I woke up the next morning to an empty room, as I expected. They always avoided me, in fear of my fits of anger. I sighed and put on my boots, grumbling as I made my way down the main staircase. I found Gilbert in the kitchen, beer in hand and a half-eaten bowl of pancakes on the table.

"Oh shit, I mean, hey…there….big…guy!" He grinned. I rolled my eyes and poured myself a cup of coffee, adding a splash of vodka.

"Whatdoyouwant?" I grumbled, taking a swing from the mug, ignoring the fact that it was still hot. The Prussian smiled and cleared a spot for me next to him. I eyed him suspiciously but took my seat nonetheless.

"U-um…hungry?" He stammered. I thought I saw a hint of blush in his cheeks.

"Ah um I suppose so…what is this?" I signaled to the plate of pancakes on the counter. He smiled and took it then put it in front of me.

"This…is…um…well look all I can make are pancakes and I wanted…to make you some…for making sure I made it through the fucking freezing Russian night…" He nervously ran a hand through his silver hair and looked away, the blush in his cheeks growing a hint of a shade darker as he muttered.

"You…cooked?" I nudged a pancake with my fork and chuckled. "They look like thick blini"

"That's what they are, dummkopf" he hissed. I smiled, content somehow with causing that devious little grin that sprang up on his lips when he was trying to be cocky. I began eating the pancakes, trying to stomach the sickly sweet taste of the syrup he had insisted I poured on them. "S-so…I hear you are picky as fuck when it comes to food…how are they?" He bit his lip in anticipation of my response. I smiled and wiped my mouth, swallowing the last bits of pancake.

"It was…you know…decent…" I said with a bit of a yawn, still groggy from the near sleepless night and full from breakfast. The sly grin faded from his lips and he stared dismally at the kitchen table.

"D-decent? That's it? N-not…you know…awesome or anything?" He whimpered, trying to hide the slight tremors in his voice.

"Um da you know, good I suppose" I didn't get it. Had I not just complimented his food? People had always told me that honesty was the sure way to someone's heart and I was being honest. "They were too sweet but bearable" I smiled and got up. "How do you say thanks in German?" I asked.

"Danke" He muttered, his eyes still fixed on the table.

"Hm well danke. And if you must know, it is 'spasibo' in Russian"

"Oh that…well spasibo for eating them…" He growled. I gave him a curious look.

"Are you mad?" I said rolling my eyes.

"Oh no no no! I'm just glad you ate them! You know, I actually worked my ass off cooking for you! God knows why because hell I just remembered you took me prisoner! You ripped me apart from my own kid brother! You know, why the hell did I even bother in making you food? Oh right, your sister told me you kept me from freezing last night. She told me you took me from my room and wrapped me up and lay me next to the fire. And then I woke up and found you lying next to me, on top of me almost! Why did I even bother? You're sick did you know that? We barely met and you already try to-"

"You thought I was your brother…" I hissed coldly. "Da, I was worried about you. I have seen your people die in the middle of blizzards like the one that happened last night. I decided the Revolution and the War had left enough blood on my hands. Your land has already been stripped from you, you are nothing but the remnants of an empire now. I pity that, I pity the fact that you have to be here, that I had to take you. So, I decided to keep you alive. It is the least I can do. You may not have your freedom from me, but at least you have your life, kroshka." I spun around to leave, biting back the anger I felt surge through my veins.

"What did you say about West?" He growled.

"Oh, you thought I was him. I was trying to keep you warm. And hell, I could not just leave you there, crying for your brother, so I decided to humor you. I can see you love him very much." I marched to the couch and took a seat. "I don't fucking get how he can turn fucking breakfast into WWIII" I hissed. "I said thanks did I not? Ugh I do not get how this whole love thing works. I mean I try to be nice, I was being honest I mean they were a bit too sweet but otherwise good I mean decent did I not say that?"

"You did but his ego does not register that as an acceptable response" I quickly sat up and spun around to the source of the voice. I found the ghost of Rasputin, his beady eyes staring intently into me, reading every thought that raced across my flustered mind.

"Ugh what do you want Greg? " I hissed, rolling my eyes.

"You should know better than to address me with such familiarity, Vanya!" I gulped at his tone and let out a long sigh.

"Da da I know. Then again, you addressed the Royal Family in such a tone, why should I not address you in such a tone? Anyway, what do you want? I gave up on that stupid spell if you must know. I realize not I should not have killed them and I accept the fact that I will never be able to love and I am alright with that. Just leave me alone, I do not wish to talk to you right now."

"Ah…but you underestimate yourself dearest Ivan! You see, you have potential! I can see it in you! You were born with an instinct to rebel against authority, go against what you were 'destined' to do! I can see it in you and it has shown since the Revolution! At the moment, I am authority, I am the one telling you that you are cursed, that it cannot be broken! But there is something inside of you dying to prove me wrong! Embrace it boy, make the best of it! Use that same instinct that brought the curse on, to break it!"

"BUT WHAT IF I-" I spun around, my fist clenched and ready to slam it into his face. I found nothing. He was gone, disappeared like he usually did. I sighed and flopped back down on the couch.

"I know vodka can do some freaky things but it can make you hallucinate too?" Gilbert muttered, stepping into the living room.

"Oh I just…well you see I-"

"I don't wanna hear it. I've heard about enough from you today" He started climbing the steps to his room when I called after him.

"Gilbert, wait…" I muttered. He stopped and turned to look at me. "I wanted to apologize…I appreciate the food and the fact that you stayed to eat with me…usually everyone leaves me alone at breakfast but you did not and I suppose that made me feel…something…" I tried to hide my expression in my scarf as I felt my face grow steadily hotter.

"Oh wow what made you fess up?" He grinned. "I suppose I have that effect on people. My awesomeness is intimidating!"

"Whatever." I rolled my eyes, still trying to hide in my scarf.

"Hey there is literally nothing to do around here so um…you wanna go out and…Gott you know, I have no clue what you Russians do in this weather but a snowball fight sounds fun right now so…" He pouted and rocked back and forth on his heels.

"Really? You challenge me to a fight? Well alright but bundle up, it is freezing out there and I do not need any more frozen Germans on Russian soil."

"Oh shut up about that…" He grumbled, his sly grin still on his face as he made his way to his room. I quickly got up and changed into my heavy winter coat and large winter boots, slipping on my ushanka with my insignia and my fur-lined gloves. I looked like a general off to war rather than a man about to have a petty snowball fight. Katya saw me and laughed a little.

"Vanya, have you declared war on the captured Prussian already?" She giggled. I glared at her, blushing at her insult.

"Niet, he challenged me to a snowball fight so I complied! That is being nice is it not?" I muttered. She smiled and nodded, standing on her toes to fix my scarf so it fell perfectly against my chest.

"Ah I see. Well both of you will need an army! How about we split up and make this fun da? Let me call the others and we shall meet you outside. Try to make it fun, brother! I think this may be a chance to prove yourself!"

"Da, da, let us just get this over with. Let me just kick his ass and then we will all come back inside for some hot drinks." I stepped outside, only to be hit right in the nose by a snowball.

"YEAH ONE FOR THE MIGHTY PRUSSIAN ARMY THAT SHOT WAS WORTHY OF RECOGNITION AW SHIT REMIND ME TO WRITE THAT ONE DOWN IN THE BOOKS FUCK YEAH ONE FOR ME, ZERO FOR YOU!" Gilbert was already behind a crudely constructed snow fort, in only his thin uniform which lacked gloves and boots with proper insulation. I smirked and shoved him aside.

"Do not push your luck, kroshka, the game has just begun." I picked up a handful of snow and hurled it straight at him, hitting his back with a loud thud. The force drove him into the snow. I smiled a bit as I watched him sink into the white powder. After a few seconds, he got up, his face red with the embarrassment of my retaliation.

"No fair Big Guy. You're all covered up and I've got this uniform that's already soaked through!"

"Give up?" I smirked. He shook his head and threw more snow at me. Suddenly, I felt another snowball hit me from behind. It was Katya and Natalya, all dressed up in their thin jackets, each grinning and throwing snowballs at me. "Ah not you two!" I grumbled. I spun around and tried to attack all three of them, but they outnumbered me. Soon, Toris and Eduard joined them, laughing as they playfully helped my sisters tackle me to the ground. Gilbert stood above me with that sly grin on his face.

"So, Herr Brakinsky! I see you have been defeated by the mighty Prussian army once again! This makes how many times in history?" I would have normally slapped him but a part of me understood that it was all in good sport so I just smiled.

"I suppose so. Now let me go, my clothes are all soaked through and I am sure yours are too!" Everyone that was pinning me down got off and went back inside the house. Gil was still smirking like a madman. I discovered that this was one of the few ways to please his ego, letting him win, which was something I had trouble doing. I came up behind him and slapped him on the back. "Bozhe moi, you are soaked. Go take a hot bath and meet me downstairs. I will make you and the others warm drinks."

"Oh wow, have I like melted the heart of the beast or something?" He rolled his eyes.

"You could say that. Well usually, none of the ones in this castle like to spend any time with me. I have gotten used to it and I suppose isolation turned me bitter. You are…you are the only one who has ever said more than a few words to me without crawling back to their rooms looking like they'd just seen a ghost. I…I appreciate that…" He stayed silent for a while then sighed.

"You know, the only reason I am being like this is cuz I know I am stuck with you. I just want to make the best of things…I know I may never get out of here alive and I just…" He shook his head but I could see tears forming in his garnet eyes. "You don't understand. I gave everything I had for my little brother. When Bismarck said 'unify with blood and iron' he meant my blood and my labor. I raised that kid like he was my own and…he fell under the influence of a short man who promised to restore my glory and then some…he jumped on that and now…but I am glad you took me and not him. Hell, I'm at the end of my days…I've had my empire and I watched it fall…but at least I was there to see it fall…a-and West is young…he has potential…and I want him to make the best of it…" I looked at him in awe. I wondered if he even realized what he was saying. I sighed and opened the door to the castle, letting him in before me.

"You know, I know what it's like…to give everything for someone…I led the Revolution…well, sort of. I brought along the downfall of my own empire and helped rise a new one out of the ashes. And why? Same reason the French did. I was tired of seeing my people in poverty. Worse, my sisters, my friends. I was tired of seeing them and their people in poverty. So I gave everything up. I killed my royal family and brought a curse upon myself. But at least now, all five of them have a roof over their heads and a blanket to help them brace through the winter…" I scampered off to the kitchen, feeling vulnerable after revealing that.

"Why the hell are you telling me this?" He asked, following me. I shrugged.

"Why the hell are you telling me your story? We are stuck here are we not? You said we should make the best of it. And we are. My job is to keep you alive. Yours will be to accompany me in my isolation. Have we got ourselves a deal?" He glanced at a random spot on the ceiling for a while then sighed and offered me his hand.

"Ja, ja. Deal" I shook his hand and he quickly took it back. "I'm gonna go shower or something…" He muttered, walking upstairs. As soon as he was out of sight I slammed my fist down on the counter.

"Easy there, Vanya" A hauntingly familiar voice called. "You will break your hand if you keep that up! Now be a good boy and think about what you just did."

"Oh you mean promise to keep me alive if I kept him by my side at all the time probably against his will? Oh yeah, what a deal!" I stared at the transparent figure before me, trying to burn a hole through him with my eyes. I swear I saw him shudder before he turned his back to me and cleared his throat.

"Whatever. I suggest you do not, how you say…oh da, 'suck' this one"

"It is 'blow this one' you ancient piece of shit…" I muttered. He gave me a stern look and sighed.

"Hell, I did my part. I tried to help!" He left with a freezing gust of wind. I sighed and flopped down on the couch.

"That…was the most fun…I have had in years…" I mumbled, reminiscing about the snow ball fight. "It was so fun…I forgot that I lost…me…lose anything! I mean…wow…and I let it happen?" I chuckled myself to sleep, thinking about what it felt to actually have fun again after so many years.