I don't own Hetalia okay? I don't have much else for this opening. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

Lien drove around the highway around Los Angeles with a sigh. Even on New Year's Day, it's a traffic nightmare. She thought as she drove around the city, reminiscing on the days she had with her band before she headed back to Bakersfield. The new semester did not start at her school until the following week so she was going to spend the time she had clearing her mind. It was good to hear Alfred's voice again. While sitting at a red light, she heard the ding of notification from her phone, showing that Alfred had sent her a friend request saying 'I'm sorry for deleting you. I wasn't thinking. Just so mad. Friends?' She smiled and hit accept as the light turned green.

After seeing her fill of Los Angeles, Lien decided to head back to Bakersfield where her aunt was living and had her restaurant. As she drove on, she was filled with a bittersweet feeling. She was happy that Alfred was getting a good start back and a good path to follow afterwards. She was worried he would be worse off. He had told her that his father had strongly disapproved of them taking this risk. He was worried how his father would respond to him failing at the venture and he'd take it too personally. Alfred was a determined soul but deep down he was very sensitive. His music was his creation, his child and to lose it for something stupid, like poor producer management was devastating. But what made everything so bittersweet for her was the fact that Alfred had found someone. Sure she was happy for him that he was happy now and found him a special person but she also knew his love life before and that did not work out well. She arrived at her aunt's house in the early evening.

"Xin chào, Lien." Her aunt said. "How was your drive?"

"Fine." Lien said simply.

"You found something out about Alfred didn't you?" Her aunt asked.

"Just how did you know?" Lien asked surprised.

"I can read you like a book." Her aunt smirked. "You missed him so much when he headed back home." Lien blushed and looked away at that memory. "You were in love with him weren't you?" All she could do was nod.

"I met Lukas from the band today, when I was driving by the beach. He apologized for the rift that happened and the band breaking up. It wasn't his fault, we all just had different ideas on how to keep going. And apparently he doesn't like the path that he chose. Thinking of going out of music altogether." Lien explained.

"So what does this have to do with Alfred?" Lien's aunt replied.

"What?" She asked surprised at the question.

"Cô gái trẻ" Her aunt sighed rolling her eyes. "I know how you felt about him and I know when you are trying to hide things."

"Fine. He's found someone else. Well, not yet," Lien's aunt raised her eyebrow in skeptically. "Well he told me he met someone recently and he sounds like he really likes this man." Lien's aunt eyed her suspiciously. "Okay I know how Alfred is, when he's found someone he thinks he loves, he's over the moon with them. I haven't met this Ivan fellow, but I guess I will take Alfred's word for it and say he is decent. But auntie, I don't know how to feel. He still wants to be friends." She looked in the mirror and sighed. "And I swear I feel too old for something that sounds like it is from a cheesy teen drama."

"It's an issue you can have at any age." Lien's aunt said. "I felt much the same about a man who ran a rival restaurant a few years ago."

"Really?" Lien asked skeptically.

"Yes, but Yao was too into his business for much more and I admired his skill. I mean he oversaw almost all the cooking at Riverside's largest buffet." Lien rolled her eyes. "Yes I know it seems like a stereotype for us Asians but it is what we love to do, Yao and I. However, I do want to outdo him one of these days." She said with a greedy look in her eyes."

"Uhhhh auntie?" Lien asked.

"Point is; love drama happens no matter how old you are. And believe me, as old as you think I am, Yao is much older." Lien's aunt said. "And sadly, sometimes we miss our true loves. It was just not meant to be. But that does not mean you cannot be happy for him and be a friend."

"That is true. He did seem to want to still be friends." Lien added. "I was the one who stuck with him and thought we should keep trying."

"And sometimes, a friendship is more valuable to someone than a romance. Remember that Lien." Her aunt explained.

She smiled and headed up to the bedroom where she stayed and laid back on the bed. Yeah she had to admit in her more mature and rational side of herself, that her aunt did have a point. What if I refused to leave his side? Would he still be here? What if I went with him? I'd be in much a same position he thought he would be. I am sure his father wasn't too happy of him and that was why Alfred worked himself to near death. How he could maintain the band and the jobs he did, I will never know. At the end of the day, Lien had to admit friendship was the best she could have unless something happened between Alfred and Ivan. "Do not wish ill on his relationship. That is being selfish of you and you could not be truly happy together if he wasn't happy." She reminded herself as she lay back on the bed and placed a pillow on her head.

Meanwhile the next day, Alfred woke up early, about the same time as Arthur and poured himself a cup of tea and headed to the car. "You don't normally act this motivated in the morning." Arthur noted as Alfred headed out the door.

"Well want to do good with this, got to start somewhere." Alfred yelled as the front door shut behind him.

Arthur sighed and looked at Francis who was already in the kitchen starting to work on breakfast before Arthur had to head back to his job at the school. "Oh I think his nouvel amantmay be behind the change in attitude. I know you were worried you would have to drag him out of bed this morning so he would even go to the college courses he signed up for."

"Seriously?" Arthur said with a skeptical look on his face.

"It's amazing what love will do. If only you had such an outlook yourself when you were in his shoes." Francis teased.

"I already had my degree though. I did both at the same time." Arthur said.

"Well just don't be a jerk to him. I want our sons to be happy." Francis warned.

Alfred called Ivan on the phone as he headed to the college. It was Ivan's words that would make the most boring class tolerable, that would make him ignore the fact that most of his classmates would be 8 years younger than him, that he wasn't just a failure at life who followed something that was highly unlikely to work out. He dialed Ivan and was greeted with a sleepy "Privyet Fredka…" He said as he rubbed his eyes.

"Well, I thought you'd be up by now…." Alfred teased. "I did tell you today was my first day of the new classes."

"I guess I was not thinking so well." Ivan admitted. "I was having a very pleasant dream."

"Was I in it?" Alfred teased.

"Why yes you were." Ivan laughed. "But you aren't on the phone while driving are you?" Ivan asked, suddenly worried about him.

"Of course not, there's hands free sets these days, duh!" Alfred rolled his eyes. "Don't you trust me not to do something so stupid?"

"Guess not." Ivan laughed. He could hear Alfred's annoyance through the phone, almost could hear his eye roll. "But I am glad to hear you. It makes being awoken from that dream with a phone call so much better."

"Ugggh tell me about it." Alfred said. "Well I can't wait to see you again. I do have work tomorrow after school."

"Which department?" Ivan asked.

"Lifeguard." Alfred said. "Middle of the week so I'm likely going to be getting a few laps in. Unless you'd care to stop by, I'd get to watch you."

"I can't swim too well…." Ivan blushed.

"You can skate like nothing but swimming? Well you are from Russia, so I don't think you'd get too much time to swim…" Alfred laughed.

"Our summers aren't that cold. But there's indoor pools if one wanted to swim. Some even do it in the lakes and rivers in the winter. I was just never that way…." Ivan said. "I can take cold; I just do not like it. If I were to have my way, I want to move somewhere warm with a lot of sunflowers. Go ahead. Laugh."

"Nah man, I wouldn't do that. That actually sounds nice." Alfred said. "You know what would make it better?"

"What?" Ivan asked. He had an idea of where Alfred was going but he wanted to hear it.

"That I was there with you." Alfred said.

"I'd like that a lot." Ivan said.

"Well I have to go Vanya; I am almost there." Alfred said. "Ya lyublyu tebya" Alfred said.

"You've picked up that Russian well." Ivan laughed. "Study hard."

"I will." Alfred said. "That dream of those sunflowers and warmth with you will be the goal."

"You're too much sometimes. But do well. I want you so badly."

"Well I think I know what your dream was about." Alfred laughed as he could sense Ivan blushing. "And stop by the pool tomorrow, you're a guest, use it and I have seen you in less, so don't feel embarrassed. Not like many other people go there this time of year anyway. I'll even get you a swimsuit so you don't have to find one. I just want to be able to see my big guy as much as I can until you have to leave."

"I guess with such an offer I could not refuse." Ivan laughed. "I do want to see you more often, hold you, just, I never felt like this about anyone else."

"Neither have I, it just feels like dude, we're meant for each other. Corny I know, but hey. Well I'm here so I have to go and find that freaking office. Ya lyublyu tebya" Alfred said

"Ya tozhe tebya lyublyu, moy podsolnukh" Ivan replied. At this he hung up and laid back, with the phone on his heart. He looked at the contact and while he had pictures of his sisters and a corporate logo for work contacts. He saw Alfred's and realized he did not have a good enough picture on his phone. I am going to have to get a lovely picture of my sunflower. He mused as he looked at the contact as he got a ding, to show that Alfred had text him. It was a selfie picture of Alfred in front of the school with a thumbs up sign. This is good for now. Ivan smiled as he had the picture replace the default picture. It was something that melted his heart. We have known each other for only a week, maybe a little over. But he somehow feels like part of me. His stomach growled and he headed to the guest room for the breakfast that was provided. Grabbing a plate, Ivan reached out for a few strips of bacon, thinking of how much Alfred loved the crispy meat, some oatmeal and fruit and grabbed a carton of milk and began to head to a table when a familiar face waved at him. Oh god, this guy…. Ivan thought

"Oh so, Vanya…." Gilbert began when Ivan cut him off.

"Ivan. I'd actually prefer a Mr. Braginsky from you, but only my closest friends and family can call me Vanya" Ivan growled.

"Well I take it you and Al got real close there hehehehehehee…" Gilbert laughed as Ivan flushed. "So the rumors are true. You two did sleep together."

"Who told you?" Ivan growled, pulling Gilbert to his face.

"In this country, this could be considered assault Ruski." Gilbert said. "But no one told me, I just assumed as I had had seem him on New Year's Day and he was wearing what he wore the night before. I just put two and two together."

"Well some would say it is quite a leap to do so." Ivan said.

"Meh, I just know the boy. He is one of my drinking buddies and I am a bartender on evenings I work here after all. You have to learn how to read people in that because they will come to you with every issue you could ever think of and you're that ear and somehow know how to give the world's best advice. Although with a therapist brother and a French dad, I think he would have plenty of sources on that issue, unless he doesn't want to tell them. Just letting you know what your in-laws will be like. You already met his other father." Gilbert laughed.

Ivan flushed. It was certainly way too early to think about something like that and Gilbert was obviously a smartass but a voice in Ivan's head spoke up "Well you could do worse, and he is quite handsome and devoted" Ivan shook it away. "So you figured us out. We weren't necessarily trying to hide it but at the same time it is rather rude to not let us tell those who we want to when we are ready to."

"I understand." Gilbert said as he thumped Ivan on the back. "Just like I said, invite me to the wedding, I am a huge sap for those and my brother's boyfriend could use some catering work."

"You'll be sure to hear from me when we do." Ivan said sarcastically.

"Just be careful when he is on the clock." Gilbert said as his voice dropped to a serious level. "The managers don't like us getting overly friendly with the staff. I know, hospitality business and all so you kind of have to be but rumors get around. I don't want the poor kid fired and all. Then again your company of crazy Russian hackers may have hired him on so he wouldn't need this."

Ivan paused. Would him being with Alfred cost him his job, and if he lost this, would Alfred's fathers be mad? From the sounds of it, his brother and Papa would not be mad, but his father was another story from what Ivan remembered of the one time they had met. He wanted to punch him right then and there. Alfred said that he sounded like he had learned from his attitude but it could come back. But he was also hired on for a little while at least with his company so it was not like he would be totally unemployed. A manager would be a fool to let someone like Alfred pass for something like a customer seeing him romantically. I think next time I talk to him I would like a meeting with his parents. I do think he said his brother had gone back to Canada so I would have to do a video call for that…. Ivan thought as Gilbert tapped him on the shoulder.

"I know you are probably fantasying about a naked Al, Ruski, but are you finished with that plate?" Gilbert asked.

"Sure." Ivan nonchalantly handed the plate towards Gilbert who reached for it.

"So you were fantasying about Al naked? Got the nudes on your phone?" He laughed as Ivan took the plate out of his hand.

"Nyet and even if I had nudes of him, like you could ever find them." Ivan scowled. "I have work to do. I think I am finished here." He got up, wrapped his scarf around his neck more securely. Grabbing a few juice boxes and pieces of fruit, he headed back to his room to begin the work he had to do for his job for the day. But yes, I can keep those pictures so secure…. Nyet! That is too soon to ask of him at this stage. I just want a few nice pictures to show Katyusha and Natalya. I can get that with him fully clothed and save him naked for the dreams. No one can get into that. With computers, someone can find anything with hard enough work.

Translation guide.

(Obtained via Google Translate)

Xin chào,- Vietnamese- Hello

cô gái trẻ-Vietnamese- Young lady

nouvel amant-French-new lover

Privyet-Russian-Hello

Ya lyublyu tebya-Russian- I love you

Ya tozhe tebya lyublyu, moy podsolnukh-Russian- I love you too my sunflower

So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I know I have been slower updating this story than some of my others, but I love me some good RusAme so I have no plans to abandon it. And if you see some of my other works on FFN, you will find it took a LONG TIME to finish it. Anyway remember to read, well you just did, and to review. Ciao for now,

Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm