❅❄❅ When the Snow Falls ❅❄❅
Mrs. and Mr. Braginsky had come into the room sometime that morning and talked to Ivan about the night before. Ivan was calm and happy, which pleased his parents to know he was okay. They granted Matthew permission to stay as long as he wanted to during his time off school.
After that, Matthew and Ivan seemed to have the whole house to themselves, despite the unknown whereabouts of Katyusha and Natalya. Ivan assumed they were either in their rooms or outside.
Matthew had left the room to grab snacks, and was just about to return when Ivan came into the room. He was confused at first, thinking there was a problem that Ivan couldn't wait to bring up before he came back. He then was even more confused when he noticed Ivan was smiling genially.
"Hey, was I taking too long?" Matthew asked.
"Yeah, way too long." He joked. "Not really, I just thought I would join you."
"That's alright." Matthew smiled, walking to him. "I don't think I quite realize how big your house really is."
"It's not that big, you just don't know your way around yet." Ivan slipped one of the granola bars from his hand and opened the plastic covering. "I probably should give you a tour."
"That would be cool." Matthew responded, excited.
Starting with the kitchen, Ivan showed Matthew around the house. Going down the hallway Ivan's room was on, there were all the bedrooms and the bathroom. Ivan didn't bother opening the doors and showing him the rooms. He could hear Kat's TV from the hallway and he didn't want to risk barging in on Natalya. It was also rude to show off their personal space, anyway.
On the other side was another bathroom, a guest room, a small bookroom (which Ivan had to pull Matthew out of to continue the tour), and a large study.
"That's just about it. We also have a backyard." He pointed to the window. "But it's not that big."
Matthew opened up the door and peeked out of it. The backyard was small, but the pile of snow made the view so much bigger.
"Wow." Matthew stepped out onto the patio.
"Where are you going?" Ivan asked, peeking out the door.
"It looks so vast." Matthew looked around at the few trees sitting in the yard, as well as a swing. "And pretty." Ivan was silent for a moment, all Matthew could hear was his breathing. He suddenly remembered Ivan's issues with snow. "I'm sorry I-"
"It's fine," Ivan stepped out of the door, closing it behind him. "It's just that I don't exactly have good memories about snow, you know? But it doesn't haunt me consciously. And you are right; the yard looks pretty this way."
Matthew looked down at his bare feet that were imprinting into the snow on the patio. No good memories? Though Alfred hated snow, they would always play together in it every chance they had. Arthur and Francis, of course, would join in. Afterwards, he would spend time inside with hot chocolate next to the fire place.
The only bad memories about snow he could think of were times he was snowed in for a day or two, but his grandma or new family was always there with him. He couldn't relate or imagine how Ivan felt as much as he wanted to.
"You want to make some?" He asked.
"Hm?" Ivan asked, stepping up to be by Matthew's side.
"Memories." Matthew told him, looking at him.
Ivan's content face broke into a smile. "Well, why not?"
After dressing in proper attire, both tore through the house and outside the back door. Matthew hated to ruin the untouched snowy scene in the Braginsky's backyard but as Ivan held onto his hand and laughed as they raced to the door, he wanted nothing more than the roll into the icy landscape like he did when he was younger with the other.
Once they were outside, Ivan raced ahead of him and kneeled down into the snow. He picked up a handful of snow and looked at it closely as it crumbed off his gloves and onto his lap. Matthew bent over and picked up a handful himself and molded it into a ball. As he came up to throw it at him, Ivan had already thrown one at him.
"Hey!" Matthew laughed after the snowball clashed with his jacket sleeve. He tossed his at him, hitting him in the leg. As Ivan went to make more, Matthew dashed away to find a hiding place before he could make some to protect himself with.
Ivan stormed over holding an armful of snowballs. Luckily Matthew was able to defend himself behind one of the trees as Ivan wasted all of his. He ran for a nearby tree as Matthew hurled a couple at him.
The two remained in a stalemate for a few minutes before they agreed on peace while they set up snow forts. Matthew carefully built his like an expert while Ivan struggled to build one but eventually got a hang of it, making his durable enough to protect himself from Matthew's upcoming attacks.
They called off the peace after making a few snowballs and began tossing them at one another. Matthew aimed for Ivan's fort first, which angered him into chunking his into Matthew's fort.
After half of Ivan's was down, he quickly attempted to repair it before attacking Matthew again. He failed to take down Matthew's fort, but luckily had planned the battle through a little more. He grabbed a rock he had found next to the tree, molded it into a small snowball, and chunked into the center of Matthew's fort.
Matthew screamed in surprise as the middle of his fort crumbed before him and a couple of Ivan's snowballs hit him in the chest. Ivan piled more at him as he attempted to rebuild, only to knock down his right-hand defense while he shielded himself from Ivan's attacked.
"Wait, wait!" Matthew's eye caught the rock laying in the snow in front of him. "Don't tell me you used this rock!"
"Me? Why would you say that?" Ivan was smiling evilly.
"You threw this rock in a snowball, didn't you?" Mathew held up the small stone. "That's totally against the rules."
"What rules? You never mentioned any rules!" Matthew stood up and dropped the rock, glaring at Ivan.
"I was just being inventive, my sweet snowflake!" Matthew rushed to Ivan's fort; the snowballs Ivan used in effort to protect himself didn't work as the other completely demolished his defensives and tackled him into the snow.
"You're going down!" The two tumbled and laughed, taking handfuls of snow and throwing it at each other.
"Does this mean I win?" Ivan asked once Matthew had stopped fighting and was now sitting on his torso.
Matthew took a few more breaths before nodding. "Yeah, sure. Good job."
"No, no." Ivan sat up, moving Matthew to his lap. "I need a correct surrender."
Matthew thought for a moment. "I surrender to you, Lord Ivan Braginsky." He couldn't stop himself from laughing. "For you are more powerful than I and have defeated me in this prolonged snow war."
"I will accept your plea to end this war." Ivan smiled. "If you, Sir Matthew Williams, give me something in return."
Matthew smiled, leaning in closely to Ivan's ear. "Anything for you, Ivan." Now in the other's arms, Matthew felt the world standstill without anything to fill the silence but Ivan's heartbeat. Through the wordless moment, and though the cold air was able to get to him under all his clothes, Matthew felt he could stay like that forever; close to Ivan.
Ivan broke the stillness seconds later, placing a soft kiss on Matthew's cheek. "Come with me to my room, my honorable rival, where we will share my sweet, sweet mother's hot chocolate and cuddle in warmth." Ivan's tone was serious, as if he was proposing Matthew give in to something, and he managed to keep a straight face until Matthew started laughing.
"As you wish." Matthew pressed his lips against Ivan's cold mouth. Both smiled in between kisses before they helped each out of the snow.
Ivan stayed in the kitchen after they came back inside and prepared the hot chocolate while Matthew went back to the room, took his boots and jacket off, and crawled under Ivan's comforter. He shivered some, curling up to contain more of his body heat. He pressed his face against the fabric of the blanket, wishing Ivan was there to cuddle with.
He nuzzled into the blanket more and closed his eyes, inhaling Ivan's scent. He had been around Ivan for a while by then, but he still couldn't get enough of it. He thought about how much he would miss it when he had to go back home. He opened his eyes and peeked over at Ivan's dresser, sitting across the room from him.
Matthew made the rash decision to quickly take one of Ivan's shirts and try putting it on before Ivan came back into the room. He started opening drawers quietly, in attempt to find some shirts. Finally, he found some folded up. He took one out and began taking off the shirt he already had on. Once he had it off, he heard footsteps coming towards the room. Matthew threw on the shirt and jumped back onto the bed.
Ivan slowly pushed the door open, holding two cups of hot chocolate up. "Matvey?"
"Hm?" Matthew looked up from the pillow he had landed on.
"Were you jumping on my bed while I wasn't here?" Ivan asked, sitting onto the bed beside Matthew and setting the mugs onto the side table.
"No," Matthew answered, sitting up.
"It's okay if you were, you know." He glanced at him, and then down at the shirt he was wearing. "That's funny, I have a shirt like that that my dad had given me. Yours even looks my size…" He pulled on the sleeve of it. "This is my shirt, isn't it?"
Matthew turned red and nodded, breaking into a smile. Ivan leaned over and gave him a few kisses on his cheek. "You're too cute." He muttered. Their lips met, and they shared a few kisses before Matthew leaned back onto the pillows.
Ivan explored; while he held onto the shirt Matthew had put on, his lips moved from Matthew's, down to his jaw and onto his neck. He embedded a few kisses here and there as he went. Ivan was only placing tender touches with his hands, lips, and body; Matthew relaxed under him but noticed the other was basically standing over him. Putting his arm around Ivan's back, he pulled him closer.
Still nuzzled into Matthew's neck, Ivan slowly lowered himself on top of Matthew. He let out a deep breath. "Am I crushing you?"
"No, you're fine."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes," Matthew moved his hand up to Ivan's chin and pulled him up to look at him. "Kiss." He muttered quietly, touching Ivan's bottom lip with his thumb.
Ivan leaned in and touched their lips together once more. Matthew moved his hand to his hair as they kissed as Ivan placed his around Matthew's back, lifting him slightly. He groaned some with the change of position but kept his lips on Ivan's.
He felt the tip of Ivan's tongue touch his upper lip, his eyes opened some. "Ivan," his voice was muffled, but audible.
"Hm?" Ivan pulled away some to hear Matthew.
"Our drinks." Matthew turned his head towards the mugs sitting on the side table next to them.
"Oh, right." Ivan sat up carefully. Matthew followed, stretching some. He took a mug off the table and handed it to Matthew.
"Thank you." Ivan pecked Matthew's cheek again with a 'mhn'; taking his own mug, he took a sip.
"Do you want to go back outside again after this?" Ivan asked, licking his upper lip.
"I do."
Don't mind me, just kinda casually ditched updating this for a good 3 months (I think) but I'll try updating it every month or so.
Thanks for reading!
