kuri!!

You can't help but glare at him from across the room sometimes, that egotistical prick that always pretended to be nice when others weren't around. Gilbert had to be one of the most insufferable, self-centered people you'd ever met, and god his voice was loud. Covering your ears didn't seem to help most of the time, it's like his voice would reverberate through your skull whenever he let out one of those fake sounding laughs. The famous 'suck it losers' line was what solidified your feelings of loathing for him, he couldn't just leave your friends alone, now could he?

He pesters everyone and anyone to find out where you're at just so he can torment you with his own stupidity. Well, that might be a bit harsh, it's more like he's trying to show off and you just see it as him being stupid. Out of Gilbert's "crew" the only people you can even really tolerate is Antonio and his younger brother Ludwig, the rest are all just so much of a pain in the ass that you put your headphones on the minute they approach. Many people agree with you on the notion of avoiding most of Gilbert's friends like the plague, because if they're talking to you, you can sure as hell bet one of the irritating ones will pop right out of the woodwork to join in.

How many times have you blocked Gilbert's accounts now? It feels like you've done it a hundred times, he switched to bugging you on discord when you used the 'block all other accounts made by this person' feature on Instagram. The fact that he writes in all caps and bugs you at odd hours of the day is always a dead giveaway.

Ludwig has reached out and apologized so many times for his brother's actions so much that you have a good relationship with him at the very least. He sends you pictures and videos of the family dog when he 'does something he thought you'd find cute', that's the highlight of your day most of the time.

It seems like being blocked, being screamed at by his brother, and you literally walking away from him the moment he starts talking isn't enough for him to get the hint that you don't like him though. He still tries to send you pictures of himself in that shirtless, post workout pose you associated with 'gym bros'. You honestly stopped paying attention and stopped trying to answer, muting his accounts so you won't have your notifications going off nonstop.

You ignore invites he sends you to parties you weren't interested in, toss the food container he shoved into your hands because of a rumor that he gave someone food poisoning once, and overall just tried to live like he didn't exist.

Then he finally starts the most insulting campaign of his annoying existence towards you, 'the confessions'. Once a week he'd have shoved an envelope containing a mess of gibberish filled rants about how he's awesome, and thinks you'd make an 'awesome match for him'. You read the first one all the way through before folding it back into place and ripping it and the envelope in half and tossing it into the trash on the way to class. You'd deal with him staring at you expectantly in the few classes you shared by focusing on your work and nothing else.

You still opened the letters just in case they were from people you actually liked, but no, most of the time it was just another rant that you didn't even read half way before destroying it and going on with your life like normal. Over time the writing became more neat, but the words always included at least ten 'awesome me's. Even when Gilbert seemed to get help from friends on how to write it, you just looked at the signature at the bottom instead of reading, tossing it afterwards. You considered it a waste of time to even entertain the idea, and his friends that helped him this time just stood on the sidelines watch you toss out their hard work after only glancing at it. Coming from him, it was bound to be some cruel joke anyways, so you don't even feel bad about it.

There was only so long that he could pull that tactic before you just stopped looking at them at all and threw every letter in the trash unopened. You thought about going to the counselor, Ms. Pan, to report it as harassment, but you knew that could just make Gilbert escalate whatever desperate prank this was.

It's around this time that one of your friends, Kiku, started to fidget a bit during lunchtime. You only really noticed because he couldn't focus on the work in front of him at all.

"You good Kiku?" You just gently poked his arm and his face flushed immediately; you thought he'd give you the whole 'I told you not to touch me without asking first' dialogue. Instead, he muttered out a simple 'I'm fine', dug into his bag, and handed you something before quickly getting up and switching tables.

Another envelope, you were really starting to get pissed off, thinking it was Gilbert messing with you again, but it was Kiku's writing and his signature down at the bottom. You couldn't really pay attention to the words though, carefully folding the paper back and putting it into your bag. The sound of Antonio's voice cut through your thoughts soon afterwards.

"Mi amigue! I thought I'd invite you to a party I'm having on campus in person, since you seem to be hard to get ahold of lately. Everyone's going to be there."

'Yeah, everyone I don't want to see', you thought while poking the fork around on your plate.

"I've got a thing I have to do that day." You lied without thinking about it, already knowing that Prussia would be attending regardless of the day or time.

"You didn't even ask when it was." You watched Antonio's face fall like you'd hurt his feelings, but you knew that's just a front for the immediate irritation he'd felt about you avoiding him and his friends solely because of Gilbert.

"I'm busy all week long."

"You can't even spare five minutes to spend time with me at least?" You met his eyes and could see that he was keeping up with a phony grin he learned would make teachers go easier on him.

"Sorry Toni, maybe next time. I'm behind on some classwork." You lied again, you knew you'd have to stay in your dorm all day long to sell it, but you really didn't care at that point.

"You've missed a lot of my parties lately you know, it's like you're trying to hurt my feelings at this point..." You didn't even think about that clearly anymore, Antonio wasn't about to guilt trip you into going to a stupid party regardless of whether or not Gilbert would be there.

"It's nothing personal, honestly. I just have a lot I have to catch up on. Procrastination's a bitch." You gave the best sympathetic smile you could fake at the time and patted his shoulder. He just let out a sigh and gave up with that, leaving you to eat by yourself.

When you got back to your dorm that night, you had the time to really appreciate Kiku's letter. For once he wasn't dancing around what he wanted to say, 'I like you' being words he'd probably have a hard time saying face to face even in his native tongue. It was thoughtful, and even mentioned the very moment he started to think you were 'the one' for him. You could already picture him, flushed red and stammering out something cute when you did go to meet up with him.

Of course your daydreaming had to be ruined by Lovino beating on your door like every other time he needed help with something.

"Oi Bastard! Open up! Got an emergency!" You let out a sigh and began the last minute study session with him for the third time this semester. Lovino was acting huffy and irritated the entire time as you worked through flash cards, giving a cocky smile every time he got something right, as always. He's grateful every time, texting you a picture of his good grade every time he got his score back. Well, as much as 'grateful' can be when you're a smug Italian that loves to shove their good fortune in other people's faces. You don't exactly ever get a 'thank you' from him but the smiles are enough.

When he started packing up his stuff to leave he got a little flustered and looked at anything in the room but you.

"You going to that bastard's party on Sunday?"

"No." You deadpan saying it. "I know Gilbert will be there, I can't stand his egotistical ass. He's just going to try to embarrass me in front of a bunch of people like last time. I told Toni I'd be catching up on studying all week."

"Good, 'cause I... Got something I need to talk to you about anyways." The pause, the way he scratched at the back of neck, and avoided eye contact was ultimately ignored as usual.

"Aren't you going to be late for your next class?" You told him the wrong time as always, giving him the opening to run like every other time he says he 'has something to say' and just never goes through with it.

"Cazzo- It's that late already?!" You loved the fact that he had a night class you could use as an excuse to get him out of your dorm room when he'd overstayed his welcome. You just watch him bolt out the door like every other time he'd been over. The peace and quiet of the night enveloped you once more as you went back to Kiku's confession letter to think up a response for him.

Francis bugs you on your way to your first class in the morning. You can't help the start of the headache you were already developing at the sound of the playboy's voice alone.

"Mon amie, bonne matinée!"

"Morning, you chucklefuck." He sorts, pretends to be offended for a moment, then went back to his composed but soft smile.

"You're such a brute in the mornings..."

"I barely woke up an hour ago, you should expect it by now." This was an established routine and everyone knew it, he said good morning, you insulted him, he brushed it off like always, and you head to the first class period together in peace. By third period, you start to avoid him because that's when Gilbert was hanging around him, much to the group's displeasure.

"You heard about Antonio's party right?" Why was everyone bring it up? God, Antonio really was inviting everyone, no one could shut up about it.

"Yeah, he invited me, can't go though. I have to study and got some other work I have to do all week."

"Oh? You can't even pop in for a few minutes?" You knew he was testing you with that question, all you had to do was keep your cool, otherwise he'd snitch.

"Nah, too tight of a schedule this week. You know how it is." He let out a soft hum like sound before grabbing your wrist to make you look him in the eyes.

"Are you sure there isn't another reason you aren't going?" You stare blankly at him, a skill you learned from Kiku on how to get through tense situations without cracking. You stayed silent and he let go eventually after the stare off. "You can't avoid Gilbert forever you know."

"Ugh, don't bring him up, I hate that guy."

"Hate? Huh, that's a pretty strong emotion." You hear surprise in his voice. "Is he really that bad to you?"

"Yes. I would love it if that egotistical prick would just disappear from my life completely."

"Mon amie, he likes you though." You just glare at Francis with that.

"Every time he's talked to me, he's made fun of me, my friends, my clothes, anything he can just to embarrass me in front of other people. Fuck off with that 'he likes you' bullshit, he loves to bully me, that's where the line is." That shut Francis up for the duration of the walk across campus, but he stopped you before you could walk into the classroom.

"Need someone to help you catch up with all that 'work'? I'll skip the party to help you if-"

"Francis, the only subject you'd actually help with is French and I don't need to take a foreign language for what I'm studying." You cut him off before he could carry that thought any further.

"Touché."

Classes went slowly the entire day, by the time your classes are over, you hear someone calling out for you as usual. Feliciano and Ludwig wave you over to talk like every other Tuesday.

"Ciao ciao! Mio amicu, did you hear about Antonio's party?" You just groaned. Ludwig stopped you from cursing at Feli for his question by putting a hand on your shoulder. You were getting really sick of having the same conversation repeatedly.

"Yes, why is it all that anyone is talking about?"

"Are you not going?" Feliciano continues to ask questions you don't want to answer.

"No. I have to study. Besides, if Gilbert is there, I don't want to be there anyways."

"Ja, it's probably a smart decision you're not going anyways. Mein Bruder wird mit seiner Dummheit zu dreist."

"Where's Kiku?" You don't usually see Feliciano or Ludwig without him trailing behind them, nose in a textbook.

"Kiku's running a little late, no need to worry though. He promised to meet up with us after he was done." Feliciano started to drag you along to their three's usual meeting spot, the shadiest side of the courtyard under a big tree. For some reason it makes you think of a video game you can't remember the name of. You don't mention Kiku's confession letter to keep the air around the three of you from becoming awkward. You just listened to Feliciano yap on and on about the cute girls in his class while you all waited.

Kiku never showed up before you left for your next class.

Everyone you talked to asked if you were going to that damn party. It felt like peer pressure in a way, as it seemed like almost everyone you associated with was going. You caught bits and pieces about the party from each person, but you stopped listening when a 'full bar' was mentioned. It was easy to just coast throughout the rest of the week by focusing on actual classwork. You took much longer to do the assignments than usual all just to make the time pass by faster, the rest of the time you were watching videos on your laptop and listening to music since you couldn't really go out.

The day of the party you stayed in all day outside of going out to get food, and it was actually a pretty chill night. It was rather easy to tune out the music from the party since it was held in a different dorm altogether. You pass out around one in the morning just to be woken up by pounding on your door and that booming voice you hated. You try to ignore it for at least ten minutes before you open up the door.

"What the hell do you want?" You spat the question out with enough venom to somewhat sober Gilbert up for a moment.

"Why weren't you at the party?" You barely put the question together between the slur of syllables and the German that was starting to blend with his English.

"Because I didn't want to see you." You were just blunt about it. "You make me miserable, and I hate you for it."

You just watch his face go through several expressions while he tried to process your words. "Aber ich liebe dich…"