OH MY GUMMY BEARS! SORRY THAT TOOK SO LONG! I HAD MAJOR WRITERS BLOCK!

I own nothing!

Chapter 9

Mathieu put on the skirts and had just slipped the bodice on when he realised two very important things. One the bodice laced up in the back so he couldn't do it and two, Ivan's mother had been an incredibly well endowed woman. Demonstrated by how the chest part of the bodice was at least eight sizes too large. He would have to tell Ivan.

"Ivan," Mathieu called out nervously. "The, the dress doesn't fit."

"Hm? But I am sure that you and mother were about the same size."

"We are, mostly. It's just ummm..."

"Da?"

"Well it's just a little loose in the chest, kinda." If being able to fit two watermelons into the dress and still have room a little loose then yes the dress was a little loose.

"Matvey, should show me."

Matthew took a deep breath and walked around the screen to show Ivan just how loose the dress was. Considering that they were both men he was oddly self conscious about being in front of Ivan with any amount of skin showing. He shouldn't be nervous like this but the way Ivan looked at him, it gave him goose bumps.

Ivan watched as his sweet Matvey slowly emerged from behind the dressing screen. The dress looked beautiful on him. But he was right the dress was loos in the front. But it hadn't been laced up in the back! That's what was wrong!

"Matvey has not done it up! No wonder it is so loose! Matvey is so silly." Ivan reached out and stroked Mathieu's cheek. The boys face instantly turned cherry red at the contact.

Matthew blushed as the soft paw brushed his cheek. Ivan was such an ass! He swore that the princes favourite past time was to make him blush! And he was very, very good at it.

"I will do the dress up for Matvey." Ivan smiled and taking hold of the boys small shoulder s and turned him around so he would be able to tie the aces on the dress and make it fit properly.

The one problem Ivan hadn't accounted for when he had offered to lace up the dress where his claws. They would poke holes in the lace if he held them too tightly but if he held them to loosely them they would simply slip through his large claws and even if Ivan managed to get the very difficult balance of holding the laces tight enough to hold them but loose enough so he wasn't poking a hole in the delicate fabric the claws were awkward and made for killing and gutting not doing up laces so he would only succeed in tangling the infuriating things. In only a matter of moments the laces were nothing but a knotted tangled mess filled with holes.

Ivan stared at the mess in front of him; this was not how it was suppose to turn out! He was supposed to lace the dress up perfectly. Mathieu would blush prettily and thank him with a kiss from those soft plush lips. Stupid laces!

"I don't like the top!" Ivan growled. Hooking one of his claws above the tangled mess he yanked down ripping the laces apart. "Matvey will not wear it! Take it off!"

A little stunned at Ivan's suddenly violent behaviour, and confused by the apparent 180 in Ivan's desire for him to wear the dress Mathieu quickly pulled off the dresses bodice. The puzzle of Ivan's behaviour was quickly solved when he saw the mess of laces. For a moment Mathieu started at the knotted mess for a moment. And then he couldn't help but burst out laughing. Ivan was acting like a child.

"Matvey thinks something is funny?" Ivan purred in a sickly sweet voice.

Mathieu immediately stopped his laughter that tone of voice did not mean anything good for him. "Uh, um, kind, kind of." He whispered.

"That isn't very nice now is it Matvey." Ivan leaned forward to whisper in Mathieu's ear. "Maybe you need to be" Ivan paused, "punished."

Mathieu stood there frozen in fear. He was more comfortable with Ivan true but that didn't mean he wasn't still afraid of him. He didn't trust Ivan not to hurt him if he got mad quite yet.

"Now how should we punish little Matvey, hmm?" Ivan purred his hand running up Mathieu's exposed stomach and chest. "What sho-"Ivan stopped, Matthew was trembling so hard his teeth chattered and tears of fear were beginning to collect in the corner of his eyes. Ivan's anger died a swift and guilt ridden death.

"Matvey," Ivan whispered softly unable to force his voice any louder."Matvey." slowly the boy's fear filled eyes looked at him. A strangled noise wormed its way out of Ivan's throat as their eyes met and the guilt stabbed at his heart. For a moment he could only stare at Mathieu before he quickly pulled him into a hug. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry" Ivan murmured as he held the boy to his chest.

oOo

Mathieu sat on his bed with his knees pulled up to his chin. His eyes were red and puffy but at least he was no longer crying. Ivan sighed and set down the mirror. He would not join his Matvey for dinner tonight. No he would give him time to calm down before he would join him for meals once again. Ivan sighed, he had been stupid. Matvey probably hated him now. Ivan turned on his heel and walked out to sit on the balcony.

oOo

Mathieu sat on the bed thinking about what had happened in Ivan's chambers. He had been so scared when Ivan had gotten mad today. And over what! Mathieu laughing at him that was just ridiculous! How could Ivan expect him to be able to trust him if he couldn't even laugh around him? But, he had been so sorry when he realised how scared Mathieu was. Mathieu could still here Ivan's voice in his head chanting the words I'm sorry over and over again. He could still feel his massive arms wrapped around him holding Mathieu to his chest. He had felt so safe in Ivan's embrace all though why he had no idea. Matthew let out a heartfelt sigh. What was wrong with him?

Suddenly the sound of the small clock on the small shelf striking six startled him from his depressing and confusing thoughts. Supper was at 6:15 and he wasn't even dressed yet and his face was still a mess from crying. Scooting off his bed and pouring some water from the picture into the bowl he began to wash his face.

"Mathieu!" Felix all but sang as the large wardrobe lumbered into the room. "I have the most beautiful dress for you to wear tonight!" he had a dress hung across one of his doors. It was made of cream silk and covered in embroidered roses.

"It's, it's beautiful Felix thank you." Matthew said blushing, what did he do? Why was he always forced into the dresses?

"Come, come we'll put you into it and then it's down to supper!" Felix seemed ungodly happy tonight. Mathieu was a little surprised that he wasn't panicking with the time it usually took to put him in one of the evening dresses and do his hair.

oOo

Mathieu stood in the doorway of the dining room, Ivan was not there. Since Ivan had rejoined Mathieu for supper he had always been the first to arrive and it worried Mathieu that he was not here now.

"Mathieu, is everything all right?" a voice to his left questioned.

Mathieu looked down and into the concerned eyes of his papa.

"Where's Ivan?" the treacherous words slipped out before he could stop them.

Francis was worried about his patit ange. Mathieu had been acting oddly since he had begun to spend more time with the beast. The worst thing was that the boy seemed to no longer have any desire to leave.

"Ivan has requested to take his meal in his rooms tonight." The candlestick watched as emotions paced over his child's face.

First there was confusion followed quickly by understanding, sadness and a finally guilt.

"Would, would it be possible to take my super to his room?" Mathieu's voiced was so quit that Francis all most didn't hear it and he wished he truly hadn't.

oOo

A soft knock on the door caused Ivan to look up from his uneaten meal. Who would be dumb enough to bother him when he had specifically told his servants that he wished to be left alone! Ivan stormed to the door ready to tear into the poor fool who had dared to go against his wishes. But when he opened the door it was not one of his enchanted servants that stood before him but sweet Matvey holding a tray that Ivan had no doubt held his dinner. What could the boy want with him after the disaster with the dresses this afternoon?

"You, you weren`t at dinner," the boy whispered a sweet pink blush dusting his cheeks. "And Papa said you had requested to, to take your dinner in your rooms. And, and, umm," Mathieu looked up at Ivan his soft violet eyes holding Ivan`s dark purple ones, "I w-was wondering if you`d like some company?"

Ha! I bet you all thought they were going to the library! Awe they're getting along!