Author's Note: IT'S TIME FOR PANDA, ARU! *shot by the masses* Seriously, I actually know what I'm doing with this now and it makes me happy. I might post a new story after I finish this one, and it'll certainly be fang-tastic *hint hint* but I'm not sure what pairing it'll end up being. We will see where it takes me!
Onwards! Into the awkwardness we go!
Disclaimer (Dark Side of the Moon): I get sad whenever I think about the fact that I do not own Hetalia. I also get sad when I think about how I could've make Kiku such a little uke, and then I realize I can do that with this thing called fanfiction. Y'all should check it out.
Kiku shifted quietly, wondering why Italy seemed so serious. Silence was not usually what one experienced while they were with the excitable Italian, but only a few words had been said, leaving him to his thoughts as they got on the plane. He frowned slightly, thinking of a certain Northern Nation. He hadn't heard from him for a few days after he went back to Japan, so he supposed the other had chickened out of their date. At first, Kiku had been relieved, but now he was somewhat upset that the other didn't want to spend time with him…
Kiku sighed, glad he had his tote bag with him- if they weren't going to talk he might as well finish Ivan's gift. He flushed at the thought, for a moment wondering if there was a connection between what was happening and the Russian. It was entirely possible; Russia certainly had the resources to pull something like this off. As he finished the last of the knitting, he moved on to the embroidery, ignoring his Italian friend's curious stare.
Soon the Italian was asleep, and even sooner Kiku had finished the design on both mittens, putting them away in his carry on, later joining Feliciano in slumber.
Ivan paced back and forth, looking over at Romano once again. "You're certain that this will work?"
"Yeah, yeah- just don't do anything stupid, okay?"
Ivan took a nervous drag from his flask, glad that the Italian actually managed to find some vodka for him. He sighed, feeling a little calmer and a little warmer. "Da, I'll be careful." Kiku would be coming soon, so he needed to get rid of his nerves.
Lovino said something else, but he wasn't paying enough attention to respond before the doorbell rang. He stiffened, hearing the more excitable of the Italian bothers talking to someone- Kiku- just outside. He felt his heart pound before taking one last swig of vodka before hiding his flask in his jacket.
Kiku and Feliciano walked inside, still a little tired from the journey there. The Japanese paused when he saw the Russian, realizing that he might've been right about the man being behind his sudden trip to Italy. "Hello, Russia-chan," he greeted, hoping his face wasn't reddening. "So am I right to say this is… all for our date?"
"Yes, it is." Ivan gave him a smile. "Do you want to rest before we head out or should we just go now?" He shifted imperceptibly, making sure to keep nice posture throughout his invitation. His cheeks dusted red when he saw the other's eyes look over him quickly, trying not to think too hard on it.
"Ah… Let me get ready. I am a bit underdressed from the plane ride."
Russia let out a breath he didn't realize he was holding, his smile widening even more. "All right. How about four? That'll give you time to unpack and such."
Kiku nodded curtly, pink dusting his cheeks. "That sounds wonderful." He looked to his hosts, arching a brow. The Italians probably knew how this would go… He stiffened slightly when he remembered the time he had attended a ball. The brothers ganged up and forced him to change into such (at the time strange) western clothing. He briefly wondered if anything like that was going to happen, and was mentally preparing himself in case it did. "So, Ivan-chan, you arranged this visit to Italy-kun's place?"
"Ah, it just turned out this way," the tallest man admitted, fingering his flask under his jacket.
"So it's one of these situations…" Kiku muttered softly, thankful no one heard him. "All right. I will see you at four, yes?"
"Da!"
Kiku shifted, fairly uncomfortable as the Italian made him change his outfit. Again. This had to have been the fourth one the redhead vetoed, and Japan was starting to get even more nervous than before. He walked back into the bathroom attached to the bedroom he was staying in, looking through his clothes again, picking out something a little more casual.
"It's a date, not a wedding," as Italy had reminded him.
He sighed, finding a sweater with a black and white panda bear on it. "Perhaps I should be very casual?" He frowned slightly. Ivan had looked very handso- nice in his outfit. He hadn't worn his usual sweaters or his coat, and the pale yellow shirt showing under his brown jacket suited him nicely. Kiku flushed, dismissing his thoughts as he snapped back to the situation at hand.
He honestly wasn't sure why he felt so unprepared for this. He hadn't been nearly as nervous when Arthur had taken him out to eat; although, now that he thought about it, he was more uncomfortable than anything on that so-called "date." The dinner had been awkward enough without the kiss.
"Am I going to be kissed tonight?"
Kiku flushed, quickly scolding himself for wondering about what Ivan would do. "I am certain he will just… Actually, I don't know what he's thinking half the time, so I can't say I know what to expect…"
He poked his head out of the room, calling for Italy to help him decide what to wear. He was certain he was going to be vetoed once more if he had to come out again. The Italian was almost too happy to barge in. Of course, being the fashionable nation he was, Italy quickly grabbed the sweater and shook his head. He then pulled the suitcase out of the bathroom so he'd have more room to work with.
"Come on, Kiku! We can do this!" He started looking through Japan's suitcase, which, even with Japan's attempts at keeping it somewhat orderly, quickly lead to a disorganized mess. "Oh! I know~!" The Italian tossed him a light purple button-up and a black pair of skinny jeans. He looked through the piles once more before grinning.
"Ve~ I found it!" He held up a thin, black jacket as if it were a trophy. "Put it on, put it on," he cooed, pushing Kiku and his clothes into the bathroom before shutting the door for him.
Kiku blinked at the outfit, a bit surprised. "So by casual he meant jeans?" Kiku pulled the clothes on after he stripped, quickly buttoning up the shirt, a blush on his face when he realized it was his date's eye color. Feliciano didn't choose it for that reason, did he? He sighed, pulling on the jacket and looking in the mirror. Personally, he had thought he looked decent in most of the outfits he had to try, and he considered this one no different, although he was a little flustered from the color choice.
He walked out of the room and was instantly assaulted by the redhead. "Uwah! You look so cute! And kinda sexy! You should try dressing like this more often- it's kinda fun to dress you up!"
Kiku struggled to get a word in, pushing against the other to free himself from the hug. He knew the other was just trying to be nice, but he still wasn't a fan of being coddled. "I-Italy-kun!" He finally felt the other let go. He took in a deep breath. "Thank you…" He felt that it wasn't appropriate to ask about the Italian's color choice at that moment, so he bobbed his head in thanks.
Feliciano tilted his head to the side, thinking for a moment before grinning again. "Oh! Don't worry about it!" He looked at the clock and gasped. "Ve~! Have fun on your date! Don't break anything! Oh, and big brother Francis says that you have a nice butt and should use it, whatever that means…"
"Eh? What do you mean by that-?" Kiku tried asking before he was tossed his phone and dragged out the room. He glanced at the time on his phone's lock screen and sighed. "At least I am not going to be too late…"
He made his way downstairs, blinking when he saw Ivan already in the doorway with Lovino. The duo had a few more hushed words before Kiku cleared his throat, letting them know he was there. He watched in slight amusement as the two separated.
"Ki-Kiku?"
"Hm?" He returned his attention to Ivan, arching a brow at the strange look on his face before the other turned a light pink. In the corner of his vision, Kiku caught Lovino making some strange hand motions, urging Russia to do… something.
"You- are you ready to go?" The tall man spluttered, keeping his eyes on Kiku's face.
"Hai."
Ahahaha~ and they're off. I wonder if the flask in Russia's jacket will be enough to get him through the date without running away.
... Heh.
R&R~?
~Dark Side of the Moon
