Drawing Circles In The Night
Chapter Two
"What are you doing?"
America stretched. He was camped out on his dorm room floor which he'd outfitted with a large star spangled and striped rug. In fact, everything in his room was bigger and better. He grinned and turned up the volume on his plasma TV. He definitely needed to unwind after having detention.
"Research!" He replied.
"For what?" Canada asked, coming around the mountains of dirty clothes. Don't ask him how his laundry managed to pile up when they wore uniforms all week.
"My space project." America tossed a few more kernels of popcorn back and then chugged his soda.
"You're watching E.T.! How does that count as research?"
"Hey, you take that back! Entertainment Tonight is a perfectly acceptable form of the news." America nodded to himself. "And anyway, this is that good old Spielberg movie."
"I can see that, you completely clueless…" Canada trailed off in passive aggressive mutters that America never bothered to make sense of. The other country looked pretty peeved but ended up sitting down on the bed anyway and America threw popcorn at his head in happiness.
"Hide E.T., hide!" America cried in panic. He covered his head with a pillow.
Canada stared at the television. "Oh come on, he's been stuffed in a closet!"
The popcorn went everywhere excluding America's big mouth. He grinned. "This reminds me how Tony gets in the crawl space all the time back home."
"It's inhumane to board up a pet in a small room." Canada tried to frown sternly, but it was a bit difficult with a maple sticker on his forehead. "It's why I left Kumaj-.. Kumajello? At home."
"How many times do I gotta say, aliens are not pets! Sheesh," America toed his socks off in a gross mess at the foot of the bed. "C'mon quiet, I'm trying to study."
"This isn't studying, this is movie time." Canada grumbled about him being the only country to have a television set but who paid attention to ramblings like that anyway?
They watched together, America stretched out on the floor with his mountain of snacks and Canada sitting on his bed, both sets of myopic eyes glued to the tube.
The loud honking sound of America blowing his nose signalled the end of the movie.
He stretched and a few joints popped back into place. He blinked and stretched again in the opposite direction, but San Francisco never wanted to straighten out all the way. The dirty blond rolled his head from side to side and waved his arms to bring that tingly cash flow feeling back.
"Mmm!" He rubbed one blue eye with the heel of his palm. "Research complete. Time for some shut eye!"
Canada was unceremoniously herded off the bed by America's crumb-ridden sweater being flung on his head. "How 'bout a little advice, eh? Just work with your partner. You could use the grades."
"Ugh, that sounds so gay." America shoved his tissue box away to somewhere under his desk with his barefoot. "Partner. Pfft, I'm paired with Russia. Russia. There's no way I'm spending all my free time with that freaky bastard."
"Er…"
"Relax. I just have to meet him tomorrow night. I can totally finish it, and then things'll be all gravy."
"Gravy?"
"Alllll gravy."
The long-haired blonde shook his head and put his shoes back on by the side of the door. "I'm out of here…"
"Phone home Canada, phone home!" America crowed in glee as he watched the other country leave to go back to his own dorm next door. Canada had dubbed it 'The True North Strong and Free.' America just called it Hat Land.
He waited until the door slammed shut before diving for his cordless and punching in the numbers to his house. He needed to check up on Tony after all.
The next day was anything but gravy.
"Okay, look guys, I'm gonna have to go ahead and start that petition again." America said, highly determined as he plunked his lunch tray down onto the cafeteria table.
China had his face in a book. "Don't even start."
"YUP." America place one sneakered foot onto the plastic caf chair and posed as if he were planning a strategic attack. He maneuvered his can of soda with his fork like a toy soldier on the battlefield. "Looks like my never-ending struggle to get a McDonald's in this school goes on."
The blond nation sat down and poked at the lump of charcoal that should have been a hamburger on his paper plate.
"If you just packed your own lunch then it would solve your problems." China offered as advice but didn't offer up any of the fragrant pork buns he had in his lunchbox.
"We live in dorms," America complained. "We have a caf. Shouldn't we have good food too?"
France came and sat down next to the hungry nation. His own food arrived a moment later as Ivory Coast came over and put down a silver plate in front of the blond nation.
"Merci, Côte d'Ivoire~!" He lilted happily. The African country just grumbled and went on his way.
"It's so good to have friends willing to help you out in academic endeavours, no?" France happily lifted his cutlery and dug into his beautiful steak.
America gaped. "Dammit! I hate all this colony business! Just because you guys can still order people around in school doesn't mean anything."
"Au contraire," France winked. "It means I'm second most powerful in this academy and can touch so many other countries… with my love by just going to a single classroom." His eyes shone creepily and America scowled behind his glasses.
"It's Britain's fault why we don't have Ronald's instead of t-this!" He tried to cut the meat on his own plate and his knife broke in half. "I'd even settle for White Castle. I'm not picky!"
"Sorry to rain on your parade," Britain grinned smugly as he took a seat next to China. The Asian nation glared at him from out the corner of his eye but didn't say anything.
"As student council president, I think it's important to oversee that every country gets their proper nutrients and balanced meal come lunchtime." He placed his handkerchief on his lap and Seychelles poured him some tea.
"And by oversee you mean lord over right?" America pointed. "Seriously. You guys are really milking it!"
"Put milk it in? Why yes I think I will this time…" Britain gave the female African nation a look and she sighed in frustration.
America tried eating his salad, a last resort, but without several helpings of cheese and ranch dressing it just fell flat.
"Hello Allies!" Russia sat down next to America.
The once Allied Forces stared at the large nation.
The star spangled country shuddered but covered it up with a wide grin. He was dead set on starting the day off smoothly with his freaky partner. "Afternoon Russia. Can't wait to finish our report today!"
Russia didn't spare him a glance, only drew a random circle in the air. "I hope today is the day we finally stop pretending to be friends."
The tall nation then tapped his chin. "Well except you and I, China."
China shuddered. America wondered if that cryptic statement meant the two countries were actually friends, or if Russia just never planned to stop pretending with the Asian nation.
"NO." Eyebrows shouted and then laughed nervously to cover his slip up. "For the sake of being better than the Axis Powers we have to eat lunch together. It's an image thing."
Russia chuckled and started to sip his own lunchtime drink. "I assure you, they are not eating together because they want us to feel upset. They actually like each other, though I do not know why."
The five nations stared across the cafeteria at North Italy, Germany and Japan who seemed to be enjoying their lunch together in relative peace.
"Well, we all like each other, don't we?" The council president laughed.
He was met with stony silence from the four nations.
America massacred his crunchy hamburger with half a bottle of ketchup. "Just so you know, I'm going to beat you up one day."
Britain smirked, his cheeks bright red. "I'd l-like to see you try."
"Outside of World Academy walls."
The Eyebrows wobbled.
France was already half through a bottle of wine by that point. "I call video rights!" He sighed happily like a lush. "Russia, please tell me how to get into Belarus' proverbial pants. All she talks about is you or cutting off my cheese and grapes. It's such a turn off!"
Russia chose that moment to chew, very, slowly.
"Have you already begun your project?" China asked, now just pretending to read his book so the other nations wouldn't bother him.
"Oui." France was visibly upset. "Showing her the beauty of French anatomy will take some time. This is going to be a very long partnership."
"I thought we were studying astronomy not anatomy." The black haired nation raised an eyebrow.
America laughed unbearably loud. "That won't be us, right Russia? A night's all I need. This is gonna be a hole-in-one!"
France raised his eyebrows in a lewd expression. "Really?"
Texas nearly flew off his nose as he chopped the French speaking nation in the head.
America continued laughing and his hand went out to pat his science partner on the back but it waved through thin air. The land of the free had to stop and pull his hair in irritation. Russia sat in a pile of splinters on the cold tile floor.
"Maybe one of these days my chair will stop breaking!" The Russian speaking nation patted the remnants Busby's chair blissfully unaware.
The United Kingdom twitched. "Y-Yes."
America went through the boring din of his classes with a thorn rooted deep in his side.
A thorn named Russia.
He'd never liked Russia. He couldn't even remember a time he had been genuinely nice to Russia.
Still, that didn't mean that their last project of the term had to be awful. He made a fist full of valour as he jogged into the classroom. Model planets and spaceships were twirling from fishing wire off the ceiling. It was like a mobile hanging overtop a cradle for overworked students.
"Hey, Hey." Prussia laughed in his kiddie chair as America walked by. "Look at the size of URANUS."
"Oh come on!" The United States defended. "Shut up… Pluto!"
"P-Pluto?" Prussia smirked. "What kind of lame comeback is that?"
The blonde swayed back and forth on his heels, innocent expression coming over his face like rays of sweet, sweet sunshine. "Weeell, Pluto isn't a planet anymore, and you're not a country anymore soooo…"
"You take that back!" The white haired ex-nation rocked angrily in his too-small desk.
"Prussia?" The blonde grinned and talked aloud to himself. "Is that another spelling of Russia?"
"H-Hey!" Prussia raged.
America skirted around the tiny chick that had flown out of the ex-country's hair to attack him.
"Yo Prof," He greeted.
"Seating change." Science Man announced. "Please be seated next to your project partner."
America wanted to scream his national anthem. His usual seat was stolen by Sweden, so he bee-lined back to where Russia sat. Strange enough the seats were all free.
"Hey again partner." America grinned tightly and wiped the seat from thumbtacks that he just knew Russia had placed there.
Russia smiled back just as tight and then his chair broke apart.
"Goddammit!" Eyebrows cried from the other side of the room.
This report was going to be awful. Truly and totally. Somehow he knew it was going to end with a bang.
"You do know I plan to get our report finished tonight, right?" America said rapidly under his breath. "I mean, it is Friday night and I'm all for procrastination, but think of the rewards! We'll never have to see each other again outside of lunch, math, this class, and world meetings…"
"In Russian classes we do not have seat changes." Russia explained unnecessarily and America flopped against his desk in a sudden bout of exasperation. The class droned on as their professor read aloud some articles.
"There's only one of you, Russia –thank god! You can't do a seat change with empty space!"
Russia smirked underneath his scarf, but the younger nation saw it. "Touchy. However, I attend all classes, not just my own."
America looked down his nose and over the rim of his glasses. "What do you mean all?"
Russia dutifully wrote down some notes and ignored his partner. America tapped his foot in annoyance. There wasn't anything worse than not being able to garner attention when he wanted it.
"Hellooooo," He said as loudly as he dared and actually reached out to poke Russia.
Before his finger connected, the Russian speaking nation looked at him with those creepily docile purple eyes.
"Russia is everywhere." He whispered.
The United States shuddered. "R-Right." He scowled. "You're telling me you find the time to go to all the classes at this school? Man, you have no life."
"I have a plan that has no bearing on our relations…yet." Russia smiled indulgently to himself and the younger nation backed his chair away a bit.
"Wait. How do you even get into the Asian classes? I mean, dude, you're about as tall as a sunflower in a field of daisies."
Russia blinked. "You called me a sunflower."
Oh sure, of course the other country had to pick out the gayest part of he'd said. That wasn't the message he'd been going after at all. America blushed in irritation.
"I mean you stick out like a sore thumb!" He clucked his tongue and then added as an afterthought, "Loser."
Russia tilted his head as if he was studying him. "To infiltrate the Asian class is not so difficult. I just dress up in my panda costume. No one asks one question! It works well."
"Ergh." America smiled widely to cover up his annoyance, but it was impossible to hide. "You are so weird."
The United States of America whistled as he walked down the hallway, several feet in front of his science partner, even though they were going to the same place.
Most of the other student body parted way for them like they were celebrities. Or it could have been Russia radiating his weird aura again.
He was not looking forward to this, America thought idly as they passed the cafeteria and lockers and were heading down the hallway to the dorms. First of all, he'd never bothered to study in another nation's dormitory before. He never bothered to study period! But this report was worth quite a few marks and the sooner it was over the better and all that jazz…
Russia hummed a creepy childish tune behind him, so America whistled louder.
He didn't understand how Russia could go to so many classes involving all the other continents. It wasn't something mandatory. Hell, no one liked to squash themselves in with other countries for as long as one class period! Culture shock was a horrible, horrible thing.
They reached the dorms and America blindly soldiered on towards the European quarters, which looked older and more elaborately decorated than his own North American side.
Russia still trailed behind him, so it was up to the US to figure out which dorm was his. It wasn't difficult. At the end of the hall there was a flickering overhead light that only lit up the area for a few seconds at a time.
The atmosphere was gloomy and dark and isolated compared to the rest of the brightly lit hall, but in contrast, a lone golden sunflower was pinned to the door.
And Bingo was his name-o.
Russia came up behind him and the blonde watched as the key turned in the lock.
"Great." The English speaking nation said in a very contradictory tone. "This is a one-night thing, remember!"
The larger nation turned to him and opened the door.
Russia went in and flicked on his light, toeing off his shoes by the door. For some reason America couldn't find himself able to take the step forward into what he still considered enemy territory. He looked down. The carpet under his feet was a little threadbare.
"Come in." Russia said amicably.
There were hardly any personal effects in Russia's school housing. No photos or posters or even a lingering sock. It was barren like space itself, except even space had a billion points of light to make it interesting. Here there was only a small lamp and a bed and a desk and a chair. And Russia.
America could see that he was sitting on his desk which was as bare as the room, save for a few notebooks that he'd just taken out of his bag. Still, the blonde didn't cross the threshold.
"Are you more comfortable out there?" Russia chuckled from inside. "This is the first time I haven't seen you barge in."
"Knock it off!" America laughed back, they always fought in this way, and he toed the side of the door. "I'm coming."
Russia didn't seem to mind or care as he opened a book and clicked his pen. "So what are your opinions on the topic of blackholes? Should we include a page or two?"
"Well!" The United States looked up and grinned triumphantly. "Black holes are places in the universe where God is dividing by zero!"
Russia stared.
"It says so right in the book." America explained. "The good book." He laughed at his own joke.
"Your American humour lacks intellect." Russia concluded.
"Look, I'm the superpower behind this report so we'll be fine if you just follow my lead!"
"No, no, no," Russia refused, cheerfully. His eyes began to shine."I will write a report that will send all other countries running to me in celebration of the knowledge I gave to them."
America had mentally replaced all of Russia's singulars to plurals. "Don't you mean running away in fear? Look man, I don't want to get into this again. We're writing a report that can double as my acceptance speech for the Nobel Peace Prize."
Russia laughed outright then. "Are we?"
"Cause everything I do makes HISTORY."
"I already have numerous candidates for that prestigious award. We will wipe the floor with your imperialist pig skin."
Russia was outright tittering by that point making America smile wider and laugh louder to cover the sound.
"Oh, so now you wanna take a go on the football field?"
"What?"
"Let's just get this straight. I'm not afraid of you! Hah. Hahhahaha!" The country stood proudly on the threshold of the dorm room, hands on hips and heroics practically spewing from his mouth. "Maybe you think you've got every class under your foot, but I'm making this my turf."
America took one big leap into the small dormitory and the temperature seemed to drop a couple billion degrees.
Russia simply pushed away from his desk and rested a hand on his chin. "What do you think you're doing?"
"What the hell, man!" America shivered, with democratic purpose. "Why're you blasting the A/C?"
"A/C?" Russia laughed. "Please, you are in Russia's territory now. What you're feeling is the cold sting of General Winter's fingertip."
"Pffft," America took a few more leaps and landed on the other nation's bed. "And here in New York, it's called air conditioning."
The door behind him shut out of its own accord and America blinked owlishly in surprise behind his glasses. Russia just turned back to his notebook.
"Whatever, space case." America eyed the door with apprehension, wondering idly if it was a ghost. "L-Let's just get this party started." He crossed his legs underneath him on the bed. It seriously felt as hard as a rock.
"Da," Russia took out a bottle from underneath his desk. "One finger or two?"
Blood rushed to his cheeks and America slapped his forehead. He laughed obnoxiously. "Oh you're good. Trying to psych me out, huh? We're here to work, Russia!" He tapped his index finger on his flag-printed notebook he pulled out of his book bag. "We'll work together. And when that's over, we can go back to our cool indifference and veiled insults!"
"Oh." Russia angled his head just a little bit away and then smiled more genuinely. "I wasn't aware my insults were veiled."
"OKAY, you know what?" America said as he jumped up from the barren bed mattress and leapt his way into Russia's personal space. The other country did not look very threatened, but wheeled in his chair so he was more open. America took another step closer and oh-so-slowly pushed his glasses up, with his middle finger.
"I'm gonna save you, Russia."
"From… what?" Russia smirked and America pulled the scarf from around his mouth so he could see it clearly.
"I don't know." America said. "I just will."
The other nation stared at him for a long moment, those violet eyes piercing deep. For a second America thought he was going to reply with another one of those inane little questions or block him out with a wall of false cheer, but what he got was completely different.
Russia tilted his head, that ashy blond hair falling into his eyes. "Perhaps the only one I need saving from is you."
End Chapter Two