Cliché School Romance
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 Romania
Warning: Coarse language, underage drinking
Chapter 9: Remember Me Not
Ivan Braginski is very tall, pale and well… terrifying. There is no other word that comes to Alin's mind as he meets the other's stone cold gaze.
A small smile's playing over his colourless lips but nothing about said smile speaks of happiness or warmth. In fact the smile makes him even scarier, as it contrasts with the look in his eyes.
Ivan's eyes are a pale shade of blue, so pale than under the fluorescent lighting it resembles an unnatural violet colour. His features are similar to Nikolai's, unmistakably Eastern European and his skin is pale too. Only difference is his hair a cold, almost colourless blonde-gray colour.
"You have something of mine." the Russian repeats as he hasn't gotten any answer for him yet.
"I don't know what you are talking about." Alin replies automatically but of course he knows what or better yet who the other is referring to.
"Да, you do know." the older man smiles but it doesn't reach his eyes.
A person can smile and smile and still be a villain. The familiar line flies through his head.
Alin has to wonder how can Nikolai voluntarily hang out with such a person.
"You have Nikolai." the Russian points out when he is met with no answer once again, "He told Radko he'll come here."
His voice is low and supposedly polite but Alin can make out the tone of threat hidden underneath the heavily accented words any day.
"I don't think you understand." Ivan presses, leaning at the door frame.
Alin keeps a close eye on him, noting the other is absurdly muscular, even more so than Nikolai. That's not what worries him the most but rather the gun which gently pokes out of the Russian's belt.
"You see, Alin, Nikolai told me about you.'"
The words snatch him back to reality and he momentarily panics staring at the other dumbfound, unsure if he's going to like what the other is about to say.
"Nikolai likes you. He thinks you're nice. He even said cute that one time we were drunk together. I though would use another word…weak." the blonde man chuckles, squinting his eyes in a glare. The last word is spit out as if it's the greatest insult on Earth.
Alin can pinpoint that this is the exact moment when Ivan seems to have switched to full on threat mode.
"I like that Nikolai is making friends…he and Radko they have no friends." Ivan shakes his head in mocking way, "You see they have a bit of …bad tamper."
"Seems to be in the family." Alin blurts out before he can stop himself.
The Russian looks somewhat caught off guard by the witty remark and his creepy eyes widen for a second, the black of the pupils contrasting sharply against the blue of the irises, but other than that he doesn't react to it.
"As I said I'm glad you are Nikolai's friend but…I know friends can hurt you…especially friends who you really care about."
Alin can feel his cheeks begin to flush which is absurd because now is the worst time to be embarrassed. But still – does Nikolai really care about him? He can't stop his mind from racing – what if – was there really a chance that the Bulgarian likes him back? That their kiss was more than just a mistake made in drunken stupor?
He is brought back to reality when Ivan stretches a pale hand and forcefully opens the door.
The Romanian instinctively pulls away, he can feel his heart slam against his chest.
"I never invited you in." he rasps out, mouth making a move before his brain.
Ivan doesn't pay attention to his words, a lazy smirk playing over his lips.
He pushes him aside like nothing and steps into the house, taking in the hall and the pictures hanging from the walls. Alin doubts he's a fan of art. Or fan of anything other than himself. Maybe violence too, violence and alcohol, garnered with hatred for anyone who's different.
"Haven't you heard an old Russian proverb?" the blonde asks, turning to look at him, his smirk now morphing into an almost predatory grin.
"Russians don't need invitations. We take what we want." Ivan explains, seemingly amused.
"That's not a witty remark. At all." Alin spins around only to face Elizaveta with her arms crossed over her chest and a glare directed at the newcomer.
One thing he has to admit is that the girl has balls.
"Oh, if it isn't Elizaveta and her snobby boyfriend!" the Russian chuckles, glancing at the two, "Oh, come on Austria, hiding behind your girlfriend's skirt – that's cowardly. Even for someone like you."
Roderich opens his mouth to say something, probably come up with some complex insult but the girl raises a hand to stop him, as if giving the non-verbal equivalent of it's not worth it.
"If you don't leave, I'm calling the police." the Hungarian threatens and takes out her phone from the back pocket, as if to showcase she's not bluffing.
"And we all know the police will be more than happy to hear about you."
Ivan breaks into a laugh, shaking his head. The sound echoes in the apartment, drenched in cynicism.
Alin has to wonder what made the boy this hateful.
"Look at you, acting all fancy and shit, Elizaveta." he says, voice now lower and bearing the edge of threat, "But do you honestly think I don't know who you really are?"
Alin turns to his classmate only to see all the colour withdraw from her face. Her lover turns to give her a questioning look because he apparently has no idea what the other is talking about.
"What, you thought Nikolai didn't tell me about you?" the Russian squints his eyes, voice a hiss, "Oh, he wouldn't stop talking about you."
The Austrian's sharp navy blue eyes widen and his mind races to a conclusion and it is not a pretty one. He stares at his girlfriend expectantly.
Elizaveta bites her bottom lip, nervously and her hands shake a little.
"You don't know what you're talking about!" she claims, voice high pitched and shaky.
Alin is taken aback by the sudden change in the girl's behaviour. His normally calm and collected classmate who always knows what to say is now reduced a shaking mess.
"One thing I hate the most in this world is people who don't know their place. People who go against their own. Traitors and people who think that just by pretending they can fool others into believing they're something they're not." Ivan hisses, his watery eyes now firmly locked with those of his former classmate.
"Me and Radko, we know all about you and the likes of you," he hisses, "And it's cause you're girl I won't smack you."
xxx
The Russian turns around and walks towards the bathroom, supposedly on pure intuition. Alin is at loss of words and can't even come up with a way to stop him. They all enter the bathroom where Nikolai is starting to stir up.
The Romanian feels embarrassed for his sake but something's telling him, this is not the first time the other is in such a state.
Ivan doesn't seem shocked or anything, in fact he looks as if he is so used to this and he himself has been in this position many times. He squats next to the smaller teen and shakes him, saying something in his mother tongue.
Alin is taken aback at the gentleness that pokes from the edges of his actions. When that doesn't work as well as he wants, he unceremoniously takes the shower, turns water cold and bathes the other, pouring water over his pale face the same way the Romanian did some ten minutes ago.
It works perfectly and Nikolai gasps for air as icy cold water makes its way into his nose, not the most pleasant feeling in the world.
He doesn't know where he is, which really isn't all that shocking and it's certainly not the first time. But he hasn't done this in a while, at least not since he met Alin.
He forces his eyes to focus on pure will and he recognizes the familiar pale face looming over him, the soft Eastern European features he's come to know.
Ivan. He calms down a little – the Russian might be a monster to the outward world but he did care about the family they've built for each other. Not to mention, he would never judge someone for being wasted. He simply doesn't have the right to since he himself has done it more times than either of them can count.
Braginski doesn't give him a chance to fully rouse and instead pulls him into a sitting position.
"Доброeутро" he says in a flat voice, mocking seriousness, but Nikolai can hear the tease behind it.
"Ugh…къде по дяволите съм?" he grunts, opting to use Bulgarian because English is impossible right now.
"You're in my house." a familiar voice says and Nikolai turns around, too fast as his spinning head complains. His green eyes fall over Alin, the short teen standing a few feet away from him, hands crossed over his chest. .
He is surprised the Romanian understood what he meant since he said in Bulgarian but then again it probably wasn't that hard to guess the meaning from context.
"Oh." is all he can come up with as he rubs his forehead and feels like an idiot.
For the first time in years, he is embarrassed. He doesn't want the other to see him like this. Elizaveta and Rodrich are there too which makes everything ten times worse. He doesn't care about the pompous Austrian bastard but Elizaveta…Never mind, the worst thing is that Alin has to witness him wasted and he knows that's not a pretty sight.
Ivan unceremoniously, yanks him to his feet, effectively breaking him away from his thoughts.
"Can you walk or do I have to carry you like a doll?" the taller teen teases omce again and Nikolai rolls his eyes.
"I can…try to walk." he mumbles, not too sure of that.
How much had he and Radko drunk again? The memory is blurry around the edges but he knows it was more than two bottles.
He can't even look at Alin, this is so beyond embarrassing.
"I'm so sorry." he mutters
"It's okay, we saw a good show tonight." Roderich mocks and Nikolai has the sudden urge to make it an even better show by knocking out a few of his perfect teeth.
"It's okay." he hears Alin say but there is the unmistakable air of disappointment behind his voice.
Nikolai hangs his head low and it's not even because of the hangover. He rarely has a hangover since he is Bulgarian after all and alcohol hardly works on him. He normally prides himself on being such a good drinker but right now…he realizes how stupid and pathetic that is.
Alcoholism isn't really a cool perspective.
"What are you apologizing for?" Ivan demands, voice stern, "Getting drunk is the most natural thing a man can do, it's just that these pussies her don't get it. Fucking American fags."
"Hey, that is not something you should be saying!" Roderich nearly screams in frustration, ignoring Elizaveta's attempts to calm him down.
The image of his cousin Ludwig, who has recently confined in him for being gay flashes before his eyes and he can't help but have the urge to punch the Russian for being a homophobic asshole.
"Unless you can stop me, I can say whatever the fuck I want, you pretentious fucking pussy."
"Come on, Ivan, getting into a fight with him is useless." Nikolai protests, trying to calm the other before he straight up bashes his head into the wall. Once Braginski gets angry things go south, and he knows even he doesn't stand a chance at restraining him.
"Yeah, it would be like hitting a girl." Ivan hisses, sending one final glare at the direction of the Austrian who surprisingly doesn't flinch under the icy blue gaze but rather glares right back.
With that Nikolai quickens his pace, wobbling a little. It's a miracle he can walk after the amount he drunk but then again he's been much worse than this. Ivan steadies him a little as they walk out the house and head for the car in silence because really – what is there to say?
Halfway through the walk he realizes he doesn't even have his T-shirt on and he can feel his face heat up in embarrassment for the first time in… he doesn't even know how long.
He doesn't turn around to face Alin. He doesn't deserve to. He is pathetic. Getting drunk and going to his house and…and probably really embarrassing himself in the process.
He rubs his temples – who knows what he said? Then again he did have a feeling that the other likes him…, so maybe not all is lost.
"You okay?" Ivan asks as they make their way to the vehicle. The Russian holds the door open for him and helps him get in the beaten up old car.
Nikolai is surprised at how gentle the other is but then again he probably shouldn't be. Most of the time Ivan is gentle, just not to everyone. Underneath all the hatred and violence, the alcohol abuse and bigotry the Russian still has a heart, he just choses to show it to a very restricted group of people.
Him, Katya, Natalya and Radko. Maybe there were a few other on and off members but for the most part it was just the four of them.
Ivan always made sure to look out for them and Niko felt he had a debt for him he could never repay. After all the other had in a way saved him and Radko all those years ago.
So he focuses on the kindness Ivan has for him and ignores the rest, he closes his eyes to the crimes and hatred, to the pain he's caused to other people. People like Feliks and Toris among many.
"Uh-uh." he manages to croak out as he fiddles with the safety belt.
"You're getting out of shape. For drinking I mean. That little Romanian bitch has a bad effect – he makes you more…."
"Civil." the Bulgarian finishes for him, closing his eyes as he leans against the front seat and shivers in his current shirtless state.
"He makes you act as if you're not yourself." Ivan grumbles but Nikolai can make out the fear and jealousy in his voice.
Is Ivan really jealous of Alin? Is he scared of losing him? Does he even mean anything, to anyone?
"I don't even fucking know myself." Nikolai mutters, before he can stop himself. Half way through the sentence he realizes how pathetic it sounds but he can't help the way he feels.
The Russian lets out a small, mocking laugh.
"Now you're talking like them. Those rich, pretentious American little shits on Tumblr or whatever the fuck that is."
Nikolai remembers Alin's Tumblr page as he lets a small smirk play over his lips.
"What if…what if this isn't really who I am?" Nikolai asks, pointing to the dirty car and the stench of alcohol. It's more of a rhetorical question than anything else.
"What if I can be something better?" he muses but never says it out loud.
He doesn't dare dream that he can amount to something more, that he can ever be something other than a poor criminal living with two psychopaths and two innocent girls who are dragged into their mess.
Ivan grips the wheel, squinting his eyes over the road.
"There is nothing wrong with who we are. Don't ever let those rich assholes get into your head." he asserts, voice stone cold and flat, barely hiding the hatred that stands behind the words.
Nikolai nods and looks away, concentrating on the dark road ahead.
He closes his eyes and the only thing he sees is the disappointment written behind Alin's eyes.
And it's then that something flashes before his eyes, a pretty picture.
Him and Alin on the bathroom floor, their lips locked.
The thing is he knows the pretty picture is no idea or dream, it's a memory.
Niko lets a small gasp fly pass his lips as he realizes the extent of the situation – he's just kissed his best and only friend.
And he kissed best.
Only problem is, how could he do that when all his life he's sworn to be straight? Panic washes over him as he grips the edge of his seat.
По дяволите.
Author's Note: So yeah, Nikolai is fucked up. I know most stories make him a straight A student with the morale of a saint but I just couldn't bring myself to write him in such a way. It seemed very unnatural and OC to me. What do you think of this approach to him?
Big thanks to: maryranstadler1, GarGoyl, Hollywoodling, Elizaveta Hedervary - Hungary for the wonderful feedback!
GarGoyl - Ivan is certainly very possessive to those around him! And he's not changing any time soon xD
Hollywoodling - your description is the best I've ever read and exactly what I think of him xD He's sure one hell of a character ^^
Elizaveta Hedervary - Hungary - glad you liked Elizaveta, she's certainly a complex character to portray!
Translation: По дяволите. - To hell with it.
What did you guys think of our favourite bad guy Russia? What kind of backstory do you expect there is between him and Niko? And will Alin set them apart? I just love reading your suggestions!
Ivan's remarks about Elizaveta will come to play in a big way, so keep an eye for that, even if it's not centered around Nikolai and Alin (for now).
Please review and share your opinions!