I don't own Hetalia okay? I am so glad to see so many of you like this story. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!
December came in with a cold breeze as Alfred started to decorate the house as soon as the final month of the year began. It was one of his favorites as he loved the sweets but also was quite a generous person himself. And with the addition of his brother and his wife in the house before the season, he wanted to make sure it was the best ever. With Natalya planning to be an ocean away, he wanted to savor it. Thanksgiving involved minimal issue than could be expected with her but he did not want to push his luck. With her in Lithuania to the new year, the only chaos he could really see would be from his parents. And after how Ivan had reacted when they argued when he was trying to sleep, he hoped they would mind their manners. It would be Christmas after all.
Once Alfred had put the tree up, he had gathered the gifts he had picked up when they had taken Francis shopping a few weeks before and looked at Ivan. "So, all we got is some baby stuff and a few things for each other." Alfred said.
"Do not fret my love." Ivan smiled. "There's still at least 2 weeks until Christmas. What good would the gifts be if they are just sitting there?"
"I suppose…" Alfred pouted, "But what if I wait until the last minute and I cannot get what I want to for someone?"
"We are all adults here, I don't think anyone would hold it against you and would know your generous heart." Ivan rolled his eyes. He would be happy with nothing but a bottle of vodka and a sunflower from Alfred for Christmas but he would never let that be. He was the type that would fall into that old twist in the old Gift of the Magi story to make sure Ivan and everyone he cared about had something beautiful for Christmas.
"I suppose…." Alfred said as Ivan had to look away. He had a weakness for his pouting.
Katyusha walked by and noticed the tree and the gifts. "Oh. It's that time already. I had been meaning to talk to you two about something."
"Sure Katy." Alfred smiled.
"Well I have a bit of money saved in a Christmas fund," Katyusha began. Much like Alfred she was very generous with what she could give. One of Ivan's most treasured possessions was the scarf he always wore that she had made for him the year after their great uncle died. "And I have yet to do some shopping for Matvey. And some of the things that I am looking at I do not want to order online, so I was wondering if I could borrow Fredka from you Vanya for the day." She said looking towards Ivan.
"Why can't you go yourself?" Ivan asked. "I mean you can drive and if you need to use one of our cars, I wouldn't mind."
"Me neither." Alfred said.
"Well I want to make sure some of the things I was thinking of getting him fit. And what better idea than using his twin brother." Katyusha laughed. "I can also get something of an idea of what he would look in them."
Alfred smiled but rolled his eyes. Matthew and Katyusha had settled in okay once they had gotten used to the idea while Matthew looked for work. He still had not heard back from Gilbert and he had applied at a few other places but so far there was no call backs. It was wearing on him and everyone could tell. But Alfred still had hope that he'd get something soon.
But while he was living with them, there was the fact that sometimes laundry would get mixed up. It was just a fact of life. And while if Ivan or Katyusha's clothing getting mixed with someone else's load was easy enough to sort out, Alfred and Matthew were the same size. So unless it was painfully obvious who it belonged to, like Alfred's I Want to Believe t shirt or Matthew's maple hockey jersey, things could get mixed up. Knowing this, Katyusha saw this as a chance to get her husband some new clothes for Christmas and not have to worry about it fitting badly.
"Sounds like a good idea big sis." Ivan laughed. "I will have to then borrow Matt for that reason myself." Alfred rolled his eyes. "Why that expression dorogoy?"
"Sometimes I question if you know what I like." Alfred sulked.
"What you like and what you look good in are two different things sometimes…" Ivan said. "But sounds like a good idea. Tomorrow you and Fredka and Matt and I will handle the Christmas shopping."
"Good." Katyusha said with a smile that caused Alfred to gulp slightly. "I have everything planned out on just what is needed and where I need to go and what to fit and so forth." He looked over at her nervously and just smiled and gave an honest thumbs up, worried at what he would be subjected to. Well as long as no one but Katy sees me I guess I can put up with it for her… He thought as he changed the channel on the TV. I would not look good in anything that Matt likes… With this, Matthew came out of the bathroom and looked around.
"So, what's up guys?" He asked, not aware of what had just been planned.
"We're going Christmas shopping tomorrow. Katyusha and Fredka and You and I." Ivan said looking up from his book.
"Why am I going with you?" Matthew asked, "Sorry if that sounded rude…..." He added, not noticing how his tone may have been construed as offensive or insulting.
"Because I am getting things for you moya lyubov" Katyusha said as she kissed him on the cheek. "And Vanya wants to do so for Fredka as well. And we cannot exactly have the people we are shopping for with us, can we?"
"Guess not Katy." Matthew smiled as he sat beside her.
"Any word for any place you've been looking at?" She asked politely.
"Not yet. And the news station was the only one who I had an interview with." Matthew sulked. "Maybe I should try getting a different job or getting into a different field."
"NYET." Katyusha and Ivan said firmly. At this, both Matthew and Katyusha looked over at Ivan.
Seeing their confusion, he spoke up. "I remember your work from college. We were all in the same year, you Fredka and I." Ivan said. "I also remember the work you helped Fredka with. He may be good at engineering things, but he can be hopeless with his reports." Alfred looked at Ivan annoyed. He ignored him and went on. "I do not think he could have done as well as he did with some of his compositions if not for you. There are times I correct his grammar and I am the one where English is a second language. You are good with such things. Do not give up on yourself. Now I did hear that many people who go to law school have majors like yours. But no offense Matt, I cannot see you as a lawyer."
Matthew stared at Ivan in shocked silence. He had slowly been warming up to him since he had the interview at the news station and the rather stern talk Katyusha had given him. "Well thanks for that Ivan…." He said astonished.
"I must give credit where credit is due." Ivan shrugged and went back to his book. The air was filled with a stunned silence when suddenly Matthew's phone began to ring, causing "Tom Sawyer" by Rush to fill the air. Thank god I had changed it because I had it on Animals by Nickelback, or well Al changed that at my wedding and I never changed it back….
"I'll take this in the kitchen." Matthew said dismissing himself and heading into the kitchen. "Hello?"
"Ah, Guten Tag Matthew!" Gilbert said. "I have good news for you, well it's news for you at least."
"What is it sir?" Matthew asked nervously.
"Well I have finished the interviews and I want you to come in for another step." Gilbert said. Matthew rolled his eyes It's always like this. Some sort of extra steps to filter you out and not give you the job. It's insane. Do they even want people working there? Knowing he couldn't exactly say what he was thinking, he began to speak when Gilbert continued. "Now don't you go thinking I am jerking you off with administrative rejection bullshit Matthew. I like you too much to do something that dumb. Trust me, as long as I have a say in the matter you will have a job here. Now I haven't issued the official offer, like I said, final decisions on roles haven't been issued yet. But I want to see you here for a screen test at 11 am on Monday. Das est gut?"
"Sher gut, danke, Sir!" Matthew said, knowing some basic tourist level German wanting to impress Gilbert beyond being his friend's son.
"Ah, du sprichst Deutsch?" Gilbert said delighted.
"Ah…Nein Mr. Beilschmidt. I speak more French than German, I just know the basics to get from the terminal to baggage claim to the connecting flight. You see Katy and mine's flight to Ukraine had a stopover in Berlin and I didn't want to seem like an arrogant tourist." Matthew explained.
"Ah, that's still fine. But you are one of the ones I am screen testing. Basically, what that means is I give you a fake story and a few scripts, cue cards and run it through like you were really on the news. No pressure." Gilbert laughed.
"Thank you for that sir. I will see you then." Matthew said.
"See you then. And don't act like you have a stick up your butt like Ludwig did. If there is one thing bad, I can say about my kleiner Bruder is that he acts like such a prick. He needs to loosen up. Nice talking to you Mattie and as always tell your Papa I said Guten Tag!" With this, he hung up and Matthew stood in the kitchen with a slight shock. Katyusha headed into the kitchen to check on him.
"Is everything okay Matvey?" She asked worried.
"Yeah. I have to go back to the news station on Monday at 11." Matthew said flatly.
"Why?" Katyusha asked worried.
"Because I got a screen test. Gilbert was serious on me as an anchor replacement…." Matthew said astonished, happy, and yet slightly confused and scared.
"Well then Matvey." Katyusha said as she wrapped his arms around him, jumping up, causing an awkward looking scene if their brothers were to walk in with her ample chest. "I swear you have this. This Christmas will be so very merry."
"That it will." Matthew blushed as he kissed Katyusha. He then whispered in her ear "if you can be quiet, after dinner we can spend some quality time together. Don't want Al or Ivan to hear us. That'd be rather awkward…..."
"Ah, feeling rather romantic, are we? Confidence coming back?" Katyusha said.
"One could say so." Matthew said. "And we won't hurt the baby if that is what you are worried about."
"Well let's just see where the night takes us moya lyubov" Katyusha said as Alfred and Ivan walked in.
"So, what's the party for?" Alfred asked. "And what is with your ringtone being Canadian rockers?"
"Do tell." Ivan said curiously.
"I do recall you changed it to some filthy Nickelback ones before Al." Matthew said rolling his eyes. But no. I got a screen test Monday at the station. And it seems I may have a job there no matter what. Gilbert seems to really like me."
Nice. Did Francis talk to him? He didn't seem to say anything to make me think that Gilbert is giving this to him as an appeal to Francis… Maybe I didn't need to make the promises I did to that Frenchman after all. At least I hope so. Ivan thought as Alfred spoke up. "That's great bro. I told you you're not hideous. I mean we're twins and I'm not."
"But your ego is still huge and yet impenetrable. How does Ivan stand it?" Matthew said snarky.
"I honestly find it kind of funny and cute." Ivan said to answer Ivan's question. "But that is good news. Hopefully, this is a very promising sign."
"We have got to celebrate bro! Burger Barn on me!" Alfred said as he grabbed Matthew, who still had a hold on Katyusha, and dragged the two to his car. "Come on Vanya, you know they have stuff other than burgers."
"If you are celebrating this with Matvey, then maybe you should let him choose, da?" Ivan sighed as he put his coat on. "And it is cold out there, let Katyusha and Matvey get coats."
"The Burger Barn is fine with me right now." Matthew said as he picked his coat off the rack. "It's the thought that counts after all."
"That it is." Ivan said as he followed Alfred to the car.
The next day, Katyusha woke up early, amazed she was not feeling sick as was usual and headed to the kitchen. This trip was her idea so she thought it would be a good thing to make breakfast that morning. She would be shopping with Alfred who would be happy with something like McDonalds, but she wanted to do better. Once she had finished the breakfast, she woke the men up. "Oh boys, breakfast is ready." She yelled pleasantly as they slowly came to the table and began to eat. Sure, it was rather like she was their mother than their wife and sister and sister in law, but she was also a guest of her brother's home. It was in her nature to do things like this. Alfred saw the plate and grabbed a fork as Katyusha poured him some coffee. "Food gets you moving?" She laughed.
"Well Vanya says so…." Alfred said as he began to drink the coffee and wake up. "So, where was it you wanted to go to?"
"I'll tell you. I have it all planned out. I do appreciate you being so willing to help me out with this. I know it must seem so silly of me to ask something of you." Katyusha blushed.
"Not at all. It's what I do. You're family." Alfred said as Ivan sat down and smiled at the fact that his husband got along with at least one of his sisters. "So, what do you got planned with Mattie?" He asked Ivan.
"A few things I have on my list." Ivan said. He had been planning a big sort of weekend getaway over New Year's so he could spend some time with just him and Alfred. While he did not mind helping his sister and her husband out when they needed it, he did love having the house for just him and Alfred. Gave one more freedom to be as loud as they wanted and do whatever they wanted, whenever and wherever without concern of who would see or hear. Then it hit him, If Fredka and I do adopt, well our love life would be affected in that way…. I mean you cannot exactly spend a night of passion all over the house when there is a child present. It can be done, I mean Fredka told me many times about his accidental entry to his fathers' bedroom when he was a kid. But that is a rather selfish way to think of it. And Matthew and Katyusha will get a place of their own much sooner than a child would move out. And I know I didn't marry Fredka just to fuck him. Ivan mused as he ate the breakfast that Katyusha had made. Once all was said and done, Alfred put his plate in the sink and got up.
"So, I'm finished. You ready to get this done?" He smiled.
"Sure." Katyusha said as she kissed Matthew on the forehead. "I will be back soon. Don't worry I could never ever ever find your brother attractive Matvey. I just need him to be my shopping assistant." She looked over at Ivan. "Do not take anything I said there as an insult to your tastes Vanya."
"Bez obid, starshaya sestra" Ivan said as he looked over to Matthew as Alfred and Katyusha left the house. He then looked over to Matthew who was looking at him blankly.
"So, I take it you and I are shopping for Al and Katy today?" Matthew said.
"Da" Ivan said as he sipped the last of his mug of tea. "I think we will head to that sporting goods store Fredka gets lost in sometimes. I am making his big gift a trip for us two to the ski resort not too far from here for the week over New Year's. Do something nice for him before we have Natalya over for Epiphany." Matthew knew what this was having been with Katyusha. They had both done both Christmases. But he knew that Alfred hated being in the same room as Natalya and she didn't like him much either. But he put up with her for Ivan's sake and that said a lot to his brother's resolve and how dedicated he was to those he loved.
"Al doesn't ski." Matthew said.
"But he does do snowboarding. They have both where I am thinking. And to get him a new jacket and the like, much like Katyusha wants to do with Fredka, I want to make sure they fit before I give them to him. How convenient it is his twin brother is the same size." Ivan laughed.
"So that's part of the reason Katy wants to have Al take her shopping. He's certainly in for it." Matthew laughed.
"I know. She is my sister and loves giving and when it comes to clothing, she wants to make sure what she gets for someone fits well. But I do remember when it came time for a new school year, and we went clothes shopping how that was." Ivan laughed. "Katyusha is quite forceful when she wants to be. So, I worry just what Fredka will be put through."
"Well, can't be worse than having our dads taking us clothes shopping. Dad arguing practicality and how much abuse something can take, and Papa and his style comments." Matthew laughed. "But come on, I got to get started if we want to get this done Ivan."
"Da" Ivan smiled.
Translation Guide
These were obtained via google translate, so syntax may not be the best.
Dorogoy-Russian-Darling
moya lyubov-Ukrainian-My love
Nyet-Russian-No
Guten Tag-German-Good Day
Das est gut-German-This is good?
Sher gut, danke, Sir-German- Very good, thank you sir!
du sprichst Deutsch? -German- You speak German?
Nein-German-No
kleiner Bruder-German-little brother
Da-Russian-Yes
Bez obid, starshaya sestra- Russian-No offense taken big sister
So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I don't have much else to say with this chapter, so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,
Otherrealmwriter
Aka
Realm.