She collapsed.
"Dancing bears, painted wings..."
Blue eyes, the same colour as his, burned with a rage unimaginable. Face flushed in anger, fury, hatred, as he approached, looming ominously above him. His presence was threatening, daunting, intimidating, and it honestly terrified him. usual but their father just dismissed him. As usual but their father just dismissed him. As usual. Incomprehensible shouts and screams blended all together into just a vague loud sound. The booming sounds suddenly became a constant beeeep, and his vision had momentarily disappeared into an explosion of white stars. The beep remained, louder now, as he panicked about his loss of vision. He realised he should have been glad for it when it finally pieced itself back together and the ugly face of his father, twisted in malice, was right before his.
"Things I yearn to remember... Once upon a December..."
At this point, Matthew dashed into the fray, crying and begging for their father to, "Stop! Please, daddy! Please stop! Please--" He was picked up easily by the much larger man and tossed carelessly aside, slamming painfully into the edge of a desk and inadvertently knocking the music box off. Alfred watched as it fell, seemingly in sepia slow motion, and hit the ground, shattering as easily as glass. The beautiful chimes that didn't fit the situation ceased instantly, coming to a halt. Alfred stared at the fractured music box laying innocently beside his mother's pale, still hand. His bright azure eyes filled with water, but he didn't cry. That would only make it worse. He raised his gaze, forcing defiance into them, and stared into his father's eyes that mirrored his own. I hate you for giving me your genes. I hate myself for being like you, his eyes read, conveying an emotional, fiery message. His father stared back.
"She's dying," he breathed, surprised by how level his voice sounded. He was petrified. His mother had collapsed during one of his father's rage escapades. She'd been unwell recently. Maybe more than recently. She'd always been pale and frail and thin, he'd just never noticed. He was scared she wouldn't make it. He glanced briefly to her motionless body but had to look away hastily after. She was usually so full of life, so bubbly, excitable. Seeing her silent and ashen like this... It felt wrong. He forced his eyes to remain on twin cerulean ones. So beautiful and yet so disgusting. I hate you, dad. "We have to get to a hospital."
O-o-O-o-O
He woke up, unable to breathe, as their tires swerved in random directions, rain pelting down upon the window shield, twisting and turning and tires screeching. A scream. His brother's. Pain. His own.
He gasped, trying to fill his lungs with much needed air, gripping the sheets tightly as he stared, wide-eyed, down at himself. The panic and adrenaline slowly disippated when he saw no sign of blood and felt no pain. He twisted in his sheets to free himself of the cacoon he'd immersed himself in and groaned when he felt a painful twinge in his ankle. My ankle hurts... but what...?
It all suddenly flooded back to him. Him, dancing with Arthur in the rain, leading it, initiating it, liking it; him, collecting wood with Arthur, laughing happily; Arthur, saving him. All of his panic melted away suddenly and gave way to a strange fluttering feeling that made him feel light-headed and euphoric. Knowing he hadn't taken any ecstasy, he wasn't entirely certain why his synapse suddenly decided to produce excess serotonin. It made him a little nervous, but for some reason he felt disturbingly content. Then, terror flooded back to him. His mind was kind of blank. He recalled Arthur... rescuing him... but after that, his mind went blank.
He steeled himself as determination flooded him. I have to see if he's okay, he thought worriedly, crawling out of his makeshift bed and his tent. It was still drizzling lightly, but it was nothing like the earlier downpour. He rushed through the canopy quickly, checking the other tents to find the Brit, but halting when he peeked into his brother's. He was asleep, brows drawn into a troubled frown, and he was clinging tightly to Francis's shirt, who was holding back just as tightly. His eyelids were flickering ever so slightly. He was still awake.
Why's he holding Matt...? He closed his eyes and shook his head, and pulled away from the tent, continuing to the next. Francis obviously made Matthew happy... so... it was okay, right...? He heaved a sigh and glanced in the next tent, exceedingly relieved when he noticed Arthur, but the feeling was soon replaced with dread when he noticed that the Englishman wasn't alone. Instead, he was holding onto Kiku weakly, and his eyes were bearly open. He was whispering something, far too quiet for Alfred to hear. Kiku was staring down at him ruefully, stroking his soft blond hair. The friendly gesture made the American irritated. He clenched his fists as a bubble of rage built up inside of him, steadily esacalating when he noticed the gently ministrations the Japanese man bestowed on his Brit--
Wait, what...? His eyes widened slightly and he stilled his fists which had previously been clenching and unclenching. His rapid breathing came to an abrupt halt as his mind froze. My...? Mine...? His mind rasped, unable to grasp the concept. Why am I thinking this way? What is it? Why...? I'm so damn confused...! He let out a small grown and buried his head in his hands, shaking it. What the hell is wrong with me? I'm not gay! I'm not! His mind screamed over and over, so much so that it finally sunk in. I'm... He shut his eyes tightly. Why was he repeating it so much? Why did he feel so weird around Arthur? Why did he always felt sparks of electricity around the other man, and yet feel so soft and comforted with his presence? Why? Why? Why? He just didn't get it!
"Alfred-san?" someone whispered softly, and Alfred's head jerked up, blue eyes wide and fearful as if he were a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. But then he remembered this man's fingers threading through Arthur's hair and managed to glare bitterly.
"What?" he snapped.
If anything, that only sparked amusement in Kiku's eyes. Bastard, Alfred thought, clenching his fists again. The Japanese man's eyes flickered down and then back up. He'd noticed. "Alfred-san," he repeated softly, tilting his head slightly. "I think Arthur-kun is waiting for you." He offered a strange smile, seemingly pleasant but with an underlying something that just...
Alfred narrowed his eyes before nodding stiffly. "Right. Yeah. Uh..."
"Is there something you wish to ask me, Alfred-san?" Kiku enquired with an excessively polite tone, eyes dancing but still somewhat serious. He was still worried for his best friend's outburst ealier... but maybe it could work to his own advantage? Arthur always was more honest when feeling vulnerable. Horrible as it sounded, it was true. Otherwise, Arthur was only honest when sick. Or drunk. Kiku didn't favour either though. Alfred shifted nervously, rubbing the back of his head and grimacing at another twinge in his ankle. Kiku blinked, and then decided to drop in, "Arthur-kun hurt his arm when he saved you."
The American's eyes widened and he stilled, shock filling him and freezing him completely. He could suddenly relate with Pokémon in the games, like the time when he first bought one and his Charmander was hit by electric shock and attained paralysis... He came back from his internal Poké-battle and saw Kiku scrutinising him. He shifted hs weight nervously, finally coming out of paralysis, and glanced away before meeting the other man's eyes defiantly. Confidence, he reminded himself. At least pretend you have it. "How is he?" he asked.
Kiku raised a brow before inclining his head with a smile. "See for yourself," he offered entirely uselessly before walking off, presumably to Heracles's tent. Alfred stared after him for a long moment, frowning, pondering, before sighing and giving in. Opening the flap of the tent, Alfred glanced in, surveying the blank landscape of the tent and then the dishellved figure lying on the floor. Pale and still.
He found himself crumping by Arthur's side and shaking him urgently, then freezing when oddly wide red-rimmed green eyes met his. The Brit looked away shyly but didn't bother sitting up. He felt incredibly awkward. He'd only just actually realised he was... that he... had feeling for Alfred, and it was not exactly reassurring when Alfred was his patient and nearly four years younger than him. The guy was still in university, for God's sake... Usually, I'm the younger one in a relationship. This is a first, he mused tiredly.
Alfred wasn't feeling much different than the other man. Shifting on his knees, he glanced around nervously and fiddled with his thumbs, having no idea what to do or what to say or-or anything... And with Arthur lying their, looking so helpless and sad, he just...
Click.
"Arthur," he breathed softly. I feel something for you. Something discernable, but also something I don't want to acknowledge. I'm scared. It's exhilirating. It's terrifying. I don't like it, but I don't want to stop it. What's going on? "Are... Uh... K-Kiku said you hurt your arm..."
The Brit closed his eyes again. "He's exaggerating," he whispered wearily. "It's nothing." He shifted, suppressing a wince. "Did you... H-how's your foot...?"
Alfred flushed slightly. Of course he'd know, he helped me walk the entire way back... "Hurts, but it ain't too bad. Ain't even sprained. Just bruised," he murmured, entranced by Arthur's face for whatever reason. He wanted to touch his hair. His skin. His lips... which opened. What did he say? "What?"
"I said," the Englishman muttered, but was too worn out to glare. "It's 'isn't,' not 'ain't'." He offered a weak smile, but it came out more like a bitter grimace.
The younger man returned it. "Thanks for the correction," he grumbled sarcastically.
"It's my pleasure," Arthur returned, still smiling a grimace, which soon dissolved into an anguished frown. Why the hell did he have to look so damn sad...?
"You know," Alfred drawled slowly, trying to appear casual when in actuality he felt extremely nervous. "You definitely don't look your age when you're so sad. Actually," he mused, noticing the reddening cheeks of the man lying down. It was... cute. "You don't even look twenty three anyway." He tilted his head and gave a half smile, half smirk. "You could pass as my age, save for the weird way you talk."
To his surprise, the Brit's lips twitched slightly. "I don't know if that's supposed to be complimentary or insulting."
Alfred grinned. "Depends on how you take it," he said.
"I'll take it as a compliment."
"Surprising, what with your frequent bouts of anger. Temper tantrums," he decided cheekily, sticking his tongue out when Arthur batted his hand. To both of their astonishment, Alfred grabbed it before Arthur could pull back. Both blushed but neither mentioned it. Alfred didn't let go. Arthur squeezed back.
"Git," he murmured fondly, smiling a smile that met his green eyes and made them even more beautiful.
"Jerk," Alfred returned with a half-grin of his own, before it slipped away. He hesitated, blushing slightly. "Arthur...?"
The shorter blond's eyes fluttered open. "Hn?"
"Can... Can I sleep with you?" His blush deepened, but Arthur was nearly asleep by now. "I... had a nightmare, and..."
"Just go to sleep," Arthur begged quietly, pulling weakly on Alfred's hand. The American grinned sheepishly, chuckling silently at the older man's pathetic tug, but settled down beside him anyway. He subtly shuffled closer, glad Arthur was too tired to notice. But then, the Brit managed to somehow manoeuvred himself so that he was half on top of Alfred and half on the floor. The American blushed brightly but figured, hey, he'd be uncomfortable like that and he already had an injured arm because of him. He was just repaying the favour. At least, that was what he told himself as he pulled Arthur completely on top of him and wrapped his arms around the smaller man's back to pull him closer. Just repayment, he told himself fervently. Just repayment. But when Arthur smiled in his sleep and snuggled closer to him, he actually knew he was lying to himself now...
When he closed his own eyes, he dreamed of a Brit with beautiful green eyes.
O-o-O-o-O
Heracles didn't open his eyes when he heard someone quietly entering his tent. The other man may have had the stealth of a ninja, but he himself had the hearing of a bat. Although he would much rather compare himself to a cat. When he felt something warm hesitantly snuggle up to him from behind and wrap their arms around his waist, he realised his musings had momentarily distracted him. He didn't mind as much as he thought. Instead, he smiled and placed his own hands over Kiku's, raising one to kiss it tenderly and muffling a chuckle when he felt the Nihon-jin freeze behind him momentarily, before relaxing again.
"How's Arthur?" he murmured sleepily.
"Hmm," Kiku hummed thoughtfully. "I'm not entirely sure. Arthur-kun is strange when his feelings are so... so..."
"Prominent?"
"Mm," he agreed. "Arthur-kun knows how to deal with anger, and he can deal with other people when they're upset, but when he himself is so sad... he becomes very confused," Kiku explained, struggling to explain it in English terms. How can I be struggling? I passed English in high school! Ah, but I did not take it in university... but even so...! Well, at least it is good enough to be understood... Anyway, I know many people who are terrible at Japanese, so it is not so bad... although I do wish people didn't abuse my language... he thought irritably but shook his head.
"Something wrong?" the brunet enquired, a tinge of worry in his tone.
"No, not at all. I was just thinking about my language," Kiku replied wistfully, feeling slightly melancholic that he didn't visit his homeland as much as he wished to. As if sensing the Japanese man's inward melancholy, Heracles decided to divert the topic.
"So, what happened?" the Greek enquired tiredly, feigning disinterest. Kiku was evidently pleased with the change of topic, shown by how he squeezed Heracles's hand ever so slightly. The Greek smiled languidly. He was actually rather intrigued by the romantic pull between Alfred and Arthur, as well as their sense of mystery and problematic equations... It was frustrating to watch them dance and skitter around each other because of their own worrisome pasts, however. He and Kiku even had their own troublesome pasts, but they were actually attempting to move on... A stab of guilt hit him and he sighed softly. He knew he wasn't being fair, especially judging by Kiku's extreme reluctance to divulge anything about his English friend...
"I don't know actually," the Japanese man admitted hesitantly. He didn't like not knowing things, but he didn't really want to get involved without Arthur's permission... "I just don't know."
Heracles sighed softly and turned over to embrace the Japanese man. Kiku froze for a moment when the brunet kissed his forehead, and the Greek pretended he didn't mind. "Oyasumi, Kiku," he whispered softly, hoping his pronounciation was accurate enough to understand. There was a short pause, and Heracles feared he had gone too far. But then...
"Oyasuminasai, Hera-kun," the dark haired man returned just as softly.
Heracles smiled.
O-o-O-o-O
"Good morning!" Meimei greeted cheerfully, looking as bright as ever as she beamed at everyone at the camp site. Michael sat beside her, looking his usual blasé self. Despite his blank face, there was a certain sparkle in his dark eyes that suggested otherwise. Naturally, Yao smiled back at his younger sister in response upon her greeting, but didn't go into overprotective brother mode. He knew Michael well enough. Although, he almost wished Meimei went into overprotective sister mode instead of fangirl mode when Yong Soo decided to start groping him. Yao sighed. He had been so well behaved up until now...
Kiku was up soon after. He usually woke before his siblings, but he had been so warm and comfortable in Heracles's arms that he didn't want to move. He tried to convince himself that he was just being polite, that he didn't want to wake up the Greek as it would be considered rude... and then he realised it was pointless to try. He sighed ruefully, staring down at his hands. He wasn't homophobic or anything of the sort. In fact, he was openly bisexual and had a stash of yaoi doujinshis and manga with him wherever he went. It was just that he and Yao hadn't got along very well in the past, and Yong Soo absolutely detested him. Michael accepted him fairly easily, having no trouble with most people as long as they weren't a hindrance. Meimei cared for him so much. She was the most loyal and devoted and had once gave him chocolates on Valentines day. Kiku had been a bit nervous, as girls only gave boys they... liked... chocolates on Valentines day. Needless to say, she had also given him a note. He still had it, in spite of how embarrassing and nerve-wracking it was to keep it. She'd basically admitted she cared for him more than a sibling should, but she wouldn't persue it. Thankfully, she'd seemed to grow past it and become more and more fond of Michael. He and Thuy had a good, solid relationship. Sometimes they had small tiffs, but they never really argued seriously. They got along very well due to their similar personalities, although Kiku found his Vietnamese sister to be a bit prudish, even more so than him. Niran, however, was the complete opposite of his fiancée. He was straight forward and a bit of a pervert, but he was so kind-hearted and oblivious sometimes. He cared for all of his siblings, in short, but... he just wasn't sure if they would all accept him for it. He was terrified to lose them. He just couldn't tell them...
"Good morning, Meimei-chan," Kiku replied monotonously, taking a seat beside her since Yong Soo was seated next to Yao. "Is anyone else awake?" he enquired after glancing around the camp site.
Meimei smiled brightly. "Thuy and Niran went to grab some more firewood, but they should be back soon. Gilbert is taking a walk with Antonio, Francis, Lovino, Ludwig, Feliciano and... um... oh! Matthew! And... Alfred and Arthur are still asleep. And Heracles... um..."
"He's still sleeping," he informed her before thinking. When his siblings all stared at him in surprise, he lowered his gaze, realising he had made a mistake. It was awkward, waiting in the awkward silence, his heart thumping rapidly. He was almost certain it would tear out of his flesh. But then, unexpectedly, the uncomfortable atmosphere was broken.
"Is that so?" Yao said with a small smile. "Perhaps you should wake him as we will be having breakfast soon. I will go and get Alfred and Arthur." He stood, brushing off imaginary dust on his trousers out of habit, and then strode over to the intended tent. Kiku watched the Chinese man's head disappear into the tent and pause for a moment. Yao turned aroud to face his siblings, a grin plastered onto his face, as he beckoned them over. "Kiku!" he hissed. "Do you have a camera?"
The Japanese man smirked back as he reached into the pocket of his trousers, brandishing a top of the line digital camera. He zipped over to his brother as his siblings jogged over to them. Kiku peeked into the tent, smirk softening into a small smile. The two were practically clinging onto one another. Arthur was grasping onto the front of Alfred's shirt forcefully in spite of his unconscious state, and Alfred had his arms wrapped around the Brit's back. Their faces were so close that their noses were touching.
"Ahh..." Meimei whispered, beaming. "How adorable!" she squealed quietly.
Kiku blinked, slightly surprised by how enthusiastic the girl was about the two men's relationship. Glancing at his brother's faces, they seemed to be fine with it too. In fact, Yao was grinning like a Cheshire cat. As if sensing the scrutiny, the older brother turned to Kiku expectantly. "Well, go on, Kiku! Take a photo," he urged in a hushed tone. The Japanese man flushed in embarrassment at being caught staring and nodded, fumbling with the camera as he zoomed in and got a good angle to get both of their peaceful faces in the frame, and snapped a picture.
O-o-O-o-O
"Wang Yao's company is a PLC," Toris said, green eyes fluttering across the paper before him as he skim read speedily. "As it's a PLC, you can purchase shares. You'll have to use a different name..." he warned.
The Russian smiled icily, leaning forward slightly. "I'm aware of that, Toris," he purred smoothly. The brunet fidgeted and nodded nervously.
"Y-yes, of course," he replied weakly, ignoring Natalia's piercing gaze he felt burning into his skill. Swallowing, he proceeded. "It started off as an LTD, but it soon began to turn downhill. As it was steadily losing any profit it had retained in its previous year, they soon were near collapse. However, they then tried to make it a PLC. They persuaded someone to become a stockholder and they put some money into their business. They soon broke even and were again making profit. To conclude, you can basically purchase some of their shares, Mr. Braginski," he murmured, shuffling papers worriedly, eyes flickering everywhere but towards him.
"To you believe that would be best?" Ivan enquired silkily, voice deceptively sweet. It made Toris feel sick.
"I-I believe so," he said softly, eyes still downcast. "Despite being supported by a few stockholders - most of which being friends and family - they still aren't making a large profit, and most of the stockholders don't have vast amounts of shares. If you bought, say... twenty five per cent of the company... you'd be equal to Wang Yao. If you bought any more than that, you'd be the main owner." He finally looked up. "You would have control over the business and its workers, including..."
"My old friend, Mr. Kirkland," Ivan finished with a cat-like grin. Toris gave a stiff nod of confirmation. Violet eyes flashed, making Toris and Yaketerina freeze, whilst Natalia just eyed him curiously, awaiting any orders complacently. "Yes, this is an... interesting... turn of events." He chuckled happily, looking positively gleeful. "Toris, would you please retrieve Eduard and Raivis for me?" It wasn't a request. "I'm going to tell you all our plans. I want all of us to be here for it!" he declared, beaming brightly. "This will be very fun!" he said cheerily, although his eyes darkened considerably and his smile transformed into a malicious smirk. "We'll soon be rid of that interfering brat..."
O-o-O-o-O
"Tired?" Francis enquired, smirking lightly at the Brit seated next to him who kept rubbing his eyes and sniffling.
"Hay fever," Arthur replied moodily, and promptly let out a sneeze. It sounded more like a squeak since he tried to muffle it. Alfred snorted to his right, and Arthur scowled irritably. The American grinned apologetically.
"Sorry," he said, rubbing his neck sheepishly. "If it's any consolation," he said off-handedly, looking away with flushed cheeks. Arthur cocked his head, frowning. "You look kinda cute when you rub your eyes. Sorta. I guess. Not really," he said quickly, cheeks darkening. He felt slightly reassurred when the Brit blushed an even darker shade than he did.
"Same goes for you when you snore," Arthur returned, lips twitching and eyes twinkling. If he didn't look so cute, Alfred would've gotten angry. As it was... "O-oiiw, what'wre you dowing, idiot? Let go of mah fasche!" he whined.
"You were smiling," the taller man declared triumphantly, grinning toothily. "It... suits you," he admitted in a softer tone, looking away almost shyly, face contorted into a frown.
Arthur blinked in shock, staring at the younger man for a moment, before carefully placing one of his hands over the American's, hovering above the appendage reluctantly, not wanting to annoy him. But, deciding to be a bit more forward for once, he lightly touched Alfred's tanned hand with his paler one. Alfred froze for a moment, eyes widening, before he very slowly relaxed a bit and offered a nervous smile. He glanced around at the others, but they were all mingling as if it was all normal. He was a bit confused that they were so easily accepting this... weird... behaviour. But he was glad. He offered Arthur a weak, but more reassurred grin, but it melted into a fierce blush when the Brit replied shyly, "It suits you too."
Francis watched the exchange with a strange mixture of amusement, fondness, and envy. His eyes strayed over to the Canadian, but he appeared oblivious towards the moment that Alfred and Arthur had just had, and was engaged in an animated conversation with his stupid, irritating polar bear plush. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he forced himself to look away. It just... hurt.
Standing, he moved away to speak with Yao. He didn't notice Matthew watching him sadly. Alfred and Arthur did.
O-o-O-o-O
The walk back to the onsen was fairly tense. Only Feliciano and Antonio didn't seem to notice the gravity of the situation. Ludwig was walking behind everyone with Feliciano since the Italian kept getting distracted, and Antonio and Romano were close to them, but also just behind Gilbert and Francis, who both seemed to be in very sombre, dark moods. Antonio wasn't totally ignorant though. Ludwig noticed that the seemingly carefree Spaniard kept sending his friends concerned glances. The German shook his head. I'm getting a migraine... he thought as worries seemed to clog his mind.
Matthew was walking with Alfred and Arthur, but they weren't speaking either. A few times, one of them commented on something, and the others offered pleasantries or jokes (courtesy of Alfred), but something was obviously off. Kiku was speaking quietly with Yao. About what, no one else knew. They had even asked Yong Soo and Heracles to leave them for a while to speak. They'd looked hurt for a moment before Yong Soo dismissed himself freely, and then went to pester Niran and Thuy. Heracles just went to hang back with Antonio. Meimei was giggling at Yong Soo's display, but she was honestly wondering what Kiku and Yao were discussing so intimately, and why even Yong Soo and Heracles weren't permitted to listen. Michael didn't seem to mind though, so she just preoccupied herself with him.
"I'll be right back," Arthur suddenly said, offering a small, hesitant smile. He then slowed his pace, waiting for Francis and Gilbert to catch up. As soon as the Brit had disappeared from hearing range, Alfred removed his hands from his pockets and lost his feigned careless stance, rounding on Matthew.
"Okay, so, what's going on?" he demanded immediately.
Matthew blinked, looking utterly befuddled and perplexed. "Uh... what...?" he asked slowly.
Alfred huffed and folded his arms, scowling. "You..." He trailed off, looking down, looking up, to the side, down again, and finally back at Matthew. "You like Francis, right? And he's obviously madly in love with you or something, so why the hell aren't you doing anything about it?" he asked stiffly. He wasn't used to these sorts of conversations. His brother had never actually dated anyone, so they never really discussed dating or relationships. To top it off, it was a man they were talking about...
Alfred halted his train of thought and steeled himself. Stop it. Stop thinking that! It isn't fair on your brother! Like Arthur said, these ain't my own thoughts. What do I want...? Well... I want Mattie to be happy... so...
"I-I'm... straight," Matthew protested quietly, eyes trained on the ground determinedly.
Feeling an unexpected wave of irritation, Alfred ground out through clenched teeth, "No, you aren't." Matthew glanced nervously at him and he forced himself to calm down so that his brother wouldn't be scared off. Alfred heaved a heavy sigh and ran a hand through his hair, posture tense but defeated. Matthew found it quite daunting, and he felt guilty. He didn't want to disappoint his brother. He thought he'd hidden it all quite well, but... He sighed. I'm no good at anything. I can't even make my brother happy, he thought miserably, ducking his head when he felt his eyes sting. I've never made anyone happy, and it looks like I'll never be able to do that... "Hey," Alfred said softly, putting a hand on his brother's shoulder. Matthew blinked away the tears gathering in his eyes and looked up at his brother worriedly. "Don't be sad. I'm cool with it, so long as you're happy. So, if... if it's what you want," he mumbled, eyes flickering away and back again. It's for Matthew. Do this for your brother. "Then I'm happy for you." Although it sounded slightly forced, it just seemed to earnest. He really did want his little brother to be happy. He was the only family he had left, and he cared deeply for him. I won't let him be sad, especially because of me.
He was knocked out of his thoughts when he felt arms wrap themselves around him tightly. He staggered backwards, surprised by the sudden hug of doom, and for a moment he felt unbelievably awkward. That was, until he remembered when he used to hug his brother and mum like that. Slowly, he let himself relax, and he hugged him back.
"I love you, little bro."
O-o-O-o-O
"Ludwig," Feliciano whined, "You've been on your phone all day. Why are you so distracted?" he asked sulkily. If the blond had spared any time to look at his lover, he would have seen the true concern and nervousness in his bright brown eyes. As it was, his bright blue eyes were set firmly on his phone.
"Sorry, Feliciano," he muttered quietly. "I'm just... expecting an important phone call," he explained.
The brunet hummed, tilting his head. "But you'll hear it if it goes, so pay attention to me!"
"This is important, Feliciano," Ludwig replied sternly, only sparing a moment to glare at the smaller man.
The Italian was struck by the coldness in his tone. Sure, the German was often strict, but he didn't usually snap at him like that... "I'm sorry," he mumbled softly, ducking his head. No one else noticed the exchange.
A bit further ahead, Francis and Gilbert were forced to a halt when they saw two feet planted firmly on the ground before them. Gilbert was the first to raise his gaze and he raised a brow at Arthur. "Basking in my awesome?" he asked.
Arthur folded his arms tightly across his chest and, despite being shorter than the other two, managed to glare them down. "Look," he said shortly, eyes blazing. "I don't know what's going on, and I'm not going to pretend to understand. I just want you two to stop dragging yourselves down because you have friends who care about you. Antonio's obviously exceedingly concerned, but I don't think he wants to approach you because he's too nice about everything and doesn't want to upset you further. Matthew's upset and whilst I have no clue what it's about, I assume it's something to do with you," He poked Francis in the chest harshly, and the French man blinked slowly, as if coming back to the world. "Since he keeps looking at you and sighing every few minutes. So, pick up your acts and start talking to your friends!" Hypocrite, his mind whispered. He ignored it. Gilbert didn't.
"Look who's talking," he hissed, crimson eyes glinting as he glared furiously. He clenched his fists. "You of all people have no right to be telling us this!" he shouted, pointing at the Brit before clenching his fist again, breathing raggedly.
The Brit masked any hurt he felt behind a fierce glare. I know you're right, he thought ruefully, but just maintained a steadfast expression. "Yeah," he agreed, "I don't. However, you do know I'm right. You're reliving the past, right?" He ignored Gilbert's horrorfied expression and pressed on, squashing any guilt he felt building up. "If... If you're going through that," he said, voice much more softer now. "Then you'll need to pull your friends closer, not push them away." He glanced at Francis, a sardonic smirk on his face. "And you, you idiot," he murmured fondly, lightly slapping the older man's cheek. "Stop trying to hold yourself back. It's obviously not unrequited. If you feel that way, just go for it." He smiled. "You may be a complete git, but you're my friend. I want you to be happy, you moronic twit." Not giving the two shocked men time to respond - not that they could - Arthur was already waving Antonio over. "You three just... well, actually, no, don't do what you do best. Just... have fun, but don't assault anyone."
Antonio chuckled softly and put his arms around his friends. "Gracias, Arthur. Maybe you aren't so bad after all."
Arthur grinned back haughtily. "I am," he promised.
O-o-O-o-O
Axis Powers Hetalia belongs to Hidekaz Himaruya.
I went out today to take photos for my art work. I took photos for responses to Sam Taylor-Wood and Annette Messager. For Jennifer Collier, I'm making a dress out of paper and such. Art GCSEs take so much effort!
And I'm currently quite distracted by Titanic... I feel my masculine pride being dented infinitely. However, I'm proud to say I've never cried during a film, unlike everyone I know. They say I'm heartless. Pfft. If I were heartless, I wouldn't be alive. YOU HAVE NOT BUILT A STRONG AND TRUE SHIP. YOU SHOULD'VE GAVE IT MORE BLOODY LIFE BOATS, YOU BLEEDING WANKER. UGH.
-Cough- In any case... er, I was going to ask you guys something regarding the plot, but then I decided on what's going to happen. So, it's cool. XD You may detest me for a while though. XD;
PLC = Public Limited Company. These companies sell shares of their business on the stock exchange. Absolutely anyone can purchase shares of these companies. Examples: Tesco, Marks and Spencers.
LTD = Private Limited Company. These companies sell shares of their business only to family members or friends. Only people who are close to the owners can buy shares.
Break even = A term which means to stop losing money. When a business breaks even, it means it no longer loses money, but neither is it gaining any money. Most businesses aim to break even within two years or so. Breaking even is a good thing, because after it you make a profit. Marks and Spencers are successful as you know, but they once had a downfall during the 90s and were steadily falling into debt. They were on the verge of collapse. They changed their aims and objectives and instead of aiming for a profit, they aimed to break even. They altered their store's image because they were previously only viewed as a small market with a specific target audience. This company is an excellent example of all types of businesses because it started off as a sole trader, became a partnership, followed by an LTD, then finally a PLC, which it is now. So, you can buy shares if you want! :D
Lecture finished. Class dismissed!
Thank you for reading!