x posted to my tumblr and a03.

anyways! welcome a new series i'm doing about the Balkans. the former yugoslav nations belong to tix (yugotix on tumblr!)! both historical and non historical.

Sometimes, Šćepan finds himself feeling down. Maybe not sometimes, but most of the time. He never could find the right words to describe the weight he feels in his heart, but it lingers and it festers. Most of the time, he can't even bring himself to get out of bed.

So he opts to sleep. And he slumbers away until nature does it call, and his stomach aches from hunger. It is dark, and his head hurts. He has missed calls from his boss, and a few texts from Vuk, and one from Tatjana.

His home is always quiet, with noise from traffic or pedestrians floating through the window. It used to provide him comfort during the first few months after he left Serbia. Now, it's background and he doesn't like it.

There are ghosts he sees, images of a time when they all lived together and his eyes always fall on one person.

He'd be damned if he actually responded to a message. Šćepan doesn't need her to take care of him. He's doing just fine without her.

Šćepan is in the middle of making dinner when there's a knock on his door. Annoyed, he goes to open it.

Tatjana pushes past him, setting down her bag. "Nobody's heard from you in a few days," she says as she looks around. "Your place is a mess."

"Go away."

"So I told Janez, who was worried about you, I'd pop by."

"I don't care. Go away." They both know that Tatjana will stay. She's just as stubborn as the rest of them. Maybe that's why they all broke apart.

"We're worried about you is all."

Śćepan grunts as he heads to the kitchen to finish cooking. "Fine, do what you want."

Tatjana purses her lips and follows him into the kitchen. She sits down at the small table, and Šćepan feels like it's Yugoslavia all over again, except he's doing the cooking and she's being lazy. He half expects Vuk to come strolling in and asking when dinner is going to be ready. Or the ever helpful Janez busying himself to helping out by setting the table or making the side dishes.

"So," Tatjana starts, tentatively.

"What?"

"What have you been doing?"

"Stuff." He grabs a plate from the cupboard above him. "If you're hungry, help yourself."

Tatjana heaves a sigh. "Your boss said he hasn't seen you in weeks."

Šćepan gives no reply as he sits down across from her. His home isn't accommodating for guests, he never expects them. He's not as friendly as Janez or outgoing as Vuk, or sociable like Tatjana. In the grand scheme of things, he's invisible.

"Šćepan, I just want to know if you're okay." Tatjana says as he shoves food into his mouth. It tastes bland. He's never been as good of a cook as Vuk or even Enis. "Just tell me you're okay and I'll leave you alone."

"I'm fine." Anything to get her to leave, right? But it'd be nice, just for once, to have some company. Tatjana looks doubtful but she gets up.

"As promised I'll leave. Just answer us sometimes, okay?"

Stay. He thinks. Please stay. Šćepan stares at her retreating back. "Hey." He finally says and she stops, turning around and looking at him curiously. "Stay."

So Tatjana comes back and starts searching through his cupboards for coffee beans. When she finds them, she starts to make coffee for the both of them.

When it's finished, she pours each of them a cup and sits down. They drink it in silence, and for once in a long time, Šćepan feels at ease.