12. Twelve Mistletoes

(Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all have a good one! On a side note... 'mistletoes' being the plural of 'mistletoe' made me so uncomfortable while writing this.]

It was like a war zone... filled with mistletoes.

Ivan's not sure if Alfred planned for so many, but the man definitely didn't seem to mind them. Hell, he seemed excited.

Ivan knew every year Alfred has his annual Christmas party, and so he wasn't surprised when his husband went all out with decorating the house. However, the mistletoes? He wasn't sure about how to feel about them.

Nations and territories alike traveled through Alfred's house chattering away. With fifty kids it was easy to imagine the man had plenty of room for all the guests. Funny enough, there were many years where Ivan wasn't invited to these parties. Now he was helping host them.

The world worked in strange ways.

Off to the corner of the house Alfred stood chatting up a storm to a very patient Kiku. He was surrounded by plenty of other friends laughing at whatever he was saying, and some rolling their eyes.

That was one of Ivan's problems though.

As far as Ivan could tell, he himself didn't really have any friends. Sure, he had his sisters (both trying out the sweets laid out for the party) and the Baltic Trio (although they trembled near him more than half the time), but other than them he didn't really have an established friendship with anyone. And so he found himself awkwardly shifting from side to side as he watched everyone else smile and laugh with each other.

He noticed the mistletoes only after a few people started laughing and kissing in the same spot every few minutes. When he looked up and saw the little plant hanging above the door frame, it became a lot easier to point out the others. Twelve. Some people kissed on the mouth, and other simply on the cheek.

Ivan didn't dare move from his spot then on, fear of getting trapped under one with someone keeping him in place. He would rather not have to face the horror on the person's face when they noticed it was him under the mistletoe with them. Besides, it would feel weird for Ivan. The idea of making contact with a stranger more or less in such a sweet and friendly manner made him feel a little sick. It just wasn't him.

After an hour of standing around and staring holes into the wall, Ivan found himself confronted by another figure. He looked down and let out a sigh of relief when he saw Alfred there. His first instinct was to reach out and bring the other man into his arms, but he resisted. Instead, he offered a sweet smile.

Alfred's ocean blue eyes gazed up at him and calmed his previous nerves and anxiety almost immediately.

"Hello," he said smoothly just loud enough so that his husband could hear him over the music playing. Alfred's lips quirked up as he gave him a beautiful smile. The sun rising high in the sky with promises of a good day, that's what Alfred's smile was.

"Hey big guy," Alfred responded with an equally measured voice. Luckily, as if he could read Ivan's thoughts, the American nation wrapped his arms around the taller man's waist and pulled him in for a hug. Feeling relief wash over him, Ivan slipped his own arms around Alfred's back and squeezed him close. "What's wrong, babe?"

Alfred could read Ivan better than a picture back. The Russian man tilted his head to the side as he rested his cheek on top of the already disheveled hair of his lover. The man had been dancing and running about previously. The messy hair only made him more endearing though.

"I'm uncomfortable," Ivan admitted as he squeezed his only source of comfort closer. Alfred didn't resist.

"How about you stay with me?" Alfred asked although his voice was muffled by his husband's chest. "We can keep the party organized together!"

Ivan thought about it for a minute before slowly nodding. At least that way he wouldn't be standing around frozen like some weirdo.

Alfred pulled away from him and he nearly whimpered at the loss. The younger male offered both of his hands out for Ivan to take and he happily obliged. Alfred walked backwards into the sea of people and Ivan couldn't stop the nervous thoughts from rising again.

What if everyone gave him a dirty look? He was trying to get better- really he was! Ivan didn't control what happened in his land. His boss made the decisions not him. Yet, everyone always looked at him with that distrusting glare like he was some sort of mons-

A pair of soft lips pressed against his and his worries quickly vanished as he came back to reality. Alfred was caressing his face as he kissed him, soft yet filled with meaning. When the shorter man pulled away he gave Ivan a small smile. It wasn't a surprise when he started laughing while staring up at the Russian man. Ivan could only imagine how confused he must have appeared to be.

"Mistletoe!" Alfred shouted above the music as if that was the answer to all his questions. Except it was. When Ivan looked up he saw a mistletoe hanging above them. Alfred had dragged him all the way over to the one he was eying in the beginning. With a smile of his own to accompany his husband's, Ivan leaned back down to kiss the man he loved so dearly.

"Mistletoe," Ivan confirmed with a soft exhale of breath.

"Merry Christmas," Alfred separated from the man by just an inch to stare into his amethyst eyes.

"Merry Christmas," Ivan replied as he gazed back into those bright sunny filled eyes that thawed his own heart out of ice.

Ivan remained at Alfred's hip for the rest of the party and not once did either of them seem to mind.