Another early chapter!

Chapter 4: Friendship

It had been the start of a beautifully strange friendship indeed.

True to Lili's word, Ivan was free to leave the prison and wander around as much as he liked in her country, while staying with the slightly reluctant Elise. In turn, he kept his mouth shut about saying anything remotely negative about anyone- neutral, Allies, or Axis- and there had been no sign of dark auras in Liechtenstein's forecast.

For a good three more weeks, Lili was left to check on the Russian soldiers, and provide them with what they needed. Things continued to remain the same in her brother's house, as always, and the trigger happy Swiss didn't suspect that the only most feared and 'dangerous' person around was out scot free. It all seemed well, but it didn't stop Lili from worrying, once in awhile, that Vash would find out, or someone would point out that Russia's embodiment was moving around in Liechtenstein.

Thankfully, the Prince commanded that no one in Liechtenstein was allowed to breath a word about Ivan- not even his own people were permitted to say anything.

It did bother Lili that the Nation had only what he wore in his possession when he came to her, and she knew that he would take great offense if anyone provided him with clothing that was made for children, so she stopped by Elise's house the day after they had their agreement.

"What are you doing?" Ivan asked as she took the measuring tape and a clipboard with a pencil and paper out.

"Just making sure you will have something else to wear other than that coat." Lili knelt down beside him. "You are wearing more than just that coat, right?"

He didn't respond for almost a minute. "Uh..." the corners of his mouth sheepishly turned upward. Lili quickly deciphered the answer, but it didn't stop her from uncontrollable blushing.

"J-just cover up what needs to be covered up." She stuttered and whipped around to allow him some privacy.

After nearly fifteen minutes of awkwardness, Lili packed her things up and headed home. By next week, she had finished sewing up four sets of clothing, fit for a chibi-sized being. Unfortunately, because she was low on money, and wanted to save it up to help the refugees, Lili was forced to use the only colors and fabric she had left for the shirts: soft pink, lavender, white and gray checkered, and a bright sunny yellow. She cringed as she wrote the letter of explanation that she was going to attach to the parcel and hoped Ivan wouldn't mind the feminine colors.

It was after the fourth week that Ivan approached Lili once more. At the time, Lili was overseeing the progression of the Red Cross, noting that everyone seemed completely healthy and in proper shape by now. She just walked out when she almost stepped into the chibi.

"Hello again, little one." Ivan cheerfully greeted her, before he got a shoe to the face. "It's been awhile since we last spoke to each other."

Lili almost stumbled as she backed away in shock "Uh..hello Mr. Braginsky... Yes, thats true." She hesitated. "Elise says your behaving well." Even though Elise was still afraid to go back to her house from time to time, as she recalled from the woman's daily updates.

"I like her." Ivan chirped as he played with his scarf, which he seemed to always wear. "She seems as nice as almost everyone else around here." Even though Elise reminded him of the Baltics, and how they always seemed to be nervous around him. She still couldn't match against Ravis in a trembling contest though. "So what are you doing today?"

"I'm checking on the refugees." Lili answered. "They're doing just fine."

"That's nice to hear." Ivan replied, but it was followed up by an enigmatic "They should be."

"Have you managed to contact Mr. Kirkland yet?" Lili asked. "The last I heard, your side won the battle in Berlin."

"I'm actually having a hard time reaching him. The phone works everywhere but for him- and I don't want to ask the others."

"Why not?"

"I would take a risk with Francis, and it could be wasted on a pointless conversation. Alfred just likes talking about himself or his accomplishments when one of us calls him, and Yao... actually, every time I reach him, and my name is asked for, and I answer it, the phone line goes dead." He scratched his head. "I've had to sneak in messages or go directly to him since then."

Didn't someone say that Ivan had a soft spot for Yao? Or was that he just liked to stalk him out of his own twisted amusement? "Though Arthur is the only one who would be of any help out of the four." Ivan admitted.

"But actually, I think the reason why I'm having a hard time with the phone calls is because everyone has been on the edge about the possibility of someone from the enemy side bugging' and listening in. I can't call our emergency numbers unless there's a real crisis either."

"Well, I hope you can reach Mr. Kirkland soon." Lili tried to be optimistic for him. She had no clue what it was like to suddenly shrink down to size, but for someone like Ivan, it probably felt terrible in many humiliating ways. "You're not needed anytime soon, right?"

"Hmm... maybe not." Ivan thoughtfully answered. "In the mean time, it's kind of nice not having to be in charge or worry about the war right now. It's as if life was normal again... in a way." He glanced up to her. "So, how busy are you as a Nation? That is, when you have your job to work at?"

"Uh... well... a little more than usual lately." Lili also thought on this. "But I do get time off when I need it."

"Then why not spend some time with me?"

Wait a second- did she hear correctly? "Uh... what?" Lili tilted her head in confusion.

"I haven't been able to hang out with anyone. I've tried to, but everyone seems to be too busy, or they seem to run off." Ivan shook his head. "It's starting to get boring at the moment without having someone to talk to. I was lucky that your taverns serve vodka, even if it's not the best kind, but it's not comforting enough. I didn't steal any." He quickly added. "I only had a sample of it."

"Well, I guess I have tomorrow off." Lili wasn't entirely wanting to spend time alone with him, and normally she would have tried to get out of such a situation with anyone like him, but her sense of compassion and reason was beating her over the head again.

"Great! Then it's settled, da?"

"B-but I didn't say if I was certain!" Lili stammered in protest.

"You will have tomorrow off. And spend time with me- please?"

Lili was ready to say no right then and there. If she had responsibilities to attend to, she would, and if she wasn't prepared for this, she wasn't going to. And she was not going to let this Nation boss her around either, but then she looked at Ivan directly in the eye... and a long forgotten weakness was also kicking in now. A weakness for cute things.

In that moment, he was truly like a child- all full of hope, with a small smile and eyes shining. Lili was trembling...no...not the cute act! Anything but the cute act! Gah! For once in her life, she wished she didn't like anything that looked remotely cute!

Look away...look away! Don't stare into those adorable big eyes of his!...no...no...nononononononon-

"Sure." Lili slumped her head and shoulders in defeat.

-CUTENESS!-

"Oh, I see you're in that dress today." Vash noted as Lili walked out of the kitchen. "Any reason?"

"Oh, this?" Lili tugged at the stripped maroon dress she liked to wear. "I just felt like it today. I thought that it's been awhile since I've worn a dress, ever since the Red Cross began."

"...I see." Vash nodded, before resuming to his cheese. "You look good in it." He commented, causing his adopted sister to blush at the compliment. "I'm going to check on my banks." He went to the door and opened it. "I hope you have a good day."

"Bye brother!" Lili waved as he closed the door behind him. As soon as she saw him walk down the pathway, she went to the kitchen and snatched the basket up.

She was going out the back door this time.

-LYING!-

"Ah, there you are." Ivan greeted her as she walked up, with the basket in both hands. "Your brother still doesn't know about me yet, does he?" Lili shook her head as Ivan noted the basket in her hand with warm interest. "Is that a... what I think it is?"

"There isn't anything special in this basket, except for some of brother's chocolate." Lili shrugged. "He doesn't mind it if I have some, as long as he doesn't run out."

-LAT- oops. Later-

There wasn't any special reason why she decided for them to picnic in the fields. She just thought that he would want to stay away from society, after the incident in town. Lili had gone on picnics with Vash and the young children of her country several times before, but it just felt strange to go on one with the supposedly powerful Nation, this time around. Never mind how he could still be scary without meaning to be.

Luckily, it didn't end up being a disaster. He was ok with her choice of location, and didn't mind the simple choices of food she had provided- he seemed rather glad to be out relaxing in in the sunshine. Lili was able to drop her guard for a bit, but it wasn't until they actually started talking that she was able to completely relax.

"So, what's your home like, Mr. Braginsky?" Lili asked. "I've been meaning to ask you... but if it's not something you want to talk about, I can try to think of another topic."

Ivan smiled as he was laying down on the old blue table cloth that they were on. "Cold."

"Cold?"

"Da... but it can be beautiful at the same time. In the farthest corners of the northern parts, when it's winter, sometimes you can see an aurora borealis."

"A what? What's that?"

"Think of a rainbow at night, only, instead of an arc, it's a ribbon with the colors cascading downward. It's vary rare- maybe it will be green- but when it's composed of many colors, it's the most beautiful thing at night, like a rainbow amongst the stars. Especially in the woods, when there's snow in the winter time."

"That sounds beautiful!" Lili gasped as she imagined, in her mind's eye, the image Ivan painted, and could see the ribbon in the night sky. She had to admit, sometimes the graphics he made with his words didn't always come out as macabre.

"It is." Ivan sighed. "I guess there are somethings that can be worth living for, in your own home."

"What about the cities?"

"They aren't like yours. While you have castles, churches, and towns, I have many cathedrals, cities, and palaces. The designs on most of those cathedrals are quite unique- like out of a middle eastern fairy tale. There's St. Basil's Cathedral- the way they colored it, you'd think it was built out of candy, but it was inspired by a description of the Kingdom of Heaven. It's quite an architectural marvel, really."

"Really? Wow." Lili actually thought the description was very cheerful and sounded fun.

"Though Ivan the Terrible had the architect's eyes put out."

Lili almost lost her stomach at the abrupt change of visual scenery. "Er...I see." She weakly responded, for lack of a better response.

"I think you would be someone who would like our ballet: we Russian's pride ourselves in our ballet after all." Ivan added with pride, but he became level headed again in an instant. "I think you would like it, little one: you should come visit my home sometime, when you can manage."

"I would love to Mr. Braginsky; It all sounds fascinating," Lili frowned with regret. "But I can't."

Ivan rolled onto his stomach and looked at her. "Why not?"

"I cant afford to abandon my people right now."

"But that's what I mean." He pressed on, "After all this is over-" but Lili shook her head. "No...I don't know if brother would let me."

The russian's mouth dropped a little in understanding, though he clearly was disappointed. "Oh... right."

"I mean, my brother isn't strict- he just cares about me. He can worry too much sometimes- and that worries me too. I don't want to make that worse right now." She sighed: if Vash heard word that Lili wanted to visit the other country, he wouldn't take it well. "I hope the time will come where I could visit your home someday." Ivan glanced back up to the sky for a moment.

"Your lucky to have a brother who cares and looks out for you. I don't have anything against my sisters, but they have their moments too... especially... my... younger sister." He sounded uncharacteristically scared right then and even whimpered a little at the thought of his sister.

"What about her?"

"...She's insane. I don't feel like talking about it- not when I'm in the warm sun and far away from her where she probably wont think of finding me." He shut his eyes as he rolled onto his back again. "By the way- thank you for the clothes."

"Uh, I hope your ok with the colors." Lili averted her eyes in worry, recalling that he was wearing the bright yellow shirt at this very moment. "I'm really sorry."

Ivan smiled a little. "No, that's fine little one: I don't mind one bit."

Next chapter will be a lot better. By that, I mean funnier.

I think that thing with the cathedral and blinding was a legend but... who knows.