I am so sorry for updating this so late! I've been battling a mean case of writer's block and a jump from fandom to fandom lately. My interest in Hetalia has lowered just a tiny bit, along with my motivation to do things related to it. However I did find a bit of my muse again. So I'll try really hard to update faster! This is a short chapter, but it's important. One because it begins to show how this family truly is and two because it leads into next chapter which also shows each character's hidden self.

Enjoy and remember, reviews are loved!~

Don't touch the cupcakes.

Don't touch the cupcakes.

Don't touch the cupcakes.

Alfred stared up at the large table in front of him, biting his lower lip as he stared at all the sweets on it. People were coming by and plucking a piece of cake or pie, cupcakes, cookies, and all sorts of sugary goodness. Alfred wanted nothing more but to jump into the pile of sweets and never escape. He didn't have things like this back home-or should he say old home? Regardless, he didn't have these amazing goods previously!

Oliver had promised him all the sweets he wanted tomorrow, but precisely said that the ones in the party were off limits. Alfred wasn't sure why and he didn't really care. All he knew was that he wanted a cupcake very badly! He let out a low whine that even he thought was pathetic before turning his head away to focus on something else. He really shouldn't be complaining. This whole party was just for him! Wait, so if it was his birthday shouldn't he be able to eat the sweets? What kind of twisted game was this?

He ran a hand through his hair before looking around the room. Oliver was chatting away with numerous guests at the same time. That man sure enjoyed talking, that was for sure. On the other hand Francis seemed to be sitting on the couch with a bottle in his hand, something that reminded Alfred of the "demon"'s happy juice. He noted to make sure Francis didn't drink too much of it. Who knows if he was worse than his mother when that stuff took affect? Although Alfred highly doubted it considering Francis was already considerably better.

Alfred tried really hard to focus on something else but his eyes kept trailing back to the table filled with glorious looking treats. Maybe just one bite...

"Hey Alfie!" A voice suddenly called out that made him jump up and stand up much straighter than usual. He plastered a smile on his face and looked ahead as his new brother came into view. Matthew walked over and lightly flicked Alfred's forehead.

"Ow! Why did you do that?" Alfred immediately pouted and raised a hand to rub his forehead. How rude.

"You're not supposed ta be near the cupcake table stupid! It's not safe here!" Matthew stated as if it was obvious. He began to tug on the American's hand and pull him away from the table. Alfred groaned and took a final look back at the marvelous table filled with goodies before he was dragged away into the endless crowd.

Soon he was surrounded by people, of who he didn't know a single face. Where was Berwald? Alfred rubbed the back of his head and gazed around from person to person. Even Matthew seemed to abandon him in the ocean of bodies. He began to look around in a desperate attempt to find Oliver or Matthew when he finally recognized someone nearby. He began to squeeze through the legs of the adults, goodness they were so tall. Were all adults this tall? Would he get to be this tall one day?

"Berwald!" Alfred called out to the man who seemed to be talking up a storm considering the person he was directing his words at seemed lost and confused. The man stopped talking in order to turn around and glance around the crowd.

"Who?"

"Down here!" Alfred smiled up at the man and tugged on his shirt. Berwald was wearing attire similar to the day before. He was even more red if that was possible. He truly fit the nickname of Mr. Valentine.

Berwald knocked his attention down to his feet and soon a huge grin was plastered on his face. "Alfred! Oh how are you? Are you enjoying your first party? It must be fantastic! I mean look at all the people here! It's like the greatest part in the world right now!" Alfred half looked at the person Berwald was talking to as he slinked away as soon as the opportunity showed itself. Oh well, more time for himself.

"It's okay, but it's weird. There are a lot of people, and Oliver won't let me eat any of the cuppy cakes!" Alfred crossed his arms over his chest and looked up at the older man. Mr. Valentine simply chuckled and reached a hand forward to ruffle the little American's hair.

"He doesn't? Well, that means I should stay away too! Knowing Olly, he doesn't joke about these sort of things." Berwald scratched his chin for a moment before gazing away in thought. "Hard to believe he would use the same joke twice in a row though. I wonder what he has up his sleeve? There are a few new people in the neighborhood, but he really has an attachment to this weird prank. It's hardly a prank actually, considering last year..." His voice became a blur in Alfred's head as the music increased in volume in the distance. He was about to block him out anyway.

What was he talking about? What was this about a joke? This was not funny. Alfred wanted his cupcakes! At that thought he felt his stomach growl at him. No, Oliver said not to touch the cupcakes. He has to obey. He can't mess up with this new family already. No matter how much he wants the cupcakes! He has to be a good boy. Just stop thinking about the cupcak-

Maybe one bite won't hurt.

Alfred took a few steps back and slipped into the crowd and hopefully out of Berwald's sight. He would explain himself later, right after he got himself a delicious treat. He sneaked around the countless bodies before he was once again at the table full of sugary delights. I should stop. He wanted to, he really did. However that didn't seem to stop him from leaning up and wrapping his hand around one of the cupcakes above. Once he lowered it he noticed its odd design. It was a pink cupcake (what a surprise) with a weird looking white thing designed with frosting (or so he thought) on top. He could have sworn he saw this picture somewhere before. What was it? Oh who cared! He wanted his cupcake already!

He slowly brought the sweet up to his mouth before taking a bite.

...

This was the best cupcake he ever had! Why did Oliver tell him to stay away from them? There wasn't anything wrong with the sweets! They tasted absolutely amazing! Never had something so rich and delicious entered Alfred's mouth. This was probably the best thing to eat in the entire world. Just as quickly as the cupcake was in his hand, it disappeared. Another one wouldn't hurt either, right? It was his birthday after all. He deserved this after everything he went through to get here.

He briefly wondered how Lovino would have liked the cupcakes before pushing the thought away in order to grab another. Soon that one was gone too, and another, and another. Before he realized it he had eaten five whole cupcakes. He was about to reach for another when he felt it.

Suddenly his stomach was closing in on him. The room was spinning, the ground was shaking, and the temperature went up a hundred degrees. Something was drilling into his stomach and into his organs. It was dancing around inside and pulling things out of place. His throat was disgustingly dry and soon there were colors of all sorts on the ground. Please don't fall in. He mentally chanted until he collapsed onto his knees. Something must have been trying to pull out his stomach from his mouth because nothing felt right. Whatever he was experiencing right now came straight out of hell-that place Natalia said all bad things happened in.

Soon things were turning black. He wasn't sure if he fell into the colorful mess on the ground, he was still on his knees, or if he was flying at this point. He didn't care too much either. The darkness that was beginning to surround him promised peace and quiet. He began to walk towards it until he heard a faint yell in the distance.

"Alfred!"

Who was that? They sounded too far now. He should just let the darkness consume him.

At that moment, before he saw complete blackness, he remembered where he saw the design before. It was around that holiday called Halloween that his mother always called stupid along with other inappropriate words. It was what they called a skull.