For ShowMeTheStarsIn221B, hope you like it.

…

Alin- Romania

Tsvetan- Bulgaria

…

Tsvetan rubbed his hands gleefully, plopping himself down on the sofa and switching on the TV, the only light in the dim room, apart from the fading orange sunlight peeking in through the curtain. Outside, children played in the street, a dog barked and cars drove past unhurriedly, but Tsvetan heard none of that. After a long day at school, all he wanted to do now was unwind and watch a film or two on his own. His boyfriend was either at his own house or just coming out of the school library, it didn't really matter which, and his parents and siblings were all out for the night, so he had the whole place to himself. He couldn't remember the last occasion he'd had some time to relax on his own, not that he found his loved ones annoying, but everyone needed space, right? Right! And Tsvetan had plenty of space, as well as rare peace and quiet.

Snuggling up in his blanket, Tsvetan pulled packets of chocolate and crisps closer to him and began searching for something good to watch. He was in a horror mood at that moment, but it would probably be too early for those kinds of films. Maybe something on the children's channel… If not, then there were plenty of DVDs to choose from. As he flicked through the channels, he mentally decided which snack he'd eat first, what with, and what he'd have to drink. It was all serious business to Tsvetan, though most things were to him, according to Alin, his boyfriend.

As he was travelling on that train of thought, a small knock- barely audible- reached his ears and he frowned in annoyance. Now what? He wondered if- so long as he muted the telly and didn't make a sound- whoever it was would just go away, thinking no one was home. Another knock, louder this time, came to him. Leave, he silently urged, piss off you peace-disturber. But, to his annoyance, small taps continued to be heard.

Snarling slightly, he hauled himself off the sofa and into the hall, grabbing the front door's handle and wrenching it open.

'No, I don't want to buy-' he stopped mid-sentence, gasping in horror. Before him, stood Alin Radacanu, tears streaming down his face as he covered his eye with a hand, shoulders shaking as he sobbed, 'wha-what happened to you?' Tsvetan rushed forward, grabbing the other's shoulders. Alin winced at that, and he quickly let go. His lip was cut, bruises covered his face, despite his best efforts to cover them up, and he and trembling. The top buttons on his school uniform were missing, ripped off, and through the thin shirt, Tsvetan could see purple and red welts.

'Huh? Oh, it's nothing,' Alin tied to shrug, 'look, I just need to get cleaned up a bit. I can't go home like this- my brother would see and tell our parents- so can I use your bathroom?'

'Of course! Who did this too you?' Tsvetan carefully took Alin's hand, cautious not to touch any scratches, leading him inside the house.

'No one,' Alin mumbled.

'Please tell me.'

'Just leave it!'

'Ali…' Tsvetan turned around and folded his arms, blocking the stairs so Alin couldn't reach the bathroom, 'this is serious; look at you! Please, Al, I hate seeing you like this. Who hurt you?'

'Same people,' Alin mumbled, 'always the same people…'

'That's it,' Tsvetan threw his arms in the air, shaking his head, 'the next time I see those little shits I'm punching their fucking teeth out!'

'Don't go starting stuff,' Alin bleated, 'it'll just get you in trouble and that's what they want! You know damn well it'll be you the teachers see being violent. They're sneaky, you're… not so much. You'd hit them right under a teacher's nose and not care until it's too late.'

'Fine, but we're definitely contacting the school,' Tsvetan took Alin's hand, leading him upstairs.

'But-'

'No buts! This needs to stop,' Tsvetan pushed open the door to the bathroom and sat Alin down on the edge of the bath whilst he rummaged in the cabinet for medical supplies. Arms laden with boxes, bottles and cotton buds, Tsvetan dumped the lot into the sink, picking up a bottle of disinfectant and pulling a cotton bud out of the packet.

'This may sting a little,' he warned, applying the chemical-soaked fibre to his partner's cheek. The boy hissed, but didn't flinch. Now, Tsvetan could see his eye closely, and the plum-coloured bruise surrounding it. He felt a flash of anger, but controlled it; now was not the time for losing his temper, no matter how hard it was to be in command of it. He wasn't like them. He wouldn't be the vicious one here.

'So what was it this time?' he asked, 'did they do this because of your looks, nationality or sexual orientation?'

'All of them, I guess,' Alin sighed, 'I don't get what their problem is. What's so different about me anyways?'

'Me neither…' Tsvetan sighed, closing his eyes and breathing slowly. It was always Alin targeted, ever since they realised he was far more sensitive that Tsvetan. They had to mock him for everything and especially liked to make comments on Tsvetan and Alin's little brother, Andre, as they knew that was the best way to get a reaction out of him. Of course, the teachers only seemed to notice when Alin had pinned a fellow student to the ground in his rage after a particularly nasty comment, and never when he was the one being hurt. Everyone just dismissed it as 'boys fighting', or said that Alin must've provoked them somehow, no matter how many times Tsvetan, Andre, Alin's parents and even other students who were witnesses told them otherwise. Alin had even kept a notebook of all the incidents, what was said and what they did to him, but everyone said he was making up lies, and he particularly had no voice against the seven or so other students who denied bullying him. Then again, Alin had spent most of his school life making up stories and lies, so why should they believe him now?

'Tsvet?' Alin started softly, 'come back to me.'

Tsvetan blinked in surprise, finding that he was standing now, clutching a little cardboard box in one hand, squeezing it. He was shaking with rage now, and Alin glanced at him fearfully, a sight that broke Tsvetan's heart.

'I'm sorry,' he sighed, 'it's just so unfair, what's happening…'

'I know, but there's no point in getting angry about it.'

'Well what choice do we have? We've tried being reasonable!'

'Nevertheless, don't let your rage take over,' Alin warned.

Tsvetan gave a humourless chuckle, wandering over and taking a plaster out of the box, 'I don't intend to,' he applied the plaster to a cut on Alin's arm, smoothing down the material and gently, softly, kissing it better, before repeating the process with his other injuries. Alin just sat there and let him, not saying a word and letting the silence envelope him. Every small kiss was like velvet, like an unspoken promise to heal and protect him. Almost instinctively, Alin reached out a hand and stroked Tsvetan's cheek with his fingers, returning the promise. Tsvetan quickly glanced at him with deep green eyes, gave a small smile, and returned to applying plasters. Alin's heart swelled at the reaction, and closed his eyes, focusing on their even breathing, almost synchronised.

It was their moment. Two partners comforting and soothing each other, and it seemed to last forever. But, sure enough, the moment ended, Tsvetan pulled himself up and sat next to Alin on the bath. He avoided the younger boy's gaze, staring awkwardly at his hands. Alin chuckled at that, remembering how Tsvetan was still new to this, still unused to relationships, and still unsure of how to act.

'Thanks buddy,' he said, pulling Tsvetan into a one-armed hug, 'I really appreciate this.'

'No problem,' Tsvetan laughed, 'look, I'll lend you a jumper. That shirt's ruined now and you could catch your death.'

'Cheers,' Alin let go of him and watched as the other stood up to leave, 'oh, and Tsve…'

'Yeah?'

'Don't… don't ever leave me, please?'

'I wouldn't dream of it.'

…

'Thanks again for patching me up,' Alin gave a small smile as he wandered down the stairs, Tsvetan following close behind.

'Hey, it's what any boyfriend would do, right?'

'Right! So… I should get going then. Parents might be worried and all,' Alin was about to walk to the front door, when he glanced into the sitting room, spying Tsvetan's blanket and food lying on the sofa, 'oh, were you busy?'

'Not at all!'

'But I probably ruined your evening.'

'Don't be silly! I care about you! Besides, I was honestly just doing fuck all. And I mean proper fuck all.'

'You still should've turned me away,' Alin sighed, slouching his shoulders.

'Now you know that was never an option,' Tsvetan muttered, pulling the other boy into a hug, which was returned.

'Thanks,' Alin mumbled, snaking his arms around him and clinging to the back of his partner's jumper.

'Hey, how about you stay for the evening?' Tsvetan suggested, 'we could chill out and watch a few films together.'

'Are you sure?'

'Certain! Got plenty of snacks too; heck, I'll even let you choose the channel. Or the DVD if nothing's on. It'll be fun, and just what you need!'

'Aw brilliant!' Alin darted into the room, leaped over the back of the chair and plopped himself down in front of the telly, burying himself in blankets and snatching the remote. Tsvetan chuckled, thankful to find the young man his normal, cheerful self again, if only for a while. He loved the way Alin fidgeted with excitement over little things, how his eyes lit up when he smiled, and how he always went into a gushing rant about the things he enjoyed and was passionate about, whilst Tsvetan just listened, taking everything in.

He wanted to make Alin smile all the time, but it was becoming harder to do that…. No, he wouldn't think about that now; those problems were for tomorrow!

'Remember to phone your parents,' he reminded the other boy, 'so they don't get worried and all. Hey, why not stay the whole night? I don't really like the idea of you wandering around late at night, especially in your condition. Got some spare pyjamas if you need them.'

'Great, thanks!' Alin rubbed his hands gleefully, hauling himself up off the sofa and skipping over to where the DVDs were kept.

'Hey, can we watch this one? Oh, and this one too!' Alin pulled films off the shelf, setting them down by his feet.

'Sure we can!' Tsvetan plopped down on the sofa, preparing to waste time and forget the outside world.

…

'Hey, Tsvet?'

'Hmm?'

'Do you ever think about, you know, the future and stuff?' Alin shifted slightly, glancing up at Tsvetan. The pair were snuggled up together under the blankets, Alin resting his head on Tsvetan's shoulder, whilst the other just looked ahead, engrossed in the film.

'Well,' Tsvetan tore his gaze from the screen, 'not really. I want to get a good job, and go to university and stuff, but not much. I guess the future's something I've never given much thought to.'

'Do you see me in your future?'

'I'd like to think so,' Tsvetan thought for a moment, 'what about you? Do you see this relationship being long-term?'

'Yes!' Alin gave a grin, which then faltered, 'if… if that's okay.'

'Course!' Tsvetan smirked, snuggling closer, 'so what do you see in our future? How do we fight the world? What do we have that the others haven't?'

'Each other?' Alin suggested, sitting up, 'now picture this,' he slung an arm over Tsvetan's shoulder, 'us two, married, living in a nice house with a load of kids. I mean, you see famous gay people with kids on the telly, right? So there must be somewhere where you buy babies if you can't have your own children.'

'I don't think that's how it…' Tsvetan trailed off, 'continue.'

'We could both have whatever job we wanted, or stay at home, that works too, and drop our kids off from school and pick them up and take them to the park. Oh, and in the holidays we can go to the funfair or the beach and have a great day out! We could go abroad too! And sit in the audience when the little ones are performing in school plays.'

'Sounds… nice,' Tsvetan smiled warmly, 'married huh?'

'Yup, sorry if I'm being creepy…'

'You've said worse,' Tsvetan chuckled, 'don't worry, this is stuff people think about, right? So what sort of wedding do you picture?'

'A simple one,' Alin nodded firmly, 'you know, quick ceremony, none of the boring crap, and a fun reception. Our families will be there too; we can get my brother to be the best man, if he ever learns when the right time to shut his mouth is. You'd look great in a suit, by the way.'

'Thanks, you too,'

'I know, and we can go on a great honeymoon too… oh I dunno, the Seychelles? Thailand? Greece?'

'Wherever you want,' Tsvetan held him close, 'sounds like you've got everything sorted.'

'I wish,' Tsvetan felt Alin sigh.

'Look, we'll get through all these problems! We'll fight, scream, shout, and do whatever it takes. But tonight, we're gonna forget all about it, forget them, forget everyone and just focus on having fun,' he cupped his hand under Alin's chin, glaring into his red eyes, 'it kills me that you're this unhappy, that someone's consciously making you miserable, and I promise to do everything in my power to make you smile again!'

'Tsvet…' Alin smiled, closing his eyes and wrapping his arms around Tsvetan's back, 'thanks. I needed that. You're right though; we don't need anyone! It's us against the world, like always.'

'We're unstoppable together,' Tsvetan gave a firm nod, 'remember that. Now, shall we continue our evening? It's getting to the good bit.'

'The bit where everyone dies?' Alin glanced at the telly in interest.

'What else?'

'If you get scared, just say and you can sit right on my lap here,' Alin smirked.

'Don't even think about it.'

'Just a thought, now hush! And pass over the juice.'

…

The next morning, Tsvetan woke to the uncomfortable sensation of crumbs in his blankets and someone else pressed up against him. He got up, blearily rubbing his eyes to find an arm wrapped around his chest and glanced over to see Alin curled up next to him, still sleeping peacefully, surrounded by empty bottles of fizzy drink and wrappers. Careful not to disturb him, Tsvetan just sat there awkwardly, taking in his partner's peaceful face and steady breathing. The purple bruise was still there, and would be for some time, which made Tsvetan snarl in anger. Oh, someone would pay for that, and dearly. Alin's mouth was open slightly, giving him a small smile and showing off his sharp teeth, and his brown hair covered his face. They hadn't even bothered with pyjamas, just dropping off in their clothes at around three in the morning and Tsvetan glanced up to see the DVD menu on the telly, a slow tune playing quietly on repeat, as it had done all night. Turning back to the boy clinging to him as to not fall off the sofa, Tsvetan found he was no longer the only one awake.

Alin had opened one eye, which stared, unfocused, at Tsvetan.

'What are you looking at?'

'Nothing,' Tsvetan chuckled, 'good sleep?'

'Not too bad. Bit early though.'

'It's noon.'

'Oh crap!' Alin shot up, looking at Tsvetan in horror, 'we're late for school!'

'It's Saturday,' Tsvetan suppressed a chuckle.

'Oh thank fuck!' Alin sighed blissfully, laying back down and burying his face in Tsvetan's arm, 'I'm so comfy now. I could just lie here forever.'

'Well, you can lie there for a good while at least,' Tsvetan climbed over him and stood up, 'bow relax while I bring you some breakfast, okay?'

'Aw you're too good,' Alin purred, pulling the blankets up to his chin.

'Not in the slightest!' Tsvetan sighed and kissed Alin's forehead, 'remember, we're a team!'

'Us against the world,' Alin mumbled in reply, 'like it's always been.'

…

First of all, please accept my most sincere apologies for the lateness of this fic, and if my piece of shit laptop could speak, it would probably apologise too. Still, I hope you enjoyed reading it.

Now this was done as part of a fic-trade, so please check out ShowMeTheStarsIn221B's half, an utterly adorable piece by the name of Tată And Bashta.

So this was really fun to write, and I hope I was able to portray the characters correctly.

Oh, and Andre is Moldova.