He's watching, not really listening as Romania talks. Pink lips moving but somehow, he just can't hear a sound.

"Uh, could you repeat that?"

"You okay?"

"Yeah, sure, fine. Probab'y more drunk than I expected to be." Romania chuckles and downs the rest of the alcohol he was drinking, rolling his eyes. "So what were you saying before? I spaced out."

Romania shakes his head, "It's nothing. Don't worry about it."

"Uh, kay."

Time passes with utter silence, both not really sure what to say. Normally, they'd be loud and get in trouble but today feels different and maybe it's the rainy weather or the fact that both are just so utterly tired.

Bulgaria finally orders some water because he's driving and he wants to be responsible.

"Time as come and gone so quickly,"

"Mhm,"

Romania sighs. "It feels like just yesterday we were still in the Ottoman Empire." Bulgaria scowls at that.

"I sometimes wake up thinking I'm still an empire," Bulgaria grins. "Those were the days."

"You were a bully!"

Bulgaria laughs, a rare thing for him. "Nah, I was awesome. I was an empire twice, Ro. Man, I miss those days." Romania doesn't say anything. For everyone, the past was a great but terrible thing for them. Fate had a way of handing their asses to them, bringing them bad luck and great leaders, and leaders who were bad. Recent years, they don't like to think about it after all, they don't know if tomorrow will be their last day or if this is their last hour. Living in the present is just better for them, because they're sure of the present and the past is the past now. "I'm a sentimental old man, I know."

Romania nudges him. "So am I."

"What...what do you miss?"

Romania shrugs. "I don't know. I guess I miss the mystery in life before science came in and explained what we once couldn't explain," He smiles faintly. "I miss being a kingdom and living in castles. And I, at times, miss Vlad." Bulgaria remembers Vlad Tepes, as does everyone else. He was the man that went down in history, either as a vampire, or a hero. "Man, I feel old."

"You are old." Bulgaria snorts and Romania lightly hits him, chuckling. "Geez, it's late."

"It is."

"We should go." That desire is back, when Romania gives him a tired smile and a nod of agreement (really, this whole different culture thing of moving heads gives him a headache), they head out. Out at the car, there's this lingering tension, eye contact and Romania clambers into the passengers seat and Bulgaria follows the suit on the driver's side. The drive back to Bulgaria's takes awhile, since Bulgaria chose to live towards the outskirts of Plovdiv, and Bulgaria helps his friend inside once they arrive.

"Y'know what we should do?"

"Hmm?"

"Forgo nationhood."

Bulgaria nearly drops his friend. "What?"

"I'm tired, Bul." Romania says, quietly and they both sit on the bed. "Just so goddamn tired. This immortality thing, it isn't fun. I enjoy it at times, seeing the way humans can change our world, seeing new technology. The children, the elderly, feeling the pride but...I'm tired."

"We all are." Bulgaria is tense. Is it even possible? Bulgaria hasn't ever thought about it, he just takes things in stride. If he needs an escape, he as a small farm in a little village far away from the cities. "But if you became a normal human being, you'd forget m-er, you'd forget Moldova. And it'd break Moldova's heart." And mine.

"Someone else would replace me."

"But they're not you. They didn't start from the beginning like you did." Romania stares at Bulgaria, tired red-brown eyes boring into his own. "Look, you're uh, you're drunk. You only get like this when you're drunk. This is worth it, I swear."

"Bul..."

"Look, I've been thinkin' about taking some time off of work and goin' to my farm. Do ya wanna come with?" Romania curls his fingers a little bit, and Bulgaria doesn't know what he's thinking but maybe he'll say yes. "You can even bring Moldova." As weird as it sounds, Bulgaria hopes that's what will happen. In a strange way, he likes how they feel like a family of sorts. Yet, he and Romania aren't even lovers.

"Mol has school," Romania mumbles. "I doubt he can get out."

"He's a Nation, I'm sure some strings can be pulled."

"Education is important." Bulgaria stares at his best friend. "Okay, yeah, I know. He's probably lived through the stuff they teach, and knows it already..."

"Just uh...just think about it." Romania mumbles something and Bulgaria can't quite catch it. That desire is back and it always comes at the worst possible moments, and Bulgaria bites his lower lip. "Hey, uh," Romania looks at him through brown threads of hair. He looks so strange without that damn hat. Without thinking, Bulgaria grabs Romania's face and gently presses their lips together, in such a chaste way. Dry, but that's fine. Neither pull away for a moment, it lingers too long and Bulgaria finally pulls away. He fucked up, he's sure he messed up. "Um. I-I'm going to go to bed. See you in the morning." Bulgaria quickly scrambles to his feet and stumbles to the door, face red.

"Stefan."

At the doorway, Bulgaria turns around. "Yes?"

"Stay here, with me. Tonight."

"But-"

"Please?"

Bulgaria hesitates. "Okay," he finally relents. Romania smiles at him when he climbs into the small bed, awkwardly.

"Thank you." They cuddle together and Bulgaria thinks nothing of it. Romania is a big cuddler, it doesn't matter if it's a guy or girl in bed, he'll latch on. It's a nice perk. "Oh and by the way," Romania moves a little bit and softly kisses him, arms wrapping around Bulgaria's shoulders as best as he can get them. Bulgaria cautiously rests a hand on Romania's hip. Just as quickly as the kiss started, it ends. "That's payback for earlier. You ass."

The first Bulgarian empire was from 681 to 1018 and the second one was from 1185-1396.