Once Upon A Time | A Hetalia x Reader

Chapter 35: Timid or Shy

"So I went to this store and went up to the owner..." Feliks said between laughs as he led Alfred and I to our room. Unfortunately, Arthur had to part ways because of his condition and went elsewhere, with, as Feliks had said, the royal doctor.

"She asked, 'What do you need?' and I replied, 'I need Fab Rick please,' because I talk to this good friend of mine and I call him Fabulous Richard, or Fab Rick for short."

"And what did she say?"

"What kind?"

"And then...?"

"The human kind!"

I merely stared at Alfred, traumatized, as he howled in laughter. His booming voice echoed and echoed upon the eerie hallways, infested with the ocassional maid or butler or knight on their post.

Feliks, whom was mildly flustered of his reaction, fiddled with his sleeves in gentle rhythm. I smiled kindly at his quiet response and continued onwards.

"So, I was meaning to ask..."

Feliks immediately beamed. "Babe, don't be afraid to tell me things~ I'll totally help you in whatever."

"Haha, yeah..." was all I said, feeling very nervous. "I was...going to ask if you could assist me in something."

"Sure. What do you want me to do? Like, I can feed your ponies and scare away those petty princes for you."

"It's actually about the war. You know about it, right?"

As we walked on, Feliks had fell silent. He flashed me a sympathetic smile, the smile that I was very familiar of. I forced a chuckle to let the air lighten up for the sake of it.

It didn't.

But Feliks began to talk again, to my relief, and I felt some hope that he'll help.

"I-I do, I actually do."

"Will you help me wage war on the kingdom that threatened to rule me over?"

"(Name)...."

My hopeful expressions had immediately faltered. Honestly, I had known him two years after my adoption. We got along. We shared laughs and secrets. Sort of like close friends in which were so very trustworthy to you. Loyal to you. And after all those years, I had grown accustomed to his looks and his expectations. As if I had easily predicted his schemes and his acts.

He just...couldn't help, after all.

It broke my heart to think that all this hope that bottled inside me, just to get here, was all here for nothing. I felt like my hopes and dreams were crushed and shattered, thrown away into the darkness. I was overthinking. I knew there was something that could still save us, my kingdom, maybe the world before it grows into chaos, and avenge my family.

"My army is spread throughout the kingdom. Some will have to travel here for days, others months, many years."

"I'm aware that this kingdom you rule is large."

"That's not all. Like, I'll have to plan out the sequence. The plot. That may take weeks."

"And...you'll have to call up all the gaurds and knights?"

"Yes. It's something I totally intend to do when at war. So everyone will be rightfully aware of my yearning."

I sighed. "I'm sorry for being a burden. For...you know, asking you something that you can't do at a limited amount of time."

"It's okay. Will you be planning on asking another kingdom?"

I nodded quickly, as that idea had just popped into my head and stayed like glue. Okay. New goal, new hope, and let the fortune last.

"So we'll have to set out? When?" Alfred had suddenly inquired, squishing in between us. We arrived by an array of stairs, and we had all took step by step in unison.

"U-um, if you'd like, you can, well, stay for a while! To, y-you know, rest and...stuff."

I grinned. Despite that Alfred and I have been visiting Feliks a couple of times, it seemed to me that he and Alfred never really conversed a proper conversation. This seemed rather interesting. It had been a very long while since I met the shy ol' Feliks that I once knew years ago.

"Well, that's great. Artie needs some rest, so it seems. Right, (Name)?"

"Yeah."

For a long time, not once did I see Alfred properly smile. Like genuinely. Feliks smiled back in return, turning his head to the side to face him fully. I was relieved, thankful that Feliks had opened up to him.

"Y-your room's just over there by that hallway. You can ask one of the maids or s-servants nearby for the nurse's station."

"Thank you, Feliks." Alfred replied.

"Sure - yeah...!"

Alfred and I had easily arrived by our bedroom with no problems to cease us.

However....where did all the negative activity go?

-

"The most painful goodbyes are depicted as the ones never said or explained."