This is actually my first Russia and America Fanfic. Tell me if I can improve or anything. Reviews are awesome.
Alfred F. Jones, the golden boy of my small town. Ivan Braginski, the one that most people feared. Almost the entire town believed that I was the demon. All the signs pointed to it. My strangely colored purple eyes, my large intimidating build, the cold and strange aura I apparently ooze. How can I not be something ungodly? But I'm not. I'm just a regular, completely human boy, trying to make it through life and not wanting to deal with the whispers and looks that follow me. They couldn't prove anything, they couldn't even accuse me of. People had yet to pop up half dead and catatonic. I haven't flinched or look away when someone flashed a cross in my face. But still, people believe what they want to believe.
This meant when I walk down a street others cross to the other side. I sit alone at lunch, I have very few friends outside of my two sisters who I rarely see anymore. Katyusha has to work extra, no matter how hard I look there is always a "problem" with my application for a job. And Natalia, I don't even know.
But still, it was okay. Until Alfred moved in across the street. I don't know what it was about the blond boy. He was loud, arrogant, annoying, and I think he hated my guts. We knew each other for fifteen minutes before we were rolling around on the ground trying to strangle each other. Eventually we were ripped apart from each other, and several neighbors apologized for my bad behavior. I can still remember the conversation. The hushed whispers as they explained to him that they suspected I was something unnatural. And I can still hear his laugh. That laugh that when I had first heard it sounded so obnoxious as he made fun of my nose. But now as he laughed at the neighbors, and told them not to make assumptions they couldn't prove, I realized the beauty in it.
I don't think I ever realized before how much it really hurt to have people point and talk about me. But then when I heard him scolding the silly neighbors, I think that was when I fell in love for the first time. It would be awhile before I learn that he wasn't doing it for me, but reasons that were completely selfish.
...
So maybe my efforts at flirting were not the best, but at least I tried. Alfred had quickly became popular. All the girls wanted to date hin, most boys wanted to be him. So normal small talk and pick up lines wouldn't work on him, correct? At least that was my reasoning. So I tried other methods. I memorized his daily schedule, figured out what college classes he took, where he at lunch at. I would follow him home and leave presents in his mailbox. I never told him what I was doing, but I still did it. And I never wanted him to know it was me. Maybe it was showing how insecure I really was, but there was no way he could like me. I was just the resident stalker.
So that day when I was conveniently at the same McDonalds as him, I never thought he would alk up to me and say something. "You know dude, if you just wanted to talk to me say something. The stalking was getting kinda creepy. Like two weeks ago." So I did the first thing I could think of. Gape at him like a love sick fish. He laughed, his obnoxious but strangely musical laugh, and pulled me to a table to sit with him.
Alfred bought me lunch. He talked a lot, I teased him a lot also.
I loved how natural it was, just to talk to him, make fun of him, joke around like old buddies. Before, when I first started my "flirting" I thought that maybe, if I could just talk to him once, let him see that I wasn't as big an idiot or creep as it seemed like I was, then maybe I could forget about him. Forget about him, move out of this wretched town when I finished college, and just start life over somewhere, where I won't have to risk being exorcised everyday. But no, just talking to him for fifteen minutes wasn't enough. I wanted more, I wanted him to love me as much as I loved him.
And to my surprise after we finished eating he told me that we should do this again. Well, his exact words were actually "Hey, next time you wanna hang just ask. The stalker thing was creepy, next time ask for a date, don't follow me around town. I'll say yes, you're cute." If you look around the stalker comments he basically told me that he would date me and that I was...cute? I grinned from ear to ear the whole way home.
I was ecstatic. Me and Alfred started hanging out more. Our friendship had just started developing more. To the awkward stage where you're more than friends, but not exactly dating. Yet. Several times we had come close. To me simply leaning in and kissing him on the lips, to me claiming him as mine. But I always stopped myself before I did. Maybe it was just old insecurities getting in the way. Maybe I was reading the signs wrong and he didn't want to do this. So I stopped myself. But each time I did he would pout disappointed as if he wanted me to continue. I was in heaven. Absolute bliss.
Until the incidents began.
...
The first was a girl, about twenty. She was in the same social circle as Alfred, they would sometimes hang out, go to parties, grab lunch. Okay, I admit it. I was jealous. Extremely. But I never wanted that to happen to her. I never wanted to walk down the hallway and coke face to face with a zombie.
She stumbled down the hallway, face white and eyes unfocused, they saw nothing. I remember that we were in an office building, I was picking my sister up from work, the girl was a secretary. And yeah, maybe Alfred worked as a janitor there, and maybe I was poking through the halls seeing if I could "Accidentally" bump into him and strike up a conversation so he could see my inner genius, realize I was the love of his life, and me and him would run away and get married. Just maybe. But that is not the point.
I was looking into my third door, seeing no Alfred in a gray, but somehow still sexy uniform. Then she came. The blond girl, she walked like a zombie, shuffling down the hall. Stumbling and nearly falling several times. I rushed over to see if she needed help and placed a hand on to her shoulder to steady her. Her skin was ice cold, almost as if she were dead. But apparently the weight of my large hand was too much and she collapsed. I caught her easily and was holding her up trying to figure out a way to get help. But then a worker walked down the hall. I called him over and asked for his assistance. I,remember that he had covered his mouth in disgust and shot me an accusing glare before he bent down and picked her up.
"Sir, I can carry her. You seem to be struggling. He was. His face was red and sweat had already began falling. I didn't want him to drop the girl. She had already faced a demon, did she need a concussion on top of that?
"I have her." He spat. He began walking, shouting for someone to come and help her, the whole time giving me fearful glares. I sighed, and prayed that this would not affect me negatively.
...
Fortunately it didn't. One demon attack had happened, for all the town knew he or she had left. The creature had only nibbled on her soul, like a midnight snack. She would still live, wouldn't become catatonic and unresponsive. I asked my elder sister about her. Katyusha had went to the hospital with the girl, rode in the ambulance even. she said she didn't want the girl to be alone. That is the type of person my sister is, always mothering. Sister said that she had woken up, she had some form of amnesia. That from the ages of ten and thirteen she remembered nothing.
The girl was the first but not the last. Another one, this time a man. He was me and Alfred's psychology teacher in college. Then another, the manager of the McDonald's I would stalk Alfred at. Three was the town's limit. They took action. But it was against me.
...
It was at night when they came. The police, a few preachers, and a whole lot of neighbors. They knocked on the door, strangely polite when I think about it. I was upstairs, laying in bed tired from a long day. Older sister had answered the door. I can hear her voice, argujng. She rarely argued but now she was, and crying. I stood up and walked to my door. I could barely make out the words.
"You can't take him. What has he even done? He never hurt those people, he is not a demon." Then a man's voice.
"Sometimes the people who you think you know aren't what they seem."
"Don't tell me that! He is a good boy, you guys, you guys just can't understand this. You taje someone a bit different from everyone else and decide that they are something ungodly? An abomination?" Then a shout, not from the man or sister but someone else.
"If she is protecting him, maybe she is also a demon!" There were calls of agreement. I had enough. I walked down stairs, my shoes in hand. I passed Natalia's room. where she stood in the door way rubbing her eyes and looking confused.
"Brother, you are leaving me?" She said worried.
"Only for a bit. I'll be back!" I said cheerfully. Her eyes hardened and she glared down the steps where Katyusha was till arguing.
"I do not like them taking you away. You are my big brother, I refuse to share." I laughed nervously, stepped into my sneakers, and made my way towards the door.
"Sister." I said, smiling at the dozen or so people in our yard. They flinched a bit, the effect I was looking for. "Is everything alright? What is going on?" I asked the questions, already knowing the answers. But still, maybe she would give me a different answer. She didn't answer, the police man did.
"You are being put into holding for suspicion of demonic behavior." He said seriously.
"Demonic behavior? I do not remember being particularly demonic lately." Keep up the smiling, keep up the creep factor. Ge began to protest, and I unconsciously began making little kols under my breath.
"Sir, if you will not come willingly we will take by force." I rolled my eyes and simply walked out of the door.
"So, no limo?" I asked, staring at the cop car with mild distaste. Then strong hands grab my wrists roughly and turn my body around. "Hey!" I shouted annoyed as I was put into handcuffs. They set them to tightly and the metal bit into my skin. Then they set them tighter. I glared at the cops as I was lead to the car to fast, purposely setting the pace to one that would make me trip. Which I did. The hands that had been leading me along mysteriously disappeared and I fell to the ground. My hands useless face met ground and I now sported a cut his lip. Roughly I was pulled to my feet, and was told to hurry it up. I looked around me, seeing eyes looking at me with either anger, disgust, or sadistic glee.
...
I don't remember a lot from those three days I was held. I remember being baptized violently. Water boarding with holy water anyone? I remember a man, sticking needles into my back trying to find a the demons soft part. The part where they feel no pain. I felt the pain, a lot of it. Someone murmuring bible Scriptures to protect their soul. Being hit, nothing but a hunk of meat.
And after all that. After all the abuse and accusations, they found nothing. The local demon, the one people had feared for years, was clean. They were forced to let me go, though they didn't want to. Wasn't it obvious? I must had learned new tricks. With a final warning I was dropped from the cop car in front of my house and spit on.
It was weirdly casual. I picked myself up from the ground, dusted off my torn and bloody jeans, and knocked on my door. I couldn't help but feel annoy that I didn't have my keys. It was only two, so Katyusha would be at work and Natalia school. I went around back and saw that Natalia had once again forgot to lock the door. I kicked off my shoes, stretched and winced, and walked to the bathroom.
My face. My lip had been split and was now swollen. Blood was matted in the hair around my right temple, some had dripped down and was dried in a perfect line. The side of my face was bruised badly. Along my jaw the purple, yellow, and slightly green marking curled around.
I took a bath. Changed my clothes, ate some food, peed, and was prepared to go asleep when the doorbell rang.
Alfred was there, tears streaming down his beautiful face. He tackled me to the ground, and I felt myself being hugged tightly. Much to tightly. My body screamed for him to stop, but I voiced no protest. Because Alfred was hugging me. Then he was kissing me. Quick tiny ones all over my face as he told me how sorry he was. At first I didn't protest. just let his ice cold lips do what they wanted.
"Sorry? What for?" I asked confused. After a bit.
"Oh God, it's all my fault Ivan! If I didn't, oh God, what if you were really hurt!" He continued. I wrapped an arm around his waist and pulled him closer to me. Placing a kiss of my own onto his forehead I made him stand and come into the house with me.
I sat on the couch and pulled him into my chest.
"Alfred! It is okay! I am fine, not hurt at all. You couldn't have stopped this. Just the same way how you didn't start." He whimpered and buried his face into my clothing, soaking my jacket.
"Ivan I'm so sorry. I never wanted anyone, especially you, to get hurt. I'm so sorry." I didn't understand and just continued cuddling my Alfred. "I never wanted this. I can't stop it. I'm sorry. Bu I'll leave. I'll leave the town and stop you from being hurt by me anymore. I'm sorry, I just wanted to say bye." My blood ran cold. Alfred? My Alfred was leaving me?
I glared at him. "You can not leave. Leaving will not stop the demon from attacking here, and it will not stop people from believing it is me." He let out another tiny sob.
"But it will stop him from attacking here. Because he wouldn't be here." I shook my head.
"What are you saying?" He didn't answer, wouldn't even look me in the face.
"I don't want to do it Ivan, bu I have to. I don't think I can live without taking it, the little bits of their souls." He was the demon. He was the one doing this. He was unholy, unnatural. But still, he was Alfred. And I was madly in love with him.
"It's okay. You don't have to leave. I don't want you to leave me. Please, do not leave me." For the first time he looked at me, straight in the eyes.
"I don't want to leave you. I think I love you too much for that."
...
After that things got better, but they got worse. The soul snatching continued, I didn't know what to do. I would never, ever turn Alfred in. And really, the results weren't thay bad. So you lose a few years, have trouble feeling a couple of emotions. Alfred needed to do it. He never told me why, but he said he needed it. One day I asked him about it. I asked if there was anyway to make him stop.
He twiddled his thumbs and bit his lips. " I think the only way to make it stop is if I take the whole soul. I can only stop if someone willingly gives it to me. But I don't want you to ever do that." He told me seriously. He recognized the contemplating look on my face."I can live with everything that comes with being me. I don't want you to go through that." Another kiss, I would respect his wishes.
...
Four. Six. Eight. The number if victims continued to rise. Things were getting serious. People were poking around, everyone was scared. Everyone except me.
But still, specialists were called in. Everyone showing any suspicious behavior was looked into. I was there, so was Alfred. I wasn't concerned for me, just Alfred. But Alfred said their tests were pointless. Holy water? Crosses? Apparently the people took the term "demon" a bit too literally. We got out, but were still under suspicion.
"It's ridiculous." Alfred said shaking his head. "I can't believe they to still think you're me! I mean, they keep messing with you, not cool bro. Next time they take you in, just shout for me so I can bust you out! Yeah, go all James Bond on them, the American way!" I rolled my eyes at him and continued reading my book. He sighed heavily. "I'm really tired of this. I'm really am just tired. I think I have to run." I lifted my head and looked at him horrified. "Eventually they're gonna figure it out. If not they'll think that they did and just attack you. I'm so tired of this life!" He shouted.
"I do not want you to go Alfred." He smiled sweetly at me.
"I don't either. But I got to run. Then I'll just go to another town, start over, and do this again." He said sadly. "Except this. I know I won't find another you."
"Until you find someone willing to give up their soul?" He nodded. "What is it like? Having a bit of people inside of you?" He thought.
'It's weird. I feel like there's I've lived a million years. Every part of someone I take becomes me. I can remember them. I don't just have their memories in me, but I have the person in me."
"Explain." I said not understanding.
"The first girl, I took the time from ten to thirteen. I feel like I have that girl in me." He pointed to a spot on his chest. "She's right here." He shook his head. "Let me try this again. Let's say I took your soul, the entire thing. You would become part of me. Instead of our thoughts being seperate they would share a place. I would be in control, but you would be there, filling me up. Thinking, talking, being there. At the same time you would be filling me up. I wouldn't need someone else to feed me."
"So, I would become one with you?" I asked, rather enjoying the idea.
"Yes, in a way."
"But we would not be apart. How could we get any closer than this? To share the same body, it would be..." I trailed off.
"Wonderful? I would like nothing better than to be that close to you. To not be apart in any way. But we can't." He said it as if it was final.
"Why not?" I asked annoyed.
"Because I'm suppose to make it so you can have the best life possible. So you can be someone, do something. I'm not suppose to be selfish, heroes are suppose to give, not take." But in that moment, I wanted nothing more than to be with him forever. To not have to leave his side. To forever be his. And I told him this. I told him this.
"It's wrong Ivan. Everybody says it is, so it must be, right?" He said, resolve cracking.
"There is nothing wrong with me doing this. I want this. I want to gice you my soul, give you my heart. Become one with me Alfred, please." One more kiss from him.
"I love you more than anything Ivan. Thank you." And then I felt it. I was going cold, the heat slowly being suck out of my body from where our lips met. Things were disappearing. Memories. I couldn't remember my sister's, or was it my brother's, name. How old I was, preschool, not even my name. It was all going away, the could chased it and my warmth away. And then, I felt nothing. I was no more.
...
Idiot. I stared at Ivan's body where it laid as if asleep. He really believed every word and lie I gave him. That I loved him? That taking his soul would make me stop?
The front door opened before I could touch I. Ivan's weird big sister walked in and gave me a confused look. I smirked right in her face.
"Where's Ivan?" She asked.
"It's in there." I walked out of the and was past the drive way when she started screaming. I guess she found my leftovers.
...
A day later I was in a new state, a new town. I could feel them inside of me. The Canadian was bickering with the Frenchman. Kiku I think was by himself, not paying to Yao's chattering. And Ivan, Ivan was by himself, finally realizing that. I was a demon. I don't care for any of them. They are meals. I look over the crowded mall and spot a bushy brow Brit. I wave to him and introduce myself. He looks like he'll be fun.
