It seems that as soon as some sort of joy enters your life, it becomes fleeting. Far too fleeting for my likings. Classes seemed to buzz by in blur of Alfred's cute blue eyes and charming smile, mingled with backhanded insults to yours truly. As I awaited the time to interrogate him about the notes, my sole purpose in life was watching him.

So cute.

And, of course, avoiding my little sister. She somehow seemed to show up exactly when I wished she wouldn't.

"MOY BRAT! HOW I'VE MISSED YOU!" She screamed, attaching herself to my waist in a death hug. I cringed.

"N-natalia. How nice it is to see you…" Not. She hugged me tighter.

"School sucks, Vanya, why can't you just teach me everything? We could stay at home and be together all day! Doesn't that sound nice?"

"Y-yeah…" Was it hot in here? Oh God, why can't she just find someone to like and leave me alone? I'm fairly sure that there os someone out there that will accept her psychotic tendencies! Me… I prefer at least half-sane partners… I wonder if Alfred's crazy? Maybe he's crazy in bed -oh how fun!

"Brat? BRAT? WHAT IS WONG?" Natalia whined, tugging at my scarf. I shook those delicious thoughts away and turned my attention back to her, frowning.

"Look, Natalia, I have to go to class! You do too, or else you'll be late! Now go, I'll see you after school!" She looked at me sternly before kissing my cheek and letting go, much to my relief. I rubbed the spot where her lips had been and made my way to my last class, taking a seat without thinking. Someone sat next to me and poked my arm.

"Hey, Commie! Have fun staring at me all day?" I flushed and my heart fluttered at the wondrous thing that is Alfred, turning to offer him a half smile. So he noticed.

"Da~" I replied, smiling even bigger. Why try to hide it if he already knew?

"So… Like what you see?" He asked, smirking.

"Da~" I twiddled with the end of my scarf nervously, watching his reaction.

"Heh. Thought so." I'm almost 100% positive that my jaw dropped to the floor.

"H-how so?" I stuttered, face red.

He scoffed and continued to smirk. "Because of my devilish good looks and my boyish charm, of course!" Damn. I hope that his ego is as big as his- STOP! I can't think about that sort of stuff right now!

"You wish!" I replied hastily, trying to cover up how utterly true every word he had said was. Though I find it funny that I deny it now…

"Oh really? Well, I guess you're right," he stated. I was a bit confused. He never gives up a fight! And he didn't seem sad, or like he believed that I was right at all. "I mean, I couldn't ever compare to your handsome ass."

.

..

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….

…..

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That was my mind. Being blown. And I mean that both ways, you perverts.

I tried to stutter to say something -anything!- but I was truly speechless. At least, unable to say anything that could actually be considered a good comeback.

He just continued smirking at me, an evil glint in his eyes. How dare he! Taking my breath away like he was some sort of… of… sadistic genius! I thought I was the bad guy!

"Gonna' reply, Commie? Or do I have to put words in your mouth. I would much rather be putting other things in there, though…" There goes my fucking mind. Again. I swear, if he says one more thing, I might go catatonic. Honestly.

"Ivaaaaan~" He whined, getting annoyed by my vegetative state. I nervously coughed and blushed.

"IVAN!" I snapped awake, looking to see who had awoken me from what had to be the best beginning to a wet dream in the history of wet dreams. (Though I wasn't very fond of the idea of having a dream of that caliber during school…) "Can you please focus?" I nodded stupidly at the teacher, blinking a few times before remembering who I was and what country I was in.

I facepalmed, feeling like a total idiot for falling asleep during last period. The clock gleefully read ten minutes until 3, and I smiled. Only that much longer until I could get some answers from Alfred. That would be nice, very nice indeed.

But I paused to wonder for a moment why I was even so worked up over this in the first place. If he does reciprocate the feelings I have, then I should be happy and not worried. But I was worried. He's been watching me, for goodness sake! I think that's plenty information enough to be making wonderful assumptions…

The bell rang, and I smiled hugely, easily gathering my things and slipping out into the bustling hallway. Students littered the rows of lockers, but it wasn't hard to pick out that obnoxious laugh and blonde cowlick.

"Alfredka, may I speak with you?" I asked cutely, trying to make it seem less… Less creepy.

He had been in the middle of some story or other, obviously over-dramatizing the details with flamboyant hand motions and sound effects. He paused and turned around, face showing that of mild confusion. He realized it was me and offered that huge grin, all teeth and cheer and excitement. It was the grin that stopped my heart, the grin that made my stomach flutter with butterflies. It was for me this time, just for me and me only.

"-you listening, Ivan?" He asked, and I realized I had been practically ignoring him.

I blushed. "S-sorry! I was thinking… Um, da, would you come here?" I motioned towards the abandoned classroom from earlier, not even thinking of the coincidence of it being that particular classroom.

"Sure thing! Be right back, guys!" He called to his friends, some of whom I recognized as the strange Tino and Berwald from that morning.

"What can I do you for?" He asked, smirking, as we entered the room. I wish he meant that literally. As long as he was 'doing' me, I could care less what 'for'. Well, I guess I would be doing him, not he doing me, but it's all the same, right?

"So, you have been watching me," I finally said, trying to sound coy and mysterious.

"Yep. Takes one to know one, thought, am I right?" He smirked.

"True." Silence filled the space.

"That all?" I smiled.

"Nyet. I want to know why you have watched me…"

"Well, I've gotta' keep an eye on the Communist spy, haven't I? Holy crap, dude, I just totally rhymed, like, three times!" He laughed in an adorably narcissistic way, counting and bobbing his head to make sure it was, in fact, a true rhyme.

"I am a spy?" I asked. He nodded.

"Well, duh! Why else would you move all the way from Russia? I mean, it's not like you moved to Alaska or something, where that place is only ninety miles away. But to New York? You've gotta' be plotting some sort of evil scheme!"

I rolled my eyes.

"You don't believe me, do you."

"Sure, I believe you~"

He growled, crossing his arms. "Fine, you're right. I watch you because you're interesting, weird. I'm intrigued."

"That sure is a big word, Fredka." God! It was so incredibly difficult to mask the utter joy I was feeling. He liked me! At least somewhat… But it was enough so that he pursued it by means of watching. The fact that he admitted it to me, too, was insanely amazing!

"Whatever. I gotta' cat the bus. See ya, Red!" He skipped out of the classroom and I was left all by my lonesome, dreading going home.

But, first of all… That was it? He basically confessed to liking me at least a little and that was all that had transpired! No dramatic kiss, no heartfelt confession, no wild and passion-filled romp? No nothing! How could I have let such a wonderful opportunity pass me by? What was wrong with me?

Well, I guess that's that. Nothing to be done now. At least I know that the feeling is at least a little mutual.

And, with a sigh, I left to go meet Natalia.

That evening went by rather quickly, to my quiet delight. Natalia only pestered me for a while, too tired out by the dramatic change in her life to actually stay up any longer. That or Kat put some sleeping medicine in her dinner again. Probably the latter.

"How was school, Vanya?" My big sister asked, smiling and jointing me on our small couch.

"Not particularly exciting. I found out that Alfred has been staring at me… He knows a lot out me, sestra." She nodded and smiled. Of course, I had told her about Alfred and my feelings for the spunky American. She thought it was cute and tired to give me good advice.

"That is wonderful! I knew that he would like you in return, brat!" She laughed and picked up some knitting she had been working on for a few weeks. "I think I might make him a scarf, too." Sadly, that was all my sister knew how to make. She isn't the sharpest knife in the closet…

"I think he would like that, Kat. But Winter is almost gone now, so he will not be able to wear it anytime soon…" She shrugged.

"When is his birthday, Vanya?"

"The fourth of July."

"Isn't that a holiday, too?"

"Da, it is 'America's' birthday."

She laughed. "Isn't that ironic?"

I raised a brow in question. "How so?"

"Oh, you know. Alfred's such an all-American. It's funny how he was born on the same day that is his country's supposed 'birthday'." She had a valid point, too. How odd! I had never noticed that before.

"You should do something nice for his birthday. Give him a special present." My mind, as you would have guessed, went to the dirtier side of what she had said. She saw my cheeks redden and laughed again. "Not like that, silly! I meant something meaningful!"

"Oh. But his birthday isn't for many months, sestra. I do not want to wait that long."

She shrugged.

"Well, do something sooner." I perked up. That was, actually, a good idea.

Author's Note:

Sorry that it's not as long as I promised! I'll make the next one a TON longer! Hopefully... Enjoy the teasingness~