Who Everyone Wants [6b/?]
anonymous
May 16 2010, 03:27:44 UTC
When he much younger, fearing all of the nations being invaded, conquered, and changed around him, he promised himself that he would never give up his virginity willingly, unless it was with someone he loved. Which, admittedly, had caused more hurt in the long run, especially now, but he never regretted the vow.
No, what he regretted was that it was so damn hard for him to get close enough to a nation to love them. And while it was true that it was especially hard for him now to trust anyone because everyone had motives (Finland had proved that), he wasn’t exactly accepting and open before.
“Hey, did you like the movie?”
Estonia snapped out of his train of thought and nodded, trying to find his voice.
“Yes…I thought it was a really interesting concept.”
America smiled. “I’m glad you liked it.”
There was a moment of silence, Estonia not knowing how to respond to the statement, much less that smile, when Canada stood.
“Oh, gee, would you look at the time?” The northern nation looked at his watch with barely feigned concern.
“I’ve got to go see a guy about a horse.”
America frowned. “What does that even mean? That better not be slang for, ‘I’m going to go sleep with commie bastards.’”
Canada only offered his brother a slight smile. “We aren’t sleeping together Al; I told you that,” he said, and ignoring his brother’s sputters of indignation, he walked towards the door. Before exiting, he paused.
“Also, you should know what that phrase means; you invented it.”
America cursed and Canada left, hearing his brother shout after him. Once he was gone, America shook his head and shut down his PS3.
“I don’t know where I went wrong with him! I have to remind him the dangers of communism at least once a month!”
Estonia quirked a small smile at that but didn’t respond, watching the actions of the nation in front of him. Then America turned around with a lopsided grin on his face.
“Don’t tell Canada I said this, but that movie actually makes me think a little, you know?” He got up and sat next to Estonia on the bed, a little too closely in Estonia’s opinion.
“It makes me think of us as nations and how much of us is our own free will and how much of it is our people’s and government’s.”
Estonia nodded, still not responding.
“I mean, it would suck if it was like Harold Crick and our lives were just completely controlled, but I don’t think it’s like that. I mean, I don’t want it to be like that.” He paused, licking his lips nervously and Estonia couldn’t help but to follow the action.
“Our people don’t have a strong affinity towards each other. It’s not that they hate each other or anything, but we seemingly have nothing to do with each other, other than trade and the services we provide.” He was closer now, his sky blue eyes shining with that look that Estonia had seen on many American movies and it made his hear beat faster. He felt his face heating up, even though nothing had happened yet.
“But I’m sure we have free will and…I-I want to be more than just trading partners,” he stuttered slightly with a flush. America was so close, his breath ghosted against Estonia’s lips. He smiled timidly, his eyes searching for the other’s.
“And I really, really want to kiss you now,” he admitted and Estonia could only nod dumbly.
Who Everyone Wants [6c/?]
anonymous
May 16 2010, 03:28:49 UTC
He closed his eyes, leaned in, and their lips touched, just the barest of touches. And for a moment, it was nice. For a moment, Estonia didn’t even care about his virginity, because he could feel the force that America was using to hold back his strength. It was there in the hand coming up to cup his cheek and how the other deepened the kiss without going further.
But something Estonia’s mind flashed back to the night before with Poland, and how the lack of physical affection for so long drove him into the make out session. The same with Finland, who he even trusted, and that chaste kiss that promised so much more, that made Estonia want so much more.
Was he kissing America for the same reason? The promise of physical affection because he was tired of being so damn lonely? It went against the promise to himself, sure, but didn’t he just tell himself he needed to be more trusting?
The truth was, he liked America, and wanted to trust him. And he wanted to trust America not to take the kissing any further, to show that this wasn’t a blatant attempt for sex.
But the kiss was progressing faster than he would have liked and when he felt a tongue press against the crevice of his lips, pushing inward, Estonia felt a flutter of panic deep in his gut. He tried to move his head to break the kiss, but America’s hand was too strong, locking him there, and the panic grew stronger as the other’s tongue successfully made it into his mouth.
No, no, no, he thought, frantically trying to pull away. He didn’t want this; he didn’t want this if the other was going to be forceful.
The panic became too much and, not knowing what else to do to get away, he brought up his hand and slapped the other, hard. Even though the sound of it echoed throughout the room, it probably hurt his hand more than it hurt America, who stopped, presumably out of shock.
As soon as Estonia was able to pull away, he got up and backed up until his back hit a wall. He was breathing heavily, and his face was flushed, and judging from America’s still shocked expression, he was probably overreacting. But at the same time, no, he wasn’t.
America stared until the shock washed away into horror, and he looked down at the floor, ashamed, and raked a heavy hand through his hair.
“Shit, I didn’t mean-I mean,” he shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, “Fuck, I’m sorry.”
Estonia nodded, but still didn’t back away from the wall as though he expected America to attack him.
“It’s-it’s okay,” he lied, but, no, it really wasn’t.
“It’s just…my strength gets the better of me sometimes. I’m really sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Estonia repeated and after a small silence he announced, “I have to go.”
America nodded, understanding what he meant.
“Good night,” he said once he got to the door. America didn’t respond, still looking at the floor, so Estonia left the other in his silence. Once the door closed, he didn’t see America punch his bed hard enough to break it before burying his face in his hands, frustrated.
Estonia refused to think about the scene until he made it to the stairwell (there was less of a chance for him to run into other nations that way), where he sat down, exhausted. He was emotionally exhausted, and he felt so stupid.
How could he be so stupid? He thought, banging his head softly against the railing. This was why he still had his virginity; he clearly made poor choices with the people that he decided to like.
He kept banging his head, perhaps faintly hoping for a concussion so he could go home, until he heard a deep voice with a heavy accent speak behind him, startling him.
Who Everyone Wants [6d/?]
anonymous
May 16 2010, 03:30:08 UTC
“Hey, you alright? That can’t be good for your head.”
He looked up to see a large man (Nation? He definitely felt like a nation) with dark skin and dreadlocks. The other frowned upon seeing Estonia’s face, likely catching the same nation-vibe.
“You know, you look familiar…” He muttered and Estonia wondered how this nation managed to not notice him being pointed at in the meeting earlier that day. Or perhaps he had and just forgot.
“My name is Estonia,” he smiled faintly. “You probably know me from the huge bet going on.”
“That’s you?” The nation sat down next to him, looking strangely amazed. Estonia wasn’t sure how to take that, but when the nation seemed to realize that the other didn’t share the same sentiment, he looked sympathetic. “That really sucks, you know?”
“I know,” Estonia muttered, but the other didn’t seem to hear him.
“Who told you about it? I heard it was secret.”
Estonia paused, not wanting to give Lithuania away as the culprit.
“Oh, it’s okay, you can tell, I’m not involved anyway. I’ve got my own little cariño to worry about,” he winked and Estonia suddenly got the impression that this person was not as nearly as intimidating as he looked.
“My brother told me,” he offered vaguely.
“Oh, well that’s good! I would hate to be in that situation and not know what was going on.” There was a small pause. “Oh!” He grinned, a warm and friendly smile, and extended his hand. “My name is Cuba, by the way.”
Estonia hesitantly took the other’s hand and shook it, noticing Cuba’s large hand enveloping his own.
“Cuba,” he repeated softly. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise, my friend.” Their hands dropped. “Hey, me and mi cariño are going to go get ice cream later. No offence, but you look like you need a break.”
Was it that obvious?
“Do you wanna come with? The shop is a…how do you say? ‘Hole in the wall’? No other nations will be there, and you can always use ice cream, sí?”
It must have been obvious that he was hiding. Estonia frowned and weighed the pros against the cons of going with him.
He didn’t know this Cuba person well enough to trust him, but hell, a complete stranger was probably more trustworthy than the people he actually knew, barring his brothers. Plus, he said he was taken and, for some reason, Estonia believed him.
It wasn’t like going to get ice cream with a guy and his boyfriend would end up has terrible as everything else had in the past two days. And if it did, he hoped there would be enough alcohol that he wouldn’t care. That was what he needed. A good, hard drink.
“Do they serve drinks also?” He asked somewhat miserably and Cuba laughed. It was a rich, deep sound coming from his belly and it made Estonia feel silly.
“Sí, amigo, there are drinks also,” he smiled and stood, extending a hand to the other. “So what do you say?”
Estonia took the other’s hand and stood. He thought back to the movie he saw earlier, the almost fate of Harold before the man changed his ways. He thought about how much happier Harold was to have thrown caution to the wind, to have fallen for a complete stranger. Estonia didn’t want his phobia of fun to become his wrongly timed wristwatch.
“Sure. I’m in.”
---o0o---
Surprise Cuba! Uh, really sorry for the lack of updates guys. This was supposed to be twice as long, but after much fretting, I decided against it. D:
I’m also sorry if you’ve never seen Stranger than Fiction because it’s an awesome movie. I share America’s reaction every time at the end. .__. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should go now. :D
Re: Who Everyone Wants [6d/?]
anonymous
May 16 2010, 06:46:23 UTC
YES IT'S ALIVE
Cuba is so sweet he makes me daw with his Spanish pet names and his good natured misunderstandings and his ice cream love! I hope him and Canada(?) aren't secretly planning evil things.
I'm not sure what to think about America. I couldn't really get a feel of how much was real or staged, or what America was thinking at all. o_0
Also I didn't get to commenting last chapter, but I enjoyed the TurkeyxEgypt alot. Especially with the Arabic and voyeurism.
Re: Who Everyone Wants [6d/?]
anonymous
May 16 2010, 14:23:42 UTC
Oh, more Cuba is always welcome! Specially if he's as nice as he appears! I hope his 'cariño' (you probably meant to say his 'pareja' or 'amante', because 'cariño' wouldn't be used like that, lol, take this form a Spanish speaker) is Mattie! God, that scene with Alfred was fucking hot. I love it when Alfred uses his strength in sexy situations and becomes somewhat forceful. Mmmmm (there was also something very sexy about America seducing and getting him to come to his hotel bedroom, I can imagine the rest of the nations seething that the USA takes advantage like thatXD)
Poor Estonia, I kinda understand him, since I have a similar problem with getting close enough to guys to fall in love with them. How's he going to change that? will he finally lose it with someone, or decide to keep his virginity intact? I wonder...
Re: Who Everyone Wants [6d/?]
anonymous
May 28 2010, 20:43:28 UTC
I am super late with commenting as always. I love the fic - hot, clever and bitter-sweet. Poor Estonia became a sort of catalyst for the others. Hopefully, he´ll have some good time in next part.
Who Everyone Wants [7a/?]
anonymous
July 1 2010, 21:58:48 UTC
Ahead for more fail!Spanish! And the chapter too, yeah, which is pretty un-beta'd so, woo, heads up.
Estonia followed Cuba out of the hotel and down the main street with the starlight and street lamps shining above. He wondered what he was getting himself into, but hearing the cheerful chattering of the other, it made him sort of not worry.
The air of the night was still warm and sweet and it wrapped around Estonia like a comforting blanket and, even though it was pretty dark out, the streets were still alive like they had been earlier, thrumming with beats and good feelings. It made Estonia feel small, somewhat, how there was such a large, overwhelming presence of happiness bleeding through the streets.
“So here we are!” Cuba announced as they stopped outside a small shop that was sandwiched between two stores. Cuba was right; you wouldn’t have noticed if it you didn’t know it was there.
They walked inside and Estonia froze when he saw a blonde seated at one of the tables. The person looked eerily similar to America and he could only think what did the other nation want? Estonia had made it clear that he didn’t want to be near him.
But then the blonde spotted them and got up as Cuba rushed over to him and they kissed and Estonia was shocked until he belatedly realized it was Canada, not America. He wondered how the other would take the date being over so soon.
Once Canada and Cuba separated, Estonia gave a little awkward wave to the other with a quiet, “Hello.”
Canada blinked, clearly surprised. “Um, hi. I…I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon.”
Cuba looked back and forth between the two before clapping them both on the shoulder. “You two know each other? Great!” At this, both blondes chuckled weakly.
“I’m going to order for us, ‘kay? Do you know what you want?” He turned to Estonia and the Baltic shook his head. He didn’t even know what was on the menu (nor could he read half the menu) and he doubted that Cuba would order him an alcoholic drink even if he asked.
“No, I’ll take whatever you give me.”
Cuba smiled at him before turning to Canada and kissing him on the forehead. “And I know what you want, mi querido. Maple ice cream, right?”
Canada blushed and nodded and Cuba left to go tell their orders to a person at the counter. Estonia and Canada sat down at one of the quaint tables and tried to ignore the awkwardness of it all. It was swimming around them like thick oil and Estonia wondered who was going to say it first, but then Canada spoke.
“I can only assume that, because you’re here now, that the date with Al didn’t go well,” he looked up apologetically. “How bad was it?”
“I…um,” He started, awkwardly, not really wanting to admit what had happened, “I kind of slapped him.” Estonia lowered his gaze because it seemed silly now that he said it out loud.
Canada groaned, “oh god,” and buried his face in his hands. “I’m going to have to be damage control, you know?” He answered, his voice muffled, and put his hands down but he still looked miserable. “What did he do?”
“He kissed me, but when I tried to break the kiss he wouldn’t let me go,” Estonia looked down at his hands on the table. “That sounds stupid, doesn’t it?”
“No,” Canada assured him. “No, it’s not. If anything, it sounds like Al was being a douche, but he probably didn’t do it on purpose. Sometimes his strength gets the better of him.”
“Yeah, he said that.”
Estonia looked up when he felt a hand on his. “Don’t worry about it,” the other offered with a small smile and Estonia tried to feel better, he really did.
Who Everyone Wants [7b/?]
anonymous
July 1 2010, 22:02:56 UTC
“Okay, so our order will take awhile,” Cuba announced, startling both of them a little, as he sat down next to Canada, giving him a little peck on the cheek. He looked back and forth between the two and asked, “How did you two meet anyway?”
Both of the blondes looked at each other, unsure of how to answer.
“Um…”
“Well…”
“He was with my brother this afternoon,” Canada admitted, eventually deciding to tell the truth. “They were on a date, but…it didn’t go very well.” He winced.
Cuba straightened, eyes narrowed, and looked at Estonia with such contempt is made the blonde want to shrink into his seat.
“Good,” he answered, which earned him a kick under the table by his boyfriend.
“Cuba!”
“I’m sorry, but it’s true,” Cuba crossed his arms, impassive. “Nothing good comes from that capitalist son of a bitch and its best you forget about him.”
“Don’t say that,” Canada pleaded, “Al’s got some good qualities.”
“Like what?”
“Well…”
“No, he’s right,” Estonia said and adjusted his glasses, putting back on his shield. “It’s probably best if I just forget about what happened.”
Their conversation was interrupted when a waiter placed their ice creams in front of them and told them, at least Estonia assumed that’s what he said, to enjoy. Canada had the maple ice cream that Cuba promised him, Cuba had some sort of brownie sundae and…Estonia really didn’t know what he had. It was in a tall glass and covered in whipped cream and chocolate syrup, so he was pretty satisfied.
He put a spoonful of it in his mouth and looked the glass, amazed. It was delicious. It was more than delicious, it was orgasmic. It was creamy, smooth, not too sweet, subtle in some other flavors, and it had a taste of something that was really familiar. With the introduction of ice cream, the tension in the room melted and Cuba smiled at Estonia, at his reaction, the previous conversation apparently forgotten.
“Good?”
Estonia nodded, quickly digging in for another spoonful. He hadn’t relaxed and eaten ice cream, or eaten anything for the pleasure of it for that matter, in forever. He felt like he had been missing something in his life up until that point.
But his enthusiasm for the treat slowed down and he looked at the other two, who were huddled close together-their shoulders were touching-and they were shooting each playful looks while Cuba tried to put a spoonful of his ice cream into the other’s mouth (Canada was refusing, but holding in his laughter from the looks of it). Estonia couldn’t help but think he hadn’t seen true affection like that in awhile either and also, he felt like a third wheel.
“So Estonia,” Cuba began casually after he successfully got the other to try the ice cream. “What’s your whole deal on the bet thing? Like, do you even want to lose your virginity?” That earned Cuba another kick underneath the table.
“What?”
Canada flushed. “You-you can’t just ask someone something like that!”
“I was curious!”
“It’s rude!”
Estonia, who had been hiding his flush by staring at his hands, spoke up. “No, I’m not-I’m not even sure, really. I don’t know what sex is like enough to know if I’d actively enjoy it-”
“Trust me, amigo, you’ll enjoy it.” Cuba interrupted with a smile. He shut up when Canada gave him a pointed look.
“And plus,” Estonia’s voice grew quieter, “I don’t know if there’s anyone I can trust any more, other than my brothers. I don’t want to be coddled, but I want my first time to be with someone who cares that it is, not with someone who’s just looking for a-” His cheeks darkened and his nails became even more fascinating. “A quick fuck.”
Canada smiled, “There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Cuba nodded. “Yeah, and I’m sure they’re people you can still trust.”
Estonia shook his head, “No, the bet, remember? Most of the nations are involved in a competitive sport that involves taking my virginity. I doubt I can trust them.”
“I’m sorry,” Canada offered ruefully. “That was a real dick move, whoever started it.”
“Well, I always said I that I would like a little more attention,” he smiled bitterly and dug his spoon angrily into his ice cream. “I guess be careful with what you wish for.”
Who Everyone Wants [7c/?]
anonymous
July 1 2010, 22:05:47 UTC
“Think of it this way, my friend,” started Cuba, ever the optimist, “you’ve only got a little over a week and then it’ll all be over.”
That was true. Estonia hadn’t thought of it that way. “Yeah, I guess your right.” He dug into the ice cream and ate another spoonful or three. It was becoming addictive.
“Honestly, I wish my first time was a little more meaningful.” Canada said absently and both nations looked at him, curious.
“Oh?”
Canada looked at the other two’s expressions, blushing, realizing what he had just said. “Don’t give me that look.” He turned to Cuba. “I thought I already told you.”
“No, mi querido, you did not tell me that,” Cuba answered, leaning back, with a playful smile.
“Oh. Well, long story short my first was England. It…it was pretty bad,” he winced.
“It can’t have been that bad,” Estonia tried to offer.
Canada buried his face in his hands. “England was half drunk and almost mistook me for Alfred. I hit my head on the headboard. Repeatedly. It was pretty bad.”
Cuba patted the other’s shoulder comfortingly. “Well, think of it this way: at least now you know what a good time is like.”
“Yeah…”
It was then that Estonia’s spoon hit the glass at the bottom of the cup and he realized he had been eating a lot more than he thought he had. It really was addictive and he was shocked to find he wasn’t suffering from a brain freeze. He wanted more, but he didn’t want to impose on Cuba’s hospitality.
“Hey, do you want another one?” Cuba asked suddenly, probably catching the other’s forlorn expression as he stared into the glass.
“I…I don’t want to cause you trouble.”
Cuba waved a hand dismissively. “Nonsense! Anyway, this is all on Spain’s tab. Order as much as you like.” He then called a waiter over (after explaining to Canada that everything he did in the country was on Spain’s tab; they had a weird, strained relationship, and this was the older man trying to win him over) and pointed to Estonia’s empty glass.
“Uno más, por favor,” he ordered cheerily and the waiter nodded and took the glass away.
--o0o--
Four or so ice creams later and Estonia began to notice that something wasn’t quite right. His mouth seemed a whole lot looser, detailing all of the horrors he had faced in the past two days, his body temperature felt higher, and he was pretty sure he couldn’t stop eating even if he tried.
He finally hit his breaking point when he tried to dig into his fifth (sixth?) glass, but his spoon wouldn’t make it in for some reason and Cuba saw fit to finally pull the glass away from him.
“Whoa there, amigo, I think you’ve had enough.”
Estonia stared, his face flushed and eyes wide. “What…what’s in it?” Needless to say, he felt more than a little intoxicated, which was ridiculous, because it was ice cream.
Who Everyone Wants [7d/?]
anonymous
July 1 2010, 22:07:36 UTC
Estonia looked at the glass, amazed. No wonder he thought something had tasted familiar, it was the vodka. Well, shit, that made a lot of sense, now that he thought about it.
“I’m okay, really. I’ve been drunker than this loads of times.”
Canada’s concerned expression didn’t exactly waver at the confession. “I think we should take you back to your room.”
“But I’m fine!”
Canada stood and went over to the other, giving his boyfriend a heated look from across the table. “Are you going to help me?”
Cuba held up his hands in defense. “Alright, alright, Dios, let me take care of the bill.”
“Come on.” Canada hauled Estonia up by the arm easily (who tried to struggle, but most of his attention had to be focused on his balance) and Estonia conceded unhappily to let them take him back.
It was a lot later than he thought it was when they reached outside. The previous livelihood of the streets was gone or fading and Estonia remained an unhappy camper the whole way, wanting to get drunker with at least the knowledge that he was doing so. However, his balance was a little wobbly, and he often had to lean onto Canada for support.
“You know, I’m older than the two of you. I shouldn’t stand for this,” he complained, but they were ignoring him.
When the trio made it back to the hotel, they found an irate Switzerland waiting for them in the lobby. Not exactly, wanting to confront him, Cuba and Canada dropped Estonia off and quickly turned the other way. Estonia, more so than not, was oblivious to the other nation’s anger.
“Where have you been!?” Switzerland demanded, arms crossed.
“I was eating ice cream,” Estonia replied back, not exactly understanding the full meaning of the question. Switzerland paused and leaned in closer, looking up at Estonia’s half-lidded eyes.
“Are you drunk?” He asked, incredulous.
“Maybe,” Estonia smiled.
Switzerland took a deep breath, realizing quickly that it wouldn’t do any good to be angry at someone who was intoxicated.
“Look: keep your phone on, okay? I can’t exactly protect you if I don’t know where the hell you are.”
Estonia nodded, though the information probably would be lost by the time morning came around. Switzerland sighed and grabbed the other’s arm with a “Let’s go,” and Estonia had no choice to follow though he complained of being manhandled so much in one night.
They arrived at Estonia’s hotel room, which he had made a point to avoid in the past twenty-four hours, and the first thing Estonia noticed was that there were all sorts of bouquets surrounding, and blocking the path in front of, his door. The second thing he noticed was Finland standing a few feet away, looking meek.
Re: Who Everyone Wants [7d/?]
anonymous
July 1 2010, 22:09:06 UTC
“Can I talk to you?” He asked, giving a look to Switzerland, but he at least had the decency to sound ashamed. Something in Estonia’s mind told him no, that he had been heartbroken by this individual, but his mouth said yes for some reason. Once they were standing a considerable distance away, Finland began pouring out apologies.
“I’m sorry, Eduard, I really am. There aren’t any excuses, I just wasn’t thinking, you know? The bet sounded like a silly little game with a big prize, and I didn’t take into account that it was someone’s feelings, someone important’s feelings, that I would be messing with. It was stupid and childish, and you have every right to hate me.”
Estonia frowned, only partially processing what the Finn was saying; the other part of him still listening to the voice that told him his heart was broken.
“It’s okay, I forgive you Tino.”
He felt satisfied and doubly sickened by that satisfaction when Finland beamed at him, hopeful.
“Really?”
“No.” The other stared, confused, with vague annoyance and anger written over his face.
“I just thought you should know what it feels like to be lied to by someone you trust.”
Finland straightened up and he crossed his arms, eyes narrow. “Are you drunk?”
“That’s not important, Tino. What’s important is that I trusted you, god, I trusted you.” He shook his head, the booze making it harder for him to articulate his feelings.
“If I didn’t know about the bet, I probably would have let you take my virginity.” There, he finally said it. He finally said it out loud, but he failed to notice the impact of his words.
There was a moment of shocked silence and Finland stared, some sort of strange mixture of horror and amazement in his expression.
“W-what?”
The gears in Estonia’s mind shifted direction. Something told him that the conversation was heading towards dangerous territory, so he decided to end it.
“I don’t want to see you right now, Tino. It’s-it’s too hard. Please go away.” He turned, but Finland latched onto his wrist.
“Wait! What did you mean by that? That you would-that you-”
“Hey!” Switzerland interrupted, startling both nations. He pointed his rifle in Finland’s direction.
“You heard him; he doesn’t want to see you right now. Leave,” he scowled.
Finland, affronted, looked at Estonia, looking for some semblance of help from the other, but Estonia offered none. He stared blankly at Finland, looking exhausted and apathetic. Finland let go of the other’s wrist, and backed away, looking sheepish once again.
“I get it. Alright. I…I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
Estonia didn’t respond, so Finland turned around, cheeks blazing, and he shot one last look at the duo before leaving.
No, what he regretted was that it was so damn hard for him to get close enough to a nation to love them. And while it was true that it was especially hard for him now to trust anyone because everyone had motives (Finland had proved that), he wasn’t exactly accepting and open before.
“Hey, did you like the movie?”
Estonia snapped out of his train of thought and nodded, trying to find his voice.
“Yes…I thought it was a really interesting concept.”
America smiled. “I’m glad you liked it.”
There was a moment of silence, Estonia not knowing how to respond to the statement, much less that smile, when Canada stood.
“Oh, gee, would you look at the time?” The northern nation looked at his watch with barely feigned concern.
“I’ve got to go see a guy about a horse.”
America frowned. “What does that even mean? That better not be slang for, ‘I’m going to go sleep with commie bastards.’”
Canada only offered his brother a slight smile. “We aren’t sleeping together Al; I told you that,” he said, and ignoring his brother’s sputters of indignation, he walked towards the door. Before exiting, he paused.
“Also, you should know what that phrase means; you invented it.”
America cursed and Canada left, hearing his brother shout after him. Once he was gone, America shook his head and shut down his PS3.
“I don’t know where I went wrong with him! I have to remind him the dangers of communism at least once a month!”
Estonia quirked a small smile at that but didn’t respond, watching the actions of the nation in front of him. Then America turned around with a lopsided grin on his face.
“Don’t tell Canada I said this, but that movie actually makes me think a little, you know?” He got up and sat next to Estonia on the bed, a little too closely in Estonia’s opinion.
“It makes me think of us as nations and how much of us is our own free will and how much of it is our people’s and government’s.”
Estonia nodded, still not responding.
“I mean, it would suck if it was like Harold Crick and our lives were just completely controlled, but I don’t think it’s like that. I mean, I don’t want it to be like that.” He paused, licking his lips nervously and Estonia couldn’t help but to follow the action.
“Our people don’t have a strong affinity towards each other. It’s not that they hate each other or anything, but we seemingly have nothing to do with each other, other than trade and the services we provide.” He was closer now, his sky blue eyes shining with that look that Estonia had seen on many American movies and it made his hear beat faster. He felt his face heating up, even though nothing had happened yet.
“But I’m sure we have free will and…I-I want to be more than just trading partners,” he stuttered slightly with a flush. America was so close, his breath ghosted against Estonia’s lips. He smiled timidly, his eyes searching for the other’s.
“And I really, really want to kiss you now,” he admitted and Estonia could only nod dumbly.
America took that as permission.
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But something Estonia’s mind flashed back to the night before with Poland, and how the lack of physical affection for so long drove him into the make out session. The same with Finland, who he even trusted, and that chaste kiss that promised so much more, that made Estonia want so much more.
Was he kissing America for the same reason? The promise of physical affection because he was tired of being so damn lonely? It went against the promise to himself, sure, but didn’t he just tell himself he needed to be more trusting?
The truth was, he liked America, and wanted to trust him. And he wanted to trust America not to take the kissing any further, to show that this wasn’t a blatant attempt for sex.
But the kiss was progressing faster than he would have liked and when he felt a tongue press against the crevice of his lips, pushing inward, Estonia felt a flutter of panic deep in his gut. He tried to move his head to break the kiss, but America’s hand was too strong, locking him there, and the panic grew stronger as the other’s tongue successfully made it into his mouth.
No, no, no, he thought, frantically trying to pull away. He didn’t want this; he didn’t want this if the other was going to be forceful.
The panic became too much and, not knowing what else to do to get away, he brought up his hand and slapped the other, hard. Even though the sound of it echoed throughout the room, it probably hurt his hand more than it hurt America, who stopped, presumably out of shock.
As soon as Estonia was able to pull away, he got up and backed up until his back hit a wall. He was breathing heavily, and his face was flushed, and judging from America’s still shocked expression, he was probably overreacting. But at the same time, no, he wasn’t.
America stared until the shock washed away into horror, and he looked down at the floor, ashamed, and raked a heavy hand through his hair.
“Shit, I didn’t mean-I mean,” he shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts, “Fuck, I’m sorry.”
Estonia nodded, but still didn’t back away from the wall as though he expected America to attack him.
“It’s-it’s okay,” he lied, but, no, it really wasn’t.
“It’s just…my strength gets the better of me sometimes. I’m really sorry.”
“It’s okay,” Estonia repeated and after a small silence he announced, “I have to go.”
America nodded, understanding what he meant.
“Good night,” he said once he got to the door. America didn’t respond, still looking at the floor, so Estonia left the other in his silence. Once the door closed, he didn’t see America punch his bed hard enough to break it before burying his face in his hands, frustrated.
Estonia refused to think about the scene until he made it to the stairwell (there was less of a chance for him to run into other nations that way), where he sat down, exhausted. He was emotionally exhausted, and he felt so stupid.
How could he be so stupid? He thought, banging his head softly against the railing. This was why he still had his virginity; he clearly made poor choices with the people that he decided to like.
He kept banging his head, perhaps faintly hoping for a concussion so he could go home, until he heard a deep voice with a heavy accent speak behind him, startling him.
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He looked up to see a large man (Nation? He definitely felt like a nation) with dark skin and dreadlocks. The other frowned upon seeing Estonia’s face, likely catching the same nation-vibe.
“You know, you look familiar…” He muttered and Estonia wondered how this nation managed to not notice him being pointed at in the meeting earlier that day. Or perhaps he had and just forgot.
“My name is Estonia,” he smiled faintly. “You probably know me from the huge bet going on.”
“That’s you?” The nation sat down next to him, looking strangely amazed. Estonia wasn’t sure how to take that, but when the nation seemed to realize that the other didn’t share the same sentiment, he looked sympathetic. “That really sucks, you know?”
“I know,” Estonia muttered, but the other didn’t seem to hear him.
“Who told you about it? I heard it was secret.”
Estonia paused, not wanting to give Lithuania away as the culprit.
“Oh, it’s okay, you can tell, I’m not involved anyway. I’ve got my own little cariño to worry about,” he winked and Estonia suddenly got the impression that this person was not as nearly as intimidating as he looked.
“My brother told me,” he offered vaguely.
“Oh, well that’s good! I would hate to be in that situation and not know what was going on.” There was a small pause. “Oh!” He grinned, a warm and friendly smile, and extended his hand. “My name is Cuba, by the way.”
Estonia hesitantly took the other’s hand and shook it, noticing Cuba’s large hand enveloping his own.
“Cuba,” he repeated softly. “It’s nice to meet you.”
“Likewise, my friend.” Their hands dropped. “Hey, me and mi cariño are going to go get ice cream later. No offence, but you look like you need a break.”
Was it that obvious?
“Do you wanna come with? The shop is a…how do you say? ‘Hole in the wall’? No other nations will be there, and you can always use ice cream, sí?”
It must have been obvious that he was hiding. Estonia frowned and weighed the pros against the cons of going with him.
He didn’t know this Cuba person well enough to trust him, but hell, a complete stranger was probably more trustworthy than the people he actually knew, barring his brothers. Plus, he said he was taken and, for some reason, Estonia believed him.
It wasn’t like going to get ice cream with a guy and his boyfriend would end up has terrible as everything else had in the past two days. And if it did, he hoped there would be enough alcohol that he wouldn’t care. That was what he needed. A good, hard drink.
“Do they serve drinks also?” He asked somewhat miserably and Cuba laughed. It was a rich, deep sound coming from his belly and it made Estonia feel silly.
“Sí, amigo, there are drinks also,” he smiled and stood, extending a hand to the other. “So what do you say?”
Estonia took the other’s hand and stood. He thought back to the movie he saw earlier, the almost fate of Harold before the man changed his ways. He thought about how much happier Harold was to have thrown caution to the wind, to have fallen for a complete stranger. Estonia didn’t want his phobia of fun to become his wrongly timed wristwatch.
“Sure. I’m in.”
---o0o---
Surprise Cuba! Uh, really sorry for the lack of updates guys. This was supposed to be twice as long, but after much fretting, I decided against it. D:
I’m also sorry if you’ve never seen Stranger than Fiction because it’s an awesome movie. I share America’s reaction every time at the end. .__. If you haven’t seen it yet, you should go now. :D
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...Is it terrible of me to want Estonia to end up with America? Tis my rarepair OTP, that is.
Can't wait to see more soon :3 <3
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Cuba is so sweet he makes me daw with his Spanish pet names and his good natured misunderstandings and his ice cream love! I hope him and Canada(?) aren't secretly planning evil things.
I'm not sure what to think about America. I couldn't really get a feel of how much was real or staged, or what America was thinking at all. o_0
Also I didn't get to commenting last chapter, but I enjoyed the TurkeyxEgypt alot. Especially with the Arabic and voyeurism.
Thanks and update again soon! 8D
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I'm glad you liked the last chapter though, it was kind of worrying me.
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(there was also something very sexy about America seducing and getting him to come to his hotel bedroom, I can imagine the rest of the nations seething that the USA takes advantage like thatXD)
Poor Estonia, I kinda understand him, since I have a similar problem with getting close enough to guys to fall in love with them. How's he going to change that? will he finally lose it with someone, or decide to keep his virginity intact? I wonder...
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I love foreful!America too, but it isn't exactly helping his cause here. >>
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I love the fic - hot, clever and bitter-sweet. Poor Estonia became a sort of catalyst for the others. Hopefully, he´ll have some good time in next part.
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I love how every character has his own way of getting Esto in to bed!
If there's still room in your plotline, then I'd totally appreciate some Iceland or Norway in it! I'D LOVE YOU FOREVER ;A;
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Estonia followed Cuba out of the hotel and down the main street with the starlight and street lamps shining above. He wondered what he was getting himself into, but hearing the cheerful chattering of the other, it made him sort of not worry.
The air of the night was still warm and sweet and it wrapped around Estonia like a comforting blanket and, even though it was pretty dark out, the streets were still alive like they had been earlier, thrumming with beats and good feelings. It made Estonia feel small, somewhat, how there was such a large, overwhelming presence of happiness bleeding through the streets.
“So here we are!” Cuba announced as they stopped outside a small shop that was sandwiched between two stores. Cuba was right; you wouldn’t have noticed if it you didn’t know it was there.
They walked inside and Estonia froze when he saw a blonde seated at one of the tables. The person looked eerily similar to America and he could only think what did the other nation want? Estonia had made it clear that he didn’t want to be near him.
But then the blonde spotted them and got up as Cuba rushed over to him and they kissed and Estonia was shocked until he belatedly realized it was Canada, not America. He wondered how the other would take the date being over so soon.
Once Canada and Cuba separated, Estonia gave a little awkward wave to the other with a quiet, “Hello.”
Canada blinked, clearly surprised. “Um, hi. I…I wasn’t expecting to see you so soon.”
Cuba looked back and forth between the two before clapping them both on the shoulder. “You two know each other? Great!” At this, both blondes chuckled weakly.
“I’m going to order for us, ‘kay? Do you know what you want?” He turned to Estonia and the Baltic shook his head. He didn’t even know what was on the menu (nor could he read half the menu) and he doubted that Cuba would order him an alcoholic drink even if he asked.
“No, I’ll take whatever you give me.”
Cuba smiled at him before turning to Canada and kissing him on the forehead. “And I know what you want, mi querido. Maple ice cream, right?”
Canada blushed and nodded and Cuba left to go tell their orders to a person at the counter. Estonia and Canada sat down at one of the quaint tables and tried to ignore the awkwardness of it all. It was swimming around them like thick oil and Estonia wondered who was going to say it first, but then Canada spoke.
“I can only assume that, because you’re here now, that the date with Al didn’t go well,” he looked up apologetically. “How bad was it?”
“I…um,” He started, awkwardly, not really wanting to admit what had happened, “I kind of slapped him.” Estonia lowered his gaze because it seemed silly now that he said it out loud.
Canada groaned, “oh god,” and buried his face in his hands. “I’m going to have to be damage control, you know?” He answered, his voice muffled, and put his hands down but he still looked miserable. “What did he do?”
“He kissed me, but when I tried to break the kiss he wouldn’t let me go,” Estonia looked down at his hands on the table. “That sounds stupid, doesn’t it?”
“No,” Canada assured him. “No, it’s not. If anything, it sounds like Al was being a douche, but he probably didn’t do it on purpose. Sometimes his strength gets the better of him.”
“Yeah, he said that.”
Estonia looked up when he felt a hand on his. “Don’t worry about it,” the other offered with a small smile and Estonia tried to feel better, he really did.
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Both of the blondes looked at each other, unsure of how to answer.
“Um…”
“Well…”
“He was with my brother this afternoon,” Canada admitted, eventually deciding to tell the truth. “They were on a date, but…it didn’t go very well.” He winced.
Cuba straightened, eyes narrowed, and looked at Estonia with such contempt is made the blonde want to shrink into his seat.
“Good,” he answered, which earned him a kick under the table by his boyfriend.
“Cuba!”
“I’m sorry, but it’s true,” Cuba crossed his arms, impassive. “Nothing good comes from that capitalist son of a bitch and its best you forget about him.”
“Don’t say that,” Canada pleaded, “Al’s got some good qualities.”
“Like what?”
“Well…”
“No, he’s right,” Estonia said and adjusted his glasses, putting back on his shield. “It’s probably best if I just forget about what happened.”
Their conversation was interrupted when a waiter placed their ice creams in front of them and told them, at least Estonia assumed that’s what he said, to enjoy. Canada had the maple ice cream that Cuba promised him, Cuba had some sort of brownie sundae and…Estonia really didn’t know what he had. It was in a tall glass and covered in whipped cream and chocolate syrup, so he was pretty satisfied.
He put a spoonful of it in his mouth and looked the glass, amazed. It was delicious. It was more than delicious, it was orgasmic. It was creamy, smooth, not too sweet, subtle in some other flavors, and it had a taste of something that was really familiar.
With the introduction of ice cream, the tension in the room melted and Cuba smiled at Estonia, at his reaction, the previous conversation apparently forgotten.
“Good?”
Estonia nodded, quickly digging in for another spoonful. He hadn’t relaxed and eaten ice cream, or eaten anything for the pleasure of it for that matter, in forever. He felt like he had been missing something in his life up until that point.
But his enthusiasm for the treat slowed down and he looked at the other two, who were huddled close together-their shoulders were touching-and they were shooting each playful looks while Cuba tried to put a spoonful of his ice cream into the other’s mouth (Canada was refusing, but holding in his laughter from the looks of it). Estonia couldn’t help but think he hadn’t seen true affection like that in awhile either and also, he felt like a third wheel.
“So Estonia,” Cuba began casually after he successfully got the other to try the ice cream. “What’s your whole deal on the bet thing? Like, do you even want to lose your virginity?” That earned Cuba another kick underneath the table.
“What?”
Canada flushed. “You-you can’t just ask someone something like that!”
“I was curious!”
“It’s rude!”
Estonia, who had been hiding his flush by staring at his hands, spoke up. “No, I’m not-I’m not even sure, really. I don’t know what sex is like enough to know if I’d actively enjoy it-”
“Trust me, amigo, you’ll enjoy it.” Cuba interrupted with a smile. He shut up when Canada gave him a pointed look.
“And plus,” Estonia’s voice grew quieter, “I don’t know if there’s anyone I can trust any more, other than my brothers. I don’t want to be coddled, but I want my first time to be with someone who cares that it is, not with someone who’s just looking for a-” His cheeks darkened and his nails became even more fascinating. “A quick fuck.”
Canada smiled, “There’s nothing wrong with that.”
Cuba nodded. “Yeah, and I’m sure they’re people you can still trust.”
Estonia shook his head, “No, the bet, remember? Most of the nations are involved in a competitive sport that involves taking my virginity. I doubt I can trust them.”
“I’m sorry,” Canada offered ruefully. “That was a real dick move, whoever started it.”
“Well, I always said I that I would like a little more attention,” he smiled bitterly and dug his spoon angrily into his ice cream. “I guess be careful with what you wish for.”
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That was true. Estonia hadn’t thought of it that way. “Yeah, I guess your right.” He dug into the ice cream and ate another spoonful or three. It was becoming addictive.
“Honestly, I wish my first time was a little more meaningful.” Canada said absently and both nations looked at him, curious.
“Oh?”
Canada looked at the other two’s expressions, blushing, realizing what he had just said. “Don’t give me that look.” He turned to Cuba. “I thought I already told you.”
“No, mi querido, you did not tell me that,” Cuba answered, leaning back, with a playful smile.
“Oh. Well, long story short my first was England. It…it was pretty bad,” he winced.
“It can’t have been that bad,” Estonia tried to offer.
Canada buried his face in his hands. “England was half drunk and almost mistook me for Alfred. I hit my head on the headboard. Repeatedly. It was pretty bad.”
Cuba patted the other’s shoulder comfortingly. “Well, think of it this way: at least now you know what a good time is like.”
“Yeah…”
It was then that Estonia’s spoon hit the glass at the bottom of the cup and he realized he had been eating a lot more than he thought he had. It really was addictive and he was shocked to find he wasn’t suffering from a brain freeze. He wanted more, but he didn’t want to impose on Cuba’s hospitality.
“Hey, do you want another one?” Cuba asked suddenly, probably catching the other’s forlorn expression as he stared into the glass.
“I…I don’t want to cause you trouble.”
Cuba waved a hand dismissively. “Nonsense! Anyway, this is all on Spain’s tab. Order as much as you like.” He then called a waiter over (after explaining to Canada that everything he did in the country was on Spain’s tab; they had a weird, strained relationship, and this was the older man trying to win him over) and pointed to Estonia’s empty glass.
“Uno más, por favor,” he ordered cheerily and the waiter nodded and took the glass away.
--o0o--
Four or so ice creams later and Estonia began to notice that something wasn’t quite right. His mouth seemed a whole lot looser, detailing all of the horrors he had faced in the past two days, his body temperature felt higher, and he was pretty sure he couldn’t stop eating even if he tried.
He finally hit his breaking point when he tried to dig into his fifth (sixth?) glass, but his spoon wouldn’t make it in for some reason and Cuba saw fit to finally pull the glass away from him.
“Whoa there, amigo, I think you’ve had enough.”
Estonia stared, his face flushed and eyes wide. “What…what’s in it?” Needless to say, he felt more than a little intoxicated, which was ridiculous, because it was ice cream.
“Well, probably ice cream, Irish Cream, vodka, chocolate syrup-”
“Vodka!?” Canada exclaimed, shooting an accusing glance at his boyfriend. “You gave him booze!?”
Cuba shrugged, “He asked for it.”
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“I’m okay, really. I’ve been drunker than this loads of times.”
Canada’s concerned expression didn’t exactly waver at the confession. “I think we should take you back to your room.”
“But I’m fine!”
Canada stood and went over to the other, giving his boyfriend a heated look from across the table. “Are you going to help me?”
Cuba held up his hands in defense. “Alright, alright, Dios, let me take care of the bill.”
“Come on.” Canada hauled Estonia up by the arm easily (who tried to struggle, but most of his attention had to be focused on his balance) and Estonia conceded unhappily to let them take him back.
It was a lot later than he thought it was when they reached outside. The previous livelihood of the streets was gone or fading and Estonia remained an unhappy camper the whole way, wanting to get drunker with at least the knowledge that he was doing so. However, his balance was a little wobbly, and he often had to lean onto Canada for support.
“You know, I’m older than the two of you. I shouldn’t stand for this,” he complained, but they were ignoring him.
When the trio made it back to the hotel, they found an irate Switzerland waiting for them in the lobby. Not exactly, wanting to confront him, Cuba and Canada dropped Estonia off and quickly turned the other way. Estonia, more so than not, was oblivious to the other nation’s anger.
“Where have you been!?” Switzerland demanded, arms crossed.
“I was eating ice cream,” Estonia replied back, not exactly understanding the full meaning of the question. Switzerland paused and leaned in closer, looking up at Estonia’s half-lidded eyes.
“Are you drunk?” He asked, incredulous.
“Maybe,” Estonia smiled.
Switzerland took a deep breath, realizing quickly that it wouldn’t do any good to be angry at someone who was intoxicated.
“Look: keep your phone on, okay? I can’t exactly protect you if I don’t know where the hell you are.”
Estonia nodded, though the information probably would be lost by the time morning came around. Switzerland sighed and grabbed the other’s arm with a “Let’s go,” and Estonia had no choice to follow though he complained of being manhandled so much in one night.
They arrived at Estonia’s hotel room, which he had made a point to avoid in the past twenty-four hours, and the first thing Estonia noticed was that there were all sorts of bouquets surrounding, and blocking the path in front of, his door. The second thing he noticed was Finland standing a few feet away, looking meek.
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“I’m sorry, Eduard, I really am. There aren’t any excuses, I just wasn’t thinking, you know? The bet sounded like a silly little game with a big prize, and I didn’t take into account that it was someone’s feelings, someone important’s feelings, that I would be messing with. It was stupid and childish, and you have every right to hate me.”
Estonia frowned, only partially processing what the Finn was saying; the other part of him still listening to the voice that told him his heart was broken.
“It’s okay, I forgive you Tino.”
He felt satisfied and doubly sickened by that satisfaction when Finland beamed at him, hopeful.
“Really?”
“No.” The other stared, confused, with vague annoyance and anger written over his face.
“I just thought you should know what it feels like to be lied to by someone you trust.”
Finland straightened up and he crossed his arms, eyes narrow. “Are you drunk?”
“That’s not important, Tino. What’s important is that I trusted you, god, I trusted you.” He shook his head, the booze making it harder for him to articulate his feelings.
“If I didn’t know about the bet, I probably would have let you take my virginity.” There, he finally said it. He finally said it out loud, but he failed to notice the impact of his words.
There was a moment of shocked silence and Finland stared, some sort of strange mixture of horror and amazement in his expression.
“W-what?”
The gears in Estonia’s mind shifted direction. Something told him that the conversation was heading towards dangerous territory, so he decided to end it.
“I don’t want to see you right now, Tino. It’s-it’s too hard. Please go away.” He turned, but Finland latched onto his wrist.
“Wait! What did you mean by that? That you would-that you-”
“Hey!” Switzerland interrupted, startling both nations. He pointed his rifle in Finland’s direction.
“You heard him; he doesn’t want to see you right now. Leave,” he scowled.
Finland, affronted, looked at Estonia, looking for some semblance of help from the other, but Estonia offered none. He stared blankly at Finland, looking exhausted and apathetic. Finland let go of the other’s wrist, and backed away, looking sheepish once again.
“I get it. Alright. I…I guess I’ll see you tomorrow, okay?”
Estonia didn’t respond, so Finland turned around, cheeks blazing, and he shot one last look at the duo before leaving.
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