Cliché School Romance
Summary: 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.
Author's Note: Big apologies for missing an update but it was exam season and I studied in the last minute as per usual xD! If you're having exams - I wish you all to pass and have great grades!
Chapter 13: The Thing About Relationships
As Alin learns the hard way, relationships aren't always fun.
Ever since the Bulgarian was suspended, he hasn't seen him from him and has had to put up with cryptic messages and the occasional dumb memes he keeps sending. The Romanian has left him a dozen questions, which remain without an answer.
He's frustrated to no end but the worst part of it is, he's not even surprised. A tiny voice in his head keeps telling him he should have expected it all along. After all he knew what he was getting into, he knew Nikolai spoke of trouble and it was perhaps what had drawn to him in the first place.
Plus…his own self-doubt and insecurity kept showing their ugly head, telling him it was his fault, he should have protected the Bulgarian, should have helped him more. His imagination is a dark place, painting various scenes each day.
Nikolai and Ivan and whatever they are currently doing. Alin isn't jealous but he is worried, the influence of the Russian has always seemed destructive.
He can only hope he doesn't hear from the police. He will like it much better to hear from his own boyfriend but apparently even that is too much to ask for.
xxx
Alin tries to distract himself, he goes out more, much to the pleasant surprise of his mother.
He finds himself in Sadiq'a café again, seated in between Ludwig and Francis. Feliciano is perched in the German's lap, tan face snuggled against his broad chest. They look like the epitome of intimacy even when they're not doing anything remotely sexual and it makes Alin's chest sink with a bittersweet feeling.
He's happy about the Italian who's quickly turned into the closest he has of a friend, and he's proud of Ludwig who seems to have become much less tense, more warm and openly caring for other's as his relationship with Feliciano progresses.
But…his mind can't stop asking why can't he have that.
"So, Alin, you've broken up with Nikolai yet?"
It's Arthur that asks, it's always Arthur.
Alin can sense the cold green eyes over himself, they're stern, they dig into him, searching for answers. He wants to shift away from the other.
"Oh, please they weren't a couple to begin with," Lovina rolls her eyes to which the Romanian doesn't protest, after all he doesn't want Niko to get into trouble, so he has to hide their relationship.
"Well, I hope whatever you were, you no longer are," the Brit presses on, squinting his eyes as he sips on his tea.
"I gotta agree with Iggy here," Alfred admits, scratching the back of his head, "What he did last Thursday…I know it was mainly Radko's fault but damn Nikolai is fucking crazy as well."
Alin looks away, he doesn't want to talk about it. He's been trying to forget the school fight, the way the Bulgarian looked savage, the way he was ready to fight all in the name of defending Ivan.
"Radko still going to your school?"
It's new voice, one the Romanian recognizes as vaguely familiar before he turns around and spots Elira, who's holding onto a tray full of warm beverages.
The usually happy look is gone from her tan face, which is now locked in worry. Alin's mind flies back to what Alfred told him, the way the Serb had tried to forced himself on her.
"Yeah," Francis responds, voice gentle and soothing, "But we promise you he's not going to hurt you,"
The Kosovar girl nods, trying to smile in spite of herself,
"Sadiq and I can't thank you enough for everything you've done for us," she admits, genuine gratitude flashing behind her black eyes, "When we first got to the USA we were so worried everyone would hate us cause we're Muslim and what not…"
The words hang awkwardly in the air and Alin can't shake off their weight, their implications. Politics is something he doesn't think about, something like a parallel world, one he doesn't delve into, too focused on his own little life.
But…Elira doesn't have a choice, she can't escape the stigma that follows her every step she takes.
He finds himself angry at himself for worrying about stupid things and angry at Nikolai for not even bothering to call. He wonders – is the other busy hanging out with Radko while he has to listen about what the Serb has done to this poor girl?
"Don't worry, you can always count on me the superhero Alfred!" the American declares, striking a pose.
It's silly and overdramatic and it makes Arthur roll his eyes but Elira appreciates it as she smiles once again. Sometimes Alin wonders if perhaps Alfred does all the theatrics in the name of making others laugh.
Whatever his reasoning is, it works and the tension dissipates in the air as if it was never to begin with.
"I won't," she assures with a small nod, "You guys are the only reason I don't have to worry. Ivan would have otherwise made sure Radko had his way with me."
Alin shudders at the words, they're bleak and cynical, standing starkly at odds with Elira's sunny disposition. He has to wonder how far the Serb has gone, how much he's hurt her before Alfred and Arthur could stop him.
And as much as he doesn't want to think about it, it makes him wonder how Nikolai can stand to be near him and the person who protects him.
xxx
The next day they take a walk down the park, enjoying the mild weather in early December. Alin tries to push the thoughts of Niko away, tries to focus on his classmates but finds it impossible.
At some point he lags behind, hearing the cheerful voice of Feliciano and Antonio somewhere ahead, followed by some idle threats from Lovina and Ludwig's warning for them not to get cold.
The Romanian doesn't mind them running ahead and he doubts they'll miss him much. Still, he can't help but feel empty the moment the others are out of his sight.
"Cheer up, mon ami," he hears the familiar gentle voice, words slightly accented in that charming French way.
He looks up to see Francis who's stretching out a hand, offering him a cup of hot chocolate.
"Figured out it would cheer you up," the blonde shrugs as Alin takes it, stammering to thank him.
"It's nothing,"
A warm feeling spreads through his chest, for him it's a lot more than nothing. Having friends is something new and fresh and it as sweet as the hot chocolate.
"You're really thoughtful," he admits, meeting the French's sky blue eyes.
Francis looks away, surprisingly uncomfortable from the long stare,
"Haha, you should tell that to everyone else," he says, words lighthearted but still bearing the edge of bitterness.
Alin wants to say something, offer comfort as he remembers the last conversation they had alone. But there is nothing to say, the situation sucks and he has no way of fixing it.
It's not like he can make Arthur love him back. Francis seems to notice his worry so he flashes a bright smile and waves a hand.
"Sometimes I just sound overdramatic, don't mind me," he assures, forcing a small chuckle as they head for the nearest bench.
"Shouldn't we call the others?" Alin asks sheepishly, looking in the distance to spot the rest of the gang.
"Don't worry, they won't even notice we're gone," the blonde replies, sitting down.
Popescu follows his example and they sit next to each other, submerged in silence for a few brief moments. It's heavy and uncomfortable and he fidgets with his fingers until Francis put his hand over them.
Alin stares at him, pulling away his hand on instinct.
"Sorry," the taller teen apologizes immediately, "You just looked…anxious, I was trying to calm you down."
"It's okay I just…I'm not used to much touching." He assures, trying to offer the other a smile.
Francis doesn't seem to buy it, he looks away, a look of guilt plastered over his face.
"I wasn't trying to…make an advance or something," he presses on, "I know the kind of reputation I have, so you probably think that I uh-fuck,"
"Francis!" Alin half cries out, effectively drawing his attention, "Relax. I know you're not a bad guy."
The French stares at him for a good half minute and then slowly nods, a look of appreciation painted behind the sky blue irises.
"That…means a lot. Arthur keeps making these jokes you know…about me being a rapist or something and uh-" he chuckles, the sound mirthless, "I always shrug it off but it hurts."
The Romanian studies him, taking in the angst written over his handsome face. Before he has the time to hesitate, he puts up a hand, landing it on his shoulder and offering a gentle squeeze.
"Maybe you should tell him that," he advices, "He might be an ass but you're his best friend and you deserve him to treat you right."
Francis meets his eyes, holds his gaze, perhaps for a few seconds too long. Alin feels like this beginning of a friendship and he's more than ready to welcome it.
"Thank you, I…really needed to hear that,' the blonde admits as he leans in against the bench.
They sink in silence once more but this time it's a little less tedious and he even tries to enjoy the winter afternoon, detaching himself from the usual thoughts about the green eyed Bulgarian.
"Now it's your turn," Francis urges at some point, leaning in closer to him.
"For what?"
"Oh, come on, I told you about Arthur now you get to tell me all about Nikolai," the taller teen presses on, "And don't give me that look cause I can tell you're more than friends."
Alin hesitates for a moment and then something inside him snaps and he knows there is no coming back.
The words start pouring on their own and he tells him everything – every little detail about him and Nikolai, about what they've done, about how much the other hurts him each time he leaves.
He doesn't spare things and he's not nice with what he says. There are times when he straight out wants to swear at the Bulgarian, at how damn difficult he is, how he always feels hanging in the balance with him.
And Francis listens, taking in every word. In the end for the first instance in a long time Alin feels a little more lighthearted.
xxx
The next day Alin is in a great mood, his mind finally clear.
He decides to take another stroll in the park as it has brought him happiness and clarity and he seems to be lacking both of them these days. He vaguely muses how the park is pretty near Ivan's bar but then shakes, his head there's no way he could run into the Nikolai.
Except he does.
When he sees the Bulgarian's back in the distance, he acts purely on instinct, his legs taking him to the taller teen on their own. The moment he's near him all the bitterness and anger is gone and he's just insanely relieved to see the other.
Honestly, that's just the effect he has on him. He can be pissed off at him one minute and then the second he spots the familiar green eyes it's all gone in a flash.
"Hey!" he greats with a trained smile which doesn't have even a trace of all the angst he's been through.
"You haven't called in like…ages!" he adds with a small pout, still careful not to anger him. The fear he has of pushing people away is something that is always at the back of his mind.
Nikolai shrugs nonchantly, as if Alin is the most uninteresting person in the world.
"Battery died." he says in a flat voice.
Alin recognizes that voice all too well – it's the same voice he uses when he talks with teachers and kids from school. It's nothing like his normal tone which gives away his emotions right away.
"Well, someone's in a cranky mood today." he teases, "What's the matter, Niko, that time of the month?"
The Bulgarian cringes at the nickname which he deems silly but otherwise keeps quiet. They walk down the park in silence for a few brief minutes. Nikolai has shoved his hands in his pockets, an unrecognizable look written on his face.
It's starting to bug Alin – he hates it when the other is one of his "I hate the world, leave me alone" moods. He decides to make use of the bad mood, however, only to annoy the other even more. Serves him right for everything he has put him through with his lack of basic communication.
"So, what are we doing today?" he inquires in the sweetest tone he can come up with. If anyone could see them from the side, they would think that they were a couple – something that, as he knows, bothers Nikolai to the world's end and well beyond.
"I have work to do. You can do whatever the fuck you want, not like me to care." he grunts and the frown on his face deepens.
Alin cocks a brown eyebrow, taken aback by how harsh the other is. Whatever is bothering him, it must be serious because even when they first met the other wasn't this mean.
"The fuck is wrong with you?" he asks, surprising even himself as he swears.
"Oh, wow, now you even sound like them." Nikolai mumbles under his breath but still loud enough for the Romanian to hear.
"Who on Earth are you talking about? You're not even making sense!" Alin demands because he honestly has no idea what this is all about. All of a sudden the other has transformed into a drama queen and it seems out of character even for him. He gets Bulgarians like to dramatize but this is a little too much.
"Who am I talking about? Oh, come on, Alin," the taller teen mimics, "You know I'm talking about Francis! I saw you two yesterday! You were fucking holding hands and some shit!"
Alin is taken aback by the anger in the Bulgarian's voice. Then, however, another idea pops up into his head. What if this wasn't anger at all? The idea makes him feel almost dizzy with satisfaction.
"You jealous or something?" he coos, wrapping his hand around the Bulgarian as if the other is okay with others seeing them.
"Jealous?" Nikolai spats, shoving him away so hard he nearly trips over, "In your fucking dreams, you're delusional!"
The smirk Alin doesn't even realize he has on his face slips. There is nothing but anger and disgust in the other's voice and it makes him want to run away.
"Niko, calm down, I didn't even do anything with Francis! He doesn't like me like that in the first place!" he tries to argue but the other is so angry at this point, he doesn't even hear him.
"Why would I ever be fucking jealous of you? You can go do whatever you want with him or the other stickups and I won't even bat an eye." the Bulgarian is screaming at this point, making more than a few bypassers stare at them as if they are part of some sort of play.
Alin doesn't even want to look at Nikolai at this point, so he settles to look at his expensive, perfectly clean and shiny dress shoes. They contrast against the other's torn sneakers, just like their personalities.
For a brief second a nasty thought sneaks up into the Romanian's head – what if he was better than the other indeed? What if Arthur is right? Should he just give up on the other?
Maybe this…all this fighting isn't worth it.
"Yeah, you are jealous." Alin says, the anger rising in him, "You're jealous cause I have friends and people who like me for who I am and all you have is that mental Russian, bossing you around!"
"They like you for who you are?!" the Bulgarian mocks and breaks into a forced laugh, "Oh, don't tell you're actually dumb enough to believe that shit! They only like you cause you're someone new and you have money! That is all those shallow fucks care about!"
Alin stares at him, unable to respond. The harsh words make his throat tighten – this can't be true, right? He wants the others to be his friends so much and to figure out they only like him for his money? No, this can't possible be the reason why.
Only…it's too bad that the other's words mirror his own insecurities.
What if the guys truly don't care about him?
"Liar!" he screams at the Bulgarian, "They like me for who I am, not my money! Like I said you're just jealous of me because I have friends while you surround yourself with psychopaths."
Niko looks utterly taken aback by the statement, it's the first time Alin has allowed himself to criticize the others,
"Don't you dare say such things about my family!" he seethes, glaring at him as he steps a step closer,
"Well what do you want me to call them, huh?" the Romanian screams, all the pent up fury and disappointment in the other finally coming to the surface, "Radko almost fucking raped Elira, calling him a psychopath is well deserved!"
Ivanov's green eyes widen in horror and for a few brief seconds he seems unable to speak.
"I'm not defending Radko in any way, I know he's fucking monster!
"Really!? And what would you do if he had done it? If Alfred and Arthur weren't there?"
"I would have kicked his ass," Nikolai asserts, voice so firm it sends goose bumps down Alin's spine,
"And I did kick his ass for what he tried to do. It's part of the reason why he hates me so much, he expected me to take his side and thinks I betrayed him."
The Romanian takes in the information, it soothes a fraction of his anger. Well, at the very least the other realizes how much the Serb has fucked up,
"Why did he expect you to take his side?" he asks, voice small.
Nikolai looks away, shaking his head, as if he can't understand. It pisses him off, he's tired of the other constantly keeping him outside and him beginning for an entrance.
"Because we're family in the end of the day. And Ivan did protect him, like he always protects us. Elira didn't file a report because she knew he'd wreak havoc on the café and maybe even her family."
"Protected him?" Alin half cries out, "Niko, this isn't fucking protecting him! By defending him Ivan only made sure he can try this shit again!"
"He won't!" Nikolai argues, "We…we'll make sure he won't."
"Oh you will make sure? Really? How is Ivan any fucking different from him? He's a damn criminal!"
"And what do you think I am, Alin?!" at this point the Bulgarian is screaming, "You think I go around planting flowers or some shit?"
Alin falls silent, there is nothing for him to say. He has always known, everyone has told him to stay away. And yet he didn't, he kept pushing in, hoping he could save the other.
Worst part is…he still believes he can.
"You have to leave Ivan and the others," he asserts, not backing down for once, "I know you think they care about you but they don't. All they care about is making money of you in whatever mess you are in!"
"Не, не," Nikolai begins, shaking his head, "You don't know what the fuck you're saying. They do care about me. Ivan…he has always been there for me,"
"Niko, listen to me! He doesn't give a fuck about you, you just want to pretend he does cause you miss your parents and they're gone and-"
He can't continue as Nikolai grabs his shirt and raises his hand to punch him. Alin prepares for the hit, squinting his eyes. He can already hear the sympathetic comments of his classmates.
But the blow never comes and when he opens his eyes, cautiously all he sees is the familiar green orbs staring at him.
For a second he notes how beautiful his eyes are but then the expression behind them makes him forget everything else. There is no longer anger in them, only sadness and the unmistakable disappointment and betrayal.
Alin suddenly feels a wave of guilt and shame wash over him. He should have never said that. Anything but that.
"I was wrong about you. You are just like them and everyone else in this horrible country." the Bulgarian says and his voice is flat, completely derived of emotion.
Alin honestly preferred it when he was screaming.
"What am I to you? Some poor boy you need to save to make yourself feel better?"
The Romanian gulps he can't think of an answer to that. He wants to tell the other how much he loves him but the words die on his lips, heart slamming against his chest.
Nikolai chuckles but there is no amusement behind it. This mirthless laughter sounds very familiar and he quickly ties it to Ivan. It's remarkable how much the two are alike.
"I was just some fucking experiment to you, a toy to play with till you get tired. Then you throw me away and take a new one." the brunette finishes and it looks as if he is going to walk away.
Alin does not want the other to leave, he hates not having the last word but he also can't think of anything to say.
"You weren't a fucking toy, Nikolai." he manages to respond weakly.
Nikolai turns to face him and their eyes lock.
"At least be a man enough and not lie to me!" the Bulgarian rises his voice once again.
"What are you talking about?" Alin asks, incredulous. None of this makes sense and he can't find a reason why the other would act in such a way.
"I heard you yesterday." Nikolai admits, voice barely above a whisper.
Alin finally understands but he wishes he didn't.
"I heard how you told Francis about us…even when I begged you not to tell anyone. I…I knew I was asking for a lot but damn I didn't think you'd tell fucking Francis about it!"
The Romanian keeps quiet, he can't respond to this. He can feel his cheeks heat up and he has never been so guilty and ashamed.
"You can't even fucking defend yourself, what is left for someone else?" the Bulgarian challenges, looking at him and expecting from him to say something but the only answer he gets is more silent.
"And yeah, I heard all about how difficult I am to deal with. How you wish that…what was it? Oh, yeah that I was normal like you."
The words are cruel but Alin can't really deny anything. It is all true – there are times when Nikolai is too much, too intense. He himself is not that strong, he has his own demons to fight and he needs a little bit of saving. Only he's too afraid to ask for it.
"I just… I really though, fuck man, I thought you liked me as I am. Not as the version you wanted out of me." the words make the Romanian snap out of the pity party he is throwing for himself and look at the other.
"I do like you the you are," he tries to argue but at this point the other is done listening.
He can't handle the betrayal in the green eyes, so he looks away, focusing on anything else.
"Ivan is right – I can't be with someone like you," he shakes his head sadly and Alin can't help but feel his throat clench,
"In the end I was so stupid to think someone could actually care about me. Ivan was right all along, we can only count on each other."
With that Nikolai turns around and walks away and Alin wants to call for him or run after him or at least say something cheesy like in the movies and not stand in the middle of the street like an idiot but he can't.
He feels frozen and once the other is out of view he turns around, numb.
The thing about relationships is, they always end.
Author's Note: So what is a high school romance without some drama? What did you think on the chapter – Alin finally snapping like that? Before you hate him bear in mind that he will have issues of his own that Niko will find out about.
And Francis – he deserves all the hugs in the world! Hope you enjoyed the friendship between him and Alin!
Last but not least – how do you think our favourites will get back together? Or (insert evil smirk here)...will they?
Thanks for commenting to: Elizaveta Hedervary – Hungary, maryranstadler1, GarGoyl – you're all awesome for the support you're giving to this story!
GarGoyl – you're absolutely on the right track and Ivan will be revealed to have his own drama and a solid reason for the way he's acting.
I'd love to hear your thoughts!