Underneath The Mask (Hetalia School AU)

Chapter 13

"How's your love life going, Lukas?" Arthur glances at me whilst pouring tea into his rainbow coloured mug. It's the weekend so I'm free from the hell hole known as school. "Don't get me started," I groan, "And what about yours, Mr I've-Only-Just-Realised-I-Like-Jones?" He stops to turn to me and gives me the dirtiest look he can, complete with one raised finger (You know which one). "Careful, Arthur, you're going to turn into Lovino, and no-one needs two of him, one is enough." Not that I don't like Lovi, he's one of my best friends including the fact that he really gets me. But he can be a bit extreme at times. Can't we all? The Brit face then softens, "What do you mean you don't want to talk about your love life? Something going on?"
"Ja. You know the whole secret admirer thing. Well, uh... there's another person I think I have feelings for."
"Stuck between a rock and a hard place, huh?" He raises an eyebrow.
"Yeah." I sigh, "I hate it. Why do feelings exist? They're just here to be a bother."
"Mm," he hums in agreement - at least I think he does, he has just picked up his tea and I don't mean the gossip. "Who's the other guy? Let me guess, first. Is it Mathias?" I slightly smile at the mention of the name. "Ah. So it is."
"How'd you guess that from a smile? I could just think he's a friend." I glance straight at him, eyes narrowed. "Nah, you looked like Antonio when Lovino comes into his line of view. Your whole face lights up."
"Does not!"
"Does to!" He walks off with his mug and the conversation is finished.

~~~~~~~~~~~

I decided to go for a walk not long after that. Admire the overwhelming beauty of such a small town. Oslo is beautiful but it can get very crowded and cramped. It makes me feel like I'm suffocating. Like there's a noose around my neck. Here, there's less people to start with. Always a good thing. I've never been fond of people, especially not after all I've experienced. People suck. But not all of them I guess. I have friends now, they understand. And there's Emil, as well. To me, my lillebror is one of the best things that has ever happened to me, although there are few.

I turn down a road and notice a rundown shack at the end of it. It's so ugly and broken it stands out like a sore thumb. I'm instantly drawn to it. People say curiosity killed the cat but what they don't know is that sometimes I'd like nothing more than the sweet embrace of death. And besides, that's not the full saying. 'Curiosity killed the cat but satisfaction brought it back.' I break into a sprint. Something important is waiting for me there, I just know it. When I reach the shack, the door is slightly ajar, crumbling from decay. My hands, slightly trembling from either excitement or fear, push it open and then I step inside. There's nothing here. Absolutely nothing. It's empty and a waste of my time. So much for adventure.

Yet, I still walk forward. It appears to be just one room. What function did this place serve? Why is it still here? Are people that lazy to destroy it? I take a few more steps and, out of nowhere, my surroundings disappear.

Trees, grass, flowers-
This isn't where I was. I look back but all I see is more trees. Trembling, I place my hand out. Part of it disappears. "What the fuck-" I withdraw said hand. Taking a look around my surroundings, I see them. Fairies. Trolls. Magical beings. My breath automatically seizes. No, no, no. I can't do this. They're everywhere. Out of all my problems that I'm working on, this is by far the worst. I haven't even started with it. Too afraid, I guess. Breathe, breathe. Let's go see if we can find any humans here.

A few minutes pass until I catch sight of one. One human that looks painstakingly familiar. If it is him, then I'll give you a hint: he was mentioned in my conversation with Arthur earlier. Hair like a pineapple, a smile continuously on his face, Mathias Køhler. As I come closer, purposely avoiding the magical beings, his eyes widen and then he looks straight at me. "Lukas!" He runs up and hugs me, the smile on his face now a grin. "I can't fucking believe this! Who told you about magic? Was it Vladimir?" He's now making no sense. Magic? What about magic? And Vlad? He stops mid-rant and notes my confusion, "How did you get here, Lukas?" Taking a deep breath, I recount the shack and the weird transportation thingy.