A/N: Happy Valentine's Day (in some time zones, that is)! Or Happy Single Awareness Day, to all those who don't have a date. Look at the bright side, chocolates are on a discount on the 15th.

Title: bike routes and cat keychains
Rating: K
Warning: Human AU, possible fluff, rushed romance?
Genre/s: Friendship, Romance
Pairing/s: hints of (very obvious) SpaBel
Summary (excerpt): Every time he passes by her, he can't help but stare.
Inspiration/s: 'Sakura no Kimi' by Yamaguchi Miyuki, and a hint of the first story in 'Haruyuki Bus' by Usami Maki. Read them if you want to.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoy!

I do not own Hetalia.

'Every time he passes by the girl with an ever familiar uniform and keychain, he can't help but stare.'

Antonio rides a bike to his high school, when he'd rather take the bus.

He only does it because his parents think the exercise is good for him, and because it'd take too long to walk from his house to his school. It's not really a big deal for him though; he likes the rush of wind in his face, and the route he takes has pretty scenery.

Plus, he gets to see her every day.

There's a blonde girl that he passes by all the time, but he doesn't know who she is. Because she goes the opposite way, Antonio suspects she goes to the all-girl's school a few blocks down. Her uniform is kind of familiar to him.

The only thing he cares to notice is the keychain that hangs from her bag, and it's one of the only things he remembers her by. It's an orange cat with a wide, toothy smile. He thinks it suits her well.

But he doesn't know anything about her at all. They're strangers to each other. They don't speak a word. They don't steal glances, although Antonio does peek over his shoulder every once in a while, because it's intriguing, like having a regular come to your shop.

He's comfortable with her being in his bike route, and Antonio doesn't mind her presence at all. Every time his bike flies by, he thinks about how he'd like to be friends.

That thought only lasts a second, and as the wheels whiz on, Antonio forgets all about her until the next day.

Time flies too quickly and it's already fall.

Antonio's now confident enough on his bike to pedal without holding the handlebars, even if it's only for two seconds. In fact, he does it right now, because he's going downhill and it's exhilarating. His hair whips all around him and he laughs. Riding his bike keeps him warm.

Soon, the girl appears in his line of sight, and he passes by her as she blows a breath of warm air into her palms. Antonio doesn't notice, but his scarf lightly touches her shoulder when he rides by. That makes her catch a glimpse of his blurry silhouette.

He continues to cheer to himself as the wind picks up. It's fun, really, really fun, and it's just as he crunches over a small pile of leaves that he slows down. He's too far away from the blonde girl now, and his mind starts to forget her again when he spots her keychain on the ground.

Coming to a full stop, he scoops it up, its chain dangling as he holds it by the ring. Sure enough, it's a cat with a Cheshire's grin.

He looks back, although he knows she's not there anymore. It's too late to give it back now; she's long gone. If he goes back to give it to her, it'll take too long and he might be late for school.

If his teacher hadn't given him two warnings about his tardiness already, he would've biked back up the hill to return it.

(Besides, his madre would kill him if he had another late slip.)

So he pockets it and shrugs, telling himself he'll give it tomorrow.

This time, his thoughts linger a little longer on her, before he shakes his head and rides on.

She's walking with a friend today, and Antonio feels his eyes widen at the unwanted audience. As he walks beside his bike, he grips the handlebars tighter, contemplating on his new dilemma.

He doesn't know how to give it back. Just stop abruptly and say 'excuse me'? It makes him sound suspicious.

But Antonio's not very known for his good ideas, and he doesn't have a better plan, so excuse me it is. Antonio dons a grin but stammers on his salutations, and that only makes the girls eye him warily and exchange glances. He gulps and hands out the keychain, while the blonde stares with surprise.

'I saw it on the ground, and I thought you would want it back...' His hands are in a flurry, wild gestures trying to explain that she dropped it yesterday, and his worried smile widens the more she continues to look at the ground.

His heart thumps, one and two and one and two and-

Blinking at the keychain, she takes it. She's careful not to touch Antonio, but she thanks him anyway. 'I was wondering where it was.'

And then she raises her head to meet his eyes. They're green, Antonio thinks, and he realizes he's never paid any attention to them. He only recognizes what her cat keychain and her uniform look like, but he sees that her eyes are green. They're the same colour as his, but they're also different. Antonio can't exactly pinpoint why.

They stand like that for a second, although it feels like an eternity, before her friend latches an arm on her and says, 'Come on, Emma. We'll be late for class.'

A sense of dread washes over Antonio when he realizes he spent too much time talking to the girls. At the same time, however, a part of him doesn't want to go.

He doesn't know why.

(Her name is Emma, Emma, Emma.)

Antonio apologizes profusely for taking up their time, before he hastily hops back on his bike. Silently hoping he'll manage to get to school on time, he says goodbye, and after a second's hesitation, they do the same. Antonio smiles and he begins to furiously pedal away.

But when he thinks he's far enough, he stops and looks behind his shoulder, just in time to see a part of Emma's back before she disappears completely from his sight.

When it's winter, Antonio doesn't ride his bike. Instead, he goes on a bus. Even though it's fully-packed and crowded, he can't help but feel lonely. He doesn't know anyone, and he's silent, and he stares at his shoes.

There's chatter all around him. Schoolgirls giggle and gossip about boys, business men stand about and check their watches every minute, the elderly grasp their grocery bags and look out the window.

And there's Antonio, who slumps his shoulders and sighs every time he hears it's going to snow.

He's on friendly terms with his route buddy now, kind of, and they greet each other when they pass by. They smile, say good morning, nod on demand, but they're merely acquaintances. The thought makes his head spin a little.

Antonio's thoughts are constantly about her now, ever since the incident with her keychain.

His friends have noticed the subtle change in him. Francis smirks knowingly while Gilbert snickers, and Antonio only stares at them with confused, starstruck eyes and flushed cheeks. They say he seems giddier nowadays (more so than he already is), and that he sighs wistfully at any given moment he can. They also like to point out that he daydreams much more often, but Antonio is only half-listening every time they do.

Frowning a bit, he rests his head on the back of the seat, breathing out a longing whisper for winter to end.

In the corner of his mind, he simply misses his usual route to school.

In the corner of his heart, he simply misses her.

Spring comes. Antonio almost stumbles when he dashes to the garage and gets his bike, looking at with like he just received a Christmas present. He hugs it actually, like it's a long-lost friend that he hasn't met in ages, and he fails to suppress the urge to stare at it with adoration.

It doesn't even cross his mind that there's a possibility she isn't there.

Antonio waves a goodbye to his parents and begins to race down the streets. But he slows down, just a tad bit, when he realizes he'd arrive too early for their usual meeting place. He knows people will think it's weird, to want to see an 'acquaintance' so badly, and he shakes his head at the word.

Emma isn't just an acquaintance to him. She means more to him than Antonio could ever possibly imagine. The past few months told him just how important her presence is to Antonio.

As he races down a familiar hill, he cranes his neck to see if there is anyone else besides him. His eyes light up when there is, and he spots her familiar blonde hair, and cat keychain, and school uniform, and bright green eyes, and everything he could remember.

She sees him too, if her waving hand is an indication of anything.

He raises his hand to greet her, but in his fast speed and momentary negligence, he loses control and his bike topples over. Antonio falls on his back with wide eyes, before he laughs in his carelessness.

The girl quickly rushes over, immediately concerned about his well-being. 'Are you okay?' she asks, eyebrows raised and lips twitching downwards. They stare for a moment.

As much as Antonio wants the moment to last forever, all magic spells have to be broken, although he breaks it in a different manner from usual. 'My name's Antonio.'

She's taken aback for a second. Antonio waits expectantly for a response, his heart beating so erratically, as he looks fixedly at her with dilated pupils and sweaty palms. She simply giggles, and Antonio's mind reels with nervousness. 'I'm Emma.'

Ah. He already knows that. He couldn't forget even if he tried.

As she pulls him up with her outstretched hand, they continue to stare at each other with smiling faces. Her hand fits perfectly in his, Antonio silently notes, and he'd rather keep holding onto it than go to school.

'Will you be my friend?' he blurts out. Antonio chews on his lip when Emma stays quiet, her eyes intently gazing into his. Her cheeks are flushed, much like Antonio's, and all he wants is for her to say yes.

Instead, her grin gives him more of an answer than words could ever convey.

'She would love to get to know the bike boy that makes her happy every time she sees him.'