Ivan Would Not Be Ivan Without The Threats

He was not shy. Not at all. Just because it had taken him a while to get into the rest of the game (what his cousin liked to say) did not mean he was not good with people. It was just with certain people it took him a lot to get going.

Especially when he was trying not to make a fool out of himself. Especially in front of her.

"And voila! Gone!" Angus produced his hands, free of the glass he had previously had. Katyusha's eyes were glued to them. Angus was not always modest, not that he made a habit of bragging about everything he did, but he had no idea how he could make his hands so fascinating and thanked whoever was in charge of the world that they were so to her.

"Oh! How did you... no, don't tell me!" She bit her bottom lip, trying to figure out his trick herself. Angus tried to keep his grin in check. "Do it again!"

"If ya wish, m'gal," he reached for another one. Reached and, with all of his bad luck, saw her brother from over Katyusha's head.

Ah, no. No, no, no.

"How are you, sis?" Ivan's arm came and wrapped around Katyusha's shoulders. She did not seem to notice Angus' distress. Which would be fine to him – Angus never wanted to concern her – but it meant that he had to suffer under the glare of the biggest man in town.

"Angus was doing magic," she said happily.

Probably one of the worser things she could have said. Angus felt himself trying to shrink.

"Really?" Ivan asked, facial expression not changing one bit as he continued to stare at him. "Maybe you should show me."

"Er... certainly," Angus coughed. Ivan reached over and put a hand on his shoulder.

"Over here, shall ve?"

Katyusha looked confused as Ivan lead Angus away. Angus gave her a smile and a wave, so she would not worry. Even if that was all what he was doing. Hell, if it was anyone else...

He was the one people called when there was an unknown dog claiming their backyard as its territory, when there was a spider they did not recognize spinning its web above their front door. There was one time Angus had to remove a large spider's nest from a corner of Ivan's house because the Russian would not go anywhere near there once he realized it was there.

Angus definitely was not often scared. But who did Ivan not scare? Other than spiders, of course.

Alfred. That was not saying much. Alfred did not seem to have any survivor's instincts. The man did have some skill, but Angus was rather more impressed with his display of luck than anything. Ivan scared Berwald when he tried. Of course, to be fair, Berwald could scare Ivan so things were rather easy between the two of them. Just as long as he stayed away from Tino.

Was that an abusive relationship? Because as time kept going Berwald would single out who could be around the other. Angus still did not think so. The people that Berwald did not let Tino near counted those who had (whether by accident or on purpose) threatened or hit on the Finn in some way. And other than that, Tino seemed in complete control of that relationship.

Despite the fact Angus had managed to think off the subject of Ivan, it did not stop the fact he was still physically under the other's grip.

"You don't get near her, understand?" Ivan growled into his ear. "Remember vhat I said..."

"Wha' if she, uh, nears me?" Angus tried.

"Don't try it." The grip on his shoulder tightened, then let go. Angus watched with a mixture of disappointment, fear, and irritation as he went back over to his sister.

"He won't beat the crap out of you," Arthur reminded him, sipping from who knew what number of glass he was on. The fact he was not cursing anyone and was still quiet meant he was probably still on the first five or something. Angus sighed and sat next to him. "He would be too afraid of making Kat cry."

"You 'ave Alfred defendin' yer house," Angus retorted, as if that explained why Arthur did not have to worry about being beaten up by the Russian. Arthur did have a point though. Ivan would never do anything which might make Katyusha cry.

"This is so stupid," Arthur snorted into his cup. Angus did not know what Arthur was talking about, but he was inclined to agree. They were not always on the best terms, but Arthur was easier for him to deal with drunk. So he reached for the bottle that Arthur was pouring out of and drank from that.

He did not know when he became more drunk than his cousin, but the thought made him laugh out loud. Arthur kept him steady. When he became drunk it was simply his accent becoming something he had to force to sound natural.

"Why cannae love b' easy, 'r somethin'?" he asked. Arthur laughed bitterly.

"You think I would know anything about that?" he rolled his eyes. "The gall of anyone who thinks it should be easy! Damned marriage isn't even sacred..."

Through the haze Angus realized the mistake he had made. He did not know much about Arthur's ex, but he had heard plenty from Roy and Brian about it.

"Things'll 'ork ou'," he attempted, staring at the glass. Arthur grabbed it from his hands and refilled his cup.

"Whatever," the Englishman snorted. "The next time I see him will just be too soon."

Notes:

Angus = Australia. Make sense?

Cousin = Arthur. The eyebrows are genetic.

Roy = Scotland. Brian = Ireland. One of them is Arthur's real brother, the other one had been adopted. For the life of their family, none of them can remember which one was which.

Sorry. Could not help but make this pairing come up again. Sometime I will write something about each of these characters that is elaborate and not romantic. I owe it to both Australia and Ukraine to do so.