Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia, otherwise, Spain would be my husband already ;)
A/N: Yay! My first fic! Um, yeah. It's a High School AU. This one is a NedSpa(eventually). NedSpa doesn't get enough love. It's adorable, really.
Honestly, I ship Spain with almost everybody. Like, seriously. Why you gotta be so shippable, Spain? It's almost as unbelievable as that a-
Um.
Continuing on.
I drank too much coffee. My hands are twitching, making it really hard to type -.-
I hope you enjoy~
Chapter 1: Reunited
Beep! Beep! Beep!
"mm..."
Beep! Beep! Beep!
"ugh...five more minutes..."
Beep! Beep! Beep!
"...no...don't wanna..."
Beep! Beep!
"Ugh...FINE!"
A tanned hand reached out to slam on the alarm clock.
Be-
"Finally."
The tanned hand returned to the warmth under the covers and the person inhabiting the bed slowly relaxed, preparing to go back to bed.
"Antonioooooo!"
Said Antonio groaned and covered his head with the pillow.
"Antonioooooo~"
Antonio sat up, squinting as the light filling the room hit his eyes. He's doing this on purpose dammit.
The door to his room slammed open.
"Antonio, wakey wakey. Don't wanna miss the first day of your senior year, do you?"
"Ugh, go away Alvarez." Antonio frowned at his brother. Alvarez feigned a hurt expression.
"How cruel, Toni! My heart throbs! Don't you care for big brother?!"
Antonio groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose.
"Ay Díos mío, Francis needs to stop visiting. He's rubbing off on you."
Alvarez smiled, and sat next to Antonio on the bed.
"Aren't you excited!? It's your last year of high school!" Antonio sighed. Honestly, he wasn't excited at all. Eventually he would graduate and have to leave everything he knew behind. It seemed high school had passed so quickly. His whole life had passed quickly.
If there was one thing Antonio couldn't do, it was let go. He wasn't ready for that yet.
Noticing how quiet Antonio was, Alvarez sighed also. He placed a hand on top of Antonio's head. The latter's eyes widened as he looked up at his brother.
"It's okay, Toni. I know you're nervous, but it's only the first day. Enjoy it." Alvarez got of the bed and walked to the door.
"I'll make you some breakfast. Get dressed, kay?" He left the room, closing the door behind him.
Antonio sighed again, standing.
Enjoy it, huh?
Why is it harder than it sounds?
After washing up and changing, Antonio walked to the kitchen. It didn't take long. It was just him and Alvarez in this two bedroom, one bathroom apartment.
Alvarez. He was so loving, even though all Antonio had done was impose on him, even though they weren't even brothers.
Now you may be wondering: what!?
Well there's a story behind how Antonio began living with Alvarez. A long one. A hurt, twisted, lonely, yet hopeful one. It all began when Antonio was 7, on a snowy Christmas Eve.
It was late. The Carriedo family was driving on a dark winding road, a shorter way to get home. They were on their way back from a party. Isabella was in the passenger seat, Antonio Sr. (Yes, Antonio was named after his father) was driving and little Tonio was in the backseat, falling asleep in his tomato patterned booster seat.
His parents were joking and laughing. Music was quietly floating from the speakers. All was peaceful.
Until.
Out of nowhere, two cars, fast ones, came racing down the street. They were racing each other, probably believing that no one would drive on such a dark road. They were wrong. Antonio Sr. swerved, barely avoiding the first car. But the second car slammed into the back left corner of the Carriedo' s car, sending is spinning to the side of the road. The car tipped and rolled down the slope into the trees, landing on its side.
The two racers quickly drove off.
"M-mama...p-papa..." Tonio was wide awake, but his parents weren't. He cried, but no one heard him.
It would be 32 full hours before someone found the family. All of them unconscious.
Death...was not instant for the loving parents of Antionio Carriedo. When the car crashed, Isabellas's head was cut deeply by glass. She slowly bled out. Antonio Carriedo Sr. suffered severe internal damage.
Antonio, miraculously, only suffered minor cut and bruises. The doctors at the hospital claimed he was extremely lucky.
He didn't feel it.
Social workers looked for any close relatives of Antonio, but all they could find was his mother's best friend from Portugal. The woman didn't like Antonio. She found fault with the child, as if he had caused the death of her best friend. She took Antonio in, but did not care for him. Her son, Alvarez took that role, even though he himself was only a child of 10 years.
Alvarez was always there for Antonio. He was a brother, and insisted on being called one.
The smell of chorizo woke Antonio from his thoughts, and he chuckled. It was almost an inside joke between him and Alvarez. Antonio was born in Spain, and Alvarez in Portugal, but so often they were mistaken as Mexican. Eventually they went along with it. They would eat Mexican food and speak with a Mexican accent, then laugh together when some one asked if they were Mexican and they would say, "No. What made you think that?"
It was stupid. But it was something the two bonded over, and Antonio enjoyed it.
Alvarez looked up from the counter where he was making Antonio a breakfast burrito.
"Hey, Toni, here, eat this on your way to school." He finished wrapping the burrito and handed it to Antonio. The latter took it. "Gracias."
"Okay!" Alvarez placed his hands on Antonio's shoulders. "Smile nice and big for me, Toni! Smile! ¡Sí se puede! ¡Sí se puede!" He chanted. Antonio smiled, chuckling. He always appreciated when Alvarez spoke Spanish instead of Portugese to try and console him.
"There you go!" Alvarez laughed along. "You should go now. You'll do great, kid! Good luck!"
Antonio walked towards the front door. "Gracias." He said again as he walked out of the apartment.
Now, let me tell you a thing about World Academy.
There are kids. Lots of kids. And they're all different. There are so many different cultures. That probably why they named it World Academy. You name it and the academy is sure to have it.
Antonio loved that about the school. The diversity. No one was exactly the same.
The distance between his apartment and the school was about a ten minute walk. It wasn't very far at all. It could be quite convenient.
He finished his burrito as soon as he reached the front gates of the school. He dumped the foil paper in a nearby trash can. Antonio looked around the courtyard in front of the school, searching for any of his friends. Almost instantly he spotted a flash of long blond hair standing next to a splash of silver.
Okay, Tonio! Pep time! School mode activate!
Antonio ran forward and jumped the blond head.
"Francis!"
"I'm here too."
Francis turned to Antonio and returned his embrace. "Antoine! I've missed you! My heart pounds in joy to finally reunite. It's truly been ages, mon ami!"
"Hello! Don't ignore me!"
Antonio released him and smiled. "We saw each other last week, Francis."
Francis nodded. "It was an eternity ago, wasn't it?" Antonio giggled.
"How dare you ignore my awesome presence! Worms! That's what you are! Useless worms who can't detect awesomeness even if it bit them on the a-AAGH!"
Gilbert quickly shut up when Francis and Antonio jumped him at the same time.
After rough-housing with Francis and Gilbert for a while, Antonio looked around again. He quickly spotted who he was looking for talking to a blond short haired girl wearing ribbons.
"Loviiii!" He jumped one of his closest friends, Lovino Vargas, like he did Francis. Though instead of returning the embrace, Lovino punched him in the stomach, causing Antonio to fall flat on the ground.
"Damn it! Bastard! Don't do that! And don't call me 'Lovi' fucker!" Lovino shouted at Antonio.
"Ugh...so mean...Lovi..." The girl next to Lovino giggled, and knelt next to Antonio, helping him up. "Antonio, how good to see you!"
"Femke! Your kindness is refreshing!" Antonio smiled. He stood, rubbing his stomach.
"Ah~ you sure hit hard, Lovi! Not cute~" Antonio chuckled.
Lovino glared and crossed his arms. "Whatever, bastard, you deserved it. And I'm not cute, dammit! Sexy, dangerous, handsome yes! But not cute! And for the gazillionth time, DO NOT CALL ME 'LOVI'!"
Antonio turned to Femke. "How have you been Femke?"
Femke smiled. "I've been great! I took some baking classes during the summer! I really do hope to open my own cafe one day!"
"H-HEY!"
"Ah! How amazing! Congratulations!"
"Thank you!"
"DON'T IGNORE ME EITHER, DAMMIT!"
"Sorry, Lovi. We didn't mean to leave you feeling left out!" Antonio and Femke were trying hard to contain their laughter.
"W-WHAT? I DON'T CARE DAMMIT! I'M LEAVING YOU TWO OUT, NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!"
"But Lovino, you're not even talking to anyone." Femke said.
"YEAH I AM!"
"Who?"
"A SQUIRREL."
"There is no squirrel here, Lovi."
"YES! YOU JUST CAN'T SEE IT! ITS AN INVISIBLE SQUIRREL."
"Where did you learn to see invisible squirrels?"
"ARTHUR KIRKLAND!"
Antonio and Femke burst out laughing.
Lovino stormed off to go talk to his brother Feliciano.
Antonio and Femke stood watching him go, still giggling.
Antonio paused suddenly. "Ah~ no wonder something was off. Femke, where's your brother?" Femke shrugged,"He should be here soon. I'm never certain with Daan."
"What about Daan?" Femke and Antonio jumped and turned. There was Daan, with his blue and white stripped scarf and a...cigarette!?
"D-Daan!" Femke stuttered. "M-My heart! Don't sneak up on me like that!" Antonio chuckled.
"Qué es eso, Daan? Not a cigarette, I hope." Daan raised an eyebrow and pulled a red, bunny shaped lollipop from his mouth.
"I wouldn't smoke in such an obvious place."
Antonio chuckled. "I see...how have you been?"
Daan put the lollipop back in his mouth. "Fine."
"..."
There was a somewhat awkward silence. Femke cleared her throat. "The bell is gonna ring soon. Shall we head inside?" Antonio nodded. "Sure!" Daan shrugged and followed behind.
It was lunch time at World Academy. The whole school had the same lunch time for an hour and a half, since the administrators wanted students to mix and intermingle with other kinds of people and age groups.
"We are all friends here at World Academy!" The principle once said in an orientation speech.
How amusing.
Antonio looked around the cafeteria. Francis was with Arthur and those people. That was a no. Gilbert was currently bothering his younger brother, Ludwig. Lovino was with Femke. He could sit with them but...
I'm gonna make her like me! Let me sit alone with her at lunch! Don't ruin this for me, idiot bastard!
That was out of the question.
Antonio sighed and turned out of the cafeteria and headed to the back of the school where the unused classed were. The things he would do to make Lovino happy.
Oh, yeah.
Almost forgot to mention it.
Antonio was head over heels for Lovino Vargas.
You may be confused, but Antonio wasn't. He knew from a young age that he was different from the other little boys. (It wasn't a big deal at World Academy, where most students were guys. It happens.) Antonio knew he preferred men before he ever met Lovino.
Lovino, however, didn't. Lovino didn't feel the same.
He could tell.
Either way, Lovino has crushed on Femke since the 7th grade. He sure as hell wasn't giving up on her. Antonio knew that this love would end in heartbreak.
Still, he couldn't stop loving the Italian.
Antonio entered one of the empty classrooms, walked to the other end, and was about to sit down, until he noticed a pair of Amber/greenish/bluish eyes watching him.
"Um. Hello."
Daan was sitting a few feet away. He nodded to Antonio.
"Um...is it okay if I sit?" Antonio smiled.
"Go ahead." Daan responded. Antonio smiled again and sat. He reached into his bag and pulled out a sandwich and began to eat.
It's a bit weird to sit with Daan. We have never really been friends.
Antonio glanced to the side. Daan was reading...a poetry book? Antonio turned back to his food.
Still...It isn't unpleasant.
Antonio finished his food and stretched. He glanced again at Daan.
"What is it?" Antonio jumped, and felt embarrassed at being caught.
"Well...Is that poetry you're reading?" Daan looked at his book.
"Yes? And?"
Antonio smiled. "Nothing. I was wondering." Daan raised an eyebrow.
"What do I seem too cold hearted to like poetry?" Antonio chuckled and shook his head. "Not at all. I think it's great!"
"Hm." Daan turned back to his book. Antonio leaned back on his hands. "Wanna know my favorite poem?" When Daan didn't respond, he continued. "'Nothing Gold Can Stay' by Robert Frost."
Daan looked up, slightly curious. "...Why?"
Antonio smiled. "I understand it. What it means. I can relate to it. I feel like it words what I'm trying to say better than I can."
Daan, now fully curious, put his book away and looked at Antonio. "What are you trying to say?"
Antonio's smiled turned sad, and slightly bitter. "I don't know. Nothing gold can stay? Like I said, it's difficult to say without a whole paragraph."
"Try."
Antonio raised one shocked eyebrow, happy but a bit unsettled by the amount of attention he was receiving.
"Well...Nothing gold can stay...nothing good can stay."
"That didn't seem like a paragraph."
Antonio laughed. "No, it didn't. Maybe I was over thinking."
"No," Daan looked Antonio in the eye,"maybe you were just feeling."
Antonio's eyes widened and he froze.
"W-what do you mean...?"
"When a person feels a lot, words can be difficult." Daan was still staring at him.
Antonio thought for a moment. "T-that makes sense..." Daan nodded and leant back against the wall.
Antonio was still watching him with wide eyes. He looked almost awed.
"What?"
Antonio shook his head. "I'm just...impressed, I guess...that was very...philosophical?"
Daan pulled out a bunny shaped lollipop like from earlier, this time blue. "Thanks."
Antonio nodded. He turned to look at his lap.
I think I understand Daan more.
"Y'know, I think I like it better when you don't smile."
Antonio's head snapped up. "Q-Que?"
"Fake."
Antonio was confused.
"Almost every smile today was fake. And now, with the poetry. Nothing good can stay? It's okay to be sad, or at least to not smile."
Antonio eyebrows furrowed together and he swallowed. "I-I'm not trying to be fa-"
"I know."
Antonio shook his head slightly. "Then wha-"
"You do it to make others happy, right? You don't want to be a burden, so you hid the pain with a smile? Stupid. It's not good to hold in all your emotions. You don't have to pretend. At least...not around me."
Antonio looked almost scared. He looked down and swallowed again. He clenched his fists on his thighs. He was shaking. "I c-can't. Not at school." He gasped.
Daan rested his hand on top of Antonio's head, causing the latter to freeze. "It's okay. Here, give me your phone." Antonio reached into his pocket and pulled it out, handing it to Daan. Daan messed with it for a minute and then handed it back to Antonio. "There. If you ever need to y'know vent or cry or yell, or something. Call me. I'll be there."
Antonio took his phone back, way past shocked. His eyes were so wide they mode fall out.
I'm happy.
Huh? He closed his eyes and sighed.
I'm happy.
Antonio opened his eyes and looked at Daan. He smiled. This time it wasn't fake. This time it was sincere and rivaled the sun in brightness. It was a smile that made Daan himself almost smile, but he resisted. Though it was even harder when Antonio whispered,
"Gracias."
COUNTIRES WITH NON OFFICIAL NAMES AND HOW I CHOSE THEM:
Daan = The Netherlands
I wasn't sure which name to choose for the Netherlands, so I GOOGLED it °
Daan was the top boy name in the Netherlands, so it's what I chose :)
Femke = Belgium
I like this name ^·^
Alvarez = Portugal
I read it in another fic and really liked the name for Portugal so there!
Translations (though nothing should be too difficult)
Ay Díos mio - oh my God
¡Sí se puede! - Yes you can! (A phrase of encouragement)
¿Qué es eso? - What is that?
Gracias - thank you
Mon ami - my friend
CHORIZO - like a Mexican sausage thing I can't explain XD
Sucky ending is sucky.
It is 1:35 as I finish this first chapter {°^°}
Is this okay? I don't really feel satisfied...
It's not over yet~
Until next time!