Sorry! This update came one day late but it's been a hectic week. Our school had two bomb threats but they were both hoaxes, thankfully. I should be fairly free over the next few days, so I should update by Sunday *crosses fingers*.
Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia.
Enjoy the fifth chapter!
On Saturday, I woke up in a shiver as my mother dragged the bedsheets off of my body and onto my bedroom floor, leaving me completely exposed. Naturally, a displeased groan escaped through my chapped lips, while I rolled over, folding my arms protectively across my chest. I lay on my side, facing away from my mother, who stood with her hands clenching her hips, agitated.
"Get up Arthur." She ordered. I opened my eyes which were previously scrunched tightly shut.
"Why…?" I protested, earning an exasperated sigh from my mother.
"It's eleven o'clock." I turned to face her.
"And? It's a Saturday."
"I know but I need you to go into town and run a few errands for me." I shot up in trepidation.
"What?!" My mother ignored me and instead, she settled with fumbling inside her pockets. She pulled out some lined paper and thirty pounds in cash. I raised an eyebrow as it was held towards me.
"Take this, buy what's written on that list and if there's any money left, you can treat yourself." I had to go out?! Oh, no, that was not happening, it was way too early for this.
"But-" My mother left before I could even protest. With a sigh, I threw my feet onto the floor, before pulling myself out of bed, which proved to be quite a challenge. I put on green flannel shirt, which I buttoned up to the collar, a pair of black jeans and a beanie that settled snug and comfortable upon my head. I rolled up my sleeves so that they rested above my elbows, as it seemed to be a little warmer today, considering that the sun shone quite brilliantly through my bedroom window. Of course, the moderate heat wasn't going to last, which was made clear as crispy leaves glided towards the ground outside, slowly piling up on the pavements. Autumn had yet to make a full appearance but I knew that within a matter of weeks, the temperatures would drop and the trees would begin to shed themselves bare.
I retrieved my phone, which was charging on my nightstand, and opted to give Francis a call. Three missed calls later, he picked up.
"Oi, frog, are you free today?"
"Why do you ask, eyebrows?"
"My mum's making me go into town."
"Ah, I see. Sadly, I am not able to join you. You see, I made plans with cher Mathieu today." Already?
"I hope you have a terrible time." I snorted, before seeing him off with an insult and hanging up. I shrugged, it wasn't as if there was anything I could do about it. I made sure to pick up the cash notes and the shopping list my mother had forced upon me and stuff them into one of my jean pockets, while I slid my phone into the other. After gathering everything I needed, I made my way downstairs and into the kitchen, before sifting through the cupboards in search for some bread and Nutella. Using the two food items, I made myself a couple of sandwiches, which I ate with a little haste. Routinely, I brewed some earl grey tea, which I poured carefully into favourite mug that had pictures of unicorns dotted about. Once the beverage had cooled slightly, I drank it eagerly, sighing blissfully at the way the warm liquid slid so soothingly down my throat. When I was done, I put all my dirty dishes inside the sink to be washed later and made my way towards the front door, where I took my keys, slid on a pair of combat books and quickly ran back upstairs to fetch my new book (just in case).With a quick 'goodbye' to my (probably still asleep) family, I left and started down the street.
As per usual, I found myself crossing through the park. Despite there being families and children milling about, I still eyed the area with raised suspicion and I found my hands warily brushing over my satchel. All the anticipation was for nothing though, as I had made my way through the park without any issue. My body visibly relaxed as I left but I grew alert once again when approaching the footpath where I met Oliver. Once again, nothing had happened and I emerged on the other side without any issue. After that, the feeling of adrenaline ceased to invade my veins. There was nothing to worry about at least.
Noon on Saturday generally meant that the town was busy, lively and filled with people, particularly students, who did not have to be at school on the weekends. I even recognised a few people from World Academy here and there. I saw Feliciano and Lovino talking, or even arguing over a coffee at an Italian café and I swear I caught a glimpse of Chantelle near some dirty blonde boy outside the shopping centre somewhere…
'Is that Alfred?' I thought to myself but then shook my head, it could have been any old teenager. Alfred wasn't the only person with such perfect- I mean dreadful locks. My heart ached at the thought of Alfred flirting or talking with another girl. It was quite a peculiar feeling, one that my mind couldn't seem to comprehend. I found a plethora of different emotions swim confusedly inside me. What I didn't understand, was how I managed to get so worked up over what might have been Chantelle, spending time with, what might have been Alfred. I realised that it was probably my brain overreacting. It made sense, especially considering that I had woken up a little earlier this morning, even if it was actually eleven, which wasn't exactly the youngest of times.
I looked at the list written for me by my mother. It was slightly crumpled as I had carelessly shoved it into one of my tighter jean pockets but it was still readable.
'Okay let's see… first up are some new plimsolls for Peter.' I noticed how that meant that I was most likely meant to venture inside the shopping centre, where Alfred and Chantelle may or may not have been standing outside. They were two very dislikeable people, whom I struggled to get along with and a public encounter with either of them was not on my to-do list. In favour of remaining hidden, I chose to hide amongst the crowds of people but as I neared the building, I noticed that many of them had oddly steered away from the centre's entrance. My eyes ventured to the two who I had been attempting to avoid, and I noticed that they were, in fact, Alfred and Chantelle. It didn't really come as much of a surprise really but I felt a little stung for some reason. To prevent myself from being noticed, I sprinted towards a pillar to the right of the main entrance to my destination. My head peeked out slightly, so as to get a proper look at the two. I wasn't spying on them or anything and I most definitely did not have any feelings of jealousy which motivated me to do so. No, I was merely curious, that was all. Upon closer examination, it was made clear that Alfred was not communicating with the irritating schoolgirl in any way but rather playing a game on his phone instead. I also failed to pick up that next to Chantelle, stood a friend of hers. However, it was made clear what the girls' intentions were. They put on a flirtatious demeanour, whispering amongst themselves and turning to look at an oblivious Alfred every now and then. Of course, it was made clear that Alfred wasn't going to look up from his screen anytime soon as he focused his eyes fiercely at his phone screen, upon which his fingers were furiously tapping. I found myself smiling a little, the sight was quite endearing actually.
'Oi, stop grinning at the yank like a lovesick fool and do your shopping' I scolded myself, flushing a little at the thought. I was in no way lovesick, especially for Alfred Fucking Jones. I would rather kiss a frog. Wait no, Francis was a frog – I would rather kiss something else dislikeable. With a shake of my head, I left my hiding place and quickly darted through the entrance. But alas, fate was a cruel thing and at that moment Alfred happened to pry his eyes away from his phone and look up. I froze. Our gazes met for a moment and the American's eyes seemed to widen in what looked like pleasant surprise but before he could do anything, I pushed into the barren building.
Now, there was an odd, eerily familiar feeling about the atmosphere inside. Everything was open. Each and every shop had its door open and the lights turned on, as per usual. It was all pretty ordinary except for the fact that not a single member of staff was in sight. Not one. The tills were empty and not a single security guard could be seen. It was like that time at the park only a few days back. It was like that time at the park only a few days back.
Oh lord.
I did what I knew was best and took out my book, opening it and chanting the first spell. Like last time, I had summoned a sword using my newfound abilities. I grasped the weapon tightly between the fingers of both hands, while once again, the book suspended itself in the air – which wasn't entirely surprising considering that I had seen odder things happen in the past few days. On high alert, I stalked forward, peering around and examining my surroundings. I had assumed that some sort of black flame would surround the area like on previous occasions but that had yet to occur. As far as I could see, there was nothing on the bottom floor of the centre. Oh I wish I were wrong. I took a look above me and floating above, was my enemy. It gazed down maliciously, fiery eyes boring hungrily into my soul. Before I could do anything, it swooped down in an attempt to attack. I was frozen with shock and therefore unable to move out of the way. In the nick of time, I blocked using my sword, not noticing that I cried out in sheer agony as its fist collided quite solidly with my chest. The spirit's hand erupted into flames that seared my skin and clothes. Tears pricked my eyes as I had experienced a new type of pain – it felt inhuman, had I not been filled with this light energy, I would have found this to be worse. I suspected that compared to what lay ahead on my road, what I had just experienced in this instance could be likened to a mere scratch. But even then, it still hurt.
I exhaled in relief as the dark spirit pulled away. And did I just hear it panting? Had I tired it out? It didn't really matter because the thing was open to attack and I was not about to let that opportunity slide in favour of losing my life. This spirit seemed equally as weak as the last although I knew that my lack of experience had probably caused a lot more difficulties than there should have been. Without a second thought, I thrust my blade through the spirit's body and let its flames flicker out into the air in soft wisps of smoke. I took the book from the air and then into my hands before slamming it shut, which made fizz out into sparkles of light energy. My breaths grew tired and I felt a slight drowsiness creep up inside me. Before I could collapse, I took several steps backward and leaned against a wall to hold myself up. I shut my eyes, resting until I had enough energy to return to my task at hand. The eerie silence that once lingered about had disappeared as people began to gradually file into the building. I felt comfort at the sudden noise; it reminded me of the untroubled world I used to live in and take for granted.
"Artie?" I pried my eyes open at the soothing sound of Alfred's voice. I feigned an expression of mild surprise.
"O-oh hello Alfred." I tensed a little as the American's eyes sported a suspicious glint within them. "What brings you into town?"
"Ah, well nothing important really. I just wanted to see the area and stuff – especially 'cause I just moved in." Alfred scratched his head slightly. He looked away, as if he were lying or concealing something of importance. "Mind if I join ya'?" My face was dusted with soft shades of pink: it was going to be just the two of us, spending time together…
I inwardly slapped myself for feeling quite giddy at such a thought.
"Why do you ask? I'm not the most intriguing of people."
"Uh, well…" Alfred looked down sheepishly, toying with the thick sleeves of his bomber jacket and was that a blush across his cheeks? "I guess you could show me around and stuff because you live here…" I felt a little hesitant to let Alfred tag along – from previous experience, I knew that if I allowed him, he'd never stop talking.
"I don't know, I have a few errands to run." At that comment, Alfred's once bright expression turned into one of dejection. The now downtrodden look about him caused a feeling of guilt to bubble up within me. It hurt to see him look so upset; it didn't suit Alfred at all.
"I see. I'll be on my way then." He turned around and lifted a leg, about to walk.
"Wait!" I wrapped my fingers quite fiercely around Alfred's wrist, making him release quite the squeak. "I'll let you come along but only because it would be improper for me to refuse your offer." I slowly removed my curled fingers away from the yank's wrist.
"Really?!" Alfred's eyes burned a brilliant shade of aquamarine. "Awesome – so where do we begin?"
"I have to get trainers for my brother first." I huffed in distaste.
"Brother?" Alfred inquired, perking up a little.
"Well brother's actually." I started to walk and Alfred followed suit.
"Oh? So are you the oldest, youngest or…"
"I'm the middle child, which is… interesting." I sighed and blushed as Alfred gave a genuine laugh at my comment. This laugh was unlike his usual high-pitched cackle and it was more of an airy chuckle. I felt my heart pound harder inside my chest, each thump loader than the last.
"Oh wow. I'm like three days younger than Matt and it's pretty damn frustrating." The American pouted childishly, making me roll my eyes a little. I couldn't exactly say I was surprised really.
After a couple of hours, Alfred and I stopped at a café for lunch. We actually had quite the argument over whether or not to go to McDonalds and thankfully, I proved victorious by the end of it. I was honestly worried for Alfred's health when he ordered the sweetest fucking drink on the menu and then proceeded to buy several slices of cake. And it didn't seem I was the only one: the cashier looked very perplexed as they processed the order. While Alfred had ordered many unhealthy items of food, I had settled for a simpler, healthier option of tea and a Panini.
We took our food upstairs and sat on a table pressed up against a window that overlooked the town centre, allowing us to peer down upon the crowds of people meandering about the high-street. Alfred exhaled in contentment as he sank into his seat before burying his head into his arms on the table for a short while. He sat up again to talk to me. Our eyes met. We sat there for moments, completely mesmerized as blue met green and locked on each other, never wanting to pull away. It took a couple of seconds for both of us to pull away, our faces beet red.
I took a gulp of my tea, which was still very hot. I visibly winced and cried out in pain as I attempted to swallow the substance. My tongue momentarily lost all sense of taste.
"Dude, are you alright?!"
"I'm fine, don't worry." That was Alfred's fault. Yes, it was his fault for staring at me like that.
'But you were staring at him too, Arthur.' I brushed off the stupid (honest) voice echoing constantly through my head. I was in no way staring into Alfred's amaz- horrid fucking blue eyes. No, not at all. In an awkward silence, the two of us started at our food. Tension hung about us until Alfred decided to break it apart. For the first time, I found myself grateful for his constant desire to talk.
"Did I tell you that Matt has this massive stuffed bear at home? He calls it Kumajirou – or at least tries to – it's so funny."
"Hey! I quite like stuffed toys. There is nothing wrong with them." And with that Alfred burst into laughter. "Oi! It's not funny you bloody wanker!"
"Yeah it is." Alfred snorted as his chuckles subsided. "But it's kinda adorable as well." He leaned in slightly, swirling his drink around in its cup and propping up his elbow on the table. I looked to the side red-faced and coughing into my fist.
"Well, I'm not sure that's the word to describe it." I snuck a glance at the boy sitting in front of me, only to see him grinning like an absolute fool. My heart skipped a beat. "So what do you think of the area?" I changed the subject in an attempt to save the conversation.
"It's pretty nice! I mean it doesn't beat America or anything but America's really awesome so it isn't much of a surprise."
"What makes the U.S so 'awesome'?" I scowled slightly at the dense comment.
"Okay, so first of all, the food is way better…" Once again, I found myself being drowned in Alfred's endless talk, filled with grammatical errors which made me internally grimace.
Strangely, the two of us found ourselves wandering about for a very long time and soon, we ended up perched on the swings in the park close to home. Above us, hung the evening sun, letting out a humble glow that turned the world a sweet orange. I glanced in Alfred's directions and marvelled at how the sunlight reflected so gracefully across his features. My rational thoughts suppressed themselves for a moment as I chose to indulge myself just this once. That plan was cut short when he chose to mimic my actions, which made a feeling of embarrassment grow inside of me. For a few moments, we sat there, rocking the swings gently back and forth in a pleasant silence as we reflected on the day's events. It was quite the outing: I had stayed outside far longer than expected, showing Alfred the nooks and crannies of the area and introducing him to the community.
"You know what?" Alfred broke the silence but he spoke in a timid, gentler tone than usual. "I really enjoyed goofing off with you today." He let out another one of those airy chuckles. It sounded… rather sweet.
"I was not 'goofing off'. My mother gave me some very important errands to complete, which I did." My attempt at a retort had clearly failed as Alfred started to snicker a little. I tried my best to repress a smile but it was to no avail, as my lips turned upwards slightly. And then I found myself saying something really unexpected. "But I really enjoyed myself as well."
"Anyway, I should be heading back so… I'll see you at school then?" Alfred jumped off of his swing and I found myself following suit, seconds later.
"Yes, goodbye Alfred." The American turned around to leave before he started to walk off. But then, he stopped suddenly.
"Wait I- this is gonna sound weird but… could I get your number?" My cheeks caught on fire. This was starting to sound awfully like a date. I didn't know why but I felt compelled to say yes, and so I did.
"That seems quite fair." Alfred gave me his phone and I typed in my contact details before saving them.
"Thanks, dude! See you Monday." I narrowed my eyes at the evident grammatical error in that sentence.
"Farewell… idiot." I added an insult for good measure. We both turned to walk in opposite directions, with an idiosyncratic bounce in our steps.
I think it was safe to say that I considered Alfred a friend from that day. I found myself recalling Matthew's words at school:
"Alfred's not that bad once you get to know him."
Well, it would have been foolish of me to disagree – even if the yank was quite vexing at times.
How was it? I feel that more needs to happen in each chapter. When I read through the plotline, the story came up to over seventy chapters but I think I may have to merge a few together because some are fairly uneventful. I don't know, what do you think?
I didn't get any reviews for the fourth chapter but thanks for all the follows and favourites!
More information about updates on my profile.