The walk back to the hotel was like that of a drunken stupor, Natalya knew where she wanted to go but her mind could only wander. She slowly meandered around the city, turning random street corners and walking over crosswalks in what her legs could only hope was the right direction. It felt as if she was wading through water, the air was thick and dense and it made her chest feel very heavy.
The suffocating air was hot around her, the clinging sweat and clammy, shaky feeling making her all sorts of bothered. Anyone she passed could see the big red-tinted circle enveloping the whole of her face.
It took some time but she eventually found her way to the hotel. There were a few nations gathered in the lobby, but she didn't see Alfred or Russia so she didn't really care. Then again it was probably good her brother wasn't here, she wasn't in the proper state right now to speak with him.
Paying them no mind she walked through the lobby to the elevators, picking her floor and watching as the doors shut, luckily without anyone trying to enter with her. It already felt cramped enough by herself.
Reaching her floor the elevator doors reopened, but as she tried to walk out the sight of a familiar blond made her stop on the spot and stare with a hammering heart.
As the figure drew closer she noticed something wrong. She didn't see those gorgeous bright blue eyes she adores, these ones are purple. That isn't Alfred at all.
Canada walked down the hallway with his head buried in his phone, happily texting Cuba as they talked about some fancy French ice cream they were going to try. He was going off to meet them in the lobby, and was about to reach the elevator, when he suddenly felt the unsettling feeling that he was being watched.
Raising his head from his phone, he nearly jumped out of his skin when he spotted Natalya right in front of him, staring directly at him. Not through him, at him.
He moved around to make sure she wasn't just staring off into space, but sure enough those cold, hollow eyes followed his movements.
"O-Oh, you can see me," he said, both in fear and slight astonishment. She didn't respond to him, still staring with unblinking eyes. It petrified him.
As more time passed without her speaking, moving, or doing anything other than look at him, he started shaking like a leaf before finally crumbling under the pressure. "Please don't hurt me... I know I look like America but I promise I'm not."
"Nyet. You're not..." she said, her eyes hauntingly still. They weren't even twitching around to scan his face. He shuddered under her gaze, but found the will to walk forward. Taking a few more steps he began slowly walking past her, keeping a close eye on her as her head turned to follow him.
Getting close enough to the elevator he hopped in and rapidly clicked the button to the lobby. Quickly the doors had shut and her scary eyes were gone, allowing him to relax as his legs gave out and he collapsed to the ground. 'What on Earth was that?!' He wondered.
Her eyes were so cold, so dead, so soulless. He couldn't even tell if she was angry with him, but it scared him all the same. Maybe he should postpone his plans with Cuba, he needs to lie down.
With him gone Natalya took a moment to stare at the door, angry that her eyes betrayed her and got her all worked up over someone that wasn't Alfred.
Letting the anger pass she returned to her blank state, turning around and walking off down the hallway. Passing by many doors and going around a corner she came up to her destination. Stopping in front of the door to her room she took a moment to breathe deeply and dispel the remaining warmth in her face.
Once she was feeling well enough she opened the door, where she was greeted to the sight of Ukraine trying to shove all the clothes they could into a suitcase, resorting to jumping in the air and pushing down with their full weight to get it in, but even that didn't work.
"I am swearing this was easier before. Navishcho ya vzahali zapakuvav vse tse layno?" She muttered that last part in frustration, trying to push it harder, but to no avail.
'Maybe it's because of the six spare pairs of bras you stupidly decided to bring. Did you seriously think you'd wear a new pair everyday?' Natalya thought, but she was still feeling a little shaken so instead let out a huff.
That was enough though, as Ukraine perked up and looked behind her. "Oh, sestra hello. When had you been getting here?"
"A second ago," Natalya stated shortly, fixed to her spot by the door. Ukraine grinned at her before returning to shoving the clothes deeper into the suitcase. "I was worrying you had gotten lost. It is quite the... gah! Why is this not working?!"
Fed up with the struggle, Ukraine shoved the suitcase and fell face first on the bed, letting out a tired sigh into the sheets.
Walking up from behind, Natalya stood beside Ukraine, who sat up to watch as she reached a hand inside the suitcase and yanked out a large bra, then held it up for them to see. "Too many."
With embarrassed, rosy cheeks Ukraine fiddled with her fingers and laughed nervously. "Oh. Right. I had been forgetting I packed all those... Could you lend the hand, please?"
Wordlessly Natalya grabbed the top of the suitcase, then shoved the bra and the other clothes as deep as she could get it, using her super strength to compress it flat and force the zipper closed.
With excitement Ukraine stood up and dived forward to crush Natalya in another one of her bear hugs. "Oh sestra thank you soooo much!" She exclaimed profusely, greatly relieved for the torture to be over.
Rather than struggling Natalya stood as straight as a board, letting out a low, guttural grumble like a threatened animal. The noise sent goosebumps all over Ukraine's body, and wisely she took the warning and ripped her arms away, tucking them in on herself and looking guiltily at her sister.
Rather than getting a scathing remark or general disapproval, Natalya remained as apathetic as ever, but before Ukraine could begin to question it Natalya was already walking off.
"Wait the second!" She called out. Natalya paused and turned around, deathly silent yet in a way that didn't have her usual coldness. Something strange was afoot, that much Ukraine was sure of. "Are you feeling alight? You are much too quiet... well more than the normal anyway. Has something happened?"
As she said that Natalya's eyes unfocused and her expression locked into what could only be described as some sort of dissociation. It startled Ukraine and she worried she only made them more upset, but her worry morphed into confusion when she noticed a wave of red creep up Natalya's neck before quickly engulfing their entire face. They were quite literally glowing in a pinkish red hue, Ukraine doesn't think she's ever seen her sister's face make this intense of a color.
"Sestra?" She asked cautiously. Natalya looked at Ukraine and held her mouth in a line, but regardless of her attempt to act poised it didn't make any of the hot blood leave her face. "I'm fine," she reassured, a little too fast.
"But your face..." Ukraine pointed out. "My... face?" Natalya wondered, perplexed, only then realizing how hot and tingly it felt. In alarm she put a hand to her cheek, and sure enough it was burning to the touch. After all that time getting it down and now it was already back. She hates how much of an emotional mess she's become.
She went quiet again, forgetting about Ukraine as she tilted her head in her hand and tensed her brows in deep thought. Seeing they were unresponsive Ukraine got impatient and stepped forward, pressing the back of her hand to Natalya's forehead.
Natalya recoiled at the touch, darting away and sneering back at her sister with an ever reddening face. "You are burning up, are you sick?"
"Nyet! I said I'm fine," Natalya repeated, turning to hide her face, which only made Ukraine more skeptical. "You say you are fine but I can see there is something on mind. You had not been acting like this back at the meeting and took the long time getting here. Could you please be telling me of what is going on, had something happened with America?"
At the mention of him Natalya's breath hitched and her shoulders hunched, trembling slightly. "Da..." she reluctantly responded, hugging herself for some sort of comfort. "He. . . . . He asked me on a date."
Ukraine's brain completely shut down. Of all the things her sister could've said, she didn't expect that. "A... A-A date? A date?!" Rushing forward she tripped and fell face first into the floor, but quickly recovered and grabbed Natalya by her upper arms. "A real date?! Like a romantic one?! But so soon? You just became the friends again, are you for certain about this?"
"Be quiet! Do you want everyone in this hotel to hear you?" Natalya scolded as Ukraine shook her around. Realizing how loud she was being Ukraine slapped her hands to her mouth, finally giving Natalya a moment to explain. "Da I know it is very abrupt, I wasn't expecting it either. He just ran up to me randomly and next thing I know I'm agreeing to a date."
'God, even saying that is embarrassing,' she thought bashfully. She wanted to hide her face again. Rubbing her melting cheek gently she faced her sister directly, deadpanning when seeing them shaking with tears in their eyes. "I swear if you start sobbing..."
"Oh sestra I am so proud of you!" Ukraine bawled, skipping forward and trying to wrap Natalya up in another hug. Natalya ducked under the arms and dodged away, then stuck an arm out to distance her from Ukraine. "You seriously have to stop doing that!"
Ukraine ignored her and kept creeping forward, her arms extended in front preparing to take hold of Natalya. Before they could get away Ukraine pushed past their outstretched arm and squeezed them to her as tight as possible. "I am so happy for you, now you can finally be over and done with the sadness, da?"
"Not if you crush me to death!" Natalya wheezed out. Ukraine loosened up but didn't let go, for an uncomfortably long time, only letting Natalya free once all the tears were gone.
Natalya grumbled and rubbed her sore neck, already regretting saying a word to her sister. "Why do you have to be so emotional all the time?"
Ukraine stared wide-eyed for a few moments before chuckling. "And this is coming from the girl with face like borscht." Natalya's fading blush returned full force as she scowled. "Shut up!"
Ukraine teased her sister's rarely seen shyness some more until getting back on track. "So what had America been saying to you? What is the date going to be looking like?"
Natalya went blank then started fidgeting in place. "I may have zoned out after he... h-hugged me. I can't really remember what he said, something about dinner and the Eiffel Tower I think."
"Oh, a hug was it?" Ukraine questioned, a smug grin on her face. Natalya stared daggers into them. "If you keep annoying me I'm going to stop telling you about what happened." That quickly put the teasing to an end.
"Are you remembering of when this date is happening?" Ukraine wondered. Natalya nodded. "8:00 pm tomorrow, he said... actually wait he didn't say where we'd meet." Ukraine quirked a brow while Natalya sighed. "The idiot probably forgot to mention it in his excitement, I'll have to ask him about it later."
"The hotel would probably not be making much of the sense given some nations will not be leaving yet," Ukraine pointed out, to which Natalya agreed.
Clasping her hands together Ukraine smiled wide. "Well whatever it is you two will be doing, it is sounding like the most splendid time. I am still not believing that you have made up and are already going on date with America! It is quite surreal."
Natalya cringed at the volume. "You better hope big brother cannot hear you, or you're beyond dead," she threatened. It terrified Ukraine but they shrugged it off and instead soothed Natalya. "Do not be worrying about him, he is off with China somewhere. Now come, we must be preparing you for the big day tomorrow."
Taking Natalya by the shoulders she began leading them toward the door, but Natalya immediately halted and wiggled out of their grip. "What do you mean "we"? Weren't you just packing to leave?"
"It is only the trip back to my country, I can be affording to stay for the bit. Besides, I would not be missing this for anything. You have not the idea of how many centuries I have been waiting for this moment, helping out my little sestra on her first real date!" Ukraine explained giddily while still trying to urge Natalya out of the room.
"Where are you trying to take me?" Natalya asked curiously as Ukraine successfully got her out of the room and into the hallway. They only grinned and guided her down the hall. "To be getting a dress of course."
Natalya forced both of them to stop. "I don't need a dress. I have the one I'm wearing and another in my suitcase." Ukraine gawked and shook her head. "Nyet. You are needing something new, something that will ah... how you would say, "bedazzle" him."
"My clothes are new," Natalya stated, her eye twitching as she grew more aggravated. "That other dress I packed America bought for me, I've never even worn it bef- "Nyet, none of that," Ukraine interrupted, a frown on her face and her hands on her hips.
It made Natalya seethe and nearly scream out a string of swears, but stopped herself when remembering they were in a hallway with rooms full of nations. Calming herself down she instead asked bitterly, "why are you making this such a hassle? It's my date isn't it?"
Before Ukraine answered she started walking down the hall, gesturing for Natalya to follow. With a grumble Natalya followed, if only to get away from any potentially snooping nations. Now on the move Ukraine gave a soft smile and a laugh. "I am meaning none of the offense, but you are quite the amateur on this type of thing."
"Excuse me?! I do just fine!" Natalya proclaimed madly as the two approached the elevator. It took everything she had not to punch a hole in the metal door. Ukraine shivered but pressed on. "Your last "date" had ended in few minutes with the breaking of all of poor Lithuania's fingers."
"That was on purpose," Natalya interjected, crossing her arms with a huff. "It's completely different. I would never date that bastard seriously." Ukraine nodded as they entered the elevator and picked their floor.
"I know, but the point is still standing that you are very inexperienced. When you are on date everything is needing to be perfect, this is your special night. Make yourself beautiful, prepare things to say, do all you can to be making sure this is the most wonderful and memorable night of your life."
Natalya rolled her eyes. "You think America will be trying that hard? He's probably going to show up in a t-shirt and bring me to some pizza place." Ukraine only shrugged. "That could still be the good date."
The elevator doors opened to the lobby, revealing a few nations waiting at the front desk with bags of luggage as they prepared to leave. Going quiet Ukraine started walking through them to go outside, but when noticing Natalya frozen in the elevator she went back and dragged them along. Once outside she continued. "Though he was raised by France and England, not to be mentioning you are in Paris, so I am confident he will be trying his best to be gentlemanly."
"Him being raised by a pervert and a grouchy dick doesn't make me feel any better," Natalya spat, kicking a pebble on the sidewalk and sending it flying like a bullet. Ukraine patted her comfortingly on the back. "Do not be worrying, he is going to be great."
Natalya wasn't too sure. "He seems too childish for dating. God if he even suggests eating burgers I'm going to kick his ass!" Ukraine listened to them rant more about stuff that hadn't happened yet, until finally sighing and giving a stern "enough."
In shock at her sister's strangely demanding tone Natalya fell silent, she didn't even have the time to get angry before Ukraine was in front of her and speaking. "Sestra, I know you are trying to act with the toughness, but I can see with most obviousness you are panicking."
"Panicking?!" Natalya repeated furiously. "I'm not- "Da, you are," Ukraine insisted. "Hey! Stop interrupting m- "It is ok to be having the nervousness, this is your first real date after all, but if you are loving him then be having some faith in him," Ukraine said, smiling assuredly.
Natalya frowned and looked to the ground, her cheeks tingeing red once more. Knowing she'd gotten through to them Ukraine gave a slight laugh and tapped their shoulder to get their attention. "Let us go, my zrobymo vas naykrasyvishoyu natsiyeyu, yaku koly-nebudʹ bachyv khlopchyk."
Alfred stood in front of the mirror in his room, his hands trembling as he wrapped a tie around his neck. Pulling it tight he looked at his reflection to make sure it was adjusted to the right length, meanwhile Natalya's voice soothingly spoke to him from within his head, "if it's worth anything, I think it makes you look handsome."
'Handsome,' he thought, fumbling with the buttons of his suit. His hands have been shaking all day leading up to his date. He's been such a nervous wreck, even forgetting about the location for them to meet and needing her to ask him in order to remember. He's so glad Canada had already left, rather than having to see him like this.
Once buttoned up he looked down at a watch on his wrist. 7:54 pm it read. It only made the shaking worse. Reaching over to a nearby stand he grabbed a small tin off of it and looked at the box in his palm. Breath mints.
He didn't know if they would be needed on this first date, and the thought of their use made his chest hot, but just in case he put the tin in his pocket.
Looking back to the mirror he smoothed out his hair and double checked that his clothes were tidy. Taking another look at his watch it was now time to go. Walking over to the door he grabbed a scarf and a gray peacoat from a coat rack, slipping them on as he left the room and made his way down to the hotel entrance.
Stepping onto the street he started heading toward the designated location. It was a crisp, peaceful December night in Paris, he really couldn't have picked a better day.
It may be a little cliché to have their date in Paris, but dammit it still felt new back when he was with Amelia. Thinking back to that time made his head hurt. He's been out of the game for over eighty years. Hopefully his style of dating wasn't too old fashioned for her.
Turning a corner he walked for a little longer before cutting through into a park. Crossing through that he came out onto another street corner, with the orange glow of a street light just beyond it. If the location he picked is correct then Natalya should either arrive or already be standing under it.
Leaning against the wall adjacent to it he did his best to calm his nerves. This was it, no going back now. Balling his hands tightly in his pockets he took a deep breath and turned the corner, but as he saw what was standing in the center of the light it completely took that breath away.
There stood Natalya, wearing an elegant, smooth black dress that covered her shoulders and left an opening that went halfway down her back. She wore lacy black gloves that went past her elbow and when raising a leg to adjust her shoe he could see she wore black heels to match. The dress was lacking a slit, but even so he could tell her legs were missing their usual stockings and garters, though he was sure she was still hiding some knives somewhere under there.
She had her back to him as she observed the bustling street, waiting for him, but even from behind she looked beautiful. Swallowing hard Alfred braced himself and walked forward.
"Natalya?" He spoke up. Slowly she turned to face him right as he stepped into the light with her. Even in high heels she had to look up at him. Now up close he could see even more changes. She wore makeup, with dark mascara, a subtle red lipstick, and the gentlest dusting of pink blush. Her hair at first looked the same, but on second glance he noticed that at the bottom it was wavy, and most notably she was missing her signature bow.
The words kept slipping off his tongue as he could only flap his lips at her helplessly. She looked to be in a similar predicament as him, her eyes roaming all up and down his body. Even though Ukraine assured her constantly that Alfred would come through, she still didn't expect him to dress so formally, though she's helped him get dressed up before so that doubt made even less sense. And was that cologne she was smelling, or just deodorant? Whatever it was he smelled good. 'Shit. He's hot.'
"W-Wow, you look amazing," he exclaimed breathlessly, his eyes glued to her face. "I really like what you did with your hair." Not expecting such admiration this quickly she lowered her head and kept her focus off him, otherwise the blush she put on wouldn't be able to mask how embarrassingly red she was. "Thank you. I like the jacket."
At being complimented back his eyes widened before he started chuckling. "Well there's a suit underneath, but if I knew you'd go all out like this I would've dressed up in something way cooler than some plain suit and jacket." He laughed in good humor but Natalya didn't join in. To her she didn't understand what was so funny, he looked great.
Seeing she wasn't laughing with him he shut himself up and tugged at his collar anxiously. "Hey, so do you wanna get going?" He asked timidly, sticking out his bent arm to her. She stared down at his arm and reached a hand out toward it, hesitating for only a moment before proceeding to wrap her arm around his own.
With a delighted grin he led her away from the streetlight and down the sidewalk to their first destination. Not many people were walking around this part of the city at this time, but regardless of that she constantly had her head on a swivel, scrutinizing every person they did manage to encounter.
Feeling something touch her hand she turned away from glaring at a Frenchman to see what it was, finding Alfred's gloved hand placed over hers. Raising her head a little she stilled as she noticed a large smile tilt down close to her head. "Relax. None of the nations are gonna find us."
Allowing her eyes to move freely again she looked all the way up at him doubtfully. "How can you be so sure? That pervert France probably has cameras all over the city, not to mention some of them are still lingering around."
Alfred's smile only grew larger. "Seriously dudette just chill, I've got everything covered." That didn't make her feel much better, but not wanting to ruin the mood past how awkward it already was, she clung tighter to his arm and walked along.
Pretty soon they had arrived at their first destination, a large and fancy restaurant located a little ways away from the Champ de Mars square. If they looked to their right they would just be able to see the very top of the Eiffel Tower.
Taking a deep breath Alfred smelled the aromas coming out of the establishment. He let out a heavy sigh of pleasure and wiped his watering mouth. "French food smells so good, this is gonna be so awesome!" At the thought of such delicious food, the romantic attitude he was putting on momentarily gave way to his exuberant self, which wasted no time in pulling her into the building and up to the hostess stand.
As they waited for a host or hostess to arrive Alfred stood with a broad smile, his excitement through the roof while Natalya hid behind his arm, peeking over his shoulder at all the people and other couples eating dinner. "There's so many people here," she whispered to him.
"I don't think they really care. They get dates like, all the time, even right now," he pointed out, physically pointing at another couple. In terror she reached forward and took him by the wrist, yanking it down and glaring at him. "Are you trying to make everyone look at us?!" She whispered angrily.
He chuckled quietly. "You're really bad at hiding how nervous you are. It's cute," he whispered teasingly into her ear. By reflex she punched him squarely in the arm and denied it ardently. 'She's blushing so hard,' he observed.
Seeing new customers had arrived the hostess walked through the restaurant toward them. "Bonjour, and welcome! Are you two 'aving a date tonight?" She asked in English, discerning it to be the correct language to use based on the bits and pieces she could hear from the flustered Natalya.
Alfred put his arm around Natalya with a proud smile, though as he opened his mouth Natalya spoke up with a firm, "nyet!" The hostess and Alfred turned and looked at her weirdly, then Alfred snickered and said to the hostess, "we are. She's just got first time jitters."
Natalya hit him in the arm again and frowned. "I do not! And don't talk about this stuff to strangers, you're already doing a horrible job of keeping this a secret." She said that last part as quiet as possible, so only he could hear.
Alfred nodded and returned to getting sat down. "I actually booked a reservation earlier," he specified. "Alfred Jones." Hearing the name the girl gaped and nodded hastily. "Oui, oui right zhis way Mr. Jones."
He let out an exaggerated sigh and hung his head low. "That makes me feel so old." The hostess tried to apologize but he laughed it off and stressed that he was only messing around and wasn't actually upset.
Leading them to a second floor of the restaurant they were directed to a secluded table decorated with a bouquet of roses and lit candles, all in front of a window with a view of the street and lights of the city.
Walking over the two nations took their seats, Natalya sitting down before Alfred could get the chance to pull it out for her. Approaching the table with them the hostess removed the reserved sign and placed down two menus. "'ere are zhe menus. Take a look at zhem and I'll be back in a moment to take drinks."
Having other customers to get back to the girl left, giving the nations some time to themselves as they picked up the menus. Alfred licked his lips as he looked over all the options, even though he already had a pre-dinner just so he wouldn't pig out on the date.
"So have you decided on anything yet?" He eventually asked, not able to choose between all the delicious options. Lowering the menu from her face she set it on the table and looked at him. "I was thinking of drinking some sort of wine."
"Wine?" He asked quizzically. She shrugged. "Da. We are in France, it seems only natural." He couldn't really argue with that. "Well alright then. Just don't get too drunk, we've got a whole night ahead of us," he said with a excited grin.
"You think I'm gonna be on my ass from a couple glasses of wine?" She wondered, a little offended he'd think so low of her. He shrugged back at her and leaned back in his chair. "No idea. France can drink wine like it's nothing but the second he touches whiskey or stuff like that he's gone. Also what if you want really good wine?"
"Then I'll drink really good wine," she stated. "Now do you want to go back to figuring out what to eat or talk about wine the whole time?" Alfred sighed and leaned his head on one hand. "Ok ok." He didn't go back to his menu though, instead watching keenly as Natalya raised the menu and scanned over it with her eyes.
Her searching eyes slowly came to a stop then looked up at him. They had a staring match for a minute until she lowered the menu a little and asked, "what are you doing?"
"I don't know what you mean," he said cluelessly. She stared, unamused, then raised the menu again, but after another couple minutes of his staring she folded it with a loud clap and wiggled a finger between him and his own menu. "Go, find something to eat. Now."
"I already have what I want," he said, tilting his head more onto his hand. She didn't bat an eye at his comment, reopening her menu to finish reading, but once it was raised up her head bent down and hid within the pages. "That might be the corniest shit you've ever said," she muttered from behind her little protective cover.
Alfred snickered at her embarrassment, soft eyes gazing at her slightly shaking gloved hands. He had a strong urge to take one and hold it, but decided against it. It wasn't the right time. He didn't want to overwhelm her after all, or himself for that matter.
"So 'ave you two decided on your drinks?" A voice asked. Natalya shot her head out from the top of the menu and looked to the side of the table where the hostess had suddenly appeared.
While flustered, she quickly pulled herself together and explained what she wanted, Alfred doing the same right after. The moment they had left again Natalya sat awkwardly, having difficulty looking Alfred in the face.
He had begun poking around at his menu again, but she didn't dare look at him directly, lest she falls victim to another one of his gentle stares or playful smirks. She gets that they're on a date, but does he have to be so... flirty?
"Know what you want to eat?" He asked without looking up from his menu. Caught off guard, she immediately forgot about avoiding his face as she looked directly at him. "I was thinking of getting the beef bourguignon."
He huffed with a curious grin and looked up at her from behind his glasses. "Because of the beef and potatoes?"
"Because of the beef and potatoes," she nodded. "Well then I think I'll get. . . a burger," he said with a big, dopey grin. Right away he noticed the air around him go cold and across the table Natalya had the face of someone contemplating murder.
Before she could act on her thoughts he chuckled and returned to resting his head on a hand. "I'm just kidding, it's some weird French thing I don't want to bother pronouncing."
She gave an angry huff and turned away from him with crossed arms. "You better be, I came very close to throwing you out this window." Looking through the window to the street below Alfred bit his cheek in thought. Surely a second story drop couldn't kill him, right? He probably shouldn't say anything about it, unless he wants her testing it on him.
"You know, I kinda missed your aggressiveness," he said absentmindedly, still looking outside with his chin on his palm. From his peripheral he could see her tense up and look at him. Moving his eye to see her more clearly he saw that her eyes were wide and lips were slightly parted, trying to come up with some kind of response.
He continued. "I've noticed that after all the stuff went down between us you haven't really, you know... been yourself. So, I don't know, it's just nice seeing you doing better."
She blushed a little as she closed her mouth and looked down at her hands. "Oh, um... thank you, it's good to see you doing better too." He wanted to comment that he didn't know what she was talking about and was fine the whole time, but knows she's not that dumb. "Thanks," was his response.
Soon after, the hostess came back with their drinks and took their orders for food, Alfred getting something called hachis parmentier, or as he would so eloquently describe, "potato and beef stew lasagna."
Once the hostess left again the two tried out their drinks simultaneously. Natalya really enjoyed the wine, though she was a little worried she got something too expensive. She doubted it though, especially after seeing the way he was smiling at her and asking if it was good. She can't stand his smiles.
Setting the wine glass down she raised a gloved hand and smoothed some hair away from her face, her face burning up as she looked at his smiling from behind her hand. He was even smiling while drinking from a straw.
"Hey Alfred? Can I ask you something?" She asked. "Hmm? Mmmm, mhmmm," he nodded, the straw still in his mouth as he slurped up more soda.
"When did you figure out you actually liked me?" She wondered. His heart felt like it completely stopped and he nearly spit out his drink, but managed to pull himself together fairly quickly. He swallowed the mouthful of soda and placed the glass on the table, then raised his hand to scratch his head. "Well... it's weird because I kinda had a passing thought about it months ago, at that meeting in Boston, but when I started actually realizing what I was feeling was when we were on that mountain in Alaska. When you saved us from falling off that cliff."
She was about to comment but then stopped herself, remembering what her own thoughts were after saving him. He didn't seem to notice her attempt to speak as he stared down at the table, lost in the memory. "Yeah I just looked into your eyes and then... I don't know, I didn't even know something changed until after Russia came and took you back home."
"That long ago? If I knew that was the case then we could've avoided all that drama the past couple months," she joked before taking another sip of her wine. He laughed hard at that. "Wouldn't that have been nice?"
Neither wanted to mention how they hoped to continue to move past their falling out, as that would imply going on more dates and being a couple, and they didn't want to get their hopes up just yet and jinx themselves. It was too early in the date anyway, there would be time to think about their future together later, when they were sure if the date went well or not.
So instead they moved on to more general stuff, simply asking about the other's day, complaining about meetings, all that fun stuff. It was pleasant, certainly less stressful than pouring out their feelings to each other in such a short span of time. They had the rest of the night to do that.
A long time later the pair exited the restaurant, so stuffed they kind of wanted to go back to the hotel and fall right asleep. Instead, he began leading them to their next destination, the Eiffel Tower.
Looping her arm around his once more they walked, though she had to lean against him now due to being in a food coma. He enjoyed the extra contact, and would've offered to give her a piggyback ride if he wasn't worried she'd fall asleep.
"Man that food was so good, but so filling," he moaned. She hummed in agreement and laid her head against his shoulder. "Too bad good food has to be associated with the pervert." Alfred sighed but didn't say anything. There were just some people he couldn't make her change her opinions on.
On their stroll down one street he suddenly caught scent of something sweet in the air. Looking around to find its origin he spotted the illuminating lights of a dessert shop farther down the sidewalk.
Forgetting about his full stomach he let out an excited gasp. Natalya looked up at him in wonder as he started slowly pulling her along, walking like he was in a trance.
As they got closer she saw what he was so fixated on, sharp pains prickling throughout her stomach as she thought about all that sugar. Stopping him from going any closer he looked down at her with a questioning expression, meeting her disbelieving one. "Alfred we literally just finished eating. Weren't you just complaining about being full?"
"I know, but their desserts are so good!" He whined. She rolled her eyes and tugged on his arm to get him moving. "I'm sure they are, but if I eat a single thing more I'm going to explode."
He looked at the shop for a little longer before letting her drag him along. "Ok. But we're definitely checking it out once we've got room for it."
After that little interruption he took the lead again, guiding her toward the Eiffel Tower. It was hard to miss, it glowed like a beacon among all the other lights in the city. Stepping onto the large grassy square they looked on with amazement at the brilliant tower of golden lights. The two untangled their arms and stood side by side to marvel at the monument. Many others around them were enjoying the spectacle as well, though not as many due to the cold weather.
Alfred unglued his eyes from the tower and looked all around with a large smile on his face. It was beginning to snow. If the bright lights and architecture wasn't beautiful enough, now the large, slow-falling clumps of white were rapidly turning everything into a winter wonderland.
He turned to Natalya to comment on the strange coincidence of the snow just as they arrived, but paused halfway through opening his mouth. She was still observing the tower with wide eyes, golden shimmers reflecting in her violet orbs while snow flakes clung onto her long eyelashes. She looked absolutely stunning.
Feeling breathless he exhaled softly, his lips twitching up into a small, affectionate smile. With the back of his hand he tapped her on the arm. "Hey, follow me. I wanna show you something." With her sparkly eyes she looked to him, mutedly trailing close behind as he started heading toward the Eiffel Tower.
Once reaching the bottom the structure now loomed high above them, Natalya having to tilt her head all the way back to see up into the center. After sparing a moment to observe it from this new perspective they proceeded toward a booth under one of the tower's legs.
Just then it had clicked for her where exactly they were going, so she tugged on his sleeve while he was talking to a man in the booth about getting tickets. "Wait, we're going all the way up there?" She asked while pointing up into the tower.
Taking hold of the tickets handed to him he turned around and nodded with a smile stretching ear to ear. "Yeah! From there we'll be able to see the whole city. Now let's go."
Looking all around she eyed the groups of people standing about the square, while others cramped together and filed into the staircases that led up the tower's legs. An arm crossed over her shoulders and pulled her to where she couldn't view the crowd. Feeling herself be pressed into something hard she recognized it as the side of Alfred's torso.
Raising her head she looked up into his warm and caring eyes. "It's gonna be ok, ok?" He reassured, hugging her a little closer. His features were so soft, even if the tone of his voice was serious. She nodded, not able to remove her eyes from him. At that he beamed and guided her to a large yellow elevator.
Once getting inside the two found a group of three others, so they moved to an empty corner and claimed that spot as their own. Or at least Natalya did, being the social butterfly he is Alfred had no problem talking with the others and exploring the place.
After a few minutes the elevator doors closed and began moving up. Excitedly Alfred looked out of the windows as they rose further and further up, the horizon growing larger and more extravagant every second.
While he wished to stay and watch the whole way up, from the side he could see Natalya signaling him over, so he stepped away from the window and went over to her. "What's up?" He asked, just for her to grab him and yank him close. "Be quiet you— just... stay close to me alright?"
With furrowed brows he looked down at her. "Huh? Wait haven't you been flipping out this whole time about people seeing us together?" She blushed but didn't let go of his arm. "Da? Well whatever, shut up. I don't want you wandering off is all."
Confused, he stared at her for a little longer, then started laughing out loud. "If you want to hold onto me and stuff just say so, or actually just do it, I don't mind."
Snapping her head to the side she gawked at him, her face going completely red. "I don't— that's not— Alfred seriously, there are people here."
"Ah who cares? They probably can only understand French anyway," he shrugged. The elevator then came to a stop on the first floor, the small group in question getting out and leaving the two alone.
After the door closed he gestured toward them with his arm. "See? Now there's nothing to worry about." She tried to argue against him, but dropped it as she curled her fingers tighter around his arm. With a giggle he reached his hand forward and patted her on the head. "Fine. I won't wander off."
For some more minutes they traveled up the tower, the two of them staying extra close even though she told him it was alright for him to step away. He didn't listen and continued to pat her head, which she regrettably started getting up on her tippy toes for so she could press into his touch. She doesn't know what was possessing her body to make her do that.
Only when reaching the top did the two separate, as Alfred stepped out of the elevator and immediately went off to explore all sides of the floor. Due to the cold weather only about a dozen other people were up there with them, giving them well beyond enough space to themselves.
Looping around he met back up with Natalya, giving her a big and dorky smile and a thumbs up. 'Him and his thumbs up,' she thought with a roll of her eyes, though she did smile a tiny bit. She can't help it with that stupid, innocent face of his.
"Let's go this way, that way we can see the best part of the city," Alfred directed as he walked toward the front side of the Eiffel Tower. Natalya followed, only to stop abruptly as he did a double take and stepped up to the fence. "Man, that's some view. Isn't it?" He muttered, mesmerized as he leaned down onto the tower's railing with crossed arms and looked out into the city.
The gentle sprinkle of snow had created a sort of fog that hung over the city, catching the white and yellow lights of the buildings and street lights and illuminating the sky with a bright yellow mist, which faded out with a lessening hue until it reached the mostly pitch black sky directly above them.
She had to agree it was quite the sight, though she was far more captivated by the stars sparkling in his eyes as he observed the city with so much interest and curiosity.
"Isn't it crazy how there are buildings down there that have been around since medieval times? Since before Europeans had even found me? I don't know about you but that's absolutely wild to me," he said with a sigh of amazement, propping one hand up to lean his head on.
She definitely didn't see what was so amazing about it. "They're not that old, and besides you've seen way older, you've been to Rome, Egypt, and China a million times."
Raising his head he snapped out of his fantasizing. "Yeah? Well... whatever. It's just that these are in the middle of a city, and one that's been through a ton of wars, you know? It's just surprising that they still exist." She felt like she should probably mention that a lot of China's ancient buildings are in cities that have gone through wars, but not wanting to ruin his mood decided against it.
So he continued. "Think about Notre Dame, that place is like a bajillion years, and France once told me Paris has been around since 200 something BC, like at the same time as Romans."
"But it nearly burnt to the ground a year ago," she said matter-of-factly. "But it didn't!" He said while pointing at her, feeling pretty proud of himself like he just proved some point. She rolled her eyes and laughed a little bit. "What's your point Alfred?"
His smile shrank as he shrugged and half-turned away toward the city. "I don't know. It's just... there's so much history behind these buildings. It feels like all of history was being made here while at the same time I was off on the other side of the world frolicking in fields and sleeping in tents and igloos for half a millennium."
Leaning back on the railing he stared off in deep thought, his eyebrows furrowing as he tried to figure out how to place his words. "Maybe it's just me, but it feels like... like I was late to the party. Like I missed out. The Medieval Ages, the Renaissance, I was just barely able to be there for the Age of Enlightenment. I basically missed all of the cool, ancient part of history."
"Trust me, you didn't want to be around during the Medieval Age," she said with a grimace. "Besides, most nations would give anything to return to what you had growing up, many didn't even have that luxury to begin with."
He pondered for a little longer before lightening up with a small laugh. "Maybe you're right, I could do without getting the Black Death or some other crap like that. Though you lived through that time, maybe sometime you could tell me about what it was like."
"The bubonic plague?" She wondered. "No, well yes, but kinda just medieval stuff in general. Like how was it living through that whole time?"
She frowned a little bit. "I'm not sure I'm the best source for you to go to, I was a child and a girl ruled by that bastard Lithuanian. I doubt you'll find any of the interesting or pleasant stories you're looking for."
"That's fine. I just wanna learn more about it, that's all," he replied, a genuine smile on his face. She turned her head away and bit the inside of her cheek. "I guess I could tell you, if you really want," she mumbled. She could tell he was smiling at the back of her head, making the hairs stand up on her neck.
"Cool," was all he said before looking back to the city, though now with a gleeful smile plastered on his face. After a bit she deemed it safe to turn back around, though as she did he immediately began talking again.
"I'm still mad France overtook me for having the tallest building. Well at least until people made skyscrapers," he said while cracking a smile. "Couldn't even let me have the record for a single decade. Stupid tower."
"You're really fascinated by buildings, huh? And do you really have to try and be first in everything?" She asked, crossing her arms. He simply shrugged at her innocently. "It's not my fault it feels good. Wouldn't you want to be the best?"
"And have everyone's attention on me all the time? No thank you. Well... then again, it would be fun to make them jealous," she conceded with a sadistic smirk.
With a chuff he leaned forward onto the fence barrier, looking down at the little dark dots of people swarming around the green space like a bunch of ants. "You know, for as long as this tower's been around I've only actually been up here a couple times."
She turned and made a face at him, usually he loves going to places an absurd amount of times, like Disneyworld for example.
"I obviously came up here when it was first built, France and... what was his name? Oh yeah, Gustave Eiffel, duh. Him and Gustave showed me the secret room and even the observation deck way up top. Besides that I've only come back up here every once in a while during meeting weeks when I'm hanging out with Prussia and Denmark and whatnot."
Thinning his lips into a line a grave expression casted itself on his face. "I was gonna bring Amelia here for her birthday when she got back from her flight, but as you know that... well it didn't happen."
"...I'm sorry you had to go through that," she eventually said. He smiled at her lightly in a comforting sort of way. "It's alright. That was a long time ago."
She knew well enough by now not to trust when he says it's alright. She knows that distant look in his eyes, he's still pained by the loss. Suddenly her eyes widened as she remembered Amelia and her bomber jacket.
"That reminds me, I've been meaning to give this back to you," she told him while digging inside her dress, pulling out his jacket's star patch. Dropping it in his hands she watched him worriedly as he blankly stared down at it. "I know it's pointless now. I'm sorry." She bowed her head and tightly gripped her hands together in guilt.
Still looking at the patch he snickered to himself before tucking the patch in his pocket and reaching out to grab her shoulder. "Thanks. I really appreciate it. And hey don't worry about it, my jacket's fine."
"What?!" She yelled, flipping her head up in bewilderment. "But how? Did you sew every piece back together or something? It was in shreds." He laughed and removed his hand from her, giving her a thumbs up and a wink. "Magic."
She furrowed her brows. "I thought you didn't have magic." He stood proudly with hands on his hips and nodded. "I don't, unless it's Halloween of course. How else do you think I've kept that jacket for so long? That thing is ancient."
"Oh..." she trailed off, jarred with how fast that got resolved. She expected him to hold it against her for at least a little longer. "Hey," he spoke up, bringing her attention back to him. "Thank you, honestly, it really means a lot to me."
With a polite smile he got her all blushing again. "Now enough with the sad stuff, we can't be all mopey when we've still got a whole night ahead of us, and especially not with a view like this," he enthused while gesturing to the city. "Says you. You're the one that's been acting all sad," she said under her breath.
Taking a step closer to him the two of them looked back out to the city. The snow had picked up a little, making the yellow haze even larger and brighter than before. Alfred had really struck gold with the day he picked for their date.
Taking his eyes off the city for a moment he glanced over at Natalya, who kept her own eyes fixated on the view, her soft breaths coming out in little white puffs from her nose while her mouth was locked tight in a firm line.
If only she was the slightest bit less resistant to the cold, so he could see her sharp and regal facial figures all bundled up in a big poofy hat and coat. That would be really cute. 'How can she be so cute all the time?' He wondered, fiddling with the tin of mints in his pocket.
She may not be bothered by the cold, but there'd be no harm in keeping her warm, would there? Slowly he reached over and put an arm around her once more. Having this happen a few times already she barely reacted, leaning her head to the side to rest against his shoulder or the side of his torso. Instead she fell over and felt two arms wrap around her back, pulling her into something much wider.
Arching her head back she found herself buried in the center of Alfred's torso, and above that he looked down at her with a wobbly smile and a red face, the hot blood making his clouds of breath especially large. "H-Hey there," he mumbled, trying his best to grin confidently.
Her eyes widened but she said nothing, her face mirroring his. Lowering her face to his chest she leaned against it and looked back out to the Paris skyline, not able to or having anything to respond to him with. With an ear pressed to him she could hear and feel his heard hammering away in his chest, especially as her arms snaked their way up his body and found their place latching onto the area between his neck and shoulders.
And just like that they were latched onto each other. No explanation needed to explain why he suddenly pulled her in like that, she was just pleased to be in his embrace. God knows how long they stayed like that. It could've been multiple hours or mere minutes, they didn't know.
"The city really is beautiful," she said to him after a long while. With a nod of agreement he looked down at her. "Only the second most beautiful thing here tonight." She looked up at him but quickly turned her head away and bit her lip in embarrassment.
He grinned earnestly and grasped her chin, making her look back up at him. She felt her throat go dry as he licked and slowly parted his lips. "...That crème brûlée at that shop. Oh Nat that stuff looked so good." She gasped with what almost sounded like a laugh, beaming an open mouth smile as she slapped him lightly on the chest. "Alfred!"
"Alright, alright," he laughed as he let go of her chin, holding her tightly to him. ". . .You're fourth." The warmth he felt from hugging her quickly drained out of him as the now ice cube of a person trembled in his arms. In a flash she had ripped out of his grip and began stomping away from him. "Goodnight Alfred," she said coldly.
With a chuckle he reached forward and clutched onto her wrist, pulling her back into the hug. "Ok, I'm just kidding around. You're very pretty, way more than some dumb, super delicious dessert."
She stood rigid for a bit until finally melting back into his touch, though she held up her glare toward him for a pretty long while more, which he only found more amusing than anything else.
"You better be," she mumbled at last, hiding her face in his chest and peering out of one eye toward the glowing city. He sighed in contentment and turned to the city as well, meanwhile slowly rocking the both of them side to side.
More time passed with them in each other's arms. Seems time really flies when you are hugging someone. At some point they noticed that one by one some of the starry lights in the city started to go out as shops closed down and people prepared for bed.
Natalya was the first to break off the hug, stepping back with that adorable red strip spreading from cheek to cheek, looking almost sad to let go. "It's getting late, if we still have more to do like you said then we should probably get going."
Alfred slowly lowered his still extended hands and put them in his pockets, his smile broad. "Guess so. Let's go then." Taking a step forward to head for the elevator he almost immediately stopped and poked Natalya in the elbow with a smirk. "Oh, and don't forget about the dessert shop, we gotta get there before it closes."
She rolled her eyes. "I get it, you want dessert." Pulling ahead she walked off toward the elevator, while he stayed back at a slower pace and watched her get further away. His smile dropping, he gnawed at his lip a bit and fidgeted with the box of mints again.
Opening the box in his pocket he grabbed two mints out of it and closed it again, cautiously looking out for where Natalya was before popping the mints in his mouth. He still didn't think they'd have to be used, but maybe. Hopefully.
Descending the tower they left the square and headed back into the city streets. Before long Alfred had led her to a large building with faint music coming out of it. Natalya was seriously starting to think he was trying to overwhelm her with as many embarrassing things as he could.
Feeling a warm hand press onto her back and guide her to the door, her feet went against her mind and moved on their own. And once she noticed how he was smiling down at her there was no way she could turn back. 'Damn him and his stupid, cute smile!' She thought, grinding her teeth as they walked into the building.
From their spot near the door they watched on as people wearing suits and dresses slow danced in the middle of the large room. People off to the sides sat at tables doing nothing but snacking on little appetizers and staring dreamily into each other's eyes. The lights in the room were orange and dimmed, giving the place a warm and romantic atmosphere.
On a raised platform at the end of the dance floor sat a quartet, playing a slow tempo on their violin, piano, accordion, and a fourth person that swapped between a few instruments like drums or a cello.
"I was hoping that this would be more romantic than just some regular old nightclub," Alfred spoke up. Looking over at him she saw as he discarded his coat, revealing the sleek black coat underneath. She liked the way he looked in suits.
Making sure there weren't any wrinkles in his suit he continued. "Before you freak out I know there are people here, but they're all on dates too so I figured it'd be less awkward." She held onto herself and instinctively took a step closer to him. "If you say so."
He chuckled a little while retightening his tie. "I almost rented out a place so we could have a dance floor to ourselves and not have to worry about people, but thinking back on it that sounds sorta lonely, y'know?" Now feeling proper he extended a hand and smiled cordially at her. "Now, care for a dance?"
She stared down at the hand in uncertainty, until raising up her own hand and gently placing it into his, allowing him to pull her out onto the dance floor. Leading her into the epicenter of dancers he stopped and got into position, wrapping his free hand around her waist and holding her hand in the other.
Seeing she was still hesitant he pulled her close and made her look at him. "This'll be just like back in Minsk, you remember that right? You were way more eager back then." She shifted her eyes away bashfully, remembering full well her behavior from that night. "We were drunk that night Alfred."
"Well, guess that just means this night will be way more memorable then, huh?" He said with a large, innocent smile. She hates when he smiles at her like that, she hates how much she likes it.
Looking around she checked to make sure no one was looking at them or listening to what they were saying, but then felt herself being pulled away as her chin was cupped and turned to make her face forward again. "Hey, don't worry about them, just focus on me," Alfred whispered smoothly, with softened features that made her chest feel tight.
Once he knew he had her full attention he let go of her chin and placed the hand back on the small of her back, beginning to very slowly dance with her. She remained quiet as she slunk her own free hand up and grabbed onto his shoulder.
The two began moving their legs to gradually spin in a circle, her eyes squarely affixed to his own, unable to look away as he smiled at her lightly. "See? You're doing great." Raising the hand holding onto her own she engaged and walked into a twirl, then stepped close to hold onto him again. "I don't dance much. Not since big brother's parties back when we were in the USSR."
He laughed and started going in a slow spin with her again. "Well, for not dancing much you're pretty good at it. I feel like if it were any other situation you'd be the one taking the lead right now." She hummed in response, her eyes still tracking his every move. "In most other situations there wouldn't be a ton of people around us, you can't blame me for being uncomfortable around them."
"Think on the bright side for once..." he paused, pulling her close to him. "Sure there's a ton of people, but you're the most beautiful out of all of them." She rolled her eyes and scoffed, even as her cheeks were painted a light pink. "Of course I am, but that means everyone will be looking at me."
With a chuckle he leaned forward and dipped her back, looking down at her with a raised brow and a smirk. "Don't tell me Natalya Arlovskaya has an inflated ego, you're starting to sound like me."
"Oh, so you admit you have an inflated ego?" She questioned, smirking right back. Raising his brow even more he lost the smirk and appeared puzzled. "Huh? What do you mean?"
She stared at him for a moment before being lifted back up onto her feet. "Your ability to be acutely aware of things and hopelessly oblivious at the same time never ceases to amaze me," she said, tapping the side of his face with her hand. "Also I do not have an inflated ego. It was you that told me I was beautiful, I simply agreed with the statement."
He remained silent as her hand rested on his cheek, feeling as it slid down his face and neck until settling back on his shoulder. With her back in position he gave a happy grin and began their dance again.
Several minutes went by in their dance, no longer saying words, just looking into each other's eyes as they steadily swayed, turned in circles, and box stepped together. Slowly the outside world began to fade away from them as they fell into a trance, just as it had on their first dance.
With him pushing on the back of her waist and her pulling on his shoulder, their bodies gravitated toward each other until they were nearly touching. Letting go of her hand he crept his grip down to her wrist, then her arm, then at the same time as his other hand he grabbed onto both sides of her waist.
As he was doing that she took her now free hand and wrapped both arms around her neck, pulling herself even closer. Breaking eye contact she closed her eyes and laid her head on his chest, letting out a quiet sigh of relief. He hunched down into her hold and put his head on hers, smiling a little to himself as they rocked together.
Eventually she opened her eyes and looked over at the band playing, her ear pressed to his chest as she listened again to his fast-beating heart. "Hey Alfred?" She asked, her voice quiet. Said nation perked up, looking down at the top of her head. "Yeah?"
"...How have you been so calm all this time?" She wondered, thumbing at his suit collar. A deep and throaty laugh reverberated in his chest, feeling funny on the side of her head. "Wanna know my secret?" He asked her, as he gazed off into the distance. "I have been panicking over this date, the whole night."
She froze in everything she was doing and snapped back to look up at him, her eyes wide as she peered at his grinning face. Then with a sudden snort she began to quietly giggle, quickly having to cover her mouth as they grew louder and harder to contain. Her cute laughter proved too contagious as Alfred found himself starting to laugh with her, until they were both holding onto each other and trembling in gasps and giggles.
Their laughing fit ended once their cheeks grew too painful to smile anymore, in which they went back to just holding each other. With her arms rewrapped around his neck she faced up to him, some lingering giggles getting out as their eyes locked once again. Their faces red from laughter and their heaving breaths were hypnotic, and just like that they were back in a trance.
With hearts beating at what was surely an unhealthy rate everything around them became uncomfortably hot, but even so they clung to each other tighter. Coiling her arms tighter around his neck she began closing the distance, lifting herself up while pulling his head down. Likewise he pulled her waist closer to him and allowed himself to be dragged down until their faces were threatening to touch.
And there they paused, just for a moment, just to take in the sight and feel the sensation of the other's warm breath on their lips, before at the same time they closed their eyes and slowly moved forward, firmly pressing their lips together. Instantly fireworks were going off inside their heads, blasting away any thoughts besides wanting to press on and lock their lips tightly together.
Natalya got on her tippy toes, deepening the kiss. His lips were soft, though with a bit of resistance as he kissed back, and shockingly they tasted of mint rather than what she had expected, that being that "potato lasagna" he had at the restaurant. Was he planning to kiss her this whole time?
Her face was so hot and her heart was beating so fast she felt lightheaded, but she didn't want to stop. Finally, after so long she had found love, and already she was experiencing her first true kiss. No more on-the-cheek sibling kisses or anything like that.
She couldn't contain her emotions anymore. She was just so, so happy. As they continued their kiss she suddenly felt something warm trail down her cheeks, followed by her throat closing up, forcing her to break off the kiss and lower herself.
Raising a hand to her face she realized she was crying, quickly starting to panic as she wiped at her eyes and tried to hide herself from the outside world. She didn't even know why she was crying, she was full of joy just a moment ago.
Feeling Alfred's hands leave her back she knew he had noticed her crying. Taking a step back she wiped at her eyes and kept her head down. "I-I'm sorry. I don't know what is happening. Damn tears!"
"Hey, it's ok," he told her while placing a hand on her shoulder. At the sound of a sniff she looked up at him, seeing him cover one half of his face with a hand while the other half was still clearly visible, tears welling up in his own eyes. "I understand."
She stared at him through watery eyes, but before she could cry any harder he cupped her face in both his hands, wiping her tears away with his thumbs and grinning widely. His eyes scanned over her face for a bit, keeping her tears at bay while admiring her red-faced beauty.
"I love you Nat," he stated, looking directly into her eyes calmly and resolute, even with the droplets of water pricking and falling from his eyes. In her surprise she opened her mouth to respond, but nothing came out, then before she could come up with anything he dived forward and seized her lips once more.
She gasped into his mouth in her astonishment, but swiftly gave in to that mind-numbing feeling as her eyes fluttered closed and she lifted up her arms, weaving them into the back of Alfred's hair to hold him close. The two kissed the other passionately, through tears and all, never wanting to let go of this feeling.
A while later the couple had finished their date and were on their way back to the hotel, desserts in hand from that shop Alfred wanted to go to, Alfred with crème brûlée and Natalya with a couple large eclairs.
As they walked he reached down and slipped his hand into hers, interlocking their fingers together. Observing their hands for a moment she looked back up at him, getting a flashy smile behind his cup of crème brûlée. With a flushed face she gripped his hand in return and leaned over into his side the rest of the way to the hotel.
"See? I told you that French dessert was gonna be awesome!" He said cheerfully while licking his lips and tossing the empty cup into one of the lobby trash cans. With a laugh she rolled her eyes and pulled ahead, urging him along to the elevator. "Remind me next time to have us get dessert first."
Making it up to Alfred's room the pair stopped outside the door and looked to each other. "Sooo..." he began, scratching the back of his head with one hand, the other still holding hers. "I guess this is the end of the date, huh?" She nodded back, unpleasant silence in the air as she looked down both ends of the hall to check for any unwanted listeners.
"I suppose I should probably get going then, it's already midnight," she said after a few seconds. "Oh yeah, yeah of course," he agreed hastily, not really sure how to say goodbye. Another moment of silence followed.
A little bashfully she tucked some hair behind her ear and averted eye contact. "I wanted to thank you for tonight. It was... well besides all the people around it was amazing." He blinked at her a few times then beamed, blushing a bit at the praise. "Thanks, I had a lot of fun too. We should definitely do it again sometime."
Pausing for a second he looked down at their linked hands, then back up at her. "Actually, since we're now... you know... official, when do you think we could do this again?"
Official. Just the sound of that word made Natalya's heart skip a beat. "Most of the time when I'm in my country I'm either just farming or training, and following big brother isn't taking up my whole schedule so I'll be free most times. Don't bother me when I'm with big brother though, I may like you but he's still very important to me."
That last part sounded like a threat, not that he really cared. "Sure thing dudette. Uh, I guess I should probably let you go now, you've probably got stuff to do tomorrow." Taking her other hand in his he smiled down at her. "Have a nice night Nat."
Leaning forward he gave her one final chaste peck on the lips, which she was eager to reciprocate as she gripped his hands and pushed up into it, causing the kiss to last a good bit longer than he expected.
Pulling back he smirked down at her. "Seems someone's pretty enthusiastic about the whole kissing thing." She got a little red but smirked back as well. "What do you expect when you keep saying that stupid, corny lovey-dovey shit?"
"Well... probably tell me it's stupid and corny and maybe punch me?" He shrugged, before smirking wider and leaning in close again. "Though I like this a lot better." Moving in he gave her another kiss, then a third, and then a fourth, each more heated and longer than the last.
Something felt different about these kisses though, each time their lips touched they only craved more, the taste, the feeling, the way it made the skin prickle all over their bodies, they couldn't get enough.
Pretty quick it had devolved into a full blown make out session, which lasted a good few minutes as they grappled at each other's hair, neck, and whatever else they could get a hold of, until having to break off in order to catch their breaths. They panted heavily against each other's mouths, their faces beet red, hair a little messy, and eyes half-lidded and hazy.
"So... um... we should take this inside. You know, not... not in the hallway," Alfred suggested while looking down both sides of the hallway and digging in his pocket, his voice hoarse from all the kissing.
Pulling out his hotel room's keycard he reached out and put it in the card reader next to him, opening the door behind him without turning away from the woman. He couldn't utter out a word as the instant the door swung open she launched forward into his face, pushing them into the room and slamming the door closed behind them.
Navishcho ya vzahali zapakuvav vse tse layno? - Why did I even pack all this crap?
My zrobymo vas naykrasyvishoyu natsiyeyu, yaku koly-nebudʹ bachyv khlopchyk - We'll make you the most beautiful nation that boy has ever seen.