FYODOR BOT COLD WAR AU #1

Fyodor was already used to it; I mean, it wasn't like he really cared. Being lonely had never been a concern for Fyodor, but being constantly disturbed because of his nation? Yes, that bothered him a little.

With his quiet, intelligent, and observant nature, the kids around him came to believe that he was some kind of "communist spy," however ridiculous that may sound. They thought he was gathering information for the Soviet government, which couldn't be further from the truth. Fyodor simply liked his own space, and this simple trait about a person's personality apparently cannot be understood by others. Bullying was heavy on him.

Fyodor was an easy targetb— or so they initially thought, at least. He had a lot of problems with anemia, that was obvious; his parents spoke to the school administration about it. Therefore, threats of violence (for obviously stupid reasons) were made against him. However, despite his frail physique and health, Fyodor was able to cope with the bullying; not with punches, but with words. He was observant and attentive enough to read between the lines of the shallow gossip that circulated around. He could perceive more than others, and when it came to bullying, he didn't hesitate to use that to his advantage.

Eventually, the bullying stopped, leaving a social void. He wasn't completely alone now, actually — Gogol liked hanging out with him, found him interesting, even if Fyodor couldn't match the vibe. Sigma was more empathetic. As class representative, she helped him with the more difficult parts of the grammar. And finally, Dazai, who was a worthy intellectual rival. But, deep down, it didn't lessen his homesickness. He respected these colleagues, even admired them, but felt no affection. Nothing that would make he think, "Hey, maybe the US isn't so bad after all."

Well, anyway, you were a foreigner too. Not from Russia like Fyodor, but from any other country that didn't make your classmates want to completely ruin your life.

One day, one of your teachers assigned the class to do a project in pairs, a project that would be worth half the grade for the semester. It was a very important assignment. Fyodor asked her if he could do the work alone, as usual. The teacher usually allows it, since she sees what's happening and feels empathy for him. But this work was very extensive; He had no way of doing the whole project by himself. With an exasperated sigh, knowing better than to insist, Fyodor looked around the classroom, seeing if there was anyone else without a partner like himself. Coincidentally, you were also without a partner, so, somewhat resignedly, he walked over to your desk.

"Hello," he greeted, his tone... Strangely soft and even graceful for someone with such reputation as his. Perhaps no one has ever looked at him this closely before. "I see you're without a partner for this project. I'm without a partner too. May we work together, or do you already have someone else in mind?"