A Waltz in the Dark (Norway + OC Hetalia fanfiction)

Chapter 11

    Mary entered the small, campus cafe and breathed in the scent of coffee and spices. Smiling, she looked around the shop that was already filled with students and teachers alike.
    This place is so… charming. I should come here more often. She thought as she went and stood in line. But then again, the last time I came here things didn’t turn out so well… She thought of her stained sweater dress back at the dorms and shook her head. Her turn came quickly and she ordered a sugary carmel coffee with whipped cream, even though it was only 8 o’clock in the morning. She went and stood near the other end of the counter while the employees made her coffee. As she waited, she adjusted the straps on her galaxy backpack and looked around the coffee shop again. It was extremely busy and nearly all the tables were full.
    Except a few near the back right corner of the shop. Mary looked at the empty tables and saw a man sitting at the farthest one by himself.  She recognized him immediately. For a moment her heart hardened, but then she remembered that he had apologized yesterday, and everything was right between them. Or it should be, at least.
    “Mary?”
    She turned and smiled at the counter girl as she took her coffee. She licked off a part of the whip cream and turned back toward the coffee shop.
    Her eyes landed on Professor Bondevik again. He shut his laptop and then pulled a book from his bag along with a red pen. He swiped his hair from his eyes, which had large circles under them, she noticed, and then began to read the Norwegian history book, making marks every once in awhile. She wondered if he was an editor. He had been interested in her writing yesterday.
    And then Mary realized she’d been staring for a long time.
    I should just go sit with him. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly. No, he’s my Professor. It would be… weird, wouldn’t it?
    She looked around at the empty tables around him.
    It appears everyone thinks that way.
    She had a sudden urge to be a rebel and go sit with him.
    I don’t know… he is kind of solemn and scary and stuff. And plus, he insulted me. I should hate him. But... he apologized! I should just sit with him. But what if he wants to be alone? She watched him for a moment longer. No, he doesn’t. Nobody wants to be alone. And he, of all people, probably shouldn’t be, since he has PTSD and all. She had seen the signs. He jumps at the smallest noises… he obviously has introverted thinking because he flashbacks so intensely… and when he yelled at me that was psychologic trauma… Obviously PTSD. She shook her head. But I’m not here to be a mental therapist. I’m here to enjoy myself. She couldn’t help but stare at the empty tables all around him. Even though… I’ve never seen him with anyone, ever… And it’s always best to surround yourself with people who care about you when you’re working through something like PTSD… She sighed, stopping herself again. He’s not your patient. It’s none of your business.
    She turned and walked toward the door.
    But then again… you don’t have any friends, either. Maybe it’s time to make one. If you were in his place, wouldn’t you want someone to come sit with you?
    She walked a little slower as she walked by area where he sat.
    ‘So in everything, do to others as you would have them to do you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.’  Matthew 7:12. Darn it. She made an abrupt turn and walked over to his table, slowing her pace. She reached the table and stood beside him quietly for a moment. He didn’t seem to notice. Her heart pounded and she wondered if he would notice if she walked away. But her legs were frozen.
    So she cleared her throat.
    “Eh… hei, Professor,” she said, shifting weight and running her thumbs up and down the straps of her backpack. “Kan jeg sitte sammen med deg?”
   

*

Norway closed his computer, feeling like flipping the table over in his frustration. His bosses were still upset about the beef prices. Couldn’t they just accept the fact that he had done his best to fix things and move on? He ran his hand through his hair once and reached down into his satchel, pulling out the History of Norway book he was still working through, and then a red pen.
    Editing Norwegian history books was a wonderful way to release his anger without hurting anyone, he had come to realize.
    But sometimes he had to skip chapters because they were just too painful.
    He was so absorbed in the book that he didn’t notice when a figure came to stand beside him.
    “Eh, hei, Professor,” the clear, female voice said. “Can I sit with you?”
    Norway startled, looking up.
    And there was Aud the Deepminded.
    Her broad shoulders, blond hair, round face, blue eyes. It was her. It was Aud.
    His heart pounded against his chest. He tried to stand as he scrambled backwards, but his chair was in the way, so he tripped. He tried to catch himself but failed, and he tumbled onto the floor.
    Everyone in the coffee shop turned to look.
    But Norway just stared up at her.
    “V-vhat? H-h-how?” he whispered. But no one heard. Aud gasped.
    “Oh my gosh, are you okay?” she exclaimed, running around his chair to help him up. Her touch on his arm confirmed that she was real. But how could she—?
    “I am so sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you!” she went on, and Norway paused, staring at her.
    Now that he was really looking, he realized that this girl wasn’t Aud.
    It was Mary. Mary Shepherd from his class.
    He relaxed, but his heart continued to race as she looked him straight in the eyes and asked him again, “Are you okay?”
    “Ja, jeg har det bra,” he mumbled as he sat down into his chair. His neck and cheeks were becoming uncomfortably warm.
    “Are you sure?”
    He looked up at her and she dared to meet his gaze.
    She did look like Aud. There were some differences— her nose was bigger and she was taller than Aud had been, but her deep, kashmir blue eyes and round jaw-line were the same.
    That’s vhy I thought I had seen her before…
    “Professor?”
    He shook his head.
    “Ja, I’m sorry,” he said.
    “No, it’s me who should be sorry,” she said. “I shouldn’t have snuck up on you like that. I was just…” she hesitated. And then he remembered that she had asked to sit with him.
    “You know what? I’ll just, um, go,” she said, pointing behind her. “Again, I’m so sorry, I—“
    “Nei, nei,” he exclaimed quickly. Maybe too quickly. “You can sit with me if you vant.”
    “You sure?” she said, frowning slightly, as if she was worried she might startle him again.
    “Ja, please, have a seat,” he said, gesturing to the chair across from him. Her face relaxed and she went and sat down.
    “Takk, Professor,” she said as she sat. She set her backpack down beside her and then faced him, taking a sip of her coffee while she looked at him. He quickly averted his gaze and picked up his history book and pen again. Mary sat quietly, reaching into her backpack and pulling out her novel that she was still reading. The bookmark was placed nearer to the end now, he noticed.
    She opened it and gave him a small smile.
    And he couldn’t help but remember when Aud used to look at him like that.