The American walked back up the stairs to his house, and waited for the Russian to follow. He sat down on his computer chair and sighed. "Where should I begin... Oh yeah, why I listened to my friends..." He looked at Ivan sitting on the couch, eyeing him with confused violet eyes.

"Whydid you ever listen to them in the first place, Alfy? You promised me that you wouldn't let your friend's opinions get to you, da?" Alfred got up and walked over to the couch, eyes downcast.

"Because I wanted opinions on you. My older brother Matthew said that he supported our relationship, but every one of my other friends said they didn't like you, were wary of you, or hated you completely. It broke me," The American looked away. "And I left. I needed to get my thoughts straight."

"You left nearly three years ago, Alfred. That's a long time to get your thoughts straight for you, da." The blue-eyed blonde looked back at the violet-eyed blonde. "Nearly three years. Then you came back only two months ago. Two months ago. Alfred, do you realize how much that affected me?"

"...No, I don't."

"You're my best friend, Alfy, but when you left, that spot closed up and disappeared. You're the first person I loved outside of my own family. My own family is not as loved as you are, you know, da? Alfred, everything you did almost three years ago left me alone, and cold. I don't even feel like I have a warm heart anymore. People I love affect me in a way that makes my heart warm. But, if they leave me, my heart becomes cold again. I don't want a cold heart."

Ivan looked up, feeling the couch shaking. The American blonde was crying. He reached his hand out and wiped away some lose tears sadly. Alfred sniffled, and looked down. "I...I didn't know I had affected you so badly... Honestly...! I really, really missed you when I left... I didn't even answer Iggy's calls after a year. They...They just became too prying... The only pictures I kept in my phone was the one of us standing in front of that rainbow flag in downtown San Francisco, and the one with Yui* and Kiku. We weren't the only LGBT couple there, of course. Antonia* and Lovia* were there."

Ivan couldn't help but smile at the memory. Yui and Kiku had stood staring at them, before coming over and taking a picture with them, the two shorter Asian girls standing in the front, the two taller blondes standing in the back. A random passerby had taken the picture for them. "I remember that, da..." The Russian looked down at the sunflower necklace in his hand. He leaned forward, and clipped it around Alfred's neck suddenly, a small smile crossing his face.

"I was stupid to listen to my friends, Ivan. I'm sorry. You'll probably not forgive me for a while longer, but, oh well. That's my stupid fault..." Ivan shook his head, then pulled the American boy towards him, kissing his forehead. "...Ivan?"

"Da?"

"I'm sorry."

"Stop saying that."

"I'm sorry." Ivan smacked Alfred's shoulder, then smiled lightly. "Forgive me?"

"Da, I will, this time." The American boy smiled triumphantly, and leaned forward, capturing the Russian's lips in a sweet kiss.

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*Yui is my favorite name for fem!China.

*Antonia is, probably, the most popular name for fem!Spain.

*Lovia is my favorite name for fem!.