Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia
The birthday party was over.
As much as they all wanted to keep celebrating, it was almost two hours before noon and therefore, it was time to leave. It took a lot of convincing, though with mostly Arthur screaming his head off for each and every single member, with the exceptions of his family, to get the hell out. A few of them had already left afterward while the majority stayed to clean up and rearrange the tables and chairs. And just like that, everything was back to normal.
Taking out her white purse from the bottom shelf, Lien paused for a moment to look up, her eyes narrowing to inspect the kitchen counters. Empty and clean, just like this morning. Satisfied, she then stood up and took off her apron.
Lien couldn't wait to go home and sleep. Running her fingers through her hairline, she groaned when she felt something sticky in between her strands of hair. 'Make those three things.' She thought as she mentally added in taking a shower on her to-do list.
Walking over to the locker room, Lien located her own locker in which was embellished with colorful stickers, courtesy of her younger sister. Taking the green-tinted locker combination with one hand, she rotated it a few times. Finally, the locker door unlocked. Removing her uniform-apron, she then proceeded to put the article of clothing inside of the locker. Upon setting the apron inside, Lien extended her arm out before pulling away—unveiling her black instrument case. Shutting the locker door, she hastily stood up once more.
Bidding goodbye to one of her fellow colleagues, Lien turned her heels and began walking toward the exit of the kitchen. Her eyebrows slightly curved upwards by the sight displayed before her. She wasn't surprised by how apocalyptic the mess hall was compared to the kitchen.
Aside from the stench of cake and pasta in the air, leftover streamers and blown up balloons were littered throughout the tile floors. In addition, the tablecloths that were predominately white were now painted with reddish and yellowish stains made by the tomato sauce and ice cream. Witnessing this, Lien let out another groan. She couldn't help but wonder how in the world was she dragged into this.
For the most part, her involvement was justified since Francis was basically the one to invite her and Xiao Mei to participate in the party. Though their roles revolved more around the kitchen, Lien was secretly thankful as it gave her a proper excuse to not see that particular person again.
However, as luck would have it—she met him anyway.
Recalling the recent events that occurred between them—from their unexpected flour fight and the flowers that he bestowed to her, images of a certain bespectacled young man continued to flood in her head.
No matter how many times Lien tried to resist and avoid him, he seemed to always return with that ridiculous, handsome smile of his.
Yet it wasn't just his smile that annoyed her.
There was his laugh, his sky blue eyes, and his strange habits such as naming his glasses—wait.
Lien abruptly shut her eyes. There it was again—that alien feeling bubbling in the pit of her stomach.
"Damn you, Alfred," Lien muttered to herself, gripping the handle of her instrument case.
"Leaving already, Mignonne?"
Lien blinked before turning to face her boss. "Ah! Y-yes, Mister Bonnefoy." She stammered as she was a little startled by his sudden presence, "What about you, sir?"
Francis shrugged, carelessly swinging the broom that he wielded back and forth. "I'll be staying a bit longer to clean."
"Oh. Would you like me to stay longer to help you?"
Francis waved his hand to decline, "No, you've done enough." He reasoned. "I humbly apologize if your cakes were used to initiate a food fight."
"It's no trouble," Lien said, fumbling over her words. "At least we had enough for the birthday boy to blow his candles."
Francis chuckled, "You speak the truth," He muttered before sighing deeply. "And then there's Alfred dunking his older brother's head into said cake, causing another food fight."
"I'm guessing this happens quite a lot, huh?"
"Perks of being a World gig member, unfortunately," Francis confessed.
Lien frowned. "By the way, Mister Bonnefoy, have you seen my sister?" She asked, changing the topic.
Francis furrowed his eyebrows, "Xiao Mei?" He asked, gaining a nod. He pressed a finger on his chin, thinking it over. "I believe she left already, accompanied by Kiku and Gilbert."
"What?" Lien cried all of a sudden, "How long ago?"
"Thirty minutes," Francis stated matter-of-factly.
Lien dipped her head down in defeat. "I see."
Noticing her brooding expression, Francis took, this time, to speak up, "Would you like me to drive you home?" He offered, "It's dark outside already."
"No, it's fine." She proclaimed, "I can manage."
"You sure?" Francis wondered further, his words expressed with obvious concern.
Lien forced out a smile. "Really, it's fine." She assured him in the most polite way. "Thank you, sir, but—"
"Lien, there you are!"
Another voice joined in and much to Lien's discomfort, it was too recognizable.
"Alfred!" Francis addressed the younger man.
Placing his hand on her shoulder, Alfred began, "Sorry Francis, but she already made plans with me."
Francis stood there, dumbfounded. "Oh?" He uttered, switching his attention from the younger man and to his employee. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
Lien bit her bottom lip. From the corner of her eye, she could see Alfred staring at her as he too waited for her answer in anticipation.
"I guess I forgot," She finally muttered.
Francis pursed his lips before emitting a suggestive grin. "Alright." He said, not realizing that he was submitting to their little act. "Alfred, take care of her, alright?"
Alfred saluted, "Totally!"
Francis chuckled. "I'll be sure to notify your brothers." Taking the broom in his hands, he turned his back and then left without another word.
Once he disappeared from their sight, Lien sighed. "Thanks for saving me."
Alfred smiled cheekily. "No worries," Removing his hold from her shoulder, he resorted to reattaching his hand with her own.
Lien noticed this and blushed. "What are you doing now?" She asked, inwardly glaring.
Alfred winked, tugging her gently as he began leading the way. "Come on, we should probably get going."
Lien furrowed her eyebrows. "Where are we going?"
Turning back to look at her, Alfred smiled, squeezing her hand. "Home."
The light of the day had long since faded away and dwindled into nothing. The luminous presence of the moon hung full and hazy beneath the pitch-black sky in which was decorated with blazing stars, becoming a source of light for a certain pair as they walked silently through the neighborhood.
The way home was peaceful and quiet. This was surprising for Lien because whenever Alfred was around, there was bound to be noises. Taking a deep breath, she decided to speak out, "I didn't know your friends could play guitar."
Alfred halted in his tracks as he glanced at her, "You mean Gilbert and Mathias, right?" He asked, snickering. When he received a nod of confirmation, he continued. "Actually, they can't."
Lien crinkled her eyebrows, "Really? But they played so well."
Alfred laughed, "That's because they play Guitar Hero."
"Come again?"
"Guitar Hero," Alfred repeated, bringing his hands together to demonstrate an invisible guitar, "You know, that video game where you can learn how to play guitar. But in their case, they literally started practicing about two days ago."
Lien stifled a giggle. "Are you serious?"
Alfred nodded. Lowering his eyes down, he suddenly took an interest in the instrument case that she was holding. "Hold on, is that your violin?"
Lien halted in her tracks, following his line of sight. "Oh, yeah."
"Wait, were you supposed to play during the birthday party?"
"No, I came to work with this," Lien assured to him, retaining her embarrassment.
Alfred scratched the back of his head, "Ah, I see…"
Lien smiled. "If you want, I can play for you."
"Huh? Wait—do you really mean it?"
Lien nodded. "It's the least I could do since you gave me those flowers." She explained, "Do you know a place we can go so I can perform privately?"
Alfred crinkled his eyebrows for a moment. Snapping his fingers, he smiled, "I know just the thing!"
Lien nodded. "Good because—" She didn't get a chance to finish her sentence as she was suddenly lifted off from the ground. "Alfred, what are you doing?"
Alfred shifted his arms, making sure to keep her nestled in comfortably and as close to him as possible. "Damn, you're heavy."
Lien glared at him, elbowing him directly on the chest.
Alfred laughed. "Kidding, kidding." He said, winking, "Just hang on tight."
Without thinking, he ran forward. Lien slightly gasped, clenching onto the fabric of his shirt for dear life.
For as long as she could remember, she never once broke a rule—precisely abiding by the various instructions and manuscripts laid out before her. Alfred, however, was different: he was a rebel, a complete opposite from someone like her who is deemed to be a perfectionist.
Since her late father's passing, Lien was ambitious to not let anyone get close to her. Because of this, she was certain that the borders she built were well secured and indestructible in hopes to push away the people that wanted to get closer to her with the exceptions like her younger sister, her mother, Yao, and Kiku. Somehow, it seemed to favor her. But as the years go by, she knew that these walls wouldn't be there forever to protect her.
And yet why did she allow him in?
Of all the people that could've been, it had to be Alfred F. Jones—her rival.
"Alright, we're here!"
Lien's chain of thought was disrupted by Alfred's abrupt announcement. Quirking a questionable eyebrow, she turned her head to see what he was referring to. Her eyes widened, speechless.
"You remember this place, right?"
Lien swallowed, nodding. "Yeah." She muttered softly, "The central plaza."
Squatting his knees, Alfred gently put her down. As soon as her feet had touched the cobblestone ground, Lien set herself down on a nearby wooden bench with Alfred not too far behind. Unzipping her instrument case, she took out her violin.
Alfred whistled, "What a beauty."
Lien produced a small smile. "This was a token from my late father." She admitted as she then took out a green fabric from the case and began cleaning the ends of the bowstring. "Playing it makes it seem like he's still here with me."
"Was your father a violinist too?"
Lien shook her head. "Not necessarily. But he did loved music." She explained, "You can say that he's the main reason that I took on the violin." Taking a measured sigh, she continued, "What about you, Alfred?"
Alfred blinked, pointing at himself. "Me?"
"Yeah, you." Lien giggled. "Whom else would I be talking to?"
Sitting down next to her, he then crossed his legs while placing his hands at the ends of his sneakers. "Hahaha, good question. Honestly, I don't remember why I started playing the trumpet." He explained, shrugging, "All I know is that I received it on my thirteenth birthday."
Noticing her absence, Alfred cleared his throat, "So, you ready?"
Lien shook her head. "Almost."
Alfred flashed a grin. "Can't wait!"
A minute later, Lien put the fabric back inside the case. Arising from the bench once more, she gradually made her way toward the fountain.
Unknown to her acknowledgment, Alfred stared at her from afar, prompting him to recall the first time he ever watched her perform. Similar to him, she was also given a peculiar nickname and in some way, it suits her well. Despite her occasional protests, Lien was, in fact, a beauty. On the inside, however—in regards to her personality and her abilities on the violin—she was also an animal.
Setting herself down on the edge of the fountain, Lien drew in a breath. Raising her bow, she steadily lowered it down to meet with the strings.
Alfred closed his eyes halfway as if surrendering himself to the melodic sound. Taking out his phone from the pocket of his bomber jacket, he moved his right thumb across the phone screen, lightly tapping the camera app. Prying one eye open, he hovered the phone over the top of his head. Making sure that the flash was off, he then clicked the middle button.
A soft click ensued and Alfred took a sly peek to inspect his recent work.
'How can someone as perfect as her exist in this world?' He wondered, marveling at the picture lovingly.
Once Lien was finished with her performance, her ears perked up at the thrashing sound of clapping. A smile unconsciously emerged on her lips though she didn't bother to look back and acknowledge Alfred. Instead, she held her ground and fixated her attention up at the starry sky.
Concerned, Alfred got up from his seat and approached her until they were mere inches away from each other. "Hey, everything alright, Lien?"
Lien slowly nodded, "You know, I'm envious of you."
"You are?" Alfred asked, scratching the back of his head, "How come?"
"As an ace, I expected you to be strict with yourself," Lien explained. "But you surprised me with your constant smiling and laughing. I don't know why but it kind of makes you look cool like a superhero."
Alfred dramatically gasped, "Lien, are you complimenting me?"
Lien playfully punched him on the shoulder, "Don't push it, Jones."
Alfred laughed, taking a step forward. Recalling what a certain Russian had said to him before, he simply states, "You know, superheroes have weaknesses too."
"Oh? What's yours?" Lien asked, getting interested. "Texas?"
Alfred touched the rims of his specs and snickered, "Nope!"
"Hamburgers?" Lien pressed further before quickly adding in, "Kiku mentioned this to Mei and me before."
Alfred shook his head, tossing his hands into the pockets of his blue jeans. "Close."
Lien sighed, crossing her arms. "I give up. What is it then?"
Alfred produced a goofy smile. "You."
Lien froze, her lips forming into a straight line as she tried to absorb the new information. After a short moment of silence, Lien decided to break the ice, "I'm…your weakness?"
Alfred blushed, quickly avoiding eye contact. "In superman terms, you'll be the kryptonite."
"I don't understand." Lien said, her cheeks flushing bright pink, "Why would I be your weakness?"
Alfred turned to look back at her, this time with his sky blue eyes brimming with intensity. "Because you drive me insane, Lien." He began, smiling widely. "When I'm with you, it feels right. It makes sense." Suddenly, he reaches out to her, wrapping his hands around hers. "I know we've only just known each other for a week and a half but—damn it, Lien! I can't control myself whenever I'm with you." He pauses for a moment, bracing for the next words. "I want to be confused with you, cry with you, laugh with you, be angry with you, and smile with you."
Lien bit her bottom lip. "Alfred—"
"I don't wanna be just your friend anymore, Lien!" Alfred interrupted. "I wanna be more."
Lien furrowed her eyebrows, "Like a best friend?"
"No!" Alfred cried, "What I meant to say was—god, this isn't coming out right…" Why did she have to stare at him with those big amber eyes? He took a deep breath. It was now or never. Opening his mouth, Alfred finally mustered out the words that he had always wanted to say to her since day one. "Lien, I love you."
"You love me?"
"Yeah," Alfred affirmed, feeling a sense of content wash over him. Now that he was able to openly express his feelings toward her, he anticipated for her answer.
Another moment of silence impregnated between them until…
"I gotta go."
Alfred blinked. "Huh?"
Releasing her hand from his, Lien bowed her head down respectfully and at the same time, refused to meet him eye-to-eye. "Thank you for your time." She muttered softly as she leisurely began making her way toward the bench where she previously left her instrument case.
'I promised myself that I wasn't going to lose her again,' Alfred thought, clenching his fists. Without thinking, he dashed after her. "Hold up, Lien!" He cried, getting her attention. "Look, I finally got the courage to declare my undying love for you and—"
Lien quickly whipped her head back, her face burning crimson. "Your undying love?"
Alfred rapidly shook his head. "Damn it, Lien, you gotta let me finish!" He cried once more, ignoring the heavy thumping of his heart against his chest. "I worked hard to memorize these lines, you know!"
Lien sighed. "Forgive me, I just…" She trailed off, nibbling the inside of her cheek in anxiety. "We can't."
"Can't be what?"
"We can't be together."
"Why?" Alfred asked, wanting to know the reason. "Is it because we're in different bands?"
Fixating her attention to him, she faked a smile. "No, that's not it."
"Then what is it?" He pressed on.
Lien pressed one of her hands against the right side of her chest. "This."
Alfred's eyes broadened, tilting his head in confusion. "Your heart?"
"Every time you're around me, it keeps beating faster." Lien explained thoroughly, "I don't know how to stop it. You're the reason why this is happening. How do you make it stop?"
Much to her bewilderment, Alfred threw his head back, cupping his hand around his mouth to suppress his laughter.
"This is no laughing manner, Alfred!" Lien cried, getting a little spooked out.
"Hahaha, I can't!"
"But why?"
Alfred cracked a smile, "Because that's the same exact feeling I have when you're around me too." He explained to her, "That mysterious thing that you're feeling, that's love."
"Love?"
Alfred nodded. "Listen to your heart, Lien." He continued as he slowly approached her, "I'm listening to mine and it's saying that it wants to be with you."
Lien held her breath. "Alfred, I—"
A sudden succession of ringing cut the silence, causing the two individuals to abruptly raise their heads, ruining their touching moment. Recognizing it, Lien motioned her violin over to one side as she hesitantly took out her phone out of the pocket of her green sweater with the use of her dominant hand. Tapping the screen, she put the phone close to her ear.
"Hello?"
"S-sis…"
Upon hearing her younger sister's wailing, Lien automatically went into big sister mode. "Mei? What's going on?" She cried through the phone, "Are you alright?"
When she didn't receive an immediate response, Lien gripped onto her phone tightly. "Mei!"
"Mother's at the hospital."
Hearing this, Lien turned pale, her body slightly trembling. This couldn't be happening.
"Lien, are you okay?" Alfred asked out of concern.
Getting back to her senses, Lien focused on the phone, her voice somewhat cracking, "Where are you?"
"Union Hospital Center." Xiao Mei croaked.
"I'll be right there," Lien guaranteed before hanging up. "Forgive me, Alfred, I—"
"It's alright if you can't answer right now." Alfred assured her, giving her a smile. "What's important is getting you to your sister." Running toward the bench, he returned back to her side with the instrument case in tow.
"You need to go home, Alfred." Lien insisted, "You really don't have to—"
"But I want to," Alfred interrupted, not bothering to give her the opportunity to finish. Taking her right hand with his, he continued, "Let's hurry, we don't have much time."
Both Alfred and Lien ran tirelessly through the streets, hand-in-hand, not minding some of the comments from one of the pedestrians. Sure, it felt like something out of a movie but this wasn't the case. As they kept advancing, they caught a glimpse of a porcelain twelve-story building emerging over the horizon. At the very heart of the building was a red cross displayed, authorizing its manifestation as a hospital.
"That must be it," Alfred gasped. Though he knew that he was pushing past his limits, he didn't seem to care. Right now, his main priority was to get Lien inside of that hospital and meet up with her sister. Brushing aside the shallow feeling in the pit of his stomach, he kept going. Alfred gripped his hold onto Lien, although he was careful not to exert too much pressure.
Once they reached the entrance of the Union Hospital, red and blue hues produced by the emergency lights of the ambulances scattered throughout the area. Taking note of her surroundings, Lien could feel a surge of nausea overcoming her.
Fortunately, Alfred was there with her.
Peering over his shoulder, he emitted a smile. "Everything's gonna be fine, Lien." He assured her, "Trust me."
Lien was hesitant to reply. When she did attempt, she was horrified to realize that her words had died out on her. Even so, she managed to give him a firm nod, notifying him that yes, she trusted him.
Witnessing this, Alfred beamed and dashed forward.
…It had only been a week and a half since they've met, but having him around made her realize another thing. Alfred made her feel hopeful, something that Lien herself discarded since her father's passing. Ever so slowly but surely, Lien could feel the barriers that she built, in which she claimed to be impenetrable, begin to crumble and fall.
And it was all because of him.
Knowing that, Lien felt guilty.
Since the day they met, Alfred saw her as a person. In contrast, all she saw in him was merely a rival who can equalize her onstage and nothing more. Would things be different if she had accepted him earlier?
Upon entering the glass, rotating doorway, they eventually went up to the counter where a male clerk greeted them with a lethargic expression.
"Hello, we're here for…" Alfred began before pausing midway, turning to face his female companion.
"A-ah, yes!" Lien stammered, getting out of her trance, "We're looking for Nguyen, Hoa."
The male clerk nodded silently, fixating his attention to the computer screen. After a few more clicks, he lifted his chin to meet them. "Forth floor, Room 10."
"Thank you." Alfred thanked before making his way to a nearby staircase with Lien following after him.
A couple minutes later, the two ultimately succeeded in arriving at the designated floor. Upon their arrival, the scent of unidentifiable foods and medical substances invaded their noses. This didn't seem to matter one bit as their attention were more fixated on the unlikely group of people before them.
On the left side of the narrow hallway was Kiku nursing Xiao Mei, his arms noticeably wrapped around her torso as she loudly wept onto his chest. On the opposite end stood Kiku's older brother, Yao and…
"Ivan." Alfred blurted out.
Hearing his name, the tall Russian man turned around and pleasantly smiled. "Alfred."
"Lien!" Yao greeted before realizing the bespectacled young man next to her, "Jones?"
"Yao," Lien began.
Kiku furrowed his eyebrows and turned to find his best friend, "Alfred!"
"Kiku!" Alfred cried enthusiastically, waving his free arm back and forth.
Coming out from her hiding, Xiao Mei glided her head pass Kiku's neck. Acknowledging her older sister, she cried, "Sis!"
Averting her attention from her mentor to her sister, Lien replied back with, "Mei!"
Before anyone else could address the other's names, a boisterous outcry echoed through the halls, "Gilbert!"
Kiku paused, turning the other way. "Gilbert?" He started, "What the hell was that for?"
The albino shrugged, "You bastards were throwing out names so I thought, hey, why don't I join in?" He said as he ripped the bag of gummy worms he had bought. "Want some?"
Scratching his head, Alfred decided to ask the obvious question, "Where's Mathias?"
After declining Gilbert's offer, Kiku went on to answer his other best friend. He left with his relatives after the party," Kiku explained calmly. "Which reminds me, Matthew called."
Alfred blinked, "Hang on. I thought Francis was gonna—"
"Can everyone shut their mouths?" Lien exclaimed, causing the men around her to somehow shrink over her sudden superiority. Once they dimmed down their voices, Lien released a sigh. "Now, can any of you tell me where I can find my mother?"
As if on cue, everybody, excluding Alfred, pointed toward the door near Kiku and Xiao Mei.
Lien nodded before turning to meet Alfred once more, "I'll be inside." She informed him as she loosened her hand from his hold.
Alfred shook his head. "Be strong," He advised.
Lien bitterly smiled. Taking a few steps forward, she leisurely walked toward the door. Something tugged her on the shoulder, prompting her to turn back.
"Wait, sis, I'm going too," Xiao Mei sniffled.
"Mei, you're in no shape to—"
"Sis, please," Xiao Mei pleaded almost desperately, "She's my mother too."
Lien sighed. Wrapping her right arm around her younger sister for support, the two siblings went inside of the quiet hospital room.
As soon as the door closed behind them, an awkward silence loomed between the five men.
"What are you doing here, aru?" Yao began, referring to the bespectacled young man in question.
"I'm here because of Lien." Alfred simply answered, his sky blue eyes twinkling with determination.
Yao didn't believe him. Lifting his finger, he rudely pointed at him, "You are not welcome!" He shouted, "You have no purpose here, aru!"
"Yes, he does." Kiku raised his voice, joining in on their argument. "Brother, Alfred escorted Lien here to see her mother."
Yao clenched his teeth, "Why would you care for someone like him?"
"Because he's my best friend." Kiku explained, holding his ground. "When you were too busy to care for me, Alfred was always there to give me a hand and so did his family. He accepted me as I am, just as how accepting World gig was to me."
"If you bastards want them, you'll have to go through me!" Gilbert chirped in, walking over to his best friends. Pocketing his bag of gummy worms in his pockets, he cracked his knuckles and continued, "No matter what, the three musketeers gotta stick together."
"Say what you want," Ivan interrupted, walking in front of his Conductor. Due to his abnormal tall structure, he nearly blocked Yao from sight. "If you three want Yao, then you lot will have to go through me, da."
"IS THAT A THREAT?" Gilbert barked, getting riled up.
"Gilbert, that's enough!" Kiku advised, becoming the voice of reason. "As for the rest of you, quiet down! If you guys want to fight, I suggest you do it outside!"
Thump!
The sudden pang of the door prompted the men to stop and check the commotion, only to find the reappearance of Lien. Pushing his specs closer to his nose, Alfred narrowed his eyes. It didn't take long before realization hit him. She was quivering. Approaching her in caution, he asked softly, "Lien, you okay?"
She didn't respond back. Her bangs concealed her beautiful amber eyes, emitting an ominous aura around her. From the way that she was, he could tell that she was trying hard not to break down in fear that it would cause a scene.
Alfred whispered under his breath, "You know, you're not gonna like what I'm gonna do next."
Still, there was no response from her.
Putting his hands on his hips, he sighed. "That's it, you leave me no choice."
Just like before, Alfred lifted her off from the ground. His next move on her, however, caused one of the four men behind him to gasp.
"What are you doing to her?" Yao cried in anger, "Put her down, aru!"
"Alfred put Lien down!" Kiku chimed in, his reaction strikingly similar to his brother's. "That's dangerous!"
Turning his head around to face them once more, Alfred stuck out his tongue. "I'll be borrowing her for a bit!" He cried, "I'll leave Xiao Mei to you and Gilbert!" Hoisting her protectively over his shoulder, he casually walked away, ignoring the weird looks and stares made by the doctors and nurses in the same area.
Quickening his pace, Alfred finally found a balcony where he can console with her privately. With the use of his free hand, he opened the door and walked in. A cold breeze brushed past their bodies, sending goose bumps in their skin.
Carefully pulling her down, Alfred positioned her beside him—only to be greeted by a slap.
Alfred ignored the pain on his left cheek as a gentle grin makes its way to his lips. Snaking his arms around her waist, he pulled her close and into an embrace. "It's okay to cry, Lien." He said to her softly, stroking her mane gently to soothe her. "Nobody's here to see you. It's alright to let it out."
Listening intently, Alfred could hear her sniffling on his chest. As stubborn as she was, she refused to cry, as she believed that it would expose her vulnerability. Lien didn't particularly enjoyed showing others her weak side. And yet in times like these, she felt jealous toward her younger sister who can openly weep around others. Compared to her, Lien bottled up her emotions. The last time she ever cried was when her father passed away. That was about eight years ago.
"Lien, it's okay." Alfred assured her, chuckling. "You need to learn how to let go."
Well, that did it. Her legs wobbled and in the blink of an eye, her walls collapsed. The hot, salty tears flooded Lien's cheeks and dripping off her chin, landing right onto Alfred's white tee shirt. Lien opened her mouth to say something, anything but all that came out were deep, gut wrenching sobs with minor hiccupping.
Tipping his head down, he lightly pecked her on the forehead, his specs slanting sideways to some extent prior to his movement. Lien cried her eyes out, pouring all the emotions—the happy, sad, anger, fear and confusion—that she's been holding out for so long. Alfred smiled, tightening his hold and refusing to let go of her. Though his confession to her happened to occur at the wrong time, the least he could do was to be there for her.
"Every time you're around me, it keeps beating faster."
Reminding himself of the words that Lien spoke earlier made him feel hopeful.
Though she did not confirm it straightforwardly, Alfred knew that his feelings could be reciprocated. For now, he'll do whatever he can and could in his power to support her and make her happy.
As both Alfred and Lien share an intimate moment behind closed doors, they failed to notice a pair of figures watching them from a mere distance. Then again, why would they?
"What is she doing with that troublemaker?" Yao muttered lowly, crossing his arms. "Ivan, did you know about this, aru?"
The Russian pursed his lips, lightly shaking his head. "I'm just as surprised as you."
Yao drew in a breath. "Shouldn't they know that their positions in the band are what forbids them to be together?" He explained, massaging his forehead. "As her mentor, I can't let Lien go through with this." Then, an idea popped into his head. "Ivan, are you thinking what I'm thinking, aru?"
Ivan nodded, averting his eyes from the longhaired Conductor and to the oblivious couple before them, his smile stretching from ear to ear. "I'm glad that we think alike, da."
Tick-tock
Tick-tock
The ticking heartbeat of the old grandfather clock echoed through the study room, triggering a certain messy blonde haired man to leap out of his chair. "Where the bloody hell is that git?" He cried, tapping his left foot repeatedly against the wooden floor.
From across the room, his childhood friend was seated comfortably on the couch with his leg crossed over the other. "Why does this bother you?" He asked, "Give Alfred some freedom. You know that he's not going to stay as a kid forever."
"Easy for you to say, Frog," Arthur uttered under his breath, "But as his older brother and guardian, I just can't help but worry."
All Francis could do was let out a weary sigh. Tucking a strand of his blonde hair behind his ear, he continued, "I can understand. What a chore it is to be a big brother, no?"
Tousling his hair upwards, Arthur groaned, "Tell me about it."
"Say, what do you think of the present we gave you?" Francis began, changing the topic.
Arthur rubbed his nose, darting his attention to the coffee tinted ceiling. "Oh, that?" Slanting his head to the side, he grumbled, "You know that it's been a long time since I've played." He then folded his arms. "Who knows if I have a chance to play it again?"
"You will," Francis assured, "It just takes time."
Arthur closed his mouth into a straight line, "I hope you're right."
Ding-dong!
"I'll get it!" Matthew's voice rang out through the halls, followed by Kumajirou's loud, excessive barking.
Standing up from his seat, Francis walked with Arthur as they exited out of the study room. "Hey, your wish came true, no?" He winked, nudging him on the shoulder.
Arthur sends him a nasty glare, though the redness on the tip of his ears implied otherwise. Rolling his eyes, the gentleman focused his attention back on the trail ahead. About damn time that idiot decided to show. As he and his childhood friend approached the doorway, they took notice of Matthew who appeared to be having a conversation with the person behind the door. "Matthew, who's at the door?"
Matthew slightly jumped as he turned, his expression mirroring that of a child getting caught from stealing a cookie in the cookie jar.
"Matthew, what is the matter?" Francis asked restlessly.
Matthew looked back and smiled, widening the crack of the front door. "We have guests, brother."
"Guests? What guests?" Francis proclaimed, "It's the middle of the night!"
Clicking his tongue, Arthur put his hand on the doorframe. With the use of his strength, he thrust the door open, only to find a younger boy standing before him.
The boy—no more than the age of twelve years old, wore a sailor hat on his blonde hair. A blue backpack was tightly strapped behind him, including some luggage that surrounded his small figure. What easily gave away his identity were the thick eyebrows that he inherited much like that of Arthur.
"Peter? What on earth are you doing here?" Arthur asked, addressing to the younger boy.
The boy called Peter puffed his chest out, "Humph! That's a dumb question!"
Arthur slapped a hand on his forehead, "Why don't you run along home and watch some anime?"
"You do realize that home is overseas?" Peter ranted, glaring at the older man.
"Time out, you mean to say that you came from overseas?" Francis gasped.
"Frog, stay out of our business!" Arthur cried over his shoulder, "This is between him and me!"
"Brother, calm down! Please!" Matthew said softly, "You might wake up the neighbors."
Nevertheless, Peter emitted a smile. "Yeah, Arthur, calm down!" He said, smiling cheekily. "Oh, guess what? I didn't come alone this time!"
"Why do you sound as if you won a medal?" Arthur asked haughtily, getting frustrated. "And what bloody idiot did you convince to come here in the States with you?"
Suddenly, a hearty chuckle emanated, cutting off their conversation. "Heh, still the same old Artie I see." A masculine voice snickered. As the unknown figure manifested from the shadows, Arthur swallowed thickly. No, this wasn't happening. 'Not now.' Arthur thought, his right hand forming a fist, 'Not when the third and final round is coming up.'
"Cat got your tongue, lad?" The auburn haired man asked, tilting his head in mockery. Directing his attention to the younger twin, he asked, "Matthew! Tell me, what matters does your brother teach you these days?"
"Don't talk to him!" Arthur cried out, extending his arm outward. "We know how capable you are with your manipulation, Allistor."
"Watch your language now, lad. We have a kid here," Allistor uttered, gesturing over to Peter who was standing beside him. "Oh, and happy late birthday by the way."
"You're an hour late, jackass." Arthur hissed, glaring.
Peter took off his backpack and began rummaging through its contents. "Even if we prepared a present for you?"
"Shit," Arthur muttered to himself, hanging his head in dismay. Sighing heavily, he resorted to his gentleman-like behavior. "Alright, state your business here."
"I came here 'cause it's spring break!" Peter piped in, lifting his head up with confidence.
"What about you, Allistor?"
"I came here for a different reason." Allistor said, shoving one of his hands into his pockets. He then took out a pack of cigarettes and a lighter, "I heard what happened to you guys in the second round."
Knowing the kind of things that Allistor could potentially do, Arthur whispered over to his younger brother, "Take Peter inside." He instructed.
"Brother, what's going on?" Matthew asked curiously.
"Don't worry, Matthew." Francis said, ruffling his hair affectionately. "Let the big boys handle this, okay? Let him meet Michelle,"
Matthew nodded and did what he was told. Ushering Peter into their house, he made sure to bring along one of the luggage inside.
Stepping through the door, Peter beamed. "Kumajirou!" Peter greeted the Chow Chow before him who in turn happily barked back in response. "Good to see you too!"
"Michelle!" Matthew called out through the halls, "I need some help!"
A loud, "Be right there!" echoed back and in the blink of an eye, the pigtailed girl appeared from her hiding. "Who's the guy big bro and Arthur talking to?"
"I'll tell you later," Matthew insisted before handing her a miniature luggage, "For now, we gotta bring these to the guest room. You know where it is, right?"
Michelle saluted, "'Course!"
Good, now that that was out of the way, the three adults could finally talk with no disturbance whatsoever.
"You are no longer the Conductor." Arthur stated, getting straight to the point. "I am."
"I'm aware, lad," Sticking the lit cigarette into his mouth, Allistor proceeded to remove it, blowing out a ring of smoke. "But I noticed that you lot are too dependable on that trumpeter of yours."
"No, we don't." Francis started, "We can manage without Alfred."
"Really now? I, myself find it odd that when he plays, World gig reigns in the competition." Allistor explained, lifting an index finger, "And then that one and only time he does not show up, World gig could barely crawl."
"What are you implying?" Arthur asked further, "That we should kick him out?"
"Hey, I'm not that cruel." Allistor said, detaching his cigarette from his lips again. "Let me meet this brother you talk so high and mighty about and let's see if he has what it takes to keep his position as the ace."
"But Alfred's already the ace," Francis argued, "You can't just take that title away from him."
"Oh, but I can," Allistor said flatly, flinging his cigarette on the ground before stomping on it. "I am the original Conductor of World gig after all."
Author's Note:
Yay! The twelfth installment! This is the chapter that I've actually been anticipating for so long but because I wanted to further develop Ameviet's relationship, it had to be pushed back. Keep in mind that this chapter is important to the story because of the key characters that appear here.
Here we have two brand new characters: Sealand (Peter) and Scotland (Allistor).
Wow, so many things to take in, huh? We finally got the confession scene that we've been waiting for (it took a lot of time in my hands because I wanted it to be realistic but also idealistic-if that makes any sense)
...only to find out that Lien's mother is at the hospital and witness her crying for the first time!
For those of you who didn't quite catch that-the part where everyone addressed each other's name in the hospital was alluded to Shrek 2 (here's the link: watch?v=G_Z1yhY2no and it starts at 3:30)
Oh no, what is Ivan and Yao up to? And what kind of present was Francis referring to Arthur?
More importantly, Allistor is confirmed to be the original conductor! How would that affect the rest of the other World gig crew?
Oh but have no fear! Even though this is a rather dark/suspenseful chapter, there's more happy chapters to come!
I would also like to recommend listening to these songs in order (the songs that inspired me to write this!)
Hibike Euphonium
Disk 1 Track 18: Ameviet (Before the Confession)
Disk 1: Track 19: Ameviet (Confession scene)
Disk 1: Track 20: Hospital scene
Disk 1: Track 22: Lien's breakdown
By the way, for those of you who are not aware of it: Lien and Xiao Mei's mother's name, Hoa means Flower in Vietnamese!
Due to future AP regents, I will have a tight schedule however, I will do what I can to update my profile to let you know when the next chapter will be due!
Again, I would like to thank you for the overwhelming support and I'm open for more character requests!
Once again, your opinions are greatly appreciated!
P.S. I'm glad to know that alot of people quite enjoyed the Birthday Crash chapter! I'll do my best to make more chapters like this in the future!
P.S.S. I apologize for this very lengthy author's note! (;_;)
