America's POV
I awoke to a sliver of sunshine on my face, aimed directly at my eyes from a crack in my curtains. The dark room was laced with golden hues. Pushing the covers aside, I thought about last night and the little gold capsule. I'd have to write Australia about it once he's told me his station. I knew it was our ticket out of here.
Combing my hair and dressing for work was boring and routine, the only thought crossing my mind was when I would be able to move out of this tiny house. It was dim and ugly, the floor plan odd and inconvenient. The house was worth practically nothing, worn down by years of salt spray and violent storms. I still owed money on it though, and I only seem to fall further and further behind on payments.
Putting on my overalls and a warm coat, I headed off to the docks. The bright sun shown on my hair, and reflected nicely off of Australia's car. Reminded me of that peculiar guy I had met earlier. He seemed like he wasn't from around here... Maybe he was from out East. His golden eyes were stuck in the back of my mind. They seemed almost otherworldly. Remembering his face sent a pang through my chest. I guess he can be a star in another one of my hopeless romantic dreams.
Work was not fun. It never was. The only good thing was a paycheck, and even that wasn't impressive. Sometimes young girls would venture a little close to the ships, daring each other to say hello, laughing and giggling while watching us work. I liked the attention, and I couldn't blame them. Hard to look away from a bunch of young handsome men who carried 80lbs cargo everyday for a living. The worst part of the job was cleaning the under sides of ships. That was a rotating shift, and thank god it wasn't my turn today.
Sweat pooled on my top lip, and beaded on my forehead. Straining, I lifted boxes of manufactured goods onto a ship, handing the load off to deck hands. I had to slip down the sleeves of my overalls, sweating in the hot July sun. The breeze was my only savior.
Work ran long into the evening, and once I got off it was practically sunset. Receiving my pay, I picked up my schedule for the next few days and departed. The cool evening air felt amazing, and all I could think of was getting some takeout from a diner downtown.
Driving up the cliff side, the city lights poured into the street, beckoning my arrival. Nothing like a night out on the town.
Parking, I got out and took off my overalls, revealing some old jeans underneath and a white tank top under my white shirt. My muscles felt sore and firm from work.
The town was alive, music performed by street players echoed across the buildings, and people bustled down the street with a pretend urgency. I lit a cigarette and inhaled, feeling the chemicals burn my lungs.
Walking along in no particular direction, I came across a dark alley, with a figure slumped against the wall, covered in a shiny, metallic sheet. I had no idea what it was, but it was intriguing enough to approach.
"Hello? Is someone there?" Carefully I stepped closer, stopping dead in my tracks as a mop of black hair and a set of golden eyes peeked over the shiny chrome sheet. I inhaled a last puff of my cigarette and then crushed it under my heel.
"Germany? Is that you?" As soon as he heard his name, Germany sat up and pulled off the sheet, and somehow the entire thing was magically folded up into a tiny little square and stuffed inside his leather satchel. He must have seen the confusion on my face and quickly answered,
"I apologize, I understand most of my technology is beyond your understanding. Please ignore that." After that, he stood up, dusted himself off and looked down shyly, gripping his satchel and swaying from side to side.
"Uh, yeah sure, whatever you say, short stuff. What are you doing out here sleeping on the ground?" I touched his shoulder and pulled him into the light of the street, and he didn't look up from the ground.
"It seems I am not allowed to use oxadean dyes as payment for boarding or food. I could not find more suitable quarters." His voice became quieter and quieter as he went on.
What a weird guy... Definitely not from around here at all.
"Uh. Aheh, yeah you need American currency here. Coins, dollars, you know? Anyway, don't you have a house or something? What are you doing out here?" He finally glanced up at me, his dark pupils filling with neon from the surrounding signs.
"I am not at liberty to discuss that information." His gaze remained unbroken, and for a moment, I thought about what it might be like to kiss him.
Silence filled the space between us, only broken by the ambience of the town. Just as soon as the moment began, it ended with him speaking up.
"Why are you smiling?" I quickly looked away and cleared my throat, purging my mind of any intimate thoughts. I tried playing it off, clicking my tongue and looking back casually.
"No reason. You're just... Interesting. Let me buy you a hotel room, huh? And here," I opened my wallet and could sense his gaze wandering across my body. I decided to ignore it. Pulling out a few bills I gave them to him.
"Get yourself some new clothes ok? Those ones are bound to get you thrown out of just about any establishment." I held out my hand, pale in comparison to his sunshine gold skin. He practically glowed.
Hesitantly, he took the bills and our hands brushed. It felt like an electric shock when we touched and my heart skipped a beat. What was it about this guy? He was so strange yet so ethereal and pulled me in with every confusing sentence...
After what felt like ages he stashed them away in his satchel. Awkwardly he stared at me, and I stared back, not knowing what else to say.
"Thank you. You're the only one around here who has shown me unconditional kindness." I grinned and looked away, rubbing my neck with one hand.
"Yeah well its kind of hard to brush off someone you keep running into. You're welcome, Ger." I laughed at my joke, but he didn't seem to notice. I could tell he was hungry, as he was staring at a bakery display.
I thought to myself... I have enough money for us both to eat, right? Why not ask him to dinner, get to know him better? The thought excited me, and I had to concentrate to stop my mind from jumping ahead to possibilities for after dinner...
"Hey, so, I don't know if you're hungry, but I am and I was just gonna grab something to eat so... If you want, you're welcome to join me." I played it cool with the invite, being sure not to lead with anything too friendly. I stared at him and patiently waited for a reply.
His eyes slowly turned back to me from the display, and his gaze studied my features. I could never tell what he was thinking. His face always seemed to hold the same mysterious, mild look.
"That would be excellent. Although, I don't have proper compensation..." He looked away and surveyed the street as if he'd never seen a town or traffic before.
"Oh that's ok, I figured. C'mon, I know a place with the best burgers. It's just a few blocks up the road." I started walking up the street, him following closely behind. I desperately wanted to take his hand, but those fantasies needed to be controlled. I gritted my teeth and continued.
He trailed behind me as I led him up the road, people avoiding us as we walked. Its like his presence warded them away. His hair was greasy and his clothes smelled of the sea, and he looked terrified of something that wasn't there.
Occasionally our arms would brush together and it would send me into a panic, but he seemed to not even acknowledge the touch.
Rounding a corner, a small diner with a neon sign said "Sally's". I opened the door and led him inside the practically empty diner. The lights buzzed and glasses tinkered in the kitchen. A singular bell sat on an empty counter with a register. Stools lined the counter and two tables filled the remainder of the space. I pulled up a stool and rang the bell, causing Germany to flinch ever so slightly.
"Here, take a seat. Its good I promise. You'll love it." I grinned stupidly at him as he sat down carefully. He hardly made any noise, when moving or even breathing. If you couldn't see him, I doubt you would even know he was there.
"What is that smell?" He asked. I wondered what he meant, the grill? Or the seawater dried to his clothes?
"What smell?" I asked. He twisted his face into an ugly sneer and turned away to sneeze.
"I don't know. What did you call it? What are they cooking? It smells so strongly." He squinted and I couldn't help but chuckle.
"You mean the burgers? It smells good doesn't it?" Before he could respond, a woman came out from around the kitchen and was tying on her white apron.
" Good evening you two, what can I getcha tonight?" She pulled out a pen and paper to write the order.
"Ill have a cheeseburger, and some fries. What about you, short stuff? What do you want?" I nudged Germany, but he just looked at me, bewildered.
The woman tapped her pen, waiting for Germany to say something but nothing left his mouth.
"Uh, ok yeah he'll have what I'm having and well have a strawberry milkshake too darlin, thanks so much." She nodded and hung the order, walking off into the back again, leaving us alone.
"Ok man, what is it with you? Who are you?" I turned to face him but still he averted his gaze.
"You know my name." He messed with buttons on his tiny watch, and lights lit up on it.
I sighed, exasperated and desperate for answers.
"Yes, but what's a pretty boy like you doing sleeping on the ground and wearing odd clothes... And asking what year it is? Who are you really? Tell me something honest about yourself that's all I ask." I placed my hand on his arm, and as he heard my compliment his eyes met mine. He looked surprised and his entire face turned a reddish hue.
We held eye contact for a long time, and with each second he looked more and more relaxed.
I pulled my hand off of his arm as soon as I saw the waitress come around the corner. She luckily hadn't seen anything. She carried a large glass filled with pink creamy milkshake and topped it off with thick whip cream. She brought out an extra glass and two straws.
"Here you two go, that strawberry milkshake is to die for I garentee. You're food will be out in a minute, ok?" She smiled and turned away again, disappearing into the back.
"Sorry." I said. I regretted reaching out. That was too bold, even for me.
"Its ok. I haven't exactly been upfront with you, and considering your kindness it's the least you deserve. I am from somewhere very far away. All of this is new to me. You're the only one who's provided any sort of sense in this new environment, and you haven't judged me." He fiddled with his watch as it blinked red incessantly.
"Ok, fair enough. Ill take that as an answer. 'Very far away' huh? Sounds mysterious." The light outside faded as the last bit of the sunset sank below the horizon.
I tasted the milkshake, trying to distract myself from more unprompted compliments. My heart pounded in my chest. Something about Germany drove me crazy. All I wanted was to be close to him.
He was eyeing the milkshake, so I took his straw and stuck it in the drink and offered it to him.
"You don't mind sharing, do you?" He shook his head and leaned over to smell the milkshake. His eyes widened and he looked back up at me in awe.
"Smells good, right? Tastes even better. Don't tell me you've never had a milkshake before!" I beckoned him to try it, and he slowly put his lips to the straw, sucking.
As soon as the milkshake reached the top, he flung his head back and shut his eyes.
"Whoa hey, what's up? You good?" He made a sour face and swallowed, followed by a grin beginning to form.
"Its good." He nodded excitedly and drank more, making that same sour face after every sip.
"You're so strange." I smiled.
I could get used to this.
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Thanks for reading!
2206 words.
A/N
low/no proof reading so sorry if bad spelling. Enjoy :]