I didn't know it was this fun writing an AU. I actually managed to explain things too, since I'm usually bad at that, this was a fun experience.
Tried to put in as many people as possible, even if they don't matter for the storyXD
Disclamer: I don't own hetalia, but that's pretty obvious anywayXD
Warning: Abuse!
"We're late!" Peter ran in front of me hurrying me on as we still had our schoolbags dangling in our hands. It was not as if we had far to go to our work place from school. The town we lived in was small; it had two schools, one for low grades, and one for the higher. The one I and my friends went to. Some small shops but if you wanted anything out from the ordinary; you had to take a bus or another sort of ride to a bigger town further away. I had never done it, I liked this town much better than the other ones I've been forced to move from. An old scar ached with sudden pain and I concentrated to holding the same speed as my friend. I hope I would be able to live peacefully in this town. Everyone here was nice too, even if Peter always said his brother was a jerk and I sometimes could feel like I didn't fit in. Everyone knew each other here, that's what made me most scared when I moved here at first. I didn't want to be found. So I held my distance, longing to having fun with my classmates and all the others. Peter was the first who discovered that and practically dragged me out from my little hole of isolation. After that, he helped me a lot. Getting me a job at the same café so that I could pay of my rent, not only using the money I got from my two brothers. They had both quitted school long ago, and was working away. I didn't know where. But they were always sending letters asking how I was doing and telling me what was going on over there, wherever they were. It's not like I didn't missed them, because I did that, a lot. But I knew this was something we had chosen ourselves, the best for our own safety. We took a quick turn, running into the heart of the village. The streets were placed out as circle, or a spiral. This helped with the "everyone knows everyone" part since it made the houses stay close to each other and the same streets was being used by everyone. Our destination lay in the middle of the spiral, where also the market place laid. Around the fountain at the centre was most of the shops, but some shops, like the little convenience store, was at other places.
Finally getting to the small café, we slowed down. The bell rang with a calming, home-feeling sound as we entered. It was middle sized, with about two rooms connecting to each other with a big door in between. There was also a stair going up to the second floor, but that's were only for employees, and there is where the kitchen laid too. Since our village was small, everyone here was practically regulars and I and Peter greeted most costumers that we passed on the way to the stair.
"Ah, there you are." Tino, one of the owners called just as he carried a tray filled with plates and glasses. He gave me the tray so fast that I almost dropped it from the quick handover. But after swaying it back and forth for a moment I regained control and managed to keep it still. When I was new here I would always drop the trays, shaking all the time. I remember a specific time, when I had dropped it and cut my hands. Then I had been too embarrassed (and scared) that someone would notice my clumsiness and I had tried to hide it. It was only a few minutes though before the other owner, Mr. Berwald (also called Tino's husband unofficially, but if you said it while the smaller one heard he would start blushing madly denying it) discovered it. He can be scary sometimes, and I was truly afraid at the beginning. But when he saw he simply hurried away finding bandage, cleaning and wrapping the cut with unlikely gentleness. I realised he was probably the sort of guy who spent times sewing or anything like that (found out even later that he actually had sewn the clothes we worked in). After the wound was patched up he once again disappeared without a word, coming back with a small cup-cake. It's safe to say that after that day, I wasn't scared anymore. Actually, after knowing the "couple" a little bit more, I got to know that Tino's temperament wasn't to play with (where did he get that gun from anyway?).
Tino dried his hand on the blue apron he wore and smiled at us. "Can you carry that to the kitchen? Then you can fetch your clothes on the second floor." Before we could answer there was a ring from the counter and Tino hurried away with a happy "Welcome." Both of us looked at each other before laughing, and then Peter helped me putting the dishes into the big washing machine in the small kitchen. It couldn't really be called "kitchen" though, it was really small and was mostly used for storage of the cakes and drinks we didn't have by the counter. We. That sounded so strangely normal in my ears.
We did as we were told and also said hi to Berwald and helped him taking a little bit of the new order inside to the kitchen/storage. And was then sent to help Tino out with serving. It wasn't a hard job, but you had to hurry through the tables picking up trays of dishes and serve at the same time. I went to a table where two empty plates and two cups, that about a half hour ago were filled with tea and café latte, as a young couple rose up to leave. The brown haired man was the typical old-type gentleman, pulling out the chair of his female counterpart, and then helping her getting her jacket on. The woman giggled over this, but still played her part as an innocent maiden. Miss Elizabeth suddenly saw me and smiled.
"Oh, good evening Raivis." She said, and quickly organized the dishes so it would be easier for me to carry. I did say everyone was nice here, didn't I? I thanked her quickly, but before I could take it a loud voice just calling for trouble announced itself.
"Hey! Rod!" the rough voice with unhidden arrogance and amusement came from a group sitting some tables away and the white haired albino smirked. "I don't know that Liz has gotten into you, but you should know that she's not really an innocent little girl~" Even though it was said to Roderich his red eyes was staring mockingly at Elizabeth. I quickly snapped the cups from the table before she could use them as weapons she could throw at Gilbert. This was not unordinary around here so I prepared to sneak away when Gilbert spoke again. "Oy, Rai, can you bring me another bier too!" He rose his glass as if to show it was empty and smiled. I smiled back at the man and nodded, walking away to the kitchen once again. There I left the dishes, since the wash machine still cleaned the last round, before fetching a beer from the refrigerator and headed back. Elizabeth and Roderich had already left, but Gilbert had a red bruise from a slap which alarmed what had happened. "Thanks Rai." He said as I gave him the beer and he patted my hair, something he had started with a while ago and it had gotten to a habit. Gilbert was often rough and a troublemaker (together with two of his friends also sitting amongst the pretty big group at the table), but it was said Gilbert tended to like soft and cute things, he could sometimes be seen with a chicken on his head (though I didn't know if he knew it himself).
I picked up the tray that (not surprisingly) had been organized perfectly by Gilbert's little brother. Ludwig was one of the people that you also could get scared by, as he looked stern and was very strict. As if to lighten the tensed mood that always gathering around the German, he always seemed to have the little Italian, Veneziano, clinging to his arm. The cheery person was always smiling and often proclaimed his love for Ludwig, in Italian mostly. That would, of course, show a softer side of Ludwig as he blushed and could sometime whisper "Ja, ja, Ich liebe dich auch..." something I learned from Gilbert meant "I love you too" in German. Come to think about it... It lived many different people from many different countries here. Just at that table, There were the two Germans (Prussian, Gilbert would always say he was, but I'm not sure what he meant...), Veneziano and his brother, Romano, were Italian. Romano had his boyfriend from Spain... Antonio I think it was. And Francis was unsurprisingly, French. It was more countries than I had ever been to.
When father was still alive, I and my brothers had gone with him on his trips through some countries. But then he died, and we had been moved to a relative's care...
"Raivis!" Peter's voice woke me up, and I realized that I was shaking so bad that some glasses would have fallen if my friend hadn't grabbed the tray and held it with me. "Are... you alright?" Concern in that usually cheery voice. I shook my head and managed a weak smile.
"Yeah, I'm f-fine. Just spaced out for a bit." I laughed shyly as I tried to strike it over, not succeeding well counting from Peter's distrusting look. But when he realized that I didn't want to say more (I didn't even want to think about it) he shrugged and told me I should tell him later. I was glad he didn't force me to tell him and thanked him quickly before Tino called for us, and we were back as normal. But I kept avoiding him unconsciously and I think he noticed it and was close to me all the time. For once I actually became glad when the doorbell clang and "the jerk", alias Peter's older brother came in and it took about two minutes until they were in a loud argument. I took my time to escape to the other floor. Deciding to take a break, since I couldn't get my hands to fully stop shaking, I sat down by a little table next to a window.
A shill stoked by my neck and a shill drove by my spine, I quickly rose and looked around. It felt like it had gotten much colder. My heart started beating and breathing got harder. I ran around trying to find the source, and I finally found a window being slightly open. I pulled it closed with shaking hands. I couldn't stand coldness. I sat down in the corner next to the window concentrating only on breathing until the room had been warmed up. Not until then I managed to go down and continue with my work.
----
At the time we went home it had already been dark for an hour or so. Even though the café usually closed by twilight I and Peter usually stayed with Tino and Berwald a while after, simply talking or eating. Sometimes I got the feeling that they acted as the parents Peter didn't have since he lived with his brother, and I could get a bit jealous. But after a while they also started treating me a little bit the same way, and I felt happier that I'd been in a long time. I felt like this town was my home. Peter lived a bit further down on the street I lived on, and he even followed me going by the convenience store getting things for tomorrow. Peter looked down in the bag I've been carrying. "Do you only need that?" his voice made a little up going as he balanced on the edge of the pavement and for a moment lost his stability. I nodded.
"Yeah, I'll shop more tomorrow, but for now I think I've got most I need." I smiled and Peter stopped balancing and walked normally next to me instead.
"Do you think I can stay over? I got this awesome game by Alfred, but Jerk doesn't let me try it. So I was wondering if we could play at your house?" his eyes practically sparkled in the light from the streetlights and I really felt like inviting him. But remembering last time he stayed over without telling Arthur, his brother had been preeeeetty angry. Peter had refused to even talk to him and had been sulking some days after and it had taken all of my and our friends, Sey and Lilly's power to get him up again.
"Maybe some other day," I declined even though wanting to play with him really much. I didn't feel like being alone tonight. He looked sad but looked up just as we stopped outside my small red house, and smiled at me.
"I'll call you tomorrow then!" He put his schoolbag on the ground and shuffled around inside it, pulling out a dark looking game-cover and gave it to me. "Jerk will probably take it away if he got to see it, so can you keep it 'til tomorrow?" I looked at it and made a face. It was the typical war-game that Alfred liked, and Arthur hated.
"Sure," I agreed as he rose up and started running down the street backwards, waving. I waved back to him with the game before the dark swallowed him and I started walking up the lane to my door.
The door went up without a problem and I yawned as I went into the small corridor. It seemed like I was more tired than I thought. There was the sound of paper under my shoe and I realized I had stepped on some letter lying on the floor. That's weird; I usually didn't get so many letters. I lit the lamp and picked up the letters on the blue entrance mat where "welcome" stood with pink letters. It was one of Toris's friends that had helped me decorate my house to make it look "fabulous", and well, I can't say he didn't succeed, but it had taken me and Toris a lot of time convincing Feliks that pink was not my colour. I laughed for myself as I entered the small kitchen sitting down on one of my chair laying the letters in front of me. Toris was sure good at picking up weird people. It had later also turned out he knew Alfred through some weird way, and that was the reason I ended up here. But still, I sighed, that day when Feliks where here was the last time I saw him, about one and a half year ago. And the time since me and Eduard was in the same room was even longer.
I looked at the first letter. It was a bill; also the second one was that which made me raise an eyebrow. That was weird, usually they would be sent to Toris or Eduard since I couldn't pay for it myself. But I let it be, sometimes when the mail-service changed bosses, they don't know what they should do and just send it to me. The third and the fourth were as expected both letters from my brothers. I would have to read them later. I picked up the last letter, missing the little word "important!" at the back of Toris letter to me.
My hand went cold. I recognized the handwriting, and the way my name was written made me hear his voice in my head. I could just stare at the letter, and those words. There was no way. He shouldn't know where I was, Toris had made sure... But what if he had found Toris first.
I looked up again gazing down at the oh-so-innocent white letter, taking it up with trembling hands. With a little bit of trouble I opened it, a warning bell ringing in my head, only being filled out by blood beating in both ears. Finally a small white paper fell from the envelope and the words began to become shaky as the trembling I always used to have started again. Two words. Written in Russian:
нашелтебя
Found you.
I dropped the letter, a gasp escaping through my hand as I held it in front of my mouth from shock. No way. N-no way! It was only after that I realized that the door hadn't been locked when I got home, even when I locked at least five times before I left. How could I forget such a thing!? I pulled myself together and started walking out from the kitchen, not even breathing. I didn't want this... but I had to see. The light was on in the living room, I knew it wasn't that when I got to school this morning. I entered the small room.
He stood with his back against me. Ash-blond hair being the exact way I remembered it, he even had the beige scarf around his neck letting it fall calmly over his clothes. While humming on some strange lullaby he looked through the titles of all the books I had in the shelf. "You really do like to read, don't you?" Ivan suddenly spoke and quickly spun around, putting his hands on his back and with a childish smile playing on his lips. "Right, Raivis?" he spelled out my name, and looked straight into my eyes, taunting. He walked around a bit, looking curiously at everything. "You've made yourself quite home steady here I see..." he picked down a photo that hanged on the wall. It was on one of the first days out with my friends here, we were all just eating ice-cream and laughing (though I can swear you can see Lilly's older brother in the background). A maybe typical stage for most in my age. But that had been my first time out with people my age, just having fun without worries. It was one of my most precious things. "And you also seem to have gotten people important to you." His voice got dark as he dropped the picture on the floor. The glass shattered at his feet I winced from the sound. Danger, danger. My mind screamed as he made his way over to me. But I couldn't move, my legs were as if frozen to the floor and I bowed my head. "Raivis, look at me," his voice was so sickly sweet, but I knew this was the most dangerous stage. I didn't dare to look up; I didn't want to see him! A cold hand grabbed my chin and only the feeling of the skin shot pain through my nerves. He tilted my head upwards to him. Ivan smiled, and continued with the same calm and sweet voice. "Raivis, what the hell were you thinking?"
A hard slap sent me down on the floor and tears started breaking forward. It hurt and I knew a bruise was already forming on my cheek. But it awoke me from the temporarily paralyze that I'd had and I tried to get away. The same hand as before found my hair and pulled me upwards until I was standing on my knees. Ivan got down enough to be at my eyesight. The smile was still like a shadow on his lips, and it sent shivers by my back. "Why did you run this far, my little Raivis?" he tilted his head and waited for me to answer, but I couldn't get my mouth to form a single word. I knew I had to apologize, and that quick for him to maybe have some mercy on me. But I realized. I didn't want to become like that again, it had been so hard to build up myself after getting away. Maybe Ivan saw some kind of resolve in my eyes, or he took my silence as an answer. He sighted. "What has these people done to you? I have to start over again." He rose up and forced me up too, tightening the hold on my hair. I clawed at his hand, trying to get him to let go. He moved my head a bit slowly to the left and I understood too late what he was about to do. He smashed my head into the wall and I screamed, feeling a wound appear and blood trickled down on the side of my head. The world span, but I could feel him letting my hair go and I sank down on the floor, crying loudly. With just a light push on my shoulder I slid to the ground, trying to regain control over my mind. It hurt. It hurt really much. Ivan placed himself over me with one foot on each side, looking down with an unimpressed expression.
"Toris could take much more than this."
My sight was immediately clear, before it faded into dizziness again from tears running freely. "Wh-what have y-you done with h-him?" I managed to stutter and he laughed; a sound that made it feel like it ripped in my soul. Ivan lowered himself and dried away the tears on one side of my face. The smile got wider as I tried to get away from the gentle touch.
"Don't worry little one, I just made a quick visit and gave both him and Eduard a little warning." He rose up again and looked away for a moment, before glancing back down on me. "I decided I should fetch you first because you were the youngest. Who knew how much the world would have destroyed such an innocent mind as your own. I was worried." The way he talked was like a parent talking to his child that had been out long after when the curfew had been set, just as I once heard Arthur complain at Peter. Somehow that seemed so far away. My eyes glanced over to the broken glass over the room. "Don't look away Raivis." Ivan's boot connected with my chest, I screamed a short scream before the boot pressed down on my chest and pushed all the air inside me out. "Look – at – me." He ordered and increased the pressure on my chest after every word. I finally managed to look up, and that seemed to make him satisfied enough. The boot was lifted and I was grateful for the air flowing into my lungs, I coughed. "Good boy!" I could hear on his voice that his smile had gotten childish again, but his tone was still overwhelmed with darkness and sadistic pleasure. Ivan started walking away for a moment, seemingly looking for something, he mumbled all the time. I could only sometimes pick up what he said, and I didn't like it. "You're so obedient Raivis… but you still have to be punished… I'm sure you'll understand." He'd snapped. I had seen it before, that's from where I got most my scars. Bruises faded so easily. I slowly closed my first, as if to try to see if I could move. I knew he would hurt me. He would hurt me badly. The breath stopped in my throat and it made me feel like puking only thinking about it. The fear that paralyzed me before was now giving me strength. I just hoped it was enough. I got up, as quickly as I could. At first the world span around me once again, but I managed to get to the door and locked it up. Ivan called after me; I could hear his steps coming closer. I pushed up the door and ran.
It was cold outside as my bare feet hit the pavement. I had to get away, anywhere. At the same time I didn't want to involve someone. My breath was rough and raspy and it was so cold! The wound in my head itched and the world swooned for a moment. Pain. My back suddenly burned with horrible pain and I screamed a high scream which echoed creepy into the empty street. I heard Ivan's breath behind me as I fell down at the pavement. It was not from the chase, I knew that, he was really mad now. He walked over to me and I tried to push myself away, not succeeding in the least. He dragged something against the asphalt that sounded strangely metallic. A metal pipe came in my view when Ivan stood next to me. He grabbed my collar and with strength I seemingly had forgotten he put me over his shoulder walking back the way I had run. Tears ran freely down my face and on to his back as I grasped his coat. It was over. The shaking I had been able to put on hold started and I knew it wouldn't stop this time. How could something I worked so hard to manage fall apart so easily? Why is it so easy to ruin a life?
Ivan locked the door behind us and dropped me onto the floor. My back ached and I screamed without a sound having all of my air beaten out of me. "Raivis…" Ivan pulled the pipe after him as he walked around me. I curled up, instinct being the only thing left. "Why do you always run? What do you think we should do to stop that awful habit?" A giggle. He had stopped behind my back, and looked smiling at me. "We should make sure you can't run, da?" My eyes tracked his, trying to find what he was thinking. He raised the pipe and stroke right down on my ankle.
It was broken. I knew it the moment I could practically hear the bones crack in my leg. I screamed and pulled my leg up against my body, even though that hurt even more. I just wanted to protect it if Ivan felt like striking again. He laughed. "Stand up Raivis! I want to see if you can stand!" A gunshot shot through the sound and Ivan suddenly became quiet and looked annoyed at the attacker, like a child being interrupted in a game. Maybe that was just it. I sobbed and looked up to where the shot had come from.
"Back off from Raivis." Tino's voice was filled with dread and he had a rifle in his hand, pointing towards Ivan. He wasn't the only one there. Berwald stood behind Tino, and Peter looked horrified at me from behind Arthur. I suddenly felt like laughing over the scene. Peter actually clung to his brother's arm, something I've never seen before. "B-back off I told you." Tino warned again lifting the rifle higher, but Ivan simply laughed mockingly lifting his hands in surrender like scheme. But he backed. The moment after Berwald hurried over to me, and I felt myself being lifted up. My ankle had become numb from the pain, but as I was moved it was if fire shot through over and over and I had to bite my tongue so that I wouldn't scream. For a moment no sounds other that my sobbing and the breaths of all was heard. But then Ivan sighted.
"I'll let you play for now, but sooner or later I'm going to pick you up." It took a second before I realized that he had spoken Russian and I probably was the only one understanding. I whimpered and Berwald secured the grip around me. There was a click as Ivan locked up and opened the door again. "I'll see you soon again," He smiled; I just knew it but then the door closed and Tino lowered his rifle. I started crying again and felt a small shaking hand brushing away my tears.
"Raivis, I-I'm here…" Peter hugged me as good as he could and I could feel him crying too.
"Peter." Arthur spoke and seemed to be thinking. "Get home and bring out the extra bed in your room, take Alfred's old things if needed." I looked up at him. The usual calm expression was shaken, and he rubbed his temple while speaking.
"No!" Peter sudden yelled out, before calming down and looked worried at me as if it was my ears being hurt. I smiled at that and he smiled reassuring back at me. "I- I want to be with Raivis for now…" He looked strangely shy, even if he usually would do as much as he could to refuse whatever Arthur said. Arthur himself looked surprised, but managed a small kind of smile.
"Then make sure that you don't let him out of your sight." Peter cracked up in a sunshine smile, and saluted while agreeing loudly. Arthur picked up his cell phone and dialed some numbers. Peter clung to my arm and he jumped up and down.
"See, now we can be together, so you've got nothing to worry about. I'll watch over you! And when you get better, we'll play that game…" When he got to the game he lowered his voice as if that was still important keeping from Arthur. "And maybe we could bring the girls too? You know, Lilly's freaking good at shooting games." Ah, he was back to normal. I felt relived and smiled another time at him, before I finally let myself black out from the pain.
A few notes as this is done:
The "father" of the baltics is just a random person.
The reason they all showed up was because: Peter had thought Raivis had looked sad, and had gone to check up on him. He saw what was happening and ran to get Arthur. Not even he is stupid enough to try something. And Tino was out walking with HanatamagoXD (Later fetching his rifle and Berwald). I had thought this up beforehand, but didn't find a good place to put it inXD
Flames are welcomed. I wan't to be better, so please, give me some good critism about what I can improve on. Of course, tell me if you liked it tooXD