[fanfic] Covalent [PART 1/2]
Title: Covalent
Author: star_jinin
Recipient: madgirl_l
Rating: PG13
Warnings: sexual situation, use of alcohol
Summary: Mathias can't bring himself to let go of the unattainable, much to Niels' worry. University AU, (main) Nor->Den Den->Su, (side pairs) SuFin, FrUK, AusHun, Pru->Hun, implied RussAme if you squint.
Notes: This is only part one. The other half will definitely get posted by the end of the month. Self-beta for now, but will be updated with a newer version as soon as my beta gets back to me. I just wanted to make it in time for xmas. Prompt was anything with Denmark and chemistry.
=_=_=_=
Neils never noticed when Mathias stopped being just Mathias.
Things always happened naturally between him and his long-time lab partner. Between the Dane causing another major spill near the fluorine solutions to overflowing the sink with strange purple concoctions (that burned through the sink), Niels would say he had valid reasons for not realizing his affections sooner. He reasoned that had let his guard down around Mathias, it would have been likely that he would end up blowing up half the science wing (or some other incident that would have been equally regrettable).
Erik chalked it up to denial. Niels said nothing, but the only dinner that night consisted of cold Finnish dishes from Timo.
Erik stopped bringing up the matter. All was well.
Niels did realize his attachment to Mathias eventually, of course. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been standing here at the Dane’s door with a bundle of lilacs in his hands. Niels didn’t expect the Dane to understand the floriography behind them (he didn’t either until Arthur explained it to him). Nevertheless, he hoped his message was obvious enough for even Mathias to understand.
His face was one of indifference, but it took Niels a few minutes to realize how tightly he’d been clenching the lilacs. He loosened his grip and breathed deeply before reaching for the door handle of Denmark’s apartment.
-only to meet Berwald as the taller man nearly slammed the door in his face in his haste to run out the door. He didn’t stop to apologize to Niels, which was odd in itself, but it was Berwald’s expression that really caught his attention. The normally stoic Swede had his lips pursed in a fine line and his eyes focused blankly in a manner discernable to Timo, Niels, and Mathias alone.
And it is absolutely terrifying. More so than Berwald’s usual expression. If there was one thing Niels never wanted to see in his entire life, it was the fright that he saw in the Swede’s face. Berwald was one of the few whose shoulders people felt the least shame in crying on. He is nothing if not fearless and rational, the noblest gas among all of them, cool as chromium in the heat of fire.
Niels suddenly remembers that Mathias was probably still in the room, and the next few seconds started blurring out. Anything that could drive Berwald to run out like that could not bode well for the Dane. Whatever it was, Mathias wasn’t going to be dealing with it alone. Niels rushed into the apartment.
Snort.
Whatever Niels was expecting, this wasn’t it.
Mattias’ muscular frame slumped into the back of his favorite chair with his head drooped to one side. His eyes were lidded in slumber. He didn’t seem to be in any immediate trouble, but something was definitely off about him.
Niels gripped the Dane’s shoulder. “Den”
He seemed to jerk awake, though it was obvious to Niels that he was never asleep to begin with. His shoulders (whose expressiveness were second only to his face), were too stiff for that, even if the rest of his body wasn’t.
“Niels” he gasped, his baby blue darkening as he turned away. The Norwegian wasn’t having any of that. He gently grabbed the Dane’s head with both hands and turned it until it was level with his own face.
Mathias’ eyes were slightly glossed over and his breath was stained with the scent of beer. Strong Danish beer. A habit he tried to curb a few years back with only moderate success.
“What happened, Den?” Niels seized the bottles before the Dane could reach for them.
“None of yer business, Nor”
The words were like a slap in the face. Sharp and stinging, but only enough to last a few minutes at best. Their friendship stretched far enough for that, at least.
“What did Berwald do to you?” his insistence was unwavering, no matter what Mathias said to him. Especially when it concerned their circle of five. “It’s your word or his. I don’t have any preference”
A groan. “Can’t we talk ‘bout this tomorrow, Niels?”
He is drunk, but not drunk enough to forgo the wink that he gives Niels whenever he wanted something that the Norwegian would be reluctant to give. Niels returned an unimpressed look (a skill one had to master as Mathias’ best friend, if only for his own benefit).
Niels grabbed the Dane and forced him into his arms.
“Tell me, Mathias” he whispers.
Mathias does.
=_=_=_=_=_=
Mattias saw the world through those of microscope lenses.
This wasn’t to say he was overly critical, but rather that he broke the world into metals and nonmetals, halogens and noble gases, cations and anions.
On the way to the library, Mathias caught Francis Bonnefoy driving Arthur Kirkland into a wall, hickeys collaring both of their necks. Of course the hallway wasn’t the best place for such activities, but their chances of getting caught were significantly reduced during the winter holidays. Something that many of the University’s residents chose to take advantage of.
Mathias gave Arthur a thumbs-up as he passed. It only took their ‘little brother’ two years to overcome his rivalry with Francis to recognize what it truly was: a covalent bond. The Brit would have snapped at him, but he got distracted as Francis started unbuttoning his shirt. Mathias took this opportunity to slip away.
If there was any particular element on the Periodic Table of the Elements that he associated with the most, Mathias would have picked hydrogen. Open and full of boyish charm, even the toughest of metals found it hard to resist the smile (until they cracked from all those diffused ions). But Mathias wasn’t going to lose any sleep over those metals. Even if his fellow chemistry majors tell him that he would regret his decision, that ionic bonds tended to be stronger, Mathias didn’t care. He’s hydrogen. He could have almost anyone he wanted. And if he decided that covalent bonds were more his thing, that’s just how it went down, fifteen differnt metals chasing him or not.
He makes it into the library with little incident. He finds Gilbert sulking in the Military History section, and the Dane stops by for a hello. He is surprised that his ‘haj’ is not returned with Gilbert’s usual ‘guten tag’.
It is okay for Mathias, but not Gilbert. Never Gilbert.
He follows Gilbert’s line of sight to Elizaveta and Roderich’s table, and he understands (in his own terms, anyway).
They are happy to share their ionic bond. Gilbert understands this. Elizaveta has as many valance electrons as Glibert does-and she’s damn proud of it too. He knows this much, at least. What he doesn’t understand is that an outer shell could hold only so many electrons.
To Gilbert, Roderich is a good man, albeit an inferior one. It is the latter quality that pisses Gilbert off. Elizaveta could have someone so much better. Someone who could make her more than simply content.
But chemistry does not work this way.
It is the truth. A truth that no one wants to explain to Gilbert, and one that he does not want to hear. Roderich is a good man. A good man that satisfies Eliza’s need for productivity and stability.
Her outer ring is filled by one, and she has no need for another.
Those kinds of things never stopped Gilbert Beilschmidt before.
Mathias made a mental note to buy his friend a crate of beer tomorrow. He was going to need it.
=_=_=_=
He ended up buying Danish.
Eh, he could always ask to borrow money from Svierige. Mathias popped a bottle cap as he walked out of the convenience store.
It was really good beer.
=_=_=_=3:45
Chemical Engineering.
Thermite and liquid nitrogen were the objects of study for the class. By knowing their properties, it’s not difficult to guess the outcome when the two are mixed. The class is surprised anyway.
Ivan and Alfred are close to causing another schoolwide incident. Chemicals fly. Wrists are bitten. Profanities are thrown. Projects are shredded. Tables are flipped.
All eyes are on them as they dance their waltz of chaos.
Even through all the confusion, it’s not what Mathias sees that’s important. It’s what he doesn’t see.
Berwald.
He’s always at his desk at a negative five. It is now a positive five…a positive ten…a positive fifteen…
…positive sixty.
The class lasts for almost three hours. Mathias doesn’t stop counting until then.
=_=_=_=
“For jeg kan aldrig glemme dig - åh nej åh nej
Når jeg er nøgen tænker jeg - på dig på dig
Tænder du på mig”
He doesn’t recognize the ringtone (which is normally Beethoven’s sixth) as his own until a few passengers on the bus started giving him dirty looks. He flushes, turns around, and answers his phone discreetly.
The voice on the other side is almost surreal to him. He didn’t expect to hear it ever again.
“You transferred”
It is not a question, but an accusation. Something that the Dane throws around too often these days, Berwald thinks. He doesn’t reply, but continues sipping his coffee. Berwald waits patiently for exactly five minutes (of silence) before hanging up.
He tightens the plaid scarf around his neck.
What was there to say?
=_=_=_=
END PART ONE
=_=_=_=
End Notes:
I'm very sorry for the possible fail. This is my first Nordic fic, and the characters refused to write themselves xD Will be back soon with the other half (and possible beta-version when me beta gets back to me).
Hope you enjoyed! Have a very merry Christmas!