Sooo, no update this weekend. Sorry that it took so long ;w; I was busy with studying and finishing the tasks we were assigned last week (quite frankly, we didn't do a thing at school XDD) But now autumn break is here at last. This year even prolonged by Unity Day *v* And who can believe it? There is a patriotic film on TV tomorrow! Lol, didn't know that's even possible. Maybe Germany finally learns that some national pride is not a crime. XD

Thanks to everyone who followed and faved this. And to

chibi-unicorn-girl, alwayshellogoodbye, xBluieLovex, The Wayward Orphans, Empress Vegah, Wall-flower Hermit, El Tord, JulietGivesUp, Q3APo, Dreiks, GhostGirl, mochiusagi, uskoic, a Guest, anonymous1, Cuore l'anima della, RIVILvFv, dasavioreHyde, khaji-da lover, Laruna SilverFox and crazy YinYang writer7

for reviewing. YOU GUYS ROCK! SRSLY, 100 reviews? QwQ Gosh, I had never expected this story would get so much attention! More than I deserve actually.. But you really make me want to work hard on this. ;o; Thank you again.

Before I forget that: PruCan won almost unanimously. I love them together as well. But can anyone enlighten me why exactly it is this popular? I never quite understood why people started to pair them up :'D They are cute though XD

Disclaimer: Hetalia Axis Powers and the portrayed characters belong to Hidekaz Himaruya and Gentosha Comics!


Chapter Eight - Change

Weeks passed and the bitter cold winter weather yielded to the first signs of spring. The everlasting white of the parks gave way to a fresh and lush green, first buds adorned the formerly bare trees and finches and robins were merrily heralding the upcoming season.

And just as the last snow melted on the pavement the frost between Arthur and his boss finally began to thaw. As the memories of his heat slowly receded into the far distance, Alfred's presence grew less and less awkward to the Omega. Their conversations went from cool and polite to friendly and humorous.

Despite his stiff upper lip Arthur would catch himself laughing far too often at stupid jokes the American made. While he pretended to dislike Alfred's foolish attitude the other saw right through the farce, reading him like an open book. Sometimes he would feign ignorance of the dripping sarcasm in Arthur's words to enrage the Brit even more and laugh at the curses thrown at him in return.

Just like one morning, when Alfred decided to once again sneak up behind Arthur in order to scare him. Unbeknownst to him, the Brit had already heard him shuffling through the room, quite unsuccessfully suppressing his snickering. Looming quietly behind his chair his hands suddenly shot out to cover the other's eyes.

"Hmmm, who is it?" he asked, distorting his voice in the most ridiculous of manners.

"Jones, what did I tell you about talking when you do that?" Arthur spoke calmly, keeping a firm mask of patience, prying the disturbing hands off of his eyes. "Besides, it doesn't work when you try that every other day." After some time of knowing the American he'd stopped wondering about his ludicrous antics. Most likely his mind was still stuck back in elementary school and how someone like him could hold so much power without causing any severe damage was beyond the sphere of his comprehension.

"Hey, I haven't done it in at least three days or so. You just don't want to admit that I scared you." He was hugging the other firmly from behind now to stop intractable arms from fighting him off, grinning at the indignant squeak the Omega would fiercely deny later.

"Indeed, you caught me," Arthur replied dryly, bristling at the goofy chuckle. "I thought my heart skipped a beat when you pounced at me so suddenly like the predator you are." Mentally counting to ten he tried to calm his flaming fury. What did he do to deserve this annoying pest so early in the morning? One, two, …

"Don't worry, the hero is here now. Never fear, I'm not a predator." Finally, finally Arthur found himself free again and turned around, trademark scowl fixating the American. … Three, four – four would have to do.

"You immature, insufferable imbecile. You have no clue of respectfully treating employees and no comprehension of sarcasm when it's so obviously screaming at you whatsoever. How someone like you can even lead a company is beyond any rational explanation." When he paused shortly to draw breath Alfred seized the opportunity to cut him off with an obnoxious laugh.

"Hahaha, you should look at your face," he managed to force out between bursts of laughter. "Calm down, would you? I'm just messing with ya, old man." Dodging the halfhearted punch aimed at him he snickered again. Arthur, in turn, had just gone back to eying him with a disdainful look.

"Moron," he muttered before returning to his work.

"Man, your reactions are pure gold, Artie, believe me." The man in question kept his gaze focused on the screen in front of him, simply shaking his head slowly.

With the ongoing spats, petty fights and silly jokes Arthur had failed to notice in time that he might actually grow to like Alfred. Not like like, of course. Thank you very much! But still, the other really managed to lift his spirits. When he woke up in the morning and stumbled into the bathroom, readying himself for a new day, he would catch himself more often than not to look forward to seeing the taller blonde.

And that after all these years of solemnly swearing to himself to never, ever befriend an Alpha. It had started as a childish promise back in elementary school, after he'd been tested on his Nature and his teachers had encouraged him to spend recess with the other Omega kids. Over the years he'd been alienated, outright repulsed by the way Omegas admired and swooned over Alphas. But not him. No, to him Alphas were arrogant bastards whose ego was too big for their own good. Never would he befriend or worse, fall for one of them.

And yet there was Alfred who filled his vacant chest with that foreign warmth.


Although Alfred still found himself wary of the whole idea of dating and mating he drove to Feliciano's where the agency had assigned him a date with a woman they apparently deemed suitable for him. He had been given her file, and no doubt, she was a beauty extraordinaire. How someone like her hadn't found a mate yet remained unfathomable to him. But then again, he was single, too, even if Omegas had drooled after him back in high school. So he didn't question it further.

Instead he stayed focused on the traffic. It was pleasantly quiet for a Friday night, as quiet as New York could possibly be, and he arrived even early at the restaurant. The place was nice, definitely, and expensive. A waiter welcomed him with a slight bow, holding the entrance door open for him. Inside his coat was taken courteously and upon stating his name he was led to his reserved table where a blonde woman was seated already.

Darn, and I wanted to be here first.

In reality Laura Rubens was even prettier than any photograph could portray. Wavy golden locks fell gently down on her shoulders like silk and her bright green eyes shone like two big emeralds. Just like Arthur's, he thought before he could stop himself. But other than the Brit whose features were too often darkened by a scowl she bore a slightly nervous albeit very kind and bright smile.

Alfred quietly cleared his throat and spoke up in a polite tone, the one he had practised at numerous business meetings and dinners with possible partners. "Good evening, Miss Rubens." He held out his hand for her to take. "I'm Alfred Jones."

"Good evening, Mister Jones," she replied, shyly taking the offered hand, hoping that he wouldn't notice her cheeks reddening in the dim light.

"Please, call me Alfred," he gently corrected her. The knowledge that he wasn't the only one who was nervous somewhat comforted him. Instead of letting her go immediately, he bent down to touch the back of her hand ever so slightly with his lips, much like Hollywood had taught him.

"Laura," she answered. "Just Laura."

When the initial tension lifted a bit and the both of them grew less and less nervous about the whole thing, the evening turned out to be quite enjoyable. Still annoyed at a certain Frenchman dating his brother he decidedly picked, childish as he was, an Italian red wine instead of a French Burgundy which he usually favoured.

Since they barely knew each other and they were granted privacy at their secluded table he let her pick her favourites from the menu, desisting from taking that decision away from her as etiquette normally would have demanded from him. As the dinner dragged on they learned that they indeed had a lot in common. From authors like Edgar Allen Poe to their preferred pastime activities they knew that they would be able to enjoy themselves together and yet there was something missing, the spark perhaps, the flaming passion.

They exchanged numbers, sensing they would make great friends but Alfred definitely hadn't fallen for the woman in front of him. Maybe he would eventually when they saw each other more often, or maybe he wouldn't. Only time could tell.

He paid, of course, and after retrieving their coats they exited the restaurant, the chilly night catching them by surprise. It was refreshing and reviving though, after the hours of eating and drinking and idle chit chat. Alfred watched Laura gazing up at the sky where stars were hardly ever to be seen. She sighed absently.

"Back home in Belgium," she began, "the sky was covered by stars almost every night. We lived in a small village. Here in the city you barely get to see them because of all the light pollution."

He nodded, remaining quiet for a moment. "Yeah, Dad used to take us to a small house we own down in Virginia. The nights are pretty nice there, especially in summer. I could take you there sometime if you'd like to." He flashed her a bright grin.

"No need to go through the trouble for me." She smiled though. "But thank you. I'll think about it."

Another few minutes of silence passed between them, each sticking to their own train of thoughts. "Alas, I suppose it's getting late. Do you need a ride?"

She shook her head. "No, my brother's waiting in the parking lot."

"Good night, then, dear."

"Good night, Alfred." And with a last smile towards him and a small wave she rounded the corner, leaving his sight.


When Alfred got home that night, he surprisingly found his lights on. Had he forgotten to turn them off? But upon entering the living room he found a devastated Matthew slumped on the couch, tightly hugging his polar bear he'd gotten many, many Christmasses ago when the plush toy was even bigger than Matthew himself. At once he knew that something was amiss.

"Mattie?" he asked, rushing by his twin's side. They hadn't been getting along all that well since Matthew had started to date Francis, but in the end they were still inseparable. "What's wrong? Did someone hurt you? Speak to me."

It took the other a while to gather his thoughts, eying Alfred when he told him of the events earlier that night with trembling lips. "Frannie– Francis and I had a fight. And he s-said it would be for the best if we took a break from each other for a while."

Despite his dislike towards the Frenchman he decided he would just hold his brother for a while. I-told-you-so rants were something no one needed when suffering through heartbreak. Alfred could read the atmosphere after all, it was just too much of a hassle to do so all the time. "Mattie, I know of the cliché-ness of that line but things will be all right again. You're a wonderful person and you'll find someone who loves and cherishes you the way you deserve. I can promise you that much."

Another sniffle came from his twin. "But who even wants such a self-reliant Omega? I'm leading my own business. I–"

"Nonsense. Everyone thinking like that lives waaay back in the last century. You don't deserve anyone keeping you from fulfilling your own dreams, do you hear me?" Was Alfred really the only one fed up with the societal pressure?

"I know what you need right now," he went own, smiling brightly at his clueless brother. "A portion of my homemade cure against heartsickness."

With a wink he rushed to the kitchen to prepare two cups of steaming hot cocoa with marshmallows and an extra dose of love.

As they sat there with cups half empty already Alfred observed Matthew's mood slowly brightening again. They swapped stories from their childhood, gurgling merrily and long-forgotten secrets were brought up again.

"That was you? Who buried Kuma under that pile of snow? I thought I had forgotten him outside and felt guilty for weeks, you insufferable idiot."

Laughing mischievously at the memory Alfred retorted. "Well, it was you who actually felt guilty for forgetting a plush toy outside. It's not like it gets cold or anything."

Setting aside his cup on the table Matthew grabbed blindly for a cushion behind him and smacked it into Alfred's face.

Too surprised to react Alfred nearly spilled his own cocoa, almost losing his balance. Arming himself with two pillows he readied himself for counterattack. "Matthew Williams. This officially means war."


One Friday Alfred behaved more cautiously and considerately than usual and Arthur immediately knew something was off. So as his boss refrained from teasing him and wouldn't even leave greasy fingerprints on his desk he intended to approach him after work, even if it was just to alleviate his suspicions. That plan turned out to be unnecessary though when the other caught him on his way to a nearby tea shop where he usually took his break. In blissful solitude.

Pretending that he hadn't noticed the American trailing after him he kept his usual hurried pace hoping to postpone the encounter or perhaps, just perhaps, he would lose track of him in the moving crowd. Of course he was not granted such lucky coincidence. With Alfred's stubborn nature and athletic build Arthur was bound to be cut off eventually.

Taken by surprise Arthur ran into him face first. "Wha–?"

"Sorry, Artie," Alfred said sheepishly, his grin indicating that he didn't feel sorry at all. "I need to discuss something with you. Do you mind if I join you for lunch?"

Biting back an annoyed groan – he didn't even feel like scolding the American for that horrid excuse of a nickname – he shook his head slightly. "No, that should be fine. Just follow me, we're almost there." Did he really have to deal with the blonde's booming voice and annoying laughter at a time that was reserved for relaxing and savouring a steaming cup of tea and a small snack in peace? As much as the other cheered his mood, he also needed a break from Alfred from time to time.

Massaging an upcoming headache away the Brit decidedly ignored his boss on their way to the shop. But when he heard Alfred whine at his place of choice he was at the end of his tether. "Really, Arthur, a tea shop?"

Arthur in front of him stopped abruptly, turning on his heels. "Well, it was you who so unabashedly invited himself over. I'm not forcing you to stay." Disregarding Alfred's pout he didn't wait for the other to follow him, entered the shop and took a seat at his usual table.

Reluctant at first, Alfred, much to Arthur's dismay, stepped into the cosy place behind him. Despite himself, he had to admit that the atmosphere was quite nice and relaxing. It was well-furnished with low, dark wooden tables and plush, pastel green armchairs. There wasn't so much of a hustle and bustle as in regular restaurants in the area and he definitely saw why Arthur felt so drawn to this place. But the smell. A heavy scent of various brands of tea hung pressingly in the air and he couldn't help but scrunch his nose up in distaste. How could people even drink that tasteless leaf water?

Looking around he spotted Arthur in a corner nearby the window, quietly chatting with one of the waitresses. When approaching the table he made sure to make his presence known, disrupting whatever conversation that was going on between the two without him. "Artie, why didn't you wait for me?"

The waitress turned around in surprise, gaze flashing to and fro between the two men. Arthur hid his annoyance, but it was obvious that he wasn't amused.

"Because," he began, "you made it quite clear that you disliked my choice for lunch."

Shrugging he slipped into the seat opposite of his grumpy employee. "Oh geez, why so peeved all of sudden? I really thought we were getting along now." Wordlessly he accepted the menu from the waitress who then took her leave sensing personal issues that she wasn't inclined on witnessing.

"Sorry, I just need some time alone sometimes. I'm getting headaches easily."

Alfred's eyes wandered down to the menu in his hands, silent for a few moments. "Well, I was thinking about how to approach it all day and when I saw you leaving for lunch I had the perfect opportunity to speak to you in private."

"Oh?" Arthur raised an impressive eyebrow, wary and curious all the same, watching the other as he fiddled nervously with the menu in his hands, feigning to study it intensely.

"Yeah, well. But don't freak, okay? I wanted to ask you if I could take you to a charity ball next week. It's not common to go there alone." While he spoke he kept a cautious eye on the Omega, assessing his reaction. All he could do was staring incredulously at him, making Alfred a slight bit uncomfortable under the scrutiny.

"Y-you mean as your date?" Arthur managed to voice out the underlying meaning of the question at last.

"No," the Alpha almost shouted, and a bit too quickly at that. "I mean, officially yes but it won't be an actual date of course. It's just for show." Why his confidence had vanished so abruptly he had no idea.

"And there's no one else willing to go with you?" Arthur inquired. Posing as Alfred's date at some fancy party where he would possibly meet some of his old business acquaintances was decidedly the last thing that he wanted to do.

"I originally asked Mattie but he's up in Canada for the time being, visiting Mum." He shot the Brit a pleading look, almost resembling a kicked puppy.

"No, no." Arthur stared him down relentlessly. "Isn't there any Omega you can think of, who could accompany you?"

Furrowing his brows in thought Alfred shook his head eventually. "They are all mated I guess. And Laura probably doesn't want to go. She isn't one for big, public events." They kicked-puppy-look even intensified.

"Neither am I." His willpower unaffected by the childlike pout. "Seriously, I'm avoiding any public attention, since..since. Well, you know."

"But I barely know her yet and her brother won't let me take her out to such an event already." Alfred didn't even know, but quite frankly, as much as he liked Laura he rather wanted to go with Arthur. And when he wished for something he'd get his will, no matter what, all courtesy aside. "Hey, I'm even raising your pay, all right?"

At that, Arthur sputtered. Alfred hadn't even realised one could take his offer so wrongly. "You think I'm bribable? No, wait. You think I'm willing to go out with you for money? I'm not-"

"No, honestly." Alfred held up his hands in surrender. "I'm not thinking lowly of you. Of course not. I wouldn't have asked if I didn't like you enough to spend the evening with you. I just.. sorry. Never mind. Maybe I should go." Taking off his glasses he rubbed his eyes tiredly.

In retrospect Arthur never figured out what had made him change his mind. Perhaps it was the genuine statement that Alfred liked him, despite all the insults he always directed at him. Or perhaps it was the disappointment or even the actual loneliness he had discovered in the other man. Clearly he had no one to take to the charity ball, beside his brother at least. Maybe the two of them had more in common after all.

He just knew that he grabbed the Alpha's wrist across the table before he could take his leave. "All right, I'm going with you."

Cerulean eyes met his own, lighting up to their usual brightness. "Really?"

"Yes, really." Arthur averted his gaze, a feeling in his guts telling him that this might not be a good idea. "Don't make me say it again, or I'll change my mind."

"Thanks, Artie," the overjoyed American chirped.

"It's Arthur."

"Thanks Arthur." They spent the rest of their break talking about the ball. The etiquette, the dress code, the people that were coming and Arthur already regretted his decision.


Hope it was worth the wait ;w;

Let me know what you think :)