I hate my beginings for chapters and late updates. Life's been a whore to me lately.

This chaper is filled of false fluff because this is just a break from the drama. And all breaks come to an end~! So just bear in mind this isn't over yet.


An uncomfortable void of noise filled the area. Even after Ivan's surprising entrance and her looking at him – rather dazedly, if he said himself. God, those eyes of hers – they didn't speak a word.

But, after Ivan started thinking it would be like that forever, she spoke up.

"Ivan.." well, yeah, it was something. "What are you-?"

"-doing here?" completed the teacher, nervously making his way to her as she stood up. Nessie ran down her arms, landing on the ground. "A certain someone-"

"-Dirk-"

Ivan coughed. "-told me you were looking for me. Is that right?"

He could see her cringe slightly, like somebody who just got caught stealing the cookie from the jar. Gulping, she admitted doing such things. "Yeah, I was."

He waited for her to keep on talking– or maybe she was already finished and wanted him to leave? What was this, a hello goodbye meeting?

Oh, hell no. He wouldn't put up with that. He would take the words out of her with a rod if necessary. He stepped closer to her. His presence seemed to affect her eyes, seeing how they widened and her breath quickened. That was fast!

"Is that all?"

Anita looked to a blade of grass in the infinite field so she wouldn't shiver at the earnest hue of his eyes. He was just a step away from her reach. But she chickened at the sight of him. What to expect from him after all she put him through? On the same way, what could Ivan expect from her after all she hurt because of him?

Both were dramatically oblivious, yet so obvious.

"No. Of course not." this frightens him. Her tone isn't cold or warm: it's undecided. It's as if she's pondering whether to kick him out of existence or tie him close to her. "You know better than that, don't you?" asks she with a shiver.

He nods, but finds himself doubting.

"I'm... I'm truly sorry, Ivan." there, relax. He allowed himself a little smile, not forgetting about some remaining pain on the part which hit the table. "My behaviour this morning was... unacceptble to say least." confessed the blonde.

Ivan remained silent. He had nothing to say to her on that since she had apologized on her own. That was a good start. The purple-eyed man laughed it off. "It hurt a little, but I feel fine now."

Anita stood on her toe balls and caressed his forehead. "Gosh, I'm really sorry about that." he didn't move an inch. Whatever he did would sure scare her away and the only thing he wanted was for her to remain close. "I didn't know I was so strong, really."

"Trust me, neither did I. Or, at least, not to that point."

There they were, giggling like old times. It was good to finally free themselves from such tension. They were finally coming clean, finally! Oh, Dirk would be so proud of them. Well, him and the whole town, probably. But that was besides the point.

"I'm sorry for that and... about all the stuff we had going on." he didn't expect that. He let her continue nonetheless, given rushing things had been their moment from the start. "I was a brat to you because of a stupid... goddamit."

"I think we both have things to apologize for." stated he, sensing her awkwardness with the situation. Being sincere to himself, he wasn't feeling very confident, either. "But first things first..."

Ivan rumaged through the scarce contents of his pocket and took out a small bottle full of some kind of liquid tainted with a blue hue. "You gave me Herbal Perfume, so I got you Oceanic Perfume."

She seemed mesmerized by the gift. The corners of his lips quivered and rose into a smile. "A friend of Lloyd's attended the Bazaar the other day and had some of these. I thought of you almost instantly."

"O-Oh... that's-" pink tainted her soft cheeks, decorated with a smile of hers. "it's really thoughtful of you to do this, Ivan. Thank you."

The teacher chuckled. "I bet you also put some effort into that perfume of yours." he caressed her cheek tenderly, not realizing how beet red it was.

Another thing he didn't register until a few seconds later was the coldness of her flesh. If she was feeling cold, she never complained or made a face about it. However, he did realize and his heartbeats went over the roof. She snapped out of the daze of his eyes and the warmth of his hand when his hand flew to her forehead.

"Anita, for goodness' sake!" he took off his coat and sheathed her underneath the soft purpleness. "You are cold as winter!"

The sweet farmer instinctively shot a hand up to her own forehead, missing Ivan's after he removed his. "I am?"

The fretting teacher guided her through the fields with an arm around her shoulders. "You positively are. We are going home now."

Wow. That sounded marriage-like, so fullfilled with warmth and love. It would have been much more enjoyable to think about if she wasn't focused on not falling. Holy hell, when did the ground go down the pits of an abyss? Or when did she become so tall?

Whatever it was, it wasn't comfortable nor natural. And Ivan noticed her sudden dizzyness and eariness as well. He had only noticed how the word home had slipped out, but prefered to keep quiet about it.

Keeping her close, he saw Nessie hurry inside. "We must get you to warm up. No one would like seeing you come down with hypothermia, wouldn't we?"

She nodded absent-mindedly. The idea of such a bad fever sounded horrible to her among her foggy thoughts of a warm bed with the person the loved the most right now.

"Maybe I should call Claire." murmured Ivan as they made their way in. He let go of her for a moment to hang up his garments – it was sure going to be another good night, let's pray for the better this time. Anita minded her own business by slamming herself onto the bed, landing facefirst on the matress. The perfume lay, forgotten, on the table.

"God, but it's so late..."

Her next words were muffled by the blankets. "Don't do that. I don't want her coming over because of a temperature dib." she snuggled her way into the bed and made herself a blanket cocoon. "Besides, I just need some... warmth..."

He saw her giggle of pure content. Sighing, Ivan walked next to her. "-and I'll be fine in a sec! I'm tougher than I look!"

He wanted to slap her with photos of her in her unconcious for from the previous day. Not that he was calling her weak for that matter, but it would prove to Anita that her health was deflating to say at least. He bit his tongue and opted for a quicker solution.

"I approve of your little wrap-me-up solution, although I doubt it will be enough." not wanting to disturb her, the teacher effortlessly carried her to the fires of her fireplace. "There, a natural source of heat provided by your hearth."

Anita sighed again, content with the temperature and snuggling even deeper into her cocoon. He took it she wouldn't hear his next words.

"I'm going to get something for us to eat." she nodded courtly. "I'll be back soon. Please don't get much nearer to the flames, I'm not looking forward to seeing you catch on fire."

Anita pouted. "I'm not a kid, you know. I can handle myself." her cocoon-self fell on her side, snuggling. "I am perfectly fine."

He kneeled by her, amusement written all over his face. "I can see that." Ivan snorted. "But try not to drown in that. I promise you will feel better in no time."

Unfocused as a bird in a forest, she bobbed her head again. "M'okay."

He shuffled her hair with a little smile tugging his lips. Then he got up, wondering how she put up with his overprotective manners and how in earth he put up with her childish antics as well. It could be because, as he liked hers, she also liked to be protected? He wasn't sure.

But he was sure that whatever that was going on in her body wasn't normal at all. She was mad first, then all kinds of forgiving and after that, shivering? Claire's medicine shouldn't have any counter effects at this point anymore. So why this swings? Was there something else going on apart from some aftereffects of a messed up medicine?

Now in the kitchen, he peered from the other room to check on her. She was wrapped in herself, lying on her side and staying quiet. Ivan smiled softly and got to work once again, searching for some chocolate to satisfy her soaring cold stomach.

He then realized he didn't even know if she liked sweets or not. Shoot. How could he be such an idiot? Anita knew everything about him, from the size of his shoes to his favourite shampoo – he, on the other side, knew little tidbits about her: he knew she loved nature, having walks and chatting. It was also a thing for her to go around to keep herself entertained with whatever that crossed her way.

Well, and also that she had a cousin.

Oh no, and what about her parents? Goodness, he knew little to zero about that! That earned him a good hit with the soup spoon. How could the always wise teacher know so little about the woman who knew him like the back of her hands?

God, she could be a runaway and he wouldn't even know – and, until now, seemingly wouldn't care to know either. Or she could be chasing some ambicious dreams of being a farmer, or maybe leave some troubling past behind – maybe even a someone? Who knows with her.

Ivan peeked again. She was still quiet. How would he get any answers from her in such hibernation state? It could also be the case somebody knew about her past and would be willing to share some knowledge – but it was just plain wrong. You don't go around asking about the woman of your life and her past. Moreover, it wouldn't be correct for him to know if it came from anyone who wasn't her.

It had to come out of her. He sighed and got back to work, finding some chocolate to cook. He also fetched some milk and a pair of mugs to pour the substance.

A few minutes later, he was back in the living room with a two mugs in his hands. After settling them on the table, he gathered another blanket and nestled himself by her. Anita seemed unfazed by his presence.

She seemed unfazed to his calls of attention, too. He didn't realize that her eyes were closed and she was asleep – at least, that's what it seemed. God forbid him if she had fainted again – Ivan wouldn't know what to do with himself anymore.

Ivan tapped her shoulder a few times. To his very fortune, she stirred and sat again, rubbing her eyes as he offered the steaming mugs. This was the only sweet drink he could swallow and that's how they were gonna have it. He wasn't going to get anything differently sweet past his esophagus.

Anita took a few sips. "This is good." she sighed out of pleasure. "I was sleeping anyway. Just a few minutes more and I would have been perfectly fine."

"Didn't you say you were fine already a few minutes ago?" he chuckled at her sheepish pression, probably due to the groggyness or the way his eyes shone to the flames. "I would have woken you up one way or another."

"Well," Anita smiled, showing pearly whites. "one can dream."

He laughed a bit and drank from his chocolate. It was a very good mug of chocolate, how hadn't she praised him for his skills after having made something that good?

He hummed in approval and shifter closer to her. She lay her head on his shoulder. Ah, old, good times.

"I still don't get it, though." murmured she, eyes focused on the fire. "I was fine like an hour ago."

"It's only been fifteen minutes."

She huffed. "Whatever. It felt like an eternity." Anita sunk beneath her blankets, making herself smaller. "If you had been here with me, it wouldn't have been such a boring sleep."

Old bashful Ivan would have been blushing all day because of that little slip of the tongue – judging by the way her eyes widened, it had slipped – and stammer when talking to her again. However, based on all the moments they had, both the bad and the good ones, and him being able to keep himself in check whenever she was near, he was much cooler with that.

Ivan only smiled to her in appreciation, uncommon mischievous spark in his eyes. "Well, maybe if you had not nicedly and politely taken me out of your house this morning, I would have been more than eager to stay."

Anita puffed her cheeks and punched his arm. "Oh, don't be such a meanie, it doesn't suit you. And, again, I'm sorry for that."

"I know, don't worry." the caramel blondie snuggled with her. Much to his pleasure, she also shifter closer. "It will be our little habit: whenever we have any disagreement, you can take the trash I am out from your house." she giggled. "I will try to be gentler with you, though. I wouldn't like to damage your porcelain skin."

Well, albeit the situation was peachy as hell, he had taken a good thing out of it: now they had a private joke.

"Oh, Ivan..." he felt her shake her head in resignation. "What am I gonna do with you?"

He almost jumped. "You are one to speak! Do I have to remind you and Emiko?"

Oh no, she tensed. Her spine tightened around her whole being as her heart took all the information in and remembered all the mess she had caused because of some stupid jealousy. After breathing in, breathing out, she smied. He could tell she was bitting on her tongue so she wouldn't yell, throw a tantrum or throw a table to him.

That girl had one hell of a self-control sometimes. "Yeah, you're right about that, too." there was no blush on her cheeks. She wasn't flustered, she was ashamed! He gulped with guilt. "I'm sorry for all of that as well."

He pulled her closer, arranging her blankets and letting his arm hang around her shoulders. His wrapped mess fell a little. "I owe you an apology for being such a babblery child around her. It must have... offended you..."

Okay, he knew it wasn't a matter of offense what had got her so drawn down, but he was dodging the subject of love with spectacular care at this point. She laughed breathily. "Not that much, really. But I was so tired and so... so everything, really."

Them both smiled tenderly at each other. Her forehead collided with his neck, forehead that he kissed with great love. "I understand."

Anita nodded slightly. "I was hoping you would." because she would be willing to give as many apologies as necessary. "And on your part... I can't expect myself to be your most beautiful friend. Some girls are just off-limits."

She actually drew the friendzone line faster than he reckoned her to do, so he zoned out for a few seconds and then snapped back to reality. "You are still up in the list."

"That's flattering." he chuckled. "I didn't know what to think anymore."

"Is my view so important to you?" inquired Ivan with narrowed eyes. Anyone who didn't know better would have labelled her as shallow straightaway. He did know better.

"Yeah." she whispered. "I like to know what's your view on things. You're important for me, you know."

At this sudden revelation after apparently friendzoning him, he blushed and couldn't help his heart tachycardia. Her next words flew him into focus again. "... and I thought that this concern wasn't reciprocated. I'm still in the dark about... this, us."

He inhaled a sharp intake of air and paled after his blush was drained away. Ivan was struggling to find the words to put his emotion into letters and imprint them on her brain so she wouldn't doubt ever again. That distraught face of hers was too much for a man to handle twice. Once had already been too much.

"I was in the dark when I noticed your absence." she then looked at him. He bured his head on her hair, taking in the lillies, the spring breeze and apples in her scent. "I was in the dark after you disappeared again. I was in the dark after finding you just to see you collapse and lose you again. This morning– no, today, I felt completely lost."

His forehead landed on hers somehow. Ivan didn't miss the dazed and shocked expression in her eyes. It hurt to see her so surprised after being told she was cared for – it shouldn't come as such a surprise. "I think I have been lost all my life. That is, before you came to Zephy Town. You made my life much brighter."

He managed to even cuddle with her forehead. He was marvelled by her purely happy smile. If that was all that took to make her so giddy, he would come to her house and tell her everyday. "Do you remember about that arguement I had with Dirk? You were there for me."

"It was nothing..."

"It was not nothing." corrected he. His voice was just as low as soft and caring. It squished her stomach to see him so near and thoughtful with her. "You helped me with a lot of problems I– we had, me and Dirk as well."

Without inching away from her, Ivan took her hands. "You made us all better people. I couldn't have asked for a better person to come here than you." it almost sounded like a confession, but since it was something she should have known by now, he just thought of it as a security measure so she wouldn't ever hurt again. Not while he was around.

"You are important for me. I can't put you above Dirk because he is my brother, but you are closer to him than anybody else." their noses were closer than ever now. "And I will spend all my life if necessary making up for all the pain I have put you through these weeks. If I have to write it all over the walls of everyone's houses, you know I will do it."

He saw tears brimming out from her eyes. Holy cakes, did he make her cry? Had he done something wrong? She must have sensed his panic, for she wiped her teadrop and smiled. "G-God d-damn it. Ivan. It's n-not fair..."

She let out a breathy chuckle seeing his confused face. "I can't compare my shitty 'You are important to me' with your... god, that was poetry."

He smiled as well, grabbing her hands in a loving and tighter grip. "Oh, trust me. Poetry is much better than my phrasing, thank you very much."

She giggled. The former emo farmer was starting to do that heavenly sound once again. "But, Ivan... you– having people like Freya and Sherry around, so nice, strong and sophisticated.. why hang around a wimp like me?"

Ivan openly laughed at that. It was her time to be confused. "Maybe because you're my wimp. And, stupid as it sounds, I wouldn't change a thing about it." she almost fainted again at that, but realized it wasn't the appropiate time and got herself together. "What truly is stupid is you calling yourself weak, which you definitely are not."

"I keep on moping around like some kind of weakling."

"Working in a farm is tough work." whispered he reassuringly. "I always thought you were the most hard-working person of the town."

"Oh, no." she shook her head. "That person is you, I'm afraid."

Ivan smiled. "Touché. But it's not the same kind of work. And I don't recall any complaints from any of your animals, so you must be doing a great work. Actually, Nessie seems to be very fond of you."

"I bribe her with cat cookies. She'll choke on those one day."

They openly laughed, as if it hadn't been done in years. All they were doing felt so new and fresh, yet so good... their breaths were mingling and mixing in a puff of shaky, anticipative breeze. Ivan would have kissed her long ago if he had had the opportunity – and it noe qualified as the perfect ocassion.

Ever so slowly, Ivan leant in, hoping for movement on her side. He saw the way Anita's eyes fluttered close with a blissful expression, one so peaceful and loving... god, how much he wanted her– how much he had always wanted her.

But a trace of blue caught his eyes right before closing them. His head had plumetted to space, only to crash down once more and get fixated by the imprinting on her soft skin. When she noticed him brushing some strands out from her neck, Anita got startled and opened her eyes, an interrupted paradise of disappointment drowning her.

So, so close...!

"What is this?" asked he, eyeing the tattoo with curiosity. The purple snowflake seemed to twinkle to the light if the hearth.

Anita quickly blinked and covered her mark as if by instinct. "Oh, it's-"

"It's not nothing." retorted Ivan. "Let me see."

The sweet farmer hurried to get away with slow crawls backwards. "It's nothing to be worried about, Ivan! I swear I'm-"

Sneeze. "fffffine."

Oh, no. He forgot about the stupid mark on her mark – somehow similar to a snowflake, he wouldn't forget – and swiftly moved to stay in front of her, almost hovering over her form.

Ivan put a hand on her forehead and wasn't surprised to see it burning. "No. Goodness gracious, you are burning up!"

Her temperature was switching from pole-cold to hellish cold, and he didn't like that at all. Ivan hurriedly carried her to the bed and tucked her in, running for some cloth to damp afterwards. He put it in water and didn't waste time on putting it on her forehead, a sweaty and slimmy surface by now.

The cloth caressed her skin. "You are getting seriously ill, Anita." his tone almost felt chiding. "And I do not like that. When I said I wanted to keep you safe, I meant it – but you're making it tremendously difficult."

She giggled. Anita was cute even being sick and probably helpless at this point. How in the world did she get sick if her problem was having a low corporal temperature an hour ago? And now she was on fire? Ivan was going to drag Claire to Anita's house without arguement.

"I don't get it either, really." said she. "I started feeling unreasonably hot, and I thought it was because of the blanket...! ...but it wasn't!"

"I don't really understand any of this." muttered he as if he hadn't heard her. "I'll get Claire here tomorrow to check on you."

"I'm bothering her too much." groaned the blonde, making him raise an eyebrow. "She'll end up loathing me."

"No one in their right mind would do that." spoke he with care. His other hand caressed hers. "Besides, she's much more professional than to dislike you for something which wasn't your fault."

"I doubt one can handle that much."

"Stop thinking about that and focus on sleeping."

Anita frowned. "How do you want me to sleep with you here? You should go home."

"What?" he stopped patting her forehead. "I am staying here. And this time, you won't kick me out."

"Ivan, I am a poweful source of bacteria and sweat." Ivan held in a good laugh at her fed up tone. "How are you gonna stay with a sick bomb like me?"

Ivan snorted. "I have a very strong immunological system. It can fight you tonight."

"I think I'll end up fighting you if you are so stubborn to stay." argued she. But both could tell she wanted him to stay very badly.

Ivan looked at her dead in the eye. "Do you find yourself capable of fighting me in such horrible condition?" ironically, as if she was justifying his thoughts, she sneezed again. "I will stay here for tonight, Anita."

"But-" he adamantly shook his head. "-Dirk?"

"He would get furious at me if I did such a thing like leaving you here on your own." shoot. Dirk must be worried about Ivan not having come home yet! He'd have to explain later. "I don't have to go to the city tomorrow, so I'll be around."

"You're so stupid, Ivan." said she, laughing and making it seem totally meaningless.

He puffed his cheeks. "I just want to make it up to you. I made a promise, right?" Ivan kissed her forehead. "And I'm planning on fufilling my word."

Anita smiled, her heart roaring for the man in front of her who would be covered in love bites if she wasn't restrained by her boiling temperature. He smiled back. "You... you're totally impossible."

He grinned cheekly. "It is my mission to be headstrong with matters concerning your health. So, yes, I am impossible."

"... and I wouldn't have it any other way." whispered Anita, head falling sidewards and her eyelids closing for a few minutes.

Ivan murmured under his unsteady breath:

"Well now, you see my point."


CAN WE TALK ABOUT– ABOUT ALL OF THIS? IT'S JUST TOO MUCH FOR ME TO TAKE *faints*

I wanted to make a huge note here: it's important to see each point of view. Ivan has had a very troubled childhood, the loss of his parents has sure left a mark on his heart that must have been a bitch to him. Anita comes in and she's all sunshine, who wouldn't worship a sun? If someone was to make my life take a leap for the better, I'd sure as f*ck stick with them until the end.

This is what Ivan does. He sees her going through a critical point and, just as she did with him, he'll go with her all the way. They love each other a lot, and he knows this is a reciprocated feeling– but it'll have to wait for her to be on her feet again.

As for now, we'll have to see what's wrong with Anita and her weird-ass tattoo.