Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia
"Guess who's home?"
Seconds after Alfred bellowed his arrival; he heard loud thumping of footsteps coming toward him. Despite how threatening the footsteps sounded, Alfred stood perfectly still with a big grin on his face.
Suddenly, a messy short blonde hair popped out from the staircase, their lime-green eyes glaring dangerously at him. Ever so slowly, the figure cautiously walked over to the beaming young man.
Though he appeared intimidating, he retained his gentleman-like behavior. "Bloody idiot, where the hell were you?"
Alfred laughed whole-heartedly, patting his older brother on the shoulder. "Nice to see you too, Arthur!"
"You didn't answer the damn question, Alfred!" Arthur yelled, losing his temper.
"Oh, well you know, work and…" Alfred trailed off, his mind suddenly wandering elsewhere. The image of the woman in a wedding dress appeared in his thoughts, causing him to start blushing furiously. "S-stuff…"
All Arthur could do was let out a measured sigh.
How he dearly missed the times when this git used to be docile and meek, always begging to get his older brother's attention. As much as he wanted those glorious days back, time cannot be rewind. Alfred was turning into a man in a split second and there was nothing he could do but watch. Once he and Matthew graduated college, Arthur knew he'd be alone in the house for quite a long while. Until that dreaded day comes, Arthur would have to cherish every waking moment, regardless if violence was issued between them.
"Woah, Arthur!"
Alfred's loud cry caused Arthur to jump a little. Folding his arms, he asked, "What's wrong now?"
"Look, look!"
Doing what he was told, he looked up to find one of Alfred's hands over the top of his head. Arthur squinted his eyes, trying to make sense of him.
What the hell was he doing? "I don't understand."
Alfred flashed a smile. "I'm getting taller than you! Isn't that awesome?"
Arthur's left eye twitched in annoyance.
God, please give him the strength to endure these last three years.
"Michelle! Francis!" Alfred greeted, sprinting past Arthur. Nearly tripping along the way, he successfully managed to capture the approaching individuals in a bear hug.
"Alfred…I can't breathe!" Michelle shrieked, playfully punching one of his shoulders.
"My, have you grown!" Francis complimented, ruffling Alfred's blonde hair affectionately.
A childhood friend of Arthur, Francis Bonnefoy was a romantic man who would often come over to their house. Whether it was babysitting or just a regular hang out, he was a regular guest for Alfred and his brothers. Sometimes, he would also bring along his adopted baby sister, Michelle. Because of their history together, Alfred considered the two of them a part of his small family.
Releasing the pair from his embrace, Alfred looked around. "Huh? Am I forgetting something?"
"Don't forget about me!" A quiet voice emitted in the background.
Alfred scratched his head in confusion. "Who?"
"Alfred," Arthur began, nudging him to get his attention. He pointed to the other figure standing next to him.
Upon the sight, Alfred laughed and walked over. "Of course, how could I forget?"
The voice sighed in relief, waiting for Alfred to recognize him.
Alfred leaned down, patting the big white Chow Chow that sat between the two. "What's up, Kumajirou?"
Hearing this, the figure groaned inwardly. "Dammit, Alfred! I'm right here!"
Alfred chuckled once more.
This time, he was face-to-face with his identical twin. "Just kidding, Matthew. You know that I'll never forget you." He stated, giving him one of his bear hugs.
"You better not," Matthew muttered softly. Nevertheless, he squeezed his twin brother back in response.
Out of nowhere, something hit atop of Alfred's head, startling him.
Turning around, sky blue clashed with lime green. "Get ready. We're leaving in fifteen minutes."
At this point, Alfred began to notice what they were wearing. Excluding him and Michelle, the rest of the men wore similar formal wear. The only differences amongst the three of them were the color of their ties, which matched the color of their natural eye colors. Michelle, on the other hand, wore a simple dark dress that stretched down to her knees. Her long dark brown hair was tied into two pigtails with her signature red ribbons.
"Shit!" Alfred cried as he proceeded to go to the staircase. "I'll be right back!"
"Fifteen minutes!" Arthur hollered loudly.
Thump!
Alfred kicked his bedroom door, his sudden rampage causing some of his action figures in the room to tip over and fall. Posters of superheroes decorated the blue and white striped walls. His bed was adorned with blankets and pillows printed with various superhero symbols.
In spite of his age, Alfred was still a kid at heart.
With the money that he earned through work, he would often buy action figures through the Internet. The first time Arthur found out, he was disgusted, demanding Alfred to sell them. Next thing they knew, the two brothers quickly reconciled a treaty when Alfred mentioned about Arthur's constant spending on stuffed animals. Similar to Arthur, Matthew couldn't take superheroes seriously which is why it was a good thing he had a best friend like Kiku. Compared to Alfred, Kiku was more embarrassed to expose his affection for superheroes with everyone.
Family visits were a regular thing in Kiku's place and so every now and then, he would ask Alfred to keep his stash of comic books in which the latter was happily obliged to do so.
Unbuckling the straps around his waist, Alfred carefully gripped onto his brown pouch. Zipping the pouch, he then took out his Nikon camera and turned it on. He quickly rushed over to turn on his computer and his printer. Next, he inserted a wire into the camera.
Afterward, he plugged the other end to the printer. A window appeared on the computer screen, asking permission to start printing the pictures.
He heedlessly clicked 'yes'.
While waiting, Alfred hastily bolted to his closet, unveiling a handsome tuxedo. He stopped for a moment to quickly glance at the digital clock on the far end of his room.
He only had ten more minutes left.
Pushing his sliding specs to his face, he went straight to work.
First, he carelessly began removing his bomber jacket and the rest of his clothes, creating a large pile on the floor. He then changed into his pants and dress shirt first, followed by a thick black blazer.
Next, he retrieved his black shoes that he found from under the covers of his bed and proceeded to lace the aglets together. While fastening his belt around his waistline, he heard a soft beep coming from his printer.
Walking over, a smile graced his lips. The pictures were done. Collecting the printed pictures into his hands, Alfred sat down on his bed, counting them aloud one by one.
'A hundred…A hundred and one…'
By the time he had reached a hundred and two, Alfred froze.
Right there, nestled amid of his fingers was the picture of the mysterious woman wearing a wedding gown.
What made the photograph even more captivating was the fact that she was photogenic.
In his books, it was picture perfect.
"I bet her name is beautiful too…" Alfred said to himself, dreamily.
He only met her once but this woman already had him spellbound.
Throughout his time as a tourist photographer, he had seen a lot of females; some that he would admit were very attractive. Even so, he kept to himself, firmly believing that his job was far important than getting involved with ridiculous shenanigans. Alfred wouldn't like to admit it but he was secretly grateful for Arthur's teachings.
Darting back to the picture, he couldn't help but produce a goofy smile.
This woman was different and he liked it.
Oh, the way that her amber eyes sparkled. Her angelic hair. Damn, and that voice.
Everything about her was amazing.
No, wait, magnificent.
Spectacular.
Whichever is the case, Alfred knows for sure that she would fit perfectly for any word he could think of.
Because in his eyes, she was perfect.
If only he could see her again...
...Great, now he sounds like a freak.
Knock! Knock!
"Al, we gotta move!"
"Be right there!" Alfred called out as he stood up from the bed.
He wasn't aware that he had unconsciously pocketed a certain picture on his right chest pocket. Setting the other pictures aside on his drawer, he then took his trumpet case that lay next to his nightstand whilst his other free hand reached for his cornflower tie. Closing his bedroom door, he advanced down the staircase where he was met with the presence of his family.
"Here, let me." Francis began, motioning the younger blonde to hand over his tie.
Alfred did so, tilting his neck a little to the side, giving Francis more access as he started creasing and knotting the tie around him.
Once he was finished, Francis took two steps back, marveling his work. "Magnifique!"
"We don't have time for this Frog," Arthur glared before tossing a set of car keys toward his direction. "Here, you drive."
Luckily, Francis caught it in time.
"Everyone ready?" Michelle asked, receiving nods of approval.
Alfred grinned cheekily, throwing a fist pump into the air. "Let's get this started!"
Photography was one of Alfred F. Jones's favorite pastime.
But if there was one thing that he would consider being his hidden passion, it would be his love for music.
Starting when he was twelve-years-old, he displayed impressive skills in various instruments, specifically with the trumpet. Through Arthur's guidance, Alfred was able to master the trumpet and went on to attend several gigs.
Of all the gigs, he remained in World Orchestra in which was compressed with the majority of his friends and family.
Matthew took on the French horn with Michelle on the Trombone and Francis on the saxophone. His best friend Kiku was a talented violin player and a recent member of their orchestra band along with Gilbert who was in charge with the flute and so forth. Finally, there was Arthur who was their Conductor and with his leadership, he was successfully able to make their gig a world-renowned orchestra band, preserving their number one spot as champions in the entire globe for five consecutive years.
As much as Alfred despised getting ordered around by his older brother, he wasn't ready to leave the group.
If he knew any better, World Orchestra only became successful if it were not for their strong connections with one another. Every single member was important like pieces of a puzzle and when jointed together, create unity.
Besides his own house, World Orchestra was Alfred's self-proclaimed home.
After what seemed like hours, they finally arrived at their destination.
"This is so cool!" Alfred chanted, his eyes twinkling with excitement.
"Put back your seatbelt, you bloody idiot!" Arthur cried out, pushing his younger brother back to his seat. "You're gonna make a fool of yourself!"
Shortly after Arthur's rant, Francis pulled a lever to stop the vehicle.
"Alright, mes chéris! We're here!" He yelled aloud.
As soon as Francis finished his sentence, the truck began to slightly rock back and forth from the movement of everyone attempting to barge out and escape through the doors.
Quickly grabbing their instrument cases, the five hastily marched toward the concert hall entrance where they were greeted by the roaring cheers and applauses of their fellow members.
Arthur held his head high, his lime-green eyes glistening with pride.
"I apologize for being late," He announced to them, "I assure you that it won't happen again."
"Why are you apologizing for?"
Hurling his head, Arthur furrowed his eyebrows. "A gentleman can never be tardy."
The taller individual groaned, his small black hat lightly slanting to the side. "Come on, don't be such a baby! Does it even matter?"
"It does to me, Mister Mathias Køhler." Arthur addressed sternly. "Anyway, is everyone here?"
"Oh yes, my brothers and I are here!" Mathias howled vigorously, bestowing his large cello case before the gentleman. Behind him were silhouettes of his relatives in tow.
"We are also here too, ve~!" A hyperactive Italian man clamored as he waved both of his arms merrily.
One after another, Arthur mentally checked off the rest of his orchestra band. Once he finished narrowing down his attendance, he smirked. "Excellent. Not a single absence." He proclaimed, folding his arms. "Now then, does anyone know who we are up against?"
"There's the One-Band Symphony," Francis suggested as he speculated the paper that consisted of the other group names and their time of performance.
Arthur smirked from ear to ear. "Hah! What a joke!"
"What about Yellow Magic Orchestra?" Matthew proposed.
Arthur shook his head, his confidence unyielding. "Is there more?"
"Well, there's⎯"
"Ni hao, aru!"
Arthur paused for a moment, cringing by the familiar voice.
Just when he thought that tonight was going to be a cinch…
"Bloody hell." Arthur uttered under his breath before averting back to his gentleman character. "What a pleasant surprise to see you tonight, Yao."
The long haired fellow bowed his head respectfully, "How is my brother?"
"You mean Kiku? He's doing fine." Arthur said flatly. "Why would you ask this question when you are both living under the same roof?"
"Ah, yes," Yao began, placing a finger under his chin. "By day, he is my brother. But by night, he is an enemy, aru."
"I see…well, I heard you found his replacement." Arthur pressed on, changing the topic.
"Yes, a newcomer," Yao confirmed, his tone gradually sounding serious. "She will blow you all out of the water."
'Does this git want to pick a fight with me?' Arthur thought, getting frustrated. He gripped one of his hands tightly, its skin color becoming white. Alas, he retained his polite demeanor. "We'll just have to wait and see. That is if she could destroy Alfred's solo."
"Your ace against mine, aru?" Yao stopped for a moment before bobbing his head. "Aright." He then reached out a hand toward Arthur. "This will be interesting."
If there was anyone in the entire world worthy enough to compete with World Orchestra, it was Yao Wang's band, Star Fest.
Knowing that his band's reputation was on the line, Arthur conclusively stretched out his own, concealing their agreement as they shook. "Let the games begin."
"Alfred, over here!"
The blonde young man stopped, turning toward the directon of the voices that called him. Alfred smiled as he was greeted by the familiar figures of his best friends.
"Kiku! Gilbert!"
"What took you so long?" Kiku scolded, somewhat irritated.
"I got caught up with something," Alfred began, laughing away. "But I'm here now, so let's get this shebang started!"
Kiku shook his head, biting his lip. "I'm afraid tonight isn't going to be that easy."
"Huh? Why not, dude?"
"Did you hear about the other group we're competing against?" Gilbert started, joining the conversation. Never had he seen Gilbert with an expression this serious before.
Alfred pressed the tip of his specs, puzzled. "Nobody told me anything."
"This is bad…this is really bad," Kiku repeated over and over, attempting to tie his necktie but failing every time.
"What's up with you guys?" Alfred wondered, getting frightened. "You two look like you just seen a ghost⎯"
"Ah! It's nice to see that you are doing well, da."
Alfred froze, the mysterious chilly voice sending chills down his spine. Twirling his head, he was greeted by the view of a threatening, tall figure hovering before him. It didn't take an idiot like him to realize what his orchestra band was up against.
His usual grin disappeared.
"Shit."
Author's Note:
Hello again! Just two days ago, I published this fanfiction and have gotten so many positive reviews! I didn't realize how popular this fanfiction was going to be and because of you guys, I was able to get the strength to keep on writing!
In the previous chapter, we were introduced to one of Alfred's hobbies. Photography. Now, I introduce you his other one, music (trumpet). I was able to include a lot of characters this time around. In fact, I was able to also include one of the characters requested by one of my reviewers (you know who you are).
I'm open for more requests of characters, so feel free to request and I will deliver!
Overall, I would like to say thank you again for supporting me. I will try my best to keep updating. For now, please enjoy this chapter.
And once again, your opinions are greatly appreciated!
P.S. Michelle is Seychelles