ING 9

Penultimate Matters

I dont own Hetalia or anyother real-life thing in here, except for...my laptop.

England turned left and right to see the suit in all angles. The top hat sat neatly on his head and the different mixtures of blue went very well together.

"I like it, Phoebus."

"Are you just saying that in comparison to last year?"

"No, it's very suiting and the blues are a grand touch."

"Thank you, England. A complement coming from you is certainly a treat."

England removed the outfit and neatly put in the suitcase.

"Are you excited about the ball tomorrow?"

"Well, I'm more nervous than anything else."

"Oh?"

England wasn't sure if he should tell Phoebus about America's transformation over the last few weeks, so he didn't say anything further on the matter. Wishing Phoebus good afternoon, he turned to leave the shop.

"Hello, Jerk England."

England looked and saw Sealand come into the shop.

"I bet you don't know why I'm here. I'm going to the Nations' Ball tomorrow, so that means that I have finally been recognized as the great country that I am!"

"Sealand, all nations, big and small, recognized or not, are invited to the ball."

"Oh shut up you know-it-all! Man, why America wants to dance with an oblivious klutz like you is beyond me."

"What?"

"Sealand! How many times do I have to tell you to stop running off?" Finland huffed and puffed as he ran in.

"Sorry but I got a little excited."

"And did I hear you call Mr. England an 'oblivious Klutz'? I'm sorry about."

"It's okay. I'm used to it from him," England was in a bit of a daze when Sealand mentioned America dancing with him.

"I was just saying that because it's true. England is clumsy and America has gotten a lot better with his lessons."

"Lessons?"

"Yes. Since this year we're doing a ballroom style dance, many of the nations have been getting lessons from Austria and Hungary. America has been doing very well, if I remember right, but I don't remember him saying who he was dancing with, so stop spreading rumors, Sealand."

Sealand rolled his eyes and England bid them both good-byes. He began to feel very unsettled about all this. Was America preparing to dance with him? Or could he be preparing to confess his love?

Earlier that week…

America was running out of ideas. So far, he had been using Wikihow: How to be a Gentleman column and in the results section, it said that: Everyone should be impressed and absolutely amazed at your new gentlemanly self. But it didn't seem to be working on England. Maybe he wasn't doing something right, but then again, his practicing and showing off has attracted many women and gotten many complements from older men, who normally complain about younger people these days, but not his target. Canada mentioned that England was hard to please at times, but this was ridiculous. It seemed like England was even more distant than usual.

"Tony, what now? I'm running out of ideas and I don't know what to do anymore."

"What are you trying to do?" (Tony's translations are courtesy of my boyfriend, who is also alien.)

"I want England to see that I'm not childish and that I can be a gentleman, like he always taught me."

"Why now?"

"Because… Well, the way he treated me was a little different than most. Even now, he daydreams about when I was smaller. That has to mean something."

"Why not just say 'thank you'?"

"That's not enough. England has always wanted a gentleman brother…or son…whatever and that's what I'm going to be until I have convinced him and then he'll never reject another idea I have. He'll back me because he'll truly see that I'm the hero."

Tony rolled his eyes and got up. America followed him to the computer, where he pulled up a website by Austria and Hungary, offering dance lessons for the Nations' Ball.

"Hey, that's right! England and I are going to be King and Queen of Spades and the ball and then I'll go in for the kill with my awesome dance moves! Sign me up, Tony!"

Tony enrolled America for the class, still not fully understanding America's plan. Just what did he see in England that he would go through all this trouble?

Penultimate= next to the end; meaning that the next chapter is the last. I hope you have enjoyed the story so far and will come back for the conclusion.