nonbeta

Hamburgers with Rockin' Tea

Chapter 21

By HamburgerWithTea

(A/N) Long wait, I know. I have a lot of ways to explain, but it all ends up with the same reason; I was busy with school.

Good grades are very important to me and I couldn't find the time to focus on much else.

It will be a bit hard to pick up this story after it has been on hiatus for about half a year, but I'll try my best. Sorry if I forget details or accents, but I don't want to waste any more of my time re-reading the last chapters.

Sorry for the wait and I hope you enjoy this chapter!

And, as usual, then there's something written as "-[…]" with text in between the […], it means it's being heard through a phone. So note the "-" ;D

The phone call had taken place around two weeks ago now. Turned out that Elisabeta had gotten the people from the video clip to decide on a date to start the filming, which was about a week ago now.

It had all gone well, despite a few of the usual quarrels between the Frenchman and Briton. They had been told that it would take about one to two weeks before the editing was ready and the clip could be sent to the TV channels so it could be aired.

Despite not wanting to admit it, Arthur was rather nervous about it all. He liked to pretend everything was find and he'd nothing to worry about, either by claiming they were very good and the people would love them, or by claiming they were terrible and their clip and music would soon be banned.

But even with his efforts to hide it, Alfred had caught up with him -Damn git knew him way too well!-, and that was why he was now heading towards the American and Canadian's flat.

They had agreed on meeting together at their flat because the had the best working TV (mainly due to Alfred's love for games and TV) and also the most comfortable couch, as the old sofa in the garage was in high need of a replacement.

Everyone would take their own snacks with them to share and Alfred and Matthew would make sure there was enough to drink. Arthur was sure though, that Matthew had been smart enough to only buy non-alcoholic drinks and hide the beer somewhere safe; he wasn't looking forward to having several drunk band members stay at his place for the rest of the day.

By now Arthur, kind of drowning in his own thoughts, had reached the entrance of the flat where the motorbikes were standing. With a small sigh to try to ease himself of his nervousness, he made his way towards the stairs. He'd rather not take the lift after what'd happened about two months ago, just in case.

He disliked stairs as it was tiresome to walk on them, but he soon made his way towards the right floor and passed to hallway in order to ring the doorbell. He had to ring it twice before someone answered, but that was to be expected as he could clearly hear Gilbert's loud voice. He was probably excited about it all too, but with him it always ended in being even louder and more selfish than ever.

"Oh, hello," Matthew greeted him at the door, somewhat hard to hear with the loud background noises, "Come in, Arthur. Al is currently looking up the channel, you're just in time." And with that Mathew walked back to the couch, leaving the door open for Arthur to step in.

When Arthur had closed the door behind him he hung up his coat on the coat rack on the wall, which was already covered in many different coats. He took a quick glance in the kitchen to see if anyone was in there, but no one was. He decided to drop the snacks he'd brought with him on the dinner table as it looked like others had also put their stuff there.

"Yoo, Art!" Gilbert said to him while hanging almost upside down on the couch, "What did you bring us?"

"Snacks." Arthur replied. He'd rather keep it a secret a bit longer. Not like it was a very important secret, most of the stuff in the bag, just the usual crisps and sweets, but he'd rather wait with telling them he'd made some scones himself. He knew they would immediately try to throw them out, for they always claimed his baking tasted disgusting, but Arthur was sure he'd done a decent job this time. Just they wait!

"Oh, is Arthur he-" bump. In order to see around the room if the Briton had arrived Alfred had tired to stand up from the ground where he was working with wires to make sure the TV would work perfect. But by trying so he'd accidentally hit his head to one of the CD racks. "Auch!" was his only remark as he rubbed the back of his head, the place where he'd hit it, and Francis started to laugh a bit.

"Oh my, oh my," he said, "You sure are excited to see our dear Arthur here, non?" a somewhat devilish grin started to show on his face as he looked at Alfred and then at Arthur. The blond guitarist felt like the soft blue eyes of the Frenchman could look right through him and his façade of insensitivity.

Lucky for both Alfred and Arthur, Gilbert suddenly dropped off the couch (later claiming he did it on purpose, but it was quite obvious he'd actually just fallen off) and distracted them all.

"You're stupid," Matthew told him, as he sat next to him on the couch, though he seemed a bit worried. After he'd quickly checked Gilbert's head to make sure there were no injuries, he decided to sit straight again and face towards the TV.

"Oi, this should work," Alfred said, and he pressed some buttons on the remote. And, indeed, the TV showed the right channel. They had about five more minutes until it would be the exact time the channel would start airing the new clips, and they all decided on quickly grabbing some snacks before settling down around the TV in order to see the final result of the filming and recording.

It took a bit longer than five minutes as the schedule of the TV channel was behind a few minutes, and all sat while chatting anxiously, but as soon as the clip was announced with title and band name, everyone was silent.

A lot of feelings had rushed through them; pride, anxiety, nervousness, excitement, surprise… A lot. It ended all but too soon for them and it took a few seconds for them to gather back their thoughts.

They were shaken awake by the ringing of someone's mobile. It turned out to be Arthur's as Elisabeta only had his phone number.

"H-hello?" Arthur answered it, motioning with his hand for the others to quiet down as they were all excited. Soon he was surrounded by the rest, all trying to catch a small bit of what Elisabeta had to tell them.

"-Arthur, Arthur, did you see it? It aired, your clip aired!" if possible, she sounded even more excited than they themselves were.

"Yes, we saw it, all of us," Arthur said, trying to steady his voice, "Was it, uh, any good?" right now he could suddenly feel the anxiety of failing crawl up inside of his stomach. What if they'd failed? What if they'd made fools out of them selves? Why did he even had to make such a stupid song with such stupid lyrics and the terrible guitar solo, he knew it was no good, he knew, so why had he even agreed on…-

"-Arthur, it was wonderful, I tell you! I'll make sure to come back to you tomorrow with the status of hits. I'm sure this is going to be great!"Elisabeta assured him. A few background voices could be heard and soon Elisabeta was talking to them again, "- Hey I really have to leave now, I'll call you again tomorrow with the results, bye!" and before they had a chance to reply, she hang up.

Everyone had been silent for a few more seconds, let the news sink into their minds as they couldn't wait for tomorrow to arrive with the results. And so the next day eventually arrived.

They had decided on ordering some pizza and eventually Gilbert, Francis and Ludwig had gone out for a drink after they'd brought Feliciano back home, whilst Arthur decided to better sleep well so he could wake up early enough to catch the phone call without sounding sleepy.

Arthur had found it rather sweet to see how happy Alfred was for him, how he honestly shared their excitement and how he wished the best for them. Arthur hoped they could meet up later today but chances were small for Alfred had to work today.

He eventually decided that for now he'd just wait for the phone call and then text his friends with the results as soon as he got them. He wasn't sure if they were already awake, considering they might have drank themselves a hangover last night, but that's why he'd send text messages; they would be able to check them later.

When his phone started to buzz he practically jumped off the couch to grab it. He'd never seen himself this excited before and was rather glad he was the only one to witness this for it'd be very out of character for him to act so excited. But then again, he couldn't help it; this was an important part of his life. This one moment could change his future for good or bad, he couldn't wait to hear the results!

"Arthur speaking," he steadied his voice, trying to sound calm and reserved; it'd be stupid to sound all excited and end up being disappointed in the end. For despite all good that's happened to him and the rest so far, life could still make a major plot twist and end up miserable.

"-Hey, Arthur, it's Elisabeta,"the other voice said, but of course Arthur had already figured by the callers ID, "-Wow, let me just tell you… this song, I swear I can't believe it, but it seems to be one of the most downloaded songs over the night and the YouTube hits are immense, I tell you!" again she sounded as excited about it as Arthur felt. It was almost as if it was her song she was talking about, but Arthur assumed it was just because she was a very caring person.

"-Arthur, you there?"he heard form the other side of the phone, he didn't realise he'd been spacing out. He'd just been so amazed; all the chances, all the opportunities, everything… it was unbelievable.

"Y-yes!" he answered quickly, "I was just a bit surprised. I'll tell the others then!" he continued.

"-Be sure to do that, I'm sure they'll be happy to hear. I'll give you more details about the numbers when you come to the studio this Friday," she said,"-we also have to discuss about your next song for we cannot let this fame fade right after it started!"

"Sure, see you Friday then." Arthur said, barely hearing the faint 'bye' Elisabeta sent him as he stared back at the bare wall before him and pressed the red button.

This was for real.

This was absolutely real and happening, he still could only believe half of it, but he was sure it would hit him harder later on, when he had calmed down.

Who should he inform first? Of course the band members wanted to know first, but also Arthur was looking forward to telling Alfred. Then again, the lad was probably working at the moment and his boss wouldn't agree on him calling in the midst of it all.

Eventually Arthur decided on sending a text message to all of them. He told them they would find out more details this Friday and sat back down in the sofa. It felt like a dream, something he'd wanted to happen for so long, and it happened all so quick. He could still hardly believe it.

Friday had gone by fast. Just like the rest of Arthur's life (and the other's), it went faster than expected. Time seemed to fly by.

They had recorded more songs, some they had played often enough in the bars and some they had recently written, either together or alone. Everyone seemed to burst with new energy and motivation with the new fame. Gilbert seemed to enjoy it the most of all.

As the word of the new single spread, some paparazzi started to show up at their doors. Arthur and Ludwig tried to avoid them at all costs, whilst Francis and Gilbert seemed to feel even more energetic.

A few times Arthur was forced to stay the night at Alfred's in order to avoid the paparazzi. He wasn't happy of them sticking around his old and cheap flat, it was downright embarrassing for them all to know he lived in that unkept hovel.

They had also decided on some small concerts, planning in advance. It'd take a bit longer before they would be asked to practise for it all, but at least they knew it was coming up. Arthur was actually looking forward to this; he'd always felt they were much better on stage than on recordings. For some reason he felt like the stage and the energy the audience gave him while performing worked out good for both his voice and guitar skills. He was pretty sure the rest thought so too.

The band members were rather surprised when they got asked for a photo shoot for one of the more popular girls magazines. They'd expected some photo shoots if lucky, yes, but considering this was a rather big magazine and with a big influence, it was still a surprise.

"Woooow," Alfred said as he had just heard the news from Arthur, "Wow, I tell ya Art, this is gonna be big!"

"Now, now, don't be so excited just yet Alfred, we're still at the start of it all," Arthur mumbled, looking away a bit shyly. He was actually really hoping this would be their breakthrough. He knew that most bands took a while before they got big, but it'd be so, well, 'awesome' if they were to become big right after their debut.

"No, seriously," Alfred reassured him, grabbing his shoulders and forcing Arthur to look up at him, "This's gonna be big, ye gonna be fucking famous 'kay," a big grin spreading over his face. Arthur didn't know how he did it, but whenever Alfred smiled he smiled so bright and honest Arthur could feel the corners of his own lips twitch into a small smile.

"Let's hope you're right." He responded, trying to sound not too excited.

When Arthur and the other band members arrived at the studio the photo shoot would be taken, they were rather fascinated by its size.

Elisabeta had arranged everything for them, like a good manager does, and they were soon let in to get ready.

Alfred hadn't been able to come along for he had to work, but Matthew was there, and despite him being rather timid most of the time, he seemed really excited about this all. It was probably his first time at such and official photo shoot as well, after all it's not something that happens to everyone.

"Awesome!" Gilbert whispered as he looked around, seeing all expensive cameras and the set all setup for the shoot. A few people were arranging some of the objects as couches and other decorations in the set to make sure they would fit in the picture right, whilst the band members were lead inside the changing room.

After they'd dressed in the cloths that were arranged for them, cloths that were way too expensive for any of them to ever buy in real life, they went to the makeup area where they would be made ready for the shoot.

A small hour later everyone was ready and in for the shoot.

"You sit there," the photographer pointed to Francis, who was set on the right, "And you," pointing at Gilbert, "Take the other side. The big guy over there can sit in the back and you," the last finger pointed to Arthur, "Will sit in front. We'll arrange the positions several times this shoot, but let's start off with a basic setup. Follow my instructions closely and please do your best,"

Apparently the photographer's name was Natalia, and she seemed rather famous for her skills. Also, she was rather attractive and model-like herself; her sleek, ice blonde hair fell almost to the end of her back and blue, stylish dress, fit perfectly around her slim form.

When they looked back at their photos later on, they realised just how good she was. She's given just the right instructions to make the pictures point out their best parts, and the pictures sure looked captivating.

The time flew and before they knew it they were outside again, all having a business card in hand as a 'good bye gift' and ready to get into the car that was waiting for them.

"Mon dieu," Francis said, "These pictures were actually quite nice. Even your grumpy eyebrows seemed less unbearable," he smiled a devilish grin to Arthur who resisted the urge to hit him only because there was paparazzi.

As they noticed the flashes becoming more and more, they quickly made their way towards the black car in front of them, being grateful Elisabeta had arranged it for them just in time.

Once inside Gilbert was the only one to speak up again, talking to Matthew.

"Seriously, I swear I looked so awesome!" he claimed, "Did you see me, Matt? I'm so awesome," Matthew just nodded, not wanting to argue with the guy, as he handed the small ducklet (that was not really that small any more, for it'd grown a lot since it had been found) back to Gilbert.

"Thanks bro, for looking after this little birdy here." He seemed happy to be able to take care of his bird again, as he happily stroked its head and put it on his shoulder. The bird had taken a liking to that.

It had been rather odd that Gilbert had called Matthew 'Matt', for normally only Alfred called him like that, but the rest of the people in the car let it slip. No need to worry about it, it's none of their business anyways.

After a tiresome photo shoot and a long drive back home, Arthur was glad to say good bye to the rest and slumped down on his bed, without even bothering to take off more than his shoes and coat.

So this was the life for an upcoming star? It was a lot to bear, he had to admit. He didn't know if he should feel happy or annoyed by everything and anything that was so unfamiliar, but the thoughts soon left his head as he drifted off in a steady sleep, soon to be followed by dreams of concerts and rewards.

Yes, this was going to be spectacular!

/Author's Note/

Brb dying because I let you wait so long and I'm a terrible author for that? ;A;

Just please know that despite my procrastination and business, I am not planning on giving up any time soon! I have a lot more planned for this fic, but I have been busy/lazy which is not a good combo.

Also, this chapter made quite a few time-jumps, but I felt like you waited for way too long and it would cost too many time and chapters to explain it all one after another, aside from the fact that I'm not an expert on the way to fame.

It might be a bit sudden compared to RL, but one has to do something, right? And it'd be a waste to let you all wait any longer. This way, I figured, everyone would be much more pleased.

So please look forward to the other chapters. Please note that when I'm busy, I'm always in for writing oneshots, so when you're really in need for a story of mine you can always wait for those?

Also, sequel of 'It's Called Love' should start soon. Summer holidays have started and I got my lazy bum to work, and I finally get to write stuff I've been planning on for a year. I know I wont be able to finish it within the summer holidays like I did last year, but I'll try my best to make it awesome okay. I don't want the plot to be shit, I don't want to let you all down for waiting!

Stay awesome and thank you so much for the wait ;A; 3

I do not own Hetalia or the characters, those belong to their rightful (awesome) creator, Hidekaz Himaruya!

(07/10/11)