Filler or story? Filler or story? Filler or story? AUUUUGGGGHHHH I DON'T KNOW ANYMOOOOOOOORE!

/= [DAY 63] =/

"So, this the first meeting since the success of the Halloween performance, and I want to give you all a job well done!" Alfred chirped.

"I. Fucking. Hated. It."

"Ve~~it wasn't that bad, fratello…"

"IT WAS FUCKING BAD, FRATELLO!" Lovino spat. "I mean, what the FREAKIN' HELL was I wearing?"

"Well duh~! TINY MINI-SKIRTS!"

"What the-? WHO THE HELL LET FRANCE IN?"

"And that's the cue for-"

*MASSIVE CHAOS*

Charice stared at the satisfied look on Alfred's face as she barely realized that people were being thrown over each other and Lovino had just pulled out random tomatoes, meaning that shit gone real. Alfred calmly pulled her out of the room and smiled at her with something that sorta freaked her out.

"If you told me that you planned this, I will so hurt you."

"Maybe I did-"

*PUNCH*

"Owowowowowow!"

"Told ya."

"Ah…OK, if you just hear me out before hurting me again, I'd really appreciate it."

"…OK." Charice folded her arms.

"I have something planned for Arthur today, but it's a surprise and I need your help~!" Alfred winked. "If possible, can you?"

"Help…? Uh…" She sighed. Him and plans were a dangerous mix. Like Ivan and Natalya. "Sure. Why not?"

"Yaaaaaay~! OK, meet me in the park after school!"

We have a park?

/=+=/

Holy crap, we have a park.

Charice stared at the scenery as she started walking around, the New York trees looking quite brilliant in the afternoon light. She would've been enjoying it just a little more if it hadn't been for the fact that she heard some familiar screaming coming from the lake.

Wait a minute-

She charged through the emptiness (what strange sense of context) and found herself finding Alfred in the lake, flailing uselessly and trying to grab at something. A billion thoughts were going through her head, none of them rated low enough to state here.

America's drowning! "Hey, Alfred!"

"Eh?" He stopped. "Oh, hey! You came around!"

…

"WHAT THE FUCK was THAAAAT?"

"Eh? Oh, this is my surprise for Arthur!"

"…killing yourself?" Charice blinked. "Geez, not to sound like a horn-blower cause I love you two, but shouldn't you at least try talking to each other?"

"Ahahahaha! No no no, we're not breaking up!"

"So you're killing yourself."

"Nope! I'm giving Arthur a beautiful memory!"

"Of your drowned body down a beautiful river such as this?"

"No, Charice! I'm going to make Arthur a hero!"

"Eh?"

"I've talked to Francis yesterday, and he said that Arthur has always wanted to come to my aid ever since my independence." Alfred swam to the dock. "So I'm going to make him a hero today by making him save me from drowing in the lake!"

"…does he even know how to swim?"

"…I'm not really sure."

Woooooooow. "So what the hell am I doing here?"

"Easy! You're going to get Arthur over here and tell me that I'm drowning!"

"…why?"

"Please, Charice?"

"…fine. Whatever." She grinned. "But please don't kill yourself."

/=+=/

Charice found herself going to the dormitories and looking around for Arthur. Sure enough, she found him fixing up a few pieces of papers in a small backpack right in front of the doors. There was no effort in trying to get his attention: he instantly saw her.

"Oh, Charice." He grinned. "Let me guess: you're doing something stupid, aren't you?"

I always do something stupid…but it didn't top today. "Really now." She folded her arms. "Well, Alfred's drowning-"

"WHAT?"

"But really, don't worry. It's just another one of Alfred's small issu- hey, where'd you go?"

/=+=/

For some reason, her fangirl senses were tingling enough to lead her to his location. Five minutes later, she found Arthur heading toward the spot where Alfred was faking drowning. She had to admit, it was a little convincing once she watched it.

"AAAGGGH! LEG CRAMP LEG CRAMP LEG CRAMP!"

A little too convincing, actually…

"Alfred! I'm coming!"

"Arthur? Arthur help me!"

Oh crap he really is drowning!

Charice was about to do something when Arthur jumped into the pool after him. She stood at the edge of the deck and watched as Arthur swam toward Alfred, grabbed his arm, and then slowly pulled him back to shore in order to complete Alfred's goal.

Well, that was the plan, anyway.

It was after he grabbed onto the American that she realized that he can't swim. She stared in panic as Arthur tried his best to stay afloat while trying to keep up a drowning American. She quickly grabbed her shoes and socks and pulled them off, ready to swim in after them. Fortunately, she was a natural swimmer.

Again, that was the plan.

Barely had she finally got her socks off when she saw a strange glow coming off of Arthur's back. The wind kicked up as they shot up into the air, and she clearly saw that Arthur's wings had shot up, his grip holding close to a rather startled Alfred.

"…A-Arthur…?"

"C-crap…I…I moved up too quickly…"

Charice ran down the deck as Arthur crashed-landed on the dock, letting Alfred loose. He scrambled to regain composure and went to his side, watching the Brit slowly open his eyes and shaking his head to clear his mind. And then he proceeded to smack his face.

"What the hell is wrong with you!" He spat.

"…"

"…god dammit, Al. What the hell were you thinking…?"

"Arthur…?"

"Don't think that I don't know, dammit. One look on Charice's face told me it was a joke…but to think you were actually drowning…WHAT THE HELL!"

"…I just wanted you to be a hero."

"Eh?"

Arthur slowly sat up, feeling the other's skin, and watching as he stared questioningly at the white feathers on his back. Of course he tried to touch it, and Arthur tried his best not to make a sound, though the red marks on his face clearly betrayed him.

"I've been talking with Francis yesterday, and he said that maybe I should make you a hero for once." He stated calmly.

"…that bloody frog." He mumbled, feeling Alfred's fingers on his wing. "Mmn…that git really needs to get off my back…"

"Am I successful?"

"You bastard! You almost drowned!" Arthur screamed, his voice cracked. "Why would I be grateful after…?"

He looked down again, the feelings coming through the wings taking over his body. After a few minutes, Alfred realized what he wasn't saying a word and lowered his hand, seeing the wing twitch away from him and curl behind the Brit's body.

"But you're a hero now."

"You idiot…if I lost you, there wouldn't be a reason to be a hero…"

It was then that Alfred realized that the Brit had tripped into dere mode, his eyes starting to water up as it tried to hold back tears. The American took a deep breath before lightly hugging him, noticing that he didn't make a move to hide it. The wings curled around them, hiding them from view.

Except for Charice, of course.

/= [DAY 65] =/

"OH HELL NO I DID NOT JUST DO THAT!"

Ludwig looked up and saw that there was no one around him. He blinked for a few minutes before he felt his knees buckle, and he looked down to see that Charice was clinging onto his legs with a rather shocked / amused look on her face.

"I missed your birthday, didn't you?"

"Eh?" He blinked.

"October 20! I missed your birthday!"

"I-it's not a big deal-"

"BULLCRAP!" She pointed accusingly at him. "I'm here to tell you a belated Happy Birthday!"

"T-thanks." He seemed pretty embarrassed by all the attention.

Charice chuckled, making Ludwig all the more embarrassed. She reminded him of Gilbert in a way…just that she doesn't drink and is open about her shipping to other people. It was then that she noticed something: there was a strange shadow in his eyes again…and there were bags under his eyes.

"What the hell are you doing after hours?"

"Eh?"

"There're bags underneath your eyes." She blinked. "Have you been sleeping at all?"

"N-not that much. I have…work to do." He stated. "Just because I'm a student here doesn't mean that I no longer have country duties."

"Didn't they send us here in order to take a break from those duties?" Charice blinked. "At least, that's what my boss told me."

"I…I insisted."

Her eyebrows went up, and Ludwig knew that she told right through that. Must've been a trait that she adopted when she was raising Rizal. Maybe she took that from Rizal. Maybe it's the other way around. He sighed.

"I…I've been having a hard time sleeping."

"Bedbugs? Insomnia? You have your brother's room next door?"

"…"

"Come on, Ludwig."

"…nightmares."

She froze. Her mind instantly warped back to what Feliciano had told her on Halloween. Nightmares…they're both suffering from nightmares…

"Oh."

"D-don't tell anyone, all right?"

"All right. It's just a nightmare, after all."

"…y-yeah…just a nightmare…"

"…? Are you blushing?"

"N-no! N-no, no, no…"

"Oh my god, you are!"

"N-no I'm not!"

"…oh my god, are you TSUNDERE?"

"W-what? N-no, no I'm not!"

"Holy crap YOU ARE!"

"Ch-Charice! I'm NOT a tsundere! What is Kiku telling you these days?"

"That you are such a tsundere!"

Gott…where's that phobia when you need it…?

/=+=/

All right, all right! I'll stop the Gakuen Hetalia references! Geez! They're all on YouTube, if you want to watch. And yeah, I might start the subplot next chappie.