Remember how I said I had a bunch of chapters of this prewritten? Uhh yea. i forgot about this one-

"Kiku," Feliciano starts, "you don't celebrate holidays very often, do you?"

I look down, halfway through hanging lights. He's not wrong, but I wasn't expecting to be called out on it so soon. Feliciano laughs at my expression and Ludwig gives him a look as the ladder trembles beneath me as a result.

"Feliciano," Ludwig sighs, "please focus."

"Sorry!" Feliciano laughs. "It's just kinda obvious, y'know? You seem kind of awed by everything. We celebrate Christmas differently in Italy, but the way Americans do it is pretty entertaining. Plus it's the winter formal! A dance, just because it's winter and Christmas is coming? It's so exciting!"

"Feliciano, you've gone to the formal every year so far," Ludwig comments, raising an eyebrow.

"And I intend to keep it that way," the brunet replies, huffing.

"Does a winter formal really require so much set up?" I ask, finishing hanging the lights and carefully climbing down.

Ludwig closes the ladder and picks it up effortlessly over one shoulder, leading the way to the next area to continue putting up decorations. Feliciano bobs alongside him, nodding eagerly.

"The winter formal is always amazing!" Feliciano giggles, twirling. "It's like a light show! They've got the pretty white lights, snowflake decorations, a Christmas tree, music… I'm super excited for it."

"I probably won't go," Ludwig murmurs, setting up the ladder again and holding it so I can start my way back up, "since it's practically heaven for the local troublemakers."

I have a distinctive feeling that I know exactly who he's referring to.

Feliciano takes hold of the other side of the ladder to steady it and gapes at Ludwig. I sigh and climb the ladder, already knowing what's coming. I don't intend to go either, but if Feliciano has any say, then I'm going to end up there whether I like it or not. Ludwig catches Feliciano's gaze and visibly resigns himself the moment Feliciano opens his mouth.

"But, Ludwig, you said you'd go with me this year! Plus, it'll be Kiku's first time - you're coming, right, Kiku? - so we've gotta all go enjoy it together! Sure, we can do it again next year, but then all of our senior friends will be graduated and it won't be as fun!"

Ludwig stares up at me. I stare back, shrugging. What can you do?

"Fine," Ludwig says, "but only if you're dragging Kiku, as well."

Well. This must be what betrayal tastes like.

"I, ah, don't own a tux," I confess, holding onto the ladder and twisting to look down at them.

"That's okay!" Feliciano beams. "We can rent some! Or buy some, 'cause they might come in handy later!"

"Rental," Ludwig intones, and I nod sagely in agreement.

I don't know how I keep getting dragged into these things, but I'm not complaining like I usually would, at least.

(~~)

After we finish helping with decorations, Ludwig drives us to go try on tuxes. Feliciano settles quickly on a white one, Ludwig on a black one, and myself on a black vest instead of a full tuxedo.

When the day of the formal swings around, Feliciano and Ludwig meet me in my room. Feliciano laughs as he redoes both of our ties - and somehow, I'm not surprised that he seems so accustomed to these events. He straightens Ludwig's bow and I don't miss the way his fingers linger on the blond's chest, just a moment too long, before he draws away and whirls to grin at me.

"Ready to go?"

"Do I have a choice?" I ask.

"Nope!" Feliciano laughs, dragging us both out.

I can hear the music coming from the cafeteria area long before we've arrived. It thrums through a good portion of the school - apparently they hired a DJ for the event. The space is crowded, filled with students in formal clothing, suits and glittering, flowing dresses.

"Hey!" Erzsébet pauses on her way past us, clad in a dark suit with a green tie. "Did you guys just get here? I wasn't expecting to see you two here, Ludwig, Kiku. Feliciano, I always expect - speaking of which, you haven't talked to me in forever!"

Feliciano visibly brightens and springs into a hug, clinging onto her as Erzsébet laughs and picks him straight up, squeezing him back.

"Lizzy! I've been super busy; I keep meaning to come talk to you and I just forget, y'know? I've missed you, though! How are things going?"

The two begin conversing and Ludwig, already shedding his tuxedo coat, just seems to settle in for a wait. I'm admittedly amused - I've wondered about their relationship, but Ludwig and Feliciano seem to know each other quite well. They're undoubtedly close to each other - normally, the thought would make me jealous, but I know all too well that they both care about me, as well.

"You're going to wait?" I ask, tipping my head.

Ludwig sighs, rolling up his sleeves to his forearms. "He'll be upset if I don't, and then Erzsébet will get mad if he gets upset. My brother and this Romanian kid are the only ones dumb enough to get on her bad side."

I eye Erzsébet. If I'm being honest, she could probably bench press me without putting any effort into it, or snap me over her leg. She definitely isn't someone whose bad side I want to be on.

"Fair enough," I reply, "but I'm going to look around. I'll catch up with you later."

Ludwig hums an acknowledgement and I turn, slipping into the dense crowd. Feliciano hadn't been lying - it is rather pretty. The lights reflect off of the snowflake decorations, giving the illusion of snowflakes speckling the room. People laugh and dance around me, visibly enjoying themselves. I only recognize the occasional person - Yao, with Ivan's hulking figure nearby, Arthur, spotted when my head turned at the sound of Alfred's boisterous laugh. Matthew, slow dancing with a girl with a bob cut that I recognize from the Halloween committee.

Someone jostles my shoulder.

"Watch i- Oh. It's you."

"Oh," I greet, "hello."

Lovino Vargas just quirks an eyebrow at me. "Got sick of my brother and his dumb blond?"

I'm not quite sure what Lovino has against Ludwig.

"No," I reply, "I was just wandering around. I've never been to one of these."

Lovino snorts. "I wouldn't have come if I'd had the option, but An- Uh, someone asked me and then more or less carried me here, whether I wanted to come or not. S'just lucky I had a good tux or I would've…"

He eyes me, half cautiously.

"Nevermind," he says, waving one dismissive hand. "Just ignore me, or whatever."

"I- Okay?"

I'm still not quite sure how to behave around Lovino. He's rather unpredictable. Friends without really being friends, I suppose.

Lovino, it turns out, is just as uncomfortable in these kind of situations as I am, and we both end up by the punch bowl. Lovino's eyebrow twitches as he takes a sip of the drink, and then promptly snatches mine clean out of my hand.

"I'm going to kill Gilbert," he growls, dropping both cups in the trash, picking up the entire bowl and marching off, muttering, "or better yet, tell his brother… and we can both kill him…"

Well, it was nice to see he was at least considering working with Ludwig - if not under questionable circumstances, in any case.

The thought of Ludwig reminds me that I have yet to search for my friends. It's been a while, now, but I haven't seen them. Dismissing the loss of my punch, I nudge back into the crowd in search for Feliciano's starch white tuxedo or Ludwig's familiar blond hair and broad figure, but oddly, I can't spot either of them.

I spend a moment wandering, before I catch sight of them and abruptly realize why they were so hard to find.

They're tucked away in a shadowy corner of the room, Feliciano's arms are draped over Ludwig's shoulders, fingers cradling the back of his neck tenderly, and Ludwig's hands rest at Feliciano's waist and the small of his back. They aren't quite dancing, just swaying slightly, expressions soft and warm and half hidden by the darkness. Feliciano is murmuring something, or singing along, I can't tell. Ludwig lowers his head and rests his forehead to Feliciano's and-

Oh.

Oh, they're kissing.

Oh.

Ears burning, I whirl around and opt to leave them to their personal matters.

I'm not surprised, really. I probably should have expected it, actually - I've been around them long enough to know that it was definitely more than friendship between the two of them. I'm happy for them, but thoroughly embarrassed by witnessing such an intimate moment.

I'm usually much better about paying attention.

(This, of course, comes to reference more than just Ludwig and Feliciano.)

I promptly smack into someone's back.

"Oh! Are you- Kiku!"

Ah.

Francis beams at me, reaching out as though to steady me, but his hands hover just off of my shoulders. I hadn't realized until now how careful he usually was not to touch me. I'm admittedly grateful - he's much more aware of these things than I tend to give him credit for, in any case.

"Hello," I greet softly, blinking back at him.

Gilbert and Antonio peer around him, grinning when they spot me. Antonio's attention is shortly diverted, and he shoots into the crowd with a grin.

"I didn't think you'd be here," Francis comments, tipping his head.

"Most people seem to be saying that," I reply, glancing away.

"Well, you're kind of- holy shit, she's in a suit. That's so hot." Gilbert's gaze fixes somewhere past me and he claps Francis on the shoulder hard enough to make him stumble. "See you, buddy."

Francis and I exchange a glance as Gilbert slinks off into the crowd.

"Feliciano wanted me to come," I finally say, shrugging, "but he and Ludwig are, uh. Anyways. So here I am."

Francis seems to understand what I mean. He laughs.

"About time," the blond says, "but you're alone then, aren't you?"

"More or less, I suppose, but that's alright."

Francis grins, offering a hand. "Dance with me, then."

I immediately put both hands up, as though shielding myself. "I, uh. I can't dance."

"Oh, come on, Kiku. Everyone can dance."

"Not me."

Francis heaves a sigh. "Fine. But I'm alone too, now, so I'll tag along with you - given that's okay?"

I hesitate a moment, but he looks sincere. "Okay," I agree, "that's fine."

Francis visibly brightens; it's nice.

(~~)

Honestly, I don't think anything can really surprise me anymore.

Suffice to say, my luck seems to maintain a steady awkwardness. Francis clears his throat, gives a half smile, and gestures up. When I lift my gaze, I see a tiny, green plant hanging overhead, white berries bright against the leaves. It takes me a moment, but then I very abruptly remember American mistletoe traditions. I can physically feel the blood rush to my face.

Francis has the gall to laugh.

"Of all places-"

"It's rather funny, no?"

"No."

"Rules are rules, Kiku," he teases.

I promptly cover my face.

"Come on," Francis cooes, amusement dripping from his tone, "just one little peck."

"No," I repeat.

"But Kiku," he laughs, "we have to. We're under the mistletoe."

"And I'm not American," I mumble, "I don't have to follow their traditions."

"Well," says Francis, "that's no fun."

He tries again, but I adamantly refuse to move my hands. Finally, Francis just laughs softly. I feel the shift in the air as he leans forward, pressing a brief kiss to the top of my head.

"See you around, Kiku," he tells me, and I don't move my hands until I'm sure he's gone.

I'm at the point where I don't think I can possibly get more embarrassed, but I'd rather not tempt fate. Fishing out my phone and texting Ludwig and Feliciano a vague excuse about feeling sick - not that they'll check it for a while, or come looking for me, really - I hurry back to my room.

It isn't until I change into my night clothes and nestle down in my blankets with my headphones in and music blasting that I finally allow myself to relax.