I don't own Hetalia okay? I don't have much else for this opening. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!
A tone started to play as Alfred turned to wake up with Ivan wrapped around him from the night before. "Chto?" Ivan asked as Alfred wiggled himself out of his grip.
"That's my phone and it's Dad calling." Alfred said rubbing his eyes.
"Your dad's ringtone is that Darth Vader theme?" Ivan asked.
"You've seen him…." Alfred rolled his eyes.
"Yes. If he is like that all the time, then I can see why you would make that your ringtone." Ivan nodded, sitting up in the bed.
Alfred picked up the phone and laid on the other bed in the room and looked at the ceiling. Ivan gulped, noticing that Alfred was still as naked as they were the night before. "Hello Dad." Alfred said.
"Are you okay?" Arthur said on the line, a note of panic in his voice.
"I'm fine Dad." Alfred sighed. "I am 26 fucking years old"
"I just worry about you." Alfred scoffed. "And I am trying to make up for being a twat to you after you came back. I realized I was wrong to do so. You and Matthew have chosen different paths in life and I must accept that and that you both are just as good as each other."
"Are you dying Dad?" Alfred asked.
"This is about as easy for me to do as it is for you to take." Arthur sighed. "Both Francis and Matthew had excellent points about the way I treated you. I will admit I was disappointed you didn't succeed and was frustrated you hadn't done something more stable before. All I want for you is to be happy and I thought having a stable career would do that for you. I have to remember you are not me." He grimaced.
"Gee thanks Dad…." Alfred said. He looked over and saw Ivan sitting on the bed watching the conversation curiously. He knew that Ivan did want to meet Alfred's parents, on a better occasion than when he was drinking holiday misery away. "Look this may be surprising…." He gulped as Ivan smiled in support. "But I met someone I want you and Papa to meet sometime this afternoon. Maybe like 4 or something?"
Arthur's eyes widened. "Well I am on my way home from school then, how about 5?" He said. "I am sure they are a lovely person." He said, wanting to be careful not to make Alfred mad again.
"Thanks Dad. Will talk to you then." Alfred said as he hung up the phone. "So how do you feel about meeting my Dad and Papa at 5 today?"
"I can handle them." Ivan smiled as he moved closer to Alfred. "You said you had to get your books today. I doubt that will take until 5." He looked at Alfred lustfully. "But the water does not get cold here and I think we should make good use of that." He nibbled on Alfred's ear.
"I think you have a good idea…." Alfred smiled.
Meanwhile Arthur hung up his phone and sighed. At least he was not in jail or the hospital…. He thought as he sighed, causing Francis to look up at him. "Everything okay mon amor?" He asked.
"We are apparently expecting a guest tonight." Arthur replied.
"Really?" Francis asked looking at him curiously.
"I got ahold of Alfred and he mentioned he did meet someone and wanted us to meet them." Arthur said as he put his jacket on. "I am running late."
"Don't worry, I will have something nice for them ready. I find it so cute." Francis said.
"You are a sap for romance." Arthur sighed. "I will see you then." He added kissing him on the cheek.
"Oh who is the romantic sap now?" Francis laughed as Arthur rolled his eyes.
"I'll be back you Frog." Arthur said as he shut the door behind him.
Back in southern California, an unlikely pair walked into the secondhand store. It was a well-known pair of producers in the entertainment industry, Abel and Emma. Both looked surprisingly well dressed for the typical clientele that would shop at secondhand charity stores. Lukas looked up in slight surprise. It was unusual to see, but not that unusual. Many of the rich artistic types would come into stores like this to get something unusual or to revive. They did not like going to the stores that specialized in vintage or specialty clothing if they could help it. It affected their bottom line. "This place…." Lukas said as an older man came to the register to ring out. "You would think people like them could afford better." He noted.
"Sometimes you can find really good things here really cheap. I was able to get my grandson a nice suit for his interview here. From there he got a great job with the bank." The man smiled.
"Nah, there's something different." He said as he rang the purchases out. "I see a lot of people with their air at my other job."
"Oh and what would that be young man?" The elderly gentleman asked with a smile.
"Oh I play background music for television and some of the big pop acts." Lukas said cordially, knowing he was dealing with a customer
"And you work here too!" The old man asked incredulously. "Why I thought that would pay well."
"You'd think so, but no." Lukas replied placing the pair of shoes and few shirts into a bag. "I've had to pick up a second job to help my brother and our roommate with the rent."
"That's just outrageous out here. I know I am lucky I paid off my house years ago." He smiled as he paid and took the bag.
"Sounds nice. Have a pleasantly sunny day!" Lukas replied with the store's greeting as a customer left.
"You too young man!" The man waved as Lukas took a few articles of clothing that customers decided against buying and headed to place them back up, working his way to these people.
"I do not see why you must shop here for your clothes! Our label makes plenty! Our parents left us so much we do not need this!" Emma pleaded.
"If we are to make good on this label we started, we must be prudent with the money sister." Abel explained. "Thus, I look for suits at secondhand stores."
"Fine." Emma rolled her eyes, adjusting the headphones she had with the portable cd player she had. Sure, the cd was going the way of the cassette but she liked this and if she ever was in an area where her phone did not have service, she still had music. However, this was special to her as it was the first cd player she had ever gotten and all these years later it still worked. All it needed was new batteries every now and again. "I will see if the CDs here have any interesting ones."
"I still do not see why you do not use an MP3 player." Abel said as he looked at suit. "This might be close to my size."
"That's another reason you should look at new clothes! You're tall and it can be a real gamble finding something in your size!" Emma moaned. She looked through the books and cds in the back corner, rolling her eyes at her brother. She saw a CD with 5 people on it, "That's a motley crew…." She laughed at the joke. "'Musical Heroics….' Name could do better" She turned to the back to read the track list. "Oh, this is not a mainstream band. This looks like it could have been merch sold at a small venue…." Looking around, she placed the CD in the player and listened. "OH!" She squealed. "I am getting this. It is hard to find CDs like this."
Lukas gulped. He hadn't known the CD was in the inventory, so much came in and went out, it was hard to tell what was in and not. Someone gave away one of our CDs and she liked it…. He thought as his heart raced. He headed back to placing the last few pieces of discarded clothing back on the racks when he headed back to the register.
"Big brother, you must listen to this." Emma said as he put the headphones on her brother's head.
"Just what am I listening to?" He asked.
"A band I think would be perfect for our label. The name may stink but we can refine that. They're small, looks like what would have been sold at a concert of a group trying to start up."
"The lead singer's voice is pretty good, and some of the background keyboarding is excellent. I admire the drum work. And I swear, that guitar sounds of Norwegian Death Metal influence. Interesting." Abel said. "I doubt you would be able to find them."
"This is dated from last year. I think I can. I can be quite good at digging up people. I want to give them an audition." Emma smiled as she headed to the register.
"You're welcome to try." Abel began.
"So long as I don't spend too much. You know that sometimes you have to spend big to get a big return. Or do I need to remind you of that failed Tulip startup?" Emma sniggered.
"You do not." Abel said. "I think I will try this on."
"You do that." Emma said as she put the disc back in the case and headed to the register. Placing it down, she looked at Lukas and then back to the cover and then to Lukas. "Well now…." She smiled widely.
"Excuse me?" Lukas asked, slowly becoming concerned. He had seen a few people who attended their concerts look at him like that, and many more who looked at Alfred that way. "Can I help you?"
"You wouldn't happen to know who that guitarist is would you?" Emma said with a smile.
"Yes. It was me." Lukas said as he rung the CD out and placed it carelessly into a bag. "And that will be 2.59."
Emma paid and placed a business card in his hands. "I like your band's style. I sense that you got dumped by your old label. Mine is different. If you want to give us a call, let me know." She said as she took the bag.
Lukas looked at the card with wide eyes while Emma waited for Abel to finish. Really? Really? I would have to get Lien back, which would be much easier than the front man, Alfred. And would she still think him appealing because I know he didn't keep that hair dye…. At this, he put the card in his pocket and sighed. It's all in the past anyway. I doubt we'd ever get past the audition anyway. Abel came up and placed a suit down for Lukas to ring out and then when he gave him the bag, he waved him off simply while Emma smiled. "Do think about our offer. Your dream may no longer be denied, just deferred."
"I will." Lukas said with the same saccharine tone he gave all customers.
"Lukas!" The manager said walking next to him.
"Yes sir!" He stood up looking at him.
"It's your lunch break." He said. "I'll see you in 30 minutes. I have this."
"Thank you sir." He said as he headed to the breakroom, took his lunch and his phone and headed out to the back to get some sun. As he bit down on the sandwich he packed, he looked at the card and then to his phone. Could I? Should I? he thought as he looked at his phone. Figuring his brother would be someone he could talk to he called him. "Hello?"
"Oh bro, how are you? You on your lunch break?" Christensen asked.
"Yes. Look, I had an interesting thing happen today. One of our promo cds ended up at the store here. A record exec of some sort of indie or small time label liked it and gave me her card. She's willing to give us an audition."
"That would have been nice about six months ago." Christensen growled. "Besides, we're down one, maybe two if we were to try."
"I met with Lien on New Year's. I'm sure we could talk her into at least coming down for an audition even if it goes nowhere." Lukas said, knowing where his brother was going to go next.
"But we'd need Alfred dude." Christensen replied. "He's back in the hometown over 2000 miles back east. And he sounded pretty pissed at us when he left. He unfriended me on Facebook and won't answer my messages. Hasn't blocked me yet…."
"I'll talk to that producer. Maybe she can help us talk him into coming back for a week or so if the label paid for everything." Lukas said.
"I'm sure Alfred would if you could talk her into that." Christiansen replied. "It was his idea we followed this."
"Now that I'm not so sure of." Lukas said. "He's seeing someone."
"So?" Christensen asked. "Not like we'd be asking him to leave them." Lukas sighed. He also knew that Alfred could hold grudges and would certainly do so for the bandmates he felt betrayed him. He knew that anger in his voice when he called. "Maybe you could get the producer to give him two tickets so he could bring his hot stuff with."
"I don't think it'd be that easy. I'll give her a call though later if to shut you up." Lukas sighed as he looked at his watch. "Fuck!" He said as he ate his sandwich quickly and chugged his juice.
Alfred looked at his house with a sigh. Today he and Ivan had spent most of the day with each other, from when Alfred bought the books for the change of class to just walking around the mall, which was fairly deserted and spent quite a bit of time at the arcade when the stores were not holding their interest. Alfred had told Ivan about how he spent a lot of his teenage years with his old bandmates here and had bought an Auntie Anne's pretzel for the both of them, bragging on how delicious they were. Ivan had to admit it was and smiled. But here it was now, the zero hour when he was going to be introducing his fathers to Ivan. He knew his papa wouldn't think a thing of it, but between his dad and Ivan, he wasn't sure. Ivan seemed to sense this. "It's alright." Ivan pat him on the shoulder.
"I'm just nervous Vanya." Alfred said as Ivan kissed him on the cheek.
"I'm not. I think I can handle them." Alfred still looked nervous. "You also know I won't leave you because of what they do and I am here for you if you need it."
"I guess I can't be afraid anymore." Alfred said as he and Ivan headed out of the car with Ivan right behind him. He opened the door and looked around. Smelling a savory smell from the kitchen, he could tell that it was his papa who was cooking and not seeing his dad, he looked around.
"Oh! 'Ello boys." Francis said as he wiped his hands off coming from the kitchen. "Dinner will be ready shorty, have a seat." Ivan sat down beside Alfred and they looked around.
"So, where's Dad?" Alfred asked.
"He had to put a few things up in his study. New year at the school, you know, first day back all that." Francis said dismissively. He looked over at Ivan. "So you're the young man who stole my little Alfred's heart."
"I guess you could say that." Ivan said professionally as he shook Francis's hand.
"Papa…." Alfred moaned.
"He was nervous of this." Ivan said with the smooth talk of a businessman he had learned to pick up over the years. He wanted to make sure to give Alfred's parents no reason not to like him. At this, he heard a door open up. Arthur came out of his study to see Alfred and Ivan talking with Francis. He could tell that Francis was being the usual doting but slightly embarrassing father he was as he could see Ivan was laughing but Alfred was red in the face and had his head buried in a pillow that Ivan felt free enough to kiss Alfred on the top of the head in front of Francis. Well that frog is French… Arthur thought. And of course Alfred fell for that man. But remember Kirkland, he did not fall for him because he wanted to spite you. You are a gentleman and treat him the same as if it was anyone else.
Arthur gulped and turned to Ivan. "Well, I see that my son has found you worthy of his heart. I do recall our last meeting was under less than pleasant circumstances. But let us let by gones be by gones and get to know each other over our mutual care for Alfred." He said, hoping Ivan did not hold a grudge.
Ivan looked at Arthur as if to try and read him and his true intentions. Alfred had said he was acting better towards him after the family found out what happened that Christmas but he was not going to let it be that Alfred did not have a supportive family. "I will not hold a grudge as long as I know that even though he is a grown man, Alfred has a family who is supportive of him."
"Well, we can discuss this more over dinner." Francis said. "I have put my heart and soul into the roast beef."
"Let's." Arthur and Alfred said at the same time.
"I'm starving Papa!" Alfred said springing up.
Translation Guide:
(Obtained via Google Translate)
Chto? -Russian-What
So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I know I have been slower updating this story than some of my others, but I love me some good RusAme so I have no plans to abandon it. And if you see some of my other works on FFN, you will find it took a LONG TIME to finish it. Anyway remember to read, well you just did, and to review. Ciao for now,
Otherrealmwriter
Aka
Realm
