The Best Is Yet To Come

A space for my writing, my thoughts, my pictures, and my ideas. Sit back and stay a while?

[waterfromsand]

Rage Quit

Tino finds something of Berwald’s that throws him into a passionate fury. How will Berwald handle the situation when he returns from work?

---

Humming a sweet little folk song, Tino smiled proudly at the clean room around him and began wrapping up the vacuum cleaner’s cord. Finally, all of the housework he had been meaning to do for the past week was done. With his living space finally organized and sparkling, Tino knew he could relax at last.

After storing away the vacuum cleaner in its closet, Tino strolled down to the cozy den where he and Berwald spent most of their time when unwinding at home.

“I hope there’s something good on right now,” Tino murmured, grabbing the remote for the television and flopping down on the couch. Tino and Berwald had recently splurged and bought themselves a massive television that took up almost an entire wall of their small den space. Tino hadn’t really had much time yet to appreciate it, so he found himself content to flip through channels for a while and admire the different pictures on the big screen. However, Tino quickly grew tired of scanning through channels only to find that there was nothing on that really caught his attention. Groaning, he got up to see if there was a movie in his collection that he could put in instead.

Along with the new television, Berwald had insisted on buying a grand new entertainment center to match. The gargantuan piece of furniture was very sleek and new age, seeming to take up much less space than it actually did. Unfortunately for Tino, he had been at work while Berwald put it together, so he had no real idea of where anything had been stowed away.

Heading for the right side of the entertainment center, where the movies had been arranged in the past, Tino looked around the cabinet for a moment, trying to figure out how to open it. Finally, with a simple press on the top corner of the door, the compartment opened. Tino mentally patted himself on the back for his cleverness, then looked around on the shelves for a movie he might like. Small LED riggings on the bottom of each shelf made it easy to read the title of every case in the cabinet. However, Tino quickly realized that he was not looking through his movie collection, but had instead stumbled upon Berwald’s impressive gaming store.

Tino let out a disappointed harrumph and began straightening up to close the cabinet door. Before he was completely upright, however, something out of uniform caught his attention. Every game in the cubby had been arranged beautifully, organized in alphabetical order and by console type, with room on each shelf for new additions to the collection as they came. What had managed to catch Tino’s eye was one game that had not yet been sorted in with the rest. It seemed to have been tossed haphazardly into the cabinet, perhaps after Berwald came home from a long day at work, and was resting on a shelf so that the cover was face up.

Intrigued, Tino reached out to pick up the case. It had an attractive cover design, with beautiful art and a simple name that made his spine shiver with anticipation. Tino flipped the case and made quick work of reading the brief description on the back. Tino was immediately inspired to play the game. It had been far too long since he had the time or energy to really let himself enjoy a new game, and there was no way he was going to let this opportunity pass him by. Hopefully Berwald wouldn’t mind too much if he borrowed the disc for a while. After all, the Swede did get a little annoyed sometimes if Tino played one of his new games, especially if he played it before Berwald had even gotten the chance to do so himself.

Dashing around the den, Tino shut off all the lights, threw the disc into the appropriate console, turned up the volume on the television to an outrageous level, surrounded himself with blankets and pillows, and pulled out the unhealthiest combination of drinks and snacks he could find. After all, he wanted to make sure he enjoyed the experience as much as possible.

--

Berwald rolled his shoulders and loosened his tie as he stepped into his home. He was mildly confused at first when he didn’t smell dinner cooking or hear Tino clinking about in the kitchen. After all, his sweet little lover had sent him a text message earlier in the day to make sure Berwald would be home in time for the dinner he had planned.

Berwald shrugged as he took off his shoes and put his keys away. Perhaps Tino had changed his mind and they would order takeout or hit one of their favorite restaurants instead. As he walked further into the house to call out to Tino, Berwald heard loud noises coming from the den. Perhaps Tino was just enjoying the new television and had gotten carried away.

Berwald grinned, ready to catch his lover slacking off and punish him for it with a violent attack of hugs and kisses that would leave him breathless and begging for mercy. As he approached the den, however, his devilish grin disappeared as he caught the sounds of muffled sobbing.

Instantly Berwald’s mood swerved from playful to frantic as he trotted into the den to see what the matter was. Tino, his precious Tino, was curled on his side on the couch, tightly wrapped in at least three fleecy blankets and backed by enormous pillows. There was a small pile of snack bags littering the floor and several empty soda cans. Tino had a game controller clutched tightly in his hands, his knuckles white from the force of his grip. Tears were streaming down his cheeks, his face was contorted in rage and distress. Loud battle cries and the shrieks of metal clashing against metal blared from the surround sound system as Tino’s character on screen was viciously taken out by an enemy.

As the screen blackened out to announce Tino’s death, the small Fin let out an enraged scream and began thrashing around on the couch.

“Why can’t I get past this part!” He shrieked, throwing himself around, “I can’t beat this stupid floor and I don’t know what I’m doing wrong and I can’t believe I’m such a loser and I just want to get to the next city and slay the hydra there before I lose more money from this quest but I can’t because I’m an idiot and I can’t figure out how this stupid game WORKS!” Tino’s tone quickly escalated to pure fury as he ranted about the game. His shoulders were shaking from the force of his rage and his breath was coming in erratic bursts here and there.

Berwald’s eyes widened as he took in the scene before him. Tino had gotten worked up in the past over games that he enjoyed playing, but Berwald had never seen him so upset. He had no idea what to do, but he knew he had to act before Tino hurt himself.

“T’no, pl’se calm d’wn,” Berwald murmured as he strode across the room to take Tino into his arms. Tino, however, was having none of it.

“Don’t you DARE tell me to calm down! I won’t! I can’t deal with this stupid game anymore! All I’m good at is dying!” Tino squirmed away from Berwald as he approached, unwilling to let the man touch him while he was so worked up.

Berwald sighed, then noticed which game Tino was playing. It was a game that he had just recently purchased, but was already quite familiar with. He knew at once what Tino’s problem was and why he was unable to advance through the particular dungeon he had entered.

“T’no, l’ve, I c’n help ya if ya need,” he offered, sitting on the couch as close as he could to his lover without scaring him off, “I kn’w wh’t ya need t’ do t’ g’t through th’s d’ng’n.”

Tino instantly snapped into a completely different person. At once, he was sitting upright and cuddled close to Berwald’s side. He shoved the controller into his lover’s hands. “Well for heck’s sake show me what to do! Just get me through this part so I can go kill the hydra!”

Berwald smiled, and despite protestations from Tino, managed to give his frenzied lover a few sweet kisses on the cheek as he began setting things up so that Tino could get through the dungeon. As it turned out, all Tino had needed was a certain sword and a slightly higher defense level.

“Let me do it, let me do it!” Tino cried out, fumbling for the controller as Berwald approached the proper quest to earn the sword.

Berwald laughed and handed over the controller without a fight. He did, however, pull Tino into his lap and hold him close as he played. He loved watching Tino play video games just as much as he enjoyed playing them himself. It was fascinating to see how Tino picked up strategies and maneuvered his way through gaming worlds. Not to mention, Tino was a completely different person when gaming. He somehow transformed from the sweet, polite, loving person that Berwald knew into a violent, swearing, adrenaline fueled monster.

Quite some time later, Tino finally returned to the dungeon that had been giving him so much trouble earlier and made quick work of it. When he was through the dungeon after only one try, Tino sat with the controller loosely held in his hands. His face was blank and he looked entirely numb.

“T’no?” Berwald asked, gently placing a hand on the smaller man’s shoulder, “’re ya alr’ght?”

Tino let out a loud whoop of joy and twisted around in Berwald’s arms. The force of Tino’s reaction threw Berwald back on the couch, leaving Tino pinning him down with a fierce hug.

“I did it!” Tino cried, his shout muffled due to the fact that he had shoved his face into the crook of Berwald’s neck.

Berwald laughed and celebrated with his lover, holding Tino close and congratulating him.

“T’no, I’m really pr’d ‘f ya,” Berwald said, hugging his lover tightly, “B’t b’fore ya go ta beat th’ hydr’, c’n we h’ve someth’n ta eat?” Berwald’s innocent question was immediately punctuated by a loud grumble from his stomach.

Tino gasped and leapt up. “Oh my God! I completely forgot about dinner! And it’s already so late! What am I gonna do! Oh no, Ber, I’m so sorry! Oh I’ve been such an idiot sitting here and obsessing over this game while you’re basically wasting away after a long day at work and-“

Berwald grinned at his lover’s distress, stood, and silenced him with a sweet kiss. “T’no, ‘m j’st gl’d I got ta be w’th ya,” he murmured, “’nd b’sides, I w’s k’ind of in th’ mood f’r t’keout ‘nyw’y. I w’nt ta see ya t’ke on th’ hydr’.”

Tino’s eyes misted slightly at the total sweetness and loving tone Berwald used to address him.

“I love you more than life itself,” Tino reminded Berwald, giving him a deep kiss. “Now, if you’re gonna watch me play this game for the rest of the night, you better go change your clothes and come back to the den with way more junk food. I’ll order in some pizza.”

Berwald grinned, gave Tino one last squeeze, and went to do as he was told. As he heard the sounds of Tino scurrying about to prepare for their lazy evening, Berwald thought about how lucky he really was to have such a wonderful man in his life. Then he heard screaming and battle cries from the den that sent shivers up his spine, and reminded himself to also never, ever, not on his life, get on Tino’s bad side.

 --

Hey all! Hope you enjoyed this one, I know it’s been forever since I posted last and I’m obviously getting rusty. This same fic can be found on my AO3 and FanFiction accounts under the same title and username. Feel free to critique it or tell me if you enjoyed it, and as always I am open to future suggestions!

[waterfromsand]

My Fair Lady

Austria has planned a perfect day at the fair for Hungary and himself. It’s going to be the day that he confesses his love to Hungary, and the day that they share their first kiss. Now, if everything could just go according to plan...

---

“Whoa, Austria! Look at the size of that Ferris wheel!” 

Austria hid a small grin at the sound of utter excitement in Hungary’s voice. He would never be able to match her outward enthusiasm for everything, but that wouldn’t stop him from enjoying her outbursts. 

“Oh my gosh and the midway! It’s huge! Austria this is going to be the best day ever!”

Austria gripped the steering wheel tighter to hide the shake in his hands. He was hoping with all of his heart that this would indeed be the best day ever: The day that he finally kissed Hungary. 

He had everything planned out perfectly, like a well orchestrated piece of music. First, they would walk past all the livestock in for contest so Hungary could pet the rabbits and poke the cows. Then they would head up the midway and Austria would win a huge bear for her. They would put the massive prize in the car, then head back to fill up on funnel cakes, ice cream, and hot dogs. He would take Hungary on some of the smaller rides, but Austria would wait until the end of the day for the piece de resistance. When the crowds began to thin and the lights along the midway and on the rides all lit, he would lead Hungary by the hand to the Ferris wheel. They would get in a car and sit so closely together. Then, the Ferris wheel would begin moving, stopping every few seconds to let others on, and when they reached the top, Austria would look into Hungary’s eyes, tell her how amazing she was, and lean in for the most incredible kiss in the world. 

Perfect. As he pulled into the lot and took his keys from ignition, Austria squared his shoulders and prepared himself to make sure that nothing, absolutely nothing, went wrong. 

---

“Oh, wow, that looks really bad...” Hungary whispered as she sat beside Austria on a hay bale. 

Austria tried to smile reassuringly through a grimace as he clutched his wrist and held his profusely bleeding left hand away from his clothes. He couldn’t stand the thought of staining his designer washed jeans. 

“It’s not awful. I mean really, it was just a little rabbit. The thing caught me off guard is all,” Austria explained, trying to maintain his cool. On the inside, however, he was filled to bursting with utter embarrassment. Of all the stupid ways to show what a loser he was in front of the most important person in the world to him, he had to go and get mauled by a rabbit. One of the tiniest rabbits at the fair, to boot. 

Hungary chuckled and rummaged through her purse. “Don’t worry, tough guy, I’ve got you covered.” 

Austria raised a single eyebrow as Hungary pulled out a small but well equipped first aid kit from her purse. Hungary noticed the look and rolled her eyes. 

“Come on Austria, you know I spent a lot of time with Italy when he was growing up. He was always stepping from one disaster into another. I’ve learned to come prepared.”

Austria nodded and opened his mouth to respond, but found himself unable to speak when Hungary’s strong but delicate hand gripped his wrist. 

As Hungary deftly went about cleaning up, disinfecting, and bandaging Austria’s surprisingly severe rabbit bite, Austria found himself incredibly distracted by just her hands. They were beautiful, despite several small scars that belied the true difficulties of her past. Her long, dexterous fingers made quick work of covering up the wound, yet Austria found that even such brief contact between them left him breathless. 

Once she had finished patching him up, Hungary looked up at Austria. When he noticed the questioning look that skated across her features, Austria was quick to check and change his expression. He berated himself for slipping and acting like such a fool around Hungary, but he just found that he really couldn’t help himself. Hungary just had an incredible hold on his heart, even though for now she seemed to have no clue. 

Austria coughed uncomfortably to dispel the drawn out silence, and suggested that the two of them check out the games along the midway. 

Hungary let out an excited screech and jumped up, all awkwardness long forgotten. “Ooh, yes please! I’ve seen people walking around with the most wonderful prizes!”

Hungary reached down and grabbed Austria’s uninjured hand and pulled him along toward the midway. Though Austria, as usual, tried his best to maintain a cool exterior, his insides were melting. He considered himself to be the luckiest man alive just to be allowed to spend time with such an extraordinary girl. 

---

Hungary lifted one of her hands and did her best to pass her laugh off as a cough. Austria did his best to pretend not to notice. He had been standing in front of this pathetic “Knock ‘em Down!” game for over five minutes and had already gone through fifteen tries. All he had managed to do so far is knock the top can from its position on the pyramid. 

Austria could not believe how pathetic he was. All he had to do was knock down the entire pyramid of cans in one pitch and the giant teddy bear in the back of the booth was his. Well, his to give to Hungary and win her heart, obviously. But so far all he’d managed to do was win a bunch of consolation candy. He asked the man running the booth for one more round of balls to toss at the tin pyramid. 

He looked surreptitiously over his shoulder and noticed that Hungary, incredibly, had not lost interest and was still watching him. 

Probably cause you’re such an entertaining loser show, he said to himself. He wound up and threw the first ball as hard as he could. 

With a metallic clang, the top can and one of the cans beneath it flew off the pedestal. His heart rate picked up. So far he had done better on his first throw than he had in any other try. He pulled his arm back once more and let another ball fly. Another clatter and all but three cans were on the ground. Austria almost laughed in disbelief. He had one ball left. He closed his eyes, steadied his breathing, and tossed the ball once in the air. Squaring his shoulders, he set himself up, then pitched the ball one last time. 

Every single can flew to the ground. 

Hungary jumped for joy and threw her arms around Austria as he stood, dumbstruck, staring at the cleared pedestal. “You did it!” She cried, “I knew you could do it!”

Though his heart was racing from his long-awaited victory, Austria knew that such a simple game couldn’t result in so many butterflies appearing in his stomach. Hungary’s arms were wrapped tightly around his chest. She just said that she had believed in him. Even when she pulled away, Hungary’s sweet scent still lingered all around him. 

“Hey, buddy, you in there?” The booth keeper asked loudly, waving his hand in front of Austria’s face. “You get a bottom shelf prize. Which would ‘dja like?”

Austria shook his head as he fell out of his reverie. 

Get it together, he scolded himself, asking the man for a small, white teddy bear from the bottom shelf. 

As the man reached over the bar to hand the small bear to Austria, he turned to Hungary and smiled. “And you, ma’am? Would you like to have a try?”

“Yes, please, if you wouldn’t mind,” Hungary said sweetly, stepping up to the counter.

Austria stepped aside to give Hungary space, and watched in awe as with one toss from Hungary every single tin can went flying off the pedestal.

Hungary grinned self assuredly, doing a little happy dance and a simple hair toss as she asked the man to bring her a giant bear.

“But... How... You...” Austria was speechless as Hungary turned and offered the giant bear to him.

“Please, Austria, you know how much time I spent with Prussia when I was younger. We threw rocks at I don’t even know how many things and the loser always had to do something ridiculous like eat dirt or touch bird poop. I picked up accuracy very quickly.”

Austria shuffled his feet, embarrassed. There was no way someone like him deserved to be with someone as talented as Hungary. She was perfect at everything that she did, and what was he good at?

“Here, I want you to have this,” Hungary said, once more pushing the bear toward Austria.

“What?”

“I want you to keep it.”

“I thought you just wanted me to hold it!” Austria cried out in surprise, “Don’t you want it? You won it your first try!”

Hungary smiled, and Austria thought for just a moment that he saw the hint of a blush on her cheeks. He quickly dismissed that idea though. Hungary had no reason to blush around him. “I’m sure I want you to have it,” she said softly.

Austria shifted his weight awkwardly. “Okay, well, it’s not as impressive by any stretch of the imagination, but...” Austria pulled the little bear he had won out and offered it to Hungary.

Hungary took the bear and held it close to her heart, giving it a tight squeeze. “Thank you so much,” she whispered, “He’s so cute!” Hungary reached out her hand and squeezed Austria’s arm. “You’re too kind.”

Austria’s stomach did a back-flip while his heart tried to hammer free of his chest. It took him a moment to untangle his tongue enough to suggest that they take the bears back to the car so they could grab something to eat and not worry about getting them sticky. As they walked toward the parking lot, Austria wondered if Hungary knew the effect she had on him. He watched her petting the bear’s head and talking to it and thought for a minute that perhaps she knew exactly what she made him feel.

---

As Austria watched Hungary eat her outrageously pink cotton candy, all he could think about was how sugary her lips would be at the top of the Ferris wheel.

“Hey! Austria? Are you okay?” Hungary asked, pressing her hand to Austria’s forehead.

Austria’s heart kicked into overdrive at Hungary’s concerned touch. “Yes, of course I’m fine, why?” he asked.

“You looked kind of out of it, and I was wondering if we could ride the Scrambler now,” Hungary explained, pointing out a garishly painted ride across the field.

“Of course,” Austria said with a smile, trying to play off rubbing the sweat from his palms as simply trying to put his hands in his pockets. The sun was falling and the temperature dropping but he still felt so hot under Hungary’s gaze. He felt every moment like he was going to mess something up. Heck, he had already messed up plenty of things so far today, but he was going to try his hardest to make sure the rest of the day went smoothly. He still had a chance to make it the best day ever.

The line to the Scrambler was relatively short as people were beginning to leave the fair, so before he knew it Austria and Hungary were strapped into one of the cars on the questionably-put-together ride. Hungary was practically bouncing with excitement as the operator walked over to the control panel to start the ride. All Austria could focus on was how Hungary’s eyes sparkled when she was happy.

I want to see her happy like this all the time, he thought, I want to see her happy like this when she looks at me.

With a loud metallic screech, the ride began to move.

---

“Do you want me to grab you a water?” Hungary asked, rubbing Austria’s back as they sat on a bench a few feet away from the Scrambler.

Austria was too nauseous to be embarrassed. “No, no, I’ll be alright. I just need to sit for a while until everything stops spinning.”

Hungary nodded, but continued to rub Austria’s back. He couldn’t say he minded the contact.

“Sorry, Hungary, I don’t mean to be rude but... Have you always had three heads?” Austria said, peeking up at the girl.

Just like that Hungary was doubled over laughing, and just the sound of her happiness made Austria feel infinitely better.

“Austria, you’re so wacky,” Hungary said, ruffling the young man’s hair.

Austria’s heart sang, and he near fell over from sheer joy. He was so happy that Hungary was enjoying herself, especially that she was enjoying herself around him.

“Really, though, I am feeling much better,” Austria said, sitting up. He looked around him and noticed that the sun was just setting, casting a beautiful glow on the heavy cloud cover. All around him, he saw lights from game booths at the midway, rides in the field, and even the Ferris wheel beginning to click on.

It was time.

“Hey, Hungary,” he said quietly, “Would you like to ride the Ferris wheel now? I’m starting to get tired and I wanted to save the best ride for last.”

Hungary smiled sweetly. “I would love that.”

---

Although the line at the Scrambler had been short, it seemed as though everyone wanted to hop on the Ferris wheel before the fair closed down for the night. Austria shifted uncomfortably as he noticed that the majority of the people waiting in line were young couples who seemed to be practically glued together. Did Hungary know what he had planned? Would she be angry if he told her how she felt? Maybe she just liked him in a friendly way. There hadn’t really been anything romantic that went on between them today, so it was impossible to tell how she felt.

Before Austria could indulge in a mini, internal panic attack, it was his turn and Hungary’s to board the Ferris wheel. The man opening car doors was short and very old, and he gave the two a knowing smile as he ushered them onto the ride. He winked at Austria and chuckled. Austria prayed Hungary hadn’t noticed.

As he seated himself beside Hungary on the open car, Austria steeled his nerves. He ignored his racing heart, clenched his shaking hands into fists, and breathed deeply through his nose.

This was it.

Slowly, the Ferris wheel groaned as it began moving to let on the next passengers.

As they rose, Austria watched Hungary take in the beautiful sights around them. And it was beautiful. The whole fair was lit up in twinkling lights in the twilight. The air smelled of sweet funnel cakes and warm animals. A cool breeze blew away the heat of the day, and everything felt right in the world. While Hungary looked around in wonder, Austria couldn’t keep his eyes off of her.

Her hair fell around her shoulders in soft, beautiful waves. Her face was alight with joy and contentment. Her eyes sparkled in the lights from the Ferris wheel, and her skin glowed from spending the day in the sun. Hungary thought of all the amazing things he loved about her, and decided he was ready.

“Hungary?” He said tentatively.

The girl turned to face him, a warm smile softening her gorgeous features.

And suddenly, Austria was speechless.

“I- Uh- I um... I mean... It was... Today-”

Hungary chuckled. “Today was amazing, Austria, thank you for bringing me to the fair. I haven’t had such a wonderful day in ages.”

Just like that, Austria’s brain clicked back into gear. He couldn’t stop himself once he started talking.

“I’m really happy that you enjoyed yourself. I wanted to make today perfect for you, but I guess I pretty much messed up royally. I wanted you to have a lot of time to pet all the rabbits and cows and horses, but you had to stop and fix my hand after I was mauled by the tiniest rabbit on earth. And then, I really wanted to win a big teddy bear for you, but all I could get you was the smallest one at the booth. And on top of that it took me sixteen tries. And then I got sick on the Scrambler so we couldn’t go on more rides until now. But now everything is perfect and you look so beautiful and we’re at the top of the Ferris wheel and I just wanted to tell you that you are the most amazing person on this whole planet and I am the luckiest man alive to have been able to share this day, no matter how pathetic I was, with you.”

Austria sucked in a breath as he finished his lengthy monologue. He felt like a complete idiot. That was not at all what he had wanted to say, and now Hungary probably thought he was an idiot. Or pathetic. Or a creep. Or most likely, all of the above.

“I’m sorry,” He said, turning away when Hungary seemed unlikely to respond.

“No, it’s okay,” Hungary said gently, placing her hand on Austria’s shoulder. As he turned back to face her, she said, “I feel the same way.”

Austria, despite being incredibly relieved, felt his heart pound like he was falling. Slowly, he began to lean in toward Hungary. It was time. He was going to kiss her. Now or never. The perfect end to a perfect day.

Hungary too began to lean in, looking back and forth through her long eyelashes between Austria’s eyes and his lips.

Just as Austria closed his eyes before brushing his lips against Hungary’s, the heavens split and rain came crashing down around them.

Austria and Hungary both jumped back in shock as the chilled rain splashed down on them.

“You have got to be kidding me!” Austria yelled up at the sky.

Hungary laughed with her whole body, then threw her arms around Austria.

“Oh, come here!” she cried out, then pressed her warm, soft lips to Austria’s.

Austria smiled into the kiss. Oh yeah. Best. Day. Ever.

---

Hey guys! Thanks for reading this bit. I hope if any of you have been having bad days, this made you feel a little better.

You can find this story on Fanfiction and AO3 as well, same title, same username. As always, I am open to requests and critiques.

Have a wonderful day!

[waterfromsand]

I really like your sufin story! Can you write a continuation of that story? Or maybe an unrelated story in the same au with Tino and Berwald?

Thank you for being so kind! I’m really glad you enjoyed the story. I was planning on it being a stand alone kind of deal, as most of my shorts are, because the longer I go the more tempted I am to just keep going, and eventually it gets boring. I wouldn’t want you to end up hating the story! I like your idea, though, and perhaps one day I might consider doing an addition. I would post it on fanfiction, though, where my stories all exist under the same username I have here. I do have plans for future SuFin stories, I just sadly have not had the time or drive to get them cranked out of my brain yet. Stick around though and I’m sure you’ll see more soon!

[waterfromsand]

America the Beautiful

Beautiful...

Matthew looked, entranced, upon the face of his sleeping brother. Early morning light filtered in through a slit in the curtains, casting a soft glow through the room. Alfred’s hair shone in the golden rays, bright and lustrous with health. His sooty lashes curled delicately, so long it seemed like they were about to brush over the his rosy cheeks. 

Alfred’s chest rose and fell in a slow, steady rhythm as he slept comfortably swaddled in all of his sheets and blankets. Matthew, being the less aggressive sleeper, had just one blanket and half a pillow left, but he didn’t mind. He was warm enough being so close to his brother, especially now that a deep blush was beginning to creep across his face. 

What am I doing? He thought to himself, squeezing his eyes shut and burying his face in what little pillow he had left, Al is my brother! I can’t think about him like he’s- Like... Like this!

Matthew took a deep breath to try to steady himself, but instantly regretted his decision. His nose was filled with the warm, familiar scent of his brother: apples, cinnamon, wheat, and something else crisp and earthy that Matt had never really been able to identify. 

Matthew sighed, the smell comforting him. He was only in town with his brother for a week before he had to leave again, and being so close to Al reminded Matthew just how much he missed his brother while he was away. The scent brought back memories of swimming in the creek behind their childhood home, jumping in massive piles of fallen leaves, building snowman after snowman in feet of snow. It reminded him of all the times that he had fallen and Al had picked him back up, giving him a big hug to comfort him. 

Matt found himself wanting to be wrapped in Al’s strong arms again, held tightly against the muscled plane of his chest, close to-

Stop it, Matt! He thought, shaking his head. He furrowed his brow and scowled, reprimanding himself for letting his thoughts drift back towards things he shouldn’t be thinking about. 

He sighed once more and looked back at his handsome brother. His brother, who had always looked out for him, always been his hero. His brother, who was so tall, and muscular, and sweet, and courageous, and loving, and-

Matthew so help me God if you go any further... Stop it! He reprimanded himself once more. You are not, have not ever been, and will not ever be in... in love with your brother. That would be wrong, and disgusting, and despicable, and he would hate you if he knew. Do you want that? Do you want your perfect, sweet, innocent brother to hate you! No! Now get your shit together before you screw something up, you freak. 

Matthew’s mouth was bitter with the scorn he directed at himself. Even so, he couldn’t help but continue to watch his brother sleep. Alfred was just so cute, all cuddled up and cozy in his blankets. Before Matt could slip and let himself imagine waking up every morning by his brother’s side, one of Alfred’s deep, cerulean eyes peeled open. 

“Mmmm...” Alfred groaned, blinking a few times while rubbing his bleary eyes. Matthew thought his heart was going to shatter. 

How in the world is it possible for someone to be so perfectly adorable? He screamed internally, his stomach tying itself in knots. 

“G’mornin’, Mattie,” Alfred mumbled, still trying to pull himself out of his sleepy trance. “’D’you sleep a’right?”

Matthew grinned at his brother and pulled a fake yawn to make it seem as though he hadn’t been up for over an hour just watching his brother sleep. “Yeah, I slept alright,” he said, pulling himself up into a sitting position, “But I sure was surprised to wake up with one measly blanket and barely half a pillow left for my comfort.”

Alfred grinned mischievously, sending Matt’s heart fluttering out the window. “Sorry bro,” he chuckled, “Survival of the fittest in this house.” 

Before Matt could let his mind drift to just how fit his brother was, and just what kinds of things he could do with him in ‘this house’, he cleared his throat and asked his brother if he wanted breakfast. 

“C’mon dude,” Alfred said, struggling to push himself up onto his elbows, “You’re my guest. I can make breakfast.”

Matthew insisted. “Really, Al, I want to. I know my way around the kitchen, I’ll be fine.” 

Alfred moaned, feeling bad for letting his brother do the work when he was the guest, but finally caved. “Okay,” he sighed, “But... Only if you promise to put chocolate chips in the pancakes.”

Matthew laughed at his brother’s pleading eyes. “Of course,” he reassured his brother, “You know I always will for you.” 

Alfred threw his fist up in the air with a victorious cry, then promptly fell back down into his pillows. “Well,” he sighed, “I guess if you’re cookin’ I can catch a few more z’s! Wake me when the cakes are hot!” 

With that, to Matt’s amazement, Al fell instantly back asleep. 

Matt looked at his brother, astounded, then let out a low chuckle. Before he could stop himself, he reached out and brushed Alfred’s honey-golden locks from his face. A blush rising once more from his cheeks, Matt whispered to his brother before getting up and heading to the kitchen. 

“I love you, Al, you know that? You’re my world, my hero, you goofball.”

As he walked from the room, back to his brother, Matthew was oblivious to the happy smile that spread across Alfred’s face. 

---

Just a little inner Matthew turmoil early on a Sunday afternoon. Hope you enjoyed! Let me know if you liked it, tell me if there’s anything I should consider editing, and as always, let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see me write!

Thanks!

[waterfromsand]

Let’s Just be Frenemies

(Hungary, Romania, not the best of friends. In fact, they’ve always struggled to get along. But sometimes we all have to put our feelings aside to help each other out!)

“That’s ridiculous!”

“How do you expect us all to comply with that!”

“Please, everyone, try to remain calm! Remember-”

“Now you see here!”

Romania couldn’t take it anymore. Over the past fifteen minutes, the noise level in the conference room had risen exponentially as his fellow European nations argued over some new trade protocol that Austria had brought up. His head was pounding and his heart racing as his nose was filled with the delicious scent of adrenaline. His stomach clenched as wave after wave of hunger hit him. 

Oh no, he thought to himself, I have to get out of here. 

Going almost completely unnoticed by every other nation in the room, Romania jumped up from his seat and scurried out the door. He needed to find a quiet place to relax for a few minutes and collect himself. Above all else, while Bulgaria was away, he needed to keep himself under control. 

Squinting his eyes under the harsh fluorescent glare of the lights in the hallway, Romania walked and walked until he could no longer hear the commotion in the conference room. As luck would have it, the only place good enough for him to relax was the stairwell between the third and fourth floor. 

Oh well, he thought, At least it’s quiet here.

And it was. The stairwells of this building had been used with less and less frequency over the years as the elevator system improved. Now almost everyone opted to take the elevator over the stairs, so Romania was sure to go undisturbed. He pressed his back to the cool wall on the landing, sliding down the painted bricks to rest on the floor. Though the lighting here was dim, his hunger headache continued to pound, so he closed his eyes to shut everything out. 

His hearing, heightened from the excitement in the conference room, was still a bother. He heard someone slithering about in the hallway above him, making an obscene amount of noise with their feet in the carpeted floor. 

Romania sighed and plugged his ears. How the hell can someone make so much noise on a damn carpeted floor, he groaned internally. Bulgaria, please come home, I’m dying here.

Romania tried with all of his might to ignore the gnawing hunger in his belly and how it was slowly beginning to crawl up into his throat, leaving it dry and sore. His muscles were shaking with the effort of driving back the hunger. He took several deep breaths, trying to calm himself. 

Just focus on the mildew, he told himself, no one wants to eat mildew. It’s disgusting. Imagine that sliding down your throat. Yeah, not so hungry anymore are you?

Romania chuckled to himself as he felt his distraction tactic beginning to work. His stomach and throat began to ease up on their pulsing, revolted at the thought of ingesting something that was not only dark and wet and bitter, but vegetarian.

Romania was finally reigning himself back in when the door to the stairwell from the floor above him flew open, carrying a massive blow of deliciously scented air with it. Instantly, his senses were back on high alert. His pupils narrowed, heart raced, breathing picked up, muscles clenched in anticipation. The hunger shot back up his throat, causing him next to unbearable pain. Against his own volition, his fangs began to slide down from their sockets, and though he fought with every fiber of his being, he could not stop them.

Damnit! He screamed internally, clapping his hands over his mouth and trying his hardest not to breathe, Who the hell would come barging in here at a time like this!

“Aha! I finally found you, you pathetic weirdo!”

Romania groaned audibly and smacked his head back against the cool stone behind him. Of course. It had to be Hungary. It couldn’t be ditzy little Italy or sweet, subdued Liechtenstein. No. It had to be the one person in the entire building who got his blood boiling like no other, any time, guaranteed. 

“Who do you think you are, just up and leaving the meeting like that?” She jeered, stalking down the stairs toward him, “What, do the rules not apply to you? Do you think you’re special? Get to leave whenever things are too ‘annoying’ or ‘real-life’?” She stood before him in her green khaki pantsuit, her hands placed aggressively on her hips and her hair pulled back in a tight bun so he could clearly see every ounce of her loathing for him in her expression.

Romania couldn’t bring himself to rise to the argument. He would have to breathe. He would smell her, and only her, in the close confines of the stairwell. The stairwell where no one would find them, where no one would know if- No! 

Romania quickly clamped down on his hunger-driven thoughts. He couldn’t, wouldn’t, let himself hurt Hungary. Even if he would like to knock her around a bit for being so mean to him all of the time, he wouldn’t be able to bring himself to face Bulgaria if he did something like that. Bulgaria was the one who had saved him from that life. He could’t betray the nation who gave him a second chance. 

But God, Hungary was making it hard. 

All Romania could see was the main artery in her neck pounding with her fury. He could imagine so explicitly sinking his fangs deep into her throat and drinking her dry. The evil thoughts were making him shake once more with the effort of holding them back. 

Be good! He chided himself, You can do this! Remember Bulgaria. He’ll be home to feed you tomorrow. Just hold on until tomorrow. Hungary is disgusting. Her blood is probably poisoned. It will kill you. If it doesn’t, Bulgaria will. You want to live! 

Hungary took in the way that Romania’s muscles were tense and shaking, his hands clapped over his mouth, his pale, drawn face. “Hey, are you going to be sick?” She asked. “Disgusting, get to the bathroom you sicko! Why would you come to the stairwell to vomit, I mean God, I know you’re pathetic but this speaks to a whole new level!”

She took a step back from the nation before her, wanting to avoid getting vomit on her new shoes. 

“Please... Leave...” Romania managed to choke through his fingers. 

“Excuse me?” Hungary fumed, caught aback at the audacity coming from Romania. “Who do you think you are? I show you a little concern and what do you do? Boss me around like you’re some kind of in-charge. Well let me tell you- Hey, seriously, are you okay?”

Hungary dropped all of her aggression and fell to one knee before Romania. She loved getting heated at the nation for no reason any time, any day. But now, Romania looked like he was really sick. Tears were streaming down his face and he was shaking ever more violently. Maybe he picked up some bug, or ate something he shouldn’t have. The nation seemed so helpless without Bulgaria. Granted, the nation had only been gone for three days, but Hungary saw it as testament to how dependent Romania really was on his friend. 

Hungary reached a hand out to touch Romania on the shoulder, but was taken aback when Romania snatched her wrist with surprising speed and strength. Hungary was a very strong nation, and she had always thought of Romania as being too frail and wimpy to prove a match for her. 

“Please, Hungary,” Romania panted, “You need to leave me alone for a while. Please. I don’t want to hurt you.” Romania winced as he realized the last sentence he had let slip. 

“Hurt me?” Hungary scoffed, though lacking her usual enthusiasm, “Please. I can take you, any day. Just let me help you, okay? I can’t have my favorite punching bag go bad on me.”

Romania’s grip on Hungary’s wrist tightened ever so slightly, causing her to actually wince. 

“You can’t help me. Not with what I need. I just need some time alone. Please.”

Hungary’s eyes widened when she saw the flash of a long, sharp canine behind Romania’s one hand still trying to cover his mouth. The rumors must be true, she thought to herself, Romania really is a...

For a split second, Hungary panicked. Ever reasonable in a dangerous situation though, she quickly took control over her emotions. If the rumors were true, so what? Bulgaria was a very trustworthy nation, and seemed to have a strong relationship with Romania. He wouldn’t be so comfortable around Romania if the nation truly was dangerous. All Hungary needed to do was find out what was going on and how she could fix the situation.

“Romania, I, is there something about you that I should know? Maybe something that only Bulgaria knows? Please, tell me. I know I always act like a jerk toward you, but it’s all for show. I really do care about you, you have to believe me. Let me help you.”

Romania winced and did his best to turn away from Hungary, but she was everywhere. Her scent was pressing in on him like a wall of fallen rock, and there was no escaping it. She definitely wasn’t going to leave him now, and she seemed to already have a good grasp of what might be going on with him. He was famished, and maybe she could help hold him over until Bulgaria got home tomorrow.

“I just, I’m so hungry...” Romania choked out, tears continuing to slide down his cheeks, “I haven’t eaten in almost four days and it’s really starting to hurt. I can’t ignore it any more and if you stay here I’m afraid I’ll...”

“Shh,” Hungary soothed, moving closer. Something about how pathetic Romania was acting was moving a softer part of her. She remembered the days from her past where she had to soothe a crying Italy with a similarly empty belly. The same desire to ease the pain of the nation before her was surfacing. She knew she probably wouldn’t much like the solution to Romania’s unique problem, but if it would help him, she would do it. Besides, she was Hungary! No one was more awesome than her! Not even Prussia, who seemed to have deluded himself with the notion that he was the most incredible nation. If Bulgaria could handle Romania every day, then surely she could handle him once!

“Let me help you, Romania. Please. You can trust me.” Hungary sat as close to Romania as she could, almost straddling him. 

Romania looked ready to break, but he couldn’t stop himself anymore. He slowly released his grip on Hungary’s wrist and rested his head on her shoulder. He needed a moment to calm himself down, or Hungary would be unsafe. 

“Please,” he whispered, “Make sure you stop me. Do whatever you have to if I lose myself. Anything. Promise me that.”

“I promise.”

Romania shook as he brought his hands up to cup the back of Hungary’s neck. The warmth of her skin beneath his touch almost burned him; his body knew what was coming and it was excited. He stopped fighting his fangs, stopped pushing back the hunger. He closed his eyes, trying to forget that it was Hungary before him and replacing her in his mind with Bulgaria. He would never, ever harm Bulgaria, and in the moment, he wanted to take every precaution so Hungary wouldn’t be hurt either. 

He brought himself closer to Hungary’s throat. Even with his eyes closed, he could sense exactly where Hungary’s artery was. He was so in tune with his nature now that he could feel the vibrations of her pulse in the air around him. 

Gently, he brushed his lips across the soft skin of her throat, noticing that his touch was eliciting a rise of goosebumps across Hungary’s flesh. His lips quickly found the point where Hungary’s pulse was strongest, where her blood would pour most readily into his mouth. His gripped her neck and back with a little more strength to support her, and slowly slid his fangs through the delicate membrane covering her delicious arteries. 

As blood began pouring into his mouth, Romania noticed a gasp from Hungary. He knew she was in no pain, but instead was just getting the endorphin rush that would keep her still. He too, was enjoying himself. Hungary had a much different flavor than Bulgaria. Her blood was lighter, sweeter. It was delicious, but he still found he preferred Bulgaria. The warmth of Hungary’s blood quickly soothed the ache in his throat and began to fill the aching, gnawing hole that was his stomach. His muscles relaxed and all the pain he had been feeling in the past few days was replaced with a slowly spreading warmth. He drank mouthful after mouthful, biting a little more greedily as the seconds passed. He knew he couldn’t take much more from Hungary without making her dizzy, but oh, did he want to. He whimpered and moaned with the pleasure he was feeling from her blood. 

Hungary clutched tightly at Romania’s back. Her vicelike grip on his uniform spoke to him how she was enjoying herself. “Romania,” she gasped, “You should stop soon.”

Romania groaned, the vibration of Hungary’s voice tickling his lips in a pleasant way. He knew she was right, and though it was incredibly difficult and took a gargantuan level of strength, he detached himself from her throat and sealed her wound with a few flicks of his tongue. 

He sat back against the wall once more, panting. He felt worlds better. All of his pain was gone, his stomach was pleasantly warm, and Hungary was subdued enough now that she would no longer have the energy to yell at him. 

Hungary was a bit wiped out from the ordeal, and found herself resting on Romania’s shoulder while he held her in a comforting embrace. 

“Thank you...” He whispered, “Thank you so much. I can’t even begin to tell you how much better I feel. I don’t know what I would have done without you.”

“No problem,” Hungary sighed, pulling away so she could stand up. She held out a hand to help Romania to his feet as well. 

“Now, let’s get back to the conference room before the other nations start to think I killed your sorry ass for ditching us,” Hungary said with a mischievous gleam in her eyes. 

Romania groaned, but couldn’t help but smile a bit as Hungary dragged him by his ear back to the assembly. 

---

So I know Romania isn’t supposed to be a real vampire, but I kind of felt like a little, what, AU I guess you’d call it? Well, I hope you enjoyed! Let me know what you thought if you wish! I’m always open to suggestions for posts in the future. I’m evidently on a Hetalia kick at the moment!

Thanks!

[waterfromsand]

Anything For You

“GERMANYYYYYY!”

Chills raced up Germany’s spine when he heard Italy’s blood-curdling shriek from downstairs. He immediately shot up out of his chair, banging his legs on his desk and scattering papers everywhere in his panic. He ignored the shooting pain and sped down the stairs, taking them two and three at a time. 

“Italy!” He cried out, “Where are you!” 

All Italy managed to get out were a few terrified cries and whimpers. 

Imagining the worst, Germany followed the sounds he heard coming from the kitchen. What he saw when he got there was not what he had expected at all.

Italy was perched high up on the kitchen table, tears streaming down his face. He was crying and pointing at the counter across the room, but Germany could see nothing around to be afraid of. There was no attacker. No venomous snake. No fire. No shortage of pasta. 

“What’s the problem, Italy?” Germany sighed, relaxing his shoulders and walking toward the table. As his adrenaline rush subsided, he noticed just how badly his legs were hurting him from slamming them against his desk. 

“I-was-making-myself-some-breaded-parmesan-and-pasta-because-I-was-hungry-and-I-wanted-lunch-but-when-I-tried-to-grab-the-bread-crumbs-there-was-a-big-black-hairy-scary-spider-and-it’s-still-there-and-it-wants-to-EATMEEEEE!” Italy shrieked in one, drawn out breath. 

“A spider? Is that what this is about?” Germany asked, only having been able to pick out a few words here and there from Italy’s frenzied run-down.

Italy nodded his head so furiously it seemed as though it might fall off. He was still crying and just beginning to hyperventilate. 

Germany sighed. “Don’t worry, Italy, I’ll get rid of the spider.”

“BE CAREFUL, GERMANY!” Italy cried. 

Germany rolled his eyes as he walked toward the counter to see what kind of spider he was dealing with. “Don’t worry, Italy, I think I can handle myself.”

Italy merely led out a strangled whimper and covered his eyes, unwilling to watch what would happen to Germany at the fuzzy mercy of the spider. 

Germany searched the counter to find where the the spider was hiding. It took him a minute, but he soon spotted it perched atop the breadcrumb jar. It wasn’t the largest spider he had ever seen, but it was definitely of a substantial size. No wonder Italy was such a wreck. 

“So, you’re the one that has my Italy in such a tizzy,” Germany muttered to the spider under his breath as he reached for a glass from the cabinet above him. The spider twitched one of its legs as if in reply, but otherwise remained firmly put atop its jar. 

Germany carefully lowered the class onto the lid of the breadcrumb jar, trapping the spider. The jar’s lid was rather narrow, so there was only just enough space to leave the glass balanced as he went to grab a piece of paper. 

“Germannnyyyyy, what are you dooooing?” Italy cried out, his eyes still firmly shut behind his hands. “Is it dead yet? Am I safe?”

“I’m not going to kill the spider, Italy,” Germany said, “I’ll just toss him out the door. You’re going to be fine, I promise.” 

Italy whimpered, but offered no argument. One way or another, he didn’t care what Germany did with the spider, so long as it was gone. 

Germany snatched the nearest piece of paper that he could find and slowly slipped it under the glass. The spider, disgruntled, scurried onto the paper and up the side of the glass. 

“Thank you for making my job easier, my friend,” Germany muttered, picking up the glass. He placed the palm of his hand firmly under the paper to make sure there were no gaps the spider could crawl through. He didn’t know what kind of spider he was dealing with, and didn’t want to risk getting an itchy bite. 

“Italy, can you open the back door for me?” Germany asked.

Italy went white as a sheet and began trembling in the knees. “B-but Germany...” he whined. 

“Please, Italy? I promise I have the spider well locked up. He has no means of escape.” 

Italy shifted his weight from foot to foot several times before leaping from the table and dashing to the door, giving Germany a wide clearance as he did so. Once the door was flung open, Italy dashed into the living room to hide. 

Germany rolled his eyes once more, then promptly walked to the open door. He raised the glass to eye level so he could have one final, good look at the spider before him. 

“Auf Wiedersehen, good sir,” he said before unceremoniously flicking his wrist to send the spider flying into the grass. 

Germany walked back into his kitchen to rinse the glass and dispose of the paper before heading into the living room to find Italy. 

The smaller nation was curled up tightly on the couch, hiding under a thick blanket and trembling. 

“Italy, the spider is gone now,” Germany said, sitting beside the man on the couch. 

Italy flung the blanket off of his head and threw himself into Germany’s unsuspecting arms. “Oh, thank you so much, Germany! You saved me! I could have died!”

Germany chuckled and held his lover closer. “I’ll always be here to protect you, Italy. Always.”

---

So I don’t know why, but I like the idea of Italy being irrationally terrified of small things like spiders or spilled milk, and relying on Germany to come to his rescue. Of course, Germany will think Italy is a little melodramatic, but he’ll always do his best to make sure Italy is comfortable and happy. So... Yeah! Let me know if you liked this, and if there are things I should consider writing in the future. 

Thanks!

[waterfromsand]

Hey Romama!

““...like the dirty rhythm you play, I wanna hear you callin’ my name...” 

“Are you kidding me right now?” Romano asked, crossing his arms and glaring at Spain’s back. 

The taller nation was happily singing his new favorite song, Hey Mama, under his breath as he diced tomatoes for dinner. 

“What am I kidding about, Roma?” Spain asked cheerily, continuing to chop to the beat. Spain’s hips were also swaying to the rhythm as he sang, causing a light blush to rise across Romano’s cheeks. 

“That stupid ass song, idiota! How many times do I have to tell you to stop singing it before I cut your pathetic throat?” 

Spain whined as he turned on his heel to face his lover. “But Roma, it’s so fun! It just makes me want to dance! See!”

Spain picked up his dancing again, adding more Spanish flare as he stepped across the kitchen toward his grumpy boyfriend. 

“Hey Ro-ma-ma-ma, hey Ro-ma!” Spain sang, a huge grin forming on his face as he reached out to pull the Italian closer. 

“Don’t you dare touch me with your filthy, poor-taste-in-music hands, asshole!” Romano snapped, slapping Spain’s hands away as he backpedaled. “And if I hear you say my name in such a disgusting manner one more time I swear I will-”

Spain put his hands up in a gesture for surrender as he shrugged and chuckled. “Alright, alright my love! I’ll get back to the tomatoes then, won’t I?” 

“If you know what’s good for you,” Romano grumbled, wiping his hands on his chest as he stalked his way out of the kitchen.

---

“Best believe that, when you need that, I'll provide that, you will always have it...”

Spain stopped at the door to his bedroom when he heard Romano’s quiet singing voice coming from inside. Slowly, so as not to alert the Italian to his presence, the Spaniard turned the door handle and gently pushed the door open just wide enough to see inside. 

Romano was laying in the bed with his eyes closed and headphones on, bobbing his head and singing along to Hey Mama. 

Spain couldn’t control the grin that was spreading across his face as he watched his lover sing his favorite song. Romano didn’t sing very frequently, but when he did it was always sweet and adorable. Added to the fact that Romano had been playing as though he hated the song, Spain was in a buzzing state of happiness. He pushed the door open and bounded over to the bed.

“Get off of me you fat idiot!” Romano cried out, banging on Spain’s chest as the larger nation pinned him down to cover him in sweet kisses, “And how many times do I have to tell you to knock!”

Spain elected to ignore Romano as usual, and continued to kiss and hug the smaller Italian. “I love hearing you sing, mi amor, especially my favorite song! I knew you liked it too!”

“Shut up, I do not like this idiot ass song!” Romano cried out, continuing to struggle beneath Spain’s oppressive weight, “I had it stuck in my head because you won’t stop your damn singing so I had to listen to it!” 

“I think someone’s lying to me,” Spain purred, nuzzling the side of Romano’s face, just below his ear.

“Am not...” Romano muttered, though his efforts to escape significantly decreased as Spain paid such loving attention to him. 

“Oh? If you hate the song so, why is it that you seem to know the words so well? Hmm?” Spain asked between slow, open mouthed kisses on Romano’s face and neck.

Romano groaned, half in exasperation, half in pleasure, and stopped struggling entirely. As Spain kissed him, Romano wrapped his arms around the larger man’s back and pulled him closer. 

“Okay fine, you stupid idiot,” Romano grumbled, “I do like the song. But only because it makes me think of you.” 

Spain stopped kissing Romano long enough to beam down at his lover. “Oh, really, Roma? You mean it? That’s so sweet of you!” Spain pulled Romano into a tighter embrace. “I love you so much!”

“Oh shut up, you fat Spaniard,” Romano hissed, “And keep kissing me.” 

“Not until you tell me why the song makes you think of me!” Spain sang in a teasing voice.

Romano glared at Spain, trying to melt the man’s brain with his eyes. When the Spaniard continued to grin stupidly at him, Romano sighed.

“Fine, I like it because it’s how I feel about you,” he muttered quietly, “I want you to know that I’ll always be here for you for whatever you need... Especially... for that... ahem...” Romano choked the last few words out as he twisted so Spain couldn’t see his face as a blush rose to cover it. 

“Romaaaa! You’re breaking my heart,” Spain whined, happily kissing all over the Italian’s face once more. 

Romano groaned once more, this time entirely from pleasure, when Spain’s mouth found his ear. “Yeah, yeah, I get it, your heart is pathetic, now take your shirt off you asshat.” 

Spain grinned and sat up happily to oblige his angry lover. It wasn’t often that Romano opened up to say such sweet things to him, and as such, Spain wouldn’t forget the things that Romano had just said for ages to come. 

---

So I’ve been bored lately and listening to David Guetta and Nicki Minaj’s Hey Mama a lot with my sister. I thought it would be the kind of song that Spain would love, and of course, the kind of song Romano would pretend to hate just because Spain loved it. I hope you enjoyed this little tidbit. Send me a little message if you have ideas for future Hetalia bits I could write, or if you want to tell me how this story could have been better! I would totally appreciate it. Follow me if you liked this story, because there are definitely more where this came from. 

Bye!

[waterfromsand]

Rainbow Road

Chop. Chop. Chop.

Arthur hummed a merry tune as he diced the onions for his cottage pie, every now and then blinking back tears. He was beyond excited for dinner tonight, as all his boys would be with him around the table once more. Francis would actually be home from work at a reasonable hour, and both Alfred and Matthew were visiting from North America. 

I think I’ll just go see what the boys are up to, Arthur thought to himself. They came all this way from America, they should be down here cooking with me rather than keeping themselves hidden away in their room. 

Arthur set aside his knives and brushed his hands on his much-abused apron before untying the knots that kept it in place. Tossing the apron on the back of one of the bar stools, Arthur began trotting up the stairs. Halfway up, he slowed his pace as noticed some unusual noises coming from the boys’ room. 

“Oh my gosh Al, I forgot how much I missed doing this with you.” Bed springs creaked as one of the boys shifted. 

“I know, right?!” came Alfred’s ever-excited voice, “It’s been way too long little bro. But that was the easy stuff. What do you say we kick it up a level?”

“I dunno... It’s been a while since I’ve done anything like this. Can’t we stick to the slow stuff?”

“C’mon Mattie, stop being such a wimp. You’ll do great, I know it.”

“Mmm... But it’s so intense Al. I don’t know if I’m ready for that. I just... I don’t think I can handle it.” 

“I’ll show you all my secrets, I promise, just do this with me! One time! Pleeeeease!” Alfred had pulled out his full-strength whine against his little brother. Whatever the boy wanted, Arthur knew he was about to get. 

Matthew was quiet for a moment, but, as usual, caved in to his brother. 

“Alright, fine,” Matthew groaned, his voice just audible over more creaking of bed springs, “But just this once. And you are going to owe me, big time.” 

“Yes! Can we listen to music this time? Please?”

“No, you know the noise distracts me. Let’s just keep everything quiet this time.” 

Alfred groaned and griped, but Matthew actually remained firm. 

What could they possibly be up to? Arthur wondered, starting back up the stairs. Whatever it was, the man was sure they would still want to help their father in the kitchen. Just as Arthur was reaching out for the door handle, he was startled by an aggravated grunt from Matthew. 

“Are you kidding me?” Matthew cried out, “We barely started and I already know this is going to suck.” 

“Calm down Matt,” Alfred said, “You’ll get the hang of it. Just keep going!” 

“I know, Al!” Another frustrated cry. “God, why won’t you go any faster!” 

“Mattie, we literally just started! You know it takes time to get up to speed, we just went over this!” 

A light blush began to spread across Arthur’s face. What are they... They aren’t...

Another distressed cry from Matthew and an excited shout from Alfred confirmed Arthur’s suspicions. The man scurried back from the door and ran halfway down the stairs, sitting on the landing where he could still hear what was going on so he could figure out what to do. 

Do I walk in and catch them at it? He wondered, Or do I make enough noise to give them warning that I’m coming? Maybe I should go back downstairs and just pretend... But no! I can’t do that! I have to put an end to this! Those boys are brothers! This is completely unacceptable behavior, especially under my roof! In the bedroom they shared as children!

Just as Arthur worked up the nerve to go out his boys for their wrongdoings, yet another screech erupted from Matthew. Arthur could almost feel the bed shaking in the boys’ room from where he stood on the landing. 

“Mattie, shut up! Dad’s gonna get mad if you keep up like this.”

“I don’t care, he can do what he wants. I can’t handle this anymore! If I can’t catch up-”

“C’mon bro, it’s all good. At least you’re not backwards anymore. If you want I can pull back and give you a chance to-”

“Don’t you dare! If you hold back anything just for my sake I’m going to-”

Arthur gasped as a stubbled cheek brushed up against his. 

“Francis! I- You- How did you-”

The Frenchman chuckled under his breath and nuzzled his lover’s ear. “Good evening, mon lapin,” Francis murmured, “What exactly are you up to? Sitting secretly on our landing... A delicious blush across your cheeks... A hint of arousal in your trousers?” 

Arthur shoved Francis away from him, hissing as he turned to hide the little tent that was forming between his legs. 

“Shut up, you frog, and explain to me why you thought it would be a good idea to sneak up on me!” 

Francis only chuckled more enthusiastically as he watched his beloved Englishman squirm in discomfort. “Well when I got home I couldn’t find my beloved chef in the kitchen, so I wondered if perhaps he had gone to ask our boys for help. And here I find him instead listening in on a rather scandalous encounter...”

Arthur spluttered as he tried to find the words to defend himself. “I am not- I just- How can you say-”

Francis shushed his lover with a finger over the man’s lips. “Hush, mon amour, no need to explain to me. I completely understand. Just listen to them for a moment...” 

The shouts and cries and creaks from the boys’ room had been steadily increasing in intensity as Arthur and Francis had talked on the landing. 

“No, no, no, no, no” Mattie moaned hoarsely, “It can’t end like this. Noooo!” 

“YES! YES! YES! C’MON JUST A LITTLE MORE! JUST A LITTLE FARTHERRRRR! YESSSS!” Alfred began shouting cries of joy, completely masking Matthew’s distraught shouts. 

Arthur blushed beet red at the commotion, while Francis fell onto the stairs in a laughing fit. 

“Francis. Francis get up. What are we supposed to do. Did they just-” Arthur was hoarse as he tugged at Francis’ shirt, trying to get the man on his feet. 

Francis stood shakily, slowly pulling himself together. “Whew, come along, mon cher, I think you’re going to be in for a surprise.” Francis clutched at the stitch in his side as he lead his lover up the stairs.

“Boys, how are you doing?” Francis said, opening the door to his sons’ room in spite of Arthur’s vigorous pantomimes and obvious distress. 

Matthew was sprawled on the bed in clear defeat, his face buried in the pillows, while Alfred leaped around the room in victory. 

“Well I totally just beat my fastest time on Rainbow Road ever so I would say I’m doing AMAZING!” Alfred cried, bouncing over to brag to his dads. 

“That’s great Alfred!” Francis said, clapping the buzzing boy on the shoulder. 

“Rainbow... Road?” Arthur muttered. 

“Yeah, you know, Mario Kart?” Alfred explained. “I’m pretty much the grand master. Mattie didn’t even finish though, so... Maybe we should go do something else?” 

“What a wonderful idea, Alfred!” Francis said, biting back laughs as he watched the color drain from his lover’s face, “I think your dad could use some help with dinner. Why don’t you drag Mathieu out of bed and meet us downstairs?”

“Sure thing, Papa!” Alfred said, bounding over to shake his brother from his failure-induced stupor. 

Francis and Arthur turned to head down the stairs, the former beginning to lose his composure once more. 

“Francis! How can you be laughing! Don’t tell me you didn’t think-”

“On the contrary, mon lapin, don’t tell me you did think! You know how competitive the boys are with their video games. I can’t believe you thought for a minute that they might actually be-”

“Oh get off your high horse, Francis! You know that sounded like-”

Francis cut off Arthur’s mounting tirade with a deep kiss, stopping the man in his tracks.

“Sounded exactly like what’s going to happen to you later, mon amour...” Francis purred, leaving Arthur alone and in a daze as he trotted gleefully down the stairs. 

----

So I really don’t know where that came from. Enjoy, maybe? Like if you like, reblog if that’s your thing, comment if you care to help me figure out what’s up with this drabble! I welcome critiques all day every day! 

[waterfromsand]

Happy Birthday, Litva

Hey all! I was in a little bit of a RussLiet mood... I feel like they don't get enough love, so I wrote a thing. Go on and enjoy, and let me know what you think! Critiques are always welcome. 

----------

Lithuania turned at the sound of his door slowly creaking open. His heart stopped for a moment, thinking that perhaps he had the date wrong, and it was Russia at his door. Lithuania relaxed when two little blonde heads peeked around the door: Latvia and Estonia. 

"Happy birthday, Lithuania!" They cried, stepping into Lithuania's tiny room. The space was uncomfortably cramped with all three Baltics inside, but Lithuania was glad they had come to see him. He missed sharing a room with the other nations, if not only because sharing a bed with two other people was so much warmer than sleeping alone. For reasons unknown, Russia had recently moved Lithuania from the servants' quarters downstairs to this tiny, compartment-like room behind Russia's own living space. Each of the Baltics had been upset and confused by the new arrangement, but none dared to ask Russia why things had been changed. 

"We came to give you your present!" Latvia practically squeaked. 

Lithuania cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "A present?" he asked, "Where did you find me a-"

"We don't have anything tangible to give you," Estonia interrupted, "It's really just a favor." 

Lithuania's shoulders relaxed. The only thing he thought that his fellow Baltics could have provided him with would have been something stolen from Russia. The last thing Lithuania would have wanted would have been to be constantly on guard to keep his gift hidden from Russia. 

"Well," he asked quietly, "What is it?"

Latvia looked ready to burst from excitement. "We got you the day off!" He all but shrieked. 

Lithuania's jaw dropped. He immediately began to stammer. "W-w-what? I d-don't understand, how c-could you get m-me the day off? We each have t-too many chores, there's no w-way you could c-cover mine and s-still get yours d-done!" 

Latvia was clearly too excited to explain, so Estonia stepped up to fill in the blanks. "Well, originally we had only intended to try and cover most of your chores so you could relax a little. But a few days ago, Russia approached us and asked if we had plans for your birthday. Naturally we were terrified and confused, but we decided it was best to tell him the truth. After we told him, he said that since he was going to collect bills from Ukraine on your birthday and wouldn't be home most of the day anyway, there was really no need for us to have as many chores as usual." Estonia took a deep breath before continuing, holding up a hand to keep Lithuania from interrupting like he so clearly wanted to. "So, Russia left to make Latvia and me our own lists, but told us that you wouldn't have to do any chores on your birthday!" 

The room fell silent as Estonia and Latvia looked expectantly at Lithuania. Lithuania teetered for a moment, caught between wanting to laugh and wanting to cry. Finally, he wound up doing both, and threw his arms around his fellow Baltic nations in joy. 

"I can't believe you convinced Russia to give me the day off!" Lithuania managed to say between sobs, "I haven't had a day off in years!" 

Estonia and Latvia both wore immense grins as they hugged Lithuania back with all of their combined strength. 

"We wanted to do something special for you," Latvia explained, "Since you always make our lives easier by doing some of our chores for us every day, and by trying to protect us from Russia when he's angry." 

"Yes," Estonia added, "It really was the least we could do. And we mean it when we say we want you to have the day off. No chores! Russia's orders! Go and relax!" 

Lithuania smiled and stepped back from the hug, wiping tears from his face. "I really don't know how to thank you," Lithuania said, "This seems like too much." 

"No!" Latvia cried, "It's not too much! Honestly, it isn't enough. Estonia and I are going to go start our chores now, and we expect you to go do whatever you want!" Latvia grabbed Estonia's arm and practically dragged him from the room before Lithuania could argue. 

Well, Lithuania thought, I might as well take advantage of this day off, since it's likely never going to happen again. He looked up to gaze out his tiny window, seeing that his birthday was shaping out to be a beautiful one. The sun was already on the rise, and the world glistened under a coat of fresh, white powder that had fallen through the night. The sky was clear of any cloud cover, and the branches in the trees all stood stock still, indicating that there was no frosty breeze. 

Lithuania sighed happily. I think I'll go ice skating, he thought, I can't remember the last time I went, and it's one of my favorite things to do. 

He stepped over to his "closet," which was really just a few boxes of clothes on a shelf. Lithuania mindlessly pulled on article after article of clothing, sometimes having to double up layers because his clothes were so worn. When he pulled down his box of sweaters, Lithuania was surprised by its weight. He only had five sweaters, and they were all so threadbare they were almost insubstantial. He peered into the box, thinking perhaps he had accidentally put away some of Estonia's clothes one night in an exhausted haze. Lithuania gasped when he saw what was making the box so heavy.

Folded immaculately and placed delicately over his other sweaters was the nicest, highest quality sweater that Lithuania had ever seen. He placed the box on the floor and pulled the rich burgundy sweater out for closer inspection. It was unbelievably soft to the touch, reminding him of the way it felt to stroke a bunny. The material was heavy and tightly knit, and the sweater boasted a cable design and a thick turtleneck. The sweater was incredible, nicer and warmer than some of Russia's own sweaters. Pinned to the front was a small note that simply read, "Happy birthday! Wear me, I'm yours." 

Lithuania shrugged, and set the sweater aside momentarily. He had just learned that today he was to take what was given to him without asking questions, so that was what he was going to do. Though he was certain that the sweater would be plenty warm on its own, Lithuania was taking no chances. It might be sunny outside, but it was still deathly cold, and he wanted all the protection he could get. He pulled his two most intact sweaters from their box and pulled them on, layering one over the other. Lithuania's new birthday sweater was a little large, and so fit comfortably over his other sweaters when he pulled it on. 

Any chill from his bedroom was immediately cut out once he pulled on the new sweater. He could feel a growing warmth as the turtleneck trapped his body heat, creating his own personal bubble of warmth. Lithuania allowed himself several moments to luxuriate in the comfort, unable to remember the last time that his clothes had made him feel so cared for. He had no idea who could have left the sweater there for him to find, but whoever it was, he was more grateful to them than he had ever been to anyone in his life. 

The new sweater put Lithuania in such a wonderful mood that he found himself humming as he finished dressing, pulling on his gloves, hat, and coat. He grabbed his ice skates, then bounced down the stairs to the kitchen. Lithuania called out to Estonia and Latvia, telling them he was going out to skate and would be home later. Snatching a roll from the pantry, he set out down the road toward the huge pond that sat on one of the far corners of Russia's estate. 

As he walked, Lithuania nibbled delicately at his breakfast, and wondered who could possibly have given him such a wonderful, and no doubt expensive, gift. Even though the temperature outside was well below zero, Lithuania found that he was still warm and comfortable. He racked his brain for ideas, but came up with no one. Lithuania wasn't close with any other nation, as the only time he was allowed to leave Russia's mansion was when Russia went to world meetings. Even then, Lithuania wasn't allowed to speak with other nations, but was expected to sit quietly and take notes for Russia. The only logical explanation that Lithuania could come up with was that the sweater had appeared through magic. 

Though he was still thoroughly bothered by not knowing where his remarkable sweater had come from, Lithuania shoved all speculation aside when he reached the banks of the pond. It was a beautiful sight to behold. All the greenery around the pond, the rushes, shrubs, and trees, was encased in ice and dusted with snow. There were deep embankments of snow all around the pond's edge, piled up by the wind. The ice covering the surface of the pond was thick and immaculate, untouched by paw, hoof, or skate. There is a fallen tree near the pond's edge, and Lithuania makes his way to it to swap his boots for skates. 

Despite it having been ages since Lithuania skated last, the moment his blades touched the ice he was back in his element. Lithuania had always loved ice skating, and as he glided across the ice he thought back to his childhood, when he would spend hours skating with Poland. His heart ached at the memory of his old friend. Though he was able to see him every now and then at world meetings, they were never allowed to exchange more than a few pleasantries before Russia came along and hurried Lithuania off to another part of the summit. 

Lithuania was so lost in his reminiscing that he failed to notice the low arch of a tree branch jutting out from the ice. With no warning, Lithuania's left foot was tangled underneath the branch. The fact that one part of his body was trapped didn't stop the rest of Lithuania's body from continuing to slide along the ice. Lithuania cried out in pain as his trapped ankle twisted hard and fast, and threw out his arms to catch himself as he fell toward the ice. His right arm took the brunt of the fall, the bone audibly splitting in two from the force of the impact. Lithuania didn't even have time to scream out in anguish, because instants later his head smashed into the ice, dazing him. 

Lithuania remained conscious, but he might as well not have been for all he was able to move. He laid in stunned silence for several minutes, unable to gather any coherent thought to get off the ice. 

Finally, after ages of shallow panting and listening to his heart race, Lithuania was able to begin assessing his situation. His right wrist was definitely broken, and his left ankle severely sprained. There was no way he was going to be able to walk home, but he knew he had to at least get off the ice. Holding his broken arm close to his chest to avoid further injury, Lithuania folded himself almost in half so he could reach where his foot was still trapped in the tree branch jutting out from the ice. He held onto the branch for leverage and tried to slide his leg out, but his sprain caused him so much agony he found himself on the brink of actually passing out. Instead of pulling his foot free, he was going to have to break the branch. Unfortunately, now that he was no longer moving, Lithuania's extremities were beginning to go numb in the extreme cold. His gloved hand fumbled with the branch, clumsily snapping off twigs and bits of bark. Lithuania's entire face was numb by the time he finally manged to snap free of the branch. 

The task of freeing himself had been so arduous and painful that Lithuania found himself lying on his back, staring up at the sky, and panting. He watched, enthralled, as puffs of his breath formed small clouds and rose up toward the sky, slowly dissipating as they made it farther and farther from where he lay. The blow to his head had put him in a bit of a daze, but he knew if he was going to avoid freezing to death he had to shake himself out of it. 

Now that he was loose from the branch, Lithuania could work on getting off the ice. He knew that he wasn't going to be able to stand and skate to the edge, so he carefully rolled onto his stomach. With his broken wrist still held up to his chest and his sprained ankle lifted from the ice, Lithuania gritted his teeth against the intense pain and began to scrabble and push his way to the edge. 

He was only fifteen feet from the bank when he fell, but it took him ages to travel that far. By the time he was off the ice, he was exhausted from the effort. 

Though alarms were ringing and red flags flying somewhere in the back of his head as he thought it, Lithuania decided to take a short nap before figuring out how to get back home. 

Maybe after my nap my leg will be numb enough to walk on it, Lithuania thought, I'm not that far from home after all. I should be okay.

With that thought, Lithuania fell unconscious sprawled out in the snow. 

                                                  .*-*.

"Lithuania! Lithuania!" Deep shouts filled the air, but Lithuania was unable to open his eyes or cry out. He was so warm, at last. Whoever was shouting could at least keep it down.

Lithuania was suddenly aware of a pressure around his waist, and a dull ache in his arm and leg. He groaned, and knew that the voice was talking to him, but he couldn't make out what. 

He was jostled and shaken so much that he was finally able to peel his eyes open. All he saw was a blinding, brilliant white. Then he was jolted too hard, and a sharp, breathtaking pain knocked him unconscious once more. 

                                                  .*-*.

Lithuania was conscious and aware before he opened his eyes. He could feel a dull, painful throbbing in his left ankle and right wrist, but he could feel also that both were tightly bandaged. Lithuania groaned and shifted, his head pounding. He froze, however, instantly becoming aware of several things at once. His eyes shot open. One - He was lying in Russia's huge, soft bed. Two - he was wearing only his underwear. Three - Russia was lying beside him, also wearing only underwear. 

"Ah, we are awake at last, are we?" Russia's deep yet childlike voice filled the air behind Lithuania, raising goosebumps over his entire body. He immediately moved to leave the bed, knowing that he was not supposed to be there. What had Estonia and Latvia been thinking? They could just as easily have put Lithuania in his own bed! Oh, Russia was going to kill him! Lithuania hissed in pain, however, when he tried to get up, only barely holding back a cry as he fell back onto the downy pillows. 

Russia placed a large hand over Lithuania's chest, weighting him down so he couldn't try moving again. "Oh no, Lithuania. It is best that you remain still for now. You are broken and still cold to the touch, you see. Look, you are covered in the goosebumps." 

Lithuania did not need to look to know the condition of his skin, but at the mention of his flesh still being cold, he began to shake. The room around him was warm, but he felt frozen to his bones. Most of the chill came from actually having almost frozen to death, but a good part of it also came from such close proximity to Russia. Lithuania was terrified that he was going to be punished for being in Russia's room without permission. 

"I am so sorry, Sir! I don't know how I got in here, forgive me, please. I only need a little help from Latvia and Estonia to go back to my own room, I don't know why they put me here in the first place. I am so sorry to intrude!" 

Russia clucked his tongue and shushed the trembling Baltic. "No, Lithuania, it was I who put you here, not Latvia and Estonia." A fine lacing of rage began to creep into Russia's voice as he continued, "No, Latvia and Estonia were not even aware that you were in danger. If it had not been for me, you would have died, little Litva." 

Lithuania froze, unsure of how to properly respond. Russia had been the one to save him? Russia had brought him into his own room?

"Oh... Well... Ah, thank you, Sir, for bringing me home. I realize now my mistake in having left." Lithuania scrambled for words he knew would appease Russia's fury at the other Baltics and redirect it at him. "I should have known better than to leave the, ah, protection of your home. I shouldn't have gone out alone. I am so sorry, Sir, and I am ready for whatever my punishment may be." Lithuania was proud that he had managed to choke all of that out without a single stutter.

"Da, Litva, it would seem as though you have learned your lesson, no? For now I am thinking you have had punishment enough. The only reason you are not dead is the sweater I gave you for protection, da? But now I am going to having work extra hard to protect you while you heal. You must be living in this room until you can work again, Litva." 

Lithuania was shocked into silence, utterly incapable of response. Russia was the one who had given him the sweater. The sweater had wound up keeping him alive. Russia had saved him, twice. And, Lithuania was being allowed to rest in Russia's room until he was strong enough to go back to his chores. Lithuania decided then and there that he actually had died, and was now living in some kind of heaven. He decided that if that was the case, he really couldn't go wrong in saying anything to Russia, so he went along with it. 

"Yes, Sir," he said quietly. He paused, then, "Does this mean, Sir, that I won't be able to go ice skating anymore?" 

Russia hummed deep in his chest, and inhaled slowly. He slowly propped himself up on one arm, and, careful to avoid harming Lithuania, moved to press a warm kiss to Lithuania's forehead. 

"Da, Litva, no more skating alone. Now if you want to leave, you must take me with you." 

Lithuania, finally relaxing as his exhaustion caught up with him once more, sighed contentedly. For some reason, his tired brain thought skating with Russia was a wonderful idea, rather than a terrifying prospect. He imagined twirling gracefully around Russia, who was probably a slow and clumsy skater, and smiled. 

Russia, seeing that Lithuania was now mostly asleep, gently pulled the smaller man closer, so he was resting his head on Russia's chest. Russia then wrapped a large arm around Lithuania and pulled the heavy blankets closer, doing his best to keep his Litva warm. Soon after Lithuania drifted off into a healing sleep, Russia followed suit, his heart buzzing with happiness. 

"Happy birthday, Litva," he whispered, just before falling asleep.

[waterfromsand]

Concerning History Tests and Naps

No. No no no no no. This cannot be happening. 

Tino clutched his history test in his hands, his knuckles white from the force of his grip. Tears began to well up in his eyes, but he blinked furiously to clear them away. He didn't want anyone in the class to see him cry. As if an F on a test wasn't mortifying enough.

Though his hands were still trembling, he did his best to calmly smooth out the edges of his test, hiding the deplorable grade from both himself and his table mate. Tino could not believe himself. He knew that history was one of his weaker subject areas, and he never did particularly well on any test. But to earn only 57% on one of the most important tests of the semester? That was a new low, even for him. 

I need help, Tino thought, and fast. 

Though he was not feeling particularly up to it, as he wanted more than anything to run back to his dorm and cry, Tino forced himself to pay attention for the rest of the hour. He jotted down close to everything that his professor said and listened with full attention when his hand was too sore to continue writing. 

When the professor finally dismissed the class, Tino was the first to jump up and flee the room. Remaining focused on the lecture had been enough to keep the tears back, but with the sonorous drone of the professor no longer distracting him, Tino couldn't keep the waterworks in check. He gripped the straps on his bag tightly and kept his eyes on the floor, not wanting anyone to see the flush creeping across his face or the tears that now blurred his vision. 

Tino's self-proclaimed "walk of shame" across campus to his dorm seemed to stretch out for miles. Had the route always taken this long? Had there always been so many people milling about after classes?

The walk took absolute ages, but Tino found himself in his hallway soon enough, fighting the urge to run to his room. 

You're almost there, Tino, he told himself, just keep it together the last few steps. You're fine, don't let anyone know you're here, don't let anyone know you're upset, don't let anyone know you failed. 

Tino's heart stopped when he heard the telltale creak of a door opening behind him, indicating that one of his floor mates was about to come out and see him. Tino was generally well liked by everyone on his floor, so that would probably lead to the other student stopping him to talk. They would see his face, and ask him if something was wrong, and he would start to cry, and he would be ruined. 

Don't look at me, don't talk to me, just keep walking, just leave me alone, Tino chanted in his head, hoping against all odds that the other student would just go on their own merry way. 

Tino sighed a breath of relief when no one called out his name, but his internal celebration was short lived. Just as he was passing the door to a room merely feet from his own, said door flung open. A tall, broad blonde named Matthias dashed out and slammed into Tino's shorter, slighter frame. 

Due to the fact that Matthias had been in a hurry and Tino was a solid (if not significant) obstacle, both boys wound up falling to the floor in a tangle, Tino losing his backpack and Matthias his water bottle in the process. The resounding thunk was impressive, making the fall sound more painful than it really was. Tino was not hurt in the least, but he was already so emotionally distraught that the startling event was more than trigger enough for him to lose his grip. In moments, tears were rolling down his cheeks while he shook and gasped for air. 

Matthias immediately untangled himself from Tino, rolling back on his heels. "Oh my gosh, Tino, I'm so sorry! I totally didn't even see you there. Look, I'm kind of in a hurry, and I'm not really in the mood to be destroyed by your boyfriend, so I'm gonna run. So sorry, remind me to buy you a drink later!" Matthias apologized profusely, stringing all of his words together in one breath. He quickly rose to continue on his mad dash to whatever he was probably late for, pausing for a nanosecond to grab his water bottle and call his roommate out to deal with Tino.

Matthias was just disappearing around the corner when Berwald made it to Tino's side. Lucky for Matthias too, because there was murder in Berwald's eyes. Tino and Berwald had been together for little more than a year, but the massive blonde was fiercely protective of his delicate boyfriend. Tino shuddered to think what Matthias might be facing later, glad that at the very least Matthias was faster than Berwald. 

"T'no, 're you ok'y?" Berwald asked, helping his boyfriend to his feet. 

Tino took one look at the deep concern in Berwald's eyes and completely lost all traces of what little control he had left. Sobs wracked his frame and hot, heavy tears poured down his cheeks. 

Berwald was frantic. He stopped touching Tino, afraid he was hurting him. He barraged Tino with questions, asking him where he was hurt, if he was bleeding, if he needed the infirmary, if he needed an ambulance. 

Tino was by no means capable of providing Berwald with an intelligible answer, so he simply stepped into Berwald's arms. Berwald's torso was thick and muscled, so Tino could barely fit his arms around his boyfriend to hug him, but he clutched at Berwald's shirt nevertheless. Tino pressed his face into Berwald's chest, staining the blonde's shirt with tears.

Berwald, deeming it safe to provide his boyfriend with physical comfort, bent his knees slightly and wrapped his strong arms around Tino's narrow waist. Tino clutched more tightly to his boyfriend as he was lifted from his feet and carried into Berwald's room. Berwald somehow managed to nudge Tino's backpack into the room with his foot without tripping on it; an impressive feat for someone holding a fully grown boy. Tino was so distraught he barely registered the scraping of his backpack on the floor or loud click of the door closing. 

The room that Berwald shared with Matthias was small, but despite the lack of space to work with, it was very clear that two completely different individuals lived there. One side of the room was utter chaos. There were clothes (dirty? clean?) scattered everywhere. Loose sheets of paper and miscellaneous text books were spread indiscriminately on the floor, a desk, and a bed. The desk and bed were complete train wrecks.

The other side of the room was neat and orderly, with everything clearly having a place of its own. The bed was made, there was no laundry in sight, and the desk appeared untouched. It was this side of the room that Berwald carried Tino to. With a gentleness he did not outwardly appear capable of, Berwald placed Tino on the small futon under his bunk. Tino was clearly reluctant to let Berwald break contact with him, so Berwald found himself half reclining on his futon with Tino somehow still wrapped around him and crying into his chest. 

While Tino cried, Berwald did his best to soothe him by petting his hair, rubbing his back, rocking, and whispering words of comfort. He didn't know what was wrong, but he knew Tino well enough to know that he would speak up when he was ready. All he needed for the moment was someone to hold him while he let go of whatever was upsetting him. 

Before long, Tino began winding down. His chest stopped heaving and he loosened his death grip on Berwald. Slowly,he pushed himself up so that he was just sitting on his boyfriend's lap. With a heavy sigh, he finally turned to face Berwald.

Berwald gently wiped away the tears that were beginning to dry on Tino's face, stroking his boyfriend's cheek with his thumb. Tino leaned into Berwald's touch, glad for the contact. 

"D' you wan' to t'lk 'bout what's b'therin' you?" Berwald asked quietly, "You don' have to 'f you don' wan' to, but 'm here to l'st'n." 

Tino took in a long, steadying breath, and explained to Berwald that he had just failed the most important history test of the semester outside of his final exam. He said that now he had at least a D in the class, because he had never done well on previous tests. He explained that he was always so confused in the class, and he could never just pay attention or remember anything gone over in class.

"I don't understand," Tino said, tears beginning to run down his face once more, "I try so hard in that class, but no matter what I do, I still let myself down. I don't know what to do anymore. I was hoping at least for a B, even a B-, but it looks like that's never going to happen." 

Rant finally over, Tino fell back into Berwald's arms. Tino wasn't sure what it was about Berwald's arms, but being in them always made him feel better. They were so big and strong and warm. When Berwald hugged Tino, the smaller boy's entire torso would disappear behind all the muscle. It was comforting to know all of that muscle was there to protect Tino and make him feel safe and loved. Tino traced small patterns on Berwald's chest with one finger, listening to the sound of his boyfriend's strong heartbeat and steady breathing. Though he was still upset, he had completely exhausted himself from crying, and the warm reminders of Berwald's existence were beginning to lull Tino to sleep. 

"Well, Tino," Berwald said, "We c'n t'lk 'bout it more l'ter, but I act'lly h've an A 'n h'str'y. I can try m' best to h'lp you." 

Tino let out a long yawn, stretching against Berwald. "Really?" He asked drowsily. 

Berwald smiled down at Tino, his heart squeezing at the sight of his adorable boyfriend falling asleep in his arms. He pressed a soft kiss to the smaller boy's forehead. "Y's, r'lly. We c'n t'lk 'bout it 'fter your nap." 

"My nap?" Tino asked, rubbing his eyes. 

"Y's, your nap." Berwald began to stand up slowly, helping Tino along. He grabbed Tino's bag and guided the boy down the hall to his own room, knowing that his boyfriend had had a stressful morning and needed a nap to recharge. 

Tino fumbled with his key so much that Berwald had to take it from him. Berwald was standing behind Tino, so he had to reach his arms around the smaller boy to get at the lock. Tino leaned back into Berwald as he did this and hummed happily. For a moment, an image flashed through his head of Berwald doing the same thing in the future, but instead of opening a dorm room so Tino could take a nap, he was opening the door to their first home together. Tino allowed himself a smile smile, but was soon ushered into his room by Berwald. 

Tino's roommate was nowhere to be found, so Berwald came in to make sure Tino got into bed. He helped Tino out of his shoes and jeans, then tucked him snugly into bed. 

Tino was so happy for the love and attention he wriggled with joy under the blankets. Berwald smiled widely, then brushed the hair from Tino's face and gave him a long, loving kiss. For just an instant, Berwald imagined he was tucking Tino in after a long day at work. Berwald wished more than anything that he could crawl into bed with his boyfriend and hold him while he napped, but it simply wasn't allowed. He didn't want Tino to get in trouble, especially with his slightly homophobic roommate. 

"I love you," Berwald whispered into Tino's ear. 

Tino smiled, but couldn't respond, because he was already fast asleep. 

Berwald grinned, kissed Tino once more, then slipped out of the room to find Matthias and beat him to death. 

-----

Hope you enjoyed! If you have any suggestions for me on how I could improve this piece or future pieces let me know! My inbox is open and all that jazz. 

[waterfromsand]

A Light in the Window

"At last," she breathed, catching sight of a warm, familiar glow through the mist. 

Maeve had walked miles through heavy rain, trying to get back to her cottage on the outskirts of the village. Though her glossy, emerald cloak was showing signs of wear, it had kept both she and her basket of herbs mostly dry for the trip. It helped that the rain had at last decided to let up, leaving in its wake just a thick curtain of cold mist.

Maeve quickened her pace, eager to get inside. The cloak may have kept her dry, but it was not made to keep her warm. She was chilled to the bone and in desperate need for close proximity to a fireplace.  

"Good evening, Chirrup," Maeve said upon entering her cottage. Her petite gray tabby greeted his mistress with a soft mew and a twitch of his nose. 

"Sorry, love," Maeve said, scratching her familiar just under his ear, "I need it for my next brew." Chirrup wrinkled his nose and stalked away, flicking his tail. The little tabby was not a fan of the smell of white sage, and Maeve had had the nerve to bring home a whole bundle.

Maeve rolled her eyes at the retreating cat as she put her cloak up on its hook by the door. A simple gesture in the general direction of her fireplace resulted instantly in warm, dancing flames. Heat quickly filled the cottage, seeping into Maeve's chilled bones. 

"Much better," Maeve sighed, hanging her herbs from the rafters to dry. 

Resting her hands on her narrow hips, Maeve turned and surveyed her cottage. She screwed up her lips and scrunched her nose at the sight. How had she managed to let her cottage get so... disorganized? There were small vials, dishes, pots, spell books, and colored bottles scattered everywhere. A thin film of dust covered almost every surface, and everything felt grimy.

Though she was exhausted from her trek through the chilling downpour, Maeve could not rest with her cottage in such disarray. Moving to start putting her books and potion ingredients on their respective shelves, Maeve called out to her broom. 

"Broom, dear, would you very much mind sweeping up the floors?" Maeve looked over to where her beloved broom was propped up in the corner. The skinny little thing quivered a bit, but didn't move from it's spot. 

Maeve gave her broom a pointed look. "I'll polish your handle and straighten your bristles," she offered. 

Immediately her broom was cheerily brushing up the floor throughout the cottage, kicking up little puffs of dust as it did so. 

Maeve smirked and continued on with her own general straightening up. While she wiped down her tables and shelves to free them from their grimy coating, she asked her kettle to fill itself with water and hang itself over the fire for tea. 

Maeve finished wiping out her favorite tea cup, then politely asked her kettle to come pour her favorite bergamot tea. When she found the tea a little too strong for her liking, Maeve swirled her wrist and pulled a fine cloud of sugar into her drink. 

"Delicious," she hummed, sighing into her steaming cup. She put her tea aside for a moment to change into her long, soft nightgown. While she pulled on the clean nightclothes, her dusty walking gown washed itself in a small vat of water near the door, then hung itself by the fire to dry. 

With her home clean and smelling of fresh herbs, Maeve was content to take her tea and favorite book over to her window seat. She curled up on the sill, wrapped in a heavy quilt, and exhaled in relief. Her muscles were sore from the long walk, and there was nothing better than tea and a good book after a trying day. For just a moment, Maeve leaned back onto the wall and watched the flames flicker in her tinted glass lantern. The light was so warm and friendly, and served as a welcoming beacon. She always left it to burn when she left the house, because returning home to its glow was comforting. She had lived alone with only her cat and enchanted broom to keep her company for far too long. What she really needed was a human companion to come home to. A loving hug was preferable to a simple lantern, but at least the gentle light was better than nothing. 

Maeve let out a soft, sad sigh, and closed her eyes. One day, she thought to herself, I will find someone. I know he's out there waiting for me. 

As if to reaffirm her promise, Chirrup leapt up onto Maeve's lap. 

"Well," Maeve chuckled, "I am hoping for someone a little more striking than a tabby, but I suppose you'll do for now. Does this mean I'm forgiven for bringing home the white sage?" Maeve laughed as she scratched Chirrup's dark ears. She noticed that he refused to look at her still, but he wasn't above allowing her to pet him. 

Feeling a little less gloomy, Maeve took another sip of her warm tea, then peeled open her book to read by the glow of her lantern. A soft rain began to tap on her window, and in that moment, everything felt right in Maeve's world.