Yes, I'm back! My trip to Italy was freakin' AMAZING! It was soooo beautiful. I had the time of my life! :D The CRAZIEST time of my life, but still . . . I even managed to find an anime store over there while I was wandering around! XD Anyway, now it's back to reality *sobs* Oh well, at least there's a new chapter . . .
First off, thanks to all the reviewers!: vodka's sister, Ace Jeremy, Trumpet-Geek, Polenta (Katie/British Chocolate), Empress Vegah, xxalexisurgodxx, Yuu-chi, Mawlsie, MeLaNch0LYdreams, Deidara'sgirl19 , anon (AGH ENTERED PREV BY ACCIDENT lol), ci, IchigoMelon, and mininity
Disclaimer: Axis Powers Hetalia © Hidekaz Himaruya (not me!)
Chapter 12: Surprise!
"Oh for the love of God, will you just tell me where the hell we're going?" Arthur grumbled, tapping his fingers impatiently against the dashboard of Alfred's car. They were speeding along down the highway, although Arthur had no idea where they were headed.
"Of course I can't tell you!" Alfred replied. "That would ruin the surprise!" He let out one of those annoying laughs that made Arthur want to open the car door and dive out toward the side of the road.
"You just revel in tormenting me, don't you?" Arthur mumbled.
"Only because you make it so much fun."
"Hmph." Arthur looked away and continued to sulk in silence. Although Alfred had warned him that there would be a "surprise" in store for him today, Arthur hadn't thought it would involve travelling anywhere. All he wanted to do was rest, especially after that exhausting birthday party the day before. But, much to his chagrin, Alfred had other plans. He had awoken Arthur at 9:00 sharp and demanded he prepare for a little roadtrip. Of course, he didn't provide any details on the trip, no matter how many times Arthur badgered him. And when Arthur tried to argue that he was too tired to go, Alfred accused him of acting like an old, worn out man. Thus, as usual, Arthur found himself playing the accomplice on yet another of Alfred's escapades.
"You know, I already suffered through that entire bloody celebration of yours," Arthur began, "so I don't see why you couldn't let me alone for at least a day."
"Suffered through it? You seemed to enjoy the fireworks, at least," Alfred said, slyly eyeing Arthur, who had turned slightly pink at the memory of the two holding hands the night before.
"Yes, well, that was an exception," Arthur told him. "The rest of it was a colossal waste of time."
"Look, I get that you're not really the partying type. But that's the whole point of this surprise! Since you came to the party, even though you weren't that excited about it, I wanted to repay the favor. We're going someplace I think you'll like . . . at least I hope you'll like it." Alfred winked at him, and Arthur had to admit his curiosity had been piqued.
Someplace I'd like . . . ? Arthur racked his brain but couldn't come up with any ideas as to where it might be. Whatever it was, it had to be a fair distance away—they had been driving for over two hours already. What could be worth journeying such a distance?
"We're almost there," Alfred announced. "Close your eyes!"
Arthur wasn't too eager to do so, but he appeased Alfred by closing them, and then he waited. He could make out sounds in the distance, and the air almost tasted salty . . .
The beach, he thought miserably. It wasn't his favorite place. Not that he didn't appreciate the beauty of white sand and waves, but the intense heat and the busy crowds always managed to ruin it for him. He would much rather have visited the beach at night, when all the people had cleared away. It would be so much more peaceful and quiet then. He could picture Alfred and himself walking along the shoreline at night, watching the waves bob in and out . . .
"Okay, we're here!" Alfred yelled as the car skidded to a halt. Arthur opened his eyes, fairly sure of what he was about to see. But of course, he had forgotten to take into account that this was Alfred's surprise, and as such, it was certain to be far grander than he imagined.
I should have bloody well known, Arthur thought, once he had opened his eyes. Yes, there was a beach in front of him, but that wasn't all. Lining the beach was an entire freakin' amusement park, complete with roller coasters, carnival games, and an arcade. As soon as Arthur had gotten over the momentary shock of it all, he glanced back to find Alfred grinning like it was his birthday all over again. Arthur had the sudden urge to shove him out of the car, lunge for the wheel, and hightail it back to the mansion. At least that place had a trace of sanity to it, whilst this one looked like it had next to none.
"This is your idea of a pleasant surprise?" Arthur exclaimed, gesturing toward the park like it was some kind of a hellish deathtrap. "How could you assume I'd like a place like this? Are you barking mad?"
"Woah, calm down!" Alfred said. "This is only the first part of the surprise! And it's not the part I expected you to like anyway . . . but come on, we're here now, so why don't we have some fun with it? Just a few rides, a couple of games, and then I'll show you the second part of the surprise . . . deal?"
"No," Arthur told him, crossing his arms. "I have absolutely no intention of riding any one of those ridiculous contraptions." He gestured to the roller coasters with his hand. "Or of playing those foolhardy parlor games. Or stuffing myself with any more atrocious hamburgers. I demand that you turn this car around right now and—"
"I'm not your chauffer," Alfred interrupted, swinging open Arthur's car door. "And I'm not taking you back—which means you're stranded here for the moment. So just give it up and come on!" Alfred grabbed Arthur's hand and pulled him out of the car, dragging him along as he headed for the amusement park.
"No you don't, you bloody fool!" Arthur yelled, fighting to break away from Alfred's grip. "You can't take me against my will!"
"Oh, can't I?" Alfred replied, a devilish gleam shining in his eye. Arthur didn't like the look of that one bit.
"What's that look for? You'd better not try anything—" But before he could finish, Alfred had wheeled around and lifted him off the ground as easily as a twig, swinging him over his shoulder.
"Let me go, you wanker! I swear, if you don't put me down, I'll—"
"Come on, Arthur," Alfred began, laughing, "it's just an amusement park, not the gallows."
"Same bloody thing, if you ask me."
"Look, I'll carry you the whole way if I have to. Is that what you want?"
Arthur cursed under his breath. He wasn't about to let himself get humiliated like this, so it didn't look like he had much of a choice. Grudgingly, he agreed to Alfred's demands, and Alfred lowered him to the ground.
"I knew you'd come around to my way of thinking," Alfred remarked, far too smugly for Arthur's liking. "Now follow me!"
Arrogant bastard, Arthur thought, mentally plotting his revenge. It just wasn't fair. Why did he have to be so bloody attracted to an idiot?
xxx
It turned out that the seaside amusement park was called the "Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk," also known by its nickname, Surf City. It was quite a large park, sporting a good variety of thrill rides, carnival games, snack foods, and gift shops. Alfred boasted that it had been around for over a hundred years, to which Arthur countered that a hundred years was peanuts when compared with most things back in England. In fact, he burst out laughing when Alfred informed him that one of the roller coasters had been deemed a national historic landmark. Alfred didn't find it so funny, but Arthur still couldn't believe such a title had been bestowed upon a thrill ride of all things.
"We'll see who's laughing when you go for a ride on it," Alfred muttered.
"It's not bad enough you kidnapped me and dragged me here, now you insist I go for a ride on one of those blasted things too?" Arthur grumbled.
"It wouldn't be any fun if you didn't go!"
"Fine," Arthur sighed. "I'll go if you promise to stop nagging me. Besides, the only reason you're asking me to tag along is because you're too frightened to go alone."
"That's crazy!" Alfred insisted, defiantly turning away. "I never get scared."
"Right, just like how you weren't frightened during that blob film," Arthur replied, rolling his eyes.
Alfred pretended not to hear him. "But first, I want a snack," he said, scanning the horizon for the nearest concession stand.
"A snack?" Arthur repeated. "Are you sure that's the best idea before a ride? Because I swear, if you puke all over me, I'm going to—"
But Alfred had already spotted a snack cart in the distance, and he spared no time in making a bee-line for it.
It's going to be another one of those long days, isn't it? Arthur thought. He could only hope Alfred's 'surprise part two' would make up for the torment of part one.
xxx
The first ride Arthur tagged along to was, naturally, the landmark roller coaster known as the "Giant Dipper." Alfred had to start out big, after all. The coaster was a gigantic red and white structure, probably the most well-known attraction at the park. Alfred couldn't stop fidgeting the entire time they were standing in line, like a hyperactive four-year-old going on his first grown-up ride. And when their turn rolled around at last, Alfred leaned over and whispered in Arthur's ear, "If you get scared, you can always hold onto me, okay?"
"We'll see about that," Arthur mumbled, blushing. He had a theory about how this ride was going to go, and as soon as the cart started plunging down the first hill, he found his theory to be correct. He wasn't the one who needed to hold onto something. Sure, he didn't love roller coasters, but he wasn't exactly frightened of them either. He found the twists and turns to be rather unpleasant to his stomach, but other than that, it wasn't so unbearable. Of course, this particular ride turned out to be a different animal altogether, because as soon as the ride started speeding up, Alfred grabbed him and began squeezing for dear life. Apparently, that was how Alfred preferred to enjoy the ride: by clutching onto the nearest person like a human-sized leech. Arthur soon found that he could scarcely breathe for all the squeezing, even though he didn't really mind having Alfred's arms around him. But damn it, he felt like he was suffocating! He thought he would surely pass out before the ride's conclusion, so it was a great shock to him when the cart finally slowed and he discovered he was still conscious.
As soon as the ride was over, Alfred hopped up and yelled "That was awesome! Wasn't that a great ride, Arthur?" as though he hadn't just squeezed half the life out of the Englishman. Arthur would have loved to reply with a scathing remark, but his lungs were still recovering from the trauma. "I know, it kinda leaves you breathless, right?" Alfred went on, clapping Arthur on the back.
"Yes," he choked out. "Breathless." That was the word. It seemed to perfectly sum up every encounter he'd ever had with Alfred. Sometimes it was a good breathless, and sometimes it was a painful breathless. And sometimes both, he thought, watching as Alfred cheerfully skipped toward the next ride. But either way, there was never a dull moment. Because hanging out with Alfred F. Jones was like riding a roller coaster 24/7, and even Arthur had to admit it was nothing short of a thrill.
xxx
Thankfully, the rest of the park's roller coasters weren't as hardcore as the first one, so Arthur could—literally—breathe a sigh of relief. And when Alfred suggested they go back and ride the Giant Dipper yet again, Arthur glared at him so fiercely that he didn't even try to press the matter. So Alfred decided to move onto carnival games instead. He actually proved to be quite good at them, especially the ones that involved shooting targets or smashing bottles: Alfred was very good at destroying things. Arthur found it all to be rather amusing, even though the prizes were mostly of dollar-store quality. He didn't need the cheap stuffed animals, so he gave them away to the kids standing around watching Alfred play. The only prize Arthur decided to keep (at Alfred's insistence) was a miniature shark plushie wearing a red hoodie with the Beach Boardwalk emblem on it. Arthur had to admit that for a shark, it was quite cute. And since it had been won for him by Alfred . . . well, he decided he might as well keep it. At least his unicorn would have a companion now.
Finally, after the two had hit just about every carnival game in the vicinity, Alfred decided it was time for another snack. Of course, to Alfred, a "snack" was roughly equivalent to a three-course meal for a normal human, so it ended up being more like a lunch break. While Alfred consumed an entire batch of hot dogs, pizzas, and ice cream sundaes, Arthur sufficed with a sandwich. Alfred kept begging him to get at least one dessert item, so he finally settled for a Funnel Cake, which he later declared to be one of the greasiest and most fatty foods he had ever ingested . . . not to mention one of the tastiest, but he kept that opinion to himself.
After the meal, Alfred led Arthur to the "Haunted Castle" ride, meant to be the spookiest attraction at the park. But Arthur remained unimpressed, reminding Alfred that if he wanted to see a real haunted castle, he should come to England. And when the two went for a round on the Ferris wheel, Arthur remarked that the ride was all right, but not nearly as impressive as the London Eye. He could tell his remarks were beginning to annoy Alfred, so they were producing the desired effect. Revenge was sweet, no matter how small the victory.
The final ride Alfred insisted upon was the Looff Carousel, which was celebrating its one-hundredth year anniversary. Alfred said it wasn't one of the rides he often frequented, but he thought Arthur would probably like it. Arthur wasn't sure if he should take that as a compliment or an insult.
"I don't know," Arthur began, eyeing the musical merry-go-round, "I think I'd feel a bit ridiculous riding such a thing at my age . . ."
"Who cares about that?" Alfred said. "You worry too much what other people think."
"And you worry too little."
"It's just one ride! It won't kill you."
Arthur sighed. He really did like carousels, and he had to admit that the design of this one was quite charming . . .
"Well," he conceded, "I suppose one ride couldn't hurt. At least it'll be more peaceful than those bloody roller coasters."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Alfred exclaimed, tugging Arthur toward the line. It was reasonably long, but the ride was worth the wait. It did prove to be much more peaceful than the coasters, and Arthur appreciated it more than any of the thrill rides there. In fact, by the end of it, he found himself in rather high spirits, so he was even more overjoyed to hear that Alfred had deemed part one of his surprise finished—and it was now time for part two to begin.
"I probably shouldn't waste my breath asking, but what exactly does part two involve, pray tell?"
In response, Alfred merely winked at him.
"You'll see. First we have to prepare. And that means a trip to the Surf Shop."
"The what?"
"I told you, you'll see!" Alfred repeated. "Just trust me." He held out his hand—and Arthur took it.
"I'm a fool," Arthur sighed, "but I trust you."
"Don't worry," Alfred began, shooting him a thumbs-up. "I won't disappoint."
xxx
Author's Notes: This chapter was a bit short, but the next one will be longer. It's also gonna be a REALLY important one, so stay tuned!
I researched the Santa Cruz beach boardwalk before I wrote this, so I hope it's at least somewhat accurate heh heh . . . Also, the shark plushie was something I saw on their website—it was the cutest thing EVER! I seriously wanted one so badly . . . but it's not on their site anymore. *cries*Where oh where have you gone, little sharkie . . . ?
Oh, and since several of you were asking about the art book, I'll tell you I bought mine at Kinokuniya Bookstore online. But I warn you, it will cost a pretty penny . . . I'm ashamed to admit I spent $68 on it XD (It was worth it in my opinion, but the price still made me cry). It's also available at animebooks dot com for $73. You can only buy from Kinokuniya if you're a resident of the US or Canada, but it's free shipping over $100 within the continental US. Animebooks also offers free shipping over $100 for US orders. If you look up the book on Kinokuniya, be sure to type in "Axis Powers" in the search engine or it won't come up. Either site is good; I've bought stuff from both of them in the past. And they're both cheaper than any prices I've seen on ebay.
The art book is called "Hetalia Axis Powers Arte Stella" and it comes with the deck of cards, a cute sticker sheet, and an AWESOME poster. You can probably find scans of the art online if you want a preview. The cards are super cute, and America is the king of spades and England is the queen of spades! A match made in heaven :D
Next chapter: Beach! Yes, beach, beach, beach! Part two of the surprise is much more to Arthur's liking . . . or is it? (Vague, I know, but just wait and see!)
Until next time :) Don't forget to review please!
