DISCLAIMER: Axis Powers Hetalia and all of its concepts/characters are copyright © to Hidekaz Himaruya. I do not write this story for profit, nor do I benefit in any monetary way. This is purely for entertainment purposes only.
FFFFFFFF--! This fic is just five-hundred kinds of pointless, but I wanted to write something with Russia and Belarus that didn't feature her as a psychotic, marriage obsessed looney--though I rather like her as a psychotic, marriage obsessed looney. I might as well say that Russia/Belarus is one of my favorite of all-time pairings, while I'm at it (derp). This...is filled with so much disgusting fluff--so much so that it sickens me--but...at the same time...it makes me squee so loud...Howcanthisbeeeeee~?! D:
Nevertheless, I hope you manage to enjoy it~! Reviews are nice, begged for, and appreciated~! Fuck, I can't write for shit. Why do I try again? Durr hurr...
Ivan was in rare form today.
In his office on the third floor, Ivan allowed a tiny smile to grace his lips. The miraculous thing about that smile was that it was genuine, not that artificial thing he plastered on his face in the presence of the other nations, making them cringe in involuntary fear, wishing to be anywhere but near this disturbing country. No, no, this was the real thing, brought about from this rare mood and that pleased him more than anything; it, in fact, made his smile grow only wider.
It may have been because the sun was actually out shining in the sky as opposed to usually being covered by gloomy, steel-gray clouds, thick with the promise of snow. It warmed the house—not by much—but by a few comfortable degrees. This, in turn, raised the inhabitants' moods by several degrees, especially Ivan's. If there was any indicator of his good mood, it was that the Baltic Trio were trembling, not from fear, but just from the slight chill that still managed to creep its way into the house.
He was still smiling when a soft knock echoed against his door and one of those three captured nations peeked his head in, looking so very, very happy from what seemed like such a long time ago. Whenever Russia was happy, the Baltic Trio were subsequently happy.
"Is everything alright, Sir? We have lunch ready if you're feeling hungry," Lithuania informed, face bright.
"I'm fine, Toris. It almost feels as if the sun is giving me all the energy I'll ever need, da?" The smile grew a little wistful when he glanced over his shoulder, glimpsing snow that sparkled like diamonds in the light. "Though I will be sad when everything is covered by clouds again…"
"There will be more sunny days, Sir, there always will be…" Blushing slightly, he added, "May I ask how Belarus is doing, as well?"
Chuckling, Ivan looked down, taking in his sister's peacefully sleeping form. She was curled up on his lap, cheek pressed to a broad shoulder, practically wrapped up in his coat as he'd unbuttoned it for her to use as an impromptu blanket. The sun may have been out, but that didn't mean it was like a sunny afternoon in Cuba. "Still very much asleep," he murmured, idly winding his fingers through her platinum locks. "And I don't think she'll be waking up anytime soon. The sun makes people lazy like cats!"
"Of course." Lithuania's face was filled with nothing but adoration. "She looks so cute, like a little angel…" He abruptly stopped, blushing furiously, and stuttered out, "Ah! My apologies! I'll be leaving! If there is anything you need, Sir, the others and I won't hesitate to come!"
Still a ripe shade of red, he hastily shut the door behind him (getting a corner of his uniform stuck in the door that he had to embarrassingly yank out), retreating to who knew where, footsteps echoing long after he had left.
Again, Ivan felt himself chuckling. "Da, Toris…she does look rather cute today—and that is the most surprising part, coming from me! Who would have known she could act this way?"
Yes, it had been a pleasant experience to have his younger sister politely knock on his door and ask his permission to come inside instead of her usual entry of suddenly bursting through, doorknob barely hanging on by a few splinters (he had been getting tired of replacing that door), wondering if he had made up his mind about marrying her yet. Quite the contrary, after he'd warily given her the go ahead, she had walked inside and…plainly asked if she stay in his office while he worked.
Ivan, who had been prepared to jump through his window if that's what it took to escape her clutches (third story or not), had blinked rather stupidly for a moment, something quite uncharacteristic of him, before nodding. It could have been a trap, this change in attitude, but, looking at Natalia's face, he could only see an honest desire to be with her brother…nothing else. No ulterior motives or schemes running around in her admittedly dark mind.
She had seemed so happy when he had given her the go ahead (and, yes, there were ways to tell when she was happy if you looked closely). And, at that moment, when she had been setting up one of those stiff, purely decorative chairs used for when important persons (such as his boss) came to visit next to his, some brotherly feeling had welled up inside him. He had reached out and gathered her into a hug, much to the surprise of them both…and that had been that. Much as Natalia had simply wanted to be with her brother, Ivan had suddenly and simply wanted to be with his sister. No disturbing obsession, no fear, just familial love. She had fallen asleep not long after that, completely at ease.
Maybe the sun has managed to finally thaw through that icy shell of hers, Ivan thought humorously, shifting her weight. She involuntarily cuddled closer at the movement, a minute sigh passing through her lips.
Truth be told, Ivan felt his own eyes beginning to droop. The sun's languid rays and his sister's rhythmic breathing were lulling him into a stupor. Well…maybe it couldn't hurt to take a little break; he may have been holding her with one arm, but that hadn't stopped the other from finishing up his work.
He placed his pen down, working out the cramps in his hand, and then eased back into his seat more comfortably. Trying to be as quiet as possible, he propped his boots onto his desk—if he was getting comfy, he might as well go the whole nine yards.
He glanced down at her, making sure he hadn't awoken her, but she still slept. He kept his eyes on her though, studying her face, silently amazed that she could seem so peaceable. Stoic and stolid were words that usually came to mind when one found themselves in the same room as the dictatorship. There was this dark tone, this feeling, that wasn't quite as gentile as her appearance implied. It was not unlike being in the same room as her brother…
She should smile more, he found himself thinking. Even in her sleep, she had a hard edge to her features. She'd look so much prettier…
She was careful to always keep this carefully composed, neutral expression on her face or, if not that, this slightly irritated one. Granted, she'd never been one to smile, even when she's been a small, developing country. The forerunner to that irritated look had once been an adorable pout, but Ivan remembered how both he and Yekaterina would solve that problem. The two of them would sneak on either side of her, simultaneously leaning over and giving their youngest sibling a peck on each cheek. Then the two of them would giggle like loons at her face; the act never ceased to surprise her. Natalia wouldn't smile…but her face would melt into a soft complacency, plump cheeks rosy with pleasure.
He missed days like that. Even with constant wars, the bloodshed, the other nations invading his lands, he longed for when the three of them had been together, a family.
He felt that instinctual, brotherly feeling swelling up inside him again. Without even a second thought to his actions, Ivan placed a kiss on Natalia's cheek, as when they'd both been children. Just like old times, her porcelain skin flushed a glowing pink and the somewhat stern set of her face smoothed over, making her look about five years younger…
And she was smiling. It was a tiny one, as though she weren't quite used to the motion, but it was an honest-to-God smile.
Astonished, Ivan could only stare in wonder for a moment, mouth agape. His senses caught up to him a moment later, his face splitting into a beaming grin.
"Ti takaya prelesnaya, Natalia," he whispered.
*
When Toris came back to check up on his master, the sight that greeted him nearly made his heart melt. Of all the time that he'd been under Russian rule, the idea of seeing both Ivan Braginsky and Natalia Arlovskaya sleeping cuddled peacefully together, cheek to cheek, holding onto each other like toddlers, was something that he would have never pictured in his mind.
"We need more sunny days like this," he commented inaudibly, before closing the door behind him.