I'm back!
Yes, ton of schoolwork.
Oh, by the way, I don't own Hetalia.
Just wanted to get that out there.
XD
So this is a shortish chapter, but I think this one is particularly well written.
The cab rattled back and forth along the bumpy road.
"So,"
The driver started, voice creaking like floorboards in an old house. Kiku stood - or sat, rather, at attention, back straight and ears alert. This would be his first time going off on his own somewhere far off and he was feeling nervous and worried for himself. What if he couldn't catch the plane on time? What if it crashed? Kiku shook his head, his black locks of silky hair waving back and forth in front of his eyes. He couldn't think those thoughts. He would just chicken out if he did.
So Kiku concentrated on the driver's words.
"Why're ye goin' to the airpor'?"
He questioned, giving Kiku a gaping grin from the driver's seat. Kiku had never been very comfortable with driving in a car with another person he didn't know. It was rather awkward. Especially if the other person looked to be 50 years older then he. He observed the cab driver light a cigarette and put it in his mouth, yellowed fingers curling around the small, stick-like thing. A puff of smoke blew lazily from thin grey lips. Realizing he was being rude by not answering and staring instead, Kiku started and gave him a delayed reply.
"I'm going to America, sir."
The man chuckled, brown eyes knowing.
"Are you seeking something?"
Kiku nodded, but didn't say anymore. The cab driver's eyes crinkled in a knowing smile, and then the drive became silent, with only the sound of the car bundling along the trail and the driver's long intakes of the smoke.
Kiku looked around the airport, staring up at the ceiling in awe. It was so... modern looking, unlike his own house, which was styled to look traditionally Japanese. The black haired teen stood still, gazing around at his surroundings, before rolling his suitcase behind him, ID in hand.
It was a couple hours of confusing paper-signing and baggage checks (why did they have to take even their shoes off?) before Kiku was actually sitting inside the warm airplane, hands clenched tightly together in a mixture of worry and excitement. The plane ride was said to be thirteen hours long. On the short side, Kiku noted, If you compare it to a normal person's life expectancy. He tried to be optimistic.
The plane began inching forward, slowly, turning around a bend in the huge grey road. Kiku could feel the engines begin to roar as the plane began going faster and faster. He felt like covering his ears, but refrained from doing so. He may as well get used to the sound now; he would be listening to it for thirteen hours straight. Kiku felt the strange sensation of being airborne and bit his lip nervously, clenching clammy fingers together. The person next to him seemed to be used to this; she was reading a magazine and turning the pages slowly and deliberately. She turned and looked at him.
"Are you okay? You seem a bit pale."
Kiku didn't want to admit he felt queasy, so he just nodded his head.
The flight seemed to last forever. He checked his phone once or twice to check the time, and was disappointed to see only two out of the thirteen hours had been taken up. He wrung his hands, bored. He'd already read all of the magazines in the compartment in front of him twice now, and he didn't want to read them again. The woman next to him was sound asleep, an eye mask covering her closed eyes. Kiku heard the sound of wheels and turned to look down the aisle. A woman was walking down it, pushing a cart of food and drink on it. Kiku licked his lips. He was hungry, and bored. Eating would help both.
"Uhhh, would you like teriyaki beef and rice or buckwheat noodles and dorayaki?"
The woman asked, tapping her long nails on the handle of the cart. Kiku pondered for a moment, then decided on the latter, telling that to the flight attendant.
"Okay... Tea, soda, Bloody Mary, milk, or OJ?"
She questioned in her nasally voice.
"Er... What's Bloody Mary?"
"Tomato Juice."
"I'll take the tea."
When he got his food, he realized that it wasn't the most appetizing thing in the world. The noodles looked stringy, and the dorayaki looked awfully dry. It would have to do.
Taking his sweet time, Kiku began to eat, trying to ignore the bland taste of the food.
It needed salt.
Or better yet, soy sauce.
Mmm.
Many, many hours later, Kiku was stepping out of the airplane. It was cold, and he could feel it biting at his cheeks once more, even though he was protected by the thin walls of the passage. He zipped up his coat and hugged his carry-on bag to his chest, then began to walk briskly towards the end of the passage.
Kiku was greeted by a spectacular sight - a beautiful marble fountain. It looked like a collage, with magnificently carved statues standing here and there, holding pots that spilled water into the pool below.
"Hey, dude! You look lost! Can I help you? I am the hero, after all! Helping people is my job! So what do you need?"
Kiku started, and turned to face the other man before him.
"I don't speak very good English."
He stated in a very prominent Japanese accent.
"I'm sorry."
"Really?! That's totally okay! Let's see, you look Asian, so you're from China, right?"
Kiku's eye twitched in slight annoyance. Just because I'm Asian doesn't mean I'm Chinese. He repeated that thought to the American before him, who had somehow conjured up a burger from thin air and was biting into it.
"Oh, sorry."
The American apologized through a mouthful of burger, not sounding sorry at all.
"My name's Alfred! What's yours?"
"... I am known as Kiku Honda. It is a pleasure to meet you."
Alfred had finished eating the burger.
And only around five seconds had passed since he'd gotten it. So, of course, Alfred had insisted on bringing Kiku to the infamous 'McDonald's'.
"Dude, dude. These burgers are really good, you want one?"
Kiku shook his head, smile twitching slightly. He's the epitome of all the stereotypes about American people... Kiku thought, staring at him.
"Oh, yeah, um, so, like, what do you need help with?"
Alfred asked once more, leaving Kiku to stumble over his words. Kiku had been taught English for 4 years in his life, and he could still speak it pretty well, though he made a few grammar mistakes. The American didn't even seem to notice.
"Um, well... I'm looking for brother... Brother came here when he found that soulmate was here."
Alfred nodded, not even noticing his messing up of words.
"Oh, alright! What's his face?"
By that of course, Alfred meant What's his name? But poor Kiku couldn't piece that together. He began describing his brother's face to him.
"Red eyes-"
Before he could even finish his sentence, Alfred cut him off.
"That's a weird name, dude! Like what kind of person has the name Redies! Is his last name Honda, like yours? Of course it is. Redies Honda! Haha!"
"Um, no, it's-"
Kiku was cut off again.
"Although it's a pretty cool name though, but I don't want it. I'm good with Alfie or Alfred! But I wish I was named, like, Tony Stark or something awesome like that!"
Kiku wanted to facepalm. The American talked too much.
"Are you sure you don't want a hamburger?"
"Yes, Quite."