I keep not having time to write to you guys and let you know what's up! Mornings are so hectic here! Anyway, four reviews on my last chapter! Seriously, you guys made my day! Thanks so much for the support, and letting me know you're still enjoying the story! I'm up to Chapter 29 now, and I'll admit, that's where I'm going to have to change the rating. It's a great scene, though, in my opinion.

Larissita- NO! I like the feels! It's more fun that way! Besides, what's a story without a little character torture, right? (I'm so evil sometimes...)

North-Pau Pau's Compass- Hello! Glad to hear you're enjoying it!

I-Heart-Sesshoumaru13- Yeah, it's a lot prettier than when Alfred gets called in... ew...

CO5PL4Y- Thank you! I love having the feels like that. When everyone realizes they're loved it always makes me feel better.

Anywho, on with the show!

Disclaimer- There is always the calm before the storm.

Chapter 21

Mattie had set up the living room with cots and sleeping bags for everyone. It was decided that Nikolai would sleep with the nations in the living room, while Illyana would get Russia's old room, for now. He decided pretty early in he'd have to rebuild the burned wing of his house, and he was actually already planning it out.

He also decided to undo most of the hidden passageways. There was only one way to fix everything he decided to do with his house.

He'd tear it down and rebuild entirely.

Until then, he had decided to live in the smaller cabin he had further back on the land, though it wasn't very big. "After you guys head home, after this is figured out, I'm going to have the house torn down." Mattie said nonchalantly as they sipped tea.

"Wait, you're what?" Arthur stared and Mattie nodded.

"Ivan said it best. I wouldn't heal til I was no longer reminded of these images, and I've realized it's true. I thought maybe just changing the walls would be enough, taking off the images, but I realized how often I walk into a room and look at something and don't even realize I'm not... seeing it. I just have to see where it is, or where it was and I remember. I'll have my house completely rebuilt."

"Won't that take a long time?" Francis frowned and Mattie shook his head, taking another sip before speaking.

"I can have it done in a month, even with the large size I'm planning to make it this time. Honestly, I'm interested in seeing how my blueprints would work as an actual building tool." He chuckled as Arthur nodded.

"As long as that's what you want."

"That, and to know Ivan feels safe here too." Mattie smiled as he heard shifting coming from the stairs and glanced up as Ivan came down the stairs with a dazed glance. Mattie didn't even think, just throwing his mug into the machine and switching out the pods before turning on the coffee machine to actually make coffee this time.

"Can't tell that this isn't the first time this has happened." Francis chuckled as Iceland glanced over and rolled his eyes.

"Yer looking too much into this, Já? Maybe he's just being a good host."

"Or maybe mon petit Mathieu isn't as innocent anymore, hmm?" Francis raised an eyebrow while Mattie sputtered, turning bright red before Ivan chuckled, a warm smile taking over his features.

"Нет, we have all the time in the world. No need to rush, Da?" Ivan glanced over as Mattie burned bright red and Arthur walked over, grasping the mug from the machine. Both Arthur and Francis realized it when he took his first sip, and Mattie noticed Norway staring with wide eyes.

"Where's your scarf?" Denmark watched, getting close and looking over the sharp jawline before him. "Damn, you're actually really hot."

"Нет, not anymore. I'm cool enough, thanks." Ivan stated, missing what the Dane had actually meant.

"You're too late. He's mine now." Mattie crossed his arms and nodded, though everyone could see the bright red on his cheeks.

"Да, я люблю Матвея, и никто другой." Ivan smiled as he took another sip of the coffee. Mattie understood a few of the words, enough to cause him a blush. Ivan glanced up and a low chuckle escaped him as he sighed. "Now to figure out how to be a nation without a country." He sighed and Gilbert stepped forward, slinging an arm over his shoulder.

"It's not as hard as you'd think, Ja?" He blurted before laughing and Ivan glanced over with a worried look.

"Matvey, help!" Ivan exclaimed, grasping Mattie's hand. "I don't want to be like him!" Gilbert crossed his arms with a snort while Mattie and Ludwig tried to hide a chuckle.

"At least he hasn't lost his sense of humor." Finland smiled and Sweden nodded, patting him on the shoulder.

"Ja, but what d' w' do about th' country's situation? T's a bit intense ri't n'w." Sweden frowned.

"Why? What's happening?" Ivan glanced up and a few of the people turned away in worry. Even Mattie hadn't heard and was clasped to Ivan's hand as the Swede frowned, moving his eyes away.

"T's a war in th' street. Th' mil'tary's gone, th' police are half werk'n, t's a riot." He said and Mattie stared.

"Maybe you should call, see if they've changed their minds."

"Нет, if they want me they'll call. Maybe a reminder is in order, though, Da?" He grinned as he lifted his cell phone and dialed, a dark grin coming over his face.

"Da, Привет! I thought you might like to know if you call me back and remove my... expulsion, you can have peace again. You have my number, so if you decide to do so, call me in, da?" He said and everyone in the room around the man knew.

If he was called back in, that man on the other end of the phone would pay with his life. "До Свидания." With that, he hung up the phone, a bright smile on his face. "So, what time is it?"

"About time we all lay down, actually." Norway yawned and stretched, while Arthur looked down at his watch.

"It's about two here, but we all just woke up after the plane ride, so we should all be wide awake."

"Sorry, couldn't sleep." Norway glanced over with a shrug and sat down as Mattie tossed another mug and pod into the coffee machine.

"This'll help." Mattie said and Sweden walked over, pushing Mattie to sit.

"'S been a long d'y fer ye, rest." Sweden smiled a bit sadly down at the Canadian and Mattie nodded, thanking him.

"What was that?" Ivan frowned, not liking the softness in the other's eyes.

"They saw the rooms, and the office." Mattie mumbled and Ivan frowned, wondering if he would be alright.

"I've decided that redoing the walls isn't enough. We can stay in the cabin I keep in the back for a while, and I'll get the house torn down and built, but only with some of the secret passages, and without having to fight so much to make it up to the workout room! What was I thinking there?" Mattie laughed and Ivan shrugged.

"Didn't mind the walk, it's a workout room after all. But I'll admit, I'll miss the little wood room with the steam." Ivan smiled as Mattie chuckled.

"Yeah, as long as we don't just pass out in it again." Mattie shook his head. "You know I wouldn't leave out the sauna. It's just too relaxing."

"You have a sauna?" Francis watched as Mattie nodded.

"Third floor."

"Don't know if I can handle anymore of the hidden passageways."

"No, there's a pretty direct way to get there. Come on!" Mattie stood and pulled everyone back over to the hole in the wall and took them straight, past the doorway to the office, then up a staircase they hadn't noticed before. They got to the top and Mattie opened the door, allowing them all in. "Here we are." He glanced around and sighed, looking through the room. "Hot tub and sauna in the back room. I don't think I turned the tub down after last time we were up here, so it's set nice, feel free to use them as you see fit. The sauna is kind of small, so sorry that there's not much space." Mattie blushed and shrugged, usually only needing it for himself. With him and Ivan there was practically no room left, their knees resting against each other. "Actually, the sauna does sound amazing. Ivan, wanna join me?" He asked and the other smiled and nodded before thinking and turning bright red.

"There's no changing room."

"Oh, it's fine. I know how to work around that. Come on." He grasped Ivan's hand and pulled him in, not even really thinking at this point. He turned on the heat and figured it would take about fifteen minutes to warm and popped his head back around to the others. "No one come back here, unless you want to see us naked."

"Really?!" Francis grinned and Mattie nodded.

"Oui, Papa, but not like that." He pulled his head back around and shook it, sighing. He reached up and slid open a small door, releasing a large curtain over the doorway and Ivan watched, curious as Mattie looked up and smiled. He blushed as he grabbed the towels and looked around, deciding not to bother with it and turned back with a smile. "If you want, you can change in the sauna this time."

"What about you?" Ivan asked his eyes shifting to the doorway, hearing music start and people talking and the clinking of the machines on the other side.

"I'm not too worried about it, eh? The only one that could see me is you, and I guess when I think about it, seeing me like you did before Illyana knocked on the door is more... erotic than just being naked." Mattie watched as Ivan's eyebrow rose, his head cocking to the side in an inquisitive manner. He didn't believe him.

Mattie could have taken this two different ways. He could become offended that Ivan didn't believe him, but that didn't seem right, so he just went with the other. He stripped off his shirt and kicked off his boots, sliding them to the cubbies he had off to the side for clothes, and tossed his shirt in before fighting with his belt and unzipped his pants, pulling them and his boxers off. He turned around, seeing Ivan staring in shock at the lack of modesty he was seeing before turning around. "Well, I didn't expect that, da?" Ivan stated, but Mattie could hear his chest shaking from the words.

"Too much?"

"Da." Ivan spoke softly and Mattie walked over and grasped his arm, taking him over to the sauna and tossed a towel over his shoulder.

"Here, go ahead, you know what to do." Mattie chuckled before Ivan turned and grasped his arm, though his eyes never left Mattie's.

"Don't you mind being seen like this?"

"Not by you." He softly admitted and Ivan blushed again before turning away.

"I'll be out in a moment." Ivan spoke so softly he was barely heard, but Mattie nodded all the same and carefully closed the door behind him.

"Mathieu, where is the- uh, water bottles?" Mattie heard and turned, seeing Francis staring at him with wide eyes and a deep blush.

"I don't keep them up here, they're still in the kitchen." Mattie didn't bat an eye as Francis blushed and turned, running from the area. He couldn't help but chuckle as he went to grab a towel for himself.

It wasn't long til Ivan opened the door, bringing his clothes out to put away and he glanced over, looking at Mattie standing against the hot tub with his arms crossed, and his towel in place. Ivan couldn't decide if this was a good or a bad thing. He glanced up to see Ivan still blushing, looking down over him and he reached up with a soft pat, unable to break the smile he kept at the corner of his mouth. He turned and stepped up, going into the hot tub and walked over, sitting in the warm water and leaned his head back. "Oh, this is nice."

Ivan climbed in and sat almost opposite of him, the warm water feeling a little weird, with the jets and the bubbles. "It's different." Ivan admitted and Mattie looked over, frowning.

"Not much for it?"

"Da, maybe just not my thing." Ivan admitted, but tried to take a hint from Mattie and leaned back, trying to relax. He heard the movement, but didn't think much til he felt something against his arm and opened his eyes, seeing Mattie slide his head over his chest, pulling his arm down over his shoulder and Ivan couldn't help but smile. "Maybe it's not so bad after all." He mumbled, taking in the contented sigh from beside him. Mattie chuckled and just laid back, loving the feeling of sharing the warmth when there was so much more around him.

"I could get used to this." Mattie sounded somewhere between a whisper and a moan and Ivan blushed at the sound before frowning.

"Matvey, you said I could make myself comfortable here, Da?"

"Yeah, of course." Mattie said and turned, curious as Ivan thought for a moment before grasping him and lifting him, sitting Mattie straddled over his lap. Mattie blushed brightly as he looked down at the other, who started blushing worse before leaning back and pulling Mattie down to lay on his chest. "This is what you were thinking?" Mattie glanced up, the angles making his head only come up to Ivan's shoulder, but Ivan nodded.

"Da, I miss this." He spoke softly. "I didn't get this very much before, and it was becoming more often in Russia, but you haven't really been that close since then, and I missed it." He spoke, hoping he wasn't doing too much.

"Yeah, this is perfect." Mattie smiled, feeling the warmth in the water, and the arms that surrounded him. "Absolutely perfect."

Ciao for now!

Jasmin