Alfred wrote furiously at his desk, his grin more than half mad. The piece of paper he scribbled over spelled out a plan he spent two hours working on instead of his homework. He could just pay Mattie or Kiku to do that for him after all. Alfred held his paper up with admiration. Across the top in bright blue gel pen, it read: 'Operation get Ivan kicked out of school'. Step 1: make him look like an idiot. Step 2: make him look like a douche (but he does that without help). And the third, final, and most important step—get him in trouble.

"Haha, aren't I so great for coming up with this?" Feeling much better than he had in days, Alfred flopped backwards on his bed, the paper still clutched to his chest. He didn't have many great achievements, but saving the whole school from Ivan might be his best. Wouldn't it be nice? He let himself daydream with his eyes closed. If he succeeded, he could walk through the halls without a single person watching him. He could eat his lunch without Ivan being one table behind, just like always. This wasn't mean, right? Really, Ivan started it all. He just returned the favor because no one messed with Alfred. He made that clear since he was a bright-eyed kid with his meeker brother lurking in his shadow. No one touched either of them.

"But what's so great about staring at a guy like me?" he groaned. Alone in his room, no one answered. Alfred fell asleep with a hand over his eyes and the paper blanketing his chest.

"…Al. Hey, Al!" The voice brought the blonde boy out of his slumber. Alfred blinked his eyes open to see a face that mirrored his own. From the strong jaw line to the round cheeks and wide eyes, they looked the same. Only, his twin's face held eyes more purple in hue and they hid behind round glasses unlike his own rectangular frames. Alfred's hair grew a little straighter too, but he knew if he grew his out, it'd wave the same way and his cowlick curl would make a loop. The two could switch places without a hitch if not for their slight difference in hair and eye color. It didn't stop people from confusing them as it was.

"Yo Mattie. Where have you been?"

Matthew pulled back and placed both hands on his hips. "I told you I was going to a hockey game. You said you'd come too." Despite his chiding tone, he spoke slow and in such a quiet voice that it ruined the effect. What the brothers shared in looks, they did not in personality.

Alfred laughed, running a hand through his hair in a sheepish gesture. "Oops, I got a bit caught up. Maybe next time, bro!" He sat up and smiled as Matthew moved to set his things on the other bed. It's not that Alfred disliked hockey or anything. Not…really. Matthew sighed, understanding. His brother would forget the next time too.

Remembering the reason he forgot, Alfred looked down at the paper he still held. Matthew followed his gaze and pointed a finger. "What's that?" he asked as if he could sense the anomaly it was and its importance to his brother. Alfred refused to share though. He tightened his hold on the paper before shoving it under his pillow.

"It's nothing! It's just m-my…homework! Yeah, it's a worksheet!" Alfred laughed nervously and Matthew narrowed his eyes. Alfred crossed his arms and huffed. "Shut up," he snapped despite Matthew not saying anything. He didn't need to. "It has nothing to do with you anyway." He fell onto his side, back turned to his brother. Sometimes it sucked sharing a room with someone who knew him better than any other. They were twins after all. He heard Matthew pick up a book and settle against his maple leaf printed blanket. Even if he never responded, Alfred frazzled under the silence. If he showed the plan to Matthew, he knew the other boy would disapprove. But he worked so hard on it. With his brother's attention turned away, Alfred pulled the paper out again and stared at it long and hard. This little war with Ivan was his personal game. No one else allowed in.

xXx

Alfred needed to make Ivan look like an idiot. That was the first step of his plan and he walked across campus with exactly how firm in his mind. Over the past few days, he snuck around campus doing reconnaissance. If he got Ivan's schedule right, the other boy should be in the library working on a project right now. Since the goal was to make Ivan look stupid, what better way than to copy his notes? Alfred would have the best presentation. He'd say the same things as Ivan, but he'd say them first. After all, they already picked their presentation times and Alfred of course volunteered to go first. And then he realized his talk fell two minutes short of the five minute minimum. Oops on that, but he could fix it. Alfred cackled and tip-toed to the staircase, ignoring the people giving him 'wtf eyes'.

A quick glance over the library's basement floor which served as a reading den revealed Ivan in the farthest corner. He sat with his laptop open on a low table and notes coating the entire surface, open books lying around him. No smile or frown, he simply sat with his chin propped up on one hand and the other scrolling through a document. So that guy also looked serious when he studied. Bookshelves lined the cozy area so Alfred used them to hide his approach. Once he stood a few feet away, he folded a paper plane out of the very girly note he wrote earlier. He borrowed a classmate's pink pen and even hearted the dots in his little 'love note' that asked Ivan to come to the windows on the second floor. It'd surely trick the other boy into leaving. With one flick of a wrist, he sent the plane skittering onto Ivan's work table.

The pale haired boy pulled back in surprise. He glanced around, but Alfred already dived out of view. From behind a compilation of European poetry and Shakespeare sonnets, he watched Ivan unfold the plane. The boy's eyes went wide and a giddy energy took hold of him. Alfred never thought he'd see that expression. Ivan worried his lip and stood, hurried forward, then scuffled back. He grabbed his laptop and looked around as he walked away with it again. His moved at a slower pace now, seeming much more at ease. The silly smile still painted his face though. Alfred couldn't help but think it fake, just like the cute mask Ivan put on the first day they met.

When he disappeared out of sight, Alfred dashed for the table. As expected, Ivan hurried off with his notes all for the picking, even if he protected his laptop. Because really, who wouldn't after the letter Alfred wrote. A man would have to be dead in the heart to ignore such a touching (and totally fake) confession.

"Hm…that quote's on page 250? I need to use that," Alfred muttered over the material. He glanced at the titles of the reference books with a hum. Ivan wrote a convenient outline that touched on all of the key points too. Alfred found himself, sitting in the chair as he flipped through pages of neat and tiny writing. "Really, what an overachiever. But there's no way that the Soviet Union won the space race." He tsked and shook his head.

"Oh my…shall I explain my sources to you?"

Alfred squeaked and slammed shut the book he started reading. Despite wobbling in his chair, he held steady as he lifted his eyes. Ivan frowned in disapproval. He still held the note, once again folded into a plane. "I was using that book and now you've lost my page. I'm very upset," Ivan continued with a childish pout rather than an angry expression. He leaned against a bookshelf, looking calm and relaxed except for his sharp eyes. "Really, if you wanted to borrow my notes, you should have just asked." Still pouting, he pulled away from the shelf and sauntered toward Alfred with a grace someone so bulky shouldn't have.

Alfred swallowed hard. Maybe he screwed up just a little bit and it left him scooting back in his chair. Moments like this let him appreciate Ivan's height despite not being a short stack himself. The older boy wouldn't toss him over a railing in such a public place would he though? Some guy Alfred barely knew said Ivan did that to a Freshman last year. He wasn't sure if he could trust Gilbert's words though, even if he was cool. The guy also said Kiku could fire lasers from him eyes and Alfred did ask. Kiku told him he was an idiot. "W-who said I wanted your notes! I'm way smarter than you and I'm gonna get an A for sure!" Alfred exclaimed past his nerves.

Ivan moved closer and Alfred pulled himself up taller because he refused to flinch. He met Ivan's gaze with his usual determined glare. Rather than the expected action, Ivan gathered up some of the books and stacked them in his arms. "Here," he hummed. "These two have good references and I'm finished with them. You should ask the librarian for more ideas. I found him very helpful!" Ivan exclaimed with a smile.

"Uh…what?" Alfred blinked down at the texts Ivan dropped into his open hands. This was suspicious and strange. His mind lagged behind the situation and was Ivan really smiling at him and helping? Alfred glanced at the book cover illustrated with rocket engines taking off. A spark of indignation went through him and he shot his gaze up again. "What the hell? You're supposed to be angry when I steal your notes!"

Ivan tilted his head. "Oh. Am I?" he questioned in that child voice. His eyes narrowed and he reached to take the books back. "Well if you prefer I be mean…"

Alfred pulled the books to his chest at the last second. "I didn't say that!" He let out a huff and finally vacated Ivan's chair with a stumble of untied shoelaces and curses. Despite almost tripping on his face, he held his head high. "Don't think this changes anything. You're still my enemy!" Ivan stared at him for a second, his face blank. A second later he flashed a smile.

"Of course. I'd expect nothing less from a hero like you." Ivan picked at the word Alfred often proclaimed himself to be, leaving him bristling. Why did he sound so wounded by it? After all, Ivan made himself the villain first. The older boy kept smiling though and Alfred couldn't figure out how to read him. His face always looked like a mask of ice and smiles. "Really, does a hero send poor, lonely people false love confessions? Oh well, I suppose it was quite amusing for you."

Alfred startled as he slunk toward the stairs. Glancing back, he tried not to look sheepish because that wouldn't be strong at all. "How'd you know the note was fake?" he asked with hesitation.

A smile flashed across Ivan's face. It looked sharkish, but in some ways, more real than his usual smile because something about it seemed happy. It sent shivers down Alfred's spine. "A girl wouldn't fold a plane so intricate. Is this a B-17?" Ivan fluttered the letter, then gave it an appreciative look. The gesture drew Alfred's attention to his large hands. So very large and clumsy looking, but they folded the plane up with the same delicacy that Alfred did.

His face fell. Shit. He didn't even think about that. Cheeks flushing red, Alfred opened his mouth and before he could think about it, words started spilling out. "Don't think that means anything! I just wanted to steal your notes so I'd make a better grade than you, bastard!" With that, he turned and fled toward the front desk. He slammed his books down there and the meek looking brunette jumped and stuttered. Alfred didn't give the guy a chance to speak his mind. "I've changed my mind about these."

Alfred made it half way out the door before the librarian managed to yell back a reply. "Wait! Why don't you put them back where you found them?" The door shut behind and Alfred just barely heard the rest of his mumbling. "But didn't that guy ask these to be specially set aside…?"

He couldn't trust Ivan's help no matter what. Without a doubt, that guy tried to sabotage Alfred's project and with kindness no less. It couldn't be trusted. Ivan looked too happy to help and that didn't match anything at all. Alfred flew across campus to the Freshman dorm building. Using his ID card to get inside, he soon flung himself into his unlocked room.

"Mattie bro! Hey, I need help with my project!" he exclaimed before the door finished closing. No answer came forthright. He glanced around and frowned. Weird. Why would he leave the door unlocked if he wasn't here? "What the fuck? This day really sucks."Alfred groaned as he flopped into the wooden desk chair that made his back hurt, and his butt, and neck come to think of it. The 'Get Ivan Kicked Out' note lay folded neatly just under his rocket shaped lamp. Alfred dropped his head onto the desk then hit it there multiple times.

Mission 1: completely and utterly failed.

(AN: Wow it's been forever. I'm sorry for dropping off the fanfiction world. Turns out having a job is time consuming. Who would've guessed? I'm gonna keep at it, but I think it's just gonna have to be a little slow for me from here on out. Ciao!)