Edit: Changed Romania's name again. LAst time I swear!

Her Papas

Chapter One: The child in the science wing

Nikola Asenov is a Bulgarian man with no luck. As a child he was raised mainly by maids, his parents both busy with their major corporation. He grew up shy and awkward to a degree that comes off as exceedingly cold. Simple conversations and making friends is impossible for him. Of course, it doesn't help that his first semester he snapped and smacked some Italian boy with a stick. Honestly he normally doesn't do these things.

He likes people and wants to make friends, but whenever he tries to go about it something goes wrong. His words get jumbled up or his face freezes in a blank stare. However, Nikola is determined to do better this semester. No matter what he will get friends this time!

That's what he decided…and he is a man of his word…yet here he is, all alone in the campus showcase room filled with the coffins, urns, and other funeral paraphernalia. Not a living soul around besides him. Sighing to himself, Nikola walks around the room and inspects the merchandise. It's used for practice funerals in his major, so you would think nothing could happen to it, yet every year there is always one idiot who fucks something up in there.

"Well everything seems to be-"

"Mister!" A little voice exclaims as a small girl with curly blond hair pops out of a coffin Nikola is looking at.

"AH!" Nikola yells, falling over onto the floor in shock. "Wh-what are you doing in there little girl?"

"Lost…" She answers, looking up at him with her bright blue eyes and pouting.

"Hmm…I see…" Nikola stands up and looks at the child, she's no more than two obviously, but why on earth is she here on campus? "You must be a professor's child, right?" He asks and the girl tilts her head to the side.

"Right?" She mimics before smiling at him, proud of herself.

"Heh, right…two year olds can't really explain, can they?" Nikola says to himself, smiling back at her before holding out his arms. "Want up?"

"Up! Up!" The girl giggles, clinging to Nikola as he scoops her out of the object.

"Now then…to find your parents…" Nikola carries her out of the room before locking it behind him. The school committee really needs to hurry up and make this a room that can only be accessed through a specific key at all times. "So…who are you with?" He asks in an attempt to actually get some help. This campus is large and has many teachers who could be her mommy or daddy.

"Dimitrie!" She answers and Nikola stops.

"There's only one Dimitrie on campus…but…but he's only nineteen…to have a two year old daughter he…" Nikola looks to her in shock. "He didn't come off as the…romantically active type."

"Romandic." She giggles. "Romania."

"Ah yes, he's from Romania…how smart to know where your daddy is from." Nikola praises her before heading to the art wing further down the hall where Dimitrie's classes are. They're not friends, or colleagues much either, but they have spoken a few times thanks to Roderich being a mutual friend and Elizaveta being…a mutual acquaintance. From what they spoke of, Nikola knows the boy is nineteen, from Romania, an art major, and that he commutes from his home with his mother father and… "Sister! You're his sister!" He exclaims and the little girl nods.

"Sider sider!"

"Ahhh….he said your name too…what was it…?" Nikola groans, trying hard to remember. "It's on the tip of my tongue, it was really pretty…L…Lu…Lumi-!"

"Luminita!" A voice cries out before a very surprised Nikola and a grinning Luminita are pulled into the arms of the Romanian they've been looking for. "I was looking all over for you, Luminita! You were supposed to stay put in that empty classroom! My god you terrified me I can't even-!"

"Excuse me." Nikola cuts in, looking down awkwardly at the man holding him as he nuzzle's his sister's cheek. "Please let go of me…?"

Dimitrie looks up at Nikola curiously for a moment before grinning, a very pronounced canine on the left side of his mouth showing through. "Thank you so much Nikola! I owe you more than I can ever repay!" He says, taking Luminita and hugging her tightly. "Really, I could kiss you right now!"

"Please don't." Nikola mumbles weakly. "Really any other way would be preferred."

"Dinner then!" Dimitrie decides. "When are your classes over?"

"Well…now technically…"

"Then come over for dinner! I'll make whatever you want!" The Romanian smiles, the look on his face mirroring his sister's perfectly.

"Wah…siblings are strange." Nikola says to himself before smiling awkwardly. "Well, I suppose I won't say no to free dinner."

"Great! My car is over in lot five, let's go!" Dimitrie takes his wrist with his free hand and begins dragging him.

"B-but mine is in lot seven!"

"Seven!" Luminita says, looking up at her brother seriously. "Seven!"

"Ah…right…of course you have a car. Well lot five is closer, so I can drive you to your car." Dimitrie offers, smiling to Luminita. "Wanna give Nikola a ride to his car?"

"Niko! Car!"

"That's right!" Nikola says, patting her on the head. The three of them walk to lot five and Nikola watches as Dimitrie struggles with putting Luminita in her car seat. "Hm…you don't really have a lot of practice with this stuff, do you?"

Dimitrie sighs in defeat, looking over to him and Luminita plays with the now completely detached car seat. "No…today is the first time I've brought her anywhere. The only reason it worked this morning was because my neighbor was outside at the same time and she helped me out."

Nikola raises a brow in amusement. "I see. Here, move over." He orders, shooing Dimitrie to the side as he reattaches the car seat and helps Luminita into it. "There you go."

"You're a miracle worker!" Dimitrie gasps, going to hug him only to be easily sidestepped by Nikola.

"Yeah, when we get to your place I will show you how it's done." He says, heading to the passenger's side.

"H-how did you know how to do that? Aren't you an only child?" Dimitrie asks and Nikola smiles a little.

"It doesn't take a rocket scientist to work those. There's instructions on the side you know."

Dimitrie stares at him incredulously. "H-how can you say something so mean with such a sweet look on your face?" He mumbles to himself before going to lot seven and dropping him off in front of the nicest car on campus. "Damn! This is your car?"

"Hm? Yeah, it was a gift for passing my driving test." Nikola explains dully. "Anyways, I'll follow you so let's go."

"Wah…you really are rich aren't you?" Dimitrie sighs. "Must be nice." He mutters with a hint of bitterness.

"Hm?"

"Nothing! Nothing!" The nineteen year old laughs awkwardly. "I'll show you to my place now!" He says, rolling up his window and heading out, quickly followed by Nikola. After about ten minutes they arrive at a small white house with little lawn gnomes in the yard. It's a simple home, but Nikola can't help but find it cute. Once parked in the driveway Nikola shows Dimitrie how to use the car seat before they bring Luminita inside.

The house is covered in pictures of Dimitrie and Luminita, and a few empty nails that obviously held frames for a long time. Looking around, Nikola notices there is absolutely no pictures of parents, the house is a mess, and the home has an overall feeling of gloom.

"So…just curious…but…why are you taking care of your sister without help from your parents?" Nikola asks before tensing up a little. "I-I'm sorry. That's none of my business."

A sad look comes to Dimitrie's face. "No…it's alright." He sets Luminita down in her room to play with her toys before leading Nikola to the living room, to the couch.

"Y-you really don't have to tell me." Nikola says nervously, looking around the living room on the couch. "If it's uncomfortable there's no-!" His words are silenced by Dimitrie's head plopping onto his shoulder. "Aahhh…"

"I'm sorry…I haven't talked to anyone about this yet…none of our family is in America…" Dimitrie sighs heavily. "So we haven't had anyone…since our parents died."

"When…did they pass?" Nikola asks, looking away awkwardly.

"A month ago, in a car accident…" Dimitrie mumbles.

"A month ago…around Christmas?"

"The day after…"

Nikola frowns and awkwardly places a hand on Dimitrie's head. "So you have been taking care of Luminita alone for a month, huh?"

"…Yeah…" Dimitrie mumbles as Nikola begins to fidget beneath his head. "…You want me to move, right?"

"N-no, it's fine. I'm just not…used to this sort of thing." Nikola pats Dimitrie on the head. "I will help you out, if you want."

"Niko help!" Luminita squeals, running over to them and burying her face in his lap.

"How did you get out of your play room, Luminita?" Dimitrie asks sweetly and Luminita looks up at him giggling.

"Out of play room!"

"You didn't put any sort of gate up….and it's on the first floor. I'm not surprised." Nikola says, petting the litter girl's hair. "Were you lonely?"

"Yeah!" Luminita answers, bouncing on her feet as she stares up at Nikola.

"Well come on up!" He says, scooping her up and placing her on his lap.

"I would like if you helped me out." Dimitrie admits, smiling at him. "I like you, Nikola."

Nikola smiles a little. "I like you too, Dimitrie." He looks down at Luminita. "And you too, Luminita!"

"I like you!" Luminita repeats, bouncing in his lap. "Like Niko! Like Dimitrie!"

"So you like me, huh?" Dimitrie asks, smirking. "Could it be you offered to help out of ulterior motives?"

Nikola raises a brow. "Towards who?"

"Towards me." Dimitrie answers seriously.

"Pfft!" Nikola covers his mouth to stifle his laughter. "A-are you an idiot?" He asks between giggles. "You sure think highly of yourself, huh?"

"N-no! It's not like that! It's just…you're being really nice I don't get it."

His laughter stops and Nikola's lips settle into a weak smile. "Well…I swore I would make new friends this year…and this seems pretty good. I wouldn't mind becoming friends with you."

Dimitrie looks at him overjoyed. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank yoouuu!" He says, hugging Nikola. "You should stay over tonight! We can have a sleep over! It will be great!"

"Hmm…" Nikola looks down at Luminita. "Your brother is suspicious. Can I stay in your room tonight?"

"Yeah! Yeah! Night night Niko!" Luminita answers happily. "Supicios broder!"

"That's right!" Nikola says and Dimitrie pales.

"Wh-what are you teaching my sister…? Don't bad mouth me to her!"

A/N: First of all I want to thank starkatio from dA and for her help with this story. It was a mess before she helped me out. XD For anyone who is all like 'a child playing in a coffin is morbid' I would like to say...a coffin is simply an object. If a child were to get locked up in one of those rooms, especially at two, they would definitely do something like that. I wasn't trying to be morbid, it's simply something that could possibly happen. anyways, now that that is out of the way...enjoy.