Disclaimer: I don't own Hetalia.

Chapter 10

There was a simple joy to being able to sleep until one's body decided that it was time to get up. It was far better than having to be woken up by an alarm.

At present, Vlad was enjoying this simple joy. Even though he was partially awake, he could still lie in, and that was pure bliss for him. He knew that he would have to get up at some point in order to work on his academic work, but for now he just enjoyed the warm sheets and the birdsong outside.

He couldn't hear Arthur or Lukas, so he assumed that they were doing the same thing that he was. This was nice. After the week he'd had, he knew that he needed as much rest as possible.

He ignored his growling stomach, and he ignored his dry mouth. But eventually he couldn't ignore something far more powerful: his bladder. With a groan, he kicked off the sheets and made his way to the bathroom.

Breakfast and coffee followed, and he glanced at the clock. It was already ten in the morning, and he would have to get to work soon. He also would be meeting up with Feliciano that night, and he was still debating whether or not to tell Arthur and Lukas about what was going on. All they knew was that he and Feliciano had a bit of trouble, and Feliciano came to apologise.

Arthur said that he would be able to find a frame for the painting, and Vlad was looking forward to having it hang in his room.

Before he got to work, he needed to call his family. His father might not be interested in speaking to him, but his mother and brother would want to know what was going on in his life. And so he went back up to his room and grabbed his cell phone.

He waited for a few seconds, feeling oddly nervous as he listened to the phone ring. Finally, the ringing stopped.

"Vlad," his mother's voice greeted him. "It's so nice to hear from you. How's England? Your classes started already, right? How are your housemates? Are you getting along?"

Vlad chuckled.

"Alo Mama," he said. "Da, classes already started. The first week was more work than I thought it would be, but so far I'm keeping up. And we're getting along well. We even got a job together at a café."

"That's great to hear," his mother said. "Um, your father is out now, but if you'd like to talk to Alex…"

"I would like that."

He could hear muffled conversation and movement.

"Vlad!" Alexandru cried. "I miss you! It's not so fun here without you."

"I miss you too," Vlad said. "Maybe you and Mama can come visit. Arthur, who lives with me, has a brother around your age, so you'd have a playmate here. Maybe keep you entertained when I have classes or work."

"But I want to spend time with you," Alexandru whined. "Oh, but are you having fun?"

"As much fun as I can with all this homework. But it's interesting. And I met a few supernatural creatures already. There are fairies at my house, and there's a snake-man at the university, and I made friends with a vampire."

He froze when he realised that he referred to Feliciano as his friend. Well, that would explain why he felt so betrayed. But hopefully things would go better between them.

"…Are you being serious?" Alexandru asked, though Vlad could hear the laughter in his voice.

"I also met someone else, but he doesn't want to tell me what he is," Vlad said. "He said he trusted the wrong person, so he's a bit careful."

"Okay… So, do you have a girlfriend yet?"

Vlad burst out laughing.

"No, not yet," Vlad said. "Though there are a few cute girls that come to the café where I work."

"You'll tell me if you get a girlfriend, right?" Alexandru asked.

"You'll be the first to know." Vlad looked up when someone knocked on his door. "I think one of my housemates is looking for me, so I've got to go. Be good, alright?"

"Okay. Bye, Vlad."

"Bye."

Alexandru handed the phone back to their mother so that she could say goodbye too. Vlad in the meantime went to open the door, raising a finger to show Lukas that he was almost finished. After saying goodbye to his mother and promising that he would call again next week he put the phone away.

"Sorry," Vlad said. "So, what's up?"

"We'll need to go shopping," Lukas said. "You're the one working with the food. Do you have a list?"

Vlad thought about it for a moment, before he looked back towards his desk.

"We should go to the bookstore to get some supplies," Vlad mused. "Are we going to do that too?"

"Arthur starts his shift at the café around noon, so we won't have much time," Lukas said. "But the two of us can go to the bookstore, if you want. We should also use the opportunity to get to know the city a little better. But for now, we'll need groceries."

"I can think of a few things. Just give me a moment to write them down."

He made a note to get notepads for shopping lists. He took one of his papers and tore it in half before starting to write down the things he noticed they needed in the kitchen, before thinking about basic supplies for himself, like deodorant, that he would need soon.

"When you're finished, get dressed and we'll get going," Lukas said.

Lukas closed the door, and after making the list Vlad got dressed and went through the rest of his morning routine. The last thing he needed to do was brush his teeth, then he joined Arthur and Lukas, who had also just finished.

"Are you all ready?" Arthur asked, looking between the two.

"Let's just get going," Lukas said.

A few minutes later found them at the supermarket. They each went their separate ways, looking for the things they needed. Vlad felt a bit annoyed that he was stuck with most of the groceries, but when he ran into Arthur he saw that Arthur had taken it upon himself to buy a few things as well.

Vlad also got some stationery, hoping that they wouldn't be cheaper at the bookstore. That would not have been amusing. Once he'd gotten everything and paid for it, he waited outside for the other two, wondering why they were taking longer than him.

Vlad hissed in pain as something seemed to pierce his head. He instinctively closed his eyes, and he could see a flash of red. He jumped, his eyes snapping open. He looked around, suddenly feeling very cold. He could only see humans going about their daily lives. Still, he couldn't shake off this feeling of dread.

He looked behind him when he heard footsteps and sighed in relief when he saw Arthur and Lukas. Lukas arched his eyebrow when he saw Vlad's reaction, but didn't comment on it. Arthur was checking his watch, and Vlad knew that he was checking to make sure that he had enough time to get to his shift in time.

"Anything that needs to get into the fridge or freezer?" Arthur asked.

"Da," Vlad said, holding up his bag.

"Then we'll go back for that, and then I have to drop you off at the bookstore, right?"

"Yes, please," Lukas said.

A few minutes later, Vlad was packing the groceries in the refrigerator while Arthur was handling the freezer. Vlad checked the clock and noticed that they still had some time, and so he fixed some ham and cheese sandwiches for Arthur and Lukas. He didn't know if they'd had breakfast, or at what time they had the breakfast, and he figured that Arthur especially needed it now. And based on Arthur's expression when he saw the sandwiches, it was a good call.

"Thank you," Arthur breathed, before he grabbed one of the sandwiches.

"I'm sorry that it's only a sandwich, but I don't think we have time for much else," Vlad said. "We should really plan these things better."

"Agreed," Lukas said, walking into the kitchen. He eyed the second sandwich. "Is that for me?"

"Da. I'm still full enough from my breakfast."

"…We're all exhausted after the first week of classes," Arthur sighed. "I think we need to find a better way to handle it."

"We'll adapt," Lukas said, before he took a bite from his sandwich.

Once they were finished, Arthur dropped them off at the bookstore before he went to the café. Vlad had his booklist with him, and the university provided the funds. He still had a few textbooks to buy. He made his way to the psychology section, and once he saw the price of the first book he was extremely grateful that the purchase wouldn't be coming out of his own pocket.

…

Vlad was pacing in his room, but understanding why exactly he felt nervous. He was waiting for Feliciano to come, and he should be there soon. Perhaps it was because Feliciano insisted on secrecy.

He looked over towards the tube with the painting, still lacking a proper frame for it. Arthur and Lukas were a bit confused about why Feliciano would give Vlad a painting as a form of apology. Vlad still didn't feel comfortable about telling the other two about everything between him and Feliciano.

He jumped when the doorbell rang, and he rushed out of his room. Arthur poked his head out of his room before he noticed that Vlad was going. Still, Arthur stayed at the doorway of his room, just in case the person at the door was there for Arthur. Vlad took a deep breath before he opened the door.

Feliciano smiled at Vlad, and Vlad could see a taxi in the road. He wondered where Feliciano wanted to take him.

"Are you ready?" Feliciano asked.

"Da," Vlad said, before closing the door behind him. He looked up, seeing Arthur's face in the window. Well, if anything happened, at least Arthur knew who Vlad was with.

Feliciano gave the directions to the taxi driver, and they were on their way. Vlad knew that they wouldn't be able to discuss anything with the human driver, which made the situation even more awkward.

"So, did you do anything special today?" Feliciano asked.

"Um, not much," Vlad replied. "Did some shopping and got to know the route from the bookstore to the house, and then I caught up on my homework. I even started to read ahead in one of my classes."

"That's great. It feels nice to have a productive day. Me… I was sleeping."

Vlad snorted in amusement. Just the way that Feliciano said it… And the fact that he already knew that Feliciano was nocturnal meant that it would have been the truth, but to the taxi driver that was possibly listening, it would have been the opposite of a productive day, which actually made the situation funnier.

They stopped in front of what appeared to be an apartment building. Feliciano paid the driver before he ushered Vlad to the door. When Vlad looked towards Feliciano, he noticed that his head was continuously tilting and his eyes darted around. Vlad recognised the behaviour. Feliciano was making sure that they weren't being observed.

Feliciano only relaxed once they reached an apartment. Vlad recalled Feliciano mentioning that he had his own apartment for when he wanted to get away from the other vampires. And sure enough, when Feliciano fished a set of keys out of his pocket, Vlad understood that they were in the place that Feliciano considered to be safer than any other.

"Come in," Feliciano beckoned, stepping into the darkness.

Right after Vlad was inside, the door closed behind them and the lights flickered on. Vlad's eyes widened when he saw the place. It was clearly a place where an artist could thrive. And the thick blinds on the windows made this a safe place for Feliciano.

"Welcome to my humble abode," Feliciano said. "I got a few things from a 24-hour convenience store last night. Would you like some coffee or tea or something?"

"Um, coffee would be great," Vlad said. "I get the feeling that this is going to be a long night."

Feliciano winced before he nodded. He went over to the kitchenette, a place that Vlad knew Feliciano didn't use often. Still, he seemed comfortable enough in the area.

Just as he thought it, a pleasant aroma hit him. Vlad's eyes widened in astonishment. Feliciano turned back to him with a smile.

"I hope you haven't had dinner yet," Feliciano said. "I may not be able to eat it, but I like cooking pasta. I love the smell of it. I usually just give it to my human neighbours, and they seem to like it."

Vlad had only had a light dinner about an hour ago, but now the scent was making him hungry again. And he felt touched by Feliciano's consideration.

"Thank you," Vlad said. "It smells great."

Feliciano beamed, before he plated up a helping for Vlad. He also finished the coffee and added milk. Vlad went to sit down at the kitchen counter.

"Buon appetito," Feliciano said.

Vlad smiled before taking a bite. He could immediately tell that the pasta was homemade, and the sauce was to die for. And there was something else he noticed.

"I thought vampires don't like garlic," Vlad said.

"Normally, the scent is too strong for us," Feliciano said. "But I like it. It's just one of the reasons why I'm considered to be an oddball. What the others don't know is that I can smell through the garlic. That's something that the others can't do."

Feliciano's face fell slightly, and Vlad frowned.

"You wanted to speak to me in private," Vlad said. "What did you want to talk about?"

"I want you to know how things are for me," Feliciano sighed. "I'm considered to be a failure as a vampire. I don't enjoy killing or torturing, and most of the time when I feed it's because a human tried to attack me." Feliciano shrugged. "I look like a pushover. And to the other vampires, that's exactly what I am."

"So in other words, you're bullied by the others."

Feliciano nodded.

"The only reason why they haven't killed me yet is because the head of our coven is my grandfather," he said. "We were nobles. And after my grandma died, my grandpa searched for a way to escape death. He met a vampire, and the rest is history. But he wasn't happy with just being a part of a coven. He wanted to go on his own, but they didn't want that. A coven is supposed to be like a family, and they didn't like his attitude. And he killed them to get rid of any connection. He also made sure that there wouldn't be another vampire as strong as him, at least not in our immediate environment."

Vlad nodded to show that he followed, his mouth full of pasta. Already, he was getting a picture of Feliciano's grandfather. And it wasn't good.

"Anyway, eventually he returned, but he had little to do with us," Feliciano said. "He'd already started gathering a few other people as members of his coven. He just looked over us as a matter of pride. But then, we all got hit with a plague. Our parents already died, and there was little hope that my brothers or I would be able to survive. My grandpa didn't want his bloodline to simply die out like that, so he sired us. And we've been under his influence ever since. Unless the head of the coven allows you to leave, you can't go out on your own."

"I heard about that," Vlad said. "It's part of a security measure. An older vampire has more control, and they can keep an eye on the younger ones to avoid detection."

"That's how it's supposed to be, but my grandpa… He just likes control. He built a network while keeping the number of vampires in the coven relatively low. Around the time of the Industrial Revolution we made our way here, and he laid down the roots so deep that not even the Kirklands are aware of the influence. If the Kirkland family is the formal rule for the supernatural population of Meldale, then my grandpa and some of the more… proactive members of the coven are the criminal underground."

"Why are you telling me all of this specifically?" Vlad asked.

"I want you to know that I didn't want to spy on you. I just… I don't have the power to resist my grandpa. And if he didn't make me spy on you, then he would have sent someone else. Someone… not so nice. The reason why he asked me to spy on you is because the others told him that I didn't react to that amulet. That was before we knew about it. He also has spies of other races that he can send after you."

Vlad shuddered. He remembered the feeling of being watched throughout the week. Could it be…?

"I don't know exactly what my grandpa wants from you," Feliciano continued. "But it has something to do with you being Romanian, and he keeps mentioning the Prince."

Vlad frowned. The fact that Feliciano mentioned a prince, and since Vlad had two visions during the week regarding a certain prince…

"I… I wonder…" Vlad mused.

"What is it?" Feliciano asked.

"It's just… I had two visions this week regarding Prince Vlad Tepes. I know, first of all, that he was indeed a vampire, and secondly, he had a son who had a baby. And the son… he was a vampire too."

"A dhampir…" Feliciano whispered. "I wonder… if it might be connected."