"Get out of my way!" The girl watched him lift his arm as he came faster and faster towards her, ready to shove her out of the way.
Everything happened in a flash. She didn't dodge or scream as most bystanders would have, instead in one swift motion she caught the crook's wrist and used her free hand to grab his nape and force him down to crouch. Locking his arm, she kneed his stomach then his groin before stepping on his toes with the heel of her boot. With a groan, the man let go of the camera he held and fell to ground, folding himself into a fetal position with his hands on his groin attempting to stop the pain.
"Hey!"
She turned around and the three guys approached her.
"Are you all right?" The black-haired one was Japanese, the girl recognized his accent and the way his tongue had difficulty with 'l', rolling it with the 'r'.
"Poor bella, that must have been so scary! Are you okay?" The brunette with a single strand of hair standing up from the rest and amber eyes pulled the girl into a friendly embrace in attempt to comfort her. Though it was completely unnecessary for she wasn't shaken at all.
"I'm fine, but" She handed the brunette—Italian, she assumed—the camera that the thief dropped, "This is yours, right?"
"Ah, yes!" The Japanese held the camera to his chest and bowed, "Dōmo arigatōgozaimasu"
"That was a close call" The tallest of the three young men who had slicked back blonde hair and icy blue eyes spoke, "Are you injured anywhere, miss?"
She didn't answer though. She thought that the voice and sense of seriousness was familiar. 'This guy, and that accent, I swear I've seen him before...'
"Pet Society!"
"I'm sorry?"
"You gave me a bag of dog food once" She picked up Oatmeal who was growling at the man on the concrete, "Oatmeal, say 'thank you' to the man who gave me your food" The puppy stared at the blonde before waving his paws affectionately as if trying to reach him.
"Ve, what a cute puppy!"
"...Kawaii"
The brunettes cooed, doting on the tiny ball of fur.
"Uh" The blonde stood awkwardly, not knowing what to do. The girl noticed this and spoke to him, "I'm Name by the way. Oatmeal really loved the dog food"
"Y-you're welcome" He replied, surprised when she talked to him.
"Sorry but I didn't get your names"
The brunette turned to her "I'm Feliciano, this is Kiku" he gestured at the man who was taking photos of the puppy who stared adorably at the lens of the camera, "And this" He patted the blonde on the shoulder, "Is our friend, Ludwig"
Suddenly, he had an idea, "Bella, do you wanna eat dinner with us?"
"What?" She and Ludwig said in unison.
"I really like you, so do you wanna have dinner with us? Our treat"
The girl didn't think much for her answer. She found the bubbly Italian's openness to be refreshing. Nodding she said, "Who doesn't like free food?"
"Ve, it's decided then!"
"I can't believe that this place lets animals in the restaurant" Name said, watching Oatmeal devour a bowl of chef's secret dog food.
The trio brought the young woman to Rouxhearst. It was a fancy four-star bistro, which shared the same owner with Rosewater Inn where the three men were staying in (she suspected that, after all the things she's witnessed in the past few days, that they were somehow related to Alfred and Matthew and Ivan, and they may also be "countries". The fact that Alfred told her that his Ferrari 458 was from "a friend named 'Feliciano'" played a huge part on that).
Much like the hotel, the restaurant was classy. Rich rosewood furniture, VIP rooms separated by ceiling-to-floor glass dividers, beautiful crystal and gold chandeliers hanging above the guests, priceless paintings framed and hanged on the iridescent champagne walls.
"The owner is a very fun person" Feliciano said over a mouthful of pasta and tomato sauce.
"You've met him?"
"Actually, the owner is a 'her'" Ludwig corrected, "She is quite... vivacious and peculiar but very good at her job"
"She loves animals" Kiku added, "She even treats Mr. Ludwig's dogs like they're her children"
"Is she like Nagi from Hayate the Combat Butler?" Name asked, giggling quietly, not expecting them to get it.
Kiku whose usually emotionless brown eyes widened, "You watch anime, Name-san?"
Name's face lit up. "Yes! And I read mangas and light novels too. I like to keep an open mind with the things I read"
"Have you read Black Butler?"
"Have I?" She beamed, "I love Sebastian"
"That's very nice to hear, me too!" She and Kiku placed their hands over their left breasts and in unison said in a painfully-exaggerated, fake English accent, "Yes, my Lord" They burst out laughing much to Ludwig's confusion and Feliciano's joy.
"This is so nice, ve! Jap—I mean, Kiku, I rarely see you laugh like this"
"Is that so?" Kiku glanced at the girl who smiled at him, causing him to blush and avert his gaze.
"Look, Ludwig" Feliciano tugged on the blonde's blazer, "Kiku is blushing!"
"You don't have to yell!" Ludwig scolded.
The girl giggled "Well, I finally get it" she sipped her tomato soup from a spoon, "That explains why they let animals in the hotel"
"You've been there, bella?"
"Yeah. It's really complicated. First time was when I was invited for lunch by this Russian guy named Ivan Braginsky and—"
Awed, shocked silence fell over the room and everyone, save for Oatmeal who ate his food with avaricious gluttony, gave her a look like she just sprouted extra heads and limbs. The girl shrunk under everyone's gaze, "Wha—did I say something I wasn't supposed to?"
Nobody said a word until Ludwig cleared his throat, "It's nothing. It's just a surprise that someone like him would do that and you accepted his offer"
"I'm sorry, what's that supposed to mean?" She wasn't offended, just really confused.
"He isn't really someone whose appearance screams, well, 'friendly'"
"That's—" She let out a short scoff, shifting her weight on her chair, "That's ridiculous! Ivan Braginsky has to be the biggest sweetheart I've ever met. He even offered me a tour around the place on my first day here"
They, including Ludwig, became more astonished. The girl sighed; she had to do something. She shook her head and forced a smile, "But enough about me" She flapped her hands in the air, "Ludwig, you have dogs—mind telling me their names, please?"
"Uh, yes" He picked up quickly at what she was trying to do, "I have Blackie, Berlitz and Aster. Aster is a puppy though"
"A puppy! Did they come here with you?" She seemed to have lost the fake smile and it was replaced by a genuine one almost instantly.
"Ja, the owner is fond of them so she lets me bring them whenever I check in"
"I have an idea!" Feliciano, instantly forgetting about the earlier ordeal, raised his fork, "Maybe you two can walk them together sometime? Oh, and maybe we can even run with her" He turned to her, "You said you run, right?"
She shrugged, "Yeah, sometimes just to clear my head and catch a break from sitting on my butt for too long"
"What do you say, Kiku?" He glanced over the plate of salmons and tuna at his friend who nodded, still refusing to meet Name's eyes.
"Ludwig?" He turned to Ludwig who sighed but nodded, "It's-a settled then. We'll see you, tomorrow morning, bella!" He said to the girl who giggled at his cute child-like enthusiasm. He reminded her of Alfred, but a more childish version and with less cursing.
'Alfred...' She couldn't help but remember what happened in the hotel before she got inside the elevator. The fierceness in Alfred's usually bright and happy eyes and the piercing iciness that Ivan showed... She couldn't get it out of her head.
***
"Huh?" Name was in her workout gear: cotton candy blue hoodie over a black sports bra and black sweatpants paired with white running shoes.
She woke up early, or to be more precise, Oatmeal woke up early—around dawn, and licked her face until it got so sticky she was forced to get up to wash it. From a few feet away she could see Ludwig's muscular figure standing over the green grass of the park where they all agreed to meet.
But that was it: he was the only one there.
"Where are the others?" She asked when she approached Ludwig, Oatmeal right behind her.
He sighed, "Kiku arrives on time while Feliciano tends to oversleep"
"Looks like we both came early"
"Yes, you're right"
"Say, where're your dogs?" She looked behind him, expecting to see a German shepherd and a Doberman, with a golden-furred Labrador puppy with them. But there was none. Aside from the three of them, the entire block was deserted.
"They're with... the Rosewater head" Ludwig rubbed his nape.
She laughed, "Well, that's a shame" She turned to Oatmeal, "Sorry but it looks like we'll be spending time with a human only" She returned her attention to Ludwig. "That's not a bad thing, of course"
"...I wonder what's taking them so long" The girl asked nobody in particular. She and Ludwig had spent an entire half hour talking about random stuff, mostly about their canines and potato dishes. They were having fun, much to Ludwig's surprise, but the girl accidentally glanced on her watch and saw that it had been thirty minutes and questioned why their companions have not yet arrived. As if on cue, Ludwig's phone buzzed.
With a beep, he answered it.
"Hello, Kiku?" He stood up from his place next to Name on the grass, "Yes... Is that so?" He let out a sigh "Ja" He put back his phone in his pocket and returned to the girl.
"What is it?"
"Something happened and Kiku was asked to speak with his superior. As for Feliciano, I'm pretty certain that he's forgotten about today"
"That's a pity... But we can have fun on our own, right?"
Ludwig stiffened. He seldom talked to, much less spent much time with a woman whom he had no important business with. Sure he managed to strike up a fairly favorable conversation with her but that was because she started them. However, he couldn't really just brush her off, it would be impolite. Plus, to be frank, he sort of enjoyed her company. He felt... calm.
He had just realized that now that they were not with Feliciano or Kiku.
"I'm sorry" He blurted out only to cover his mouth with a gloved hand in regret.
"Excuse me?" The girl raised her eyebrow.
"Y-you're stuck with me, instead of laughing with Feliciano and Kiku"
"Hey now don't bring yourself down like that. I mean we had fun waiting, didn't we?" She got up, brushed imaginary dirt off her pants "We can run without them. That is... if you're all right with that. Are you?"
Ludwig hesitated but replied, "O-of course I am"
"That felt awesome!" Name slowed down and leaned on a tree bark for support. Oatmeal hopped around her feet.
"Really?" Ludwig who didn't look one bit tired.
"Yes, and ow!" She put a hand on her side, which pulsated hotly, "And painful"
"You're just not used to it. Are you sure you've done this before?" He asked with uncharacteristic arrogant smirk. Now where did Name see a smirk like that before?
"No fair, you look like you do this all the time"
"Nobody forced you, frau"
"HEY, WEST!"
Name heard Ludwig mutter something under in his breath, something German and something bad.
She raised her toes and feet a bit to see over Ludwig's shoulder. An albino in a Prussian blue coat and black slacks waved at them; behind him were two full-grown dogs, a puppy, and—
'A bird?' The young woman thought as she noticed the yellow little bird flying behind the arrogant albino.
"Your dogs are back from that rich Rosewater wench's lair!"
"Bruder..."
'What? Bruder... BROTHER?' The girl's eyes widened at the realization. No wonder that smirk looked familiar but...
"Huh?" Gilbert blinked but grinned upon seeing Name, "Looks like we meet again, lady"
Ludwig's head jolted upward, exasperation changed to surprise "What, y-you two know each other?"
"Yep, we shared one wet, wet ride. Isn't that right?" Gilbert cackled.
Her eyebrow twitched. These two as brothers. It was incomprehensible. Ludwig was so responsible and gentlemanly, Gilbert was... ugh. Then again, they shared the same smirk.
"He gave me a ride home when I was stuck in the rain. Nothing more" She explained, relieving Ludwig but putting a pout on Gilbert's pale face.
"You're such a bore"
"I told you not to call a lady that"
"You're no lady"
"You're a jerk, Gilbert"
"Aw, and to think I was planning on returning your Winnie the Pooh book when I saw you again" He sighed, feigning sadness, "Now I think I should just keep it to myself"
"Do you have it with you?" She ignored his act, relieved that her book was somehow safe.
"Sure, it's inside my car"
"Here it is" Gilbert pulled out Miss Maddie's book from the backseat. It was still wrapped in Name's sweater so that it could be protected from the rain.
"Oh thank goodness" She reached out for it but couldn't as Gilbert have stretched his arms upward. Since he was taller than her, Name couldn't grab the book. She growled, annoyed "What are you doing?"
"You think you can get your book that easily, frau? You have to give me something in return"
"Do enlighten me, your royal heinous" she said sarcastically.
"Tsch, tsch" He shook his head and clicked his tongue, "That is not very polite. But since you're Name the Awesome me will forgive you"
"Good, now give me the book!" She jumped but failed to retrieve it.
"Kiss me."
"What?" Name and Ludwig said in unison. Name was understandably irritated, but Ludwig's tone was hard to decipher.
"You heard me. If you want your precious book then you need to pay up"
"This is sexual harassment, you know"
"I'd be lying if I told you that's the first time I heard that"
"Like you're not a liar"
"You really don't want me to give you back the book, huh?"
"Fine!" She stomped her feet, "I'll do it"
"Do what?" He grinned, arching his eyebrows teasingly.
She bit down on her lip, "...Kiss you"
"Great, now pucker up" He bent down, but just when he was about to close his eyes, he caught Name drawing in her elbow. Fast as ever, Gilbert dodged, but rather than punch him as she made him think, Name swung her fist to hit Gilbert's wrist with just enough force to make him let go of the book.
"I can't believe you fell for that!" She hopped up and down with childlike glee.
Oatmeal watched her with a wagging tail, Ludwig's reaction was a mix of awe and amusement, and Gilbert could only curse.
*Shit
IMPORTANT:
To those who've read this before, you'll notice a slight but important difference in Gilbert's scene: In the previous, unedited version, the Reader actually hits Gilbert and neither of the men (not even the Reader herself) seems to care at all that she assaulted someone. I failed to realize that and I didn't want the Reader to be a person who's okay with physically assaulting a man just because the target is a man, so I edited it.