Seven : S'mores and Stories
"Don't worry, Feliciano! I'll save you!" Yao assured Feliciano as he dug into the sand to free the Italian.
cue Hetalia title card and music
Feliciano and an exhausted Yao came walking up to the group.
"Hey guys just in time!" Alfred said loudly waving at the two. "We have donuts!"
"Yay!" Feliciano squealed.
He came running even faster towards where the others were seated on nicely placed logs.
The 4 logs were set around in a square formation. Alfred, Arthur and Francis were already seated on one. The British blonde was between the other two. Kiku and Ivan were seated across from each other on opposite logs. In the middle crouched Gilbert and Ludwig working on starting a campfire.
"Where have you two been?" Arthur asked once the pair came closer.
"I found this kid buried in the sand!" Yao explained.
Feliciano added, "The tide was coming in, but Yao saved me."
Realization dawned on Alfred's face.
"Ah, right, about that- Sorry, dude."
"You Git!" bristled Arthur, swatting the young American on the shoulder. "Don't be so forgetful."
Alfred just laughed as if unaffected by Arthur's scolding. Francis just hook his head at the pair, looking on with a knowing smile.
"Anyway, you two should have a seat," invited Kiku from where he sat on a nearby log.
"OK!" Feliciano beamed plopping down beside him.
Yao debated between sitting on the empty log or beside Ivan, but decided Gilbert would probably want to sit beside his brother and made his way towards the Russian. He settled down beside Ivan who stared at him openly.
"What?" he asked, a bit unnerved by Ivan's gaze.
Ivan outstretched his hand and on his palm laid two beautiful clam shells. One was a brilliant red, the other a soft shimmering lavender.
"One for me, and one for you," Ivan said.
"Oh?" Yao asked.
He hesitated before reaching out to grab one of the shells. He choose the purple one.
"Huh?" Ivan seemed puzzled. "I was certain you'd choose the red one."
Yao held the purple one in between his fingers and looked up at Ivan, "What? But I think this one is so pretty, like your eyes."
Yao began to blush realizing what he just said.
"N,not that I think you're pretty or- not that you're not pretty but-"
Ivan just chuckled and smiled, cutting off Yao's attempt to over-correct.
"In Russia red is considered the most beautiful of all colors. It's passionate and strong, yet delicate and sensual, like you."
Yao was surprised by that and looked down again at the red shell still in Ivan's hand, comparing it to the purple one held in his fingers. He brought the purple shell closer to his chest.
"In China, purple is a color of awareness and strength. I think it suits you too. I want to keep this one. You keep the red."
"OK," Ivan said with a song in his voice. "And I'll always think of you."
Yao did his best to ignore the feeling of his belly doing flips at how cute Ivan was being and looked away. It was safer to focus on Gilbert's attempt at a fire.
China's voice: "Hetalia!"
On the other log, Alfred was still eating away at his box of donuts.
"It's disgusting watching you stuff your face like that," Arthur scoffed.
"What? I offered you some and you refused," Alfred replied in the middle of eating another powdered confection.
Arthur crossed his arms, "How much did you manage to put away in that maw of yours today?"
"Huh? Well, I ate the snacks we brought in the cooler, then after Frisbee, Kiku and I got burgers. We separated after that but I saw all you can eat pancakes so I got that for dinner, then I bought these donuts and came back here."
"That's rather impressive," Francis noted with amazement in his voice.
"I'm a growing boy," was Alfred's reply.
He said it a little too proudly.
"Maybe you should enter a pie eating contest," chimed in Feliciano from the other log.
"Don't encourage him," said Arthur. "And besides, all you seem to eat is junk. Don't you ever put anything substantial in that over gown body of yours?"
"Like what?"
"Like something not beige or brown?" scoffed the British student.
Alfred shrugged, "Well, why don't you make me something then?"
Arthur was surprised by the turn in conversation, "Huh?"
"I don't think you'd want that," warned Francis.
"Nonsense, if the boy wants to try my cooking, then so be it," Arthur cut him off.
Alfred nodded with eyes sparkling, "Yeah, Francis! Arthur's good at everything! Why wouldn't he be good at cooking too?"
"Well, I'm not good at everything, per say, but I do get by," replied Arthur with false humility.
"I hope you have a stomach of iron," Francis said clicking his tongue at poor, oblivious and smiley Alfred.
"Can it, Frog!"
"The awesome me has done it again!" interjected Gilbert cutting through all of the conversations.
The German caretaker jumped up and cheered as Ludwig crossed his arms to admire he and his brother's handy work. Their triangle of firewood had caught aflame and a nice fire was beginning to burn.
"How about that, boys!" Gilbert said, looking around at everyone.
"Wow, you're great, Gilbert!" Feliciano cheered.
Beside him Kiku clapped respectfully and of course Alfred hooped and hollered. Ludwig and Gilbert seated themselves on the log across from the French-American-English trio.
"Not bad, Gilbert. It only took you like a million hours," taunted the American.
"Like you could do better," replied the silver haired man.
"I could! Just pour some farm diesel on it and WOOSH!"
The bespectacled blonde mimicked a large fire with his arms.
"So what are we going to do now that the fire's started?" Yao asked.
"I saw on the television, American teenagers are telling the ghostly stories around a night fire," Ivan said.
"Yes, in my country too we tell ghost stories in the summer. The chills and frights help keep away the humid summer heat," nodded Kiku.
"Yeah, but then what keeps away the ghosts?" Feliciano asked with a worried expression.
"They're merely stories," replied the Japanese student.
"Ghost stories around a camp fire are an American tradition," confirmed Alfred. "But there is something even more traditional around a campfire."
"What's that?" asked Yao.
Alfred reached behind him and pulled out a grocery store bag of chocolate, graham crackers and marshmallows!
"S'mores!"
America's voice: "Hetalia!"
Everyone eagerly watched as Alfred demonstrated how to perfectly roast a marshmallow on a stick. He then passed them around to everyone and let them try.
"They key is to keep rotating it and holding it a perfect distance away from the fire. Then it becomes perfectly golden and plump!" coached Alfred as various others tried.
"Mine burned!" Arthur cried, quite alarmed as his entire marshmallow caught fire and then quickly became a black encrusted thing. It fell off the stick.
Francis clicked his tongue, "Alfred, it isn't too late to deny that meal."
"Shut up!" Arthur bristled.
Ivan finished roasting his marshmallow and Yao helped him pull it from the skewer by sandwiching it between the crackers and chocolate. It looked so gooey and delicious. Ivan took it and bit into the confection.
"How is it?" asked Alfred expectantly.
"It's good!" replied Ivan.
"It's a snack and activity rolled into one! The best kind of activity!" said Alfred.
Meanwhile Ludwig was taking great care with his marshmallow. It had grown quite plump and swollen.
"Woah, Ludwig that's mighty impressive," complimented Alfred.
"Ve, Ludwig! Roast mine!" begged Feliciano upon seeing it.
"If you think that's impressive, take a look at this!" exclaimed Gilbert.
He revealed his marshmallow which was swollen to more than twice the size.
"Holy shit!" gasped Alfred. "Dude! Be careful! That thing's going to fall right off your stick!"
"It's too awesome to fall!" cackled Gilbert as he turned his marshmallow some more.
Unfortunately it also proceeded to slide right off his skewer and into the flame. Alfred burst into laughter.
Prussia's disappointed because of the marshmallow falling voice: "Hetalia!"
"Now is it scary story time?" asked Francis as the last of his s'more was finished off.
"Sure! I know just the story!" Alfred exclaimed.
"I hope it's good!" Feliciano chimed.
"Kesese, I doubt it. Alfred's a big weenie," teased Gilbert.
"No way! I can tell a mean spooky story! Mattie and I would do it all the time at camp!" assured Alfred.
"I have a spooky story to tell too," smiled Ivan.
"Right, not scarier than mine, I bet!" Alfred challenged. "I'll go first."
Alfred cleared his throat and looked around onto everyone's face. All of their attention was trained on him.
"This story takes place nearby. On I-95 to be exact. It was in the middle of the night and a girl, not much older than any of the people sitting here at this campfire, was driving alone. In fact, she was a university student just like all of you driving from Charleston all the way to visit her family up in New Jersey. It was around 1 AM when it starts raining, plus she realizes she's running low on gas."
A little gasp issued from Feliciano's mouth.
Alfred continued, "She continues driving when she sees a sign saying there's a gas station 3 miles ahead. She sighs with relief. But when she gets there it's a super run down old, deserted looking family owned gas station."
"She should just keep driving!" Yao said.
"And risk breaking down on the interstate?" Kiku asked. "That wouldn't be wise."
"And stopping there is?" countered the Chinese grad student.
Alfred shook his head, "Well, as she pulled in she's of course scared to stop. But she eventually pulls up to the pump anyway. As she pulls in a man with a disfigured face comes running out in the heavy rain towards her car."
"The station's self serve?" Francis questioned.
He was shushed by Arthur and Alfred kept on with the tale.
"He puts the pump in her tank and asks for her credit card. She hands it to him and he runs back into the building."
"She should speed off now!" Feliciano suggested.
"She can't leave her card behind," Ludwig replied.
"She should have paid with cash!" the Italian fired back.
Alfred continued on, "After a few seconds the man came back out and told her that she needs to come in. There was a problem with her card. She follows him into the building and when she gets inside... the man GRABS HER ARM!"
He reached out and grabbed Arthur who shrieked.
"She hit him over the head with the gas can on the counter and ran back to her car through the rain!"
Alfred was speaking quickly and urgently to how the excitement of the girl.
"She got back into the car and sped off. All the while the disfigured man from the gas station is screaming after her!"
"She got away!" cheered Feliciano.
Alfred smirked knowingly and continued on.
"After driving a few miles she starts to relax and turns on the radio. She looks in her rear view mirror and... she sees someone pop up in the backseat wielding an ax above their head!"
There was a collective gasp from the group.
"It's the last thing she ever sees. The old man at the gas station was trying to warn her."
"Oh my god," Yao said.
Ludwig nodded gravely, "This is why we shouldn't judge on appearances."
"Not bad," Gilbert said to Alfred. "But I can do better."
"I dare you to try," Alfred encouraged the groundskeeper.
"I have one too," reminded Ivan.
He was ignored.
"So, mine takes place in Germany! Let's see... how should I start this...," mused Gilbert.
"Oh get on with it," jeered Arthur.
"Kesese, you can't rush genius," was the German's response. "Anyway."
He cleared his throat and then truly began.
"Ever since Ludwig was a little boy-"
"Hey!" Ludwig protested.
"Can I please tell my story in peace?" countered the older German.
"Just let him use your name, dear," Francis said waving the young teen's concern away. "It's cute."
"Thank you, Francis. Anyway, as I was saying- Ever since Ludwig was a boy, he always loved his dog."
Chuckles were had around the fire as Ludwig went red in embarrassment.
"Whenever Ludwig got scared he would put his hand under the bed and the dog would lick his hand and comfort him. One day, when Ludwig was 14 his parents and awesome brother went out for the night. They felt like Ludwig was old enough to be left home alone. The family left at 8, and after an hour of watching TV Ludwig went upstairs to go to bed. He was kind of scared sleeping all alone in the house and when he heard a whimpering sound, almost like a puppy, he stuck his hand under the bed and-"
He made slurping sound.
"Lick! Ludwig's hand was licked. He tried to sleep when he heard the sound again. He stuck his hand under the bed and it was licked."
"I'm scared for the doggie!" commented Feliciano.
"Finally he was able to fall asleep. He woke up the next morning to the sound of his dog barking outside!"
Alfred gasped loudly.
Gilbert chuckled, "That's right. The dog had been outside ALL NIGHT LONG!"
"Ahh!" Alfred turned and hugged Arthur who did nothing to push him off.
"How did you like that, huh?" Gilbert said looking around at everyone.
Alfred let go of Arthur and scoffed, "Not bad. I'll give you that."
"It gave me chills," agreed Kiku with a nod.
"Why did you use my name?" lamented Ludwig off to the side.
"Can I tell mine now?" asked Ivan.
"Sure, this better be good," Alfred said.
"Oh it will be," said Ivan with confidence.
There was silence as Ivan waited for everyone to get settled down. When the large Russian man began to speak his tone was serous and solemn, perfect for a scary story. His eyes dancing in the flames of the fire held everyone's fast attention.
"Once there was woman. She had baby but couldn't afford to take care of it on her own. One day she fastened a blue baby bonnet on it's head and two miles from her house carried it. There she left the baby deep in the woods. She began her long walk home. As she is walking home she heard small voice in the wind behind her."
Everyone was so engaged in the story. Not a single eye strayed from Ivan's face.
Ivan made a creepy voice, "'Blue Baby Bonnet One Mile Away'"
Alfred scooted closer to Arthur in fear.
"She looked behind but there was no sign of anyone around. She continued on. When she reached home she heard it again."
Again Ivan made the voice.
"Baby Blue Bonnet One Mile Away."
Kiku and Yao both shuddered. Kiku tightened his summer jacket around him and crossed his arms, learning forward to watch Ivan more intently.
"The woman closed and latched the door behind her. She goes into her living room and sits to read. As she is reading the book the voice comes again... 'Baby Blue Bonnet, Coming Up the Driveway.'"
Alfred and Arthur's hands clasped together.
"She runs upstairs and closes the door. She sits on her bed and waits..."
Ivan paused for a long while before uttering again in that terrible voice.
"Baby Blue Bonnet... Coming Up the Stairs."
A whimper came from somewhere among the group. They waited in anticipation as Ivan continued.
"She got up and went under the bed...'Blue. Baby. BOOOO!'"
"AHHH!" Alfred hopped up and hid behind Francis this time.
"Wow! Ivan!" Feliciano cheered clapping happily.
"That was great story telling," complimented Kiku looking a bit frightened as well.
"You had us with that one," Gilbert agreed.
Ivan blushed from the praise. Alfred stood from his hiding spot behind Francis.
"Whew, that was pretty cool, guys! But now it's a bit too spooky to drive home, don't you think?" he asked.
"Well, what did you have in mind then?" asked Ludwig.
"How about...," he then lifted up another plastic grocery bag with chocolate, graham crackers and chocolate. "Another round of s'mores!"
"Don't you ever stop thinking of food!?" Arthur asked snatching the bag from the youth's hands.
"Ha! Ha! Ha!"
-to be continued-
AN: I wanted them to have campfire heart to hearts but scary stories came out easier LOL thanks everyone for reading. I hope you enjoyed their crazy beach trip. Also, this isn't ending up as reverse haremy as I originally planned whoopes lol i guess it safe to say this is USUK and RoChu LOL