Matthew smiled up at his wonderful, if intimidating, boyfriend. He and Ivan had been dating for about 3 months now and his Russian beau had looked very excited throughout the most recent world meeting, so he was undoubtedly planning something nice for Matthew's upcoming birthday. (They had gotten together on a rainy April afternoon when no cabs would pick up either of them, Matthew they couldn't see and Ivan they pretended not to see, speeding past at the look on his face)
The tall blond with the purple eyes walked into their shared hotel room. The one laying on the bed reading had longer hair, so by process of elimination the recent entrant was Russia. The cold northern country (again, Russia) smiled with his broad teeth glistening white up to the gums. He walked over to where his lover lay and brushed his hair out of his eyes affectionately, jolting Canada out of the fictional world he'd been engrossed in.
"Ah, Matvey, I missed you so much." Canada's soft grin at seeing his beloved wavered a moment before reappearing.
"I missed you too, Ivan." Russia laughed, pleased that Matthew was comfortable enough with him to use his given name. He'd had a lot of trouble adjusting to such informality, unlike Russia who had swiftly adapted a Slavic form of his precious Matthew's name.
Matthew kissed Ivan softly on the cheek before marking his place in the novel and setting it aside. "So, what have you been so excited about all day? You were practically bouncing out of your seat, even before my brother came into the room."
Russia jumped excitedly and turned to him. "Little Matvey, that is supposed to remain a secret until tomorrow," he sing-songed, not noticing Canada's discomfited look at something he'd said.
"Russia," Canada began, stopping momentarily as Ivan's entire body locked at the use of his formal title. He swallowed before continuing on, "Could you, um, perhaps call me by my name?"
"But Matvey is Matvey. I don't understand the problem." Russia's expression lightened after hearing the issue that had merited his title and answering it.
"My name is Matthew, Ivan. Matthew. Not Matvey." Canada met Russia's eyes with his own, their near matching shades of violet creating infinite lavender reflections.
"Matvey means Matthew. It is easier for me to call you by your Russian name." Canada sighed mildly at this response, giving in and flopping back onto the bed. Russia followed him, satisfied that the minor argument had been concluded and he could get back to what (or rather who) he loved doing the most.
After a few minutes of Russia's nipping and kissing, Canada smirked ever so slightly and moaned; "Oh! John, please, more!"
Russia stopped at this, staring up at the blond, a little lavender infinity once again forming. "Who is this John?"
"You are?" Matthew smiled questioningly, apparently confused.
"No. My name is Ivan." Russia's adamant gaze was strong enough to protect a knight from the most vicious of dragon's claws.
"Yes, it is." Matthew replied slowly, as if Russia was telling him that the sky was blue today, and had indeed always been, after all.
"Then why say John? That is not my name."
"It's easier for me to say it in my language." Canada smiled patronizingly.
Russia rolled his eyes, skipping over his normal response of cackling intimidatingly and caressing a pipe. "This is about that," he deduced flatly.
"Yes. Yes, it is." Matthew crossed his arms. "If you are going to call me the Russian version of my name, then I'm going to call you the English version of yours."
Russia rolled over to the other side of the bed. "It's a diminuitive, I use it because I like you!" his voice rose to a higher pitch in fervor.
"Well maybe it jolts me out of things just as much as John does to you?" Canada refused to back down on this one. Russia sighed and curled up, resolving not to give up the pet name. The couple fell asleep together that night, curling up into each other after their waking walls had dropped.
#-!#
"Hello Matvey!" Russia greeted sweetly at the next meeting, the other nations mostly ignoring the duo after all this time.
"Hello John." Canada answered sweetly, smiling at the look on Ivan's face.
America, who had been standing nearby trying to look like he wasn't eavesdropping, turned around dramatically. "Canada! Have you finally replaced Russia with one of your spies?! What a nondescript name! Good work! I thought that was what you were planning when you started dating that bear, but finally it is revealed!"
Canada stared blankly at America and, after a moment, Russia joined him. "Alfred. What. If I really had replace Russia with a Canadian spy, you just ruined everything. Anyways, 'John' here is in fact Russia, we are just having a private dispute at the moment that resulted in my use of that name."
Russia sighed, or would have if his body and face hadn't tensed up from embarrassment, his smile having widened to the point of straining his face. Other countries backed away from the spectacle, fearing for their souls. Canada patted Russia on the arm reassuringly before making his way to his seat.
Russia leaned over late on in the meeting, after calming down, and whispered to Canada, who he had accidentally sat on. "If it will mean avoiding spectacles such as this in the future, Matv-Matthew, I will try to call you by your English name. If I make a mistake, could you please not call me out on it in public? Or at least not in front of your brother, he's hard enough to deal with as it is."
Matthew thought on this quietly for a minute, or perhaps just gathered enough breath to speak. "Of course, Ivan, but on one condition."
Ivan tilted his head questioningly, which was very difficult to notice from Matthew's position, vision obscured as it was by his boyfriend's giant back.
"Could you let me up to go to the restroom?" Ivan stopped for a moment, realizing just where he was sitting.
"Sorry, Mat-thew. I did not know I sat on you." Russia stood up, letting Canada up and trying to ignore Germany's inquiring (and perhaps relieved) glare at having distracted the current speaker, Italy.
"I don't mind that, Ivan, the meeting room is a bit chilly without you. If I did mind, you would know." Matthew smiled. "Be back in a minute. Keep my seat warm."
Russia sat back down, grinning mildly at the other countries as Italy decided suddenly to move to sit on top of Germany, his head tucked away from the meeting room and Russia's gaze. Germany gestured to the next speaker, and the meeting continued on.
++==##
Does it bother anyone else when people do the whole Matvey thing? I mean, it can be kind of cute, but it would also be really annoying.
Line breaks are the devil.