On Better Terms
Chapter 11
Commentary from the Hetalia Gallery
Ivan: Oh yes... I love seeing that expression on Arthur's face. He's going through the pain of remembering my exquisite... skills...
Arthur: Hehe... What are you talking about, Ivan? Be quiet...
Ivan: Bedroom skills, of course. What else?
Arthur: W-What?!
Alfred: Wow. Arthur, you've been around...
Arthur: It's not like tha—
Francis: Ivan! I'm jealous... *pouts*
Arthur: Why am I surrounded by idiots and perverts?! Not to mention a sadistic creep...
Ivan: What was that? *wields pipe*
Arthur: N-nothing! Umm... Feliciano! Help!
Feliciano: PASTAAAAAAA~
Ivan whistled softly as he counted the money in his hands. He was placing them in neat stacks of five hundred on his table. He loved going through his money whenever he felt like thinking, and now was the opportune time. He had a lot to think about.
His sister had come crying to him a couple of days ago with a very melancholy tale, but that wasn't what bothered Ivan. She had let slip something about a handsome driver, and the description had intrigued Ivan beyond more than he wanted. Bushy eyebrows—more like patches of hair, eh? Sounds just like him… But how likely was it that his ex-husband was also the driver of his sister's boyfriend? The world was small, but not that small.
Nonetheless, Ivan was bothered. And until he was put at ease, he could never continue on with the other things he had to do.
He stood up and put on his coat, tugging his scarf close. There was only one thing to do, and that was just to go and knock on the door of the famous lawyer, Alfred F. Jones.
The rest of that day had gone by without further incident. The air was very heavy between the two at first, but it gradually lifted, though not a single word beyond pleasantries was exchanged.
When Arthur drove home that night, he was absolutely exhausted. Peter glanced up worriedly from his homework. "You okay?" He could tell that his brother had had an especially taxing day.
Arthur nodded and plopped himself down on the couch next to his brother with an exasperated sigh.
"Peter."
Peter looked up attentively and questioningly. Arthur didn't continue for a while.
"I never loved Ivan."
Peter wasn't particularly surprised by the content of the statement. Though Arthur had been a miserable wreck after Ivan left, Peter felt that Arthur had recovered all too completely to have ever felt strongly for the Russian. But Peter was a little surprised by the fact that Arthur had said it. Arthur had finally admitted it, and Peter was suddenly very interested in what had happened that day to cause this revelation.
But Arthur had accepted a while ago that he didn't love Ivan. It was soon after the divorce that he had come to realize that. But this was the first time that he had told Peter. But he just felt the compulsion to make sure that Peter knew that his brother was capable of making stupid mistakes. Accepting that fact was an important skill in life.
I think I… like my employer. No. I definitely like him.
Arthur was careful about using the word love. He didn't think that he loved Alfred, and he wasn't going to use that word until he was absolutely sure of it.
Peter eventually returned to his homework when Arthur didn't continue. Arthur and he sat in companionable silence for much of the rest of the night before heading off to sleep.
For one of the few times in his life, Arthur felt liberated, if only a little, from his massive burdens.
"Hi, Mr. Jones?"
Alfred raised one eyebrow at the very slight Russian accent and replied, "Speaking." He was on his laptop in bed working on some scheduling difficulties he was currently having.
The voice cleared his throat. "Yes. I am in need of a good lawyer. I will pay whatever fees necessary." Of course, Ivan wasn't really in any sort of legal situation that would require a lawyer, but this was his one way of investigating. He could easily pull over his younger sister, Natalia, and frame a situation with her, if necessary. But he wasn't even planning on getting that far. All he needed was one glimpse.
Alfred glanced over his schedule with a sour expression. Did he really have time for another case? Eh. He figured he could at least hear the Russian out.
"I'm currently a little busy right now," Alfred hesitantly spoke. "Perhaps you are available for a meeting tomorrow?"
Ivan was pleased. He had all the time in the world and tomorrow would be a perfect day. "Yes. How about the Italian restaurant down Clay Street? Feliciano's Fettuccini or something?"
Alfred smiled slightly. He hadn't had Italian food in a while. "Sounds wonderful. We can have lunch, no?" Alfred glanced over his schedule to find a time. He brightened. He had a giant chunk at around noon. "Eleven thirty?"
Ivan agreed. "I will see you tomorrow, Mr. Jones."
Alfred hung up, not sure whether to be excited or full of dread at this upcoming meeting. He was looking for a good case, and if this one had some criminals or illegal drug dealing, he'd be happy. It was an odd notion to realize, but it was the truth. His life was just too boring recently.
Arthur was surprised when he was called up at ten thirty to pick up Alfred from the office. But luckily, he didn't have a bartending job to get to that day. He swiftly turned his car around and went back to the office. It had only been about an hour since he had dropped off Alfred at the office anyways.
.:FORTY-FIVE MINUTES LATER:.
Alfred slid into the back seat with a half smile. He really just wasn't sure how to approach their time together anymore, ever since that kiss yesterday.
"Hey…"
Arthur nodded curtly and murmured, "Sir."
Alfred felt a deep pang. Arthur had reverted back to a very formal and stiff manner with Alfred, and Alfred hated it. Still, he couldn't really blame his driver. They had been awfully familiar the other day, and this was just Arthur's way of showing that he didn't want it to happen again. Alfred understood and grimly abided by it. He didn't want to make anything worse between them.
.:THIRTY MINUTES LATER:.
Arthur pulled up stone-faced to the restaurant. He didn't even look up as his employer exited wordlessly. What was he supposed to say? Usually, they joked all the way to whatever destination Alfred had, but ever since yesterday, things had gotten so silent between them, and Alfred wasn't really all to blame.
Arthur had reverted back to a very reserved demeanor because he was afraid. He was scared that Alfred would fire him if he showed any interest, since an employee wasn't supposed to. But he was also scared of showing interest because he feared that Alfred would have said that was a mistake. Arthur couldn't even imagine how he would feel if that ever came to pass. He didn't want to think about it.
Arthur breathed in one deep breath and pulled away from the curb.
Ivan was just so slightly annoyed when he arrived and saw that Alfred was already standing there. He had missed his chance to see the driver. Now he actually had to go through the lunch with the agitation of not knowing just yet.
Alfred smiled as he looked up from his watch. Ivan approached him and he held out a hand. "You must be mister…" Alfred trailed off. He realized that he hadn't even gotten the name last night.
Ivan filled in the space. "Ivan. Ivan Braginski." Alfred was struck by the name. I wonder if all Russians have 'B's and 'K's in their names… Ivan's name sure was close to Yekaterina's.
Ivan, on the other hand, was thankful for his name being different than his older sister. When he had entered the realm of the rich and extravagant, he had changed it ever so slightly so that if he ever did anything bad, it wouldn't affect his sisters. But for that little reason, he didn't have to go through Alfred's awkward surprise that his possible client was the brother of his ex-girlfriend.
Alfred started chatting animatedly as they entered the restaurant.
Ivan sighed inwardly. Here we go. It was time to confabulate with this famous lawyer over a nonexistent case.
Arthur returned at one thirty as he was ordered to. He turned off the engine and waited outside, closing his eyes and trying to relax just a little before he would have to be in the presence of his love interest again.
Alfred walked out with Ivan, still talking animatedly. Ivan listened politely, nodding here and there when needed. The lawyer had actually done a lot of the speaking aside from the actual telling of the fabricated story, so Ivan was relieved from making up even more things on the spot.
Ivan glanced down at the sleek black car and saw the sleeping driver in the front, though he couldn't tell from this angle who it was exactly. Still, the blond hair looked awfully familiar.
"… Mr. Braginski, it doesn't seem like we actually finished. Would you like to discuss this back at the office?" Ivan smiled, which unnerved Alfred just a little. Perfect.
"I would love to, Mr. Jones." Absolutely love to…
Arthur opened his eyes and sat up as he heard the car door open.
Alfred slid in, still talking, and his guest followed. Arthur was too caught up in preparing to leave to look up.
"Mr. Jones, about that little fact you just mentioned…"
Arthur froze. That voice sounded too familiar. No. His blood ran cold. It couldn't be. He sat there for a while before looking up into his rearview mirror. He paled considerably when he was met with a pair of violet eyes, intently trained on him.
Alfred looked up, suddenly sensing the small tension. He laughed, thinking that the tension was just from not having been introduced to each other.
"Arthur, this is Ivan Braginski, one of my possible new clients. Mr. Braginski, this is my chauffeur, Arthur Kirkland."
Ivan extended a hand in greeting and donned on a very gentle smile by his standards. It unnerved Arthur even more, but he had to shake Ivan's hand out of courtesy. Ivan's grip was stronger than he remembered.
Arthur then turned and hesitantly started the engine. The whole way back, he could feel each time the violet eyes fell on him, and he pushed himself to keep his eyes glued to the road. Alfred didn't even notice a thing.
Author's Comments:
So I know that most people have been wondering just why Arthur got married to Ivan at the beginning, and Ivan's coming back. This is actually when the good stuff starts (it's chapter eleven! o.o). I feel that I've been dragging this out for far too long... I mean, there's at least another nine, if not more chapters to go...
I'm sorry if this is a long story overall for some people, but I'll try to make it good so that you all stick around to the end!
So please, try and stick to the end... I promise I'll try to make it worth while!
I hope that you all like this chapter. It was written in about two hours. xD
- Galythia
