A/N: Thank you all you great reviewers who told me to keep working on this story! I love you guys!
Anyways, I don't own Hetalia, because I barely have enough money to buy merchandise, let alone the whole franchise.
Feliciano was skipping to his room, when a hand reached out and grabbed his wrist. Oh no. Not them. He began shaking like a leaf when he saw the four tenth grade kids that surrounded him. No. No. No. Why did they have to do this? He had actually been healing since last time, so why now?
"C-ciao, you g-g-guys... h-how have you been?" Feliciano asked, his voice squeaking from his fear of the group sneering down at him.
The tallest (Gerald, Feliciano remembered grimly) grinned down at him, being a foot taller, and said, mockingly, "Oh, fine, fine. How is your boyfriend, Feli?" Why did the largest guys have to be be homophobes? Why did they pick him out of all the homosexuals in the school? Why did bullies always gravitate toward him?
He had told Lovino that real schools weren't like the ones in books, back on the first day of school. For the most part, they weren't, at all. But apparently bullies could actually exist. Maybe they were more subtle then the ones in books, he had yet to get his head forced down a toilet, but it still involved some physical risk, and possibly more mental risk than in books.
Feliciano whispered, his vocal tic (Ve~) was noticeably absent when he got nervous, like now, "He is fine. I have to go meet him now actually."
They laughed and sneered, and Feliciano sunk deeper into the wall. One of them, Pete, grabbed his other wrist and said, "Oh, but we want you to be with us, Feli." Don't use the nickname Luddy uses. I won't let you ruin it for me. No. It's just Ludwig's.
The boys dragged him outside, to a corner of the field where the bullies normally beat people up. Feliciano knew it well. They spoke sharp words to him, making fun of him and naming all of his faults.
"You're so stupid."
"You are so useless to everyone."
"Stop being such a wimp."
"Stop being so fake and nice, because everyone knows your not."
The usual words bullies said.
But they still hurt. Badly.
With each cruel word they hit him, treating him like a punching bag, hurting him physically as well as mentally. His body became covered in blossoming bruises. They finally left.
Feli curled up and sobbed. It had been happening more often lately. They had been hurting him more. He was having trouble trying to keep moving and staying happy, but sometimes everything came crashing down on him.
What if they are right?
That was Feli's biggest fear. What if it was all true? The words had worked their way into his head, and he felt trapped in those words.
Finally, he finished crying (mostly) and walked slowly back to his room, everything aching. He got there and opened the door to see Ludwig standing in the area by his bed. He looked up from the homework he was in the act of checking to see Feliciano, his pale arms colored with purple and blue, and his face sporting a black eye and cut lip. He rushed to the small Italian. "Who did this Feli? Who vas it zhis time?"
Feli blinked, more tears sprouting in the corners of his large brown eyes. It was worse this time, he knew it. Normally they only hit him a few times, only a few bruises. "It w-was Gerald a-and the others. They insulted me and hurt me, b-but they are right. I'm so stupid. I can't even defend myself! Wh-why would anyone like me! Why do you like me! I'm u-u-useless," he sobbed, curling up again.
Ludwig sat beside him, and hugged Feliciano shaking his head, "No I don't think you are stupid or useless. You are just a bit... innocent. But zhat is vhat I like about you. You are alvays so happy. And I couldn't hate you, ich libe dich."
Feliciano stopped sobbing, puzzled with the German words. "What was that... I... love you? In German?"
Ludwig nodded, "yes, Feli. You are right. And don't worry about bullies. Zhis is zhe last time I'm letting you get hurt. Just stick with me, okay?"
Feli nodded and clung to Ludwig. "Ve~" he said in a weak attempt to become his usual happy-go-lucky self, even though he was failing miserably at the moment. "My Doitsu always wants to protect me, he is so nice..." Feliciano attempted to smile, and nuzzled his face into the others neck, he wanted to show Ludwig that he WAS feeling better, because he honestly was.
This was the first time Ludwig had promised him something like that, mainly because Ludwig was also intimidated by the students at least three years older, and much taller than him, even if he was rather talk for a seventh grader, and even impressed eighth graders, it did not move passed ninth grade. But now he was standing up for him! "Can I kiss you now?" Feli loved physical signs of affection between them.
Ludwig rolled his eyes, a light brush tinting his cheeks. "Vhy is zhat vhat you think of, right after you got hurt?"
"Because it would make me feel better~" Feli sang, smiling into his boyfriend's face, enjoying himself suddenly. "You don't want me to still feel bad, do you?"
"Mein Gott," Ludwig sighed. "You just changed moods in two seconds. Matthew vas right. Okay, fine. I vill kiss you." He pecked Feli on the mouth, and then picked him up and carried him to his bed, with a little squirming from the little Italian, sitting him down and grabbing a first aid kit and working on cleaning him up.
After finishing cleaning the black eye, Feliciano pulled Ludwig's face down and kissed him again briefly. "Ve~ thank you Ludwig. Can I go to sleep now?"
"Alright, if you are okay vith missing dinner. Sleep vell."
Feli blinked sleepily, shaking his head. "Could you... stay with me?"
"Okay," said Ludwig, dragging a chair to the bed and picking up his book (he was reading that American book The Outsiders).
"Grazie... Germany..."
Francis brushed his hair in the empty room, which he remembered requesting at the start of the school year. He didn't really regret his decision. He never did. But it did sometimes get lonely. But not tonight, he reminded himself, settling down in front of his laptop. Tonight, he would be able to talk to Joan on Skype, keeping up the promise of speaking for two hours every other day. It pulled him through the days seeing Joan, even if it was through a computer screen.
He turned on the laptop, settling down more comfortably, checking himself in his mirror one last time. He had to be ready.
He saw a small tab pop up in the corner of the screen, and clicked it, Joan's face appearing. His smile faltered as he saw her face, thin and pale, though just as pretty as when he first met her.
It had been a nice warm day in Paris at the beginning of Summer. Francis had been enjoying himself, out walking around, looking at bakeries and flower shops and such, when he decided to buy ice cream for himself. He bought his ice cream and sat down on a bench, watching tourists who were sightseeing.
Then he saw a girl running down the street, chasing a small dog that had apparently escaped her. He ran over to the dog and snatched it turning to the girl to give it to her.
Francis saw the girl racing towards him and crashing into him, where they both fell on top of each other. The girl stood up, panting slightly, and pulled Francis up. He fell in love immediately. She was perfect, even her slight deficiencies made her better. Her hair was about his length, though in a different style, wavy and golden. And her bright blue green eyes stared at him as she pulled him up with a little difficulty.
"Hi," she said awkwardly. "Thank you for getting my dog. It isn't actually mine, I'm just taking care of it for a friend, and it would be awful if I lost it."
Francis had looked down at her and smiled his best smile, "it is no problem at all. I am just happy I could help such a pretty runner."
She had blushed at his flirting and fidgeted with the edge of her blue skirt. "Ah, thank you. Oh!" She said, looking at his ice cream cone, which had fell on the ground. " Let me buy you a new ice cream as thanks. It's the least I can do."
"It is a deal as long as you join me for it," Francis responded, holding out his hand.
She had stared for a moment before taking his hand and walking with him back to the ice cream shop."
That had been their first date. They had dated for about a month, deeply in love and celebrating the fact they were supposed to go to the same school, until she learned the news she had cancer.
Then everything went to hell, and Joan's health fell apart.
Francis smile recovered quickly and said, "Bonjour, mon amour."
Joan smiled sadly for a moment, before she responded, and they talked happily to each other for the next two hours, until Joan finally said, "Francis."
Francis blinked. "Yes?"
Joan's eyes closed for a moment and Francis thought he may have seen a tear fall down her face.
"I've... had a relapse."
Francis heart stopped, she had been doing better, he knew she had. But...
"Non. Non. It can't be true, please," Francis said, begging her to say she was kidding. But Joan wasn't like that.
"I'm sorry, I told you I was doing better," she whispered.
Francis shook his head, tears beginning to make their way down his face. "Non. Non. It can't be true. You cannot... this can't be happening. I can't let it happen. Mon dieu, I thought it was almost over!"
Joan nodded, crying, "I know, I know, I know! I thought it was over too!"
She finally stopped, and said, "I'm not giving up Francis, I promise. I won't give up. I'll keep fighting for you."
Francis was still crying. It wasn't fair. He had fallen in love at fourteen, and he was scared that he would only have six months with his true love. But he finally recovered enough to say, "I know. And I'll do everything I can to help you. Remember, in just a few weeks I will be going home to visit you and my family for Christmas."
After a couple of moments of silence, Joan said, "I have to go to bed. I love you, Francis."
"I love you too, Joan."
Then the call ended, and Francis closed Skype, and sat back, drained from crying. God help Joan, please, he thought to himself. Please.
A/N: Yay! Drama, sadness, and character development!
As always, I love suggestions and reviews! Please!