This chapter is considered "Safe For Work."
***Warnings: Violence Mention, Blood Mention, Gore Mention, and Natural Disaster Mention.***
***Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia nor the characters in this chapter. The plot is mine.***
The gravel crackled under the pressure of the tires, spraying about. A red car slowly pulled to the right, parking adjacent to the sidewalk. As the brakes were put in place, the engine purred to a stop. Japan laid his head back, taking a deep breath before looking over at the passenger seat. From his angle, he could spot dried blood on the right side of the cushion as well as on the seatbelt and door. The smell, originally similar to a jar of coins, luckily had died down a bit.
Turning his head, he looked at himself from the rear view mirror. Being used to long sleepless nights, his eyes shown no bags nor signs of lack of sleep. He rearranged his hair a bit before sighing, unwilling to go at such lengths to fix himself for his companions. After placing the mirror back into place, he opened the door and slammed it shut before making his way to his destination.
He did not have to walk far to make it to the restaurant. The area in general seemed quite tranquil, a feature he had never really caught before despite coming multiple times. His view of the area usually was associated with work and world meetings, so that may have been a contributing factor to this overlooked detail. Nevertheless, he continued onward in the afternoon sun, entering the familiar establishment.
Japan was greeted with low lights and the comforting smell of the ocean. More specifically, seafood. He nodded at the hostess who curtly nodded back, letting him pass without a word. Japan wove through the tables, sending a smile to the other diners who glancing at him in confusion. They turned away after a moment, deciding it best not to question more than they needed to.
He finally made his way to a low table placed next to a window, far from the other occupied tables. Two diners occupied it, both seated across from each other and chatting lightly over dining choices. The first to look up was a dark haired redhead who's hair framed his face loosely. He smiled casually, raising his hand as Japan approached. "Ciao, Kiku. You took long enough."
Japan gave a light chuckle. "It's nice to see you too, Feliciano." He nodded towards the other, a blonde man of German background who looked up from his menu at the greeting of his first companion. "Ludwig, it's a pleasure to see you here at all." Germany frowned, clearly not amused at the comment.
Italy cracked a small smile. "I made sure he did. But I'm surprised we arrived here before you." He motioned to the seat next to him. "Here, sit." Japan nodded, accepting the invitation and taking the place next to Italy.
"I appreciate you two coming at such great lengths to be here. It must have been very sudden for me to change our plans." Japan picked up the menu, glancing over the first page. "To be frank, I enjoy this restaurant to the one we had planned before. The air out here is so much fresher than the air in the city."
Germany frowned, leaning into the table and sending a sneer Japan's way. "You only like this sushi restaurant more because we have to use chopsticks." He scoffed as Japan sent a sly grin his way. "Fresh air."
Japan set his menu down and placed his interlocked hands on the table. "Well, this is a wonderful time for you both to practice. After all, we're always going to Westerner restaurants and it can be such a drab after a while." He propped his elbows on the table, letting his chin rest on his fingers. "Tell me, how has your vacation in Japan been?"
Italy turned towards Japan, twisting a bit at the middle. "Oh, it's been good for the both of us. I'm just glad we were able to get some time off." He motioned towards Germany. "Without Ludwig's help, we wouldn't have been able to have this little outing."
Japan nodded, half listening as his mind wandered elsewhere. He raised his hand, calling a server over. Italy let his eyes fall on Japan and he opened his mouth only to change to a smile as a waiter came by with towels. The three took a moment to wipe their hands. After placing the rolled up towels in the middle of the table, the waiter stood patiently for their orders.
Italy and Germany exchanged glances, still unsure as to what to eat. Japan covered his mouth with his hand, hiding his amused grin. Served them right for always going to westerner restaurants. Their Japanese must have been out of practice. Japan raised his hand to the waiter, saving his friends from 'harmless embarrassment'. He glanced down at the menu, calling out what he saw was interesting.
"Ebi no nigiri to kani no nigiri onegaishimashu. Sake sashimi wo futatsu onegaishimashu. Eto... Patī no mariawose onegaishimashu."
The waiter scribbled down the order and looked up again politely. "O-nomimono wa?"
"O-mizu wo kudasi." The server nodded, walking off. He gave a satisfied smile at the two Europeans. "See what happens when we always go to Westerner restaurants?" Germany just frowned at him, upset that his pride had been hit by the Asian nation. Italy let it off with a shrug.
"So, Kiku," Italy started, "There must be another reason you had us come here. After all, it's two hours away from where we originally were." Japan smiled politely.
"Did I not say I wished to have some fresh air?"
Italy ran a hand through his hair, visibly distressed at his little choice of words. "What I mean is, I can expect this kind of thing from Ludwig, I mean, we all can," Ludwig gave a grunt of agreement. "But you, Kiku? What's really going on? You can tell us."
Japan examined both of his friends as they studied his own expression. Truly curious, these Westerners. Always wanting to know the answers to everything. Japan was the first to give, sighing.
"Alright. To put it simply, I had sensed something last night."
Italy and Germany exchanged glances, almost of relief. Germany leant forward onto the table. "So you felt it, too."
The Asian's eyes widened, eyebrows raised. His mouth parted only to close once more. Did they know about her? No... If they did he would have noticed them at the hospital. Then again, he was too occupied worrying about Belarus last night to check on the other nations in his country. The thought of killing someone after so long... Shocked him. "...What do you mean?" He asked, prying himself from his stupor.
Italy tilted his head. "So you don't know the whole story?" Japan shook his head. "We felt something last night."
"We? As in you and Ludwig?"
"We as in all of us."
His eyes stared, trying to process what was just said. So... All the countries felt something. He interlocked his fingers and set them on his lap. "Please, tell me more about this 'something'."
Germany spoke up next. "We woke up last night out of no where, a strange feeling digging at us. I guess everyone felt it around midnight. A few minutes after I woke up, my brother called me to make sure I was alright. I got even more calls after that from other European countries, some I haven't even talked to in a long time."
Italy nodded. "Same here. My brothers are always busy in Italy so getting a call from them out of the blue is a surprise. Especially if it's to check on my well being."
"So everyone started checking up on everyone? I received no calls."
Italy started playing with a strand of hair. "You see, we also got calls from Asian countries saying they couldn't contact you. Apparently you weren't answering your cell, your home phone, your work phone. We felt relieved that you contacted us this morning and let them know you were alright."
Japan bit his lower lip in thought. He had left his phone in his car and had spent the whole night at the hospital. When he checked it, there were missed calls but he had over looked the number. Japan slipped out his phone. Apparently, he had more missed calls than he had originally thought.
"This is quite a surprise... I left late last night to take care of some business and left my phone in my car."
Italy raised an eyebrow. "Business? Did you sense something in this country?"
Placing the phone back in his pocket, he turned to the two. "Speaking of such a matter in a public place does not seem proper. Especially when this is to be a friendly outing."
A hand slammed against the table, causing them to jump. Bright purple eyes dug into Japan's, fury seething inside them. "Honda, this isn't time for one of your little mind games. We're in a panic and you're hiding something. If that doesn't seem suspicious then what do you suppose we make of this? Do you expect us to just sit down here and eat sushi?"
Japan stared at him, poker faced, before shrugging. "Well, kind of. After all, I did order a lot of it." Germany let out a frustrated groan and face palmed. Italy let out a sigh but an amused smile danced across his lips.
A waiter came by, visibly shaking. "Is... Everything good?" Japan nodded.
"Hai. Ore no tomodachi ga tada kake o shitsurimashita. Daijōbudesukedo. Tte, tabemono wa?"
The waiter nodded rapidly, still sneaking glances at the angry German. "Shibarakuomachikudasai." He hurried off.
"Ludwig," Italy said, still trying to wipe the smile off his face, "We talked about this. Yelling doesn't always get the answers we want." He turned to Japan. "But I agree. With this kind of commotion, keeping secrets is not a wise move." The Asian stayed silent, thinking carefully on what to say. "Now being quiet is not the usual Kiku we know of. Is it really too important to tell us?"
Japan cast his eyes downward, deep in thought. Italy and Germany waited patiently, their eyes settled on him. Their wait extended so far as to when the waiter came with their food and drinks and set them on the table. The food sat there for several minutes before Japan lifted his eyes again.
"I found someone last night. A girl."
Italy, who had been drinking from his glass, dramatically performed a spit-take. The blonde man frowned, wiping the dripping substance from his face. Italy started cackling. "Kiku found a girl? That's what this was about?" He cupped his face with both hands. "Tell me! What's she like? She must be reaaaaally special if you didn't want to share."
Japan placed his hand on Italy's face and pushed him back. "Always getting hyped up when I speak about women. No, that's not what I meant. She calls herself Natalya Arlovskaya."
Germany paused from wiping his face, the napkin drooping in his grip. "You mean... The one from Belarus?" Italy's face dropped, his now lack of interest obvious.
Japan shook his head, chuckling. "She is definitely from Belarus as well as one of us. But this is not the Ms. Arlovskaya we are used to." He took a sip from his drink. "I caused a great deal of harm to her last night. I'm still trying to think of a way to get rid of the stains in my car."
The three sat silently. Italy took out his chopsticks from the paper wrapping, snapping them in two. "Ok, so you dragged her bloody carcass somewhere before she regenerated. Whatever for?"
Japan looked dully at the table top. "...It's not that simple... How do I explain this..." He shook his head, placing his hands together and bowing slightly at the food before snapping his chopsticks in half. "We should eat first. Before I lose my appetite."
Germany and Italy followed Japan, bowing at the food before picking sushi from the platters and putting them on their own plates. They chewed mechanically, enjoying the calm and silence as it lasted. The meal was finished soon enough, each one thinking on their own. Japan waved over a waiter, asking for the check.
"Issho," he called. The waiter came by with the check and Japan placed down the money as well as a tip. "And please put the rest in a box." The server scurried off before returning quite rapidly, packing the food for him. Japan took the box and nodded. "Gochisou sama deshita." The waiter nodded in turn before moving back towards the kitchen.
Italy stretched his arms up. "Ah, the food was quite good. I had a bit of difficulty using chopsticks so I was glad to use my hands."
Germany gave a 'hmph'. "I used them just fine." He turned again to Japan. "So, where is Natalya now?"
Japan took another sip from his drink, letting the ice clank at the bottom of the glass. "She would be quite irritated if you called her by her first name. I am only allowed to address her by her last name."
Italy scoffed. "Upset? That doesn't sound like her at all."
"Because this is not our Arlovskaya." He set down his glass, taking the box and rising. "As for where she is, she is in the hospital a few miles from here. I'll be taking these to her. Hopefully, she's calmed down a bit."
Italy stood up, wiping down his wrinkled pants. "We'll go with you. After all, one of us in a hospital is quite intriguing." He looked over to Germany. "You're a specialist on our anatomy. When was the last time one of us was in the hospital?"
Germany stood up, tugging the sleeves of his sweater outward. "Off the top of my head, 2011."
Japan winced visibly and Italy shot him a worried glance. "Mi dispiace... Forgot."
The Asian waved it off. "I recovered from it with all of your assistance. However, there are more pressing matters than looking to the past. Are you coming or not?"
Italy placed a hand on Japan's shoulder, as if comfortingly. "We'll follow your car. After all, Ludwig and I carpooled." Japan thought for a moment before nodding. They made their way out of the establishment, going their separate ways. No words were shared as they brought their vehicles onto the road.
The small red car was in the lead and from his rear view mirror, Japan could spy a black convertible following him. With the top down, Japan could see the Italian in the driver's seat, sunlight glinting off of dark sunglasses and hair flapping in the wind. Germany was in the passenger seat, arm against the side and staring out at the passing trees. He had a pouting expression on his face. Japan chuckled, returning his eyes to the road in front of him.
Leave it to Feliciano to hog the wheel, Japan thought to himself. But it would be best for him to drive rather than Ludwig. Just thinking about how the German would recklessly tear up his country road side upset him. He kept his mind on the wheels and the spraying of the gravel. Ms. Arlovskaya would hopefully accept their company if there was more than just him. Hopefully.
Translations:
Ebi no nigiri to kani no nigiri onegaishimashu. Sake sashimi wo futatsu onegaishimashu. Eto... Patī no mariawose onegaishimashu. - One shrimp nigiri and one crab nigiri. Two salmon sashimis. Er... And one party platter.
O-nomimono wa? - How about drinks?
O-mizu wo kudasi. - Water, please.
Ore no tomodachi ga tada kake o shitsurimashita. Daijōbudesukedo. Tte, tabemono wa? - My friend just lost a bet. He will be alright. And our food?
Shibarakuomachikudasai. - Please wait.
Issho. - Together.
Gochisou sama deshita. - Thank you for your role in preparing this food.
Author's Note:
A shout out to my friend who helped me with the Japanese, my friend who reads before I post (not a Beta Reader), and the inventors of Google (originally known as Backrub) which helped me to research the Japanese etiquette in general. For my readers, I'd like to let you know that I am looking for BetaReaders for this story. If you don't want to BetaRead, then a review would reaaaaaally help. Have a suggestion for the 2ps? Leave it in the reviews or PM me. I pretty much have a layout of what I want to do with my characters but I'm still trying to shape them just so. If I like your character, I'll be sure to mention you here. Be sure to check out my other fanfic "An End Is A Beginning" which is currently undergoing MAJOR PLOT RECONSTRUCTION. That will probably be my only fanfic with OCs since I prefer to stick to the canon buuuuut I may or may not make others. For now, that will be it- Oh wait! For those of you who didn't skip over this author's note, you get to be informed of a new fanfic I MAY be posting soon (but due to rereading it, I noticed that I need a LOT of editing due to oocness and yada yada). These are two characters that I shipped even before I shipped my OTP. Yes, they are in the Hetalia fandom and yes, they are canon characters. It will be a Human AU that I wrote a loooooong time ago so I'll have to make some modifications. That's it from me this chapter. Hope you're enjoying the story!