Title: Taming the Polar Bear
Main Pairing: Rochu (Ivan x Yao) | Genre: School, Romance, Humour, Drama | Rating: PG-13
Characters: Rochu-centric with many side pairings, supporting characters and cameos from other nations
Synopsis: In Hetalia Gakuen, Ivan, a notorious school bully, meets & falls in love with Yao, a student councilor who resolves to tame him of his bullying ways. Hilarity, chaos & fluff ensue as Yao braves Ivan's romantic but perverted pursuit to take him into hand.
All characters (C) Axis Powers Hetalia & Hidekaz Himaruya. No part of the story is related to any country, political ideology or real event.
Chapter 14: A Hot Pot Full of Spicy Love
Ivan stood in front of the full-length wall mirror in Feliks' dormitory room, admiring his suave appearance from all angles. For his dinner date with Yao, Ivan had dressed himself up in his smartest pearl-grey suit, which complemented his silvery blonde hair perfectly. He adjusted his tie - a silk maroon one with faint diagonal stripes, and fussed with his hair, on which he had carefully applied styling cream to make the ends of his hair curl up softly. He beamed into the mirror, revealing pearly whites, the consequence of a quick visit to the school dentist. He was the picture of perfection, if he could say so himself. Even the bruise he had incurred on his forehead following this morning's run-in with a pillar was safely out of sight, courtesy of Feliks' concealer.
"I don't believe this! I so totally don't believe this!" Feliks seethed as he glared at Ivan's back from his bed.
"Yes. Five hours just to decide on an inner shirt, choose between two suits and pick a tie. I didn't think anyone could have broken your record for time taken to dress up," Toris grumbled from Feliks' side.
"I know right? This is totally abominable! Like how does anyone ever put up with such appalling behaviour?"
"Lots of patience and love I guess," Toris snorted, thinking of himself.
"How do I look?" Ivan addressed his bored spectators for the umpteenth time.
"You look great," Toris replied mechanically for the umpteenth time.
"Yeah, like totes," Feliks nodded. He could not wait for the Russian to leave his room so that he too, could get changed for his own date with Toris. It had been intriguing, even amusing, to watch Ivan fuss over his appearance like a vain pot, but it sure got tiresome after a few hours, especially when, unsatisfied with his own massive collection of ties, Ivan had gone on to take Feliks' and Toris' ties. Furthermore, he had dumped each item of clothing unceremoniously in all corners of Feliks' room such that the originally cramped but neat square of space now resembled a pigsty.
"But maroon doesn't bring out the violet in my beautiful eyes," Ivan pouted.
"How about Feliks' lavender one?" Toris suggested tiredly.
"No way!" Feliks protested. "That's like my favourite tie!"
"But it has little hearts all over it~!" Ivan cringed.
"Yes, cute, isn't it?" Feliks supplied the age-old excuse for every gaudy item he owned. "I'm so not lending it to you! Knowing you, I'll never like see it ever again!"
Ivan blinked. "I want to look hot for a date, not cute. Looking cute is for girls." An image of Yao, hair done up in two side pony tails, and donning a cute little red cheongsam suddenly invaded his mind. Yao smiled up at him oh-so-cutely with mesmerized amber eyes, "Aiyaa Ivan~ you look so sexy aru~"
"What are you talking about?" Feliks snapped, interrupting Ivan's fantasy. "My tie is totally hawt!"
"It is the perfect colour, but it's so tacky~"
"Why how dare you-!"
"Hush! I thought you didn't want to lend him your tie?" Toris whispered warningly.
Feliks gritted his teeth. "Fine! If you think it's tacky, don't wear it. Duh!"
Ivan tossed the lavender tie aside and pulled out another tie from his heap of clothing.
"Um... Ivan, it's 6.30pm," Toris said.
"Da?"
"You said your date was at 6pm."
Cursing loudly, Ivan ran for the door, forgetting even the bouquet of sunflowers he had bought for Yao.
Yao stood at the entrance to the cafeteria at the Asian quarters, glaring at his wrist watch. In the past forty-five minutes that he had spent waiting for his date, his stomach had emitted a few impatient growls. The nerve of Ivan to be so late when he was the one who asked him out, ever so eagerly too!
"Yao-sempai," a junior that Yao knew by sight approached him timidly. Yao sighed, knowing what this young man wanted from his tell-tale blushing face. This had to be the fifth occurrence since he had started standing here.
"Yes aru?" Yao asked kindly.
"Would you... would you like to join me for dinner?" Junior Number 5 stuttered.
"Sorry aru, but I'm already waiting for someone else," came the well rehearsed answer.
"But you've been waiting for nearly an hour. Maybe your friend isn't coming?" Junior Number 5 persisted.
Yao stared at him, appalled. Had this person been observing him for the past forty-five minutes? As if in quiet affirmation of his assumption, the young man blushed furiously and looked down, but made no sign of wanting to leave.
A for-once welcome disruption arrived in the form of Ivan Braginski, saving Yao from his predicament.
"Yao is my boyfriend so clear off if you want your limbs intact! Kolkolkolkol~" Ivan loomed menacingly over the petite Asian boy. Ivan struck such an intimidating figure with his build and outfit that the boy reflexively let out a squeak and ran away.
Turning round to meet Yao's stricken face, Ivan put on his saddest puppy eyes in hopes of reducing whatever scolding Yao would mete out to him for being late, referring to him as his boyfriend and threatening his junior all in one breath.
"Ivan Braginski."
"Da..."
"Why, in the name of heaven, are you wearing a formal suit to the school cafeteria aru?" Yao asked incredulously.
"Eh? Because this is my special date with Yao da? I took great pains to dress up, that's why I was late~ But I ran here as fast as I could. I even forgot my bouquet of sunflowers for you," Ivan said sadly.
"But still, there's something called a dress code," Yao said weakly. He was suddenly very self-conscious of his comparatively sloppy attire - a Hello Kitty sweatshirt, track shorts and flip-flops. He had even left his hair untied since he wanted to let it dry after a shower. He was immensely relieved that Ivan had not brought his present, because it had not occurred to him to get anything for Ivan.
"You don't think I look good? I spent about five hours dressing up for you," Ivan bleated, which made Yao feel more wretched than ever.
"Aiya! Of course not! I think you look amazing," Yao paused and blushed. Although he meant it from the bottom of his heart, he had never paid such a compliment to anyone, and it made him feel awkward. "I... I didn't realize you were going to put in so much effort aru. I'll go get changed all right? I won't take long. I might have a suit lying around somewhere..."
"But you look great! There's nothing wrong with what you're wearing," Ivan said candidly. While Yao had turned up looking quite the contrary from his mirage, Ivan felt that those thigh-baring little shorts that revealed Yao's smooth, slender legs more than made up for the absence of a cute little cheongsam. Besides, who needed cute twin tails when one had sexy long, flowing hair?
"Of course there's nothing wrong with what I'm wearing aru! But you're so overdressed that we're going to look very strange walking together aru! I thought I made it very clear that we were going to have dinner at the school cafeteria!" Yao cried. Already, many pairs of curious eyes were staring at them.
"Ah ha~! Is Yao afraid that we don't look like a couple? If we hold hands, we'll even look like husband and wife da?" Ivan took Yao's small hand in his large one.
"Aiya! You're impossible to communicate with!" Yao tried to pull his hand out of Ivan's grip, but he was no match for the larger man. They made their way across the cafeteria towards the food stores, arm wrestling all the way. Numerous pairs of watchful eyes fastened themselves to Ivan's strange attire, and then to his equally strange companion who was making hissing noises and sporting a constipated expression on his beetroot face.
Ivan finally released his hand when they reached the head of the queue in front of a Chinese cuisine store.
"要吃什么？"
[Translation: What do you want to eat?]
Yao looked thoughtfully at the menu, spoilt for choice.
"Ne ne~ Yao, what's that? It looks good!" Ivan pointed to a small heart-shaped cardboard standee on the counter which featured two portions of Sichuan numb and spicy hot pot. Written above the photograph was "买一送一！四川麻辣火锅情人套餐！吃了爱情一样火辣辣！"
[Translation: One for one! Sichuan Numb and Spicy Hotpot lover's set! Your romance will become equally fiery-hot!]
Yao slapped his forehead in exasperation. What the hell was wrong with this school? Not only was it not Valentine's Day where blatant display of affection was at least excusable, but this was an all-boy's school!
Spotting Ivan's roving hand on Yao's shoulder, the elderly cook smiled indulgently at him, "Buy one, get one free. Sichuan Mala hot pot lover set. Very nice. One for you, one for him. Your love become hot and spicy. Ok?"
"Da~" Ivan eagerly stuffed payment into the old lady's hand.
"Wait! We're not-" Yao began, but the old lady had already headed to the back kitchen.
"My first time eating Chinese food~ I'm so excited," Ivan rubbed his hands gleefully.
"I hope the spice kills you!" Yao muttered viciously.
Minutes later, the old lady returned with two large steaming portions of Sichuan Mala hot pot and two cups of tea.
"请慢用！祝你们永浴爱 河！Love love forever!" She balled her fists and nodded both thumbs at each other.
[Translation: Enjoy your meal! May your love be everlasting!]
"Xie xie!" Ivan saluted, while Yao suppressed an urge to strangle the wrinkled neck.
"Hurry up, Ivan, I'm hungry aru!" Yao hastened, eager to get away from all the blatant spectators staring at them hungrily from the queue.
They headed outside the enclosed cafeteria towards the attached side garden where there were pavilions for students to eat or study in peace away from the noisy cafeteria. Yao usually liked eating with his cousins and juniors in the cafeteria, but today, he just wanted to be away from the crowd. As they entered a pavilion well shaded by palm trees, Yao noted with a pang that this was a couple's favourite hang out due to the privacy it afforded. He was in a lover's hang out, sharing a lover's set meal with Ivan. Not quite his idea of a dinner date.
They set their trays down on the circular stone table in the middle of the pavilion and sat across each other on stone stools. Ivan took a deep breath to inhale the fragrance of his dinner. Then he began coughing profusely.
"This smells weird!" Ivan spluttered, eyes tearing as the spicy fragrance entered his throat.
"You chose it yourself," Yao smirked.
Ivan swallowed hard. Under normal circumstances, he would have ditched the hot pot and gone to get something else. But this was part of a lover's set that promised 'hot and spicy' love. He feared he would curse their relationship by spurning it. He picked up his spoon tentatively.
"Aniki! Your breasts are mine!" Yong Soo hurtled into the pavilion, causing Ivan to drop his spoon in shock.
"Yong-Ge! Don't do such things in front of Da Ge's boyfriend!" Xiang hurtled on top of Yong Soo. Yong Soo crashed onto the floor, while Xiang crashed on top of Yong Soo.
"I'm so sorry, Yao-nii, Braginski-san! I tried to stop them but they insisted on tailing you," Kiku bowed apologetically to a baffled Yao and Ivan.
"Excuse me but wasn't it you who said it was an excellent idea and volunteered to be the cameraman da-ze!"
"Tailing us? Cameraman? What's going on aru!" Yao cried.
"I didn't want to tail Da Ge! It was Yong-Ge's idea!" Xiang crawled to his feet, massaging his aching jaw.
"That's right, spying originated from Korea da-ze!" Yong Soo proclaimed unabashedly. His run-in with the stone-hard floor seemed to have little impact on his thick skin as he stood up and rubbed his chest with little fuss.
"In that case, you should know very well that spying is supposed to be secret!" a rare sign of frustration crossed Kiku's face.
"I don't like the way you do it da-ze! It's sneaky! Honesty originated from Korea da-ze!"
"But how am I going to take pictures like this?"
"We didn't come here to take pictures. We came here to find out more about Da Ge's boyfriend."
"Exactly. So what better way to do so than taking pictures?"
"I fail to understand how taking pictures of Da Ge and his boyfriend cosying up is going to help us learn more about him."
"Oh don't be so naive, Xiang. Kiku-nii just wants pictures for his collection da-ze!"
"Enough aru!" Yao shouted. "You should be ashamed of yourselves! What happened to your moral values?"
"Don't scold them, Yao~! I think your brothers are very cute~! I wish I had siblings like these!" Ivan flashed a beatific smile all round to match his wide, animated violet eyes. Kiku squeeed inwardly.
So moe! No wonder Yao-nii likes this boy! Cuteness abound, he's definitely his cup of tea!
"I'm not aniki's brother da-ze! But as aniki's bestest friend and favourite cousin, I have every right to know what kind of person his boyfriend is da-ze!" Yong Soo plonked himself on the stool next to Yao.
"Aiya! Ivan isn't my boyfriend and you're neither my bestest friend nor my favourite cousin aru! Will you stop misleading Xiang aru!"
"I'm old enough to understand these matters myself, Da Ge. I just want to make sure that my future brother-in-law is a reliable man," Xiang said stoically as he sat on Yao's other side.
"Aiyaaaa~ What nonsense are you spouting, Xiang!"
"Braginski-san, I hope you don't mind us joining you then. We have some questions for you," Kiku took the remaining seat between Ivan and Xiang.
"I'd be glad to answer them~ and please call me Ivan~ We're a family after all~ " Ivan said pleasantly.
"We'll see about that. Let the interrogation begin da-ze!" Yong Soo declared.
"Ivan Braginski is not my boyfriend aru!"
To be continued...
FREE TALK:
Ivan: Wow I'm acting like a high school girl on a first date.
Yao: Well technically it is your first date, so it makes sense aru. This chapter was actually supposed to be about the date itself, but the idea of Ivan preparing for his date suddenly popped into her mind and she badly wanted to write it, hence the date itself has to be pushed backwards to the next chapter.
Ivan: H-chan is very fond of doing crap like this.
Yao: She sure is. Though I must say, I'm personally not looking forward to the date aru.
Ivan: Kolkolkolkol~ Why? Because your brothers are here? Don't worry, I'll get rid of the pests so we can have our romantic rendezvous in peace~
Yao: That's precisely what I'm worried about aru.
Ivan: Anyone who interrupts my precious date with my little sunflower deserves to be skinned alive da~ Tune in to the next chapter to see how artfully it's done. Kolkolkolkol~
Yao: Noooo aru!
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