The first semester of nursing school is done and I passed~ I'm going to try to wrap up the editing and chapter divisions of this story over the weekend and hopefully do another one but I believe the completed RusCan rps are done so I might see if my America and I ever completed an rp and do that one. Otherwise the rest of the stories will be indefinitely incomplete ^^'
Ivan smiled warmly and rested his hand on the one so gently brushing his cheek. He lingered, enjoying the warmth and comfort of the moment before pulling away gently and kissing the back of his hand, unwilling to go further until he was sure Matthew knew and was going to stay. He simply smiled again, the slightest bit of sadness within his eyes as he spoke again softly "It's time for bed. Goodnight, dear Matvei, and sleep well" the ashen blond said before easing himself away from Matthew, setting the book on the table if Matthew wished to continue reading, and heading toward the stairs to his room.
Matthew leaned forward as if to persist the affection, but he recoiled slowly as Ivan pulled away. His shoulders sagged as he felt an inkling of melancholy prick him at the other's unexpected departure "Good night…" He wondered what could have led up to the sudden hesitancy that the other seemed to have as he walked to his room and slipped into bed.
Because Ivan had already washed up he simply rinsed his face to try to clear his head and retired to bed; his head filled with lingering thoughts about how Matthew was returning the affections and had no idea for the cause of his hesitation… The thought made him guilty but Ivan had to know that Matthew wouldn't run once he knew.
The blond found himself falling asleep as he lay in bed and hummed Natalia's lullaby, his head against the pillow and his eyes closing against the soft darkness of the room enveloping him, and the sweet disembodied melody cradling him as in his childhood.
After lying awake for hours Ivan finally fell into a light, restless sleep only to wake at the usual time feeling more drained than he had before he had fallen asleep.
He rubbed his eyes in gentle circles for a moment before rolling out of bed to start the day. He went through his morning habits before heading to the kitchen to make a light breakfast, simple eggs and toast.
Matthew stirred in his bed, waking into the still dark of the morning as he overheard Ivan walking around in the kitchen. He stretched and sat up, getting out of bed, and making it before going down the hall to the kitchen.
He noticed his housemate, moving more slowly than usual, as he scooped his eggs from the pan and onto his spatula, walking over to his plate on the counter a few feet away "Good morning."
"Good morning, I did not expect you awake this early" he said with a glance over his shoulder "would you like some breakfast?"
Matthew gave him a small smile "That sounds nice. Yes, please." He noticed the fatigue in the other's expression, and the dark circles forming under Ivan's dull violets. "I take it you didn't sleep very well last night" he said with concern as he poured himself a glass of orange juice and sat at the table.
Ivan laughed breathily "It certainly could have been better" he said as he cracked a couple more eggs in the hot pan "how did you sleep?"
Matthew smiled as he recalled how peaceful and dreamless his rest had been after humming the nostalgic lullaby "Very well, thank you."
He honestly wanted to ask about what happened last night, concluding that he had done something wrong, but decided not to make a big deal out of nothing. "Maybe you could try falling asleep to music?"
Ivan smiled as he plated the eggs, grabbing a couple of pieces of toast as well "I will try it, hopefully it will help or my mind will clear on it's own" he said, setting the plates on the table before getting a cup of coffee and sitting in his usual place across from Matthew.
"Thank you" Matthew said as the other placed a plate of eggs and toast in front of him. He chewed on the crispy, jam-covered toast and sipped his orange juice, taking small bites of the fluffy yellow eggs as well. "But then again, you've seemed fine before…what do you think caused the restlessness?" he asked, trying to get an answer out of Ivan.
Ivan swallowed and spoke, easily picking up on the insistent tone in the inquiry "I couldn't quite clear my head so I was kept up with various thoughts" he said rather vaguely. It wasn't that he was entirely unwilling to share his thoughts but he was cautious about giving information that would lead to the wrong kind of right questions…though…Ivan had skirted the edge few times and Matthew had not caught it but there was always that risk and well, Ivan never was a risk taker; being far more comfortable being in control of the situation even when it seemed that he was giving up control.
Matthew nodded, his expression concealing his desire to further question Ivan, but he didn't want to pester the other. 'If something is really wrong, I guess he'll tell me in time…' he concluded. The blond gave a small sympathetic smile "I honestly know how you feel. It can be very difficult to rest well when you have a lot on your mind. My guess is that it's something you've yet to confront, and it will stay in your thoughts until whatever it is has been resolved" he said insightfully before taking the last few bites of toast and eggs and washing them down with the little amount of orange juice left in his glass.
Ivan gathered his empty dishes and brought them to that sink to start washing them as he responded "Your intuition astounds me" he said lightly. It was rather fascinating that the other was so close to this but had not figured out the household diet. Ivan shrugged mentally; it made no difference for the time being but soon Ivan would have to ease Matthew into the understanding of what they had been eating. He quirked the corner of his lip up '…Perhaps after a nice French dish' he thought, already forming a plan. He would just have to get Matthew out of the house for a while to take care of things, too much noise risk otherwise…
The phone rang just as Matthew had plunged his hands into the soapy dish water to finish his dishes. He quickly dried them with a towel and went to the phone, picking it up. "Hello? Ah, bonjour, Mr. Bonnefoy. Yes, he is here. One moment, s'il vous plait" he handed the phone to Ivan.
Ivan dried his hands quickly with a fresh towel and took the phone "Yes Mr. Bonnefoy? What would you like to discuss?"
The man sighed deeply, "Doctor Braginsky….I know that you have taken the week off but…I desperately wish to speak with you." The poor man sounded exhausted and drunk. "I just…I cannot go on anymore…" Francis stated tearfully.
"I see…" Ivan responded calmly despite the joy brought by the coincidental situation…though…. "Have you been drinking?" Ivan asked hoping that the other could come here where the convenient tools and space is. 'I could just pick him up and drive him here but Matthew…' Ivan thought worriedly 'well perhaps I could get him out of the house for a few hours without too much question…'
"O-oui…" Francis slurred as he sobbed, breaking down over the phone. It was clear that the unfortunate man had his loving spirit broken by a harsh and torturous reality.
Matthew walked into the entertainment room and browsed through the bookshelves for something to read with a nice cup of tea. He found a volume of stories and poems by Edgar Allan Poe, flipping through the pages before settling on a story titled 'The Cask of Amontillado', the tale of a man who planned to murder his insolent friend after getting him drunk. He took a tea bag from its case inside the cabinet and began to boil water in a kettle on the stove.
Ivan nodded "I would prefer to converse here if that is alright, I can bring you here as you are unfit to drive" he said already starting to subtly antagonize the man "we can talk over lunch" he said in a slightly lighter tone.
"I would like tha—what…what do you mean?" he demanded, picking up on Ivan's mocking tone. "What do you mean by that, Doctor? You are saying that I am unfit to drive because I had a little wine to drink?! How is it that I may be ridiculed by you—even you—after the way I've confided in you, and you mock me?! How is that fair?!" He was suddenly a cluttered tumult of bitter sobbing and swearing, glass could be heard shattering in the background after being thrown across the room.
"I apologize, I meant nothing by it" Ivan explained "it's simply illegal for you to do so. Please stay calm until I arrive" he finished, heading upstairs with the phone to get dressed properly.
Just as Matthew was becoming enthralled in the narrative, he noticed Ivan about to leave. "Will you be out all night?" he asked, sipping his tea.
He had noticed the conversation but decided not to become involved, simply wanting to know if he should start dinner while the other was away.
Ivan paused in his ascent and after getting Francis' address and bidding him farewell he answered Matthew "I will be back soon but I will be returning with Mr. Bonnefoy if that is alright with you."
"Ah, sure" Matthew nodded, teacup in hand, "I'll just be reading then, if you need anything. Or if you want, I can prepare lunch."
Ivan offered a small smile "That would be lovely thank you" he said and went to get dressed, returning shortly in a simple but nice pair of pants with a cream colored shirt.
He paused at the door, getting his jacket "I should be back in about an hour" he explained, calculating the approximate round trip mentally. "If you need anything feel free to call me" Ivan finished with a glance back towards Matthew still relaxing on the couch before the door blocked his view and he was out and heading towards the car to start the drive.
Matthew looked in Ivan's recipe book, trying to decide on what to make. He finally selected breaded macaroni and cheese type pie stuffed with meat. He gathered the ingredients to make the delectable dish.
The timer on the oven beeped as Matthew had finished his tea and the story, and the blond went to the kitchen, making sure to put on oven mitts this time so he wouldn't burn himself again. The large deep dish steamed with rising curls of heat as the bread crumb crust on top had perfectly crisped into the melting mozzarella and cheddar cheese and flimsy noodles. Matthew smiled as he set the dish on the counter, moving it to the table after setting the table decoratively with a laced cloth, glasses, and silverware. He sat back down in his chair by the fireplace and waited for the other to return.
While the drive to the Frenchman's house was peaceful, the arrival and drive back were an absolute mess with the man crying about Ivan's words from before and about his own issues with long term relationships but Ivan stayed calm and made the appropriate comments when prompted until they arrived back at Ivan's.
Ivan welcomed Francis in and they were in turn greeted by the lovely smell of Matthew's dish. He smile unconsciously and spoke to Francis "Would you like to join us for lunch before we begin?" he beckoned with his tone.
"I would, thank you" Francis replied as he stepped inside the house, welcomed by the aroma of Matthew's delicious cooking. It was mingled with Matthew's own sweet scent, and the poor man could not help but to be overwhelmed by it. "Ahh, Monsieur Williams…you smell divine" he graced the young man with a smile before kissing the blond's hand.
"Thank you, Mr. Bonnefoy" Matthew smiled politely, struggling not to quirk a brow at the man's sudden "affection" toward him…though he knew inwardly that he shouldn't be completely surprised in lieu of the phone call when he first met Ivan's client. He pulled his hand away as civilly as he could after an uncomfortably long series of disheveled kisses from the clearly desperate man and directed both men to the table "I hope you enjoy."
Ivan tensed and his eyes narrowed dangerously; if he had had any doubts about whether or not to go through with the dinner plan they were all but burnt away by Francis' actions. "Bonnefoy" he said firmly, and a bit more forcefully that the situation required "please, sit down and enjoy the meal."
Matthew's eyebrows rose at Ivan's suddenly harsh tone with the other man, but he didn't dwell on it, wanting to just enjoy the nice meal he'd prepared. Francis sat down beside Matthew in Ivan's usual place. "Ah, that's where Ivan usually sits" Matthew stated, uncomfortable with the change and still trying to be courteous with his words, knowing of the other man's fragility when it came to his emotions. "Ah…of course…" As the man moved to the next chair, Matthew noticed the disappointed tone in his voice. He waited until the man was seated to start cutting slices of the deep dish macaroni pie and putting them onto their plates. "So…have you been able to speak with Feliciano lately?" he asked Ivan as he kept his eyes on the man's violets, trying to ignore the love struck gaze that Ivan's client was giving him.
Ivan tried to keep his gaze and tone light with Matthew but there was the lingering irritancy caused by Francis' actions but still he responded, though with more honestly than he would have otherwise had the atmosphere been better "I have and though it was brief I learned that he was the one that positively identified his brother's corpse but he is handling it fairy well considering how separation affects him but he will recover."
"Ah" Matthew nodded; he supposed that was incredibly suspicious. After seeing Feliciano's reaction to feeling as though he was being replaced by Matthew, the blond couldn't help but think there were other dynamics at play. Though he kept his thoughts to himself for another time, again preferring to enjoy lunch, and he returned to that topic for conversation as well. "I hope you enjoy this dish; I got it from one of your recipe books. But I stuffed it with ham and steak, knowing your love of meat" he said to Ivan with a charming smile before filling the glasses with wine.
"I too have a love of meat, dear Mathieu" Francis chimed in, running his finger around the rim and stroking its stem suggestively.
Matthew cleared his throat, an embarrassed and flustered blush stinging his cheeks at the other's comment. He looked away from the other, filling his mouth with food gradually to keep his thoughts from being projected. He noticed Ivan practically seething beside him.
Ivan had started to smile genuinely at what had nearly become a little joke between them until Francis interrupted once again with an unwanted comment but this time Ivan addressed it and the man in question "Francis, I request that you cease being rude and making Matthew uncomfortable." The tone was firm and was spoken at a typical volume but there was an underlying darkness that did not go unnoticed.
Matthew cleared his throat once more at the rising tension, unconsciously scrambling his food around the plate with the fork in a sort of nervous gesture as he hoped that the situation would diffuse itself.
Though things only worsened as Francis became angry. His eyes narrowed as he stood up from the table, "Why?! How do you know he's uncomfortable? He has not said that he is uncomfortable! Why are you so jealous, Doctor?! Why can you not be happy for me, that I've finally found love?!" Francis yelled, barely able to stand straight at this point. He looked to Matthew, "Please, if I can only show for you my love, if you will just see, dear Mathieu…" He pulled the young man into a desperate and forceful kiss, which drove Matthew to the brink.
He shoved Francis off of him, slapping him across his face in disgust and spilling a glass of dark wine on himself in the process. "Mr. Bonnefoy! Your…your behavior is horribly rude! Ivan, I'm sorry, but I can't do this right now—I would like to be excused, please" he stood from the table and quickly went to his room to change.
Ivan nodded at Matthew before turning his disapproving gaze towards Francis "Are you ready to listen to me?" he asked cryptically.
Francis looked at the man with watery eyes and a pulsing red hand print on his left cheek. "Yes, Doctor Braginsky…" he said heart brokenly as he rubbed his face.
"Then stay here while I go speak with him" Ivan commanded, leaving no room for objection as he walked away that towards Matthew's room. He knocked softly "Matthew?" he called and upon getting a small noise letting him know he was heard, Ivan continued "I apologize for everything, I should have stopped him from escalating or not have brought him here in the first place."
There was a soft sigh from behind the door, and after a long pause, Matthew spoke again, it's alright, please don't blame yourself…I don't blame you at all for your hospitality. But if I do not leave here now, I'm certain I will hurt Mr. Bonnefoy" a dark note tinting his oddly polite words as he spoke grimly.
'Perfect' Ivan thought as everything clicked into place 'just one last nudge…' "I understand completely, if you would like to go out somewhere you can use my wallet and my car" he offered genuinely and after a small pause to let the offer sink in and to show a little bit of faux hesitance of being left to deal with Francis before continuing "I will try to counsel him here while you are away and I assure you that I will take care of his behavior by the time you return" he said in a strikingly similar tone to Matthew's.
The blond picked up on the tone immediately. 'Interesting' Matthew he mused to himself and nodded. "Thank you very much" he said gracefully, dressed in a nice tuxedo that he'd been saving for an extravagant occasion. "And I know the perfect show…" he smiled; the London Symphony Orchestra had been in town recently and Matthew wanted to see them but had not yet gotten paid since they both decided to take the week off.
After Ivan had given him the car keys, a couple of hundred dollar bills and his phone for emergencies, he was out the door, driving to the Joseph Meyerhoff Symphony Theatre, where Lovino's body had been discovered. 'It's been long enough for them to clean up the crime scene…' Matthew thought as he drove along.
Ivan smiled, pleased that the other was going to be able to enjoy himself despite the distasteful violation.
He watched him leave before directing his attention towards the man who was still crumpled on the floor; a part of him thrilled that they other had kept true to his command 'Now for the fun part' he thought, a trickle of excitement for the coming activities running through his veins.
"Now, sit in the kitchen while I take care of the mess" he said as he started the dishes "while I clean up you can tell me, calmly, why you decided to make a move on Matthew when I explicitly told you not to."
Francis stood and slumped limply into the chair he'd been seated in before. He sniffled, nose and eyes dripping as he wiped them with a napkin. "I thought that…he might be different. I thought that perhaps he was…a last chance at finding love…he is so radiant…like an angel…irresistible and alluring" the man replied with a sad smile. "…But why should you care as if the two of you are together…? Why not let me pursue my little angel?" Francis demanded as his voice trembled with anger.
"Because he is mine" Ivan said confidently, leaving no room for doubt "we have lived together for nearly a year and we have gotten extraordinarily close" he said with a suggestive tone that implied so much more than the two's declarations of fondness which, while deep and sincere, were simply declarations. "Did you not notice how he kept glancing at me, as if worried that your actions towards him would anger me? I was angry, not at him, but at you for not respecting boundaries." Ivan continued speaking, not looking up from the dishes to grace the other with his direct attention.
Francis kept glancing over at the other, in hopes that he was not too angry and would look back at him. He sighed deeply as he realized he had ruined his chances with the radiant blond that had left just a few minutes ago.
He poured himself more wine, "I…I am sorry for not realizing it but…I cannot apologize for my actions." He said before knocking back the wine glass until it was empty. "I had to know if it was really over for me…if life was truly no longer worth living…and it is" he said with a low, sorrowful morbid tone.
"It would not be worthless if you could change" the snowy blond answered while drying his hands. He turned to see Francis with his head in his hands and an empty wine bottle "…but you can't, can you" he said rhetorically. "How long have you been this way?" he asked referring to the general desperation to find someone that led to the broken man before him, without a care, without a lover, and in the den of the lion.
The misguided sheep sobbed bitterly, his shoulders shaking as he wept. "Ever since I lost my lovely Joan…!" he explained tearfully, "…she was my light and my love and she was taken from me because of another…much stronger and much more assertive than myself…and I let her go without a fight… I should have fought for her! She should have been mine…! My Joan!... Oh, my Joan!" he wailed mournfully. "And upon seeing dear Mathieu…so beautifully blond and gracefully light eyed, as my dear lovely Joan…I thought perhaps I might have another chance to win her…but I see now that it cannot be so…"
His words only served to irritate Ivan more "So he was nothing but a replacement to you; a substitute for the woman your weakness lost." Ivan leaned against the counter and decided to tweak his tactics a bit "You have been going day-to-day in drunken agony, draining the life from anyone you claimed to love when, like my dear Matthew, they wanted nothing to do with you and were simply trying to get away politely. Why live in the pain you're in? Why allow yourself to cause pain to others? Why not do something about it?" Ivan said lightly, casually, though the actual words were heavy with meaning and twisted suggestions.
Francis looked up at the man who's lifeless, and yet burning violet eyes bore gaping holes through his frail body and wretched soul. And he cowered in fear at the suggestion, though it seemed the best solution. "But…what would be the best way…?" he asked Ivan, subtly implying that by the best way he meant the most quick and painless. Perhaps in an attempt to swiftly elude an already agonizing life in hopes of a much deserved solace somewhere above the clouds... wherein he would finally reconcile with his lost Joan.
Ivan thought for a moment, tossing around ideas before settling on a couple different ones but hoping the first would be enough for the drunk and desperate man "Perhaps hanging? It's a popular choice and reports suggest that there is arousal at the end so it might even be pleasant" he laid out, knowing full well that it was neither quick nor painless but it made the least amount of mess and Ivan could start preparing before Francis was even dead. He resisted the urge to lick his lips, it had been far too long since he allowed himself the thrill of fresh kill and warm meat.
Francis, drunken and weary, barely looked up at the man, a sudden delusional rectitude he'd discovered in the other's words and expression, though in the realistically inhumane violets there was not an inkling of such a thing to be found.
The misfortunate soul stumbled and fell on his knees before the other, laughing—laughing in his insanity and smiling bitterly with a senseless expression of joy as sweat and cold, beaded dread slipped from every pore and soaked through his clothes. "Oh, thank you, Doctor Braginsky, thank you for your mercy on a wretched man! Merci, monsieur, merci! …Merci!" he cried manically with merry, yet acrid gratitude at the feet of the devil's most charming advocate. He yearned to leave the world behind now…guided by his maker into everlasting paradise.
And thankful to the same that the gracious and benign Ivan would aid him.
Ivan smiled softly, more than willing to play the part of the gracious angel of death to the sitting repentant at his feet. "Come" he said, standing with the same safe, deceivingly welcoming smile on his face, though the darkness in his eyes sharpened "I have everything you need to ease you passing."
Ivan led Francis to the garage where plenty of supplies including rope and wire were found and he laid these out for the weakened man to choose as he pointed to the hooks on the ceiling of the garage used for fixtures and ornaments. "These will work well. I will be here with you but you have to prove you are worth forgiving by working to release the pain you feel."
"Yes, Doctor Braginsky!—I will—I will!" the man said frantically and reverently to the superior, quickly assembling his own gallows with a stool and standing on it, swaying drunkenly as he hooked the rope onto the ceiling and tied the noose tightly around his neck, murmuring prayers in slurred, yet hysterical French. "I'm ready, monsieur…I am ready to meet my lovely dear Joan…" He smiled as his eyes stared above the ceiling and beyond the heavens to unknown worlds. Tears spilling down his face as he trembled with delight at the thought. All that remained was for the dear saint below him to strike the stool from beneath him and send him blissfully on his way.
"Goodbye Francis Bonnefoy" Ivan responded and closed the distance between them to knock the stool to the side and watch patiently just a couple of feet away. He watched the moment of sudden clarity strike the struggling man as he regretted his actions but as he looked up in desperation for help from the only person who could offer it he found his head getting light as he was greeted by the same dark smile that had given hope. Ivan stared unblinkingly, unwilling to miss a moment as the eyes started to glaze over and the hands clutching at the rope grew weaker before finally falling away to lie limp at his sides as the twitching struggles continued on for several long minutes. Ivan glanced down with a sick pleasure at the sight awakening to greet him 'Dead man's erection' he thought with amusement 'basic biology will do anything to leave behind descendants.' Ivan chuckled lightly and lingered, awaiting the last twitches before moving forward to check various areas for vitals.
Once he was sure Francis was not going to miraculously regain life he carelessly unhooked the rope and allowed the limp form to drop. Ivan tossed him over his shoulder and walked back inside to prepare things to clean up and start the processing of the still warm body. He laid him out on the steel table he used to prepare cuts for the freezer and took his time to rid the body of the messy clothes and to his mixed amusement and distaste found a thin fluid inside his pants which Ivan tossed to the side to be burned later, thanking the lack of a zipper, along with the rest of the clothing. Ivan shook he head with a chuckle and went to change into something disposable, taking care to grab a butcher's style apron and return to the little meat room.
Ivan washed the body thoroughly and gathered the rest of the tools to start skinning and separating the cuts 'But first…' Ivan thought with a devious grin as he grabbed a smaller knife and sliced a thin, clean strip of flesh from a cleaned and shaven portion of his arm, the flesh so fresh that it was still pooling blood into the newly made wound. Ivan brought the delicate strip to his mouth and chewed it slowly, savoring a rare taste while knowing that it would be even better cooked.
With the first flesh consumed and Ivan dressed and prepared he started the separation and sizing; going through the motions of separating bone and getting rid of anything that could be used to identify the man as he cut him into easily managed pieces. The comfort of the process calming him after the Frenchman's earlier activities and a couple of hours later, he was left with bones, skin, hair, and the organs that couldn't or simply shouldn't be consumed. But even that mess was not truly a hassle as Ivan took out a large container of lye and laid everything in the unusual, dipped portion of the floor and covered it with a large amount of the strong base, adding water to speed the process of dissolving to just a few hours. He spent this time preparing the meat he would use for the night's dinner.
A few hours later, an exasperated and exhausted Matthew opened the front door, stripping off his suit jacket to reveal a blood-spattered shirt, as well as hands and arms stained with red. "Honey…I'm home…" he joked soberly, his words thickly coated and dripping with obscure poise.
As always, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and if you did please leave a comment; I'd love to here it!
~Poison