4. Four Batches of Cookies

Ivan awoke startled when he heard a barrage of cursing and the sound of something crashing onto the floor. He blinked the sleep out of his eyes before gazing over at the empty spot in the bed. Oh boy.

He rubbed his temples for a moment (he didn't dare look at the clock) before he rolled out of bed with a great big yawn. What could the man be up to now?

The Russian nation made his way downstairs and into the kitchen where he saw his lover crouched down and picking up cookies off the floor.

"Fredka?" He quirked a brow as he leaned against the door frame.

"Nah-ah-ah! Five minute rule!" The blond responded as he placed the sugary goodness onto a plate as fast as he could.

"I do believe that rule was made for people who wanted to deny their food being dirty," Ivan yawned once again as he lazily watched the man. Alfred didn't answer him back as he placed the plate next to three others. Ivan squinted his eyes and rubbed at them to make sure he wasn't seeing things. Alfred made four batches of cookies in the middle of the night. Something was definitely wrong. "Alfred, as much as I love stuffing my face with your sugar treats until I can't move, I have to ask why are you making these?"

"I was hungry," Alfred responded quietly even as he stared at the decorated gingerbread and Christmas tree-shaped cookies on the counter like they weren't very appetizing at all.

"For four batches of cookies?"

"I was just in the mood for 'em."

"At three in the morning?" Ivan had his eyes on the living room clock now.

Alfred frowned at that, as if he wasn't aware it was so late. Finally, he seemed to surrender as he slumped down onto the floor behind the counter. Ivan waited a few seconds before walking around and taking a seat next to him.

"Little sunflower, tell me what has you this way." The amethyst eyed man reached over to rest his hand over his husband's. Alfred's eyes trailed over to their hands and he smiled softly.

"I'm just stressed out," he said honestly. "Arthur, Francis, and Matthew are coming over in a few days and you know how crazy they can get. Well, not Mattie, but Francis and Arthur. Technically all Francis will do is ask about how we are doing in bed," Alfred shuddered before he continued, "but Arthur is... He's still not too fond of us being together."

Ivan nodded because he definitely understood. His sisters were coming over on the exact date and he already knew it was going to be chaos. The last time they visited...

"Remember last time when your sister tried to convince me to do the knife game as fast as I could?" Alfred chuckled as he just about read Ivan's mind.

"Excuse me? Tried? She succeeded and you deserved the consequences that came with it." Ivan rolled his eyes. Never again would he leave those two alone.

"Hey! It only hurt for a day or two. Maybe three..." Alfred intertwined their fingers together as he spoke, humming at his own distant thoughts.

"I think we'll be fine," Ivan spoke as he watched his lover snap his attention back to him. "We survived it once before, da?" He smiled sweetly. It wasn't the fake smile he used with most others, but the genuinely sweet one that only Alfred and his sisters were capable of bringing out.

"I guess you're right," Alfred scooted closer to the bigger nation as he rested his head on the man's shoulder. "What are we going to do about all these cookies though?"

"Drug them and feed them to our family members to knock them out?" Ivan grinned at his own suggestion.

Alfred couldn't help the bubble of laughter that left him.

Meanwhile, their cats sure enjoyed the cookies as they both fell asleep against the counter.