The Surprise

Kiku slipped his finger through the loop of his tightly-folded tie, pulling on it absentmindedly as he stared around the sharp corner of the wall, at a certain oblivious blond. Kiku watched with curious eyes as he conversed with his ally, talking about things Kiku couldn't make out. As the blonde waved his hand and said a farewell, he turned around to stride toward the turn of the wall, making Kiku gasp and shoot down the hall.

-

Arthur blinked a couple of times as he stared at Kiku, the dark-haired one looking down at his feet and refusing to avert his eyes. Arthur tapped Kiku's shoulder, but even so, he wouldn't look up.

"What did you need help with, Kiku?" Arthur asked quizzically, still a little confused. "Everything okay?"

Kiku's eyes suddenly shot up to Arthur's, but just as quickly, they fell to the ground.

"Y-yes, I need help with something…" Kiku replied quietly.

"I know that," Arthur sighed. "What is it that you need help with?"

Kiku looked to the side, trying to find the right words. How should he put it… At times like this, Kiku could never find the right things to say. He was always a quiet person, but he always knew what to say… Times like this really frustrated him.

"Well…" Kiku started. "It's about… someone I've developed feelings over the past few months we've known each other… I want to impress.. that person, but I don't know how…"

Arthur's eyes suddenly went big, and he breathed in quickly as he finally realized. He started to smile and patted Kiku's shoulder, making him slowly raise his eyes.

"Well, tell me who this fine gent is and I can help you!" Arthur insisted, smiling brightly. "I need to know the chap that you want to impress!"

Kiku's cheeks flared and he started to look away again.

"Please, just be calm, and don't take things out of hand…" Kiku remarked quietly. "I'm going through enough right now…"

"Oh, just tell me! Who's the good-lookin' fellow who stole your heart?"

Kiku waited a moment, then said with the smallest voice,

"A-…" Kiku swallowed. Arthur smiled. "A-Alfred…"

Arthur's smile faded in an instant, his hand falling from Kiku's shoulder. He heard a small crack and assumed that that was his heart breaking.

"Oh," Arthur said emotionlessly, nodding once. "I see. Alfred."

"Y-you two are close enough - you can help me impress him, right…?" Kiku asked hopefully.

Arthur sighed and nodded again. As much as he wanted that fine gent to be himself, he couldn't let Kiku down. He needed to help him.

"Yes, I can help."

Kiku nodded in thanks and stepped back, looking at Arthur in curiosity. "S-so? What should I do…?"

"Well," Arthur started in a small voice, tapping his chin as he thought. "Alfred is very interested in flashy and showy things, like videogames, or big lights, or colorful things. He also likes to eat - things that aren't exactly good for you, but really good-tasting. You could cook him something, perhaps? He's also going through this faze where he talks really loudly and ends every sentence in "Yo" or "Dude." But I guess he's always done that… Lately he's been wearing things like baggy, worn out jeans and backwards caps, and shirts that go to his knees, and so on. Does that help?"

Kiku nodded once and turned to run back to his dorm, looking over his shoulder to wave at Arthur.

"Arigato!" he shouted, flashing a small smile.

-

Alfred knocked on Kiku's door, looking down at the small sheet of paper.

"Yo, Kiku!" he shouted, knocking again. "I'm grabbing a donation from each country to remodel the conference room. Dude, open up!"

Kiku wrapped his fingers around the cold doorknob and pulled the door open, holding out a check to Alfred. Alfred stared, forgetting to reach and take the donation.

Kiku stood, nearly smiling in embarrassment, trying to hold up his six-sizes-bigger jeans with his hand in his pocket. Alfred could barely see through the tinted sunglasses enveloping Kiku's already-dark eyes, as well as the eye shadow and eyeliner scraped across his eyelids. His usually straightened and combed hair was now unkempt and sticking out at random directions, a bright red and yellow baseball hat placed backwards on his head. The brim was sticking out at the side of the nape of his neck, beneath the huge zip-up sweater he had on around his shoulders with the hood over his brow. The sleeves went way past his fingertips, as well the base going past his thighs. Across his breast, the American flag was stitched into the tan sweater. Underneath the horrid sweater was a round-necked t-shirt with "Fuck yeah" written across the chest. Peeking out from his sagging jeans were the baggy red-white-and-blue boxers he had acquired, as well as a whole other set of underwear beneath that.

"Here," Kiku said quietly. "I'll donate some money - and I'll even pay in dollars…. Y-yo."

Alfred suddenly burst out laughing, making Kiku blush slightly. It seemed like a day or two had pasted before Alfred could stop his guffawing. Alfred wiped his eyes and laughed a couple more times before looking at Kiku, smiling.

"You dressed like that for me, right?" he snickered. "Arthur told me. I was expecting something to eat, but that was way better. I didn't think you had it in you."

Kiku blushed darker. "H-he told you…? Garakuta…"

Alfred laughed again and patted his shoulder. "I guess he has some sort of beef against me now and he ruined my surprised. But, still, I didn't expect this. Wanna go out for something to eat, since you seem to have not made me anything?"

Kiku nodded once and looked down at his bright red Converse.

"L-let me change first…"

"No way! You look good, I want you to go out in public like that-"

"Alfred, no!"

"Please? You tried so hard - it's cute!"

"No! Stop asking!"

"Alright, fine. Let's go."

"H-hey! Put me down!"

"Haha - no!"

"A-Alfred! Put - me - down!!"