"Ivan…" My little sister Nataliya said, knocking at my door. "Ivan wake up…come on Toris wants you to eat today…IVAN!" I shuddered at the sound of nails against the wood.

"JUST OPEN THE DAMN DOOR! BOZHE MOI!" I yelled. She opened the door, wide eyed.

"Ivan, breakfast is ready…" She grumbled. I could tell she was still bitter. She had always thought that she would be the one to break the spell. Either her or my other sister. Rasputin had not specified what kind of love. But since the curse, I could not love even my sisters. I treated them as harshly as everybody else in the godforsaken castle. I rolled out of bed and into my military clothes. If that idiot Gilbert was going to be afraid, I would give him something to be afraid of. I walked into the kitchen to find it empty of everyone except Gilbert. He was staring at a bottle of Russian vodka and tracing the rim of it with a finger.

"Oh shit the beast is up!" He said, getting up. I sighed and sat down, putting my head down on the table. "The fuck is up with you?" He muttered. I closed my eyes and fought off the urge to take the vodka bottle and chuck it at him.

"Like you care, just run like everybody else…" I grumbled. "just run…" I felt him slide a chair out and sit next to me.

"Look, I'll be here for a while…I kinda…get that now…so I figured we might as well get along and…ya know…not murder each other." He smirked and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm Gilbert Belshmit, your prisoner now I guess cuz I lost the war, my hobbies include drinking beer, kicking Roderich's ass, writing in my journal and oh…drinking beer." I opened my eyes and saw that he was offering a hand for me to shake. I took it, a bit confused. He did not push me away or shudder when we touched. "Now tell me something about you Mister Grumpy Pants!" He teased. I sighed sharply and rolled my eyes at him.

"I am Ivan Braginsky, I am your…master for the time being. My hobbies include…" Oh bozhe moi! What torturing those around me, living life isolated under a horrible curse and drinking my liver to death? "err…drinking vodka….building tanks that can obviously kick your tanks' ass, talking to the stupid ghost that keeps popping up at random and oh, drinking vodka." I smiled, sarcastically. He gave out a small giggle before covering his mouth.

"Talking to a who what now?" He said between giggles.

"Never mind, nice to meet you, enjoy your stay here," I growled. He shrugged and got up.

"Meh, I guess. Hey you got a radio or something?" He said, stretching.

"Oh..da…I thought I put one in your room but it must have slipped my mind. I will get my servants right on it…" I got up and began to walk out.

"Wait!" He called. I about- faced and stared at him harshly. "Can't you just…I dunno…I mean did you even eat breakfast? Hell I can't cook to save my ass but ya know…I was wondering if you were gonna eat or…do you not need to eat?" I chuckled lightly at his remark.

"Da I eat just…when everybody else leaves because they all either fret over me or cower in the corner. I hate it. I dislike people being scared of me…but they have good reason to be…" I sighed and sat back down.

"Whatever, just making sure you don't starve to death…"

"Da, spasibo…" I muttered. He nodded and headed out.

I began preparing myself a plate of blini with a heavy sigh. "Well…he does not hate me…that is progress…" I sighed. I ate in silence, contemplating what to do next. Should I try to talk to him? He didn't run or yell at me or anything…that's something. As I finished up I saw a familiar figure out of the corner of my eye. "Oh…it's just you" I muttered at the ghost who manifested before me. He grinned brightly.

"You know Ivan…this whole thing is starting to sound very familiar…and since I believe you actually have a chance here, I shall give you some pointers…"

"Why bother…?" I sighed dismally. "Look I have grown accustomed to the fact that no one will ever love me, ever so why even bother with the curse? I like my life the way it is!" Cold lonely and rejected by society? Living like a hermit in the outskirts of the city, with those surrounding you shunning you and suck with you until the end of time? Yeah what a lovely life Ivan. "I like being alone…" He could sense the deceit in my words. He smiled and sat next to me.

"Look…give the boy what he wants….spend some time with him. Show him that there is more to you than meets the eye." With a sly grin he vanished.

That night, a storm hit. To call it a blizzard would be an understatement. Snow fell in furious flurries that reduced visibility to nothing. The castle lacked heating, so all of those in it were huddled up under blankets and layers, trying to keep warm. My room was the only one in the house with heating. I locked myself in there, with a cup of hot coffee and a book on Communist policies. After about an hour of sitting in my armchair, I heard a knock at my door. "Um…Brother?" It was my little sister.

"Da come it…"

"Gilbert has not come out of his room in ages…I fear he may not know how to deal with these storms….should I check on him?" And what call him in? I thought.

"Do you really think I am going to feel compassion for a prisoner?" I hissed. "A piece of scum like him! He betrayed me! I would rather let him die! Maybe his death will break the curse…" I heard a heavy sigh and footsteps back downstairs. "I actually hope he has not frozen over…Prussians have a tendency to freeze on Russian territory…" I sighed and got up, grumbling crossly all the way to Gilbert's room. I knocked on the door. "Oy um…well…look it is cold…are you alive?" I muttered. I began to worry when I heard nothing. "Gil….come on…um…I can call you Gil da?" No you can't you idiot just make sure he's alive and leave. "Um…I am beginning to worry n-now! Please come out! You saw this morning that I will not hurt you…Gil-"

"D-d-d-d-d-don't c-c-call me th-that" He hissed, shivering. "I-it's Gilbert to you…o-or i-is my name t-t-too awesome f-f-for you to p-p-p-pronounce c-c-correctly?" I could tell he was barely conscious.

"Gilbert…I hope you are wrapped up in there…it's freezing…" I sighed, a hint of worry in my voice.

"You only g-gave me a t-thin blanket…I d-d-d-dared n-n-n-not ask…for more…" He was silent after that. I threw open the door and found him wrapped up in a thin blanket, his skin pale and cold to the touch. I swung him over my shoulder and ran to my room. I set him down by the fireplace and stared at him, confused.

"Sir, if I may!" Toris called, hurrying up the stairs. "Human warmth always helps in cases like these! "

"What are you suggesting I hug him?" I hissed. Toris nodded, signaling at the thick quilt I had on my bed. I sighed and wrapped Gilbert up in the quilt and hugged him close to me. I could immediately feel his breathing, feel his heartbeat, feel my body warm his. "Y-you'll be ok…" I stammered shyly. "I do not really know what to say here…but um…well…do not freeze to death and I am sorry" I rubbed his back, wondering what to do. "Toris, round up everyone in the house, tell them to bring their blankets and come spend the night in this room. If you all spend the night with no hear, you will all freeze to death…"

"S-sir…do you really mean that?" He stared at me in disbelief, his large, green eyes had a hint of doubt, as if he were questioning reality, as if he thought he was dreaming.

"Da just go! Get my sisters, get Eduard and Raivis, just bring them all here and tell them to sleep. Even…even tell my sisters to take my bed…" I growled. Toris nodded and ran off, yelling everyone's names. I closed my eyes and sighed. "Gilbert, I know you can hear me…a-and know I did not do this out of…well look, I know you are completely unprepared for this I mean it is always sunny in Berlin da? B-but not here…we are way up north, close to the arctic circle…and winters here are harsh…t-the rest of them…they're prepared…they know to keep under the blankets and…survive! But you…" I opened my eyes and found my face buried in Gil's hair, my arms cradling him close to my chest. His face was nuzzled into my chest, hands clinging to my coat.

"Ludwig, don't let me go…" He muttered. I lifted my face up and stared at the fire. At that moment, I realized I would never break the curse. There was no way anyone could ever love me. Not in a brotherly-love way like Gilbert loved Ludwig, not in a romantic way, not in any way. I would live out the rest of my days alone in this big, empty, cold prison.

"I…um…" I cleared my throat and did the best to make my voice sound like Ludwig's. "Um ja...I am…right…here…" Seconds later, Toris and my sisters came into the room.

"V-vanya?" Katya said, blushing as she looked at me and Gilbert. "Um…if you want we could g-"

"Oh he was just…shivering and I decided I did not want any more blood on my hands so I brought him in here before he died or something" I stood up, laying Gilbert on the floor in front of the fire. I wrapped the quilt around him and brushed his hair away from his eyes. I cleared my throat and sat on my bed, fidgeting with my scarf. "J-just tell the guys to sleep on the floor…you and Natalya can have my bed…"

"Vanya…are you alright?" Katya sat next to me and put her hand on my forehead. "You seem…Ivan what is wrong with you? Are you really offering to let us all stay in here for the night? What has gotten into you?"

"Nothing…just sleep, call the others in. I just do not want you all to freeze half to death…" I grabbed the comforter from my bed and kicked off my shoes before wrapping myself up and laying on the floor. "Just get some rest please…all of you" I sighed and closed my eyes, tossing and turning until I finally fell asleep.