You slept like a log that night, much to Elizaveta’s disappointment. Well, it was to be expected. You were jet-lagged, and didn’t sleep on the plane, due to the man next to you snoring away, and the lady with a baby on the other side of aisle, not to mention you were right by the engine.

Eliza woke you up the next morning at about seven. “______! Come on, it’s time to get up!” She shook your shoulder.

You grumbled irritably. “Leave me alone.”

“Oh, you’re a joy in the morning, come on, before I sent Mathias and Erin to jump on you.”

“Which one’s the dog again?”

“Very funny, _____, but seriously, get up! We want time to eat!” You threw back the covers, still grumbling, and got dressed grudgingly. Everything was still packed up, so you dug around in your suitcase for some decent clothes and pulled them on hastily, going through all the morning rituals you normally do (including the worshipping of your [favorite band] poster, but let’s not get into that).

You wandered into the kitchen, a messenger bag slung over your shoulder, and sat down where Ireland was giving everyone what looked like hash browns.

As you were eating and having a vicious poke war with Mathias, Rosie made an announcement.

“We’re going to have another housemate!” She beamed. “She’s coming in later today! That means that you girls are going to have another roommate!”

“What’s she like?” Eliza asked curiously.

“It’s starting to get a little late for that,” Mathias complained.

“Hey, _____, like, just came yesterday, Mathias,” Leon pointed out, giving you what you already recognized as a rare smile.

“I don’t know anything about her, other than she’s another American,” Rosie replied.

There was a groan from the rest of the table.

“Hey, am I really that bad?” You joked, eying them.

“No, it’s not you, it’s just…America,” Mathias groaned.

“Obnoxious, hamburger eating idiots,” Eliza quoted the stereotypes.

“Hey, we’re the land of the free and the home of the brave!” You protested, suddenly feeling patriotic now that you were in another country. “We’re awesome!”

“Whatever you say, ______,” Mathias snorted, earning another violent poke.

“Hey, I have a Russian friend who’ll beat the snot out of anyone who messes with me,” You threatened mockingly.

“What about your poor British boyfriend?” A voice said sarcastically from the doorway.

“Oh, hey Arthur,” You beamed at him. “Sorry, Ivan’s a lot more intimidating than you.”

Arthur looked offended. “I can be intimidating.”

“About as intimidating as a baby chick,” You snorted. “I have never seen you be intimidating. Not even in that one fight awhile ago…”

Arthur childishly stuck his tongue out at you. “Whatever you say, luv. Are you lot leaving any time soon?”

“Arthur! When did you sneak in here, ye little brat!” Rosie smacked him on the back of the head.

“What the hell, Rosie?!” Arthur demanded, “I thought I was always welcome here!”

“But it’s polite to knock!”

“What do you know about polite?!”

The two of them started bickering, as only siblings can, and the rest of you exchanged an amused look.

“Hey, I like, bet you if we left they wouldn’t notice,” Leon whispered.

“Let’s test that theory, shall we?” You grinned.

”Are you really going to leave Arthur behind?” Eliza asked, disappointed that you two wouldn’t dramatically walk in together as a couple.

“He’ll catch up. I swear, he has magic powers or something.” You snorted, and the four of you got up and left the house, and sure enough, you were a half mile away before Arthur caught up to you.

“______....why didn’t you….wait…?” He panted.

You looked pointedly at Eliza. “I told you. Magic powers.” You turned back to Arthur, grabbing his hand. “Figured you were gonna be a while. So we skedaddled.”

The scowl that seemed to be plastered on his face seventy percent of the time softened. “Whatever,” He mumbled, squeezing your hand.

There was a click.

“Eliza!” You glared at the Hungarian girl. “What was that?!”

“You guys are so cute!” She squealed. “If you were in an anime, I’d totally ship you!”

“Ship?” Arthur echoed, glancing at you. “Meaning…?”

“Support us as a couple,” You said off-handedly, still glaring at Eliza.

Arthur chuckled and kissed your cheek. “Good, because I do too.”

You snorted, but smiled. “I would hope so, you stupid redcoat.”

You all reached the school, and Arthur took you to the main office to get your schedule. The second you got it, you both stared at it. Arthur took a highlighter out of his backpack and highlighted three classes, including, luckily, your first class.

“Three classes. Not too bad.” He remarked. “Come on, luv, let’s get going.”

You followed him through the hallways, suddenly feeling very nervous and anxious, and you started shrinking in on yourself, hunching your shoulders, looking suspiciously from side to side. Arthur noticed and smiled reassuringly at you, grabbing your hand once more.

“Come on, luv, you look like a caged animal,” He teased.

“That’s what I feel like,” You muttered. “I hate people.”

“Could have fooled me,” Arthur snorted. “Come on, get through the first day and we can go watch Doctor Who.”

Now that caught your attention. You perked up a little, much to Arthur’s amusement, and followed him into the first class. You sat down, and when class started, you were horrified when the teacher called you to the front of the class to introduce yourself.

“Um…I’m uh…______. I’m from…America…and um…yeah…” You mumbled. “I like burgers and uh…Doctor Who…and um…things…” You were bright red, staring at your feet, and your mumbles were almost unintelligible.

Needless to say, it went horribly.

“I never thought I’d live to see the day when you were speechless!” Arthur exclaimed after class, leading you to your next one.

“Shut up,” You growled, shooting him a vicious [e/c] glare.

He chuckled and pulled you out of the doorway and kissed you. “You’ll be fine, luv,” He said soothingly. “You’ll get over it soon enough.”

“Two things: One, I certainly will not! It took me seven years to open up the last time I moved! Two, we’re not going to be ‘that couple’ that’s always making out in the hallways, right?” You demanded.

“In response to one, I’m utterly shocked.” Arthur said dryly. ‘For two, certainly not. You just need it today, luv.”

You hugged him, causing him to suck in his breath in surprise. “Thanks, Arty.”

He chuckled. “Now get on to class, you silly American.”

You snorted and went in, finding Leon, much to your relief, and sat next to him.

The day passed by painfully slowly, much to your distress, but luckily there was one of your housemates or Arthur in every class, and Leon seemed to be in almost all of them.

At lunch, you followed him to sit with a bunch of other Asians. “This is the Asian Club,” Leon introduced you. “This is Kiku Honda.” He gestured to a small Japanese man who dipped his head to you in greeting.

“Im Yong Soo,” He pointed to a Korean with a (gasp!) gravity-defying curl.

“A GIRL, da-ze!” He jumped up to hug you. “Can your breasts be mine?!”

“Nope, I think I’ll keep them to myself,” You shoved him off, a skill you were an expert in thanks to France.

“Mei Wang, my, like, sister,” He nodded to a pretty girl from Taiwan, who smiled at you shyly.

“And you said you already know Yao…” He pointed to the long-haired Chinese guy who taught you karate.

“Yao!” You exclaimed joyfully, hugging him. “What are you doing here?”

“Our family moved here, aru.” He explained, hugging you back. “I didn’t expect to see you here, aru!”

“It’s a small world,” You laughed. “But seriously, I thought you were older than high school age!”

“Secondary school,” He corrected with a smile, “And no, aru. This is my last year here.”

“______,” Leon interrupted, “Would you like to join the Asian Club?”

[If you are Asian: “Sure!” You grinned devilishly. “Sounds fun. A little racist, but what do you even do here?”]

[If you are not Asian: “Um…I’m not Asian…why…just…why?” You trailed off each word, staring at Leon with a raised eyebrow.

“Because you’re like, cool enough to be with us,” Leon explained. “Anything else?”

“Yeah, what do you actually do in the Asian club?”]

“We be Asian, da-ze!” Yong Soo beamed. “What can be better than that?!”

“It’s like a gang, aru!” Yao added enthusiastically. “Where we can fan over cute animals aru and beat up anyone who makes fun of us with martial arts!”

You started laughing hysterically, doubling over.

“Are you alright, _____?” Mei asked, trying to look at your face, though it was bent over.

“This sounds awesome!” You grinned. “Sure, I’ll join!”

You spent the majority of the school day with one or more of your Asian companions, and it got better from there out.

When you met Arthur after school, he grinned in relief at your broad smile. “Good day after all?” He questioned, putting an arm around your shoulders.

“I’m Asian,” You informed him, grinning.

[If Asian: “So I’ve noticed,” Arthur raised one bushy eyebrow. “Any particular reason you’re telling me this?”]

[If not Asian: “Oh really now?” Arthur questioned, eyes running up and down your form quizzically. “Since when?”]

“Well, at lunch, I became part of the Asian club…” You launched enthusiastically into an explanation. Arthur listened patiently, asking questions from time to time, but the time it took to walk from school to Rosie’s was short, and soon enough, you were there before you knew it.

“Are you coming in, or…?” You glanced at Arthur, head tipped.

“I think I’ll go home first and come back,” He replied. “Drop my things off.”

“Alright, see ya later, Arthur,” You turned and opened the door, walking into a glomp-tackle of epic proportions.

“Ew, I have to share with this thing?!”