Edit: Changing Romania's name toDimitrie
A Proposal of Sorts
Chapter One: A promise between friends
Sabina Popescu and Nadeja Asenov have been friends since childhood. At young ages they were both brought to America for their parents jobs and almost immediately met up when sent to kindergarten. Together they went through to high school and even graduated college as roommates. The friendship was put to the test, however, when Nadeja ended up pregnant by her new husband Georgi. Sabina and her knew she would be busier, they both would with Sabina being newly married as well to a man named Traian, but they never expected the news that soon followed.
During their weekly card game together, Nadeja's husband came into the room looking guilty. He explained to his wife and her friend that due to how well he is doing in his job, and the fact he is Bulgarian, he's being shipped off to the Bulgarian branch of the company to run it. While it was a great job opportunity and meant he and Nadeja could live closer to their actual families, the room was still with sorrow. No one cried, however. Georgi said one more apology to the ladies and simply left the room for the girls to do as they pleased.
Nadeja and Sabina looked to each other with pained expressions. How does one say goodbye to a lifelong friend? Sabina started to tear up, but Nadeja kept her ground as she has never been one to cry.
"Oh, Nadeja! What are we to do? You will be on another continent and before I even get to meet your wonderful child!" Sabina sobbed, hiding her face in her hands.
"I know, Sabina." Nadeja said calmly, placing a hand on her friend's shoulder. "We will see each other again, I'm sure of it." She mumbled, looking down and rubbing her own stomach when an idea strikes. "In fact…let's make a pact to ensure we will."
Sabina looked to her friend confused, but nodded. "Alright, anything you want."
"I am pregnant already...and with yours and Traian's love of children I have no doubt you will have children soon as well." Nadeja began, smiling down at her stomach. "In twenty one years, when our eldest children should at least be past high school, we will have them marry." She nodded to herself at the idea. "Yes, I have no doubt in my heart that your first born and mine will make each other as happy in marriage as we have made each other in friendship."
Sabina smiled at the idea. "Yes! This is wonderful! If there is an arranged marriage we will have no choice but to meet up in twenty one years! And with them married we will be tied together forever!" The two friends smiled and shook on the idea, solidifying the deal they would never forget. Nadeja even came up with the idea to plan a place and time to meet in case they lost contact by then.
Years passed by and gradually the women began to lose contact. Their last contact was three years after their deal, with Nadeja told Sabina of her child Nikola, and Sabina informing her she was pregnant. While contact was lost, the promise was not forgotten and Nikola was raised believing his true love was meeting him at the age of twenty-one. Such stories filled him with excitement as a child, but now that he is a twenty-one year old college student in America the idea actually annoys him.
He has no interest in marriage, and no matter how beautiful the girl may be it doesn't change the fact she is going to be a complete stranger. An eighteen year old complete stranger. His mother's selfishness in this annoys him to no end, and while she is preparing to come to America to the place her and Sabina agreed to meet, Nikola finds himself praying he might fall sick before it. No such luck though.
"So today is the big day, huh?" A familiar voice asks Nikola as the man groans.
"Yes, Roderich, thank you so much for rubbing it in." Nikola grumbles, looking to his Austrian friend.
"Really, to have an arranged marriage in this day and age…" Roderich sighs and Nikola scoffs.
"You're one to talk! You were arranged to marry Elizaveta before you fell in love with Vash, need I remind you."
"True…parents can be so strange."
Nikola frowns, looking out the library window. "Selfish is more like it…to ensure they stay in contact they are forcing their children to marry."
Roderich nods. "Yes, mine was simply a political arrangement, but yours has emotion behind it…on your part as well as your mother's." He points out, a small smirk on his face. "Or need I remind you of your childhood essays and pictures depicting a happy life with 'Ms. Popescu'?" The man teases, making Nikola pale.
"God do I wish you hadn't met my parents…"
"Ah, look at the time, you better hurry along. Don't want to make the future misses Asenov waiting." Roderich says, looking at his watch. "Maybe if you hit it off she can even move into your apartment tonight."
Nikola blushes, standing up quickly. "D-don't say such things! I don't want to marry her! Let alone live with her!" He huffs, grabbing his backpack and books before storming off to his car.
Driving to the meeting place; a restaurant in the town he goes to college, Nikola gets nervous. He doesn't want to do this, and how does he break it off? What if the girl is excited about it? Surely no one would want to marry him though, right? Not after they found out his major they wouldn't. Yes, he will scare her off with that. Making up his mind, Nikola parks and goes into the reserved room his mother got.
Sitting there is a woman he recognizes almost instantly, Sabina Popescu. She's just as pretty as she was in the pictures from twenty-one years ago. If he has to marry this girl, at least he knows she will age well.
"Oh my, you must be Nadeja's young son, right?" Sabina asks, smiling at him. "You look just like her, such a beautiful young man."
Nikola smiles nervously. "Th-thank you…Sabina."
"So where is your mother?" Sabina frowns, looking around the room that is empty, save the two of them.
"I don't know, she is usually early to things…something must have-"
"I'm so sorry!" Nadeja exclaims, running into the room with a young man who looks like Sabina. Did they bring the siblings as well? Is that normal for this kind of thing? "This adorable young man here didn't know where to go, so I offered to help and when I realized he looked like you we got to talking!" She laughs a little. "Such a cute son! I can just imagine what your daughter looks like!"
Sabina looks at Nadeja confused. "My daughter? But…I thought you were the one with a daughter." She gasps and looks to Nikola. "Are you Nikola?"
Nikola nods, his eyes venturing over to the boy beside his mother. "And you're…the one…I'm supposed to…?"
The sandy haired boy smiles at him, revealing a fang on the left side of his mouth that eerily matches his freakishly red eyes. "Yes! I suppose we are fiancés!" He exclaims, holding his hand out. "My name isDimitrie! I'm attending the college near here for art. What about you?"
Nikola sits there, staring at him in shock for a moment before finding his voice. "I-I...I'm Nikola…and go to that college for mortuary science…"
Laurenţiu laughs. "How ironic! It must be fate then, huh?"
Nikola smiles awkwardly. "Heh…fate…right…"
Nadeja looks to Sabina and frowns. "I'm so sorry! I never told you my son's gender!" She sighs heavily. "We can't expect two boys to marry…"
Sabina frowns. "I suppose not…"
"Nonsense!"Dimitrie says, taking Nikola's hand in both of his. "We can legally get married, and I've been looking forward to meeting my destined wife since I was a baby, so something like gender won't slow me down!"
Sabina and Nadeja smile. "Such a grown up my son is!"
"How wonderful it will be to have him as a son in law!"
Nikola looks at the three people in the room with him in a mixture of shock and disgust. "H-huh? Wait a minute here…I'm not going to marry a guy, that's insane!" He shoots a glare atDimitrie. "And if you ever call me your wife again I will kill you."
"So! You both go to the same college, right? Where isDimitrie living?" Nadeja asks Sabina and the woman lights up.
"Since we live in Romania still, he is in a dorm! Where is Nikola living?"
"My little boy has gotten himself a two bedroom apartment! I believe you see where I am going with this, right?" Nadeja asks and Sabina laughs.
"But of course! Our boys will live together!" Sabina says happily and Nikola pales.
"W-w-wait a minute…I never agreed to this…" He mumbles, being ignored by their mothers.
"Oh this will be so great! The dorms are expensive andDimitrie doesn't like his roommate at all! Let's move him in today!" Sabina exclaims and Nadeja giggles.
"Oh this is so exciting! Let's ride together!" Nadeja offers.
"Oh yes! Yes! Let's do that!" Sabina takes her hand and the two women leave excitedly.
"D-don't I get a say before you whore out my apartment, mom…?" Nikola asks weakly to a room empty of all but him andDimitrie.
"Uummm…I'm sorry about this."Dimitrie says, smiling at him in an almost blinding way. "But if you could allow me to stay with you, that would be wonderful. Ivan is scary and I don't get much sleep sharing a room with him. Even his boyfriend Yao is scary!" He explains and Nikola sighs.
"Ivan is your roommate, huh? Ugh…I can't say no anyways…but if it's to save someone from that weirdo, I guess it's okay…" Nikola decides.
"Great! Now you and I can strengthen our bond until you fall in love with me!"Dimitrie sighs dreamily. "Our wedding will be so beautiful."
A nervous smile comes to Nikola's face. "Please don't say weird things that will make me regret this decision…"
"But…"Dimitrie pulls out a large book from his backpack. "I've already chosen a few wedding options…" He starts flipping through it, frowning a little. "Of course I will have to get rid of the dress ideas, since you are a boy…unless…?"
"Absolutely not!" Nikola says firmly.
"Right, so two tuxes it is!"Dimitrie says decidedly.
"Not a chance!" Nikola protests.
"Well…if you want me to wear a dress…I suppose that is alright…"Dimitrie mumbles shyly.
"Why won't you just stop?" The Bulgarian says weakly. Damn his mother, Sabina, and this stupidDimitrie. How can they all be so okay with such an outlandish idea? He really needs to reconsider those he spends time with.
A/N: Lately I have been seeing a lot of BL manga with this premises and I actually like it. I used to think it was outlandish, but apparently when we lived in Germany my mother was given many MAANNNYYY offers from women to arrange a marriage between my big brother and their daughter or even unborn kid so I guess it's not too outlandish there? At least it wasn't in 1992-94.