Chapter Six: All or Nothing

Red stared into purple, and the other way around. Gilbert and Ivan lay there, still staring at each other with a horrified expression on their faces. Ivan's eyes were full of worry and panic. Gilbert's were full of just sheer terror. They both knew who was trying to claw their way through the door.

Natalia.

Ivan let out a squeak and through the covers over his head, completely covering himself so now he just looked like a blob of blankets in the bed. Gilbert just watched him, starting to shake slightly with nerves.

He knew how frightened Ivan was of his sister. Everyone was for that matter. Sometimes she seemed even more scary than Ivan was, just because she followed around him, glaring dangerously at anyone who tried to get in her way of her brother.

"Big brother..." Her voice came again, seeming more sinister than before and making Ivan give a big shudder.

Ivan still didn't say anything, but just peeked his eyes out over the top of the blankets over to Gilbert, who was staring at the door, scared if it would suddenly just burst open.

"Gilbert," Ivan piped up, a slight hint of terror in his voice. Just hearing that surprised Gilbert, he had never heard Ivan sound like that before. "Gilbert, you have to help me." He whispered, his big eyes were pleading. "You have to get rid of her."

Since his throat suddenly latched up, Gilbert couldn't manage out a word. He was just as terrified from her as the Russian was. There was no way he could confront her now.

He then felt Ivan suddenly on his chest, burying his face in his bare chest (since Gilbert still wasn't able to find his shirt yet). His face was still warm, but he was shaking. Gilbert couldn't help but put his hand on the back of his head and run his fingers through the other's hair.

There was a sigh. "Alright, but you owe me." Gilbert said stiffly, ruffling his hair roughly before moving the taller man off of him. "Well, if I ever come back." He laughed nervously, trying to lighten the situation, but only seemed to make it more awkward and terrifying.

Well, here goes nothing, Gilbert took in a breath, holding it as he opened the door a crack. There was a scuffling sound outside as Natalia's face suddenly came into focus through the quarter opened door.

"Big brother, is that you?" She asked.

Gilbert suddenly came into her view and she immediately but up her guard. The long-haired woman glared up at Gilbert which seemed as though daggers were going to shoot from her eyes.

"What are you doing here?" She asked coldly. "Where's big brother?"

"I live here now." Gilbert matched her tone, trying to intimidate her and trying to sound fearless. "Ivan took me in. But he's..." There was a quick glance over his shoulder to Ivan in the bed, who was looking up at him with a apprehensive looking. "He's not here right now!" Gilbert squealed out once Natalia moved closer to him, her eyes were still dangerous.

"I don't believe you." She muttered, trying to move him out of the way. "Why are you in big brother's room? No one goes in here but me and him."

"Well, looks like there's been a change then." Gilbert shot back, not knowing where all this was coming from. Surely he was digging his own grave now.

Natalia was about to say something more, probably a retort or a death threat, but she was suddenly caught.

"Natalia! Where'd you go?" Came a high voice.

Gilbert saw another woman come bounding down the hallway, a big smile on her face. Gilbert couldn't help but stare, feeling suddenly warm again.

"Oh! You must be Gilbert, huh?" The woman continued. "Ivan has told us so much about you!" She ginned, grabbing him into a hug, but only ended with him face-planting into her chest.

Once she released him, she turned her attention towards her sister. "Natalia, we obviously disturbed Gilbert here. We should go into the kitchen and make big brother something until he gets back!" She smiled again, grabbing her sister's hand to pull her along.

Natalia went reluctantly, but still glared at Gilbert. "Don't think you got off this easy." She muttered, narrowing her eyes again.

Gilbert couldn't help but let out a sigh, closing the door again. Thank gosh that other lady was there or else I would have been dead meat!

Gilbert almost slammed into the closed door when he felt Ivan wrap his arms around him again. "Spasibo, Gilbert." He muttered softly, burying his face into Gilbert's back.

"Uh, yeah... Sure." Gilbert wasn't quite good with receiving thanks as well, so he just patter the other's head as in a 'you're welcome' sort of thing. "Well, you're going to have to have to come out of here eventually."

Ivan just shrugged. "Well... I'm sure Toris will be glad through to find out she's here. If he ever finds out that is.."

Gilbert cast him a confused look, turning around so that now his back was leaning against the closed door. Ivan was kneeling in front of him, his face against Gilbert's creamy stomach.

The other smiled up at him, his chin resting on Gilbert's chest "You see, Toris has a big crush on my little sister, Natalia." He explained.

Gilbert blinked in confusion. "He has a crush on her?!" He jammed his thumb in the way that Natalia had disappeared to. "Yikes." He added quietly.

Ivan nodded. "Yes, though she completely despises him. It's quite ironic, actually."

"Ironic?" He raised an eyebrow. It's creepy! I mean, whoever would like here? She's like a psychopath!" He stopped. "I mean, like no offense or anything..." He winced.

The other just shrugged, tilting his head so that his cheek now lay against Gilbert. "I guess Toris only sees her positive side..."

"Hmm... well I sure don't." Gilbert said quietly, also quietly but Ivan just smiled up at him again before planting a kiss right on his stomach. Gilbert chuckled softly before gently nudging the other's head off of him. "Come on, enough of that."

He spotted his shirt over in the corner and went to pick it up. Ivan was standing up on his feet now, watching over Gilbert as he placed his shirt back on.

"You look better without that on." Ivan's voice suddenly spoke up as Gilbert started buttoning it up.

"Ha!" Gilbert said, smiling a bit and shaking his head. "I thought you said that I looked better in blood?"

Ivan was behind him again, snaking his arms around Gilbert's waist and placing his head against the side of his too. "Mmm... I changed my mind." He placed some kisses along Gilbert's cheek and down to his neck.

"You're so weird." Gilbert rolled his eyes, still having a slight smile on his face as he tried to move Ivan's head out of the way. "Come on, I'm still trying to get dressed here."

"I liked you better when you had nothing on."

Gilbert snorted in amusement. "Easy for you to say."

Ivan looked up at him curiously. "What do you mean by that?"

Gilbert's voice hitched again. He couldn't admit that to Ivan that he had never been complimented like that before, could he? No, it would totally interfere with his awesomeness.

"Erm... It's nothing." He stated instead, pushing Ivan off of him and walking back over to the door to the room. Ivan watched him go, not bothering to move just yet. "Uh, I'm starving. I haven't eaten in forever, I'm going to get something." He opened the door, looking out down the hallway just to make sure the coast was clear. "You coming?"

Ivan shook his head, looking down. "No, go ahead. I've got some things I've got to take care of." He turned away, walking back over to his bed.

Gilbert didn't want to just leave him here, but just by the way Ivan looked thoughtfully out the window, he decided it was best to just leave him alone. Ivan seemed to be thinking hard about something and Gilbert desperately wanted to know. Did it concern him? Was he still in some sort of danger now? He didn't know.