Of Books and Crime
Summary (FF): Romania is an eccentric new student eager to make friends. Bulgaria is the school delinquent who hangs out with the wrong people. Against all odds they form a friendship which transforms into something more. Bulgaria x Roman
A/N: Loong chapter, hope you enjoy!
Chapter 5: Two Shots of Vodka
Alin and Nikolai quickly fall into the familiar rhythm of going to school and then heading to the Romanian's house for some much needed tutoring.
The process of learning a language is slow but Alin is pleased to find his classmate is a fast learner: he's already improving his grammar and his vocabulary has broadened. The pronounced Eastern European accent still remains an issue but in the end of the day he decides it's just a part of his charm.
The shorter teen has started falling in love with said accent, much like everything else about the other.
Still, there are so many question marks around the Bulgarian and he can't quite say he knows the boy next to him. Nikolai doesn't know everything about him either and there are things which Alin wishes he never will.
Aside from the fact that the Bulgarian has an incredibly high alcohol tolerance, that he's on the aggressive side, he loves reading and maybe a few other technicalities Alin knows next to nothing and it's starting to bother him.
As much as he loves mysterious, the time when he has to unravel them always comes. He intends on starting today, with something small at first before working his way up to filling the bigger blanks.
"So, when are you going to tell me what you do for work?" he asks, curiosity getting the better of him when Nikolai has yet another conversation with the mysterious Ivan over the phone, in a mix of Bulgarian and Russian.
The Romanian is still left in the woods about whatever shady business the other's in. Radko hasn't made many appearances in school, not to mention he seems to avoid everyone and Ivanov is no exception.
He has yet to meet the infamous Braginski though in all honesty – he is no hurry.
The Bulgarian meets his eyes, taking a minute or so to study them. Alin has to look away as he all but squirms under the intense green gaze of the other.
"Well, I could bring you to see what I do, though I don't think you're going to enjoy it." He says slowly, dragging out the words after what feels like eternity.
Alin raises an eyebrow, shooting a smug look at the other, "Try me."
Nikolai lets out a hearty laugh, apparently finding his slight teasing amusing.
"Kid, you have no idea what you're asking for." He replies, mischievous green eyes filled with mirth.
"Oh, so you're that bad?" Alin retorts with a smirk.
"Oh, I'm the worst!" the Bulgarian exclaims theatrically, throwing his hand in the air and causing his friend to chuckle.
The Bulgarian on top of everything else seems artistic too. It's a strange peculiarity, one that stands slightly at odds with his persona. Alin bites his bottom, lip he has to wonder how many other things he doesn't know about him.
They keep silent for a few minutes, enjoying the quiet moments when it's just the two of them and the world outside seems to come to a stop.
Alin muses over how much he's come to love the other's smile, finding it even more enchanting than his usual attitude which consists of smirks and smartass comebacks.
But then Nikolai frowns again as if he remembers, the world outside continues to exist, and just because he's found Alin it doesn't mean all the madness in his own life is forgotten.
Not to mention, the other knows nothing of said madness.
"I can bring you to see where I work." He mumbles more to himself than anything but it still causes the Romanian to beam in return, "Tonight's gonna be a busy night so we'll need some more hands."
"So you're going to make me work?" Alin offers him a childish pout, making him to chuckle.
"Uh, hello, you're the one who gives me three pages of homework!" the Bulgarian protests, glaring at his notes while his friend starts laughing at his messy handwriting.
"Over the damn Present Perfect Tense none less!" he whines, glaring at the evilness that is the tenses of the English language.
"It's all for your own good." Alin assures him, faking innocence while the other just smirks at him.
"Just wait and see till I decide to teach you Bulgarian!" he threatens.
"I would love it if you teach me something new." the shorter teen blurts out, immediately regretting his words.
Nikolai sends him a slightly weirded-out look but says nothing.
"I don't think you'd be all that good at volleyball. Or tennis. Or uh, kicking ass."
Alin makes a mental note to bookmark those activities under the "Nikolai likes this" list which he keeps at the back of his mind.
"You've just never seen me in action." he teases, hoping he doesn't blurt out anything weird while the other gets his things and prepares to leave for home.
The last thing he wants in the world is to push the other away, especially having in mind he's not only his crush but his only friend.
"I'll text you where we'll meet so I can take you to see my job." Nikolai promises, waving him goodbye before dashing to the stairs because the elevator is apparently too mainstream for him.
xxx
Alin waits eagerly for his friend, glancing at his watch a few times to note the other is, as always, late. He's wearing a simple black T-shirt and some worn out jeans as his classmate has warned him not to wear his usual eccentric clothes.
He bites his lower lip nervously and fidgets with his hand, having already given up to hide his anxiety.
He's equal parts terrified and excited about the night. On the one hand he's finally getting to see a small glimpse of Nikolai's world but on the other….what if he doesn't belong to said world?
His own insecurity rears its ugly head and it makes him feel light headed with worry. What if he embarrasses himself? His brain tells him he always does. Somehow he always ends up disappointing people, falling short to their expectations and being labeled as nothing but a freak.
What if the Bulgarian is no exception to the rule?
Speak of the devil, Nikolai finally appears, trademark smirk playing over his face as a cigarette dangles from his lips. Alin frowns – he's not much of a fan of his smoking but changing him seems like mission impossible, not that he's one to give up of course.
The Bulgarian's cheerful, careless mood is in direct contrast to his own anxiety but it still has somewhat of a calming effect on his nerves.
"Glad you're not wearing any of that Goth stuff." The taller teen points out as he checks him out, green eyes wondering over his body for perhaps a second too long.
"You're just jealous of my great sense of clothing." Alin teases with a childish wink while his classmate merely rolls his eyes but still offers him a lighthearted grin.
They start walking in the direction of his mysterious work place. The Romanian's mind has already come up with some ideas since not all that many places in the world start the working shift at around seven in the evening.
None of those ideas are nice though.
After what feels like forever for him they approach some sort of a bar and Alin has a bad feeling that this might be the place in question. Nikolai only nods when he asks him but he can the other is frowning as well.
The shorter ten slowly turns to face the building - it looks decrepit, some of the exterior is falling apart and he can't imagine the interior looks much better.
Still, there are various neon flashing signs, graffiti and many things written in Cyrillic which he can't understand because the other still hasn't gone through with the threat of teaching him Bulgarian.
Suddenly Nikolai grabs his hand, effectively making him spin around and face him. The unexpected contact makes a wave of heat spread through his chest, thick blush creeping up his cheeks.
"Uh, Nikolai? What are you-?" he asks sheepishly, while the other is holding his wrist in an almost protective manner, eyes firmly set on the decrepit looking bar.
If the Romanian listens intently, he can almost hear the music coming out of the building and some vague shouts in languages he doesn't comprehend.
"Listen, Alin" he begins, voice uncharacteristically serious, "This is not much of a nice place, certainly not something you're used to-"
"I can already tell that." He cuts in, feeling a little annoyed that the other seems to be babysitting him.
For a second there he expected something else, something much more intimate coming from the other's mouth…Then again it's his own fault he always expects the good when he should already be used to the bad.
"I only brought you here because you wouldn't stop bugging me about it and because you should have some idea about who I really am." Nikolai declares and Alin can't help but let out a small chuckle – the other is surely being overdramatic.
What could possibly go wrong by going to the bar? Sure it looks like something straight out of a criminal investigation but it can't be that bad, right?
"The people coming here aren't going to be too nice, especially since you are…" Nikolai begins but never finishes, words hanging awkwardly in the air and then falling flat between their feet.
"Gay?" Alin challenges, voice remaining steady.
He's come to accept his sexuality a long time ago, even if others have not.
His family was supportive while most of his other acquaintances were cold. Still, he knew his Romania was a much better place for the gay community than the majority of Eastern Europe. Getting to know himself was a long process, but he is no longer ashamed of who he is.
Ivanov stares as him incredulous, surprised with his bluntness before he offers a curt nod.
"Look, uh most people coming here are immigrants. Russians, Ukrainians, Belarusians, Bulgarians, Serbians…you get the gist, right?" he asks, cocking an eyebrow, "They come here cause they miss home and because the locals aren't welcoming to us. At all."
The Romanian nods, he can understand well enough where the other is going.
"And uh…well things can get rough. Most of these people aren't exactly…polite."
"In other words I should be careful and keep my mouth shut." Alin declares, frowning a little at the prospect to act like someone who he's not.
"You can always go home if you want!" the Bulgarian assures, raising a pale hand to stress his point, "Maybe I should have never offered you to come! It's just that you wanted to know what I do so bad that I…"
"Relax I'm not a baby." He tries reassuring him, feeling a little brave and touching his hand, as if to help him to stop panicking.
"You act like one," the taller teen remarks but still offers him a minuscule smile, as he tries to regain his usual composure, "Just…please be careful. I want you to be safe."
Alin is at loss of words at the statement and a feeling a wave of warmth washes over him, making the sides of his face heat up. No matter what happens, he feels ecstatic that the stoic Bulgarian has admitted something like this.
It's the first time he's seen him say something openly nice and the fact that it's directed to him makes him swoon a little. He tries to push those thoughts away, feeling like a twelve-year-old girl from a badly written Fanfic but still, he can't keep himself from internally squealing in joy.
"Oooh, so little Nikolai cares about me?" he teases, winking at the other.
"Shut up!" the Bulgarian grumbles, going straight back to the usual role of an asshole as they head for the bar.
At the entrance the sight of none other than Radko greets them. The boy has his perpetual frown on and a murderous glare painted in his one remaining brown eye.
"The hell is wrong with you?!" The Serbian demands, not bothering to greet them because apparently being nice isn't something he does, "Why the fuck did you bring the damn freak?!"
Alin can feel the Serbian's disgusted glare over him but he shrugs off the insult, he's been called worse by better people. Nikolai, on the other hand glares daggers at the other.
"He wanted to come." He explains, voice low, "Plus, since Braginski's out of town and that new girl Irina quit, we're short on hands."
The brunette keeps quiet for a second or so, his one remaining eye firmly set on Alin as he shoots him another poignant glare before sighing melodramatically.
"And you think this spoiled brat can handle this place?" he spits out.
"Да, for one night."
"Whatever, if he gets killed, you'll be the one talking to the damn cops." The Serb says in the end and now his voice is more on the indifferent side.
"You want help tonight?" Nikolai asks and the Romanian is surprised to find a sliver of caring behind his words. It's strange since Radko clearly doesn't care about him.
"Fuck off." The scarred teenager grumbles, pushing him away, "My fucking face should be enough to keep any trouble away."
The Bulgarian nods and they enter the bar, leaving Radko to keep watch at the door.
"So, uh you a bodyguard?" Alin asks sheepishly, trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together.
"Да и…не." The green-eyed boy muses as he takes in the mess that the place is left in as per usual, "I'm a bodyguard, bartender, accountant and…some other shit."
The shorter teen has a strong urge to ask about that "other shit" but remains silent since he knows it's useless to question his classmate. Nikolai is one of the most secretive people he knows and he feels grateful for coming to the bar in the first place.
A small, harsh voice at the back in his head reminds him he should be grateful for this in the first place. Spending the night with a friend feels like a gift and who is he waste it?
Alin shakes his head, trying to silence the small voice that constantly questions anything good that happens to him, as if he doesn't deserve it.
Instead of asking anything more questions, he takes in the environment, brown eyes falling over each object and trying to make some observations on his own. The interior isn't much better than the exterior but at the very least it doesn't seem to be falling apart.
It looks like a cheap bar located somewhere in Russia and for a second he feels as though he's no longer on American soil but then again he understands that is probably the point.
The whole place is bathed in dim lightning, mixed with a heavy curtain of smoke. It reeks of a alcohol, combined with no filter cigarettes and something else, maybe weed.
It looks like the kind of place people come to forget about their problems by creating more.
The tables and chairs are cheap and some are broken, the bar itself is a mess with shattered pieces of glass glistening in the dim light. Then there is what looks like a do-it-yourself stage for pole dancing. Alin blushes at the very sight of it, his imagination flooded with obscene images.
As if to bring everything together, on the walls there are pictures of various Eastern European celebrities, tennis players, footballers and some singers. Then there are the Russian, Ukrainian, Belarusian, Bulgarian and Serbian flags, a little washed out but still contrasting sharply against the overall atmosphere.
Alin bites his bottom lip, he feels as though he's the most out of place thing in the entire bar.
"Something wrong?" Nikolai asks, breaking him away from his thoughts.
"Nah, everything's fine." The Romanian assures, faking a smile when a wave of nervousness washes over him.
Still, he wants to know what the other's doing, a strange feeling of worry over of the Bulgarian having taken over his mind. Whatever this place is, he feels like there's something more to it, something that's outside the law.
Nikolai might be hot headed and crass, swearing, drinking and smoking every spare minute but he doesn't want him to sink into a life of crime. Maybe it's selfish, maybe that's only because he is the last thing keeping him drowning but it's a fact.
"Are you the new waitress?" comes a sweet voice, heavily drenched in Slavic accent.
Alin spins around and is greeted by the sight of a short blonde girl who is very well endowed. She isn't pretty per se, but her big breasts and the skimpy clothing are bound to attract lots of attention.
"Не, he's a friend" Ivanov chimes in, explaining away the misunderstanding helpfully.
Still, Alin frowns after he's been mistaken for a girl, not that it hasn't happened before. He doesn't have an issue with it but he worries the other might. It's strange how much he's come to rely on the other's opinion of his in such a short time.
"Katya, this is Alin," he adds and they shake hands although the waitress seems to have a little trouble balancing the tray with one hand before Nikolai steps in and helps her out.
"Nice to meet you!" she exclaims, offering him trained nod, "I really wish Nikolai had more friends."
Alin notices how sadness flash through her pale, almost colourless blue eyes for a second or so, only to be replaced with an empty smile.
Her words sound an awful lot as if what she's saying is that she herself needs more friends but is too afraid to even wish for some. It's a feeling Alin knows too well.
Before he can say anything to the girl, Katya hurries away as clients start coming in, making sure their orders are taken on time and the counter is cleaned.
He muses over how everything surrounding the Bulgarian continues to get weirder and he has the strange urge to save the other from the entire mess, whatever it really is.
"She's Ivan's older sister." Nikolai explains to him, slightly leaning in so he can whisper in his ear over the loud music while Alin revels at their proximity, "And she's our waitress on most nights."
"Does she do… anything else?" Alin challenges, glancing in the direction of the pole. He's surprised by his own bluntness but maybe that's just the effect the Bulgarian has on him.
The green-eyed teen understands what he's referring to and purses his lips,
"Nothing that I approve of." he admits and for a second or so looks as if he wants to add something but then walks away in the direction of the bar.
xxx
The night is hectic.
People of various ages rush into the bar, the only thing they have in common is that they are all from Eastern Europe.
Fights break out all the time and Alin is starting to feel a little light-headed because of all the smoke and the stench of alcohol.
Nikolai is standing behind the counter, playing bartender like a professional. He speaks mostly in Bulgarian, switching a few times to fluent Russian with ease.
Alin frowns when he sees the way most girls look at him, how they giggle at his jokes behind their boyfriends' backs. He hates the way they give him small winks and playful smiles which he returns with a devious smirk.
It makes his blood boil.
"Are you okay?" he hears the soft voice from earlier, turning around only to be greeted by two washed out blue eyes.
"Yeah, I'm fine" he assures, offering Katya a fake smile from his own arsenal.
The girl maneuvers for them to sit down on the tall stalls by the bar as no one is placing an order at the moment.
"So you and Nikolai are classmates?" she asks and to his surprise he finds genuine interest behind the inquisitive orbs of blue. There's something strangely motherly about it which seems out of place given her age.
"Yes, I'm helping him learn English." he responds with a small smile, an honest one this time.
The Ukrainian's eyes widen in surprise at his words, "Really?" she asks sheepishly and she suddenly looks so much younger, like a little girl, lost in the vast American land of dreams and disappointment.
"That is amazing! It's very nice of you to do it for free."
He only nods at her words, unsure how to reply.
He can see how much money is a concern, not only to Nikolai but to her as well. His eyes trace her skimpy attire, it looks old and dated and he has to wonder if it's even comfortable to wear.
"I've always wished I could speak English properly." the blonde muses, words hanging in the air awkwardly as she stares at nothing in particular, a dreamy expression painted over her pale face.
Suddenly Alin feels sorry for her, he can see she doesn't want this, that it was never her childhood dream to work as a waitress, a striper, and in the worst case scenario, possibly more for her seemingly terrifying brother.
"I know I speak very bad, I am sorry." Katya apologizes, turning to him and he can read the desperation put behind the words.
"Don-Don't worry," he tries to assure her, a sudden urge to comfort this stranger solely because she seems to care about the Bulgarian, "English is tricky, especially if you don't have awesome teachers like Niko does." He offers her a small, playful smile and some of the heavy atmosphere surrounding them dissipates.
"Niko? You call him Niko?" the waitress chuckles at the nickname, "That is so sweet."
Alin genuine hopes the Bulgarian will think the same one day.
She pauses, biting her lip, almost as if she doesn't know what to say next.
"I-I'm very glad he's found a friend," she admits in the end, opting to be blunt, "With us…it's hard, we don't fit in here. Mostly it's just us, we stick as family."
Alin raises an eyebrow, understanding for the first time that Ivan is more than just Nikolai's mysterious criminal boss, he is apparently family.
"What about Niko's parents?" he asks, words slipping from his mouth before he can stop himself.
He's never asked before and the Bulgarian has never spoken about it. He'd assumed and hoped he would someday but as time went on the other remained silent, never giving him even the slightest idea about his living situation.
"Нйет" Katya shakes her head, "None of us do anymore."
Alin's eyes widen in shock and in a manner of seconds he's overwhelmed with sympathy. Then again…he should have known. The signs were now glaringly obvious now that he looked back on them.
Nikolai's poverty, his rags of clothes, shady activities, his overall delinquent behaviour. Alin has to wonder how much of his coldness and anger came from that?
Radko too, he has to what if perhaps the scar that ran down his face had to with the parents' death?
He wants to say something, anything to comfort Katya but words seem to die on his lips. The waitress avoids his gaze, a mix of acceptance and long lived sadness having settled over her features.
Before Alin can say anything a stranger walks up to them.
He's swaying and he's obviously treated himself to more than just one glass of vodka which is a sure sign for trouble.
"Сука," he turns to Katya, gripping her arm in his big fat palm, "Been ordering for five minutes and you piece of trash don't take my order!"
The man's words are slurred and drenched in heavy Russian accent. He looks like one of those poorly made Hollywood villains, the stereotypical bad guy whom the heroes fight.
Only problems is this is not a movie and the fear Alin feels is real.
"Извините, извините" The Ukrainian begs in a soft voice as the man yanks her closer.
"You should pay for your delay." the drunk slurs, dirty hands quickly finding their way to her face, neck and finally landing over her ample cleavage.
Alin freezes, the entire world seems to be put to a haul for a few painfully long moments. The men doesn't stop, one hand over her breasts, the other headed under her short skirt.
"You should stop this." he finds himself saying, stretching out a hand only for the other to fight it off and nearly knock him off his stool in the process.
"You, short and flat chested girl, stay the fuck away!" the Russian demands and Alin doesn't even have time to be offended.
He feels terrified and helpless while Katya doesn't even scream for help, it almost looks as if she is used to this kind of behaviour.
"Get your hands off her." he hears Nikolai demand from behind the man's back and he can hear the anger sipping through his accented words even before he meets his eyes.
The other has just returned from restocking and he can see fury flashing behind his big green irises.
"Make me!" the drunk challenges and before Alin can comprehend anything they are locked into a fight.
His eyes widen in surprise as he suddenly recalls times long forgotten, times he had wanted to erase from his memory forever. He's frozen in his place, mouth agape as he stares at the two men fighting before him.
"Go call Radko!" Nikolai screams and effectively tears the Romanian away from his thoughts. Another guy, seemingly a friend of the first joins in, slamming his fist into the Bulgarian's jaw.
Alin doesn't need another plea and quickly turns around and jogs towards the exit of the bar. When he's finally outside of the bar he sees Radko, leaning against the way as he leisurely enjoys a smoke.
"N-Nikolai needs your help, a fight broke out!" he exclaims, out of breath.
The Serbian scoffs, uninterested, "Big deal," he mumbles, butting his cigarette against the wall of the bar.
Alin's dark brown eyes widen at his indifference as terror slowly creeps into his chest, "It's two against one!" he screams at the other, "Aren't you going to help him!?"
Radko rolls his eye, "Fuck off you fucking girly ass wimp," he grumbles, pushing Alin away and nearly making him fall on the ground in the process.
Still, they enter the bar once again and once the scene is revealed before them, Nikolai fighting surprisingly well against the two large guys, Radko does seem to quicken his step just a little.
The Romanian backs away, Katya standing closely next to him as she clutches to her tray.
"Took you long enough to come." Nikolai deadpans, sending a murderous glare to the Serbian.
"Hoping you'd be dead already in the meantime." Radko shots back before he slams a chair into one of the guy's head.
Two other join in the fight and Alin can only stare in awe at how well they fight.
It's all swears and punches and crashed bottles of vodka.
In the end Nikolai is victorious while Radko has some difficulty, especially when one of the guys slams an empty tray into him.
Still the fight is over and Alin all but rushes to the Bulgarian, horror replaced with relief to a small degree.
"Are you okay!?" he shouts, suddenly realizing the music is gone as his own voice echoes through the vast bar.
"Да, успокои се," the Bulgarian responds, taking in a few deep breaths and sitting on the nearby stool with a sigh of relief.
Then the oddest thing happens, a smile plays across his face.
Alin stares at him in disbelief before he all but stomps next to the Bulgarian, hands placed over his hips, "What the fuck are you smiling about?!" he demands, surprising even himself as he swears.
Radko is already telling the others to leave while Katya thanks Nikolai before heading to collect the pieces of broken glasses scattered across the bar.
The Bulgarian rolls his eyes, "I wouldn't have died. Stop being a drama queen."
"Oh, yeah because getting into a fight with some drunk bastard who's swaying a vodka bottle towards your head is totally normal." Alin grumbles under his breath, eyes never leaving Nikolai.
The taller teen opens his mouth to say something but then seems to think against it. Alin takes it as invitation and steps in closer to him.
He wants to hug more than ever, wants to be close to him, make sure he's okay and bury his head into his chest. It takes him aback how quickly they've become close but at this point it's not something he can deny.
"I'm fine, really." Nikolai assures, going as far as gracing him with a small smile which makes the Romanian swoon.
"You'd better be."
The Bulgarian cocks an eyebrow as a devious smirk spreads across his pale face.
"Oh, is little Alin caring now?" He teases, making his voice softer, "Does he care about his Nikolai?"
Alin shots him a death glare but can't stop the feeling of relief washing over him and the tiny nod that he offers his classmate. Not to mention – is he hearing things or did the other just call him his?
"Quit acting like a bunch of gay hippies." Radko grumbles from next to them, busy picking up shards of glass and effectively ruining the moment.
If Alin has to be honest, he doesn't like the Serbian. He seems aggressive and hateful and he obviously doesn't care about Nikolai, even if they are supposed to be family.
He notices Radko's holding his left hand to his chest, attentively and his friend seem to have caught up on that as well.
"You okay?" the Bulgarian asks as he takes a step in his direction but Radko only glares at him with his one remaining eye.
"Fuck off." He grumbles under his breath.
Nikolai sends him his own pointed glare before sighing and mumbling something inaudible in his mother tongue.
"Maybe I should look at you both?" Katya asks in a gentle manner, care slipping through her words.
"We're fine." The green-eyed teen assures with a kind smile as they all set to clean the mess.
In thirty minutes the bar looks a little less like it has suffered through a war and they gather to leave. It's already way past midnight and Alin bites his lip, unsure about how he's supposed to head home. He supposes calling a taxi and walking are the only options at this time.
"Don't even think about calling some slimy taxi-driver." Nikolai's voice catches him by surprise and he has the odd feeling that sometimes the Bulgarian can read his mind.
"We'll drop you home." He adds with what looks an awful lot like a flirtatious smirk but Alin refuses to get his hopes up, "Wouldn't want a lady like you to get lost now, would I?"
The Romanian all bit shoves his elbow in the other's ribs, not with his full force of course while Nikolai bursts into laughter. It's a surprisingly warm and clear night, so warm in fact that it almost feels as though it's summer.
For a second or so Alin vaguely wonders about the weather in Romania and Bulgaria and supposes the temperatures have dropped already. He makes a note to search for the weather on the Net or simply ask his grandparents (he mentally chastises himself for not calling them often enough, much like every other immigrant in the world.)
"Hey, Earth to Alin," the Bulgarian calls out, waving a pale hand before his face.
"Sorry, got distracted for a moment here," he replies sheepishly as he turns to view his friend.
"Man, you dream way too much," the teen snorts but his words lack bite and Alin responds with a teasing, "Well, maybe you don't dream enough."
Radko grunts at their childish banter while Katya simply giggles and they head to the car. The Ukrainian sits behind the wheel, while Nikolai and Alin are placed on the backseat, perhaps a little closer than needed.
And when the Bulgarian's slender fingers fall over his thigh unintentionally or not, he simply pretends not to notice as he doesn't want the other to retrieve his hand.
xxx
They travel to his apartment in silence while in his head Alin is feverishly trying to think of a plan to make the Bulgarian stay. He figures that's not all too moralistic but then again what is these days?
When the cheap car comes to an abrupt stop only a block away from his home he blurts out the first thing that comes to his mind.
"Nikolai, aren't you going to walk me home?" he asks, raising a devious eyebrow, as if that is the most natural thing in the world. He just has to play the part right and maybe he'll snatch a few more hours with him.
The Bulgarian gapes at his words while Radko turns from the front sea and glares at him, his look a mix of disbelief and disgust.
"Why the fuck does a seventeen-year-old boy need to be walked home?" The Serb demands harshly.
"Uh, well, you see it is a bad neighbourhood." Alin tries, mentally facepalming at how awful of a liar he is.
"No, it's not." Nikolai points out, as oblivious as ever.
"Damn it, Niko, don't you see where I'm going with this!?" Alin all but screams in his head but remains silent on the surface as he offers a sheepish smile.
The silence stretches over the car and he's ready to leave alone in defeat before things get even more awkward. Just when his hands is already on the knob of the door, he hears the angelic voice of Katya pulls him out of his misery.
"Well," she begins, and he can see her giving him a small, encouraging smile in the front window, "Maybe Alin is afraid of the dark, aren't you?"
He immediately takes the bait and nods with assertion.
"Yes!" he cries out, possibly rendering Radko deaf who just sends him yet another death glare.
"How come you never told me about this?" Nikolai demands, suspicion peeking through his accented words.
"Uh…well, you see…" Alin struggles with the answer.
"Were you embarrassed?" The Bulgarian wonders while Katya's making some elaborate sings from the driver's seat that he can't quite understand but they seemed to be supposed to help him.
"Yeah…I thought you'd uh… make fun of me?" Alin attempts, some of his previous assertiveness having returned to him.
He even offers a childish pout and the best puppy look he can muster and the Bulgarian just seems to buy it.
"Fine, I'll walk you home." Nikolai says in defeat and Alin all but reels in joy, "Don't wait on me guys, I might walk home." He adds in the direction of Katya who pretends not to hear him (maybe she already suspects of Alin's plan to make him stay for a sleepover).
For a second there the moment is perfect but then -
"I never knew you Romanians were such pussies." Radko's voice ruins everything Alin is really starting to dislike the Serb.
Before he can say anything to his defence Katya punches the grumpy teen who in turn sends her a glare and mutters something under his breath.
"Bye, Alin! Niko take good care of him!" the Ukrainian offers with a warm smile as she waves them good bye.
Alin smiles back at her, he's just met the girl but he's already starting to like her.
He takes a deep breath, he can't believe he's having his first ever sleepover! And with the mysterious Bulgarian he has undoubtedly come to crush over in the last few weeks no less.
A/N: I want to thank: maryranstadler1, GrimSickness, GarGoyl, Elizaveta Hedervary - Hungary for reviewing, you're all very kind!
So what do you think of Nikolai's job? What about Katya - isn't she acting like an older sister to them xD?
What did you make of the dynamics between Nikolai and Alin?
Next chapter - Sleepover time, I hope you're excited!
Please review, your feedback always puts a smile on my face and motivates me to write more! ^^