Chapter 14: Lions, Tigers, and Bears

The students who signed up for the zoo field trip had to be at the front of the school no later than eight o' clock sharp. Mrs. Pennington wanted everyone to be on the bus at eight-fifteen so they may leave as quickly as possible for more of the day to be spent at the menagerie.

"Alright, good, everyone appears to be here then," she said as she finished checking attendance. "Now since you all paid in advance, we shouldn't have to wait in line with everyone else. We will be able to enter through a side entrance instead of the main one. Bus driver, off we go."

Kiku prepared his camera in the vehicle, switching to a new memory card. He didn't know how many pictures he'd take, so he wanted as much space as possible.

"Gonna be the group's photographer aren't you?" asked Alfred with a smile.

"Well, the photos are more for me than other people, but if I'm requested to take a picture, I will do so. You seem to be in a very pleasant mood this morning."

"Of course! Zoos are great! I can't wait to see the new species!"

"Are you sure it's not because this is a chance for you to get closer to Navah-chan?"

He blushed instantly. "Ssshhh Kiku! Not so loud! In fact, d-don't even mention it, like ever!"

Kiku smiled in amusement. "I promise it won't happen again."

"Hey, hey Kiku!"

"Yes Feliciano-kun?"

"Are you going to take a lot of pictures?"

"I'd like to, yes. Why?"

"Mm, well I forgot my camera, so I was wondering…if you'd share your photos after the trip."

"Of course I will. If you'd like me to take a picture of a specific animal, feel free to ask."

"Alright!"

The bus came to a stop at the zoo, big fun letters indicating the official name at the top of the main gate. The students followed Mrs. Pennington and waited near the ticket booth. It took a few minutes to remind the staff of the arrangements she made, the frustrated woman returning to her pupils immediately after.

"All right, here are your tickets—"

"Can I have the one with the koala on it?"

"Mister Vargas, you can trade tickets later. For now just take whichever one gets passed to you."

"Oh…" He became sad when he got an alligator on his ticket. "Mm, hey Manny, can I have yours?"

"Sorry hermano, but this one has a colorful bird on it. Mine." He stuffed it in his pocket with a teasing smile, Feliciano puffing his cheeks in frustration.

"Ludwig, which one do you have?"

"A hippo." He noticed the Italian made a face. "Feliciano…does it really matter which animal you get on your ticket?"

"Well I'd like a cute one, yeah."

"All animals are cute in some way," Alfred replied. "I got a monkey on mine."

"Oh, can I—"

"Nope."

"Right, so now you all have your tickets," Mrs. Pennington said. "Now there aren't enough maps for everybody, so I suggest picking at least one or two partners to explore with." She passed out the maps. "The zoo closes at five so I want us all to be here by no later than four, do you understand?"

The students responded "Yes" in unison.

"Good. Well, have a fun day class, and don't cause trouble!"

Kiku was a bit nervous as he walked up to Alfred and asked, "Do you want to be my partner on this excursion?"

"Oh! Uh, well damn Kiku I'd love to! But…uh…you sure you don't wanna mingle with somebody else?"

"I like spending trips with you, my closest friend."

"Aww, that's so sweet! I like spending time with you too! Ehm…but you see…"

"Alfred!" Navah walked up to him. "Would you mind being my partner? Everyone else pretty much scattered, so I don't have a map."

"Oh, sure! Of course!"

"Kiku, would you like to come along? The three of us can walk around together!"

"No, it's fine. I have my own map, but have fun Navah-chan, and Alfred-san. I will see you around."

He left without waiting for a response, a frown and furrowed eyebrows on his face, even a slight pout. He didn't want to admit he was getting jealous, but he didn't know what else to call it.

"I studied those animals for nothing… I didn't have the guts to accept Navah-chan's offer to walk with them, and now I cannot prove myself to Alfred-san that I am a living animal encyclopedia." He huffed. "Well, perhaps…I can see them around…and then agree to walk with them later. Meanwhile, I will casually give factual information about the animals to all my classmates, so they may say, 'Wow Kiku, you're so smart! You sure know a lot about animals. Have you considered becoming a veterinarian or zoologist? Even Navah doesn't know as much as you!' That is exactly what they will say when this day is over."

Arthur went to the flamingo habitat first, observing the vivid birds basking in the sun. "My word it smells foul here."

"Of course it does. What do you expect? They are animals in bulk."

"Francis why are you here…"

"I don't have a map, so I figured for today, I will follow you around and humor myself with your cynical comments about nature's wonderful creatures."

"Well sorry to burst your bubble but I won't be making any comments about them in that manner today."

"I don't believe you."

"Try me."

Francis gave a mischievous smirk. "Would you like to turn this into a bet?"

Arthur grinned. "Sure, why not? I'm up for a challenge."

"Alright. You cannot say ten or more negative things about anything pertaining to this trip by the end of the day, otherwise I win. If you manage to keep it under nine, then you win."

"Sounds reasonable. If I win..." He thought for a moment. "…you have to buy me whatever I want from the shop."

"Like I'd want to do that for you."

"Oh? You don't agree to the terms?"

"Fine. If you miraculously win, I will buy you something from the shop of your choosing. But, if I win, and I most certainly will…" He smiled. "You will go on a date with me."

"Wh-What?" Arthur blushed. "That is too extreme a reward!"

"Not at all. I know you're going to ask me to buy you one of the most expensive things in the shop just to irritate me. So my reward isn't all that different."

"Urgh… Okay, fine, but it won't be a date in the romantic sense!"

"Arthur, I didn't even mention anything about romance."

He blushed deeper, Francis chuckling.

"Sh-Shut up!"

"Oh, it's so obvious you want the full deal mm? Okay, if I win, I will take you on a romantic date."

"No! I want the date to suck! And it's a friend…er…acquaintance date!"

"Now I wouldn't live up to my reputation if you didn't enjoy your time with me, would I?"

The English teen growled. "Fine, whatever. But I am not going to lose!"

"We'll see about that." He walked ahead of Arthur, grabbing the map. "Shall we, mon ami?"

"Yes, why don't we start with your wretched relatives, those slimy amphibians."

"Ah ah ah, that's one negative comment already. You're really going to be your own downfall," Francis said as he marked the side of the map. "You have eight more chances Arthur."

"Fuck you."

"Oh I'd like to."

"I AM GOING TO KICK YOUR ASS IN THIS WAGER!"

Matthew was checking out the meerkats at the front of the zoo. He felt somebody poke his shoulder and nearly screamed when he saw Ivan standing behind him.

"Ah, hello Matthew!"

"H-Hi Ivan."

"I would like for you to do me a favor."

"Uhm, sure?"

"Well you see, today Katyusha decided to wear…uhm…clothing that I don't approve of because it attracts attention."

"It's hot out though."

"This much is true, but I'm not liking the stares she's getting because of her choice in dress. Those shorts are too short and that top does not help hide her assets."

"So…what do you expect me to do?"

"I am appointing you to be her partner of course!"

"Why me?"

"Because you're kind and she's comfortable around you. You're a good friend to her. I observe everyone who speaks with her, and you are the least threatening to her physical and emotional well-being."

Uh…should I take that as a compliment? "Thanks Ivan…I think."

"So, will you do it?"

"I just don't want her to think I'm your spy."

"No, I am not asking for status updates or anything like that. I just want her to have fun today and hang out with a good friend like you! I'd do it myself but…ah ha…I had planned to tag along with Yao but Natalia is…"

"Is what?"

"Well she is intimidating the other people and animals…because I am avoiding her. So to spare them both the displeasure of her current existence in this zoo…I will…" He looked a little scared. "…hang out with her instead, to spare everyone a bad day. Does that make sense?"

"Yeah, it does. Ivan, you really don't have to though…"

"She doesn't get along with anyone else and Toris has already gone off to another part of the zoo, so I will take one for the team."

I didn't know we were in battle… "Well, okay, I'll help you."

Ivan's face brightened. "Thank you so much! Well, Katyusha should be…mm…oh, yes, she's over there buying a water bottle. Make sure she has a good time!" Ivan walked to his doom as he met his sister near the alligator, who by this point had hid at the very back of the habitat because she glared at it.

Matthew walked over to Katyusha who smiled when she saw him. "Matthew!"

"Hi Katyusha," he said, trying not to stutter. "Do you mind if I tag along with you? Alfred already left and I don't know where Kiku went."

"Oh, of course! Uhm, I'm sorry though. I don't have a map…"

"That's okay. I've got one."

"Oh great! Well then let's get going!"

"Alright, where do you want to go first?"

"How about…hmm…well, why don't we start from the back and make our way down toward the entrance?"

"That's actually a good idea. There's a trail here that will take us to the back, and we'll just pass by whatever habitat happens to be on the way."

"I'm so excited!"

Matthew smiled as she looked at the map with a happy face.

Manuel decided to explore the zoo on his own and draw some of the animals. He worked best when he was alone, and the very first place he went to was the reptile house.

"This Komodo Dragon is great," he said as he sketched its outline. He laughed as it stood posed for him. "I'll have to take a picture later." He heard raised voices coming his way and groaned. "Not now…"

"Aren't the colorful frogs beautiful? They're so vivid for such small creatures."

"They're colorful because they're so dangerous, just like you. You should wear a bright green shirt to indicate that you are a hazard to humanity!"

"That is strike three Arthur."

"Damn it!"

At his outburst, the Komodo Dragon walked away toward a rock at the back of its habitat. Manuel was infuriated. "You guys are too loud!" he exclaimed.

"Oh, hello Manuel. Drawing?"

"Yeah, and I had the perfect pose until Arturo there screamed like a banshee and then the animal moved. Isn't there a day when you two don't argue?"

"I apologize Manuel, I didn't mean to scare it off. But today is a crucial day in my life."

"Why? You've never been to a zoo?"

"No, we made a bet," Francis said. "Eyebrows here has to withhold from saying ten or more negative things about this trip, otherwise, I win."

Everything has to be a competition with them. "So what's your prize?"

"Arthur goes on a date with me."

"Pfft!"

"Do you see now why I absolutely cannot lose? There is no way in hell that I would accompany that deviant anywhere alone."

"Oh c'mon, Francisco isn't a bad guy."

"Manuel I find it astounding that you really have nothing bad to say about anybody except Antonio."

"Well, if you do lose, think of it this way. You get to spend time with him and maybe find out he's not exactly as bad as you think."

"And how would you know this?"

"From experience with Alfredo. He was an obnoxious and arrogant shit back when we first met, but after a while, I realized he has more good points than bad."

"I admire your optimism, but I don't believe that is the case with this buffoon."

Francis sighed. "Arthur, for once listen to people other than yourself. Manuel makes a good argument."

"And you're only siding with him because it makes you look good."

As they argued, Manuel stared at the glass in irritation, his reflection showing just how annoyed he really was. "I'm outta here." He headed to the aviary, not even bothering to say goodbye to his fellow classmates.

Kiku tagged along with Ludwig and Feliciano, though he ending up falling behind because he was taking pictures. For a while he walked by himself, occasionally meeting the other students.

He took some pictures of a big horn sheep, trying to get its good side.

"Having fun Kiku?"

"Oh, hello Tino-san, and Berwald-san. Yes I am. You?"

"Yup! Although Berwald kinda scared off a tiger earlier."

"…'s not m' fault. I was m'rely staring a' it."

"Well, maybe don't stare so hard next time."

"Tino-san, did you know tigers are the third largest land carnivores, right behind polar bears and black bears?"

"Oh, no I didn't! That's interesting."

"Yes, and did you know they are fond of water, just like panthers? They can be found swimming sometimes too. They're the only large felines that share this love."

"That's pretty cute!"

"And do you know why their coat is patterned with stripes like that?"

"Uhm, no I don't think I do."

"It's because in the dense jungles where they live, the stripes break the outline of the tiger so it's harder for prey to see them and makes it much easier to camouflage with the surrounding environment."

"Oh, that makes sense. I learned something today!"

"I'm glad. If you have any more questions about a particular animal in this zoo, feel free to ask. I have studied them extensively before we came here."

"But why?"

"You never know who might be curious for knowledge."

"That's a good point I guess."

"Have you seen Alfred-san around?"

"No, I'm not sure where he or Matthew are. Why? Did you get lost from them?"

"I just like to know his whereabouts in case of an emergency. I have been asking around and he was last seen with Navah-chan at the elephant habitat, so I just want to be assured he's fine."

Tino chuckled a bit. "Nothing can really happen in a zoo unless the animals somehow escape. I'm sure he'll be fine Kiku."

"Yes, perhaps you're right Tino-san. Well, I must get going. I need to take pictures of some cute animals. Feliciano-kun requested it."

"Alright, bye Kiku!"

He waved as the short teenager walked away to the next habitat. Berwald looked at Tino.

"He's actin' strange, don' y' thin'?"

"Hmm hmm, yeah, but I have a suspicion as to why."

"Mm. I agree wi'h y'u. I wonder if Alfr' is aware."

"He's oblivious to these kinds of things, but I'm sure with enough time, he'll figure it out. Kiku isn't exactly the best at acting, and Alfred is sharper than he appears."

"Now this is some peace and quiet," Manuel said as he sketched some colorful birds perched on a branch. "No noise except the beautiful songs of the pajaritos."

"Gilbert slow down!"

"Really Liz, you want me to slow down, all because of your pompous boyfriend? Rich, you shoulda stayed at home man. Zoos are no place for you, or anything requiring exercise."

"It's not the excessive walking that bothers me. It's the heat of the day!"

"Man it's not even that hot. You're such a wimp."

"Gilbert…!"

"What, ya gonna hit me in front of parents and their kids? I have the map, remember?"

"Urgh!"

Manuel growled. "Are you shitting me."

"Hey! Manny!"

"Holy fuck they're coming this way." He turned to them. "Didn't expect to see you guys here."

"Whatcha doin'?"

"I'm drawing. I fled from the reptile house because Fransico and Arturo were being ridiculous again."

"Aww, yeah, that contest of theirs."

"What contest?" asked Elizaveta.

"Franny bet that he would say ten or more negative things about the trip, and Artie bet he wouldn't. So if he wins, he gets to take him out on a date, and if Artie wins, then Franny has to buy him whatever he wants at the shop, no matter how expensive."

"That's really stupid," Roderich said. He walked to a bench and sat down.

"Tired already Rich?"

"You know what, I don't care Gilbert. Go ahead of us. I'm fine sitting here for the rest of the day."

"Fine, whatever. Hey Liz, wanna check out the upper level of this place? You can feed some of the birds there."

"I'm gonna stay here with Roderich, thanks."

"Alright, your loss. Catch ya later Manny."

"Adios Gilberto." He didn't bother to look up, continuing to draw the birds.

Elizaveta really didn't want to stay rooted to one spot all day. She really wanted to see the pandas, but if Roderich was tired, she didn't want to force him to walk if he really didn't feel like it. The Austrian noticed her gazing up at the second level.

"Elizaveta."

"Yes?"

"Why don't you just go with Gilbert for the rest of the day? You're not going to have any fun sitting here with me."

"No, but I don't want to leave you alone."

"It's fine. I'll go at my own pace, which has always been slower than yours since we met. You'll enjoy yourself more if you see the animals, even if it's with an obnoxious person like him."

"Oh…okay. Well if you need anything—"

"I know, I know. I'll call you."

She gave him a kiss on the cheek and then left. "Hey Gil! Wait!" She ran to the stairs for the second level. "I'll join you. Roderich says he wants to just sit for a while."

"Typical of that guy. Well anyway, it costs like a buck for the food to feed the birds. You wanna do it?"

"Oh, sure!"

"Alrighty then." She began to take out her wallet. "Ah, no Liz, it's fine. I'll pay."

"It's only a dollar."

"Again, I'll pay. It's fine." Gilbert paid the zoo keeper standing guard near the next gate and received some treats for himself and Elizaveta. They walked in and saw other people feeding the birds too.

"You can pet them, but only with two fingers, and only on the head or the back," the zoo keeper said. "Don't irritate them."

Gilbert and Elizaveta found some birds that were looking for another snack, so when the little creatures spotted them, they flew to their shoulders, looking curiously at their hands.

"Ha ha! Eager aren't you?" Gilbert lifted his hand and the bird slowly climbed onto his finger, pecking at the food. He pet its head with the fingers of his other hand. "Cute little guys, aren't they?"

"Yeah, they are, and so colorful!" She observed as the German fed some other birds, genuinely happy talking with them and petting their soft heads. She smiled to herself, not noticing the sole bird perched on her hand had eaten all the snacks. "Hey!"

"Liz, you gotta pay more attention than that. What were you doing?"

She scowled, upset that the bird had taken her food. "Sorry, I spaced out."

"Why? 'Cause I look good with animals? Yeah, I'd stare at me too, ha!" he joked.

"You looked serene is all. I rarely see you like that. It was a nice change of atmosphere."

He wasn't sure how to respond. He glanced at Elizaveta as she pet the birds on his shoulder. Gilbert looked away, his face a bit red. "So…where do you want to go after this?"

"Wherever you want."

"No, I really don't give a crap where we go next. Rich wanted you to have fun, so…you pick. Since he won't be here for the rest of the day, that automatically makes me in charge of making sure you enjoy yourself."

Elizaveta smiled and took the map, scanning the contents. "Hmm, well next is the koala house, so why don't we go there? I think it has air conditioning. There's kangaroo habitats next to it too."

"Oh fuck yes. Alright, we'll go there after." The last bird flew off his arm. "Welp, that's that. After you," he said as he opened the door. She shook her head but smiled in amusement.

"Trying to be like Roderich?"

"Like I'd want to be a clone of that guy. When you're around certain people enough, you tend to pick up their habits."

"Well, that's a good habit for you to have Gil. I think your charm points just went up." She giggled. "C'mon, let's go see the koalas."

She walked ahead of him, Gilbert slightly more embarrassed than five minutes ago. His face was pink as he followed her, trying not to make direct eye contact with the Hungarian girl, less he'd be as bright as a parrot. Maybe being alone wasn't such a good idea after all…

"Well, a good fifteen minutes have passed. I think I'm going to take my leave now Manuel. I'll see you back at the bus."

"Alright, later." Not that I really care.

Manuel let out a huge sigh of relief when all three of them left. "Finally, now the birds won't be scared away." He took out some colored pencils and began shading in his sketches. A smile grew on his face as he drew. "Mm, I'm getting better at this. Soon I'll be a better artist than mamá."

He noticed Kiku further away, taking snapshots of the colorful birds. "Better not bother him. He's one of the few people who isn't loud as hell."

Occasionally a child would come up to Manuel and ask what he was doing, so he'd show them a drawing or two.

"Wow! You draw really good!"

"Ha ha, thanks! Not as good as my mom, but I'm getting there."

A man approached him and peered over his shoulder. "Hey, those are pretty good!"

"Thanks."

"You like birds?"

"Yeah, they're amazing creatures, and have such a wide color variety. Honestly, they're my favorite subjects to draw, even more than people or landscapes."

"You hunt?"

"No," he replied, still not looking up from his sketchbook. "I'm not a sportsman kind of guy, but my dad is. Can't say I don't enjoy fishing though. You?"

"Oh yeah, I like to hunt too, but maybe doing what you do, drawing the animals that is, is safer and more respectful."

Manuel chuckled. "Well I guess that's one way to put it."

"Are you here with your class, like in an art class or something?"

"It's a summer trip from my biology class. Everyone is just wandering around. I'm a hobbyist, and one of those hobbies is drawing, so there you go. I take a sketchbook with me when I think I'll be inspired to sketch something."

"Well you're off to a good start! You draw the living form pretty well. Do you draw people too?"

"Not as often. I mean, I draw my friends sometimes. They seem to like it."

"What about yourself? Sometimes it helps to look in the mirror and make different expressions to understand the structure of the face."

"I haven't tried, but that's a good suggestion. I'll do it sometime, thanks."

"You're welcome. You have a good face to draw. Your jaw bones are nice, and I'm sure your hair would be fun to draw."

He laughed. "My hair is always a mess, but I don't wanna cut it, even though my mom probably tells me I should. I like it this length."

"I'll never understand kids these days with their hair long like that."

"It's only up to my earlobes. It's not that long."

"Well you have a good facial structure for it."

"Thanks." He looked at the man. "So what kinds of birds do you—"

"Oh, yup, you'd be a perfect model for an art piece," the man replied, making a rectangle with both his hands. "Your eyes especially! A lot of character there." He smiled. "By the way your face is shaped…hmm…you're…Hispanic?"

"Er, Mexican, yeah."

"Ha ha, of course! Sorry, I try to pick up on accents but you speak so fluently I could hardly hear yours."

"Years of practicing English. It comes in handy."

"Well you speak it very well!"

Manuel smiled at the compliment, but as he looked at the friendly man, his heart began to pace faster. His smile vanished as his eyes widened the longer he stared. He put away his pencils and closed his sketchbook.

"Uh, well I need to get going. It was nice chatting."

He didn't wait for a response and walked over to Kiku.

"H-Hey Kiku."

"Oh, Manuel-san. Hello."

"So whatcha doin'?"

"I just finished taking pictures of birds here at the aviary—"

"Hey y'know what else would make for a good photo? Giraffes! Yeah, let's go look at some giraffes!"

"Well, alright then, if you insist. Uhm, but may I ask—"

"Hey Kiku, c-can I tag along with you for the rest of the day?"

"Of course Manuel-san." They both walked out of the large cage and on the trail to the giraffes. Kiku noticed Manuel looked unusually worried. "Why the sudden desire to walk with me?"

"You're the only quiet person from our class I've run in to today and you don't scare off the animals."

"Ah yes, that makes sense. Oh, Manuel-san, do you mind if we stop to eat something? I'm a bit hungry…"

"No not at all! Yeah, let's eat… There's a restaurant close to the giraffe habitat, so we can go there okay?"

"Uh, sure. It's in the middle of the zoo and quite a ways from where we are now though."

"But that's good! That way we'll build up an appetite!" He looked for his map. "Damn… I think I dropped my map at the aviary."

"No need to fret. I have mine here." He handed it to Manuel. The latter opened it up and looked for the restaurant near the giraffes. Kiku noticed his hands were shaking slightly, the map trembling along with them.

"Manuel-san…are you alright?" asked Kiku with concern in his voice. "You look a bit pale, as if you've seen a ghost."

"I'm just…just hungry! Okay uh…the giraffes are this way! C'mon Kiku!"

The shorter boy followed, paying close attention to his Mexican friend. He didn't calm down until they reached the restaurant where they spotted a few of their other classmates, Alfred and Navah included.

"Hey Manny!" Alfred said. "Haven't seen you in a—"

He wasn't paying attention, but staring absentmindedly at the menu bolted on the wall of the eatery.

"…Manny?"

"Oh, hey Alfredo! I just came with Kiku to eat!"

"You wanna share a table with us? I mean…Navah and I?"

"That would be delightful Alfred-san," Kiku replied for his friend. His strange behavior only caused him to worry more.

When they both got their food, they sat down with Alfred and Navah.

"Hey Kiku! Manuel!"

"Good afternoon Navah-chan. Are you enjoying your day?"

"Yes, I am. Alfred bought me this cute little elephant plush!"

The blonde scratched his cheek, a bit embarrassed. "W-Well I had extra money on me so…"

"It was a very sweet gesture. Thank you Alfred."

"Ha ha, don't mention it!"

Kiku bent the plastic fork he had been eating his salad with. "Oh… Uh, excuse me, let me go get another one." He walked back to the line and got three extra plastic forks for good measure, and then returned with a churro. "Uhm, Manuel-san, here. I know these are some of your favorite sweets."

"Oh, gracias." He set it down on a napkin and continued eating his hotdog.

The other three stood quiet as they stared at him, concern now turning into absolute worry.

"Hey dude…are you okay?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well for one, you just dowsed your French fries with your soda."

"Holy shit what?" He looked down at his food. "Fuck. I could've sworn this was the ketchup bottle. Ugh, now I gotta get another one—"

"Uhm…I'll get you some more fries."

"Navah, it's okay. I don't—"

"No please, let me buy you some fries, okay?"

"…well…fine, I guess."

She got up and went to the line. Alfred and Kiku looked at Manuel as he focused his attention on his hotdog, staring at the churro on his napkin. There was complete silence between them until Navah returned with the fries. "Here you go."

"Thanks."

Alfred placed the ketchup bottle in front of him. "Don't get them confused."

"I won't." He squirted some ketchup on his fries and ate them quietly.

"Er…so Kiku, did you get any good photos?"

"Well I managed to catch some birds cuddling, antelope grazing, a lion sleeping on its back, and Aksel-san wanted me to take a picture of a chimpanzee urinating…so I will have to develop that…"

Alfred busted out laughing. "Oh man, can you get me one of those too?"

Kiku gave a smile and shook his head. "Of course Alfred-san."

They spent about half an hour eating and then parted ways, Manuel and Kiku walking to the giraffe. Kiku took some photos and noticed Manuel had calmed down as he sketched the tall animal, his hands no longer shaking and his skin back to its normal tone. I wonder what had him so frightened…

"Manuel-san, may we go and see the pandas?"

"Oh, sure. I'm just about done drawing the girafas." He put away his pencils in his pocket and closed his sketchbook. "Did you get some good photos?" he asked as they walked to the panda habitat.

"Yes. My camera is of considerable quality so the photos should come out crisp and clear."

"Ha ha, you like photography huh?"

"I suppose so."

"You should become a photographer for like National Geographic or something! You get to travel around the world!"

"Perhaps, but my future would be more solid if I were to invest my time with the medical field."

"True, but wouldn't you rather do something you enjoy? I mean, why wake up every morning hating yourself because you have to work at a job you don't like even though it gets you whatever material thing you want? That's no way to live."

"You wouldn't want to live like that Manuel-san?"

"Nope. I don't even know what I wanna do as a career, but I definitely know I don't wanna hate myself every Monday morning. I mean…what, at eighteen we're already supposed to know what we wanna do for the rest of our lives when we haven't even started living yet? That kinda sucks, don't you think?"

"Well when you put it that way…it makes a lot more sense."

"Oh, here's the panda habitat. Let's go inside."

Kiku looked at his camera and thought about what Manuel said. I have been applying to medical colleges…only because that is what Yao and the others are doing…but I don't think I want to spend my life at hospitals or telling people that their relative or friend didn't make it through the night…

His train of thought was broken when he saw the pandas roaming around.

"Aww, que lindos, aren't they Kiku?"

"Yes, they're very adorable." He smiled in delight as he took photos of a mother and her cub. The habitat was constructed beautifully so he walked around the large area to get better shots. He stopped dead in his tracks when his lens focused in on Alfred and Navah at the bottom tier of the habitat, observing the pandas, the girl laughing as a cub rolled over. Kiku could see the blush on Alfred's face.

"Manuel-san."

"Yeah?"

"Let us get a closer look at the bottom tier."

"Uh, well sure."

When they reached the bottom, Manuel found a panda eating some bamboo and decided to sketch it. Kiku took more pictures with a slight glare in Alfred's direction.

"Oh, hey Kiku!"

"Hello Alfred-san."

"Didn't expect to see you here so quickly."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, 'cause you and Manny were at the giraffe habitat not too long ago."

"Manuel-san is a good artist so it was no trouble for him to finish quickly, and the giraffes were in a pleasant mood so my photos were quick."

"Ah, okay."

The Japanese teen walked over to the sketching Manuel who was very much appreciative that none of his loud classmates were in the habitat.

"So did you get some sweet photos Kiku?"

"Yes, I did. How are you sketches coming along?"

"Pretty good. These guys are adorable. I'm glad Alfredo is quiet for once, but then again being around somebody you like makes you do things you wouldn't normally do. Sometimes even stupid things." He chuckled.

"Yes." He noticed Alfred and Navah walking their way. "Ehm, Manuel-san, did you know pandas are an endangered species?"

"Yeah it says so right here on the plaque."

"Oh but, the plaque is very minor when it comes to details on the animal species."

"…uh…well it's not like they're gonna have pamphlets for every habitat. That's a waste of paper and why the internet exists."

"Well, did you know that if a mother gives birth to twins, she looks after the stronger one and the weaker one is left to die?"

"What? Why?"

"Because she does not store fat and doesn't produce enough milk for two."

"Well that's depressing."

"Hey Manny!"

"Hey Alfredo, Navah."

"Hello Manuel."

"Enjoying your time here?"

"Yes! The pandas are so adorable."

"M-Manuel-san."

"Yeah Kiku?"

"Did you also know that pandas are solitary territorial animals?"

"I figured as much—"

"And that they each have their defined territory, so a female panda will become upset and not tolerate another female in her area. They also communicate through clawing trees and urinating."

Oh my God. "Uh, Kiku you might wanna slow down with—"

"They also don't have a permanent den so they don't hibernate unlike other bears and will move to warmer areas instead. And they are only social during the mating season and the females raise the cubs alone."

Manuel looked a little flabbergasted as the information dump from Kiku kept coming, Alfred and Navah looking a bit confused.

"Woah Kiku, you sure know a lot about pandas."

"Of course Alfred-san. I know about every animal in this zoo. Would you like to know anything in particular?"

"Nah dude, it's okay. Navah and I already talked about 'em as we were walking!"

"Oh. I see. Well then Manuel-san, let us continue. The sexual maturity of a giant panda is anywhere around four or eight years, and they may be reproductive until they hit age twenty. They only breed once a year which is usually in springtime, around March through May. When mating, the female crouches down and then the male mounts—"

"Woah! Kiku, uh, thanks but I really don't wanna know how animals have sex, if that's fine with you. The internet will do just fine in filling in the blanks for the rest of the panda profile."

"That is quite alright Manuel-san. Is there any particular animal you'd like to know about, perhaps an avian species like the macaw or a reptile like the Komodo Dragon?"

"Uh, no I'm fine right now, thanks. I kinda just wanna draw."

"Where is Alfred-san and Navah-chan?"

"Oh, they left already. I think you scared them with how fast you were pouring out information like a computer," he laughed. "Let's go back to the top tier."

Kiku walked up the steps shamefully, a blush on his face. Manuel looked behind him and said, "What's wrong?"

"I was too aggressive with my knowledge, wasn't I?"

He chuckled. "Oh come on Kiku. You were just trying to show your stuff, like a peafowl."

"What?"

"The peafowl, y'know peacocks? That's what the male is called at least. Peacocks are colorful. Do you know why?"

"Uhm…"

"It's to impress a peahen, the female peafowl. A lot of males in bird species are colorful for the sole purpose of attracting a female. If the female isn't impressed, she just moves on to find another mate who will put on a bigger show."

"What are you implying?"

"Nothing. Why, did you think I meant something by it? Are you suggesting you're the peacock trying to impress Alfredo the peahen?"

"N-No! That is a ridiculous mental image and assumption! Manuel-san I know you are clearly aware of my sexual preferences b-but that does not mean I have grown a fondness for Alfred-san in a romantic manner!"

"Hey man calm down!" He laughed again. "I was just joking! I don't want your face to explode. It's really red."

"Oh…it is?"

"Yeah, like un tomate."

Kiku put his hands on his cheeks and felt them flare up. Manuel continued to chuckle. "But Alfredo in a peahen costume. Man that's hilarious."

"I apologize for my behavior Manuel-san. I suppose I was just trying to prove something to myself and just being plain dumb."

"Aww, it's okay. We're all a little dumb sometimes. Now let's go to the top so we can cross the bridge to the orangutan hab—"

When he stopped suddenly, Kiku followed the direction of his stare to the top tier in a corner. There was a man in a black baseball cap taking pictures of the pandas. Kiku looked carefully at Manuel from behind, noticing the slight tremble of his hands as he held onto the railing. Just like the aviary…

"Y'know what Kiku? Maybe we can go see the zebras. That would be a great photo. We can see other primates later."

"Okay, we will go see the zebras Manuel-san."

"Y-Yeah, and then the elephants, even though both habitats are far from where we are now!"

He followed Manuel out the door from the panda habitat and found it suspicious he would say such an obvious thing. As they walked, from time to time Kiku noticed he'd look behind them and didn't get a sense of security until they reached the farthest habitat from wherever they currently were.

This is a lot of unnecessary walking, especially if we're just going back and forth. Manuel-san…what exactly has frightened you?

It was nearing four o' clock and the students were now busying themselves with the gift shop. Logan gawked at the giraffe plush Antonio bought.

"Woah, that thing is huge! Is that for you?"

"No, this is for Lovi!"

"DUMBASS!" Lovino stormed out of the shop and walked toward Antonio. "I was fucking around when I said I wanted that!"

"…but I already bought it. Now what do I do with this?"

"How the hell should I know? Give it to Sanne or something."

"But she didn't come on this trip."

"Exactly why you should give it to her."

"Her brother is going to be on my back if I do that though… He'll think there's a hidden meaning to it."

"Well I sure as hell don't want that thing."

"Lovi then why'd you make me buy it?!"

"I didn't make you do anything!"

"Ooooh, Antonio!" Feliciano bounced over to him. "Did you really buy that?"

"Yes, I did! But…originally it was supposed to be for Lovi but he doesn't want it. Do you want it Feli?"

He gasped. "Yes!"

"Okay, then here you go!"

"Grazie!" He hauled the large plush over to Ludwig. "Look what Antonio gave me!"

"My God. Feliciano, how are you supposed to carry that to the bus?"

"Uhm…sideways? Hey can you help me out? Ah ha…it's kinda heavy…"

Lovino shook his head. "Everyone I'm associated with is an idiot."

"Ha! In your face!" shouted Arthur as he and Francis began walking to the gift shops. "I managed to keep my comments to myself today!"

"Well I was wrong. It really does seem like you learned self-control."

"Of course. I have a strong will, unlike you. Now you have to buy me whatever I want."

Francis gave a groan. "Yes…that was part of the bet wasn't it?"

"Now I don't have to go on that pitiful date with you."

"Yes, you don't—"

"It probably would have been a complete joke too."

"Well I don't know about that—"

"Hmm…what do I want…" He browsed through the store. "Ah, this."

"A book? You could buy that at any bookstore."

"Check the price tag."

"This is way too much for a book."

"Now I don't know about that. It's rather heavy and the drawings of the animals are well done, not to mention the amount of information in here. This is what I want."

"Are you sure you don't want something more useful like a coffee mug or a stuffed animal to give to Peter?"

"I don't drink coffee and he has enough plushies as it is."

Francis sighed. "Alright, fine. I will buy this for you." He took the book to the register, crying internally because of how much he had to pay for it.

"You're welcome Arthur," he said as he handed the bag to him.

"You lost the bet." He gave a cocky smirk. "There are no 'thank yous' necessary. You know, we should do this again sometime. I mean, after all the days of your harassment against me in every sense of the word."

"You know I only joke when—"

"They're not jokes. Everyone knows about your perverted antics and behavior."

"Arthur, you know for a fact that I stopped that nonsense the end of tenth grade."

"Ha, then why—"

"Because it's fun to pick on you, but if you want me to stop, I will."

"Yeah right."

"I really will."

"Okay fine, I want you to stop."

"Very well. I have no problem with that."

"Good, and every time you slip up, which there is a good chance you will at some point, I'll make sure to carry this book around so I can smack you with it—"

Francis turned sharply on his heel to stare angrily at Arthur.

"Do you really think I'm that bad of a person?"

"Well I can't say—"

"Do you even know why I bought you that book?"

"Because I won the bet of course."

"No you didn't!"

"Yes, I did."

He shoved the map in Arthur's face. "Look at that. Tell me how many tally marks you see there."

"…twenty?"

"That's how many times you screwed up on the bet, but I just decided the whole thing was stupid because you were genuinely enjoying yourself, which was the whole point of this trip and the most important part of today! Your comments are amusing and I lost track after the second batch! But I wanted you to have a souvenir from the trip so you can remember how much you actually liked it and maybe even understand that just because I may have had a streak of deviancy doesn't mean I'm not a decent person!"

"Francis you didn't—"

"Yes I did because the only person you listen to is yourself! This was the only way I could communicate with you without having to hear your judgements!"

"That's not true! Look, if you would have told me—"

"Even when I try to be friendly, you take that as some kind of trick!"

"Well how do you want me to take it when you and the remainder of your trio always play pranks on me and I can't tell if the action is genuine or not?!"

"They're funny but if they bother you so much we'll just stop!" He let out a frustrated sigh. "You know what Arthur, it's fine. If you want me to leave you alone, I will. I apologize for everything I have ever done to upset you. I don't want to argue about this anymore. We've walked a lot in the sun and I just want to go home and shower. I won't even claim my seat next to you in the bus since it bothers you."

Francis walked away to meet up with Gilbert and Antonio who had him in high spirits rather quickly. Arthur stood rooted to his spot, trying to process the quarrel. "Well don't I feel like the biggest bloody moron in the whole world."

When Mrs. Pennington had finished marking her attendance sheet, she said, "It looks like everyone is accounted for. I hope you enjoyed your zoo trip. Bus driver, take us home."

The same seats were shared before, except Arthur sat with Matthew this time. Kiku watched as Alfred continued to sit next to Navah at the back, feeling just a bit defeated.

"Hey Kiku, can I see the photos you took?" Manuel asked.

"Oh, of course Manuel-san. I was just looking through them."

Manuel browsed through the pictures, impressed at the angles they were taken in. "Kiku you sure you don't wanna become a photographer? These are pretty good."

"I have not taken it into consideration."

"Well it might be something you'd wanna look in to. Oh, here are the panda photos." Manuel gave a small chuckle when he noticed Alfred in about half of them, though he could tell Kiku tried to make it look like he was photographing the habitat and animals. It's starting to become obvious, ha ha!

The next photo was of the upper tier where a panda was roaming with a few visitors snapping their own photos. Manuel recognized the man in the baseball cap from earlier in the day. He's the same one who was at the aviary… No but, of course. I mean, I've seen a lot of the same visitors in various places I've been to. Yeah, how dumb. He stared at the picture for a long while, Kiku looking curiously at him when he didn't answer to his name.

Francis leaned over from his seat adjacent to theirs and put his hand on Manuel's shoulder. He jumped instantly, retracting his arm closer to his body. "Uh, Manuel are you okay?"

"Huh?"

"Kiku has been asking you to see your sketches, and I'd like to as well."

"Oh…y-yeah sure." He handed the sketchbook to Francis and gave the camera back to Kiku.

"Manuel-san, is everything alright? You have been unusually cautious ever since we left the aviary."

"Don't worry, I'm fine." The moment he gave a reassuring and chipper grin, Kiku remembered what Alfred had told him about feigning security with a smile. His mop haired friend began a conversation with Francis, seeming to have returned to his natural behavior.

There is definitely something that is bothering you Manuel-san. You can't hide behind that smile forever…

"Man, today was a good day!" Alfred exclaimed as he got home. "The best zoo trip in my life!"

"Is it because of Navah?" asked Matthew with a laugh.

"W-Well no, not…not entirely. I mean, the animals were great too! How was your date with Kat?"

"I-It wasn't a date!"

"I saw those flirtatious glances and pokes bro."

"No! It was just a normal…look! And she started it so I wasn't gonna act cold!"

"Kat seemed really happy when we left."

"Well…Ivan threatened me in a not-so-threatening way to make sure she had a good time at the zoo."

"Dude, he totally approves of you and her becoming a thing."

"What?! Alfred that's stupid!" His twin laughed when Matthew's face turned red. "What's so funny?!"

"Nothing! Nothing. You still haven't given her that rabbit from the camping trip, have you?"

"I just haven't found the right time to do it."

"Well next time we go visit gramps at the hospital, you can give it to her then."

"Yeah I guess." Matthew looked at Kiku. "Did you have fun Kiku?"

"Hmm? Oh, yes, I did. I spent most of my day with Manuel-san. He was pleasant company."

"Hey Kiku, I didn't hear what you said about the pandas. Navah wanted to go to the orangutans, but it did sound interesting!"

"I thought you and her already discussed in detail about every animal?"

"Nah, only in the beginning. Our conversations always went to something random after. Besides, you're enthusiastic about it, and it's pretty adorable. You remind me of a friendly audio book or something."

He blushed. "Uh, well thank you Alfred-san. But actually I want to lay down for a bit in my room. I'm a little exhausted. Perhaps during dinner when your mother returns from her outing, we can discuss the fauna of the zoo?"

"Oh, well okay, yeah I'd like that!"

Kiku walked up to his room and closed the door. He sat on his bed and connected the camera to his laptop to organize the photos. The one Manuel had been staring at still concerned him.

"Augh. What was it about this person that Manuel-san didn't like? I'm positive this was why he was pale after the aviary." He tapped his chin, a bit frustrated. He bit his lip as his fingers stood hovered over his keyboard, the web browser open to the Google search engine. "He's my friend and I can't help but feel worried about him…"

He typed in the search box and a few hundred results popped up.

"Guess it's time I researched the behavior of a different kind of animal, one that should be locked away in a cage forever."

A/N: How the fuck do you write Berwald's dialogue. I did the best I could with that and the entirety of this chapter. Behold my skills at trying to juggle more than one relationship in a story. Well I really have nothing else to say about this chapter except that I like it slightly better than the previous one. I start school on the fourth so...I don't know when I'll post up the next installment. Hopefully sometime in March or sooner.

This chapter would have been done by Tuesday but I caught a cold and I have been feeling like death this entire week, but I promised you all I'd get this chapter up before I returned to the lifestyle of academia. My biggest fear of me being sick is coughing because then I feel like I have to throw up every time... Urgh. Anyway, hope this chapter satisfied you guys. Until the next update!