~*~

Chapter Eighteen: Drop and Roll

~*~

"All right… so everyone is here… except Feliciano… is he hiding in the closet again?" Kiku asked. He and Matthew were in the kitchen, making sure the drinks and things weren't going to be mauled.

"Kiki… you know that Feli has never been in the closet in his life, right?" Matthew asked.

"Ha ha, you made a gay joke," Kiku replied, flicking male Lorelei behind the ear.

"Ow! Yes I did," Matthew replied, smiling, "And I'm sure Feliciano is just despairing over the fact that he came with Gilbert."

Kiku was suddenly confused, "Can you enlighten me as to why that's a bad thing?" he asked.

"It's not Gilbert, if that's what you're asking. He and Gilbert are actually on good terms with each other… it's just the fact that this is sort of a pity date, and Feliciano wishes it wasn't…" Matthew replied.

"Does Feli have a new crush?" Kiku asked.

Matthew shook his head, "No."

Kiku blinked, but said nothing more as Feliciano came in, panting lightly as he found his two other friends and nearly commando rolled over to them. "Why…?" Matthew asked.

"Gilbert wouldn't let me go anywhere. It's like it was an actual date or something…" Feliciano replied, chocolate eyes wide.

"Isn't that what you wanted?" Kiku asked, suddenly very confused.

"Not with Gilbert. Not that he's a bad guy or anything. Eliza is just infatuated with him, and when he's not fawning over his chick, he's fawning over her. I mean, why couldn't I bring, like, Bella or someone?" Feliciano whined, sitting on a stool in the kitchen and putting his head in his arms on the table.

"Oh, woe is you, Feliciano," Matthew replied, ruffling the brunette's hair a little, "And you're gay. She would suspect something was up."

Feli picked his head up wearily and fixed a brown glare on the French-Canadian, "Ha ha. You made a gay comment…"

"Again," Kiku added.

"I'm on a roll tonight, aren't I?" Matthew asked, receiving a flick each on both ears from Kiku and Feliciano.

"Then I could have taken Feliks! Or Roderich! God! Why didn't I call poor, broken-hearted Roderich!" Feliciano was shouting.

"Or you could have taken Vash," Matthew pointed out.

Feli looked at him, "No! Vash has a gun fetish. I'd totally go for Gilbert first before I ran to Vash…"

Arthur cleared his throat, "Everyone says they'd rather do anyone but Vash. The poor guy needs some love…"

"Are you volunteering?" Matthew asked, "Because I'm sure Ludwig wouldn't mind a threesome."

"… Don't… talk about Ludwig. I came back here to get away from him, and I don't need him to always be around me…" Arthur said.

Matthew blinked, "It's the same with me and Lovino. God… we must be really bad boyfriends if we're sitting in the host's kitchen to avoid them…"

Kiku blinked, "Are… you and Ludwig in a fight, Arty?"

"No… we're not. The… fire just isn't there anymore…" Arthur replied.

"Same with me and Lovi…" Matthew said.

"You haven't had sex with the boy, Mattie…" Arthur retorted, turning on his housemate.

Matthew blushed, "Does that mean you and Ludwig…" he stopped, "Uh… never mind. I don't want to know what you and Ludwig get up to at night…"

"Same with Alfred and Yao. We want to know… and yet we don't," Kiku replied, and the Gilmore Boys broke out into a mighty fit of laughter.

Arthur was thoroughly confused, but he let the inside joke drop. "You think… we should break it off so we don't hurt them later on?" he asked Matthew once he was over his laughing fit.

Matthew sighed, getting the last of the crazy out of his system, "That may be good. It may hurt them now, but they can more easily find a new relationship in the New Year, right?"

Arthur sighed, "Then I'm off. Wish me luck, Gilmore Boys…"

"Not before you wish me luck, Your Majesty…" Matthew retorted.

"Then good luck, Lorelei…" Arthur replied, nodding.

Matthew nodded in response, "You too… don't be too much of a heart breaker…"

Arthur smiled and went back outside the kitchen to confront Ludwig. Matthew took a deep breath, and went out into the crowd to find Lovino. "Good luck~" Feliciano hissed before he disappeared. Mattie simply smiled and took off.

~*~

"Arthur, there you are!" Ludwig called. He was comforting a crying Yao.

"What's this?" Arthur asked, "Don't tell me Alfred dumped you again…"

"V-Very perceptive, A-arty," Yao sobbed, attempting a smile.

"Damn him… I'll put him away in a time-out the next time I see him. Or have him beheaded…"

Arthur had been known to shoot down others' pain with sarcasm. Besides, this was probably Alfred just wanting to be 'off-again' with Yao. But it was painful to watch Alfred being so wishy-washy with poor Yao's heart… but wasn't Arthur about to do the same thing?

"Yao… I'm sorry to have to ask you this when Alfred is such an asshole… but can you leave Ludwig and I alone?" Arthur asked.

Yao saw the look of sadness in Arthur's face and nodded, getting up off of the couch they had commandeered and walking away. Arthur sat down. Ludwig glanced at him, "No make-out session?"

Arthur bit his teeth down and then sighed loudly, almost like the world would end in that one sigh. "We need to break up."

Ludwig was not the sort to cry. Though he was weirded out by Arthur's sudden confession, and… he had sort of seen it coming. "Yes, I think that's about right."

Arthur turned to him, mouth agape, "What?"

"Well… we've obviously got no flame between us anymore. And… to tell you the truth… there's someone else…"

Arthur nodded, not getting angry because… it was true with the Brit as well. "You haven't been cheating on me, have you?"

"No… I'm not that kind of guy, Arty…" Ludwig said.

"And it won't be weird at work?" Arthur asked.

"No. We can still be friends, as well. I don't fire ex-lovers, Arty," Ludwig replied.

Arthur nodded and stood, "Well… see you Monday, in that case…" and he left the area, hoping to find Yao or… that special person he had broken up with Ludwig for (kind of).

~*~

Matthew was uneasy about how Lovino would handle his confession. But if Lovi really loved him… no, that was too painful to think about. Matthew sighed as he went over the words in his head. And there he was. The Sicilian was talking to (or rather, yelling at) Gilbert about coming with his brother and what that exactly entailed.

"It means nothing, Lovi… let it go!" Gilbert yelled. Lovi was about to say something when he noticed that Gilbert was looking at Mattie.

"Hello, Mattie… do you want to take back your boyfriend now? He's really annoying the hell out of me…" Gilbert almost pleaded with him.

"This isn't over, you bastard!" Lovino yelled as Matthew gently took the brunette's hand in his own and led him away from any crowds. As soon as they were alone, Lovino went in to kiss him, but Matthew shied away. "What… What's wrong, Mattie?" Lovino asked, blinking dark eyes at the French-Canadian.

"Do you feel fire?" Matthew asked cryptically.

"Do I…?" Lovino blushed when he mind plunged into the gutter, "Are you… coming on to me?"

Matthew looked up at him and shook his head, "I don't feel anything for you anymore, Lovino…"

"You… is it because of Francis?" Lovino asked, quick as a chess-clock thumper.

"No. This is because I don't want to hurt you. I want… I want us to see other people. I'm breaking up with you…" Matthew said, closing his eyes lightly, "Happy new year…" he added, prying his hands off of Lovi's waist and turning to go. Lovi's eyes narrowed. He needed to say the final words, but nothing was coming out of his flapping mouth. So he pulled the French-Canadian close to him once more and kissed him on the mouth before letting him go.

"See you around, Mattie…"

And Matthew was suddenly alone…

~*~

"Are you enjoying the party?" Nat asked.

Francis smiled his winning smile and nodded, "It's very nice."

He noticed that Natalia was distracted by a certain short-haired woman who was laughing with Kiku and Roderich, who had decided to come anyway. Gilbert had promptly left, leaving poor Feliciano to mope in the kitchen with Matthew.

"But you don't seem to be enjoying it. I'm sorry I have a little more testosterone then your secret love over there, Natalia…" Francis said, grinning lightly at the blonde girl.

Natalia blushed and snapped her attention to Francis, "How?"

"How do I know? Because I often stare at the person I love longingly when he's around. Why don't you go snag her. I think midnight's rolling around, and it's tradition to kiss someone to bring in the New Year…"

Natalia looked at him for a second, dumfounded and wide-eyed. "Thank you, Francis…"

Francis's eyes softened as she felt her arms lightly around his waist. Though he was a ladies' man, Natalia and Katyusha were friends now, and he knew it. They were like his sisters, and he wanted the best for them. He hugged her with one arm and she took off.

"Kat… can I talk to you?" Nat asked, tapping her friend's shoulder.

Kat nodded and allowed her smaller friend to lead her away from Rod and Kiki.

"… How are you liking the party?" Natalia asked.

"It's fun. All my friends are here, and Ivan is no where in sight!" Kat replied cheerfully. Natalia nodded.

"He'll never find us here, either…" Natalia replied, a light smile on her face as she looked up at her friend.

There was a sudden tapping noise, like a spoon on a glass. They looked over at Roderich, who was making an announcement.

"Ten seconds 'til midnight!" he shouted, throwing his arm into the air and nearly dropping the glass in his other hand.

The countdown began: "10!"

~*~

"9!" the crowd shouted as Feliciano and Matthew stepped out of the kitchen.

Not that they would kiss anyone once the ball dropped. Unless Kiku wanted to be 'molested' by the French-Canadian again…

But they wanted to bring in the new year with Kiku, but when they exited the aforementioned Japanese man's kitchen, the other was no where to be seen. Feliciano noticed Lovino sitting in the corner and looked over at Matthew, who nodded for him to go and comfort his ex-boyfriend. Feliciano did just that, sitting next to Lovino and putting his arms around him and pulling Lovi's head into his chest.

~*~

"8!" the crowd shouted.

Kiku had found Ludwig on his couch, still sitting there from when Arthur had broken up with him.

"Are you all right?" Kiku asked.

Ludwig nodded stoically and patted the seat next to him. Kiku blushed and looked off to the side before Ludwig grabbed his hand, laughing, and pulling him down on top of him. Kiku was really blushing now…

~*~

"7!"

After Feliciano left him, Matthew was poked in the side by one Alfred Jones. He smiled at him and said, "Sorry about Lovi…"

"Sorry about Yao…"

Wasn't their break-ups initiated by them? So why were they apologizing for the other person in the deteriorated relationship? No matter. Midnight was approaching, and Alfred had to act quickly, he grabbed Mattie's hand, and the violet-eyed male looked up at him, "What?"

Alfred stopped him with a wink as he pulled the French-Canadian close to him and looked up at Roderich, who was literally conducting the crowd in counting…

~*~

"6!"

Francis had found him. After many rumors from Yao he had gleaned that Ludwig and Arthur had successfully broken up. And it was the Brit's fault, apparently, though the Frenchman couldn't be sure. Rumors weren't always correct.

He found Arthur leaning against the wall, not smiling or even participating. Francis cleared his throat and Arthur looked over at him, blushing slightly.

"There you are, Arty," Francis purred, stepping closer to the Brit.

Arthur didn't budge from his position.

~*~

"5!"

Katyusha knew what was about to happen. She was closest to Natalia, and ever since the Christmas party, she had been wanting to kiss Nat again. She put her arms around Natalia to ready herself, and Natalia blushed, but didn't even think about running this time. She knew she loved Katyusha now… and she wasn't afraid of it.

~*~

"4!"

Lovino had no one to kiss to bring in the New Year. Except his brother, who was holding him close. And Lovino wanted to… to kiss Feli for some odd reason. His heart picked up speed in his chest and he looked up at his younger 'brother' for a brief minute before Feliciano noticed. There was a glimmer in those deep brown eyes, and Lovi saw it. Feliciano smiled and brought his face down to Lovino's. The Sicilian could feel his brother's breath on his lips, and a blush formed on his face. Were they really going to…?

~*~

"3!"

Kiku was most definitely poised above Ludwig in a very compromised position. One hand was under Ludwig's armpit, and the other was touching the German's collarbone slightly. One knee was on the couch in between the blonde's legs and the other was outstretched, barely reaching the floor. Grey eyes met with blue eyes, and Ludwig was smirking lightly, his breath tickling the Japanese man's lips playfully.

Kiku was blushing maniacally, and he knew who he was kissing that night. Ludwig had that glint in his eye, and a small line of pink covered his cheeks and nose. It was quite adorable that Kiku was so shy with Ludwig, and the German could tell that there was definitely chemistry sparking between them…

~*~

"2!"

Alfred's face was so close to Matthew, and his breath was beginning to make the French-Canadian dizzy. Ever since kissing him out in the snow, there had been some spark between them, that Alfred knew. Even as Lovino asked the French-Canadian out, Alfred had loved him. And Mattie had something toward him as well, especially after coming home from his first tea with the other Gilmore Boys. He had been cute around the American that day, until Lovino had picked him up for their date, at least. But Matthew had dumped the Sicilian, and Alfred had cut things off between him and Yao.

"Shall we re-enact our meeting, Mattie?" Alfred asked, his voice low and sexy…

~*~

"1!"

Arthur could see the other couples on the floor touching each other, faces coming together nicely. He saw Alfred and Matthew, Lovino and Feliciano, Katyusha and Natalia, even Kiku and Ludwig. But he didn't linger on any of them as he felt Francis's arms around him and his body pulled in to the Frenchman's embrace. He soon felt Francis's lips on his own, and pushed up a little to deepen the kiss lightly. Francis tasted sweet, like fine wine and rose petals. And Arthur liked Francis's light touch as he gently pushed Arthur back into the wall, deepening the kiss even more.

"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

~*~

Eight freakin' pages to get the five couples to kiss each other when the ball drops. Dayum. But here you are. All couples are pretty much accounted for in this one.

Now to write the aftermath of each kiss ^^

Review, s'il vous plait et merci~!

Adieu~

~Ana-chan~