I don't own Hetalia okay? I want to thank all of you who have read and enjoyed my work so far. I don't know how fast I will get to updating, got work and school projects. (Praying the one I recently submit passes and then one project to go!) But I do want to get you guys something happy and fluffy, so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!
Alfred sat down on the couch next to Natalya with a flop. "I have most everything set out. Turkey needs a little while longer, you can reheat your stuff now Ivan."
"Would there be enough room?" Ivan asked curiously.
"Yeah, big oven dude. Part of the reason I got this place. Love Thanksgiving and Christmas, all the big holiday family stuff." Alfred said. "And that's a lot of food to make, well that I like to make so you can move around what you need to as long as the bird is in the oven."
"It should not be much longer." Ivan said as he headed into the kitchen.
"So," Alfred began as he laid on Natalya's lap. "Some girl asked Ivan to New Years?"
"Apparently." Natalya sighed as she stroked Alfred's hair. "I know you may find it hard to think someone may want to get to know him better but Vanya isn't a total jerkass as you like to say when you are being nice."
"It's a big city." Alfred sighed. "I'll get the egg nog out after dinner."
"You're going to put the spiced rum in this aren't you?" Natalya sighed.
"Well duh, you have to do that with egg nog." Alfred said.
Natalya rolled her eyes. As much as he did not want to admit it, Alfred was a lightweight with alcohol like his mother was but she also worried that Ivan would get ahold of too much of the egg nog as well. He normally had a high alcohol tolerance when it came to vodka and wines but if he had brown liquors like spiced rum, he got tipsy fast and the kind of drunk he was really depended on many things. He could either be an angry drunk, a sad drunk of a fun drunk. I hope the excitement he feels for his well date you could say won't make him an angry drunk. Fredka would have no restraint then. "I just hope that you and Vanya both take it easy on it then. Or you do not put so much in. You've already had a fair bit of wine."
"What?" Alfred shrugged. "Wine doesn't bother me too much."
"Just be careful okay." Natalya rolled her eyes. Alfred sighed with a pout. "And I will tell Vanya the same thing. Even if he hasn't had any vodka today, it still is that he does not do well with brown liquors."
"Funny." Alfred mused while Natalya looked at him. "You've said I am awful when I drink white liquors and you say your brother is bad when he drinks brown."
"That's the truth is it not?" Natalya asked, not quite finding the situation as funny as Alfred.
"I should say it's more, ironic in a way? I don't know I am no Alanis Morissette or whatever." Alfred sighed throwing his hands up in the air, causing a slight chuckle from Natalya. "That your brother can treat white liquor like water but give him brown and he's like some chick in a college party and me, it's sort of the other way around."
"Yes, I guess it is kind of amusing when you look at it like that." Natalya laughed.
"Oh it's ready!" Ivan said as he headed into the living room. "You might want to make sure the turkey is."
"My time to shine." Alfred jumped up. Give me a few minutes. He walked in and seeing the timer on the turkey popped up, he turned off the oven to keep it warm and moved the dishes around so that everyone had easy access and that they could reach Ivan's cooking as well. Okay I know Nattie would tell if I am being passive aggressive so I'll mix it in with the normal stuff…. Looking at the food while he removed the coverings, he noticed the looks of them Okay this looks like some fancy potato salad…deviled eggs? Russians like those too? Ah well, we'll see if he can do these things right…. mushroom soup? Alfred thought as he removed the lid from the crock he was barely aware he and Natalya had. Going to need bowls too…. he thought as he pulled three out and placed them around And this fish roll thing. Alfred said placing it down sniffing it. Once the setting was to his liking, he called in Ivan and Natalya. "All ready dudes!"
"It smells rather good." Natalya said as Alfred and Ivan looked at each other smirking. "Both of you."
"Thanks Snowbunny." Alfred said as Natalya rolled her eyes. "So, what is the stuff you made? I know what the deviled eggs are, didn't know they were big in Russia too…."
"Well the potatoes and meat salad there is Olivier Salad, Mushroom soup is very popular at festivities back home and the big pastry thing there," Ivan said noticing Alfred's curious expression. "Is kulebyaka. A Russian salmon pie."
"I guess I'll try a little of everything you made then…." Alfred said awkwardly. The Olivier salad looked a lot like potato salad served at picnics he had known but it had intrigued him to see if it was any different, much the same with the deviled eggs. But he was most apprehensive about the kulebyaka. He bent down and whispered to Natalya. "Hey Nattie, is that salmon stuff any good?"
"It has been awhile since I have had any. I did not find it too objectionable growing up." Natalya said simply.
"Fine. I guess I'll try it…." Alfred said.
"Lovely." Ivan said. "And if there is some left I may take some over for Emily to enjoy."
"Emily?" Alfred asked with a mouthful of kulebyaka.
"Is that the girl who asked you to New Year's?" Natalya said. "And Fredka dear, please do not speak with your mouth full."
"Your husband is like a child sometimes." Ivan scoffed. Seeing Natalya's glare, he continued. "Yes I had stopped by the only open liquor store within walking distance and met her there. We had gotten to talking after she had noticed the copious amounts of wine and a few bottles of vodka I had in my basket." Natalya looked slightly concerned. "She did not lecture me; said her boyfriend had just how you say…. dumped her last night and she was going to drink away her sorrows. I had told her she was too pretty to do that and then she smiled and asked me to go to New Year's with her."
"Rebound…" Alfred said under his breath as Natalya punched him in the thigh causing him to wince in pain.
"Are you okay Alfred?" Ivan asked noticing Alfred's wince.
"Charlie horse. No big deal…." He smiled. "But that's nice." Natalya looked at Alfred approvingly before looking back to Ivan. "This potato salad stuff is pretty good. It's a lot like stuff I've had at cookouts just with meat in it instead of like a hot dog or hamburger on the side."
"Well I have to say you would likely do your father proud from what you told me of him. The idea to put the sbiten to baste the turkey in actually worked well. "Ivan said. "I will be too full for desert even."
"Dude, desert will be a little while later. Give this time to digest some before putting that on there. And I'll have the egg nog and it all ready." Alfred said proudly. He looked over at Natalya. "And I noticed a lot of your gingerbread cookies left Snowbunny. Quite tasty." He added kissing her on the cheek, with a mouthful of stuffing.
"Thank you for that comment but you are so excitable at holiday dinners…." Natalya sighed.
"I just got to heat the pies up and we'll be good for desert later." Alfred said. "And us two can do that again later tonight." Alfred said with a wink causing Natalya to roll her eyes and face turn bright red.
After more discussion over food, who made the better meals and how everyone liked what they had gotten for Christmas, Ivan offered to put away the leftovers and do the dishes while Alfred and Natalya headed to the living room, and turned on the television. They usually watched some sort of movie, but it was after a long argument on if Die Hard counted as a Christmas movie until Natalya guilt tripped Alfred into watching something a little more holiday and if she convinced him, they would watch It's a Wonderful Life, something that Alfred was not normally into watching. It was during this usual holiday argument which was not helped when Natalya pointed out Tim Burton's Batman could qualify as a Christmas movie using the same logic he did with Die Hard that caused them to settle on another cheesy 90s movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger called Jingle All the Way that Ivan came out from washing the dishes.
"I have something to ask of you, I hope you do not mind…." Ivan began.
"What do you need big brother?" Natalya asked while Alfred looked at him curiously.
"I was wondering if you would not mind terribly if I took some leftovers over to Emily." Ivan blushed burying his head in his scarf. "You see I wished her a Merry Christmas over a text message when I started the dishes then she called telling me she was lonely and eating a Turkey tv dinner and I didn't feel right having so much leftover that I wouldn't bring her some. Same with the sbiten. She is too nice a girl to be left so sad on Christmas because her boyfriend dumped her."
Rolling her eyes at Alfred's sniggering, she got up and headed into the kitchen. "That is quite a sweet notion. I'll show you the containers we use when we take food to an event. A regular picnic basket would be too cold for this time of year. I'll help you out."
"Just be careful big guy, you just met this girl. Don't you think you're moving too fast?" Alfred laughed as Natalya went back and stomped on his foot. "What did I do?"
Ivan looked at Natalya curiously. "While he put it in a rather careless way," Natalya began. "Fredka's concern is valid. You only met her today. Do not as they say move too fast with her."
"No need to worry." Ivan assured her as she pulled out a bag they kept hot foods in and put some of the leftovers into containers and into the bag. "I am not so foolish as to let things get the better of me."
"I hope so." Natalya sighed handing him the bag once everything was packed. "Anyway, do enjoy yourself and do you need us to drive you or any help?"
"Thank you for your concern but I have the way on my phone and the cold does not bother me. You know that little sis. Do not be such a mother hen."
"Okay. Call if you need anything." Natalya said.
"We'll be here." Alfred offered.
"I should be fine and hope to not stay too late." Ivan said as he left.
Once the door shut Alfred looked at Natalya. "So, there's that. He comes all this way for Christmas then leaves to meet up with a girl he met…." He said, not sure what to make of it, yeah he wanted Ivan out of the house but was more than willing to put up with him during Christmas. It was the holiday season after all.
"I think it is nice. You know he has trouble meeting people. It might do him some good." Natalya saw Alfred roll his eyes in disbelief. "Good as in he might stop being so critical of you so much good." Seeing Alfred scoff, she took this to be that he wouldn't believe it until he saw it. "Besides," She added knowing convincing him wasn't going to happen today. "We now have a chance for me to model your gift for you, see how it fits…." She whispered in his ear, kissing him and nibbling on the lobe slightly.
"Well there is always that then isn't there?" Alfred said mischievously.
"And I did promise you would have a chance with me later today anyway." Natalya said.
"Well don't keep me waiting..." Alfred said as he scooped Natalya up and headed up to the bedroom.
So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I don't know when I will update again, lot of projects, work, and school stuff at the same time but hopefully with work lessening a little in busy I can get some other things knocked out too. I just got the results of the first task I submit and that passed but I have another one to do yet. But hey you don't want to hear about that. So, remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,
Otherrealmwriter
Aka
Realm.