A big thank you to: OversensitiveFantasies for reviewing last chapter.

A/N: Wow. We finally made it. This is the last chapter. It's all so surreal. For those who have read and supported me all through out this shaky writing process, thank you all so much. Really. This story helped me grow much more confident in my writing. It touched my heart to reach out to so many of you guys. I've even ended up making a few new friends. Which is, without a doubt, freaking awesome!

Unfortunately, I will not be writing any epilogue chapters for this story. I've been experiencing a lot of stress lately (my mom told me that I shouldn't be writing on fanfiction anymore. She thinks that I'm wasting my time and that this website is stupid; harsh right?), and honestly, I myself am not down to write another 50-60, 000 words. I had several chapters planned, dorky pun titles included. That being said, I have posted the outlines of the epilogue chapters onto my profile. Just for you to see, I suppose; if you're interested.

Some of you have PM'd me about this, so I'll just answer it here as well. I won't be updating two stories a week from now on. Only one. I'll be alternating between my three ongoing stories. YUP! That's right. Tomorrow I'll be uploading another Spamano multi-chapter. Stay tuned for that xD. Anyways, this will be the last week where you'll see two chapters from me. I hope you understand. School's starting up again. I can only do so much.

Thank you all for reading and supporting this catastrophic fanfiction :D It means the absolute world to me. Without your kindness and encouragement, I probably wouldn't have finished this story. Think of it this way. You helped a shy, depressed girl find something that she truly loves. I am so very grateful for that!

Enjoy and thanks for reading! Hopefully I wrap this up ok! I've been told that I have a flare for endings ;)

Fish and Ships:

Cheya's POV (New Years Eve 10:00 PM)

I walked downstairs and giggled to myself as I drew my navy blue Cormac coat over my shoulders. For good measure I had wrapped a grey wool scarf over my neck to conceal any evidence of what I was wearing. Hopefully my outfit wouldn't draw any suspicion. I was wearing black stockings underneath my get up and would most likely opt to sport a pair of combat boots to match. Oh well. It didn't matter in the end. As long as Bella and Papa didn't find out about my disguise everything would be golden.

Today was the day. I was finally going to meet up with Arthur in person. No more helmet. No more babying. And certainly no more moping around. Although most of the moping done lately had been on Papa's part. He wasn't too keen on letting his only daughter go. Both figuratively and literally. Seriously, that man clung onto me for dear life. I've had to keep a pack of Kleenex on me at all times because of it. He would sob and beg for me to stay young forever. I had no choice but to shrug off his koala tendencies and tell him that I was already grown up and that there was nothing he could do about it. The only thing that cheered him up was the possibility of grandchildren. And then he sobbed again when he realized that his grandchildren would probably share some of Arthur's traits.

I didn't have the heart to tell him that Arthur and I would probably never have children. For one thing, we haven't been dating long enough to make such a drastic decision. And another, well, Arthur was just shitty with people in general. Can you imagine how traumatizing he would be with young, impressionable children? Not to mention the fact that he's a horrible cook. Eh. Not that I'm any better. But still. Maddie visited the house the other day, and when she did, she had brought over some of Arthur's scones. The eye contact that she made with me when she handed them over was all too smug. It was almost like saying 'I pass you the torch of Arthur's arrogance; don't break his bubble.'

At least Arthur had attached a sweet note to the tin box. It's the thought that counts, right? Tell that to Papa. He still couldn't fathom as to why Arthur had given me an entire box of 'gold' coal. You heard me right; coal. Those scones were so hard that Papa had mistaken them as coal. Again. I didn't have the heart to tell them that that 'coal' was actually food, albeit it not being very edible. Papa would surely go into cardiac arrest at the prospect of tasting Arthur's cooking. And so, I didn't say anything when he used the scones to help keep the fire going in our living room. Nor did I mind when the scent of blueberries filtered through out the house. That was the one and only time that Arthur's scones had ever done any good to this world. It just sucked that I had to spend close to $50 in candles at Bath and Body works to keep up with the ruse.

"Oi! You coming or what?" Bella placed both hands on her hips and scowled up at me. I laughed and padded into the front hallway. Papa and Bella had been waiting for close to ten minutes now. I sighed when I compared their appearances. Bella was dressed and ready to go out. Her blond curls were tucked underneath a bright green hat, which matched her eyes and dark green trench coat surprisingly well. Her cheeks were still a bit rosy from being out in the cold. Papa, on the other hand, looked exactly how I did last week. He was wearing a flimsy black and white checkered robe and Eiffel tower themed slippers. I made a conscious effort not to look at the insane amount of chest hair that his robe revealed.

I would have yelled at him if he hadn't been pouring out his feelings into a platter of macarons. I winced. That plate had been stacked to the top when I had gone upstairs to change. The crumbs on the corners of Bella's lips gave me a bit of closure. I don't know if I'd be able to bear another week of Papa's binge eating. Mostly because I didn't have the will power to stop myself from joining him. Over the last week I've endured five, fourteen-hour sugar induced comas. Ah. What a life.

I avoided Bella's glares while I slipped into my boots. The crunching of macarons was beginning to add to my irritation. I was a tense bundle of nerves. Excited, yet very easily agitated. It didn't help that Bella was so clearly against my meeting with Arthur. Which was weird. Because before she would never shut up about how hot he was. Or how she couldn't wait to be the Godmother of our children. You know, the works of an avid shipper. Anyways, after my concussion, Bella has had nothing good to say about Arthur. She denies ever liking him. Her and Papa have dedicated most of their time to making fun of Arthur. Especially when I was around to hear them do so.

"What's that red thing underneath your coat?" I froze in the middle of tying up the laces to my boots. Merde! It was stupid of me to bend over like that. Right in front of her too! I scrambled for credible excuses in my brain. It didn't take me long to come up with one. I feigned a smile and stood up straight to face her. The Belgian crossed her arms. Papa's eyes darted back and forth between us. Crumbs dribbled out of his mouth. The only sound that could be heard was chewing.

I placed a hand on the back of my neck and laughed. "The turtle neck that you gave me for Christmas, eheh…" Bella still looked skeptical. She traded skepticism for anger when she reached over to tug on one of my pig tails. I bit my lip and tried not cry out in pain. Any weakness that I showed would be an invitation for further interrogation.

"I thought you said that you would be wearing your hair down from now on?"

I shrugged. "When have you ever seen me truly commit to something?"

My mouth parted open into an O. Wrong words! Wrong words! Abort! Abort!

"See! What did I tell you, Francis?! She's not ready for a relationship!"

Papa didn't reply. Bella was left with no choice but to smack the platter of macarons out of his hand. It fell to the ground with a loud clang. Papa wailed and ran a rugged hand through his wavy blond locks. "My only comfort in the world! Gone!" he sobbed.

Bella grabbed Papa by both shoulders and shook his unresponsive body back and forth. "Snap out of it, Francis! You have more to lose than macarons! What about your daughter?!" I paled. Oh-oh. Papa and I locked gazes. I took a step back. It was all futile in the end. Papa trapped me in a hug before I could even blink. My eyes bulged out as Papa cupped a trembling hand against the back of my head. He held me tight. Too tight. So tight that I saw black spots in my vision. And two Bella's. Scratch that two very angry Bella's. Was this hell? It would explain a lot.

"Argh! Papa! I can't breathe!" I wheezed.

Papa didn't pay any heed to my protests. "Non! I refuse to lose my fleur to a tasteless Orangutan!" he growled in my ears. I struggled and tried to pull myself away from him. Bella was no help at all. She cackled and encouraged the development of Papa's 'empty nest syndrome.' Oh. I was so going to slap her when I got out of this. If I got out of this.

"He's not an Orangutan!" I snapped. "Granted, he's a bit of an asshole, but that's besides the point!"

Bella leered. "All the more reason not to go!"

Where was the filter to my mouth when I needed it?

I had a faceful of chest hair. My voice was muffled when I spoke. "Hey Papa?"

"Oui?" Papa stroked my hair. I repressed the urge to stomp on his foot.

"I hid an entire platter of macarons under the kitchen sink…"

Papa gasped. "C'est vrai?" he breathed. I could smell wine on his breath. A lot of wine. I smirked to myself. His drunkenness made my plot all the more easier. I nodded my head and hummed my muffled agreement. Papa was stumbling around the kitchen corner in no time. I almost face planted on the ground. I wasn't expecting him to leave so fast. Bella glared at me while I grabbed my purse.

"That was a dirty trick," she seethed.

I shrugged and shed her with a mirthful grin. "We should probably go. It won't take him long before he figures it out."

"Figures out what…?" Bella spluttered. I grabbed her elbow and towed us towards the front door.

I avoided direct eye contact with her as I unlocked the door. "That there aren't anymore macarons…."

Bella looked to me with horror. I opened the door and wildly gestured towards the front porch. "Out! Out!" I urged. The Belgian didn't need further explanation. Papa's wails and pounding footsteps were enough to make anyone run for their life. I slammed the door shut, grabbed Bella's hand, and made a mad dash for the sidewalk. It was pitch black out. Our only guides were the belated Christmas lights that our neighbors had been too lazy to take down. I nearly slipped on the ice again. Oh irony. Why must you be such a bitch? Bella and I didn't even make it halfway down the drive way before Papa wrenched open the front door.

"WHERE ARE MY GODDAMNED MACARONS!" he shrieked.

I froze. "Oh? Did I say under the kitchen sink?" I stammered.

"OUI!" It was a very fierce and aggressive sounding oui.

I laughed nervously. "eheh, I meant the one in the laundry room."

Bella's grip on my hand tightened. Papa cackled. "AH HAH! YOU CAN'T HIDE ANYTHING FROM MOI!"

I stifled a groan. People were beginning to draw open their curtains. It wasn't uncommon for our neighbors to file noise complaints about my Papa. Those complaints increased tenfold during the holidays. He already drank an excessive amount of wine as it is. The holidays simply amplified his drinking.

Bella joined me in feigning a giggle. "Nope! I suppose not!"

Papa waved me off with a maniacal grin. He used his other hand to stroke the stubble on his chin. It didn't take a genius to know the reason why he was leaning on the door so heavily. I would probably have to seek refuge at Bella's house for the night. Papa popped a rum ball into his mouth. Alright. I would definitely be sleeping over at Bella's tonight.

"HAVE A GOOD TIME! IF HE'S RICH MAKE SURE TO POKE A HOLE IN THE CONDOM! OHONHONHON!"

"HE'S KIDDING!" I called out.

The spying neighbors gave me a handful of incredulous, disgusted looks. Several drew their curtains shut. Presumably forever.

I turned to look at Bella. "You made him those rum balls, didn't you?"

Bella avoided eye contact.

I deadpanned. "Merde."

Cheya's POV: (Location, Winter Carnival, 11:00 PM)

We made it. Bella and I had successfully fled from Papa. Our ears and minds were scarred from his excessively graphic sexual advice. But at least we were safe. We sprinted to the bus stop and didn't dare to look back. If we did, we would have probably seen Papa chasing after us in his robe and bare feet. It was always reassuring to know that I came second to his macarons. Ah. I can't say that I wouldn't do the same. If it wasn't for Arthur, food would be my top priority too. Speaking of Arthur, he had texted me to meet him by the ice sculptures. Bella was too absorbed in the scenery to let go of my hand. I couldn't blame her. The Carnival got more and more beautiful every year. I was stuck to her like glue. Regardless, I could only guess that she wanted to 'speak' to Arthur before she left us on our own.

I smiled to myself and breathed in the merry atmosphere. Endless crowds of people came to this pier for New Years Eve. Stands of all sorts hung to our sides. The smell of cotton candy and corn dogs added steam to the clouds of vapour that people exhaled into the air. Excited chatter and the ringing sound of various carnival games echoed in my ears. Joyful children lugged around stuffed animals that were twice their size. Couples stuck close together and snogged at every given opportunity. The festivity was in full swing. Bright yellow lanterns and LED lights lit up every corner and/or pathway. The most beautiful aspect of it all was the looming, neon lit Ferris Wheel. It towered in the sky and painted light against the otherwise dark and cloudy night.

I smirked when I saw Bella spare a longing look at a nearby beer stand. I cocked my head towards a sign that pointed us in the direction of the ice sculptures. Bella was eager to follow my lead. She couldn't handle the thought of being single for another year whilst sober. I envied her in that aspect. My life was so much simpler when I was single. But I wouldn't take anything back. My time spent with Arthur kept me on my toes. Time with him was spontaneous. Unpredictable. Amazing. I was never bored with that twat. Heh. It's been a while since I've called him that, hasn't it?

It took us a good twenty minutes to trek towards the ice sculpting panels. My breath was taken away at every sculpture that we passed. It amazed me how talented these people were. The attention to detail was awe-inspiring. I would never have the patience to carve and whittle away at a block of ice. Funny how something so plain and ordinary can turn out to be so beautiful and amazing. Merde. I lost track of the metaphor. Did I just call Arthur beautiful? Pft! Don't tell him I said that. He'll strangle me if he ever finds out.

Bella and I passed by a sculpture of Cinderella's carriage. In this sense, I suppose that Bella was my fairy godmother. Except rather than taking me to the ball she was taking me to the blitz that was Arthur's easily triggered temper. I spotted a familiar mop of messy blond hair standing beside a swan sculpture. It was lit up with neon hues of pink, purple, and green. The two swan's necks curved to make a heart. Oh the feels. He was always quick to deny it, but Arthur was secretly a low key romantic.

I surged forward. Bella caught my elbow and pulled me back. Arthur still had his back turned to us. Bella shoved me so that I fell behind her. She approached Arthur with tense shoulders and a high chin. We were a few paces away at this point. Bella cleared her throat. Arthur spun around. His eyes widened with excitement. Excitement quickly turned into disgruntlement when he saw me hesitantly poke my head over Bella's shoulder. I shed him with a timid smile. "Hello!" I blushed. This moment went by much smoother in my head. Arthur awkwardly smiled back. He couldn't keep still. He was jumping up and down on the balls of his feet. I, on the other hand, wanted nothing more than to jump into his arms.

Bella snapped at me in French. "Let me handle this!" she hissed. I whined only to get an elbow to the stomach. That shut me up real quick.

Arthur faltered. "Uh…and you are…?"

"Bella Martens. What a displeasure to meet you." My head thudded against Bella's back in defeat. I closed my eyes and considered melting into the ground. I was absolutely mortified. Arthur took back the hand that he had offered to Bella. It was clear that she wasn't going to shake it.

Arthur opened his mouth to speak. "I already know who you are!" Bella snapped. "Arthur Kirkland. Son of Mary and George Kirkland. Descendant to the throne of pompousness and shitty scones!" So she did google him. Even when I had told her not to. Her snooping never failed to make me cringe.

"Bella!" I whined. My protests went ignored.

Arthur's face reddened. "Now wait just a minute here! What gives you the right to speak to me like that?!

Bella shrugged. She pulled me forward and draped an arm around my shoulder. I was too embarrassed to look Arthur in the eye. "You hurt her. Badly. I'm simply reciprocating the favour," she growled. I cowered under the limelight. I didn't like being tossed around like a lifeless object of display. I was nothing more than a ragdoll. Arthur's brows furrowed. He too didn't favour Bella jostling me around so roughly. Not that he could do much about it.

"He didn't hurt me!" I spluttered. "Well not that badly anyways," I added in as an afterthought.

Bella flicked me in the forehead and I cried out. "Tell that to your concussion," she spat.

Bella shifted her gaze back to Arthur. "I have some questions for you."

Arthur snorted and crossed his arms. "What makes you think that I'm obligated to answer them?"

Bella turned her head to the side. "This is who you fell in love with?"

I pursed my lips into a pout. "He's cute! I couldn't help it."

"I-I'M NOT CUTE!" Arthur spluttered. The blush on his face proved otherwise.

Bella looked back to Arthur. "Well. At least he's honest."

"OI!"

Arthur's anger was beginning to spike. Bella didn't give a single fuck.

The Belgian jabbed a claw finger in the Briton's direction. "You're not obligated to answer my questions. But, just so you know, I won't leave until you do."

I sent Arthur a pleading look.

Arthur sighed and relented. "Just get on with it already."

"Name?"

"You already know my-"

Bella grit her teeth. She detested repeating herself. "Name?"

Arthur groaned. "Arthur Kirkland."

"Age?"

"23."

"Occupation?"

I grimaced. Leave it to Bella to turn this into an interview.

"Teacher's assistant."

Bella's voice raised a few octaves. "Is that your only job?"

"No. I bartend during the summer months."

"How much do you make?"

"That's none of your bloody business!"

Bella whipped out her phone. Oh great. She was making notes. I snuck a glance at what she had typed out.

"Butthole gets tight at the mention of money. Most likely broke…"

"On a scale of 1-10 how much do you love her?" Bella gestured towards me. I squirmed under the attention. Thankfully Arthur was getting used to her bluntness.

Arthur's lips twisted into a wry grin. "You can't quantify love, love."

I blushed. Bella made a sound of approval at the back of her throat.

"Charming... A bit of a smartass…"

"Would you be willing to spend the rest of your life with her?"

"Unequivocally."

Bella huffed and placed her phone back into her front coat pocket. "Well, I've done everything that I can. There's no stopping you kiddies from fucking each other's brain's out. You're perfect for each other!" she gushed. Oh great. The shipping monster had been unleashed. I should have never introduced her to tumblr. I began to mourn for my best friend's innocence. Arthur visibly paled. Quite the opposite of what I had been expecting, to be honest.

"BELLA!" I screamed.

The Belgian grinned. "What can I say?" she drawled. I'm a sucker for love!"

Bella didn't give me much warning before she shoved me forward. I stumbled and slide across the salt covered ice. Arthur caught me by the elbow. I straightened up to look him right in the eyes. "Hey," I giggled. Clouds of vapours puffed out of my mouth.

Arthur beamed down at me. His green eyes twinkled with an affectionate light. "Hey to you too," he chuckled. Our clouded breaths mingled. Arthur took my hands into his. Warmth seeped through his gloves. I stifled a sob. It hurt to miss and love a person this much. Too much in fact.

….

Bella waved over her shoulder and grinned. "Oi! This story is T rating remember?! Let's keep it PG thirteen!"

I huffed. "As if you're the one to talk!"

"Ferme ta bouche, sex bunny!"

I closed my mouth. I didn't have much of a response to that.

As if breaking the fourth wall wasn't enough.

She just had to spoil everything.

….

Lovina's POV:

Lovina was having the time of her life. What more could she ask for? She was robbing her boyfriend's wallet dry by eating everything in sight. The weather was just right. It struck a nice balance between tit freezing cold and ass clenching heat. In other, less vulgar words, the weather was mild. Lovina leaned against the side of the whack-a-mole stand. She giggled to herself and took a giant bite out of a caramelized apple. Antonio was such a goon. His attention span had never been the greatest. It was amusing to watch him swing and miss the automated moles. It was also fun to watch his frustration grow as the game went on. He swung the hammer more and more erratically. Lovina's laughter didn't help in the slightest. It only encouraged him to try and fail even harder. The buzzer rang and Antonio slammed the hammer back into its slot.

"Sorry bucko! There's always next time!"

Antonio, with slumped shoulders, walked over to her with a defeated look on his face. Lovina tsked to herself. He shouldn't have felt the need to impress her. Lovina wrapped her free arm around his neck. She pecked him on the cheek. "Don't be too hard on yourself, bastard," she snickered. "It isn't everyday that you make a total fool out of yourself." Lovina pulled away from the hug. She could practically see the steam pouring out of his ears. She had half the mind to pull off the red hat that he was wearing. Er…the same matching hat that she just so happened to be wearing as well. But it was just a coincidence! It wasn't coordinated, or anything. Oh no. Nothing like that.

Antonio frowned and bent over. Lovina wasn't expecting this, and thus, she wasn't quick enough to react. Antonio took a massive retaliatory bite out of her candy apple. Never mind. It wasn't a bite. He invaded the entire goddamned thing. With a grin, Antonio munched on the rest of the apple. The white candy stick hung out of his mouth. "Greedy asshole!" Lovina punched him in the chest, causing him to choke. Lovina skirted around him and resumed her punching. She whacked him on the small of his back and shoulder blades. Antonio gagged. Chunks of chewed up apple flew everywhere.

Antonio clutched at his throat. His green eyes widened and teared up as he gasped for air. Lovina ignored him, fished around in her front jean pocket, and pulled out a handle of quarters. She threw them before the snaggle-toothed carnival vendor. She needed to take out her anger on something. Breaking Antonio's ribs wouldn't satisfy the rage and betrayal of having her food stolen from her.

"Have at it little lady!"

Lovina picked up the hammer and immediately staggered under its weight. Antonio wrapped his arms around her waist to support her. "Heavy, no?" he chuckled into her ear, which was reddening even more by the second.

"Of course not!" Lovina huffed.

Antonio chuckled. He placed a hand both on top and underneath where Lovina's hands rested on the handle of the hammer. They stepped closer to the stand. The vendor slapped the start button. Lovina did much better than Antonio did. Even if he was helping her. They had managed to whack five moles together. All was swell until Lovina let her excitement get the best of her. Three moles popped out and Lovina wrenched the hammer out of Antonio's grip and brought it down. A thud and muffled oomph could be heard in the distance. Lovina didn't pay any heed to it. She was too busy cackling and picking out her prize. In the end she opted for a stuffed elephant. The wide-eyed vendor silently handed the prize to her. Lovina turned around to show Antonio their prize. Her grin faltered when she realized that he was cupping a hand to his face. Blood squirted out of his nose.

"Dio!" she cried out, dropping her prize to the ground. "What the fuck happened to you?!"

"You did."

"Oh." Lovina deadpanned. That would have explained the 'oomph' from earlier.

Antonio cracked a smile in between wincing. Lovina accepted the handful of napkins that the vendor handed to her. Lovina held it to his gushing nose. Antonio closed his eyes and sighed. His voice sounded congested and nasally when he spoke. "Ow," he whimpered. Lovina rolled her eyes. The bastard would take all the attention that he could get. Whiny, desperate little fucker-!

"Shut up. I didn't hit you that hard," Lovina growled.

"Tell that to the blood pouring out of my nose," Antonio complained.

It took a good ten minutes for his nose to stop bleeding. Lovina apologized and was even nice enough to kiss him on both cheeks. Antonio whimpered. His green eyes widened. They were practically pleading with her. "Kiss it better," he whispered. His gaze darkened. It smoldered right through her defenses. Lovina relented, stood up on the tips of her toes, and kissed him on the bridge of his nose. Antonio chuckled and pulled her closer. Lovina's head fell against the crook of his neck. He placed a kiss on top of her now boiling head.

"Come on," he cooed. "Say how much you love me."

Lovina's eye twitched. This moron was getting braver by the day.

"Tch! Needy bastard!" Lovina irritably grumbled into his scarf.

Antonio smiled. Lovina's blush told him everything that he needed to know and more. She loved him. And he loved her. To him, Lovina was the greatest prize of all.

Lovina nuzzled her head under his chin. To her, Antonio was slightly less bastardly than the average stronzo. She loved that godamned moron. His smile would be the death of her. And her blush would be the life of him. She hated that she loved him. And he loved that she 'hated' him.

But in the end, despite their many quirks, they both managed to make it work. Dysfunctional was the new functional, and in terms of their relationship, Lovina and Antonio couldn't have been any happier.

Feli's POV:

Feli giggled and pushed her way through the crowd. She couldn't stand still. The bright lights and laughter in the air fueled her excitement. Ludwig chased and futilely call after her. The German had had his hands full all night long. Feli danced and sang along with random people. Ludwig was only trying to keep an eye out for her. He believed her to be too trusting. But she couldn't help it! It was New Years Eve! The time of celebration and joy! All she wanted to do was help spread it along! Feli took a sharp left at the cotton candy stand, her copper braids merrily swinging behind her. Ludwig huffed and puffed from fifty yards back.

"Feli! Mein Gott, can you slow down?!"

Feli skidded to a stop. She turned around to call out to Ludwig. She faltered when a heavy caramel coloured hand came crashing down onto her shoulder. Feli spun around. She squeaked when she looked up into the dark brown eyes of a hooded figure. He was wearing a long green coat, tanned pants and a matching scarf. The figure loomed over Feli. He was just as tall if not taller than Ludwig. "Hello there!" he boomed in a deep voice. "Aren't you a pretty little thing?"

Feli attempted to shrug off his hand from her shoulder. She didn't have much success. "Um…hello?" she giggled nervously. The upper half of the man's face was covered by a white mask. He shed her with a wide, toothy grin. The stubble on his chin bristled in the wind. "What's your name, doll?" the man propped up an elbow against the back of the cotton candy stand.

"Uh….I don't know if I should…" Feli twisted her head back. Much to her dismay, Ludwig was no where to be seen.

"Eyes back to me, doll," the man snickered. Feli was too scared not to comply. She looked up at the man with wide, brown eyes. She didn't like how small she felt in comparison to him. "Got any plans for midnight, doll?" Feli could sense the impatience in his voice. But she couldn't just tell him her name! This guy was really sketchy! He was the type of guy that Lovina would have classified as a level five stronzo. Translation: 'Retreat mother fucka! Retreat!" Lovina's vulgar words. Not hers.

Feli was spared from answering the man when another figure entered the scene. This guy wore an olive green coat. On top of his shaggy chest nut mane, he sported a white beret. Calm, chartreuse eyes glared at the man behind the mask. "Back at it again, Sadiq? When will you learn to give it a rest? Leave the poor girl be. It's obvious that she's not interested in you."

The masked man growled deep in his throat. "Stay out of it, Heracles. This doesn't concern you."

"Any harm done to a pretty lady is concerning to me," Heracles huffed, blowing out his fringe from his face. He looked down at Sadiq as if he was nothing more than a bug to squash under the soles of his feet.

"You idiot. I meant that this isn't any of your business."

"I know full well what you meant," Heracles drawled in a lazy voice. He then looked over to Feli and shed her with a kind smile. The warmth in his eyes calmed her down a little. It was very placating. Perhaps even hypnotizing. She almost fell asleep just by looking at them. "Now let her go."

"And if I don't?" Sadiq let go of Feli anyways. He took a step towards Heracles and balled his hands into tight, threatening fists. Feli was frozen in place. Her mind screamed for her to run away. But alas, her feet were planted to the ground. They had no intention of moving any time soon.

Heracles zipped open his jacket. He reached into a side pocket and pulled out a meerkat-sized kitten. It was grey and very fluffy. It let out a tired mewl of protest. Heracles held it by the scruff of its neck. Just like a mother cat would have done. "I'll sick Larry on you." Feli wasn't processing any of what he was saying. It was all too much for her to handle.

"HA! That thing's no match for me!" Sadiq guffawed. "Bring it on cat boy!"

Heracles bent over and whispered into the kitten's ear. "Larry, what do we do to perverts?" The cat responded with a low hiss. The hair on its back stood up. Sadiq swallowed. Heracles smirked. "Last chance, Adnan." Sadiq made no indication of backing down.

Heracles let the cat drop to the ground on all fours. Its eyes glowed green in the carnival light. Its paws made tiny imprints in the snow covered ground. "Get em' Larry." With an aggressive sounding meow, Larry leapt at Sadiq. The air born kitty swiped and clawed at the Turk's face. Sadiq fell to the ground. He writhed and twisted but all attempts to shake off Larry were futile.

"Fuck! Not the face! Not the face!" Sadiq wailed. Larry aimed for his face on purpose after that. Heracles praised his kitty prodigy in Greek.

Meanwhile, it took Feli a long time to regain her composure. She still didn't know what was happening. All she knew was that she had been saved. Feli took a few steps back. She looked up to meet the leering eyes of a smirking Heracles. "G-grazie," she stammered. Her lips tugged at the corners of her mouth. She gave him a weak smile.

Heracles shrugged. "No problem," he grinned to himself. "You remind me of someone that I once shared my bong with."

Feli had no words for that statement. She was quick to leave the feuding trio after that. She found it unnerving how Heracles' eyes glowed in the dark. Just like that of a cat. Feli ran and ran until she found Ludwig standing by a ring tossing stand. His blue eyes widened with relief when she plowed straight into his arms. Feli sobbed into his chest. Ludwig patted her head and whispered sweet words of soothing into her ear. Feli closed her eyes. She was always safest in Ludwig's arms.

…

Ludwig's temple throbbed. He was beginning to wonder how much cotton candy Feli had consumed behind his back. Masked figures? A heroic cat man? Verdammt! What if Feli had been drugged?! Nein. She would have passed out by now. But still. He would have to keep a much closer eye on her. Ludwig didn't let Feli out of his sight after that. He was already quite accustomed to babysitting his man child of an older bruder. Feli was no different. They both had a love for adventure that always seemed to result in trouble. Except now, Ludwig had learned to join her in her adventures. Love was the first avenue that they had both embarked upon. And with Feli, Ludwig knew that there would be many more to come.

Natalia's POV:

"Ah-hah!" Natalia cried out. She had just popped another five balloons in a row. Poor Alfred. He didn't stand a chance. Alfred crossed his arms and silently fumed to himself. They had spent the last hour at this particular balloon pop stand. Since darts were her element, Natalia had won every single time. Alfred's patience had gone through the roof. His form crumpled as his agitation grew. Each balloon that he missed fueled Natalia's will to pop even more. Alfred grumbled to himself while Natalia picked out her prized stuffed animal. She opted for a bright pink pig.

"Look Alfred," she mused, holding it out for him to see. "It's you when you're hungry."

Alfred laughed dryly. "Haha, very funny." He reached into his pocket, pulled out a twenty-dollar bill and spun off in the opposite direction. Natalia smiled. She knew full well where he was going. Alfred came back five minutes later. In his hand he held onto a red, plastic basket. The basket was filled to the top with quarters. Natalia grinned. Alfred smirked at her. A mocking light lit up in his cerulean blue eyes.

"Round two?"

Natalia nodded her head and grinned.

The female vendor cupped a hand over her mouth and giggled. Natalia joined her and leaned a casual elbow on the counter. "He's secretly a masochist," she whispered, but not low enough. "He loves to have his ass kicked."

"DO NOT!" Alfred spluttered, red-faced at such a dramatically intimate suggestion.

"Honey, you know how much I hate to wait," Natalia patronized. Oh how she loved to provoke him.

Alfred grumbled and handed the smirking vendor a roll of quarters. "Keep the change," he growled.

…

1 hour later…

Alfred inspected the sole balloon left with one eye. Natalia felt her stomach lurch. If he popped this balloon, that meant that they would tie. She had to admit. Alfred was getting better at this. His determination alone was something to worry about. If Alfred really wanted to accomplish something, nothing would stop him from doing so. Time and multiple failures were nothing more than minor setbacks in a much grander scheme. As long as he prevailed in the end that's all that mattered. Natalia inhaled sharply. Her impatience grew to unbearable levels. Of course, Alfred would be taking all the time in the world for this one throw. His entire pride relied on it.

Alfred muttered under his breath. "Come on, Alfie. You're a beast! This balloon's got nothing on you!"

Natalia cleared her throat. "We don't have all night, 'Alfie'," she hummed.

Alfred glowered. He wound his arm one last time. He turned his head to the side just to spite her. Natalia grit her teeth. She cursed him to the moon and back. The curse worked. Alfred missed by a mere centimeter. The Belarusian cried out with joy. The glorious ring of victory chorused in her ears. She looked up at the sky and cackled into the night, indifferent to the disturbed looks that random passersbys aimed her way. The vendor held up her hand for a fist bump and Natalia was more than glad to give it to her. Er…perhaps she gave it to her a bit too hard. The vendor stumbled backwards and held her assaulted fist to her mouth. Natalia winced. She had never been good at measuring her strength.

Alfred brought both hands to his face and groaned. Natalia trotted over to him and beamed. She reached up to pry his hands away from his face. She stood on the tips of her toes. She wanted to get as close as she possibly could to him. She brought her face an inch away from his cold reddened nose. Alfred scowled and looked down at his shoes. "Come on. Say it," she cooed. "We had a deal."

Alfred swallowed, his adam's apple bobbing. His face flushed a deep red. Natalia gloried at the sight of it. "You're my…." Alfred bit his lip when Natalia traced a teasing finger along his jaw line.

"Almost there…."

Alfred mumbled something intelligible into the side of his hood.

"Hmmm~?"

"I said that you're my Hero!" Alfred blurted out.

Natalia chuckled and brushed her lips over his. "Good boy."

The Belarusian cocked her head to the side. "Are you up for another game?"

Alfred's face returned to normal coloring. "Go on, enlighten me…." He smirked.

Natalia spun on her heels and took off running. "Race you to the Ferris wheel!"

Pounding footsteps clambered after her. "You're on!" Natalia giggled as she weaved in and out of the crowd. Alfred wasn't faring as well as she was. He was much too big and got in the way of everything. He left a trail of destruction in his path. The casualties so far included five beaver tails, a disgruntled hot dog vender, and an entire clothing stand. As to why Natalia played along with his childish games? The answer was simple. She was in love with him.

Maddie's POV:

Maddie clung to Gilbert's side like a life line. She didn't like heights. In fact, she hated them. Gilbert's incessant pouting was the only reason why she had agreed to ride this damned Ferris wheel with him in the first place. It didn't help that the goof was vlogging the entire thing. Maddie buried her face into the cuff of Gilbert's jacket. All the while he shoved the camera into their faces and cackled. "Kesese! As you guys can see, my girlfriend's terrified of heights." Gilbert poked her cheek with his free hand. Maddie swatted at it and scowled.

Gilbert furrowed his brows. "Come on!" He whined. "Stop being so boring!" Maddie shook her head and burrowed underneath her maple leaf scarf. It grew eerily quiet after that. They were slowly approaching the top of the Ferris wheel. Gilbert moved to scoot to the side. Maddie whimpered and grabbed a fistful of his jacket. "W-what are you d-doing?" she stuttered. Gilbert reached out and placed a hand on the handle of their carriage's door.

Maddie gaped at him. He wouldn't. Oh but he did. Gilbert opened the door when the Ferris wheel stopped to let passengers off at the bottom. Maddie felt like she was about to faint. She stared down at the ground. Three hundred feet of bare air separated them. Her vision caved in and the bright lights of the festival became blurry. Gilbert's words were now muffled.

"Awesome view, huh? I could totally fall to my death right now! Kesesese!"

Maddie's eyes lolled into the back of her head. Everything went black after that.

…

Maddie stirred. She felt the brush of something warm on her cheeks. In fact, everything was warm. Someone was holding onto her. Gilbert had spread open his legs. Maddie sat in the space between them. Her back leaned against his stomach. His hands locked around her waist. Maddie's eyes fluttered open. "G-Gil?"

Gilbert pecked her on the cheek again. "Ha! True loves kiss triumphs all!"

Thankfully, he didn't have his camera out this time. Maddie was slow to regain her senses. The cogs in her brain spluttered to a start. She was on a Ferris Wheel with Gilbert. He opened the door and she had fainted as a result. And then…the anger kicked in. She spun around and slapped him right across the cheek. Gilbert's head swung to the left. The smirk on his face never faltered.

"You asshole!" She fumed. "You filmed the entire thing, didn't you?!"

Maddie took Gilbert's guffaws as her answer.

"Of course I did," He chortled, ducking away from the hand that she tried to clap over his ear. "How could I not?! You looked so cute!" Gilbert grabbed her wrist and Maddie faltered.

Maddie glowered at him. She shifted her position so that she was straddling him. Gilbert's eyes widened into saucers. "I am anything but cute," she huffed. Maddie brought her lips down to his. Gilbert reciprocated and deepened the kiss. They were now stopped at the top of the Ferris wheel. The horizon of the canal lay in the background. Thousands of people swarmed beneath them. Despite this, all they could do was focus on each other.

Gilbert nipped at her bottom lip. "How silly of me," he snickered. "Would calling you sexy make up for my mistake?"

Maddie grabbed onto the collar of his shirt and traced a trail of breathy kisses along his jaw. "Ja…" she drew out the vowel with an open, parted mouth.

The German tutted.

"Tsk! Such a naughty girl….Madeleine."

Maddie cocked her to the side and smirked. "What are you going to do? Blog about it?"

Gilbert grinned. "Why blog about it when I can live in the moment?"

And that's exactly what Gilbert did.

He lived and breathed the soul of the girl who understood him most in life.

Bella's POV (Time, 11:55 PM)

Bella sipped on her third beer and stumbled through the crowd, giggling all the while. She drove herself mad with the fact that she was the only person single out of her entire group of friends. Arthur was lovely. She simply got a kick out of giving him a hard time. It was funny to watch those eyebrows of his fold into a bridge of hair whenever he got angry. Keh. Even Gilbert had someone to call his own. Maddie was too good for him. She was a darling in every aspect. And then there was Lovina and Antonio, who Bella would ship till death do her ogling eyes part. They were fucking adorable. Apparently Ludwig was dating Lovina's twin sister too. Bella deadpanned. Couples. Couples everywhere.

Urgh. Bella careened forward. Her vision dizzied for a moment. And then she was up and back at it again. The Belgian kept her eyes open for a cute boy. She was in the mood for a temporary fling. You know the works. Grab a hunk, kiss him at midnight, and drunkenly flee away from the scene when he wasn't looking. Bella was just glad that her brother Tim wasn't there to baby her. He never let her get away with anything. And Bella was feeling particularly mischievous tonight. Ah. Right there. Bella had spotted her target. Tall, blond, and mysterious. Bella let out an inebriated fit of chiming laughter. This was going to be fun.

Bella sauntered up to the boy of her choice. He was wearing a long, black trench coat and brown, knee-high combat boots. Bella smirked. He too was holding onto a beer in his hands. From the back she could tell that he had spiky hair. Bella reached out to tap him on the shoulder. It was a very broad and muscular shoulder. Her cheeks flushed red, as opposed to the previous color of intoxicated pink, when he turned around to face her. Glazed green eyes were met with smirking sapphire ones. Bella grinned. She had to hurry. The countdown was on.

10…9…8…7….6…

"Hello random guy!" she slurred, sloshing around the beer in her hand for good measure. "Want to make out with a random girl?" Bella had never been the classy type. Being blunt was one of her fortes life.

5….4…

The boy grinned. "The name's Ma-"

3…2…

Bella silenced him by placing a slender finger over his lips. She took her index finger and thumb and squished his cheeks together. "Just shut up and kiss me."

1…

The boy grinned.

He was more than happy to comply.

"HAPPY NEW YEARS!"

Cheya's POV (Time, 11:30 PM)

Bella didn't give me much warning before she shoved me forward. I stumbled and slide across the salt covered ice. Arthur caught me by the elbow. I straightened up to look him right in the eyes. "Hey," I giggled. Clouds of vapours puffed out of my mouth.

Arthur beamed down at me. His green eyes twinkled with an affectionate light. "Hey to you too," he chuckled. Our clouded breaths mingled. Arthur took my hands into his. I stifled a sob. Arthur bit his lip. We opened our mouths at the same time.

"I'M SORRY!" We both faltered to give the other a chance to speak.

No one spoke.

We opened our mouths to speak again.

"YOU FIRST!"

"FINE! I'LL GO FIRST!"

"MERDE!"

"BOLLOCKS!

I giggled. Arthur squeezed my hands gently. "Blast. This isn't going as planned," he muttered.

I sighed. "I don't think that we planned for any of this." This meaning, well, everything. "Uh…sorry about my friend. She can be a tad bit overprotective..." Tad was an overwhelming understatement. Bella was a lunatic. There was no sugar coating it.

Arthur smirked. "No worries. I have three older brothers, remember?" I found myself mesmerized by his emerald green eyes. They twinkled under the moonlight. His lips curled into a grin. I reciprocated. I fell into his chest before I even realized it. Arthur wrapped his arms around my back. He pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Please, forgive me. I was a jackass for saying such a crude thing."

I shook my head and nuzzled my head into his coat. "I overreacted. It wasn't your fault…at least not entirely." Arthur placed a hand at the back of my head. He was very careful not to put too much pressure onto it. I scoffed. His hands were shaking. He was terrified to hurt me. "Arthur, I'm not as fragile as you think. You can hold me closer if you want."

I pulled away to look up at him. My heart melted at the worried look on his face. "Really, I'm fine. I hardly get headaches any more." I shed him with a weak smile. Arthur blushed.

"O-oh. That's good." Arthur cupped a hand around my left cheek. "Can I…."

I snorted. "Why ask? Was me biting my lip not enough of a clue for you?"

Arthur rolled his eyes. "Still insufferable as always." My retort was cut off when he crushed his lips to mine. It was a short and sweet kiss. I could tell that he making an effort to be gentle. Despite my protests from earlier. I shrugged out of Arthur's arms and took a few steps back.

I cupped a hand over my mouth and giggled at his dumb founded expression. "Close your eyes!" I purred.

Arthur blushed beet red. The devilish look on my face gave it away. He had a good idea as to where I was going with this. He complied, albeit muttering a snide remark under his breath. I unzipped my coat and gave my pig tails a good shake. The couples sauntering around in the area spared me the odd glance. I couldn't have cared less. I looked down and smoothed out the wrinkles from the red, one-piece bathing suit that I was wearing underneath my coat. I trotted back to Arthur and poked him in the chest. I took extreme pleasure in the fact that I had made him jump.

"You can open them now!" I gushed.

Arthur didn't just open his eyes. They nearly bulged out of their sockets. I smirked and twirled around in the bunny suit. I intended to give him a show. Arthur swallowed when I took his hand and brought it up to my front coat pocket. I guided him to pull out a familiar bunny ears head band. "Bloody hell," he murmured. "That outfit will be the death of me." I reveled in his attention. He was completely awe-struck.

I cocked my head to the side. "Will you do the honours?" With trembling hands, a pale faced Arthur placed the hair band onto my head. I let out a playful mewl in response. "That's the second part to your Christmas present!" I gushed. "Do you like it?"

Arthur deadpanned. It was all too much to take in. "Fuck me," he muttered.

He mumbled something else under his breath. It wasn't loud enough for me to hear.

("What are the odds…?")

"It wouldn't hurt you to use the Queen's English!" I scolded.

"Fuck me thrice," he chuckled.

Arthur grabbed my hand and pulled me into another kiss.

When we pulled away, he led me towards a ridge where we could sit and watch the fireworks. I sat down next to him. He wrapped an arm around my waist. I leaned into his touch. "You'll have to wait a few more minutes before I can give you my present." I pouted and begged for him to tell me what it was. He didn't relent. I grumbled and rested my head against his shoulder. Stubborn bastard.

…

Arthur nudged me with his shoulder. I stirred and sat up. He pointed to the sky. "Look up."

"Why?" My question was answered when the end of year countdown began.

"10…9….8….."

I grabbed Arthur's jaw and turned his head so that it was facing me. "What did you do?" I pried.

Arthur jerked his head out of my grip. "Eyes on the sky, woman!" he growled half-heartedly.

"7…6…5…"

I smacked him on the back of the head for calling me such a generic name.

"4…3…2…"

Arthur chuckled under his breath.

"1…"

"HAPPY NEW YEARS!"

The sky erupted with fireworks of all sorts. Red, green, gold, and blue sparks exploded and mixed together. Arthur checked his watch and grinned. He tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to his left. I followed the tip of his index finger. A strangely shaped firework popped into the air. It was set apart from the rest. Only those watching would have spotted it. My heart stopped at the sight of it. A red fire work in the shape of a bunny's head sizzled into sight. I squealed and tackled Arthur with a kiss. He fell backwards. I hovered over him. My hair tickled his nose.

"How?!" I spluttered.

"Braginski owed me a favor. He just so happened to have a girlfriend who dabbled in the fine art of fireworks."

"You're a sly bastard, Arthur Kirkland."

Arthur looked up to me and smirked. "Happy New Years, slut bunny."

I grabbed the twat by the collar of his shirt and kissed him.

His sweetness never failed to pamper me.

What can I say?

I felt like a princess.

~The End~