Ivan had not been able to stop thinking about the girl he had met on the sidewalk. She was certainly very different. She was not afraid of him, nearly at all. In fact she seem to feel the exact oppisite. She had done her very best to push him around. It was surprising to say the least, and Ivan had complied mostly because he was unused to people feeling safe and comfortable enough around him to do so.

It was, interesting. She was bossy, but only in ways that were to help him. In everything else she was very kind. That was a word he would easily use to describe his little snowflake:kind. So easily, she had opened her house to him. Without any thought to the contrary. To his snowflake it seemed that it was not such a divisive thing, but Ivan knew better. Ivan had spent his entire life being in places where he was unwelcome. He knew this gift was precious and he was not at all intent on letting it slip away.

In his country it was very important to bring things to a home you were visiting, and he doubted that his little snowflake knew that, but he put extra thought into what gift he was going to bring regardless.

He would bring a bottle of vodka, of course. Everyone could use a bottle of vodka. And whatever they sold here was terrible, honeslty. He would make sure that his little snowflake got a bottle from his personal stash. He would also bring her sunflowers. They were his favorite flower, and they were tall, and Emily had said that she liked tall things. The thought had made Ivan blush, multiple times, whenever he had thought about it. Emily was herself tall, but not abnormally so. Ivan could not help but think that if they were to hug, it would not be at all uncomfortable or awkward. She was the perfect height for his arms.

But Ivan did not know what else to bring. Truly if he were home, alcohol and something for the table were perfectly acceptable gifts to bring, but it lacked something personal. The trouble was that he really did not know enough about Emily to know what she needed, if she needed or wanted anything. But it had been two days since their little walk, and she had invited him back over to her house. Really it was approaching the point where the window of the invitation was closing. And Russia refused to let that happen.

Currently Russia was in a meeting with all of the other nation representatives. He was not paying attention, as he wrote thougths to himself on his paper. He wrote in crylic, so that no one else would be privy to them, not that anyone cared to find out regardless. Even when Ivan blatently did not pay attention he was rarely called out for it. No one wanted to confront him, except for America, and that was only ever to antagonize him.

Slowly the meeting drew to a close as America whined more about how he was hungry for a hamburger, and Italy nagged Germany about how he was hungry for more pasta. It was nearing six o'clock and everyone it seemed, was thinking about dinner. It appeared that Ivan would escape the meeting today without having to interact with anyone. A blessing and a curse.

He packed up his things and stopped by the grocery store on the way home. He picked out the least mediocre bunch of sunflowers he could find from the selection at the store before he drove the rest fo the way home.

Tonight he would go back to his snowflakes house. Ivan nervously played with the scarf around his neck, picking up the end in his hands and letting it go when he needed to do something else to get ready. He took a shower and carefully combed his hair. He put on a nice shirt and pants made sure that he didn't have any wrinkles in his coat. He tore apart his kitchen looking for a vase for the sunflowers and became more nervous when he couldn't' find one. He tore his hall closet up as well, looking for a pretty ribbon to put on the vodka but could not find anything to put on this either.

Ivan was already feeling defeated and nerovous. He simultaneously encouraged and discouraged himself with the thought that she might not even be home, or would be asleep, or anything other than able to keep him company. Regardless he knew that this was something he wanted. He would explain to Emily, why the vodka did not have a proper bow and why the flowers were not in a beautiful vase and he would beg for forgiveness. But he was still going to her house, if to do nothing more than drop off his gifts and make sure that she was okay.

Finally it was eight o six and Ivan could wait no longer. He made sure that the sunflowers were covered in a plastic bag, so that they were protected from the harsh winter night, before he set out the short ways to Emily's house. He walked down the street, nervous as anything, but determined to see his little snowflake again. Even the chance to be rejected was still better than never seeing his new friend again. It was all Ivan wanted. He passed someone on the sidewalk walking their dog; the person shrunk away from him, while the dog growled. Ivan sighed and turned into Emily's driveway.

Her car was there, and a light was on in the window. She was home at least. His ever present smile slipping from his face in a moment of anxiety, Ivan took long strides up to the door and knocked.

Ivan held his breath as he waited for a response. He strained his ears for anything to indicate that there was movement on the inside. His heart sped up when he heard the creak of someone approaching the door and saw a shadow in the door's window.

"Ivan! Hey! Oh my god I am sorry I was so not ready for you to come over. Come in, we'll let all the heat out."

Ivan's smile returned to his face when his little snowflake opened the door. Her hair was wet and pressed to her head. She must have just gotten out of the shower, as the water in her eyelashes was still making them dark and her eyes looked sparkling. She was in a long night gown with a doily pattern. A blush rose to his cheeks as he also realized, based on the drape of it, that she was not wearing a bra.

Ivan stepped into the house. Very embarrassed to have caught his little snowflake in such a state. He was comforted a little when he saw that her face was a little flushed as well. He hugged his gifts awkwardly in his arms as She rushed away from him, down a hallway once he was inside.

"You know the drill Ivan! You can make yourself comfortable, I'm gonna go put on some real clothes! I'll be just a second!"

Ivan blushed again and looked around the house awkwardly. The house smelled like something had been baking in the oven. Ivan peered into the kitchen from the entryway and saw a caserol pan of something on the counter. The TV was on, but at a low volume and the blankets on the couch looked to be arranged so that someone could easily wrap themselves in them. It was with interest that Ivan noted a basket of yarn by the end of the couch and a pile of some project that had been left in the chair.

The heat of the hosue now reminding him to take off his outerclothes, Ivan shifted his presents around in his arms as he stepped out of his boots and nudged them with his feet into the place they had been the last time he had visited.

"Okay I'm back! I'm really sorry about that Ivan. I should have known you could come over. Anyway come on in! Are you hungry? Are you thirsty? How was your day? Let's get your coat off. You can change the channel on the TV, I was just using it to keep me company."

Ivan blushed anew as he was fussed over. He also noticed that Emily had put on some rather flattering clothes with some generous cleavage. It was only through practice, that he managed to avoid staring as they jostled whenever she boused around to 'help'. Ivan stuttered to life as Emily attempted to cajole him into the living room like the last time he was here.

"D-Da. Hello Emily. I am sorry to have disturbed you. I would have come at a different time if I had known-"

"Oh be quiet, I told you to come after eight, right? I should have been more prepared. This one is one hundred percent on me. It wasn't even like I was going to bed anytime soon, I get out of my clothes as soon as I get home. Here, do you want me to put these things somewhere for you?"

Ivan's brain sputtered again to life as Emily's hands hovered around the gifts in Ivan's arms.

"N-nyte. I mean Da. I mean –wait, I had been bringing these for you yes?" Ivan jerkily went to take off the plastic bag he had put over the flowers and to take the vodka out from under his arm. Before Emily could respond he launched into his apologies. "I am being very sorry that I did not have vase for the sunflowers. I looked everywhere in my house and I could not find one. Also I looked for ribbon to make bow for vodka but I could find nothing for this either, but I was doing the hoping that you would not mind so much but I have brought the thigns for you so you may do whith them whatever you wish. The vodka is being special from my mother country and I thought you might like sunflowers because they are tall and you said you did not mind tall things also they are my favorite flower and I thought you might like them also." Ivan stood there awkwardly with the teams held slightly away from his person. Patiently he waited, his heart ready to jump out of his chest, to see whether she would take the flowers and the vodka or whether he had brought them for nothing and she would turn him away and think him creepy like all the others.

"Are these really for me?" Emily's voice was quiet and Ivan became anxious but hopeful at the deep flush that covered her neck. He gained a small bit of confidence at seeing her own nerves manifest.

"Da. Of course."

"Oh Ivan you really didn't have to. Thank you. Here, I have a vase for the flowers. It might be a little short but it will work for now. And we can put the vodka in the freezer. Oh my god Ivan this is so nice. These are beautiful flowers, and so big! I hope you didn't spend too much money on these. You didn't have to do this. Here, take off your coat, can I do something for you? Have you eaten? I just made a chicken and rice caserol; you are more than welcome to it. Do you want me to get you a bowl?"

Ivan watched in a daze as Emily gently took the flowers and the bottle from his hands, like they were precious artifacts, before she wisked them away to the kitchen. She opened the freezer and slid the bottle fo vodka inside before she stood on her tip-toes to reach a vase in the cupboard on top of the refriderator. Ivan watched as she looked from the flowers to the counter, deciding whether she should put the flowers down on the counter to better reach to the back of the top shelf. Clearly she didn't want to put the flowers down, but would need to, to reach the vase properly. She was tall but not quite tall enough.

Steeling himself, Ivan quickly took off his coat to place on the hook beside the entryway, and strode forward into the house, "I will get the vase, Da?" Ivan winced as Emily jumped at his voice. She quickly settled though, and moved aside as he appeared behind her.

"Would you? Thank you. I haven't cleaned the counter after cooking yet and I don't want anything to happen to the flowers if I set them down. There should be two vases up there, the square one is just a smidge taller and might be better for the sunflowers."

Ivan nodded silently and blushed as he felt her eyes on him. He reached up over the refrideragor easily and pulled out the vase with the tall square shape. He held it down for Emily to inspect, "This is the correct vase Da?"

Emily nodded now a goofy smile on her own face, "Da."

Ivan blushed furiously at the gentle ribbing as he handed her the vase. She took it easily as she moved over to the kitchen sink, which was full of a few dishes. She quickly filled the vase with water and snipped the ends off of the stems.

"There! Now I can put them in the middle of the table and I will see them every day. Thank you Ivan they are very pretty."

Ivan continued to blush and hunch over himself. He was still very unsued to anyone talking to him with such sincere thanks, or kindness and he truly didn't know much of what to do with himself in these situations. Ivan reached for the end of his scarf, "Da, you are very welcome."

Once Emily had the flowers sitting on the table properly she looked back over to Ivan standing awkwardly in the kitchen. Her eyes quickly darted to the leftovers of her dinner, "Ivan did you want something to eat? Have you had dinner already? I always make more than I can eat, because I live by myself and cutting the recipe is a hassle. I usually end up eating the same thing for a couple of meals in a row because of left overs. You are more than welcome to whatever you want, especially since you brought me flowers and vodka!"

Ivan was working on gathering a fistful of his scaf in his left hand now, "N-nyte snowflake, please. You do not need to take care of me. I am perfectly fine." It was at this moment that Ivan's stomach decided to make an oh-so flattering gurgling noise. Of course, in his rush to make his way over to Emily's house, he had neglected to feed himself dinner after the conference.

Emily frowned now and moved towards Ivan back in the Kitchen. "Hey it's not a big deal. The food is already made and ready to be eaten. Please, it would make me feel better if I knew you weren't hungry. It's a chicken and rice caserol. It's not the greatest for you, but its cheap to make. It's got three different kinds of Campbell's soup, rice, butter, water, and chicken in it. It's really good. You can try a little bit and if you don't like it you don't have to eat it." Emily had moved to a specific cupboard and gotten down a bowl to scoop a small amount of the rice and chicken into. She got a spoon from out of the drawer.

"Here," Emily put the bowl into Ivan's hands and moved to get a glass, "It goes really well with milk, will that be okay?"

Ivan stared, a little dumbfounded at how a bowl of food had made it into his hands despite his protests. "D-Da that is fine."

He watched as Emily nodded and got out a gallon of milk to pour into a glass before turning around, "Well have you tried it yet?"

Ivan shuffled, his free hand undecided about fidgeting or fondling the fork that had been placed in his bowl. "N-nyte."

"Oh come on, just give it a little try. Please? That way I will know if you need more before we sit down. I promise I won't mind if you don't like it."

Ivan choked out a 'da' before he went to pick up the fork at last. Quickly he shovled a good amount of it into his mouth.

"You want more?"

Ivan chewed, and looked to Emily's egar face. He knew at that moment that even if it had tasted horrible, and it didn't, he would have asked for more just to keep the happy look on her face.

"Da. Please. It is very good." Ivan smiled, as he watched the blush bloom on Emily's neck once more. She quickly took his bowl and filled it properly this time. She handed him the glass of milk and sheperdaded him over to the couch.

"Well, you know, I'm not exactly a gormet chef but its hard to mess up rice and chicken. I'm glad you like it. You can eat on the couch if you want, or at the table. I eat on the couch all the time, I don't mind."

Bowl of warm food in hand, Ivan was feeling more confidant now. His snowflake was smiling. Making her smile was not proving to be as hard as he had expected.

"I would be liking to sit wherever you are snowflake." Ivan's smile grew as he watched the flush spread over Emily's cheeks anew.

"On the couch then. I will crochet while you finnish eating. We can turn the TV off if you like or change the channel. I just have it on so I don't get lonely."

Ivan paused, his smile slipping for just a brief moment while Emily's back was turned. There was that phrase again. Emily should not have to use something like a television to keep her from feeling lonely. She should never have to feel that way.

As Emily turned back around from throwing a blanket next to Ivan's side of the couch should he need it, Ivan's smile sprang back to his face.

"I did not know you knew how to crochet. Do you know how to knit as well?" Ivan collapsed himself easily on the couch, balancing his food on his knees and placing his glass of milk on the end table. He watched with a smile as Emily folded herself up cutely on the couch, siting with her legs crossed and tucking herself into the corner cushions.

"I can knit a square and that's about it. I've tried to learn more, but I always get frustrated. Crocheting just makes more sense to me. I guess. I'm surprised you even know what the difference is. Most people don't know that they are different and I have to explain."

Ivan nodded. "Da this is true. I only know because I also like to knit. I find it very relaxing." Ivan blushed a little at the look of surprise that crossed Emily's face. He was used to the reaction of course. The thought of him, a six foot one Russian man, knitting usually startled people. Somehow though, in front of his snowflake he had more trouble not being embarrassed.

"You knit? That's really cool! Did you make your scarf?" Ivan felt a little of the color fade from his face when it seemed Emily did not think that his knowing how to knit was weird, or too girly. He gently shook his head as he continued the conversation,

"Nyte, my sister made my scarf for me when I was very small. I learned to knit from her."

"Awe that's so cool. I think it's cool that you like to knit. If you want, when you're done with dinner, I can get you a couple of my knitting needles and some yarn if you wanted to try to start something. I don't knit very often so you could keep it here and work on it off and on if you wanted." Emily reached for her own crochet project now, that had been sitting on the coffee table.

"That would be fun if you don't mind me using your things. We can unravel whatever I make if you would like so that I am not wasting yarn." Emily waved off the concern easily.

"Don't worry about it. I've gotten about like, eighty percent of my yarn for free one way or the other. You can pick what you like and pick the needles you want and go to town. I don't mind. I have a lot of yarn that needs to be used up anyway."

Ivan made to protest again, but stopped when he saw that Emily was already staring intently at the project she was working on, her hands moving back and forth. Ivan smiled as he watched the look of concentration come over her face as she worked. He took a few bites of his dinner. The casserole really was very good. He liked the rice especially. His eyes drifted to the TV where some documentary was playing quietly, an educated voice droning in the background. He frowned remembering Emily's comment about being lonely.

Why was Emily so lonely? She was very nice, and she was not at all scarry like he was. Shouldn't everyone want to be friends with Emily? So then why was she having troubles being alone?

Ivan stared off into space, it must be her friends. Maybe they were like his friends, and they were very mean in that they did not want to spend time with her. A pang of sadness and anger shot through Ivan's chest. Nyte! Not his little snowflake. She did not deserve friends like that. She was too nice, too pretty to have to suffer through something like that.

He seized upon the angered feeling and decided he would do something to help his little snowflake . Yes he would make sure that Emily was not ever lonely. Never like him.

"I can get you more chicken and rice, if you want. There's plenty left." Ivan was startled out of his thoughts as he realized his fork was clinking against he bottom of the bowl. He abrubtly stopped moving his fork around and left it in the bowl, blushing furiously.

"N-nyte. Spasibo. I am good. I do not need more." Ivan's eyes widened just a small fraction when he identified the strict look on Emily's face.

"Are you sure?"

"D-da."

"Are you sure you're sure?"

"I think so, yes."

"You think?"

"Yes… I do not need more."

"Do you want more?"

Ivan hesitated now, for only a split second and it was a split second too long. Faster than Ivan could stop her Emily was standing, her arm outstretched, "Give me your bowl." Ivan was blushing now, grabbing his bowl in his lap, hesitatnt to let it go.

"Please snowflake I do not want to be eating too much of your food. I understand. I do not want to be ungrateful."

"Shut up and give me your bowl so that I can get you seconds. You know what, I'm also having another bowl, because it smells really good. If you are hungry, eat, and if you're not, don't. It's as easy as that."

Ivan reluctantly handed over his bowl and Emily quickly marched away to fill it up again. It wasn't a few seconds before a bowl was beign passed over his shoulder, now full of more casserole. Ivan looked back but Emily was already headed back to the kitchen and getting a new bowl out of the cupboard.

"Thank you."

"It's no problem. Eat as much as you want okay? There's still more up here if you want more after that. And if you don't want to eat it, then you don't have to. But if you are hungry please help youself."

Ivan silently nodded but Emily was too busy getting her own food to notice. He picked up his fork again, but waited until Emily had sat abck down on the couch before he started to eat once more.

Yes his little snowflake was too nice to be left alone in this place. He would do his very best to make sure she was never lonely, and Ivan was not known for his lack of trying or failure.