Francis was leaning against Science Building I, waiting for Alfred to finish up his last class. As he idled, a ghost sticker on a nearby window caught Francis' eye, and he found himself staring at it, understanding what it meant, before looking away. Even though it had been several years since he moved, Francis still had these uncommon moments where he would distinctly remember, with some parts resignation and some parts homesickness, that he was an outsider here.
He sighed. Why was he going to carve a pumpkin with Alfred again?
"Hey, Francis!" called out a loud and familiar voice. The Frenchman blinked back into reality and looked up to see Alfred peering at him curiously. "You feeling all right?"
Just like that, Francis pushed away his gloomy thoughts and gave a small smile. "Oui. Just daydreaming. Shall we head out?" Alfred grinned and nodded enthusiastically, and then they were off to the Technology Building to meet up with Kiku.
It was a tradition at United World Academy that, a few days before Halloween, students gather in the quad to carve pumpkins. By the end of the day, the school staff and student council would gather all the carved pumpkins and decorate the campus with them, and then on Halloween night, they would light them all up. This was an event Francis missed in the past, and he never planned on attending it in the future, but here he was...
Although, as he and Alfred continued forward and chatted amicably, Francis quickly remembered why he agreed to come along. It was because Alfred invited him there, and he didn't get to spend much time with him after school as it was. With Francis' other friends, this wasn't a problem, but with Alfred, there was something... well. There were a few perks to being Alfred's friend that he didn't have with any others.
"So, dude, you got any ideas for the pumpkin?"
"Hm... how about a beautiful mermaid?" For example, there was Alfred's sincere devotion to Francis. That one was especially clear, considering what happened with the horror movie night and all.
"A mermaid? You know it's supposed to be something scary, right?"
"But mermaids are rather frightening. They use their songs and beauty to lure humans deep into the water, where they devour them." But ever since they reconciled, Francis started to notice some other ones. Like that strange honesty Alfred always had, as compared against the two-faced nature of his other friends.
"Well, yeah, you got me there. But mermaids don't look scary!"
"That is true. Do you have any ideas, then?" And there was Alfred's constant cheeriness, even if it could be obnoxious sometimes.
"Oh yeah! How about that little alien from the movie Alien? The one that burst out of the dude's chest! We could put in all the blood and everything!"
"...Can such an elaborate thing even be carved into a pumpkin?" And then, there was one thing Francis found particularly entertaining...
"Well. Hm. Maybe not! Oh, but wait, I got another one! What about Slenderm—" Suddenly, Alfred felt Francis' hand very lightly graze against his own, and the last part of his sentence disappeared into a hitch in his breath. Francis' smiled widened at the blush that washed over Alfred's face, before the latter took a deep breath and stuck his hands in his pockets. Then the blush faded away, almost entirely, and Alfred turned to Francis and continued. "Sorry. What I was saying was, we could try putting Slenderman on the pumpkin!" And just like that, his cheer was back in full swing.
Casually, as if nothing had happened, Francis asked, "Who is Slenderman?" Oh yes, this was something Francis found incredibly amusing. One little brush of fingertips, one somewhat sensual stare, and it was enough to bring Alfred's vibrant energy to a sudden, shy stop.
It was like that, with Alfred energetically explaining and making suggestions, and Francis listening and throwing in a few of his own ideas, that the pair walked towards the Technology Building and met up with Kiku.
Almost immediately, it became clear to Francis that Kiku was a reserved sort of person. Once they started walking, Francis wondered how the other two managed to become friends, considering their opposite personalities. Then, halfway to the quad, he started to think up an interesting idea. Teasing Alfred was fun, but how much more fun would it be if there was a third person involved? It could be like a game—see how many times he could rile up Alfred without Kiku noticing.
And Francis had to admit, he loved these sorts of games.
It didn't take long for them to set up a table in the quad, complete with pumpkin and carving tools.
"So, guys, what's it gonna be? It's gotta be something scary!" Alfred said, leading the discussion on which design they should use.
"I don't really have anything in mind, Alfred-kun. I'm fine with whatever you choose."
"I still like my succubus idea. Or the siren. Or the mermaid..." Both Kiku and Alfred were looking at Francis with their individual versions of a deadpan face."What? Those sorts of creatures, who use beauty to lure the humans they prey on, are the scariest to me! If they truly existed, then I would probably be dead by now!" But the way his nostrils flared and the way his smile turned lecherous implied that Francis found such a situation a lot less scary, and a lot more enjoyable. After a few moments lost in the sorts of thoughts that the other two were glad he kept to himself, Francis finally composed himself. "What sort of thing do you find scary, then?"
Alfred took only a moment to think before he replied. "Ghosts. Definitely ghosts." He nodded definitively. "Enough said."
Francis smirked. "Then the answer is clear. We will carve a ghost... of the beautiful lady variety."
"Dude, seriously? Is that the only thing that's been on your mind today or what?"
Kiku suddenly cut in, effectively halting the conversation despite his low voice. "I think I have a good idea what to draw now."
The light pout on Alfred's face changed into his usual smile as he turned to Kiku. "Well, all right, then! I'm sure whatever you pick will be great!"
Francis nodded his assent, and so Kiku got to work on the pumpkin. Then the Frenchman turned to Alfred and shot him a very nice and charming smile. "So, how do you think you did on that Algebra exam? Excellent, as usual?" he asked.
A light dusting of blush bloomed on Alfred's face, and his eyes darted away for a moment before he answered. "Uh, yeah. I think I got in in the bag. What about you?"
From the corner of his eye, Francis saw that Kiku was too busy with his drawing to notice anything, and so his smile widened—this would be too easy. One point already! A pleasant expression and a compliment always got this sort of reaction from Alfred. "I did rather well. Although that pesky question about identifying functions certainly gave me some trouble."
Alfred relaxed and then offered to discuss the problem while they waited, which Francis gladly accepted. The latter wasn't the most interested in Algebra—he did quite well enough on his own—but Alfred certainly shone when he explained these sorts of things, and Francis found that he rather liked it.
The second point in Francis' little game came up while Kiku was putting the finishing touches on his drawing, and he and Alfred were discussing a new video game. When Kiku glanced back at his drawing, Francis brushed the back of his hand against Alfred's arm, making it look like an accident. Still, it was enough to stop the other boy mid-sentence, and Francis found that he had to hold back laughter as he watched Alfred pretend that he was actually going into a coughing fit. Oh, Alfred was always such a bad liar... Kiku seemed more confused about the situation than he was convinced, but at least he didn't question it.
Not long after that, Kiku finished his drawing—he ended up making an adorable blob-shaped ghost wearing ribbons, much to Alfred's disappointment. Francis found his third point when he handed Alfred a knife and purposely left little space on the hilt for Alfred to grab, forcing him to brush his fingertips against Francis' hand. Alfred tried to calm his gut reaction as much as possible, since Kiku was watching them this time. Naturally, the way he tried to force away his blush only made him more conspicuous, and Francis once again found himself holding back laughter.
For his fourth point, Francis stepped behind Alfred while he was carving and asked how things were going. Of course, he did this when Kiku was momentarily looking down at his phone, and he leaned forward enough for his warm breath to brush against Alfred's ear. From where he was standing, Francis watched with a smug smirk as the blood flowed to the tips of Alfred's ears. What he couldn't see from his place was the frustrated look on the other's face.
By the time Francis got a fifth point, Alfred had finished the carving. It happened when Kiku was busy gathering the carving supplies; Alfred fit the top back on to the pumpkin, and Francis brushed his hand against the other's as he moved to help hold the vegetable in place. Alfred shot him a reluctant, yet questioning, look, but before Francis could respond to it, Kiku turned back to them and said he was ready to turn in the pumpkin.
"Yeah, Francis, the strategy system in that game was really fun. You should try it sometime," Alfred said, though his cheer seemed subdued now. He, Francis, and Kiku were currently walking the longer path towards the dorms, winding behind buildings so they could avoid the crowds.
"Then, I look forward to it." Francis shot the other a pleased expression, and even though he didn't do it with the intention of scoring another point, he still found himself enjoying a brief, nervous twitch from Alfred. Ever since they left the carving event, Alfred seemed more fidgety, and his face seemed to permanently turn a shade more red.
Silence fell over the three of them as they each dwelled on their own thoughts. While Alfred was nervous and confused, and Francis was smugly satisfied, Kiku felt himself becoming more and more of a third wheel. There was obviously something going on between those two, whether he liked it or not. As they continued on, Alfred once again glanced discreetly at Francis, trying to keep tabs on the Frenchman's hands and figure out what he was thinking. This time, Francis caught Alfred's eye, and they shared yet another one of their... moments.
For Kiku, this was the last straw—it was too much to handle. Abruptly, he stopped and turned to the other two, and said, "I apologize, but I just remembered that I needed to buy more tea. Please, excuse me." Without waiting for a reply, he bowed curtly, then quickly walked away.
Francis and Alfred watched Kiku leave until he disappeared, the latter with a gape on his face. Francis, on the other hand, couldn't help but feel a little bad for the boy. He didn't mean to scare him off. In fact, wasn't it his intention in the beginning to not get caught at all?
Well, at the very least, he still had fun while it lasted. Maybe, if he ever saw Kiku again, he would make it up to him somehow.
Having reached a suitable conclusion for himself, Francis grinned and asked, "Shall we go, then?" Alfred nodded dumbly in response, and then the two continued to the dorms. As they went, they separated even more from the crowds on campus. Now they were walking down a path that wound between currently empty buildings, not another soul in sight.
Alfred scratched at the back of his neck and glanced at Francis' hands, which were now hanging loosely at the other's sides. "Man, Kiku sure seemed... weirded out by the end of it. I hope he's all right." Even though Alfred didn't quite understand what was up with Francis today, he was pretty sure that it was the reason Kiku fled all the same.
Francis couldn't quite hide his smirk, and he lightly shook his head. "I wonder what was wrong with him."
Alfred just quirked an eyebrow up, appearing incredulous. He looked like he was going to say something, but then another blush flared up and instead he faced forward, grunting out a simple "huh" as his response.
And then it suddenly dawned on Francis that maybe Alfred actually figured out the little game. Usually, he just teased the other every once in a while, so it was actually believably an accident. But eight "accidents" in such a short span of time... Alfred may be oblivious, but surely, even he could pick up on something like this. Francis mentally scolded himself for not even considering this possibility.
Silence fell once again, and Francis peeked up at Alfred. His face was still a little flushed, and it held a rather strained expression, like he was thinking about something. Francis then wondered if maybe he was being a little unfair to Alfred today. Sure, it was cute to get the other boy all worked up, but there was such a thing as going overboard... So, Francis gently placed his hand on Alfred's shoulder. "Are you all right?"
Alfred jolted and looked down to Francis, and the strained look on his face immediately softened to something more unsure. "Uh, well, I was just... thinking."
"About...?" Francis nudged on Alfred's shoulder, and they both stopped walking and turned to face each other.
"About, um..." Alfred gulped and forgot that he was going to say anything. Francis' face was a little too close for comfort, and Alfred was getting hung up on the other's eyes, unable to look away from them. They were so pretty, when he got the chance to have a good look at them...
"Go on." Francis gently squeezed Alfred's shoulder.
The action seemed to send an electric bolt through Alfred's body—and it managed to force him to snap out of it. "Well, see, I was wondering if... if maybe today, you were, you know... doing some things... on p-purpose?" The moment he uttered it, Alfred felt incredibly stupid. Yes, it seemed a little too much to be an accident, but honestly... what sort of motivation would Francis have to do something like that on purpose?
Alfred swallowed thickly and stepped back. Suddenly, he was feeling very, very warm. Francis watched the other's Adam's apple bob up and down, and without realizing it, he licked his lips, which were currently formed into a more predatory smile. Alfred had such a beautiful strong neck, and not for the first time, Francis found himself wanting to kiss and bite at it. He tore his vision away from Alfred's neck and looked up to his eyes, lovely sky blue eyes. Right now, they were so full of want...
Finally, Francis replied, "And what sorts of things did you think I was doing on purpose?" He took two small steps forward, leaving their bodies separated by only a paper thin slice of air.
"Um, well..." Alfred tried to nudge himself back, and only then realized that somehow Francis had him up to a wall. He could feel the other's hands run down his arms, and the simple touch seemed to fire away all of his blood like fireworks. He could feel his heart pounding in his ears. Then he looked more closely at Francis' face, caught that knowing expression, and then it dawned on him. "W-wait... this... is on purpose too?"
Francis warmed at the innocent question. "Would there be any problems with that?"
Alfred suddenly found himself out of breath, so he took a moment to breathe in, and in not even another moment, he understood what his answer should be. He felt all of his insides jump and jolt, and he didn't know if that was a force that was egging him on, or trying to hold him back at the last minute.
But he couldn't back down now, and through all his inner tumult, all he could do was tilt his head down in the affirmative. Then he said in a voice made small by wild nerves, "I... wish you were closer."
Mixing in with all of his desire was a sudden rush of giddiness, and Francis gladly pressed himself into Alfred's body. Who would he be if denied such a cute request? Then, as if it was programmed to happen from the start, Alfred bent his head down and Francis tilted his up, and their lips slid into place against each other. Francis wrapped one arm around the small of Alfred's back, and tangled the fingers of his other hand in the hair at the nape of the neck.
Alfred gently grabbed onto Francis' shoulders before pressing into the kiss further, rubbing his lips against Francis'. At that, Francis ran his tongue along Alfred's lower lip, and suddenly the latter jolted away. His breathing had gotten heavier, his face was bright red, and his eyes were so big... Francis smiled at the sight. Alfred was so much fun.
They stood like that for a few long moments, and finally, Alfred managed to straighten up and level out his breathing. Then he broke out of Francis' grasp so that he could pinch the back of his hand. "Uh... nope. Didn't hurt."
Francis just shook his head and chuckled, in that deep and throaty laugh which Alfred enjoyed so much. "Oh, Alfred. I assure you that you are not dreaming."
"Um. Okay." He nodded dumbly, and then the two of them continued forward in a very comfortable silence. Francis enjoyed sneaking glances at the other boy, the shock clearly lingering for a good while. Alfred, in the meantime, kept turning over everything that just happened in his head. Francis' dazzling smile, the way he said Alfred's name in that accent... Oh god, that accent...
...And, of course, the way Francis' warm lips felt against his. The way they pressed against each other. Oh, yes... he already loved kissing. He wanted more of it. Definitely, lots more kissing in the future.
Author's Note: Finally, it's here! Chapter seven! Sorry about the wait, real life just really got in the way of writing lately. Even if I run into obstacles, though, I like this story too much to leave it unfinished!
Anyway, going along with the spirit of Hetalia, I'll include a little culture note at the end here! Why was Francis so sad in the beginning? Well, in France, Halloween isn't really a thing. In fact, people there didn't really know about it until the 90s. The holiday achieved some popularity for a time, but it has since waned. Of course, American businesses (like the Disneyland there) hold celebrations there, and some places and people celebrate more than others... but it's definitely not the nationwide Big Deal like it is in America.
On the other hand, ever since Halloween caught on there, there have been people who were against it. For them, it's another American thing that's being imposed on others.
Now, a national holiday they do celebrate in France is All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day, on November first and second, respectively. Students are on break during that time, and banks and post offices and such are closed those days. I'm not sure how many of you might know about these days, but they're basically rather solemn traditions. All Saints' Day honors the saints who don't have their own days, while All Souls' Day is a time for honoring and remembering family and friends who have passed away.
So... that's a little background on that! I actually didn't know any of that stuff myself, so I put in some research. Unfortunately, the stuff I found on Halloween in France wasn't much, and it all seemed a bit dated... but since I couldn't find much very easily, I just figured it really did fizzle out in France. I could be entirely wrong, so if someone can correct me on any of this, I would love to hear it! Then I will edit this author's note accordingly.
Anyway, if all that stuff is remotely true, then... Francis, being Francis, is very proud of his language and culture! He doesn't like having American things pushed onto him, and of course, he has always partook in French holidays. But then he moves to a very big country where millions and millions of people hype up over Halloween, and not so much on the following two days... well, every so often, when the timing is right and he's left alone with his thoughts, maybe his pride comes back to hurt him. And hey, pride or not, anyone can get homesick either way.
To wrap up an author's note that's probably longer than it should be, I want to say here that I've got a lot more real life stuff to take care of! Christmas is coming up, and on top of having fun celebrating it, I have to do lots of cooking and cleaning and taking care of guests and meeting friends and family and stuff! So, unfortunately, I won't really be able to work on this for a while. Expect the next update maybe... mid January or so?
Until then, I hope all you lovely readers enjoy yourselves, whether or not you're celebrating anything!
