…" I stammered, embarrassed and crimson already. "H-h-h-hi…"
And I could see out of the corner of my eye that that masked bastard was grinning. Smirking, probably thinking it amusing how flustered and shy I was being, when he was so used to my useless-but-loud blustering and grumpy attitude. I wanted to punch him. So badly.
But I couldn't. Not with Alice watching… There was no way…! I just couldn't.
So the most I could do was give him another one of my death glares and then refocus attention onto Alice as she slung an arm around my shoulder.
"Ah, Lovi, I haven't seen you in so long!" Alice cheered, turning the light grip around my shoulder into a full-blown hug. "The last time we really saw each other was when we were still both with Spain!"
I almost choked at the reminder. Again, with one of my most embarrassing memories… Asking her for a kiss like that… Any other woman and it wouldn't have been a big deal at all. But Belgium… I was probably so dark with a blush that I looked maroon.
And then she just had to…
Well, she put a finger to her chin and looked as if she was thinking. And then she started talking again, giving me a little wink.
"Ah, that's right, Lovi, I never gave you that kiss I promised!" Alice giggled, and I swear I almost died.
I was even too embarrassed at that point to notice Turkey, who was probably laughing his ass off like a huge jerk… Not that it wasn't something that probably deserved to be laughed at… Because I'll admit it was damn pathetic, freaking out over a little kiss like that.
And it was as I was still blank-minded and frazzled that Belgium leaned in and placed her lips on my cheek. My face was, I'm so sure now, almost literally on fire. I was bright red… A damn tomato, just like Spain always said.
And then when I was finally able to focus on the world around me, there was Turkey giving that smug little chuckle. The one that activated my defensiveness faster than almost anything else I've ever experienced.
"Heh, look at him, he's blushing!"
And since Alice had detached herself from me by that time, I was able to properly channel my anger.
"I-I am not!" I snarled, crossing my arms across my chest.
"Yeah, you are…" he argued, stepping forward and leaning in, as if to get a closer look and prove his point.
My heart jumped, surprised at the distance, or, more accurately, lack thereof, between his face and mine. I tried to glare, but it was surely offset by my jumpiness as I stumbled back, startled. Biting my lip, I held out my arms straight in front of me, to put a barrier of distance between us.
"H-hey, stand back, j-jeez!" I demanded, still leaning back a bit in case I needed to retreat further.
And then he was outright laughing at me, and holy hell in that moment I knew why it was that even just thinking about that laughter was what set Greece off. Just the fact that this arrogant guy had the nerve to find me amusing…! Agh, I wanted to die! … Or kill him, preferably, actually.
"Y-your reactions…" he chuckled, trying to catch his breath.
I snapped. Which, of course, is a phrase you've heard from me plenty of times already throughout this tale, and will hear plenty of times further along. It seems to be a hobby of mine, losing my temper.
In any case…
"Stop laughing at me, you Turkish bastard!"
The laughter stopped. One point for me. … But oh, it was still not a good thing. Because now he was looking down at me, expression a little dark, and taking a step forward threateningly.
"… Eh? What was that?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow just slightly.
That just made me angrier, somehow. He knew damn well what I'd said to him!
"I said stop it! Are you deaf or something, old man?" I retorted, throwing at him the one barb he could not ignore.
It was what Greece always called him. The way they addressed each other every time… "Old man", "brat"… It was pretty well-known. So if you wanted to rile one… Just call him the way the other did. And the only way to get back at Turkey in that moment, it seemed to me, was to address him in that manner.
And it showed in his response, that he'd unconsciously flashed to his arguments with Greece.
"Nah, I can hear just fine! Brat!" he answered loudly, scowling.
But there was one thing that changed the situation. One thing that immediately changed the nature of the argument and made me lose my proverbial footing.
He reached out and tugged on my curl.
"Ch-ch-chigiiii!" I yelped, as was usual when someone made the horrible decision to pull on my curl.
After all… Oh, well… I guess I'm assuming all of you know what it is that's special about my curl. But maybe you don't know. My brother and I each have a curl that is… To put it in a more scientific term, and erogenous zone. In other words, by some incredibly idiotic mistake of nature, that curl is hotwired to the nerves between my legs. … Yup. No joke.
I personally blame Nonno Rome.
Anyway, now that that has all been explained…
You understand my reaction, yes?
My face, which had gone back to a normal temperature during the beginning of my argument with Turkey, flushed back to a cherry-red, and even when trying to concentrate fully on shouting, I still couldn't help but stammer.
"L-l-let g-go!" I responded, and, much to my chagrin, there was a slight, keening whine to my tone.
"I don't think I will," he said, almost teasingly, green eyes flashing from behind his mask with an emotion I couldn't quite identify. "You seem to be enjoying it…"
And if you're wondering what exactly Alice was doing at that moment, don't worry, you're not alone. I was wondering that too at the time. When I managed to get a glance at her out of the corner of my eye, she was frozen with that look people get on their face when they've just seen or heard something they find utterly adorable.
"Awwww, Lovi made a cute noise!" she cooed at last, eyes starry.
Turkey through her an odd look before blinking a few times and nodding.
"Heh… Yeah, he did…"
Well, it was quite obvious at that point that Alice was going to be absolutely less than no help. Not that I could hold it against her. Besides being… Well, herself, which kind of exempted her form my anger in the first place, I was sure Alice had no idea what the curl actually did. Turkey, however, seemed to know exactly what the hell he was doing, and that made it all the more humiliating.
And so… Like the damn sucker I am…
"D-d-dammit, Spain, where are you?" I muttered weakly, still with that tiny, embarrassing hint of a moan.
"Sorry, Romeo, he won't be here anytime soon," Turkey mocked.
My fists clenched. He was mocking me, because he knew… He knew I knew that I needed Spain to truly escape. That I was too weak to do it on my own… Too damn weak.
"F-fuckin' bastard!" I growled, eyes narrowing darkly.
But still, he did not take me seriously. Well… I wouldn't take myself seriously, all red-faced and breathing heavily like I was.
"Adorable," he chuckled, and I was too frazzled to try and figure out if he really meant it or if he was making fun of me again.
But at last he sighed, shrugging.
"But, since you don't want the attention…"
And he let go. My legs collapsed from under me and I hit the floor. I panted heavily, trying to compose myself in a timely manner. It wasn't working.
"Dammit…" I muttered, glaring at the floor as I struggled to get up. "I-it's always me… Dammit…"
And of course the bastard just watched me, amused, smirking that damn arrogant smirk.
"Ha!"
He laughed just the once, sharply, and my glare redirected to meet his eyes.
"Asshole…"
I was trembling, in anger now… And I didn't even register that it was her touch as Alice helped me stand.
"Eh, you'll get over it!" he scoffed, rolling his eyes.
And then all hell broke loose.