[Axis Powers Hetalia] Catch me if you Dare (America/England) [1/2]

[azureether]

Title:  Catch me if you Dare (1/2)
Fandom: Axis Powers Hetalia  
Genre: Comedy, Romance
Rating: PG-13
Characters, Pairings: America/England, France, Japan, Hungary. A bit of Canada, Seychelles, Spain, Switzerland, and mentions of other countries.
Words: 8.477
Summary: France challenges America to be nice to England for a month. Things turn out better than expected for America, and other nations find themselves doing the impossible to make America win or lose the bet...
Notes: Written for hetaliasunshine 2009. Many thanks to haro for beta check ♥


The World Conference was a disaster, as always. Everything started with a complaint on the part of China, who grumbled that he couldn't remain another moment in that room without his needed dose of tea. Korea argued that China was just a fussy old man, adding as well that tea really was originally from Korea. In the meantime, Austria was in his corner playing the piano roughly, in an attempt to express his disgust regarding such a trivial matter. A futile attempt, because with the prevailing noise, nobody could really pay attention to the piece he was playing.

The rest of the nations agreed that it was already time to take a break. Japan appeared out of nowhere a teapot, preparing to boil a large amount of water, and Veneziano woke up from his nap asking if there was something to eat. While everybody was discussing what kind of snacks they would put on the table, America started complaining about how distasteful English scones were, while being supported by a joyful Spain and an excited Denmark, who didn’t waste time in starting to hand out his famous cookies among the attendees while praising how good they were. An upset England jumped, arguing that his scones were a misunderstood delicacy, and then he faced America, throwing out the fact that he enjoyed scones when he was a kid. America answered that he just ate them out of pity, and that he was surprised he hadn’t lost his sense of taste after eating the infamous scones for so long.

England turned red out of fury. Without saying another word, he stomped out outraged, slamming the door. For a moment, everybody fell silent due to England's reaction.

It was France who broke the silence. "Honestly, Amérique; do you ever manage to open your mouth to say something without letting loose the rage of our friend Angleterre?"

"Is it my fault that he's so bad-tempered? Besides, it's not like I said a lie, isn't it?" snorted America.

"Mon ami, your honesty is appreciated, but you're sincerely lacking something called diplomacy. Besides, it seems that you actually enjoy annoying him...I'm sure you wouldn't be able to last even an hour without telling him some nasty thing!"

"O-Of course I can!! Do you remember when... no, that time he got mad because of my comment about tea. But, that other occasion when...no, wait, he got mad back there because of..." America started to ramble.

"Well, if we have to be honest, America, every time there's a nation meeting, England ends up upset because of some comment from you. It's not like you're exactly nice with him-aru,” China replied with a thoughtful look.

"Do you see it? But big brother France can help to solve this dilemma. I propose you a dare, America; you just have to treat England well, be nice to him, for a whole month. That implies not telling him anything nasty, and what's most important, not making him angry. To make it even more interesting, let's make it a bet. How does that sound?" France announced aloud so everybody could hear him.

"Eeeeeeeh?! That's...that's ridiculous; I'm sure you wouldn't allow such an absurd bet, right, guys...?" America hesitated, while his eyes looked around the hall for support. But everybody stood silent until Germany cleared his throat to speak.

“In fact, America…I'd gladly pay for that bet, if it means it will make these meetings a little more peaceful," said Germany with solemn voice, to America and the attendees' surprise. Germany's comment caused the other nations to start whispering, slowly getting excited with the idea. America, knowing himself already defeated, swallowed hard and looked at France.

"Alright...but I guess there will be conditions to the bet, right? I mean, what will we win, you and me, with this?" America asked with doubt on his voice.

"I already thought on that. Do you remember that marvelous idea you mentioned early during the meeting, to solve the climatic change...?", replied France with flattering voice.

"Of course! I still insist that putting giant cooling systems in is the best way to fight global warming. Honestly, I don't know how some people are so blind to not to see---"

"Sure, America; we know it," France hurried to reply. "And if I remember correctly, you needed one more vote for your idea to get approved. If you win the bet, mon ami, I'll give you that vote you need. What's more, I'll even finance the idea completely. What do you think?"

America now looked visibly excited. "Awesome!! But what will happen if I lose the bet?"

"In that case, then you'll have to give up on your charming idea. Not only that; you'll have to abstain yourself from bringing ideas and proposals to the table for a whole year. You won't be able to eat burgers during the meetings either, and you'll only be able to drink tea. Do you accept?" France quickly asked before America had the chance to argue.

America stopped for a moment to analyze the conditions. He knew they weren't exactly favorable for him, but the challenge itself didn't sound like something hard to achieve. Somehow, America already felt himself like a winner; there was no way of losing that bet! Finally, he sighed. "Okay, France, I accept the dare."

"Excellent! Sign here, then," said France as he held out a document that appeared to be a contract.

"Eh, sure..." America tried to read the contract, but he just managed to give a glance to the last paragraph before France took it out. "What does it mean with 'the other gamblers'?"

"You already heard Germany; there are many nations wishing to participate of our little game by betting on one side. We can't forbid them that amusement, right?" France exclaimed shaking his hair.

Switzerland was designated as the person in charge of receiving the money for the bets. It took quite some work to make him accept, but finally, the suggestion of paying him a fee for every made bet ended up convincing him. And while the rest of the nations started to form a line to register, America and France closed the deal by shaking hands.

"You're going to be surprised, France. You can start saying goodbye to your money!" America smiled mischievously.

"Ah, I'll think about it. Bonne chance, Amérique! You're going to need it..." France mumbled with a cold voice.

There was something in that voice that wasn't to America's liking. But before he could think too much about that, France had already left the hall.

Outside of the meeting room, America started to think on his situation. Okay, now he had to be nice to England. How difficult could it be...?

Until he realized that he didn't know how to do it. Where to start? He was too used to treating him badly; for some reason, this felt natural to him. And almost enjoyable. But he couldn't figure out the reason for this.

America felt himself disoriented, he hadn't been nice to England in so long. He had done it in his distant childhood, but his memories of that period were hazy and also tainted with a dose of self-pride. He needed, then, a little bit of help. But, from who?

And then, a figure passed by his side. A person that many times turned out to be invisible to his eyes, but also a person who he never failed to find when he needed some help.

“Hey, Canada!!” America hurried to catch up to his brother.

“A-America?! H-How can I help you?” Canada replied nervously. When America was so eager to greet him, that normally meant trouble.

“Mmm, I wanted to greet you, to talk about the weather, and… would you go out to eat with me once the meeting is over? We have so many things to talk about!” America sputtered with a grin on his face.

“Aaah…sure, America!” Canada hurried to reply after seeing the eager look on his brother’s face. He didn't seem to be expecting anything other than an affirmative answer. After agreeing on the meeting place and saying goodbye to each other, Canada sighed. In what kind of mess had he ended up?

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Canada knew that America's concept of “eating out” didn't imply restaurants and refined food; rather, he was already preparing himself mentally to have to stand a greasy hamburger. So he felt deeply thankful when instead of that, America invited him to have coffee. In a Starb*cks, of course. Oh well; at least, it would be good coffee.

What Canada didn't really expected, was to see America asking for the advice he did.

“Honestly, America…I never agreed with that stupid dare in the first place. I didn't bet, you know? For me, it seems that in a way, all of you are just playing with England, experimenting with him like he is some sort of guinea pig...and I don't think he deserves that, to tell you the truth.”

America couldn't hide his guilty expression. “I know, but…I'm already on this, and I have to do it well. I want to win the bet, you know? But I'm also tired of people thinking that I don't have any sensibility, or something like that. I rarely ask for favors, so please Canada! Would you help me with this?!” America looked at him, begging him with his eyes.

If there was something that Canada couldn’t resist from his brother, it was a look like that one. "Okay, America, I'll help you. Listen carefull---"

But America wasn't paying attention. On the contrary, looking very excited, he opened a big briefcase he had brought with him, taking out from inside it a flashy laptop. Humming, he opened it to start to type. "Alright, everything's ready. You can start!" he exclaimed while grinning.

"Is it necessary for you to be so flamboyant? I thought you wanted an advice, not a manual on 'how to treat England'..."

America typed fast while he was speaking. "Come on, I always bring this with me. My boss gave it to me as a gift! It's made specially for me, with the latest technology! Extraordinarily useful, you know? It helps me to remember things. You should have one for yourself...although, of course, this one's too awesome for ---"

"Okay, I'll take that into account," Canada hurried to reply. He let escape a sigh; he wouldn't gain anything from arguing with America. “Alright. In the first place, you must avoid every type of comment meant to offend him. Yes, America,” he added, upon seeing that America had already opened his mouth to protest, “that includes not calling him ‘old man,’ don't criticism him because of things in the past, but above all things…don't speak badly of his food.”

“But, his food really sucks!!” America moaned, looking very disappointed.

Canada cleared his throat, feeling a bit awkward. "Well, I'm not going to deny that...but you must have already realized that he's extremely sensitive towards criticism about his cooking being insulted. So, if the topic is somehow brought up, restrain yourself of making any comment. And, if he ever treats you to something, just eat up and shut up." After seeing how much America shuddered upon hearing that, he added, "When you were a child, you didn't have any problem doing that. Why not now?"

"Many things have changed, Canada! To start, England was way nicer back then," America mumbled, crossing his arms and frowning.

"Have you ever thought that maybe that was because you were nicer back then?" suggested Canada.

"Eh, sure, that's possible...whatever. What’s next?" America smiled nervously, making it obvious that he wanted to avoid the subject. Canada rolled his eyes.

Leaving the food behind, they started to discuss how America should talk to England, which topics he could touch, which ones he couldn't, things that America could do to please England. America didn't stop typing, not even for a single moment; his eyes were fixed on the screen. Sometimes Canada wondered if America was even listening to him.

But it seemed that he was indeed listening; after a while, America pressed the last key looking really satisfied, having wrote what looked like a word by word transcription of everything that Canada had said. Canada couldn't avoid wondering how the heck America had learned to type so fast, but before being able to make any comment, America stood up, put his laptop back into the briefcase, paid for the coffee, and said goodbye to Canada, giving him a big hug as he did so. The last thing Canada managed heard from America, was America yelling that he would get a laptop as a gift for Canada if everything turned out well.

If America were as skilled at public relations as he is with technology, the world would be a better place... Canada thought, letting out a loud sigh.

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America took the bet very seriously. He kept reading once and once again every piece of advice Canada had given him, until he learned it by heart. He requested urgently, before the astonished look of his boss, a fast course on manners and etiquette, and he spent a long time visiting clothing stores in search of a proper suit.

America didn't have to wait for long to put into practice operation Be Nice to England. About three days after the World Conference, America was informed by his boss that they would be making an official visit to the United Kingdom. An encounter with England was, therefore, inevitable.

America prepared himself for the event, taking care of even the most minor details. He made a quick check: his best outfit, his hair perfectly in order, polished shoes, his inseparable laptop...everything was perfect. He could already imagine England's surprised face!

England's boss welcomed them in an elegant office of their government building. But while both bosses greeted each other profusely, the same didn't happen between England and America. Although America had been right in thinking that England would be surprised with America's look, he didn't show it. England gave him a hard look, not saying a single word, so America chose to open the conversation.

“Hey, England… how are you doing?” he asked with a nervous smile.

England just snorted. “How does it seem to you that I should be? Economic recession, internal problems, and to make it worse, I have to stand idiots like you mocking my food…”

So he still held a grudge because of the scones fiasco. Just thinking about it made America sweat. The situation was very awkward, what could he do to get out of it? Show interest in the things he does, had been one of the things Canada had advised. So America tried to ignore England's comment and put into practice what Canada had suggested.

“Ah, economic recession…you must have a lot of work because of that, I guess. Would you mind telling me something about that? It's a matter that also involves us, and, uh…I'd like to know how you're facing it…”

England looked at America with wide eyes; obviously, he wasn't expecting an answer like that one. He lowered his guard and replied, sounding surprised. “Sure, we've had to take several measures…”- his voice trailed off before continuing – “Are you feeling alright, America? These kinds of issues have never been of your interest…”

America swallowed hard. “O-Of course, England. I'm feeling great! Although, well…not as good as I'd like to, because of my recession. That's why I wanna know, how are you doing with that…”

And England happily agreed to that. The conversation lasted for long hours; environmental topics, health care plans…England seemed very wary at the beginning, but as time passed by, he relaxed himself. America had to bite his tongue a lot, but in the end, it was worth the effort. Both laughed gladly at times, and America even dared to make little jokes, all of them being well received by England. At the end of the day, both of them were satisfied, and they shook hands profusely.

“To tell you the truth, this meeting was truly enjoyable, America,” said England with a smile. “I never thought I would be saying this, but I'm glad to have been able to talk with you. And, by the way, I have to congratulate you on that suit, a very proper choice.”

America couldn't help but blushing a little, and feeling himself flattered, he replied. “T-Thanks a lot! And yeah, I'd like to do this again next time…”

England laughed and said goodbye to America, promising that they would. America paid attention to England's face; instead of the huffed look he usually had, his eyes held a warm shine, and his face was adorned with a gentle smile he hadn't seen in so long. He couldn't help but thinking, to his surprise, that it was a very cute smile.

Once out of the building, America could at last to let out that yawn he had been holding for a long time. England was right, America wasn't interested in such boring topics, however, in a way, that afternoon had been really pleasant. He had to admit it had been very heroic on his part to have been able to be nice and to contain the annoying jokes for so many hours (although being the hero he was, it was to be expected), but what had caught America's attention was how nice England had been. Considering that these meetings generally ended with one of them (usually England) very dazed, or with a terrible headache, that the meeting had concluded on such good terms, was simply unprecedented.

Suddenly, America felt revitalizing his desire to win the bet; not just because he wanted to win, but also because he was curious to see how kind could be England if treated in that way. In opposition of what he had thought three days before, for America it was now attractive to see how things would develop over the month.

Of course, the bet was still at stake. And France, who was aware of America's visit to the United Kingdom, was sure to be able to declare himself as the winner prematurely, so he hurried to call England to find out the details of what had happened.

On the other side of the phone, England answered, “Hello?”

“Ah, my dear Angleterre, I had missed hearing your voice so much!”

“France,” muttered England, “If you have something to say, and I hope it's something that's worthwhile, then say it already, wine freak. I have more important things to do, than listening to you.”

“Mon ami, that attitude's harmful to your health!” France exclaimed feigning surprise. “What happened, maybe that evil Amérique again said something bad about you?”

“America? Not at all,” England replied surprised. “He was here on a visit some hours ago, but it was a very pleasant visit. We talked about many different topics, related to his country and mine. It must be said that it was a very productive afternoon.”

France couldn't believe what he was hearing. “Is-Is that true? Mon Dieu, maybe our little Amérique is maturing at last?”

“If that were true, it would be really good for all of us,” England replied softly, not hiding an extra tone of pride. “I'm sorry, I have to go back to work. America asked for some reports that he intends to show to his congress. If you don't need anything, would you mind if I let you go?”

“Ah, no…not at all,” France mumbled. He then said goodbye to England and finally hung up.

France's surprise was enormous. Not only had England kindly said goodbye by phone (that never happened!), but also America was indeed carrying out the requirements of the bet, and apparently successfully.

He groaned. He had thought that winning this bet would be simple. He hadn’t expected that America would have some aces up his sleeve. Being said, it appeared that if he wanted to make sure of winning the bet, he would have to take part in it himself…

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America and England kept frequenting each other as time passed. Encouraged by his initial success, America was determined not only to win the bet, but at the same time, he'd improve the impression England had of him, as well as his image to the rest of the world. Because of that, with the excuse of preparing his presentation for the upcoming G20, America invited England to every kind of activity: film festivals, exhibitions, concerts, America did his best to hide his displeasure for these activities, and he felt rewarded after seeing England's satisfied expressions.

When the G20 summit was held halfway through the month, everybody saw with astonishment the results of the dare imposed on America. That meeting was easily, one of the most productive meetings ever. To see England speaking with confidence and being vigorously supported by America (who for once, didn't bring his absurd ideas but instead gave very interesting proposals), encouraged the others to give their impressions and to present their own points of view. For once, the meeting's topic wasn't food or arguments between nations. Happy faces could be seen in every corner; even Germany smiled satisfied.

But the most surprising thing to everyone, was how good of England and America were on. And while initially just a few nations had risked themselves, suddenly the most of Europe’s nations were betting for one or the other side, in increasingly large amounts. And that enthusiasm slowly started to spread across the world.

Someone who wasn't satisfied at all was France. Fifteen days had passed and things looked to be turning out better than ever for America. And what was worse, England seemed to be spending more and more time alone with the youngster.

France didn't want to admit it, but the situation had awoken inside him a hard to control jealousy. He had liked England for so long. However, since he knew England had eyes only for the American boy (despite his awful behavior), it was impossible for France to even attempt anything. With that bet, France thought he could get rid forever of the threat America represented; but clearly, France had underestimated him. Not only that, but the bet had succeeded in repairing bonds between both nations.

It was time to act. And in a hurry. He picked up the phone to ask for reinforcements, while his mind was already scheming.

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It's okay to show interest in him, but it's important to show interest in things related to him as well, Canada had said. And so, one day, America invited England to an amusement park, proposing as well to bring Sealand with them. England had commented on several occasions how much of a headache the brat was, even though he was currently living with Sweden and Finland. So America thought it would be a good way to impress England, to make him forget work for a while, and to show him how understanding America was with kids.

However, as soon as he had Sealand in front of him, America regretted having invited the child. The brat made all types of demands, he liked to swear (a trait taken from England, obviously), and threw the most implausible tantrums. America started to feel admiration towards England for being able to stand the kid for so long, and for a moment, he wondered if he was the same when he was a child.

Fortunately, as soon as they arrived to the park, things got better for everyone. Sealand looked terribly excited; he told England he would go through the park on his own and without waiting for an answer, he ran away. England tried to tell him what time he should be back and to take care of himself, but the kid was already too far along in the line to ride a colossal rollercoaster.

To be honest, America was in that moment, secretly thankful that Sealand was such a spoiled kid. That would allow him to be alone with England, without having eyes over him. He knew he had to be nice to fulfill the dare, but the thought of having other nations seeing him with that attitude was a little embarrassing.

“Sealand will be alright, England,” America commented. “We could visit another area of the park, if you want?”

England sighed. “That kid has always brought me headaches. But deep down, he's a good boy…I know he likes these things, but I never have a chance to take him. I have to thank you for this, America, and I know Sealand is very grateful as well,” he replied, smiling at America.

There it was again, that smile America loved. Loved? No no no; it was just a cute smile, that's all. Trying to pay no attention to the butterflies he felt in his stomach, America replied. "Y-You don't have to be grateful for it... I know Sealand will enjoy, and I thought it could serve you as well to relax for a while."

England chuckled. "I appreciate your concern, America, but honestly, an amusement park?"

America felt slightly hurt by the comment, and he started wondering if it had been really a good idea to bring England to this place. Normally, he would have said that an amusement park was the most awesome thing ever, but he didn't want to say something that could ruin the day. So he chose to bit his tongue, and he shyly asked, "If it isn't to your liking, we could go to another place..?"

But England shook his head. "Now, don't think I don't like this. It's just that it's hard to relax at a place like this," he said with amusement in his voice.

America wanted in that moment to exhale in relief, but he had to hide it. "Let's start with something quiet then. Do you want to eat something?"

"All right, you're the guide." England smiled, and they set out from there, not realizing that they were being observed.

Hidden among the crowd, France listened carefully to their conversation while he mentally went over his plan. And when both nations moved away, France swiftly went looking for the help he had brought for this occasion. Hiding among the bushes, he announced. "They left. Are you ready, my dear neighbor?"

A grumpy Switzerland couldn't hide his astonishment and his annoyance with the situation; in that moment, he would rather be spending a peaceful afternoon back home, breathing the smell of mountains, or baking chocolate cakes along with Liechtenstein. “I still don't get why you want me here, France. Should I remind you that I haven't bet?”

“Ah, but you're still a very important part of this story, Switzerland, mon ami. I think that both you and me can take advantage of this…with your help, this could become a very favorable situation for you!”

“I still don't get what you mean.”

“It's simple. If we manage to shake the waters, the gamblers' interest will rise…the amount of bets will increase, along with your fees. Sounds good, uh?” France smiled.

Switzerland opened his eyes wide, realizing that what France had said was true. With a groan, he replied, "Alright, what do I have to do?"

"Easy. I'll go with the ice cream cart, and I'll convince them to buy. All you must do is to make sure that Amérique stumbles, making his ice cream fall conveniently onto our friend Angleterre. The poor guy has always liked to take care of his clothes... he surely won't stand for them being ruined by a big ice cream stain!" He grinned.

There was something in France's plan that bothered Switzerland. He didn't know if it was its simplicity, or how stupid it sounded. Nevertheless, the promise of money silenced any possible complaint from him, and he nodded his head. Then, both exited out of the bushes, already wearing costumes that made them unrecognizable.

But they weren't the only nations prowling around the place staying alert. Riding a flying dragon and carrying binoculars, an Asian nation followed carefully every move of the Frenchman. It was time to act. He got ready to step down, when...

“Japan! What a surprise. What are you doing here?"

Japan felt his heart stopping due to fright. He turned over to see who had called him; a girl of brown hair and green eyes, riding a pink dragon, was smiling to him.

“Hungary-san...ah…I…I was getting a little bit of fresh air. And you?”

“Ah, I'm clearly here protecting my investment!” Hungary replied happily. “Austria absolutely disagreed, but I bet a big amount of money in favor of America. Not only I think those two have too many centuries of accumulated sexual tension for this to not to work, but also I'll be really glad to see France being humiliated. It was always so frustrating to see him taking advantage of Austria. I've waited so long to see the moment where he'll learn his lesson!”

Japan finally exhaled. It seemed that he wasn't the only one interested in making America win the bet no matter how. “Hungary-san, this is truly a fortunate encounter. I'm also here trying to look after my interests, so it might be beneficial to join forces for this purpose. If the idea's satisfying to you, that is.”

"Of course!" She exclaimed, excited. "Tell me, what do I have to do?"

"For now, to follow France-san's movements", Japan pointed out France with his finger.

"France?" Hungary asked surprised. The man Japan was pointing out certainly had blonde hair and blue eyes, but she didn't see any other resemblance to the eccentric nation. "Are you sure it's him?"

"There's no doubt about that, Hungary-san. In my youth, I received vast training as a ninja, allowing me to uncover with ease every kind of disguise,” Japan replied with a smirk.

"That explains your liking for cosplay, uh?"

"T-That doesn't have anything to do with this!!" Japan exclaimed notably embarrassed and flushed. Hungary chucked; it was really funny to see someone with the reputation of peaceful and calm, reacting in that way.

"All right, it's France. But what's he doing here? And what will we do with him?"

"First, let’s see what he is up to. Then, we’ll stop him no matter how. Follow him, I'll try to find out more."

They split up. Japan ran to follow Switzerland. It wasn't hard to find out France's plans. Switzerland walked around groaning and complaining of how stupid it was to throw ice cream on people. Shortly after, he met again with Hungary.

"And France, where is he?" he asked.

"Pretending to be an ice cream seller, and trying to convince America to buy a couple of ice creams. What is he thinking?" she asked in a thoughtful voice.

"Nothing good, I think. Take these flyers, and hand them out to the people; this will stop France. I'll take care of the rest," he said with a big smile.

Hungary started her task. Soon, about fifty people were around France attracted by the promise of a free ice cream. He tried desperately to serve all the people while he attempted to follow Switzerland with his eyes. Switzerland was already on his way to the bench where America and England were eating two big ice cream cones.

How to stop Switzerland? Japan had an idea. He took out the biggest bill he was carrying, a 1,000 yen bill, and he threw it to Switzerland's feet. Switzerland's eyes went wide, and looking around to make sure that no one was looking at him, he finally bent down to pick up the bill.

But Japan hadn't considered that the other people who were walking around could bump into Switzerland, and a man crashed into him in a very spectacular way, causing him to fall over onto America. Japan covered his eyes. He didn't want to see what had happened...

When he opened them again, he couldn't contain his laugh. To everyone's fortune, the ice cream hadn't fallen on England; instead, it was now all over America's face. America clumsily licked the edges of his mouth, trying to capture what was left of the ice cream, while England laughed heartily. Finally, he took out a handkerchief to clean America's face.

"Honestly, America. Sometimes you're so silly!" England said unable to stop laughing.

America couldn't help but feel embarrassed, softly flushing. "It's not my fault that man tripped! Tell me the truth, do I look so ridiculous?"

"To be honest, you don't look ridiculous, but rather...tasty," England answered in a chuckle.

Hungary hurried to back to Japan's side, when he gave her signs to retreat.

"Wait! Won't you allow me, at least, to take a picture?!" she exclaimed, looking really excited by the sight of England cleaning the face of a flushed America.

"You can take the picture...somewhere where they can't see you!" And saying this, Japan dragged Hungary back to their hiding place.

In another part of the park, France paced back and forth, trying to figure out what had gone wrong on his plan.

"We were so close, Switzerland! What happened?" he asked visibly dismayed.

Switzerland groaned. "Well, I found this bill...What did you expect, for me to leave it lying around?"

"Bill?" mumbled France with surprise, and he snatched the money out of Switzerland's hands. Frowning, he gave it back.

"W-What happened...Is it fake?!" Switzerland asked.

"No, my friend, it's worse than that. What you have in your hands," he pointed out the bill, "is a Japanese Yen. This means that our friend Japan is around here doing his tricks."

Switzerland swallowed hard. It was known that Japan was way smarter than France, so Switzerland started to have serious doubts if the plan would work within the current situation. "So, what are we going to do?"

"Continue with the plan, undoubtedly. Relax, mon ami; the best is yet to come..." France smiled mischievously.

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The rest of the day was peaceful for America and England. America intentionally abstained from riding anything that looked extremely adrenalinic; knowing that England loathed those things. But he couldn't stop wondering if maybe England would want to ride something more exciting.

And then, he saw it; the Haunted House. Upon just thinking about stepping inside, America felt like shuddering. But England liked that kind of thing a lot, so he decided to go. Besides, it wouldn't be heroic to be frightened of something like that, a mere attraction at an amusement park!

England surveyed the house with curiosity, and his eyes reflected how much he wanted to enter. With a quivering voice but a determined attitude, America asked him. "Does the house interest you, England? We can do it, if you want!" He feigned the best of his smiles.

England looked at him astonished. "I don't know, America...I know how much you hate these things, and I don't want you to feel forced to do something you don't like, because of me. We can visit another place, don't worry..."

"Ha ha ha! Don't worry England, you want to go, right? Let's go together, I'll be all right. I don't want you to lose the chance of doing something you like for my sake....besides, it wouldn't be very proper of a hero to be frightened, r-r-right?" he stammered.

"Sure? Fine, but if you don't feel well inside, just tell me and we'll go out, alright?" England replied carefully.

"Don't worry, I'll do it!" America grinned nervously.

And both stepped inside the house, closely followed by the other nations. France was determined to make this a "memorable" experience, and Japan wanted to make sure that nothing bad happened inside.

Once inside, France gave instructions to Switzerland. "This is the plan. You already know that Amérique is a chicken about these things. We'll disguise as monsters, and we'll give those two the fright of their lives. Amérique will run away terrified, and it's likely that Angleterre will end up annoyed because of being left behind. How's that?"

Switzerland looked at him incredulous. "You know, when you called me by phone, and you told me you needed me for something important, I believed you were going to prepare something more elaborate..." He frowned. "To start, where will we get costumes?"

"The lovely employees of this place will provide us. And if that isn't possible, we'll take them by force?" He shrugged.

"Right..." Switzerland replied, raising an eyebrow.

France realized he wasn't being convincing, so he added. "Listen. If this turns out well, I'll give you my best cheese. For free. Is that okay for you?" France smiled.

Upon hearing this, Switzerland swallowed hard. "What are we waiting for, then? Let's go!!" And he left in a rush dragging France with him.

In the machine room, the picture was different. Somehow, Japan had managed to get two quite complex costumes. He would go as Frankenstein’s monster, and Hungary, would wear an enormous dress from the eighteenth century that included a fake head.

"Uhm, what am I supposed to represent, Japan?"

"You're Marie Antoinette stepping down off the guillotine."

"WHAT?!" Hungary squeaked. "Couldn't you have chosen something less creepy?!"

Japan let out a small laugh. "France's hair will fall out if he sees you. You just have to worry about looking distinguished and convincing; I'll take care of the rest. And, by the way,” he added while Hungary was already turning back, "don't lose your head, uh?"

"Very funny..." Hungary rolled her eyes, observing Frankenstein’s monster- or rather, Japan - running in the opposite direction.

Unaware of this, America and England walked around the house. America could feel proud; the house, as with most of the park, was built with the latest technology. This meant that every detail had been carefully worked out, and the settings and effects were of an extraordinary level of realism. However, for once, this didn't make him happy. Not long passed before he started to shiver, and the most subtle sounds made him jump. England, on his part, seemed really fascinated with the atmosphere of the place and the amount of creatures they could see, but America's tremor was starting to be worrying.

"America, if you don't feel well, we can go out,” he told him out of concern.

"I-I-I'm alright, England...this is just a game, a bunch of well made costumes, ha ha ha..." America replied trying to inspire confidence, but his increasing tremor betrayed him. Just in that moment a bunch of bats with a very realistic look were flying away, causing America to let out a small moan as he crouched down and tightened his eyes shut.

"America, are you alright?" England asked already visibly worried, and trying to keep standing a trembling America.

"D-Don't worry." America laughed nervously.

It was true that America wasn't alright. He was terrified, shaking from head to toe, sweating cold, and he had difficulty breathing. But if there was a real reason as to why he felt really bad, it was the fact that he was doing this in front of England. England was supposed to enjoy this, without having to worry about him. Swallowing hard, America tried to stand up. "I-I can do this, I know I can..."

England grabbed him strongly by his arm. "This will end soon, all right? Don't worry, I'm here. Nothing bad will happen to you," he told him with a soothing voice, while softly stroking America's back to calm him.

America breathed hard, giving a weak smile. "Thanks, England." And with great effort, he stood up once again.

He felt then something warm on his hand, and he jumped slightly. But after turning his head to look, he saw it was just England holding his hand. America was deeply grateful of the gesture, and giving a warm smile, he replied by gently squeezing England's hand in return.

They continued on their way, with America taking deep breaths to calm himself, and stiffening at some moments. England replied by squeezing his hand harder, giving America strength to keep going.

Not far away, France was waiting for them. Dressed as Dracula (after knocking out a couple of employees on the way), he had also gotten a fake skeleton arm. On the other side, Switzerland was waiting covered with a white blanket, in a sad attempt of a ghost.

Approaching carefully, France tried to put the bony arm over America's shoulder. Stealthily, Hungary came from behind, getting close to France.

But Hungary, unable to see where she was stepping, tripped. And as Japan had predicted, she lost her head; the head went flying to finally land in France's arms.

With the darkness and the light effects, it gave the illusion of a real guillotined head. France let go a girly squeal, and he ran away screaming as loud as his lungs allowed him. "Come back here, you coward!!" Switzerland yelled getting out of his hiding place, as he ran after France.

Japan saw with worry how they were escaping, so he quickly stood up and in a low but rapidly speaking voice, he addressed Hungary. "We have to catch them, Hungary-san. We can't lose them!"

Hungary went pale. "Are you crazy?! We'll have to pass by their side, they'll recognize us!"

"Not with these costumes. Just make sure to go fast, and to not to look at their faces. Come on!" And covering his face the best he could, he crossed the hallway in a swift run, barely being noticed by America and England.

"Won't you wait for me?!" Hungary tried to not to yell, and with difficulty she got out. Not only was her costume way bigger than Japan’s, but it was also heavy and wide, so she couldn't move with ease. She was in such a hurry that she wasn't being very careful, tripping with everything on the way. The hallway was narrow, so to make her way out, Hungary had to push America, causing him to crash against England and press him against the wall. Or, more precisely, it was their lips that crashed together.

The kiss was rather clumsy and not delicate at all, but somehow, it wasn't unpleasant. Several seconds passed until both of them decided to move away, and after doing so, England was waiting for America to make one of his typical jokes in poor taste. But that didn't happen.

America was silent, still trying to assimilate what had just happened. He looked nervous, and even...flushed? In that moment, England noticed his cheeks were also burning red, he could feel the heat having risen to them.

"I'm sorry, England, d-did I hurt you?" muttered America. He wasn't sure of what to say; it wasn't my intention, it was an accident... Those were sentences that came to America's mind in that moment, but he didn't want to make England think that he regretted what had happened, or that it had been disgusting for him. In fact, it had been quite the opposite, although that was hard to admit for America.

"I'm all right, America," said England in a small whimper. Neither of them was able to raise their eyes, and for some minutes an uncomfortable silence prevailed, until England decided to talk.

"Uh...are we going to get out of here?"

"Uh? What? Oh, sure..." He nodded feeling embarrassed, and he followed England up to the exit.

When they got out, they noticed it was already getting dark; it was time to look for Sealand. But they kept their silence; neither of them could say even a single word.

England tried to open a conversation. "Ah, I have to admit...in the end, you were quite brave. Did you hear those screams inside the house and the people running? At least you made it to the end.”

"What? Oh, yes; I made it to the end," America replied, distracted.

England didn't keep trying; it was obvious that America had his mind in another place. He couldn't stop wondering what was America thinking, or what was he feeling. Maybe the whole thing had been unpleasant for him? For some reason, just upon thinking that, England felt his heart clench.

Sealand was already waiting for them and had been for awhile, and when he saw them, he couldn’t contain his sarcastic comments, to which neither America nor England even bothered to reply. Finally Sealand, tired of not receiving attention, shot his last weapon.

"Hmpf! If I didn't knew both of you, and I saw you together like this, I'd say you're a couple!"

America went pale upon hearing this, while England merely replied with a vague "Whatever you say, Sealand." Sealand looked speechless, surprised with the answer.

It was time to leave, and America offered himself to go back with England and Sealand to the United Kingdom. England politely rejected the invitation, saying that it was enough that he took them to the airport. Finally, they said goodbye plainly, in front of an astonished Sealand.

Later, back home, England closed the door behind him, and giving a sigh, he leant his back against the door.

He still couldn't get out of his mind that kiss, and what disturbed him the most, was that it had felt so right. It was already adorable enough that America decided to go to the Haunted House with him despite his fear. But the feeling of having America's muscular body against his own, the warmth that emanated from him, those blushing cheeks, and those inexperienced but tender lips...

England now absently touched his own lips with two fingers. It was becoming very difficult to listen to his own thoughts over the accelerated beats of his heart. Finally, he groaned. What had that idiot done, that now he couldn't stop thinking about him? They had split up just some hours ago, however, England already missed his presence. It was hard for him to believe that just fifteen days ago, England thought he loathed being close to the American.

"Stupid America...", he mumbled. "Why did you do this to me? I thought I could keep my own heart in line, that I could fool myself into thinking that what I felt for you was just me being reminiscence of a distant past. Why, America," he whined as he tried to silence the beats of his heart. "Why did you have to make me fall in love with you ...?"

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America wasn't much better either. After arriving home, he let himself fall over his bed, covering his face with a pillow. And he stayed a long time in that position, going over the scene once and over again in his head. Finally he turned over, his eyes looking to the ceiling. Why he couldn't stop thinking about England? Was what he asked to himself over and over. He had never felt that sensation before.

Except when he pestered him. And when he did or said stupid things just to have his attention. Or when he invented some of the most extravagant devices. Or when...

America face-palmed. Who was he kidding? On all those occasions, the reason why he had done it was just one; he did it so that, even for a moment, England would notice him.

He finally had the answer he needed; now, he needed to talk with somebody about it. But who? He had once already bothered Canada, so he dialed the next number of his contact list.

"Konnichiwa, Nihon desu," could be heard from the other side of the phone.

"Japan? Uh, would you have a minute?" America asked, doubtful.

Japan couldn't hide his surprise on the phone. "America-san?! H-How can I help you, did something happen?" Please, don't let him find out about us! Japan cried out to himself.

America thought about how to present him the issue, but he couldn't find a way to say it other than doing so directly and without any detour.

"I think...I think I like England."

Japan stood silent for a second. "America, I like England as well; there's nothing special about that..."

"I don't mean it in that way!" America yelled. But he immediately regretted doing it, so, softening his voice, he continued. "I mean, I've always liked him...even if I don't show it. Okay, even if sometimes it looks like the opposite. But that has changed, Japan. I feel that now I like him in a different way...I miss his company, I can't stop thinking about him, and suddenly I feel like I don't want to be nice with him just for the bet, but also because I feel like doing it..."

"Don't rush yourself, America-san. Are you sure of what you're saying to me?"

"Absolutely...that's why I need your advice."

Japan cleared his throat. "Well, if what you want is to plan a date..."

"D-Date?! No no no!" America muttered nervously. "I want to invite him to go out, but I don't want it to look like a date. For starters, it's impossible that England could feel the same for me. But if things work out, maybe...maybe I could have the guts to confess what I feel."

"In that case, I think I can do something about it. Leave everything to me, America-san; we'll talk later so I can give you the instructions on what exactly you must do, so that everything will turn out fine."

"Of course...I'm really grateful, Japan, that you're helping me out with this." America smiled into the phone.

"It's not a nuisance at all, America-san. If you’ll excuse me, I'll get to work on it; it's preferable to do this before the month is over. Sayonara," Japan said before hanging up.

As soon as he did so, he picked up the receiver again and hurried to dial a number.

"Hungary-san? It seems the gods are on our side. Now listen carefully, we have this bet on our hands..." He continued onward, explaining every detail of the conversation he’d just had with America. He had to move his ear away of the receiver when Hungary squealed with all her might.

The next days passed fast. Once again, America had to go shopping to look for a decent suit. He went back to the etiquette classes, since he had already gone back to some of his old habits. Japan used his contacts to get restaurant reservations and tickets. But he had to abstain when he was about to order a big bouquet of red roses; America was emphatic on reminding him that he didn't wanted it to look like a date.

For his part, France had taken special care to tap Japan's phone line, so he was already aware of the whole plan. So Amérique was thinking of confessing to Angleterre? Not if I can stop it, he thought. And in a rush, he picked up his cellphone and dialed a number as well.

"Spain? It's me, France! Are you busy next week? I have a job for you..."

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To be continued on Part 2