"There's a McDonald's up here?" Ivan asked, feeling a bit overwhelmed by exactly how not surprised he was.

"Yes! And we're going to it!" Alfred replied excitedly. The mountain that he pointed at from the car window looked like any other mountain. Apparently the restaurant was not visible from this low.

"That seems…extravagant. And typical of you," he replied, with only the tiniest trace of disgust escaping through his tone. He regretted it almost immediately, but perhaps old habits were difficult to restrain…

"Don't be like that…" the American admonished weakly, then seemed to find life again; "what's funnier that climbing a mountain for the sole purpose of getting to a McDonald's? It's very first-world-ironic."

"Yes, it is very amusing," he readily agreed, happy to pacify the hurt look that had formed in the other's eyes. They would both do that, from time to time. Say things that went just a little too far. But it couldn't be helped, and it was better to quickly forgive than it was to get upset over such trivial things.

He briefly entertained the notion of a Teremok at the summit of Mount Elbrus. He smiled then, because it was a ridiculous idea. Alfred glanced at him and beamed back, apparently ecstatic that his companion shared in his amusement.

"Will you get a 'Big Mac' at the top?"

"Maybe a few. I bet they don't get too much traffic up there," he laughed, and parked the Honda. "The scenery must be cool, too," and it sounded so much like an afterthought that they both could not help laughing. It was a nice feeling, after so much hostility.

A/N: I was climbing a mountain, and this popped into my head.