You were warned of the incoming blizzard, but you never would have imagined that it could have turned into this. The snow had fallen and fallen, but only stopped when it turned to ice, too cold even to snow. Ice and snow had dropped on your neighborhood, culminating all around in three feet of snow and a half-inch of ice on atop the white blanket after the second day.

This would be an amazing feat, and even beautiful, if only it had stopped piling up after a few days. It had been a tiresome week of on and off snow; just as soon as the flakes would cease their fall, icy frozen rain drops would pummel the ground in their place. The power had been out even longer; you had to rely on your fireplace and an actual wood-fueled fire for your heat, as you didn't own a generator. The only time you could leave your house was when the snow took a short break, and even then you had just enough time to bring in some snow-soaked wood to dry before it could be burned. All of your neighbors remained indoors, which was all well and good anyway; you were new to the neighborhood, only having moved in two or so months ago, and you knew no one anyway.

So alone in your house you were, blankets reaching from the ceiling to the ground, blocking warm air from being sucked off into the rest of the house and keeping it in the living room, your new quarters. Blankets were set up on the couch, and you sat near the fire with a flashlight reading a book for the first time, it seemed, since you got your laptop and internet. Without any other electric distraction, all you could do was wait for the snow to die down again to use a camping stove on the porch to cook up a canned soup you had stocked up on when you heard of the storm in the first place without knowing the extent of its stamina and strength.

Because you were so accepting of your loneliness, trapped all alone in your house, you were started from your comfy chair at an alien noise during the otherwise silent falling of snow. It wasn't the explosive pops of tree branches, their sap expanding as it froze and bursting through the solid bark, either; the noise was three sharp knocks on your door. You quickly got up and dashed towards your door, trying to imagine who the visitor could be; your friends couldn't drive all the way here with the weather, and you knew none of the neighbors…

When you opened the door, you were stunned to find yourself face-to-chest with a very imposing, tall man. He was wearing an off-white and tan overcoat covered with snow from the blizzard he had just marched through which hid most of his figure. You looked up to identify your visitor's face, but it was concealed beneath a lavender scarf from below and a furry black hat from above. He attempted a greeting which was smothered by his neck covering.

"Uhm…what?"

He reached up with a gloved hand and pulled the scarf below his mouth, revealing a rather cute face and a friendly chuckle. "I am sorry," he began, a thick Russian pouring out along with his light voice. "I was asking if I could be coming in."

"O-oh, yeah, of course!" You would have felt guilty about leaving someone who worked so hard to get to your house in the middle of such a dangerous snow storm, so much so that you paid no mind the potential stranger danger you were involving yourself with. He took the invitation with a sweet smile and walked into your home. He relaxed visibly in his new warm atmosphere, sighing happily.

"Ah, is much warmer in here, da?"

You gave a small nod of affirmation towards him, still speechless at the man's choice to visit you, as well as his monstrous height. He was easily over six-and-a-half feet tall, but still worked out proportionally to seem as though that height was normal. You stared at him until he shrugged his overcoat off.

"Is there place to be putting coat? I am not wanting for snow to fall all over floor." He smiled again with his jacket now removed. You assured yourself that the sweater he was wearing wasn't the only layer of clothes, and that he was only so tall and huge because he was wearing several layers.

It took an awkward second to click that he was speaking to you, as you had adjusted to solitude. "A-ah! Yeah, sorry. I'll take that." You accepted his coat and hung it up to dry near the fireplace, still surprised at the man's presence. You didn't even
know him, yet…

"Ivan."

You turned back to the man, blinking in surprise.

"My name. I am Ivan, Ivan Braginski." He smiled. He had taken off his hat, too, revealing snowy white hair that fell as softly as snow should. "And you are new girl who is just moving in, da?"

"O-oh yes." You told him your name with a smile. "So did everyone notice my moving in?"

"Da, we did. It is not often when someone new is moving into neighborhood, and it has been tradition to greet new neighbors. No one was greeting you, so I am here. Tradition is not thing for breaking." He giggled.

Wait, giggled? A cute, childish laughter came from this large man? You had to giggle as well. His voice was light and sweet, given, but it was still just as odd. Not that it was a bad thing, it was just…odd.

"W-well thank you, Ivan."

"Da."

You smiled, but still an awkward silence fell over the two of you as you stood. He remained at his spot, looking oddly content for what he had just endured. You motioned to the living room.

"It's even warmer in the living room, if you'd like to have a seat."
Ivan thanked you for the invitation and moved into the living room to sit on the couch, closing his eyes and smiling still. He relished the warmth as you took your place back on the chair nearest the fire. He leaned back into his seat, and said nothing for several moments. You were slightly startled when he began speaking to you again as you had just gotten comfortable in your chair.

"So what is nice girl like you doing in small neighborhood like here? Most people are wanting to avoid dead endings like this."

"Oh, just looking for…a change of pace." You wondered if it was a good idea to tell him that you had just moved out, with hardly enough money to spend on house shopping. "It's nice, seems to be quiet here. Well…As far as I know."

"Da, is peaceful."

"Uhm…Just…Did you ever live in Russia?" You curiosity led you to change the subject.

"Eh?"

"Your accent, it's kind of thick. N-not that it's a bad thing or anything, I was
just curious."

He giggled again. "You could be saying that. Da, I was once with Russia for some time. Is my accent that…noticeable?"

You nodded a little.

"Oh well, is what happens. At least it is not bad thing." He shrugged, and changed the subject himself as he looked about your living room. "Is nice place. I like it."

"Thank you, it's just some stuff I took with me from my parents' house."

"Is this first time on your own?"

You answered before realizing that, though he seemed nice and claimed he was your neighbor, he was still a stranger, and a big guy you couldn't fight back on your own.

"Ah. I am remembering first time on my own. Was long ago." He sighed at little with the recollection. "Was long time ago."
You smiled a little, and after a few moments of his being lost in thought, you started another conversation. "Thank you for visiting my house, Ivan, that was really sweet. Especially in this storm."

"Oh, is no problem." His cheeks seemed to still be pink from the cold.

"B-but you trudged through a blizzard to get here!"

"Oh…" He looked confused, thought for a moment, then nodded. "So I did. Snow is normal for me. Does not bother me too much. This couch is really soft."

You couldn't believe how fast he was willing to gloss over the fact that he was just in a raging snowstorm. "But it's blizzarding outside!"

"Da, is snowing. But I had no other things to be doing. Like meeting new girl across street. Is more important than sitting at home. No one should be alone during snow storm."

For a split second, you thought you saw something pass through the man's eyes before he returned to his content feelings.

"Y-you're right I guess, it's no fun being alone out here like this. It gets dark and boring. And kinda lonely." You agreed after a moment of thought and he nodded. "Is…is there anything you wanted to talk about while you're here?"

"Not really. I was not thinking so far ahead like that." Embarrassment colored his cheeks slightly. "I was thinking that we could just be sitting in house. I am…not best conversation partner."

You smiled a little again as yet another awkward silence settled over the room. You had expected him to add something, anything to that thought, but he merely leaned back further with his eyes shut and his hat and scarf in his lap. He sighed again at the warmth of the house and pleasure of your presence.

You politely offered your guest something to eat or drink, but he replied with a sleepy "Nyet." An offering of a blanket received the same answer.

"All I am wanting is to make sure people are not alone. I am happy to be sitting in same room as other person, especially new girl."

You blinked in surprise at the statement and almost offered something else before you saw exactly how relaxed and happy he was. And how serious his last statement had been. Unsure of what else to do with the sleepy man, you picked up your book again and continued from the last sentence you had read, the heat from the fire making you drowsy.