Snapshots
This fic is named after its format: a series of connected vignets. I did it this way because writing unneeded material is a bitch! Anyhow, this fic is for my totally amazing Internet bestie Neon-Tinged-Disaster here on fan fiction AKA AtomicCrayon creator of HetaFear (a Hetalia fan game, which I've helped develop. You can read more about it, as I've posted the link to a teaser snapshot on the bottom of this page. The first part is available for download!).
This was difficult to write mostly because I don't ship this couple very hard. And technically, the name of this ship is "AmeBro" and Male!Belarus is "Brolarus".
Also: Let it be said that I know next to nothing about the foster care system. If anyone wants to correct me on any inaccuracies in this fic, drop me a review. Any inaccuracies were due to inadequate research and were never meant to offend anyone. I happen to think that foster care is a great programme.
Happy Holidays, y'all!
"Alfred, honey, come down for a moment?" his mother's voice called from downstairs.
The senior was happy to close his books for a moment and talk to his parents. He tramped down the stairs and slid into the living room, where his mother and father were huddled around some papers.
"Eh? What's up?" he asked, sliding into an open chair across from his father.
"Alfred, you know you're going away to college soon and Mattie's already moved out, so your mother and I were considering adopting a foster child," his father started.
"I know." He looked down at the scattered papers, each with names and pictures of different kids, ages ranging from 4 to 15, "Are these them?"
"Yes. We were wondering if you'd like to help us look," his mother asked.
"Alright. Sounds cool."
Alfred picked up a packet and started to flip through it. None of these kids really struck an interest in him. Repeatedly, one of the packets, the one that seemed to be tossed to the side. Curious, Alfred looked it over.
Name: Nikolai Braginski
Gender: Male
Age: 15
DoB: August 25, 1997
Circumstance: No family other than immigrant parents from Russia and two siblings. Father is imprisoned for murder, mother is checked into home for the criminally insane. Both siblings (Katyusha and Ivan) still in school. Ivan's dorm doesn't allow freeloaders and Katyusha is enrolled in the program.
The picture that came with his file was of a fair-skinned boy with purplish grey eyes and light, platinum blonde hair that stuck up similar to Alfred's own cowlick. He wore tight pants with a leather hoodie that was adorned with a black fur lining. He seemed to give the camera a teasing half-sneer. He had to admit that Nikolai was very good looking.
"Nikolai seems pretty interesting," Alfred commented, reading over the paper once more.
Alfred's father nodded. "We were considering him. His poor household must be a mess, what with a killer father and a crazy mother."
"I'd say go for it. I'd like to meet him to see what he's like," Alfred commented.
•••
Nikolai arrived a week or so later, bringing a thunderstorm with him. He knocked on the door, prompting Alfred to open it.
The exact image of the boy from the form stood outside, a backpack draped over his shoulder and a suitcase next to him. His platinum blonde hair was plastered to his forehead, masking his eyes.
"Hello, my name is Nikolai Braginski," he greeted with a thick, Russian accent.
"Oh hey, uh, I'm Alfred, your foster brother as of now. Come in, it's freaking storming."
He held out a hand for the Russian boy.
"Thank you," Nikolai responded, taking Alfred's hand.
"Hey, so, uh, you sleep up here, come on, I'll show you."
Alfred grabbed the Russian boy's suitcase and lead him up the stairs to a bedroom, all made up and just waiting for an occupant.
"You should probably get dried off first. It was raining buckets out there!" Alfred said, laughing.
Nikolai just stared at him questioningly. After a moment, Alfred left the room and returned with a small, thick towel. He gently ran the towel through the other boy's white-blonde hair. Alfred couldn't see it, but the boy was smiling, obviously enjoying the attention.
As soon as he was done with the towel, Alfred ran his fingers through Nikolai's hair. It was soft, though there were a lot of split ends. He needed a good haircut, but the eighteen-year-old could see himself living with this boy fairly easily.
•••
A few nights later, Alfred heard a quiet knock at the his bedroom door. It was late and he was just about to go to sleep when the soft rapping forced him out of bed. He was expecting Nikolai to be on the other side of the door, yes, but didn't expect the Russian boy to fling himself at him. He felt a hot, wet patch by Nikolai's face on his shoulder.
"Niko, are you okay?" he asked.
"I miss home."
Completely understanding, Alfred wrapped his arms around the boy's slender chest.
"Now, what do you miss about home?" he asked gently.
"Ivan," the younger boy murmured.
"Niko, I'm so-"
Nikolai cut off the elder boy with a kiss. It lasted for a short moment before Alfred pushed the other boy away.
"Nikolai! I have a boyfriend!" he exclaimed.
This was probably the angriest anyone had ever seen the mellow boy.
"S-sorry, I didn't know..."
Alfred gave the younger boy a sidelong glance.
"You're in love with Ivan, aren't you?" he asked.
The Russian boy nodded, before nearly bursting into tears. Alfred rubbed his back in comforting, light circles and sat down on the edge of the bed with him.
"It's okay. The hero is here. You'll be okay, Niko, you'll be okay."
•••
It was a few weeks later when Alfred sat at a cafe across from his boyfriend, a college exchange student from England named Arthur. He sipped his vanilla chai latte before breaking the stubborn silence around them.
"Alfred, you know I'm an exchange student and I can't stay in America forever, right?" he asked.
Alfred nodded, his fingers crossed that it wasn't what he could have sworn it was going to be.
"Well, it's nearly the end of my last semester at the university, so," Arthur ran his thumb over the plastic cover of his paper cup. It was a nervous habit of his to rub any smooth surface within reach, "I'm going to have to leave."
"Well, can't we keep in touch?" he asked.
"No, love. No. It's hard for me and I'm just afraid you'd get lost in my studies. I'm going to law school, Alfred. I don't want you to just fade into the white noise of it all."
Alfred sighed and laid his hand on his cheek. "So, does that mean..."
"This is goodbye, love. I'm sorry."
The Brit gently kissed Alfred's forehead before taking his latte and leaving.
The American was never to see him again.
•••
Alfred had come home in tears shortly afterwards, running straight up to his room and outright sobbing into his pillow.
Nikolai heard this from his own bedroom to find Alfred's pillow nearly soaking wet with tears. He ran over to his foster brother and pried his face off the offending cushion. The Russian boy took the older blonde in his arms and held him. Alfred cried wet, sloppy tears into Nikolai's shoulder. He mimicked the way Alfred had rubbed his back during that homesick night.
"He's gone, Niko. He's gone. Arthur's left."
Nikolai hushed him soothingly. "Calm down, Alfred. Calm. Everything will be alright."
"Why the Hell am I crying? I'm the hero. Heroes shouldn't cry."
"You're always helping and comforting people, but even people like that have to cry sometimes. Everyone needs a hero sometimes. Even you."
Nikolai kissed the blonde boy, tears stopping as the kiss grew more loving. Alfred would miss him when he went to college, that much was certain.
HetaFear Link (just remove the spaces): atomic-crayon. deviantart art/ HetaliaRPG- HetaFear- 329811646
Also, be sure to check out Neon-Tinged-Disaster's fics. And yes "I'll Be Your Hero" was for me. Epic Pokemon AU. LOVE!