Night rolled into day, sunlight starting to creep over the trees around his house. Al had woken up early, sitting on the roof to watch it. He was too anxious to sleep much..
A crisp breeze fluttered around him, leaves rustling in the wind. It was only a matter of time till chaos came.. Did Gil even know about Bear..? It didn't really seem the kind of thing Matt would discuss with him, but you never knew? Gil would be here soon anyway.
Al sat there a while longer just soaking up the sun and wind before checking on his cubs. Once he was sure they were fed and warm though, he found himself at a loose end. Everyone else was still asleep...
He sighs softly just settling on the couch and snuggling with them.
A knock rattled the door. It was too early for Russia... Al glanced up. Keeping the blanket secured in his arms he goes to answer it. A rather tired and flustered looking Prussian stood on the other side, fidgeting anxiously.
Al blinks for a second. "Third room on the left."
Gilbert rushed up. Matt was still asleep, cubs nestled into his chest. He blinks at that. Why the hell did he have bear cubs? They all looked perfectly content... Matt was rather protective.
Gil walks over putting a hand on his shoulder. Matt flinched awake instantly, pulling his cubs close. Then he realized who it was and he couldn't help but smile. "Gil..."
"Hey.."
"Uh..." He looked at the cubs then back to Gil. "...It's a long story...?"
Prussia blinks, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I was kinda wondering about those.."
"Well..." Matt took a deep breath, figuring the blunt approach was the simplest. "They're ours..."
"...What..?"
"We made them... I-I had them about two days ago... "
"..You.. I... But.. What?!"
"You got me pregnant and I gave birth to polar bears!" Matt blurted, his flustered brain not thinking to mention Coyote's curse. Gil just seemed to short out, falling unconscious.
Matt squeaked, panicking himself. *Al?!*
Al comes up a few minutes later, he sees Gil on the floor and laughs. *He took that well~*
*I didn't even get to the egg...*
Al smiles walking over and propping up the albino. Matt frowned softly, tugging his partner into a hug. Al smiles softly.
*I'll try again when he wakes up...*
*Good luck.*
*Anyone else awake yet?*
*Not so far.*
*Explains why the house is so quiet...*
*You ok?*
*Al, what if he won't take them...? I don't want to have to choose...*
*Hey, it's ok. Just explain what happened and he'll understand."
*You're probably right,* he sighed. *I just worry so much...*
Al smiles at him.
*Help me get up,* Matt reached up to him. *I really need to pee...*
Al pulls him up making for the bathroom. Matt slipped in and relieved himself before slumping back out. *Thanks.*
*No prob. You want back to bed or..?*
*Bed... I wanna stay with them.*
*Alright.* They head back. Matt slipped back in with his pale-haired little family. Al smiles softly heading back downstairs to his own.
His cubs were wiggling around, searching for their 'mother'. He chuckles pulling them to his chest. They settled down immediately. Al sits with them a while, falling into a light doze.
Footsteps padded down the stairs after a while, Arthur waddling into the lounge. "Oh, hello Alfred."
"Hmm? Oh hey.."
"Oh, were you asleep," he came over, smiling warmly. "I'm sorry."
"'S ok. How are you doin?"
"My rabbits are up and hopping around," Arthur smiled proudly. "Don't know when this lot are going to drop though."
Al smiles.
"How are your two doing?" he pet a cub idly. "I've not seen them for a few days."
"Good, hungry little things though."
"They'll grow up strong for it though," Arthur smiled.
Al chuckles.
"How's Matthew coping with his litter?"
"He's ok. Right now he's waiting for Gil to wake up again."
Arthur frowned for a moment then sighed. "Guessing it was a bit of a shock for him."
Al nods. "..Ivan will be here later too.."
"Getting quite the housefull now. Looks like I might be helping with dinner."
Al sighs softly.
"We'll be fine, trust me," Arthur smiled encouragingly.
Al smiles back slightly. Arthur hugged him warmly. Al snuggled in, just needing some reassurance. Arthur held him as close as he could, just stroking his hair soothingly.
At least they had a few less eggs to worry about.. They still had a good six though... On top of Arthur's rabbits, the twin's bears, Arthur's next litter... So many...
He sighs softly. This wasn't going to be easy...
Al pulls back smiling softly.
"Alright?"
"Yeah."
"Okay," Arthur smiled, hefting himself up. Al settles back with his cubs again.
"You want a drink?"
"No thanks."
Arthur shrugged and waddled off to make his own. Al settled back and waited.
Time seemed to trickle by agonizingly slowly. His nerves didn't get much better. Ivan wasn't even due there until the evening anyway...
He should probably eat something.. Arthur had offered him lunch about an hour ago...
Al sighs getting up and heading to the kitchen. Nearly everyone was upstairs still... Ro shuffled in just after Al, smiling sheepishly.
"Hey." He smiles.
"Hey..." she'd just woken up, he could tell. She was all scruffy and still in her pjs. He pulls her into a hug. She hugged back without a second thought, snuggling in.
They stand there for a few moments before Al let's go. Ro stepped back, smile a little warmer now, though she still looked tired. She always looked tired lately...
"Hungry?"
"Not really," she shrugged. "My tummy's not awake yet..."
He chuckles grabbing them both an apple. She took hers with a soft smile, holding it for a bit before starting to eat. Al bit into his own just needing something in his stomach.
Ro finished hers quickly, washing it down with a glass of orange juice.
"Wanna sit with me for a while?"
"Okay," she looked so thrilled by the thought of company.
"I figure we could talk about a few things today." Al says leading back to the couch.
"Um... Okay?" Now she felt a pang of uncertainty. Had she done something wrong? Arthur always said they needed to talk if she did something wrong...
"First off, while I'm thinking about it, you know how you don't want to eat meat? There's actually a word for people who do that."
"There is...? I thought... I thought all humans did it, I just... It didn't feel right..." she fiddled with her hands.
"No it's fine. There's a lot of people who don't eat meat, they're called vegetarians. So if anytime you go somewhere to eat and don't know what to get, ask them 'do you have anything vegetarian?'"
"Vegetarian," she nodded, a little smile starting to grow. "Okay, I'll remember that one. I'm a vegetarian."
"Right." Al smiles.
She just smiled at her hands, feeling a little more normal. They settle on the couch, Al filling her in on whatever he could think of. She listened intently, trying to remember as much as she could.
Eventually they ended up putting in a movie, having nothing else to do. They settled in to watch.
Half way through the film, a knock sounded on the door. Ro jumped up, "I'll get it!"
Al glanced up nervously, one hand pulling his cubs closer. The door opened, Ro starting a bubbly hello but it was cut off with a thump and crash, heavy footsteps rushing in. "Fredka?"
"In here.. What was that noise..?"
"I knocked the door into the wall on the way," Ivan shrugged.
"Is Ro ok..?"
"Who?" Ivan just frowned softly in confusion. The poor man had been so flustered and eager, he hadn't noticed the girl at the door.
"The girl you just ran over.." Al sighs, standing to go check. Blanket secured protectively in his arms. Ivan frowned, following behind.
Ro had been knocked against the wall, all the air knocked out of her. She just sat in the hall, getting her breath back.
"Ro?" Al reached to help her up.
She let him pull her up and latched on instantly, trembling. Ivan watched in confusion. "Who is that?"
"This is Ro, my new little sister."
"I didn't even see her," guilt came to his eyes, making them look deceptively cold and harsh. "I'm sorry..." he reached out a hand to her, but she flinched back sharply.
Al held back a sigh, people often take a while to get used to him.. Being hit in the face with a door wasn't helping either...
"I understand," Ivan just straightened up, taking a step back.
"Hey Ro, I'm sorry but could you check on Matt? Ivan and I need to talk about a few things." *Matt I'm sending Ro up to ya, Ivan just shoved her into a wall..*
Ro peered up at the Russian, nodding once before running away as fast as she could. A few seconds later, Matt replied. *I've got her. You focus on Ivan, I'll calm her down.*
*Thanks..* Al gently pulls Ivan back to the couch. Ivan just sat, now eyeing the bundle of blankets curiously.
Al takes a breath preparing himself. "I'm sorry about not calling.. I've been kinda distracted.."
He glanced up the stairs. "By her...?"
"No not by her... Um.. Remember how I went kinda crazy before..?"
He flushed slightly, clearing his throat. "Da..."
Al sighs. "Well it turns out one of my mom's tricksters thought it would be funny to curse me.. He ended up hitting Matt and Arthur too.."
"Are you all alright...?" he frowned, eyes scanning for injury. Al did look very tired and thinner than before...
"I'm fine now.. But we have a few.. Surprises.." Al started to unravel the blankets.
Ivan watched, eyes widening as the cubs were revealed. "What...?"
"...whatever it was Coyote did, made me.. Pregnant.. I think that your spirit might be a bear.. Seeing as I have a clutch of eggs upstairs too.."
Ivan stared at him for a minute, then to his lap... Back to Al... Then the cubs. He reached out gently to one. "They're mine...?"
"Yes. They're ours."
He gently picked one up, bringing it to his face. It wiggled a little exploring the new scent.
A soft smile pulled at Ivan's lips, hands gentle and warm. "Hello little bear."
That smile was all it took to ease his nerves. "That one is Koda, the other here is Kenai."
"Aren't they the names from a film you made me watch?" he chuckled, letting Koda settle against his chest.
"I like them.." Al flushed.
"Me too," he smiled, leaning in to kiss him softly. Al leans in. Tension finally fading away. The moment their lips met, they knew everything would be just fine.
Al leans onto his shoulder, nuzzling into his neck. Ivan wrapped an arm around him, snuggling in.
Time passed and dinner drew close. Alfred had gone upstairs to check on the eggs. All of them showed steady growth, even Matt's. He set them back before seeking out Ro.
She'd holed up in her room after Matt calmed her down, looking through picture books. Al knocks on the door.
She sat up quickly, sweeping her hair out of her eyes. "H-hello?"
He peeked in. "Hey.. You ok?"
"Yeah, I.." she grabbed book, showing him. "I was looking at pictures."
Al comes over sitting next to her.
She set the book down, picking up the stuffed bear Matt had bought her when he realized she liked to hug things. "I do wish I could read it though..."
"Well that's on our to do list." Al hugs her. "We're going to get you to read and write."
She hugged back, leaning in. "I want to read all the books in the library."
Al smiles softly. "You want to help with dinner? I'll show you how to make pasta salad!"
She started to smile but it quickly died. "Is that man still there...?"
Al takes her hand gently, looking her in the eye. "Ro I promise, Ivan only looks scary. He's had a hard life and a lot of trouble, but on the inside he's just a big soft teddy." Al smiles gently. "He honestly feels bad for knocking you over, he was just worried about me."
"But..." she clutched her teddy nervously. "W-what if he doesn't like me...? Or he doesn't see me, o-or..." She was starting to see just how unnerving it was to be small in this world.
"Hey, you never know until you try, and honestly compared to his sisters you're pretty mellow. He'd probably love to spend time with you."
"He's so big..." she whispered with a hint of shame. "Why couldn't I be bigger..."
Al hugs her again. She curled in, sighing. They stay there a few minutes before he coaxed her downstairs. She shuffled down, clinging anxiously to Al.
Francis was down in the kitchen already, setting things up. Al comes in with her intending to help. Ivan had stayed in the lounge with the cubs. Ro relaxed slightly when she saw he wasn't in the kitchen.
Al walks her through the steps of the salad. Once he could find a break he makes some bottles. She carried on with Francis keeping an eye just in case.
Al heads into lounge. Ivan smiled up at him, the cubs on his chest as he watched tv. Al smiles back sitting next to him and offering a bottle. "Time to feed them."
He took a bottle and picked a cub, a natural at this. "I used to raise orphans from the wilds... I thought they were too beautiful to let die."
"I think we all have honestly.. But it feels kinda weird actually having a connection like this.."
"It was a bit of a shock," he chuckled. "I'm still happy with them."
Al smiles softly leaning on him as he fed the other. It didn't take long for the bottles to empty. Al sits petting for a few minutes.
A small commotion sounded from the kitchen then Ro came through, holding two bowls of pasta, face scarlet. Al glanced up curiously.
"Francis said to bring these through," she muttered, hands shaking as she held out the food.
Al takes the plate gently. Leave it to the Frenchman to force someone into interacting with new people..
Ivan reached for his slowly, offering a gentle smile. Ro handed it over quickly before running off. Al grips his hand gently. He knew he didn't necessarily try to scare people, even the Baltics couldn't help to misunderstand him at first.
Ivan just sighed, staring at his dish dejectedly. "She hates me already..."
"It's not just you.. Wanna know how we met her?"
"How...?" he looked up, half curious, half wanting to stop feeling like a monster.
"It started after I was brought to Arthur's house to recover last year.." Al continues explaining the shield and his first encounters with the different fae while there. The destruction during the raid and his tiny adventures before visiting after New Years.
Ivan ended up caught between pity and awe. "She's a fairy without her wings..." he hated seeing flightless birds, and this struck the same chord. She was still herself, just... Not quite.
Al nods. "There's still a lot about humans she doesn't understand yet. It's been rough on her.."
"She doesn't leave the house, does she...?"
"We've taken her into town and on holidays. Thought about getting her to try school after a few lessons. First thing is getting her to read."
"She can't read?!" Ivan looked almost appalled at that.
"Fairy don't have much use for books apparently. But she really wants to learn."
"Perhaps I could help in teaching her?" he just wanted to help, bless him.
Al smiles brightly at that. It would be a good way for them to interact as well. Now they just had to hope she'd agree...
They sit eating their dinner. Seeing to the dishes after.
Ro gathered dishes from upstairs, bringing them down to them. One look at the Russian and she left them on the table though.
Al watched her leave and hums. "I'll be right back, I've got an idea."
Ivan sighed, sticking to the dishes.