Red Roses, Aster, and Peonies

21

Alfred let out a large yawn, glancing around the room. It was noon by now, rain pattering on the window as he looked around his office. Two storms only about a week apart seemed odd, but he ignored it, choosing to just calm himself to the sparks of water.

He went back on his computer, rubbing his eyes. He managed to get all the stuff Germany had sent him done, which was surprising. Japan slept in the chair across from him, a folder on his lap. He had been telling him the happenings outside of America.

Whole bunch of bullshit because humans can't get their acts together. He saw the plant on his desk, a small peach colored rose shrub, was completely dead. He accidentally got annoyed and killed it.

He tapped the mason jar it was in, the roses growing vibrant once again. With a glance around his office, the snake plant, spider plant, and forget-me-nots were also healed.

Hero was asleep in his room, her kitten Yasen crawling around while his littermates slept. The kitten let out the occasional garbled word- 'fuck', 'snooze', 'gazoontite'- as his brain tried to connect to the language of animals. It was precious, in its own annoying way.

"Honda-san?" He asked softly, shaking him. Kiku opened one eye, looking at him disappointed.

"You can call me Honda-kun," Kiku replied, "we are friends."

"I wasn't sure." Alfred said, gesturing up his arms to the stripes, down to his curling claws. The most unnerving part to Kiku was his eyes. The whites were black, like ghouls. Like cannibals. The blue was the same though, if not more enhanced by the darkness around it.

"You haven't changed," Kiku chuckled, raising his mouth to cover the small smile coming onto his features, "but you do act more mature in this form."

"This is a private business meeting-" an alarm went off, signally the hour had ended, "and now it's over, Kiku. Wanna go to the cellar and get drunk on sake?"

Kiku blatantly laughed, "I don't think yours will be as good as mine, but sure, Alfred-kun."

"Great dude! Let's go!" he exclaimed, grabbing Kiku under the arm and dragging him, focusing on not letting the plants die around him. He was annoying himself, he just wanted to go back into his room and sleep.

"Alfred-kun, I have a question."

"Ask away, dear friend."

"Well, more like two."

"Go ahead," he giggled, his laugh having the consistency of ripping paper, his body wanting to purr instead.

"When will the nations leave?" was his first question.

"Whenever you guys want. You just have to ask one of my immortals and they'll fly you back to your home country themselves."

"Second question... why Braginski- er... uh, Russia. Er Braginski?"

"Why what?" Alfred glanced over to the smaller man, his footsteps getting slower as he loosened the grip on his arm.

"Why of all the nations... was it your enemy?"

"I have many enemies, but he was never one."

"If you don't mind me asking... who are your enemies?"

Alfred glanced at him, seeing a look of 'oh god, is it me? Please don't have it be me!'

"Transphobes, homophobes, rapists, racists, sexists..." Alfred sighed, "people who believe people don't deserve to be people or have access to their anatomy."

"Oh... one final question, what is your last name?"

"Um.. it would be Jones still. My family name is Thunderbird. Because Ivan doesn't have a clan title like I do, he'd be Ivan Zimavich Thunderbird Braginski."