- Moscow airport -
"Welcome to Russia!"
Ludwig got out of the plane and took a deep breath. He was wearing a whoolen scarf, a big coat and... a big smile.
"I'm delighted, Misha!"
The sky was clear blue despite the cold weather. They entered the airport, got their few luggage and went to take a taxi to the train station.
In the taxi, Misha started warning Ludwig.
"It is better if I present you as a friend and colleague first."
"I know, you already told me. I will play the game, don't vorry."
"Also, people here are not very accustomed with idea of... you know... us being very good friends."
The taxi driver raised his eyes and looked at them with the mirror. Ludwig and Misha saw it.
"I get it. Don't vorry."
Misha smiled shyly and a bit uncomfortably. He did not want to impose anything on his lover but the rules in that country are different and the mentality is different. They had to go by those new rules.
Once they arrived at the train station, they embarked on a journey that would last a couple of hours.
"You live very far from Moscow."
Misha laughed.
"Da, in fact I live far from everything. You'll see it for yourself. When we arrive we'll take a bus and then there's a 40 minute long walk. It's in the mountains, it's very peaceful."
"So we really haven't arrived yet."
"No, I'm sorry. You can sleep in the train if you like. I'll wake you up when we arrive."
"Danke, I vill."
On these words, Ludwig got up and sat on the bench in front of Misha. The train was quite empty so that they had a cabin for them alone. The train started with a loud noise and a few minutes later, when the starting acceleration stopped, Ludwig fell asleep.
- During the walk to Misha's mother's house -
Ludwig stopped walking.
"Is it still far?"
"No, not at all, you see those trees there?"
Misha pointed in the direction where a couple of trees gathered as a mini forest.
"Ja?"
"It is right behind them."
Both resumed their walk. Ludwig was a bit surprised by the environment Misha's mother lived in. It was indeed in the middle of nowhere and there was no other house in sight. Besides, the walk had not been a very pleasant one as each step they made got their feet in the snow up to the knees. Fortunately enough, it was sunny. Ludwig thanked God for that, how could they have walked if it was a rainy or snowy weather?
Anyway, Ludwig dismissed the thought mentally and started to imagine how the first contact with Misha's mother would be. Oh, but I don't even know her name!
Misha?"
"Da?"
"What's your mother's name?"
Misha, who was leading the way, turned to face Ludwig.
"She'll tell you. And if she says 'you can call me Mama', then, consider you're family."
Ludwig was taken aback by the answer.
"But what if she tells me something else?"
"Ah, you don't know Mama, she knows if people are good or bad instantly, and she never gets it wrong."
Misha turned again and walked. Ludwig began to feel apprehension. What if she doesn't like me? What if she feels I'm not a good 'friend' for Misha, what if I-
His train of thought broke as Misha knocked at the big wooden door. The house was a humble one, not very big and all made of wood. Understandable for people who originally wanted to escape and hide from political persecution...
The door opened and a young lady opened big round eyes.
"MISHA!"
She hugged the Heavy weapons guy tightly. The latter laughed and reciprocated the hug. She was young and of a strong build, she had long dark hair that were in a braid.
"Ah, dear Zhanna...!"
Misha broke the hug and presented Ludwig.
"This is Ludwig, he is my friend."
"He is so tiny, so cute!" Exclaimed Zhanna.
Ludwig blushed and held his hand out for Zhanna to shake. They shook hands and Ludwig realised that strength does run in the family...
"Come on, don't stay outside, it's cold, come in."
"Where is Mama?"
"She is in front of the fire, she will be delighted to see you've come back!"
They entered and Ludwig could feel his fingertips heat up in the warmth of the wooden house. Both removed their boots, gloves, scarves and coats.
"Come to the living room, I'll make some herbal tea to warm you up."
"Spasibo, Zhanna." [Thanks, Zhanna].
Misha lead the way and went to his mother.
"Mama, it's me, I'm back."
"Ooh! My Misha! My strong and beautiful Mikhail!"
Mama put her knitting stuff aside and got up. She was a short, old lady and wore a light pink headscarf. They hugged tightly for a while. When they broke the hug, Misha turned to Ludwig.
"Mama, this is Ludwig, he was my colleague and now we have become friends."
Ludwig felt his heart racing in his chest.
Mama slowly turned and approached him. Ludwig bowed slightly, blushing, and offered his hand for Mama to shake. During a second, which seemed like a year to Ludwig, Mama just looked at him from his half wet socks up to the cowlick in his hair. Ludwig began sweating when Mama's face cleared and a smile began to draw on her old, wrinckled face. She made another step forward to come closer to Ludwig and hugged him.
"Welcome here Ludwig, you can call me..."
Ludwig was half relieved but half concerned. What if she says something else than 'Mama'?
"...Mama. You are welcome in our house."
Ludwig could not but sigh deeply. Thank God! She said it! She said Mama!
"I guess you want to take a shower and change those socks."
Ludwig looked down and indeed, his socks were half soacked with the snow.
"Go, Misha will show you your room and the bathroom."
She turned to Misha.
"Misha, put your friend in your bedroom on your bed and you'll take the spare mattress, is that alright?"
"Da, Mama. Follow me Ludwig."
They went upstairs and while going up, Ludwig saw pictures of Misha's family on the wall. A big man, with a beard and moustache on a black and white picture then a family picture, then a couple more of young babies who, Ludwig guessed, had grown up well.
Once they arrived upstairs, Ludwig and Misha walked along a corridor. Rooms were on the right and on the left. At the end of the corridor was Mama's room and just before, on the right, was Misha's with his own bathroom.
Half an hour later, both men were ready for dinner. They went downstairs and sat on the sofa. A delicious smell was everywhere in the kitchen and the living room. Mama was sitting on an armchair and knitting. Misha and Ludwig sat on the sofa next to the armchair. They were all facing the dancing flames of the fire.
"So, Misha, tell me more about you and your friend."
"Well, as I told you in the letters, I was the Heavy weapons guy and, as for Ludwig, he was the Medic. He took care of all of us, wounded or not. On the battlefield, he was healing us and outside, he had to do check ups on everyone regularly. But he'll tell you better himself..."
Ludwig cleared his throat.
"Ja, that is more or less what I do. I take care of all zhe mercenaries and make sure zhey are in zhe best healzh."
"He is too humble. He invented a machine that can make us invincible, Mama!"
Ludwig blushed.
"Ja, uhm... As a man of science, I like to carry on some experiments, here and zhere. And zhat one vas a huge success for me. By zhe vay, Misha vas very courageous. I asked him to be zhe first one to undergo zhe procedure to have zhat invicibility - I called it zhe übercharge - and he kindly accepted."
"Oh, how was it Misha?"
"Uhm... at the beginning I was a bit afraid but I thought I could trust Ludwig. And in the end, it turns out I was right."
"Ah, and how is the rest of your colleagues?"
A long discussion followed about the rest of the crew, which was interrupted by Zhanna.
"Dinner is ready, come around the table!"
They all shared a delicious dinner and they all discussed about life on the RED base. Zhanna was particularly interested in Joe, the Solly, which seemed to slightly annoy her brother. When they all emptied their plates, they went back to the sofa and Zhanna brought some herbal tea.
"Misha, please take our guest to visit the house."
He nodded, though he felt something was wrong and Ludwig rose to his feet. We have a small house and I already showed Ludwig the first floor... He nonetheless obeyed his mother.
He lead the way. Meanwhile, Zhanna and Mama stayed in the living room. A few minutes later, both men came back.
"Zhanna, can you leave us please?"
"Da, of course."
She left to her room.
"Misha, why have you come back?" Asked Mama.
"My contract - our contracts - ended so I thought I would come back and I wanted to show you my friend."
"Misha, don't lie to me. I know you well, I carried you for nine months. You have something to tell me?"
Misha sighed. His eyebrows frowned and Ludwig could feel his whole body tense. He began fiddling with his fingers. He obviously started to feel uncomfortable.
"No, not particularly..."
"Is he really your friend?"
Misha's eyes open wide and he began sweating. He knew that his mother had guessed for Ludwig and him. Now was a crucial moment. It's all in or all out. Either she takes it, or she throws it all away...
"Uh...y-yes, he is... I mean... he is a very good friend... I told you he was keeping me alive all the time and..."
"Misha, I'm your mother. I know you. You haven't brought anyone home ever. No one. And in your letters, you only talk of you and this medical man. And your sister has been telling me what you told her in your last letter."
At that point, Misha, the strong, big man lowered his head. He was uncomfortable, almost ashamed that his mother discovered he was hiding things from her.
"I did not want to hide anything from you Mama, I just thought I had to talk to Zhanna about a few things and I didn't want to bother you."
Silence fell back in the room. The fire was slowly and quietly crackling and Ludwig was wishing he had been a tiny little insect, unseen from everyone. He felt immensely sorry for his lover who had to face his mother for him. For them.
"Now, be honest with me, Misha."
He took a deep breath and still without raising his head to look at his mother in the eyes, he said:
"I'm... He is... We are..."
"Misha?"
All in a single breath, he said:
"He is my companion, I love him, he is the best person I've ever met and I've brought him here to present him to you."
Misha raised his head this time and Ludwig, as by reflex, put his hand on Misha's. The big man was crying.
"I'm sorry Mama, I won't give you grandchildren of my own, I'm sorry I won't lead the life you had wanted me to live... I know you won't understand but... I've never felt as comfortable as when I'm with him... he understands me... he doesn't laugh because I'm big and strong, he doesn't make fun of me... he likes me for what I am, for what I do... I-"
"Enough." Said Mama.
Misha hid his face in his hands. That's it. That's the day I get kicked out of my house by my own mother. Today is the last day she sees me like her son. Now she sees me like a failure, a mistake.
"Ludwig?"
The German doctor turned to the old lady.
"Ja?"
"Tell me what you think of my son."
Ludwig was completely taken aback.
"Well... uhm... I'd say that he is a good person. Before him, I had troubles with my ex-wife and zhe situation I vas in with my kids. I had turned to work to drown my sorrows. I had become a mad man. A mad doctor. A crazy scientist who vould have done anyzhing for his research. But vizh Misha... I found vhat I had lost vhen I lost my family... faith, empathy, hope and humanity. He made me a human being again. He opened my eyes. I had never seen such a truly good-natured person. Misha is exceptional, you can be proud of him. He is the most human person I know. He brought me so much... of course all I'm saying is purely personal and of course I... like him a lot and zhat probably makes my whole point biased, but... He genuinely transformed me into a good human being, which I never had been, even vhen my marriage vas going on smoothly. I realised zhat I had never laughed vhen having lunch or dinner... I had never had snowball fights before... I had never been at ease with anyone. Not my family, not my wife. The only person who opened my eyes, my heart and my soul vizh unconditional kindness and generosity, is Mikhail, you son."
He paused.
"If you vant, I can leave, I don't vant to create problems or bozher anyone. If you just say it, I vill apologise and disappear from your lives immediately."
"Then please do so."
Misha raised his head from his hands, eyes red and swollen, a horrified look on his face. She is throwing him out.
Withouth a word, Ludwig got up, went upstairs, took his bag. When he came back downstairs, he took his coat and boots, wore them while tears where silently streaming down his face. When he was ready, he turned to Misha and his mother.
"Goodbye, Misha. I vill never forget you or vhat you did to me."
He turned to Mama.
"Zhank you for being honest vizh me. You have a son made of gold to me. Please, sometimes, vhen he feels depressed, remind him zhat he saved my life and zhat I'm forever in his debt for zhat."
He turned his back, opened the door and got out of the house. After he closed the door, silence fell in the house for long, infinite minutes.
Mama had resumed her knitting. Misha was still pale, his mouth open and tears going down his face silently. It was as if he had got petrified. He came back to life, looked at his mother.
"Why did you do this? Wh-what have you done to me...? What have I done to you?"
She put her knitting aside.
"Say it."
"What?"
"Say what you really feel."
"But Mama, I told you, I'm crying, I feel as if you just buried me alive, I-"
"Say what you feel about him."
Misha was breathing heavily.
"I love him, Mama, from the bottom of my heart and all the fibres of my body, I LOVE HIM, I can't live without him!"
Meanwhile, Ludwig had sat underneath a nearby tree and was crying heavily. He started talking alone.
"Why..? Why...? WARUM? For God's sakes... That's all my fault, I shouldn't have insisted to come here... he had warned me and I underestimated vhat he had told me, I did not listen..."
In the wooden house, Mama got up and went to her son.
"Stand up."
He tried but with the shock of losing Ludwig, he couldn't. His legs were failing him.
"I can't, I-"
She hit him on the back of his head with a little slap.
"I'm sorry Mama, I know I disappointed you..."
"Da, you did and you are."
"I will go to my room..."
She gave him a little slap on the back of the head again.
"What was that for?"
"Misha, you are an idiot! That's what it is for. You should be outside right now going after him! Look at you, you are litterally sick without him! What are you waiting for? To die and by eaten out by regrets?"
Misha raised his eyebrows.
"Son, you both are lovely people. No one had ever talked about you like that and you had never talked about anyone like you did about him. You have spent all your life in the fear of others, trying to defend yourself and us from any and everything. After your father's death, you took the role of the man in charge, you sacrificed everything for us. Now it is time to think of you. You love him? It is fine. I like him too, he is a good person. He nearly cried when talking about you. Now go, run and bring him back here!"
Misha got up his feet instantly and rushed out with only his boots as equipment. He called and called again when he saw a little man sat down under a pine tree and crying his eyes out. He ran to him and raised him off the ground with his powerful arms.
"I LOVE YOU LUDWIG, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU!" Misha was roaring in the mountains and the echo multiplied his declaration of love.
He kissed him passionately. Ludwig didn't have time to process what was going on but the second Misha's lips touched his, he closed his eyes and reciprocated it. He put his hands around Misha's neck and went on crying. When they got back home, Mama was waiting for them in the living room. Ludwig went to her directly.
"I don't understand, what's-"
"Welcome to the family, Ludwig."
She rose to her feet and hugged him tightly. Due to her small size, Ludwig had to bend a bit down to hug her.
"I am sorry to have got you both through such trouble but now I know."
She sat back in her armchair and Ludwig and Misha sat on the sofa.
"Now I know that Misha will finally be happy. That's all that counts. Zhanna?! Remove the mattress in your brother's room!"
"What?!" Zhanna shouted from upstairs.
"Remove the mattess from Misha's room!" The old lady shouted back.
She looked at both men.
"Unfortunately, whatever you do, I'm not having grandchildren..."
"Speaking of which, Ludwig has two sons Mama, they're adorable, wait, ZHANNA?! Bring me the book you'll find in my bag!"
"Alright!"
Misha put his hand around Ludwig's waist. His mother came to sit on the sofa next to him and Zhanna joined them with photo album.
After a good hour of laughter and stories about Ludwig's sons and the RED and BLU colleagues, both ex-mercenaries found themselves in Misha's bed. Misha was laying on his back and Ludwig put his head on Misha's chest.
"You know what Misha?"
"Nyet?"
"I love you too."
And both slept happily that night. Misha felt a weight on his conscience disappear and Ludwig wouldn't have wished to be anywhere else than in Misha's arms.
- Author's notes -
Thanks for reading and please tell me what you think with a review or a PM!
Smecial thanks to Can't Stop! There have been a few reviews now that say that the story makes you smile in restaurants or cafés. I'm glad I can bring that kind of reactions to you guys :)
By the way, I was thinking about opening a Discord server where we could exchange our ideas/headcanons about the Mercs, what do you think? Please let me know and if lots of people are willing to participate, I'll create it and post a link in the next chapter's 'Author's note' section.
Thanks again and see y'all :) !