It has been about a month since the brawl between Ivan and my brother and I had made sure to not piss him off. I avoided his gaze and let him push me around when he wanted (which was a daily occurrence). I no longer acknowledged him and tried to ignore him when we were alone together in our dorm room. But that seemed to make the bullying worse. Once he had tried to throw me out a three story window, but thankfully Prussia was there to stop it.
It was a rainy and thunderous outside on this particular day; lightening split the sky and made the air spark with its electrical discharge. Students were scrambling from the school and to their dormitories quickly, hoods drawn up and books held over heads to attempt to keep their selves dry from the heavy downpour. I had left my hood down and took my time walking down the worn concrete path, the weight of my mountain of homework pressing down on my shoulders with its immense quantity; it almost felt like the pressure I was under whenever Ivan was around.
The icy cold water was soothing against my skin that more suitable for the cold rather than the heat that had been present earlier in the month. It was nice to actually have rain for once. The rain had long ago soaked into my scalp and a fuzzy feeling that you get when you fingers are cold and you stick them in warm water was sent through my body. I tipped my back a bit to peer up into the dark clouds that loomed over head, but it was rather difficult because of the water splashing against my glasses lenses.
Sighing, I dipped my head back down and watched my feet put themselves in front of each other without much thought. People dashed past, sometimes jostling me into the mud and getting my sneakers dirty much to my distaste. The third time I was forced into the brown muck I decided to pick up the pace and walked at a normal speed to the boy's dormitory. When I stepped through the doorway, I was accompanied by my new friend, Katyusha. She wore a white button up shirt that was again stressed uncomfortably at her bust and some blue overalls with knee-high rubber boots.
"Hello Matvey!" She cried, jumping up and down a bit in her excitement, her assets making its audible "Bong-bong!" I ignored it though, growing a bit used to it but it still didn't change my fear of breasts. "Hey Katyusha," I said and was smothered with a big hug from her, terror rising in my throat like bile. "Wait, why are you in the boy's dormitory?" I asked as being freed by the hug. "U-Um, I was here to see my brother actually. He asked me if I could help him with his homework," She stammered as I walked up the dormitory steps. "Aw, that's sweet. I wish that me and my brother were like that. All my brother ever does is eat, sleep, and play videogames. Do you want to trade?"
Katyusha laughed and patted me on the shoulder. "I'm not sure if you want my little brother really . . . he's not the kind of person to be asking help a lot so it must be something hard," She said thoughtfully, pressing a finger to her lips in thought. "Maybe it's that stupid Economic homework. It's going to take me all weekend to finish! But it also could be that essay we have to do for Food . . ." I continued down the list of our homework, counting them off on my fingers as I blabbered on.
"I'm thinking it's the Music homework actually Canada. He seems to be struggling with that," Katyusha cut in, breaking me from my trance of rambling. "I could probably help too. I'm pretty good in Music as well," I offered as we continued the tiring journey up the stairs. "Um, if you want to I guess," The girl whispered in an unsure tone. We arrived at a landing and Katyusha took the lead from here and led us down the hall that led to my room. Perhaps her brother lived in this hall. But we stopped at my dorm and I began to get nervous. Maybe she's related to Ivan. I hope not. "Uh, Ukraine, this is my –"I broke off when we opened the door to see Ivan crouched over his pile of homework, frustrated fingers tangled in his hair as he glared murderously at his paper. It turned out that she was, indeed, Ivan's big sister.
The blonde girl approached her brother slowly, muttering something in Russian. The giant snarled and glared at me and responded hastily before turning back to his previous position. She tried to say something but he snapped at her and I saw tears form in her eyes. Whatever he had said, it was probably something hurtful because she dashed out of the room, almost knocking me over in the process. "Do you really have to be an asshole in two different languages?" I muttered as throwing my bag onto the floor. He said nothing in response and I rolled my eyes while taking out my books and sat down next to him at a small card table.
His red-violet eyes threw daggers at me, but I ignored him. For Katyusha's sake, I'll grow a pair and help Ivan with his homework. "S-So what don't you understand?" I asked as reaching for his papers slowly as if he were a dangerous animal about to bite my hand off. "All of it," He grumbled with a childish disgruntled look on his face. I relaxed a bit, thankful that he was at least not trying to strangle me.
I smiled a bit at him and took his papers to see what he had done. The sheet of paper was blank and I frowned at him before asking what the assignment was. "Um . . ." Russia looked away shamefully, clearly not knowing what it was. I groaned and put the paper down on the table and buried my face in my hands. This could not be happening. "Do you even pay attention in class?" I mumbled in my hands, looking up at him, only to see him shake his head.
"Alright, I think I have the same thing Music too." I grabbed my bag and crouched over it, digging around in the depths before finding my Music notebook and sitting back down at the card table. "Okay, let's see . . . Aha!" I slammed the paper down in front of Ivan, making him jump a bit at the force. "You need to write a report on a famous musician from your country, Ivan," I explained as pushing his blank sheet back to him. "Um, thanks," He mumbled, glancing a bit shyly at me.
As I gave Ivan the paper, our fingertips brushed and, ironically, there was a flash of lightening outside and I jumped a bit at the buzzing feeling as we touched. The cruel boy who sat across from me seemed to have felt the same shock and gave me a weird look. My cheeks burned and I looked away quickly, cursing myself for letting that blush slip. Clearing my throat, I went on explaining the assignment to Ivan who soaked it up like a child would to a storyteller. It seemed a bit odd seeing Ivan actually paying attention to what I said. Before, he would've swatted away whatever I had said as if it were a bothersome fly buzzing around his head.
There was a loud crash of thunder and I winced, trying to suppress a flinch but failed. "Aw, is wittle Matvey scared?" Ivan cooed over the top of his computer that sat in front of him. "Shut up and do your work," I hissed, rubbing my arms that were prickled with goose-bumps. The rain outside was audile from indoors and it splashed violently against the window pane. I cradled my head in my hand and looked out the window, listening to the clicks and a pencil scrawling across paper that were coming from across the table.
Feeling that it should be around dinner time, I stood and grabbed a fish from the mini-fridge and tossed it to a sleeping bear on my bed who gobbled it up greedily. Peering back into the fridge, I dug out a bottle of water and some strawberries before settling back down at the table. Ivan was scowling at Kuma who was now curling back up into a ball to go back to sleep. "You spoil that bear rotten, Matvey," He said, turning back to his work. "It's not my fault he is lazy," I argued.
"Well . . ."
"Shut up."
When Russia seemed to have enough of a boost on his essay, I picked up Kuma and decided to pay my brother a visit. Walking across the hall, I knocked on the door softly. No answer. I knocked a bit harder. There was still no answer. I pressed my ear against the door and heard shouts, a gross gurgling sound, and gun fires from inside. "Alfred, I know you're in there!" I shouted, kicking the door. There was a loud crash on the other side of the door followed by a string of censored curses before the door finally opened.
My older brother was wriggling into a pair of jeans when he opened the door and had a sweatshirt thrown over his bare shoulders. "Were you playing videogames in your underwear again?" I groaned as smacking my forehead. "Um . . . no~." He lied, blue eyes looking everywhere else except for my face. I shook my head and stepped into his dorm room. I pity his room-mate, whoever the poor bastard was. America's clothes were strewn everywhere and food wrappers littered the floor. A small TV was glowing on the floor next to the foot the bottom bunk bed.
"So who's your roomie again?" I asked as stepping over a pile of dirty laundry in distaste. "Sweden. He's scary as hell but he's actually a pretty nice guy once you get to know him. But don't mess with his boyfriend or else you'll be in one hell of a beating from him." I snorted. "I know that! He went to school with us. Remember?" America thought for a moment. "Oh yeah . . . you did go to school with us didn't you . . ." I rolled my eyes and sat down in front of the small TV with Kuma hugged tightly against my chest. The brunette plopped down next to me and picked up his Xbox controller. I peered at the screen and saw a character shooting a bunch of zombies that looked like people from the 1800s and assumed that he was playing Resident Evil or something of that nature.
I jumped when a zombie popped out of nowhere and its head blown off to reveal a nasty looking creature that had a long whip-like piece of flesh that was barbed with a sharp pointed stinger and it was slinging around crazily. I cringed and held my hand to my mouth in disgust when its head exploded and blood splattered every which way. "Let me get this straight Al, you can play this gory, bloody, zombie videogame, yet you can't watch Casper: The Friendly Ghost?"
"Casper is scary though!" Alfred whined, throwing his controller down and immediately pick it back up again when there was a loud, unearthly screech and that gross whip thing lashed out again, catching the character off guard and made his HP go down. Cussing like a sailor, the American made the character pull out a rifle and shoot the zombie repeatedly until it fell to the ground in a bloody mass of flesh.
I sat there for about an hour or so before having enough of the videogame. "I'm going to bed. I'll see you tomorrow in class," I fake yawned and stood shakily to my feet. "We don't have class tomorrow Mattie. Don't you remember? Tomorrow's Saturday you ding dong!" Alfred cried, dramatically throwing his arms everywhere to emphasize his words. "Oh yeah, I forgot. Thanks for reminding me Al, goodnight." I said as closing the door slowly. "Don't let the zombies bite!" My brother shouted over the screams of the zombies.
I smirked and walked back toward my room but then there was a loud crash of thunder and the lights flickered off. There was a chorus of outraged yells and complaints from the other rooms along the hall. I jumped when I was plunged into darkness and I couldn't see anything in the dim light. I squinted and felt around for the door knob along the wall. My heart began to race when I had an absurd thought of zombies lurking around in the veil of shadows.
My palms began to get sweaty with the rising fear that was like a chip that you didn't chew well enough and it made its painful journey down your esophagus. My trembling hands finally grasped the doorknob and I burst into the room. Kuma was squirming wildly in my arms and fell to the ground with a loud thump and lumbered away into the darkness. I was about to call out to my friend when I heard a soft sob. I pricked my eyes to attention and my eyes scanned the darkness, trying to detect the slightest movement in the black. A flash of lightening startled me and I spotted a large figure curled up on the floor before the bright light disappeared. "Hello?" I muttered quietly, hugging myself for some kind of comfort.
There was no answer but I heard a small rustle a little ways in front of me. I made small baby-steps toward the noise, careful not to step on whatever or whoever it was. I stopped when I was able to see a faint outline of a large figure that was laying on the floor. It seemed to be a very large person, perhaps a man, curled up on the ground, hugging his knees and his face hidden behind them. The lights suddenly flashed back on and I winced at the harsh artificial light that dug into my eyes like needles.
Once my vision returned to normal, I gasped quietly and stumbled back a step at what I sat laying curled up on the floor. Kuma crawled up behind me and stared at the figure on the floor with worried and frightened black eyes. On the floor was the one and only, Ivan Braginski. His sides were shuddering as if he was laughing silently, but from what I could tell, it was anything but laughing. His breath was shaky and his body convulsed at least once or twice every thirty seconds. He looked like a frightened child hiding in a closet from a robber that had killed its family and was lurking about, looking for him.
Call me crazy but I could only think that the giant, intimidating, fearless, Russian was crying.
It might be some clever joke he came up with and he would think that I would be soft enough to sooth him of his tears like a mother would and then he would sucker punch me and it will all go down-hill from there. I scowled at his pathetic form on the floor and turned my back on him. "You cut the act Ivan, I'm falling for it!" I said angrily as climbing up onto my bed. Ivan didn't answer and I rolled my eyes. "Look, I'm not going to fall for it okay? So cut it right now!" Still the blonde boy on the floor remained silent except for the soft fake sobs that were meant for me to cave in on.
Growling, I pushed myself off the bed and onto the floor with a quiet thump and approached him, having enough of his sick act. "I'm not a wimp just to let you know! The only reason I am avoiding you is because I don't want to get involved in anything! I am perfectly capable of kicking your ass and I will if I have to!" I shouted as prying his arms from its tight hold on his legs. "So cut the - oh god . . ."
Tears were fresh on his face and his watery violet eyes looked up at me helplessly. His round face was red and stained with the real tears that I thought were fake and I felt horrible. How could be so cruel to someone like that? I felt lower than dirt and guilt hung over my head like the raging storm clouds outside. "Maple! I'm sorry for being a jerk! I didn't know you were actually crying? Are you okay?" I asked feverishly, letting go of his arm.
Wait hold on . . . no . . . I won't fall for it . . .
But when I just thought that, arms suddenly snaked around my torso and yanked me a bit forcefully forward. I was about to fight back when I finally realized what was going on.
Ivan was . . . oh my god . . . hugging me!
His tear stained face dug itself into my damp sweatshirt and his arms were tightly enclosed around me, trapping me in a strange and awkward hug. "I'm scared . . . make it stop Matvey . . ." He muttered in a small voice that seemed alien to pass his lips. My mind was whirring at what was happening, desperately trying to make sense of the situation, but nothing seemed to fit. "Make it stop!" He demanded as digging his fingers into my ribs painfully. "I don't understand Ivan! What's wrong! Tell me and I can help you!" I cried, trying to wrench him away from me.
"Sing the song . . ." Ivan whispered and I felt hot tears bleed through the fabric of my shirt and it made me shiver and my skin prickle. "W-What?" I asked stupidly. "The song you hum every night. It makes the monsters go away . . . please Matvey, I'm scared." I blinked at him in confusion. I don't hum in my sleep . . . do I? If I do, I have no idea. But what song could it possibly be?
Then it hit me, the lullaby that man sang to me when I was young. "You mean that lullaby?" I whispered softly, slowly placing my hand in his light blonde hair. His head bobbed up and down and his fingers dug deeper into my sides, making me wince at the cracking pressure that stressed against my rib cage. I began to hum the soft melody of the lullaby as I have done for twenty-two years before, my voice rolling over the haunting rise and falls of the song. Ivan had begun to calm down and his grip loosened and he slowly laid his head down in my lap as I continued to hum the lullaby as soft and soothing as I could.
I ran my fingers absently through the soft pale locks of his hair as the lullaby came to an end with a long whole note. I looked down at him and saw that he was peacefully asleep in my lap and I petted his hair for a few more moments, savoring them because I knew that in the morning everything would be back to the way they were. Ivan being a heartless jackass and me trying to avoid trouble's grasp.
Sighing, I grabbed a pillow from his bed and set it under his head as removing my lap from under it. I gently threw a cover over him and brushed a strand of hair from his face and smiled kindly at him. A wild thought of kissing his forehead flashed through my head, but I quickly crushed it. No, you had enough for one night. Just go to bed and hopefully they can put this night behind them. It'd be hell if Ivan remembered this and would start holding it over my head like it was a big mistake (which it could be). I looked out the window to see that the storm had passed and the glow of the moon penetrated the thin overcast. I yawned and finally felt the exhaustion seep in from the sleepless nights earlier this week. I turned back around and hauled myself up onto the bed and curled up under the warm covers and instantly fell asleep, completely forgetting about the earlier events.
(Ivan's Head)
Light and warmth seemed to burst from him. His pain was washed away by overwhelming joy and his heart seemed to be lifted. But this was all brief. Skeletal fingers grabbed him and dragged him kicking and screaming back into internal darkness. There was something wrong with him. The demons smeared blood onto his skin and it felt white hot against his skin and he screamed out for help. He no longer wanted to see the pain of others for it caused him more pain. The monsters did not comply with this and continued to rub him down with the crimson liquid.
They did not understand why. He had the devil tipping his head toward him and he had the upmost respect of even the most evil and deranged. Why this sudden change in behavior? Before he would demand more blood and more souls to rip apart, but now . . . all he wanted was to run away. He would dream of a place that was warm and full of tall sunflowers that scraped the sky and great rolling fields. The demons would make sure that there would be no such place. They would keep him here until he snaps out of this dilemma.
Ivan pictured the face of Matvey smiling and laughing. It proved some comfort, but the pain was still too great and he continued to cry out to the heavens and the sniggers of the demons echoed in his ears.
Make it stop!
~;~
A/N: I am super sorry about the long wait! DX I am very sorry to tell you guys this but there might be a very long wait for the next chapter because I can't be on my laptop during the week -.- But I'll try to put it up as soon as I can DX Also the website was being stupid and not letting me edit my stories :( T^T
REVEIW PLEASE!
c(^^c)