Partners In Crime (lietpol/Poliet)

Chapter 18

"So do you like your new school?"

Toris and Feliks had exchanged skypes so that they could keep in touch after the Pole moved.

Feliks bit his lip. "Well since I transferred late the school is like, still letting me sign up for clubs. I was totally thinking of joining drama club, but I dunno. I've never like, acted before so I probably won't get in."

"You should definitely try out," Toris encouraged. "I think you'd be good at it. You definitely have enough energy for it. Besides, remember that one time when I got mad at you?"

"Yeah, Liet. It's like, kind of hard to forget." Feliks was teasing.

Toris chuckled guiltily. "Yeah... Sorry about that. Well anyway, you just decided you'd be serious, and you were. If you could slip into character as easily as you did then, you'd be great at acting."

Feliks leaned his face closer to the screen. "Ok. Maybe I will try out. You're like, so good at making me confident."

Toris beamed proudly. "Well, how's school in general?"

Feliks shrugged. "It's like, not bad I guess. I have a bunch of work to make up which totally sucks, but my teachers are all nice. I've made a couple of friends but you're not here so...."

Toris blushed. "I know what you're saying," he said. "I feel the same. It's weird... I've gone to school so long without you being with me and only for a little while with you, but now that you're not at my school again... I don't know. It feels weird. It's felt weird actually, ever since you first left."

Feliks bit his lip. "I totally miss seeing you in person."

"It's only been a couple of days..."

"I don't care. I miss you, Liet."

Toris smiled. "I miss you too, partner in crime."

...
It was true, though. Toris missed Feliks, and he did feel weird at school. It felt unnatural to hang out with Ivan, and depressing to try to talk to Natalia.

Toris had humiliated Natalia, he knew that. Breaking up with her in the middle of the school had hurt her social status, but more importantly, her pride.

Nothing the Lithuanian could say would make it up to Natalia, because she wasn't willing to listen. Whenever Toris approached her she would huff in indignation and walk away, heedless of the stares she was attracting.

But surely there was something Toris could do, right?

The Lithuanian rubbed his hands together. He had found happiness with Feliks, but Natalia deserved happiness too, didn't she?

This got Toris to thinking, plotting how to make things right. His plan only required a little bit of help.

**Time skips brought to your by Kirkland Water. Use the Kirkland's only digestible product to quench your thirst. Ohonhonhon**

The group of kids flooding into the hallway during locker break was overwhelming. It was a torrent of students making their way to various parts of the school.

Toris spotted him out of the corner of his eye. It's now or never, he thought.

Toris, accepting that he was going to be late for class, held his books to his chest, and ran after his target. "Toni!" He yelled, pushing through the crowd.

The Spaniard stopped at the sound of his name. Antonio looked at Toris. "Hmm?"

"Toni," Toris started. "This is going to sound really weird but do you know Francis's locker combination?"

Antonio nodded slowly, "Yeah," he said, confused. "Why?"

"Just trust me on this."

...

The list Toris was holding was revolutionary, sacred even. It was the monumental Hip Ships.

Every year Francis, with the help of a boy named Kiku, made a list of ships of different kids at school. The two would sell it (off school property, so they wouldn't get in trouble) for $5 a piece, with help from their marketer, Vash.

The three boys must've made a fortune on each list, because almost everyone bought one. Last year even Toris had gotten curious, although listed next to his name for "possible matches" was just "single Pringle".

Now, that list was in Toris's hands. And it hasn't been traced in pen yet. The photocopies couldn't have been made yet.

Toris scanned through it. After some erasing, Toris wrote under Natalia's name "best match: Ivan Braginski", and under Ivan's, "best match: Natalia Arlovskaya".

Toris was about to slip the paper back into Francis's locker, but he decided that there were a couple more names he had to edit.

"Toris Laurinaitis- best match: Feliks Łukasiewitcz."

Toris remembered what Toni has told him about Gilbert liking a boy whose name the Spaniard couldn't remember. Toris thought he knew who Antonio was talking about.

"Gilbert Beilshmidt- best match: A̶l̶f̶r̶e̶d̶ ̶J̶o̶n̶e̶s̶ Matthew Willem(?)"

Then, taking a sharpie from his backpack, he wrote at the top:

"Authors Francis Bonnefoy and Kiku Honda"
"Marketer- Vash Zwingli"
"Other Contributors- Toris Laurinaitis"

There. It was done. Now that Toris has written the credits in sharpie, he would be known as a contributor. There was no way Vash would let the other two boys throw it out a start on a new, non-vandalized list. Vash was always going on about how throwing about rough copies meant you have to buy more pencil lead and paper, lowering profit.

Plus, the list was so long and in such tiny print it was doubtful Francis and Kiku would notice the changes Toris had made. They'd probably just think Toris wanted the attention of being a contributor.

Which he did. Except the only person he wanted the attention from was Natalia. Maybe if she saw the credits she'd know it was Toris who listed her match.

And of course, everyone would know he had listed Feliks as his own match, or at least approved of the match.

Which was scary, but no longer impossibly so.

A/N: I just want to say thank you so much for everyone who has read this far! Sorry for the late update. I think this chapter is the last of my writers block, so the next couple after this one should be better. :3

Question: Who is your favorite Hetalia character.

My personal favorite is Poland, because he is FABULOUS. I absolutely love writing his dialogue.