Angels
Matthew
Matthew perched on a branch, quietly looking into Ivan's bedroom window. He slipped his fingers under the bottom, finding that, as usual, Ivan had left it unlocked.
"So silly..." Matthew easily climbed in the window, landing lightly on the hardwood floor and silently closing the window again. He sat on the edge of Ivan's bed, the mattress not depressing at all under his feather-light weight. Matthew wrapped his wings around himself, shivering in the cold air.
'How does he sleep in this cold?!' He leaned over to get a closer look at Ivan's face. He looked sweet, innocent... Defenseless in his sleep. Ivan had a soft smile on his face; probably dreaming of something nice. There was a rattle downstairs, as if someone was coming in the same way Matthew had. Matthew growled under his breath. This was the man he was supposed to protect, and protect him he would. Matthew descended the stairs quietly, using his abilities to change his voice.
He flicked the light on in the kitchen and made noise like he was searching for food in the cabinets. "Kat," he used Ivan's voice at first. "Did you hear something just a moment ago?"
Matthew softened his voice to sound like Katyusha's. "I did, Vanya. What was it?"
"I don't know. I think I should go look."
There was a crash and then the door slammed.
'Probably just a couple of stupid teenagers.' Matthew smirked, snapping his fingers to restore the front room to normal, and returned to his silent vigil at Ivan's side.
Ivan
There it was again... The feeling that there was someone else in his house. But it wasn't a forbidding, threatening presence... It gave Ivan the feeling that he was safe, protected. After a while, he got used to it and acted like it wasn't there. But he was always aware of his silent protector.
"Kat," Ivan began thoughtfully, "Did I ever tell you about that protective presence I could feel in my house?"
"Da, Vanya, you did."
"I can't feel it anymore... It's just gone."
"That's odd... Maybe something happened to it...?"
Ivan shook his head. "I miss it a little... The light footsteps following me down the basement stairs, the way I would wake up in my bed when I was almost certain I fell asleep on the couch..."
"Maybe it found someone else that needed its protection more."
"It's just... Weird, not feeling it anymore."
"I see why."
"Hm..."
"Well, Vanya, I've got to leave. Da svedaniya!"*
"Da svedaniya, Kat..."
Ivan walked along the street, lost in thought. He wondered why his little protecting force had left him...
"Oh! I'm sorry!" A slightly shorter young man had walked straight into him and was now frantically apologizing.
"It's okay," Ivan looked at him curiously. His features seemed much too perfect, his skin tone too smooth, his hair too neat to be completely human.
The man blushed under Ivan's red-violet gaze and stuck out his hand. "I'm Matthew. Matthew Williams."
"Ivan Braginski," he shook Matthew's hand. "It hurt, da?"
"What?"
"When you fell from the sky, маленький ангел."**
Matthew smiled sadly. "It did, actually- I think we should take this conversation inside."
Eyes wide with surprise, Ivan led Matthew to his house, not too far away by now. After closing and locking the door, Ivan turned to Matthew. "What do you mean, 'it did'?"
"I mean exactly what I said," Matthew answered. "...And it was all because I fell in love with the man I was guarding."
"Excuse my curiosity, but... What was it like?" Now that Ivan thought about it, when he looked at Matthew, he felt... Strangely protective, as if he wanted to keep him safe from the world's cruelties... But that was nonsense. Matthew had been an angel; he'd seen plenty of terrible things keeping his charges safe.
"What?"
"...Falling."
Matthew winced. "I'd... Rather not talk about it."
Ivan nodded. "I see. Do you need somewhere to stay?"
"I-if it's not too much trouble..."
"Of course not! I'm all alone in this house..."
"But it's so big... Why would you buy a house this big if you were only going to feel lonely?"
"It didn't used to be only mine... I lived here with my sisters and our little cousins.. But then they each moved out, one by one. Eduard started dating a girl named Amelia, Raivis moved in with his friend-I could tell they weren't just friends- Peter, Toris went to his boyfriend Feliks." Ivan sighed. "My sisters wanted to live in the States. All of them still come and visit, but in between visits, it gets very lonely."
"I understand... This place must hold too many memories for you to just take off..."
"Da, it does."
"Do you have a room where I can sleep?"
"This old house has plenty of bedrooms. Take your pick." Ivan got up, paused, and looked back. "I'll go start making dinner."
"A-Are you sure you don't want me to do it?" Matthew rushed after him and caught his sleeve.
"Da. I'm sure you've done more than your fair share of work in your life." Ivan smiled gently. "Go choose a room."
...
...
...
Yes, this was going to work out just fine for both of them.
*Goodbye
**Little angel
Okay, I like this universe. If you'd like for me to expand on it, tell me~! :D
