Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia

Slamming the door open with his foot, Mathias enthusiastically jumped, shouting at the top of his lungs with his arms spread wide. His blazer was half exposed, revealing his white dress shirt. "Woohoo! It's finally over!"

"Don't be too optimistic. We haven't exactly won yet." The fair-haired youth directed sternly, his dull cerulean eyes complimenting his monotone expression. A navy blue barrette sported atop of his head with a detached hair curl on his left side.

"Don't be such a party pooper, Lukas!"

"Says the jerk face who nearly missed the G string." Lukas disputed haughtily.

"What did you say?" Mathias barked back.

Lukas smirked teasingly, emphasizing his words slowly. "Jerk face."

"Now, now, don't fight you two." A delightful voice chimed in. "We just got back from performing."

"Tino, I don't think they're listening." Another one piped along, pushing his glasses against his face.

Compared to his other companion, he sounded rigid. His height unfortunately, didn't help with his already daunting look.

Meanwhile, the bickering duo continued fighting, ignoring their brothers in the sidelines.

"Say sorry now!" Mathias cried angrily, forcing an apology from the younger one.

Lukas stopped for a moment before replying, "I'll be willing to but under one condition."

"And that is?"

"I want Emil to say 'big brother'."

Upon hearing this, the youth called Emil Steilsson coolly folded his arms, glaring at the bickering duo. After a momentary silence, he finally concluded with a shake of his head, "I can't believe I'm related to these idiots."

Tino furrowed an eyebrow. "What did you say, Emil?" He asked curiously. When he didn't receive an answer, he turned his attention to his tall companion. "Berwald, what did he say?"

Berwald sighed deeply. "Tino, you're not helping."

"Yo, dudes!"

"Oh, Alfred!" Tino acknowledged the young man running toward their small gang, waving his arm in a friendly gesture. "Great work on the solo."

Alfred grinned. "Thanks! You guys were awesome too!"

"Flattery won't get you anywhere," Emil simply stated.

"Hey, Alfred, we still going out for karaoke?" Mathias cried, dashing over to join the conversation.

Much to his brothers' confusion, his heated dispute with Lukas was miraculously disregarded.

Alfred bobbed his head excitedly. "That's what I came here to tell you. You guys still in or what?"

"'Course, man!" Mathias affirmed. Exchanging friendly smirks, they bumped their fists.

"Guess I'll come too," Emil muttered. "I don't have anything else to do anyway."

"Count me and Berwald too!" Tino declared; ignoring the intention of asking neither the latter's permission nor opinions. "We'll sing a duet!"

"I'll come unless Emil calls me 'big brother'." Lukas interrupted.

Alfred chuckled, "Sweet! We'll meet at Sunrise Café at 7 pm sharp," He informed them. "Don't be late!"

"You sound just like Arthur," Tino commented, referring to their resemblance.

Berwald sighed, "You know how sensitive Alfred is when he's being compared to his older brother," He argued to Tino.

"Well, unlike Arthur, Alfred here knows how to party!" Mathias cried out in an attempt to cheer his friend up. He then slapped a hand against Alfred's back, resulting the young man to unexpectedly lung forward. Because of this, a certain picture in Alfred's right dress pocket flew out.

Mathias raised an eyebrow, kneeling down to take the photograph from the ground. Speculating the image, he couldn't help but be awed. "Whoa, what do we have here?"

Alfred looked up, his eyes drifting to the small photograph in Mathias's grasp.

It wasn't until he recognized the picture.

His heart almost stopped beating.

Crap!

Without thinking, Alfred quickly reached out to grab it. Noticing this, Mathias raised his arm a bit higher, much to Alfred's dismay.

"Alfred's here got a crushy~" Mathias joked as he fretted the picture within his fingers. Looking back at the image, he let out a whistle. "And he's got a great taste for women too!"

"Mathias, give it back to him," Emil ordered, being the voice of reason.

"This isn't funny, Mathias!" Alfred shouted rather frantically as he once again tried to reach for the picture.

This caused Mathias to lift his arm a little bit higher, irritating Alfred more.

Looking around, Mathias spotted Kiku and Gilbert who currently were engaged in a conversation with Kiku's distant relative Li Xiao Chun and the carefree Feliciano Vargas. Paying no attention to both Alfred and Emil's protests, Mathias jogged over to the four individuals.

Without thinking, Alfred sprinted after him in an effort to get back the photograph.

"DAMMIT, MATHIAS! COME BACK HERE!"

"Man, we were on fire today!" Gilbert howled as he carelessly placed his arms behind the back of his head.

"I bet Star Fest is panicking by now," Li simply claimed in a dreamlike state.

"Well, even if we don't win, least we had fun!" Feliciano chirped, smiling gleefully.

"I agree," Kiku merely replied, a small smile forming on his lips. "Though I'm not too sure about Star Fest. My brother Yao is the Conductor." He explained with his facial features hardening. "You never know what he's going to do next."

Suddenly, a mass of weight was pushed against him. Alarmed, Kiku hastily turned.

"Mathias? What are you doing here?"

Mathias grinned cheekily, motioning his right hand idiotically, in which the picture was supposedly tucked in.

"Check this out—" His words escaped his throat as soon as he exposed his hand.

There was nothing.

"Shit, where is it? Where is it?" Mathias yelled, searching his pockets.

Now Alfred would literally kill him!

Gilbert snickered. "What's got your pants in a twist?"

Li averted his attention to the side, spotting a nearby figure coming toward them. "And why does Alfred look like he just ran a marathon?"

"Oh, oh! You guys playing tag, ve?" Feliciano presumed innocently.

"You could say that…" Mathias trailed off, his tone slightly quivering. "See, I took something from him and now it's gone!"

"What was it anyway?" Kiku questioned, getting interested.

Mathias tilted his head to the side, shrugging. "Oh you know, a pic of a girl that Alfred's got a crush on."

"Alfred? Really?" Feliciano squeaked, suddenly getting thrilled over the news. "Who is it? Who is it?"

"Honestly, I don't know." Mathias confessed before shaking his head. "Anyway, it doesn't matter now! Quick, help me find that pic before Alfred gets here!"

"Too late." Li said, pointing at the menacing silhouette at the back of Mathias.

The albino slapped a hand on his thigh, cracking up. "Dude, you're in trouble!"

"Gilbert, please shut up." Kiku murmured.

Mathias gulped thickly. This can't be good.

"'Sup, Alfred!" Mathias greeted, smiling nervously.

Alfred put his hands on his knees, completely out of breath. Pushing his falling specs against the bridge of his nose, Alfred proceeded to meet eye to eye with the Nordic, extending his hand out. "Mathias," He addressed, heaving another deep breath before continuing, "Give back the picture."

Mathias bit his bottom lip, hesitantly.

"You mean this, da?"

Alfred quickly turned his head to face the Russian. "Ivan!"

"Is this yours, Alfred?" Ivan wondered, revealing the photograph that was secured between his fingers.

"Yes, that's mine!" Alfred confirmed, quite overjoyed. "Can I have it back?"

Ivan pursed his lips before gradually shaking his head, handing out the picture. "Sure, why not?"

"Awesome!" Alfred thanked as he began to withdraw and pull the picture toward him, only to find that Ivan's hold was still preoccupying its glossy texture. "Dude, you gotta let go."

"I know."

"But you aren't." Alfred noted matter-of-factly, exerting more force to move the picture near him. "So, if you can just—"

"It's not over."

Alfred blinked immaculately. "Come again?"

Ivan scornfully smiled, finally releasing the picture from his grasp. "You heard me." He said, shoving one of his hands into his pockets.

With his free hand, he formed thumps up. "World Orchestra," Ivan continued before degenerating the simple gesture into thumbs down. "Will not last forever."

Everything turned quiet. Looking over his shoulder, Alfred noticed that Kiku, Gilbert, and the others were showing signs of fear of Ivan's declaration.

Even the vigorous Nordic suddenly subdued; the expression on his face was what one would make when they found out that the world was ending tomorrow.

However, Alfred wasn't affected and remained standing tall.

"You like superheroes, right?" Ivan wondered, getting Alfred's full attention.

Receiving a nod, he grinned, "Tell me, what makes a superhero invincible?"

"Hahaha, that's an easy question! Obviously, their supernatural strength, immortality, extraordinary feats..." Alfred started, listing one reason after another.

"True." Ivan said, agreeing with him. "But what else do they all have in common, da?"

This time, Alfred closed his mouth, rethinking. Funny how he could recite thousands of superheroes off the top of his head and yet he couldn't remember much of the proficiencies to define what a proper hero was. He shrugged, "I don't know. Being awesome?"

This made Ivan smile pleasantly, causing Alfred to feel uncomfortable. "They all have weaknesses."

Alfred frowned. "Yeah, so?"

A noise rang from afar, causing Alfred and Ivan to take notice of two females advancing to their Conductor.

Identifying one of the girls to be the same one from the picture, Ivan's smile expanded.

"I just found yours."

"Xiao Mei! Lien!" The ponytailed man greeted the two sisters. "Just in time, aru!"

"In time for what?" Lien asked.

"What do you think?" Yao proclaimed, dramatically gesturing to the large white bulletin board in front of them. Various names of orchestra bands were written next to their respective ranking. "The results are in, aru!"

Xiao Mei's ears perked up. "Oh, really?" Looking up, she quickly skimmed through the names of the groups in search of her own. "Where are we anyway?"

Yao put a finger under his chin, squinting his eyes as he, too contemplated. "Good question."

Lien stared at the giant board. She then raised her finger up high. "There we are."

"Which rank?" Xiao Mei asked, throwing more questions.

"The following sets of bands are eligible to advance to the next round." Her sister read the bold writings aloud. "Third place goes to Yellow Magic Orchestra, Second place…"

"Star Fest with World Orchestra reigning first place." Yao resolved, finishing Lien's statement.

Xiao Mei brought her hands to her mouth.

Lien crinkled her eyebrows, muttering softly, "I don't understand. We tried so hard."

"It wasn't good enough, aru." Yao seethed under his breath, making his hands transform into fists.

"Well, even though we're placed second, just remember that we're eligible to go to the next round!" Xiao Mei cried, countering the negativity with something positive. "That's something to look forward to!"

Yao let out a measured breath. Walking over to the younger girl, he ruffled her hair in affection. "That's true."

"You can blame our performance on me, Yao," Lien said, bowing her head in distraught. "I came in late and put Star Fest in jeopardy."

"Don't talk bullshit, aru." Yao assured her, folding his arms. "So what if you're late? At least, you came."

"Even if I'm wearing something as unusual as this?" Lien pressed on, gesturing to her wedding gown. "Knowing you, you'll be lecturing me by now."

"Why would I be mad at you? You're the ace of Star Fest, the nucleus!" Yao clarified, avoiding the bulletin board to focus his attention on the sisters. "Aside from that, Xiao Mei already told me everything beforehand. And as for your request, my answer is yes."

Lien gasped. "Really?" She whispered, her voice cracking.

"Stay for as long as you need to," Yao explained further. "Kiku and I will make sure to protect you two in case Yeung finds out, aru."

"Thank you so much," Lien expressed her gratitude by bowing her head again. "Mei and I are in your debt."

Since they were toddlers, Yao Wang and Kiku Honda had always partaken in Lien and Xiao Mei's childhood. Despite the age gap, save for Kiku and Lien who were merely a few months apart, the four of them developed a close bond, much like that of Alfred and his brothers to Francis and Michelle.

With the recent events that's been occurring, Lien and Xiao Mei desperately needed their family.

And yet, they were hardly there for them.

Their biological family history were filled with divorce, abuses and involvement of drugs. With no protection from their widowed mother, the sisters were vulnerable.

If Lien could define a family, her answer would have to be a group of individuals linked with a strong bond, regardless of whether or not they were blood-related or not. In other words, Yao and Kiku along with her sister Xiao Mei was close to what she thought a family would be.

This didn't change when Kiku ultimately decided to leave Star Fest and go to World Orchestra.

So long as they were all together, nothing else mattered.

"Say, Yao, don't you wanna congratulate Kiku?" Xiao Mei asked unexpectedly.

"I'll wait until morning." Yao alleged, sighing deeply. "If I do it now, he might take it the wrong way."

Xiao Mei shrugged. "Oh, okay."

After a brief silence, Yao decided to break the ice. "So, any plans afterward?" Yao asked, amending his gloved hands.

"Actually, yeah. Kiku invited Lien and me for karaoke later this evening." Xiao Mei described, smiling cheekily.

Yao then turned to face Lien, wriggling his eyebrows in a suggestive way. "Are you going to wear that, aru?"

In response, Lien blushed into an embarrassing shade of salmon. "Hell no!"

"Obviously, she's gonna wear something more revealing than that!" Xiao Mei flattered cheerfully, setting her hands together.

Hearing this, Yao choked on his spit in bafflement.

Lien crinkled her eyebrows, puzzled. "What did you say, Mei?"

"What? I didn't say anything!" Xiao Mei quickly retorted, "I mean it's not gonna make a certain boy ask you out, propose on one knee, get married and bear his kids and they'll call me aunty!"

"Mei, you're not making sense!"

Realizing that she was speaking her thoughts aloud, Xiao Mei reinforced with, "Forget I said anything!"

Witnessing the scene unfolded before him, Yao groaned inwardly.

What in the world had he gotten himself into?

Author's Note:

Hello! I know that I'm supposed to be studying for a big test coming up but this chapter has been running in my mind for quite a while now. And so, tada-chapter five is here! As requested by a fellow reviewer, I was able to insert the Nordic family! Back in Chapter 2, I actually mentioned them but put more emphasis into Mathias. Since I'm still new to the fandom, I made sure to be extra careful detailing which Nordic was who as I would find myself constantly confused with Lukas (Norway) and Emil (Iceland). Not only did the Nordic family appear, but I also added in Li Xiao Chun (Hong Kong) and Feliciano Vargas (Italy). Like the Nordic family, I also mentioned Feliciano back in Chapter 2 as well.

Ivan appears to know Alfred's weakness. But what does he mean by World Orchestra going down?

For the next chapter, prepare for some singing and dancing coming your way! It will take awhile to write and organize everything. Thank you once again for your cooperation and again, I'm open for more requests of characters! (I really enjoyed it!)

Again, your opinions are greatly appreciated!