Names used: Bulgaria (Simeon Petrov Hadjiev), Romania (Mihai Dalca)
Author's note: 14 Days of (Hetalia) Love Tumblr request (kahlanaisling): « hi, i know that they're not in your favorite characters list but could you do romania and bulgaria as best friends for the 14 days of love event? thank you! » I've not written a lot of these two before but I want to get to write them more and tumblr/wifeofbath has been helping me bounce ideas around for their characters (I also stole most of their names from her because they're perfect). So I hope this fits the bill for you!
Ritual
It was their ritual, after all; no one else need understand what they knew. If anything, Mihai thinks, others getting it would sort of ruin the tradition as he follows slowly behind an excited Simeon. The Bulgarian leads the way out through the dark haze of night, the heat already pressing down on them. It was early; the Romania's girlfriend had been more than annoyed that him getting up had woken her. But he lets her leave his mind as Simeon shoots a grin back over his shoulder, light barely beginning to sneak up and over the land.
"Almost there," the Bulgarian laughs and Mihai only nods, speeding up his step to fall in line beside him. With Simeon he didn't always have to speak, to explain, because the man understood. They had known each other for long enough through so many of the wars and dark times that perhaps they never had to speak, to voice aloud what was so obvious to their closest companion and best friend.
"This way," and the Romanian leads them through a fork in the path until they're stepping onto sand, slipping their shoes off to walk barefoot across the beach. They unload their bags from their shoulders, opening a blanket to sit on. Simeon happily lays down, sipping at water, as Mihai remains standing with his first cigarette of the day in his hands.
"How many will this be?" the Bulgarian asks and Mihai shrugs.
"Lost count long ago." The pair settle in, every once and a while one of them murmuring something about the old days, someone they once knew, women they once loved. Checking his watch Mihai finds they've only two more minutes until the sun should start to rise on this, the longest day of the year.
How long had they been doing this? At least a hundred years; it had most likely been Simeon who had suggested the idea. But they'd kept it up over all the years, as best they could. Sure some Junes they couldn't make it out to see this but that was ok, because there was still always a next time to take their breath away.
And so it does once more this year, the pair watching in silent aw as the sun rises. Simeon smiles, Mihai drags on his cigarette nearing it's end, and another year they pass their ritual.
No one else had to understand what they knew, and maybe they didn't understand it either, but casting a look at the other man Mihai knows there's no one he'd rather share a tradition like this with than Simeon.