I do not own Hetalia okay? I'm glad to see so many of you like this fic of mine. Updates may slow down as well; work can be a hassle. The first four months of the year are my busiest. But you don't want to hear about that, so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!

Bundled up against the cold, Alfred, Natalya and Ivan walked through the zoo, looking at the animals and how the caretakers made sure they got through the winter okay. Normally Alfred loved coming here and seeing the animals, but it seemed off to him. Getting a cup of coffee from a nearby cart, he headed back to where Natalya was standing with Ivan, overhearing them talk. And frankly, from the long subway ride over, he was getting sick of Ivan's latest topic of conversation, and annoyed at the fact that Natalya kept encouraging it, which was Emily. She had seemed like a good enough girl. Had a job that Alfred could respect. If she could get lives on the line to the hospital in a city like this, then she certainly had his respect. Heck Emily kept that big Russian bear out of my hair for a night and on Christmas too. Hell I don't know the girl and she gave me a great gift. He thought as he sipped his coffee and looked at the polar bears in the exhibit nearby "Nikita and Chinook..." He read on the sign. "These two bears are part of our conservation project and we hope to be able to breed this pair and help conserve and save the spices Ursus Maritimus. Currently a vulnerable specie, global warming may eventually lead to extinction..." He read aloud to hopefully drown out what Ivan was saying, voice growing louder until Ivan had enough.

"She had lived in this city all her life- Are you training to be a tour guide?" Ivan asked as he turned over to Alfred annoyed as Natalya looked at the two and groaned.

"Not exactly." Alfred sighed sipping his coffee. "I just couldn't focus on the fascinating study of these bears with you yammering on and on about your apparently new girlfriend." Alfred moaned.

"Oh, you really think I would enter a relationship with a girl I will likely not see much in person again after I head back to Russia?" Ivan said although Natalya could have sworn she heard there was some doubt in his voice on that conviction.

No, you'll use her for a green card so you don't have to go to that frozen slightly radioactive wasteland that somehow makes hot girls and just annoy the piss out of me... Alfred thought. "Well if you did that'd be stupid for the reason you said. I doubt that she'd want to follow you back. And I am sure that living in the same city as me would just drive pain into your very soul."

"Well it would be the same city as Natalya so that would make things tolerable. And who knows, when I told Emily of how Russia is now, not like the movies from the cold war she had seen, she found it quite interesting. She was even curious on how it was in the spring or summer when she is given vacation time. You can be quite arrogant and presumptuous." Ivan growled.

"And here I thought you two were making progress." Natalya said as she placed her face in her palm. "Gorbatovo mogila ispravit."

"I should not concern myself with what you think. Although you do seem to be causing your wife distress." He said pointing out Natalya's expression. "I will head over to the gift shop as I think Emily would love those stuffed polar bears."

Noticing her expression and what Ivan said, Alfred ran over and hugged Natalya tightly. "I'm sorry babe. I slipped up. I don't know what came over me! Please don't be too mad at me! Sorry sorry sorry!" He added kissing her on the cheek repeatedly.

"I forgive you." Natalya said as she pushed him away, causing him to spill his coffee all over the walkway. "Just if you want to prove you are really sorry, act better."

"I will I will. I'll probably slip up so you know..." Alfred sighed looking at the loss of his coffee.

"I expect you to." Natalya moaned as he looked defeated. "But I know how to read you." Noticing his spilled coffee. "I'll get you a new drink. Decaf this time." She sighed as she took his hand and headed back to the coffee cart. They walked back to where Natalya was waiting before to find Ivan standing with a smile.

"Whatcha got there big guy?" Alfred asked. Be nice, fake an interest zone out and think about the upcoming Batman movie just enough if he gets nauseating with Emily again…. at this, a thought occurred to him Didn't Mattie say you were annoying the hell out of him when you first were going out with Nattie? Yeah he said something like that because you kept talking about what you thought would be a fun first date for a girl like her and Mattie wondered if they gave me too much pain medication because I wouldn't shut up.

"It is for Emily. She has to work today and I wanted to give her something for being so gracious and I thought this stuffed Nikita and Chinook kissing would be a good gift for her." Ivan smiled.

"That is rather sweet." Natalya smiled, trying to be supportive who quickly looked to Alfred who seemed to say the same thing back to her in their minds He's head over heels for her. "May I take Fredka into the gift shop alone? There's something there I think he would like." With this Natalya grabbed Alfred's hand and took him to a display of t-shirts and spoke, "I think he's head over heels with this Emily girl and they just met."

"Ya think Nattie?" Alfred said as she smacked him, "Ow. That hurt." He rubbed his cheek. "I think you left a mark…."

"By your sarcasm I can see you picked up on it too." Natalya replied.

"I thought you said it was a good thing he met someone?" Alfred asked looking at the t-shirt.

"It is…." Natalya began "But I also know how taxing long distance relationships can be. He was in one with someone from Estonia once and it ended with a fight accusations and chasing down the street with a metal pipe." Alfred gulped. "And it would be much easier to see someone in Estonia from Moscow than New York."

"What about you know, video calls and the like? Emily is an ambulance driver, they work some weird schedules and it might work for them. Like you said, if he is enamored with someone else he might stop picking on me." Alfred suggested.

"Yes, there is always that theory but I know how big brother has had his heart broken before due to long distance relationships back around Russia. Other than that Estonian disaster, there was the issue with a girl from Saint Petersburg too. It's not pleasant trying to calm him down when he's sad he can't see someone more often and that is the reason they leave him." Natalya explained.

"I could imagine so…." Alfred moaned looking at Ivan who had the bag with the stuffed bears over his wrist and he had his phone out texting only what he assumed was Emily.

"It happened while I was still doing my clinical. As if those weren't exhausting enough. By the time I got through with it all, I wanted to stab that bitch so much…. I love my big brother dearly but it is tiresome cleaning up his emotional mess." Natalya moaned.

"Well, we'll see how things go. Who knows, he could just be being really friendly and she already knows that they can't go any further." Alfred assured her. "Well I'll get us matching Nikita and Chinook t-shirts." He grabbed a small Nikita and held it to Natalya. "Geesh still looks big on you."

"That is because you are in the men's section. Nikita is a male name in Russian. Think Nikita Khrushchev…." Natalya explained.

"Oh like some men end up named Lindsey…." Alfred said.

"Something like that. So if you want to have it be some cute couple's shirt, you would get a Nikita and I would get a Chinook." Natalya explained finding a Chinook shirt in her size and handing it to Alfred.

"Will do snow bunny." He said as he took the t-shirts to the register to purchase them, kissing Natalya on the forehead. Rolling her eyes with a smile, she headed out to the area where Ivan was waiting to overhear him finishing up a phone call.

"Well, sounds like your day has been relatively easy on you so far then from what you told me. It's good to come back from the holidays to a smooth day. I got something to thank you for taking care of me last night. It's the least I could do." Ivan said as Natalya stood beside him. "I know I will see you again when we go to New Year's Eve with my sister and her husband but do you have any days off before then? It's not like I want to ignore my family but they are trying to have a baby and I should give them some privacy." Ivan said. He looked a little dejected. "I see, let me know when you know your rest of your schedule. You'll like what I got you. Proshchay moy drug" Ivan looked surprised. "Oh, it means Goodbye my friend in Russian. Cannot wait to hear from you again. Goodbye." He said as he hung up to see Natalya's smirking face. "What is it baby sister?"

"You're really…. how you say…smitten with this girl are you not?" Natalya asked as Ivan blushed.

"No, nothing more than a friend. I know it would be too much to ask of her to enter into something long distance. But we can be friends." He smiled.

Natalya rolled her eyes. She knew that tone and evasion of the question well. He really did like her more than a friend but he did not want to risk heartbreak he had felt when other long distance relationships did not work out. This distance is further than Estonia or Saint Petersburg. It would be too much stress to pursue Ivan thought as Natalya kept looking at him and she has learned to read people well due to her job as a psychologist. Too well for my liking. "You know; it is not just my psychological training. I know you, you are my brother." She sighed. "I don't want you getting hurt. I don't think, at least from what you tell me that this Emily will intentionally do so. But you know from a fact how hard long distance can be when you are in the same continent."

"I know. I feel like if that were to happen my heart would fall out." Ivan sighed placing his hand on his chest. But I like her as a friend. Nothing more. So no need to worry." He assured here.

"Here you go snow bunny!" Alfred said giving Natalya a kiss and the Chinook t-shirt. "So everything okay?"

"Yes. Just got off the phone with Emily." Ivan smiled.

"Yeah, how's she doing?" Alfred asked trying to remain friendly.

"She's at work. But it's a quiet day for her." Ivan said.

"Well she's an ambulance driver correct?" Alfred asked as Ivan nodded. "So quiet is good."

"I told her that but she likes a rush." He explained. "She loves making sure those who need her help get it."

"Sounds nice." Alfred said.

"She is." Ivan smiled. "Now let us explore more of this zoo. I want to see all the animals."

"Sure thing." Alfred said as he looked at Natalya worried about Ivan. They had both agreed it was nice he had found someone to be friends with but if it got any further, they worried about his heartbreak.

Translation guide:

(Obtained Via Google Translate)

Gorbatovo mogila ispravit.-Russian literal proverb- only the grave will cure the hunchback or a matching English is A Leopard cannot change his spots.

Proshchay moy drug-Russian-Goodbye my friend.

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Otherrealmwriter

Aka

Realm