A/N

You may or may not see character morph as the story progresses. I hope this isn't a problem, because by morph I mean gain attributes. Particularly Alfred, because he seems to be getting more childish, much like his POV. As for Ivan, just keep in mind, the more focused he gets on something, the more his English gets slaughtered. He has a hard time multitasking, and Alfred is a whole lot of multitasking he just is not fully ready for.

After the incident, I made it a point to stay as far away from Ivan as possible. He, on the other hand, had made it a point to spend as much time close to me as he could. Whether it be that we were dancing, or in my daze I'd simply forgotten, but I could not stay a comfortable distance from the damned oversized Russian(or were they all that big?). His mere presence was off putting, if you asked me. When we were awaiting our next instruction he would stand there in silence, just looking at me. I wasn't sure if I was to look back at him, or to look away! So I did it. I stood there for a good 15 seconds looking at him right in the ye. Now, you know me, I would never admit this to anyone if I didn't think it would be kept in total confidence, but god was he scary, but wasn't just a weirdo, or creeper kind of scart, he was truly was a force not to be reckoned with. I'm sure everyone was afraid of him, and if they weren't well they had to have been. I mean...look at him! Right?

Now it was Friday, and rehearsal had been over for almost a half hour. Everyone had cleared out, and usually most just chilled in the parking lot talking over parts they'd have to clean up next practice. There was always work to be done. But me, I'd stuck around, milling about the empty studio thinking over my essay. It'd become so time consuming, being a part of the company and all. Everyone was so nice, excluding Ivan. But I couldn't help but still feel like the puzzle piece that didn't have the right fit.

It was in this deep thought that I found myself against a wall, throwing my foot on the bar for some final stretches.

I wasn't sure if I'd wanted to 'WOW' everybody with my dedication and improvement, or make it through just long enough to get the paper done correctly. I looked over my shoulder at the wall on the other side of the room, and switched legs. No, Alfred Jones doesn't do anything half way(usually). Especially not when it involves Matty. Matty put his heart and soul into his dancing, even if in the performance he wouldn't be at the forefront, he was still important. And if he was, so was I. I turned around and looked at the menacing other wall.

"When you can make it to that wall in three jumps and two steps. No more, no less, that's when they'll take your seriously. You can be as flexible as you want, but if you can't make it that far, you can't do anything in their eyes...

...Three. Flawless. Jumps."

Fuckin' insane. That's what that was, hardly possible, well...it would have been if Matt hadn't already showed me...twice...

I attempted to jump, just one solid jump.

"Looks like your riding a bicycle, podsolnechnik." A voice chuckled from the hallway. I didn't even know anyone was still here- wait a second...did he just say...

"Ivan?"

"Why are you here so late? That brother of yours? He's gone. Everyone's gone home."

"What time is it?"

"Da...eleven thirteen." Shit. Cornered again. What had I been doing for so long?

"Can I-"

"-You need to be flat as piece of paper by the time we preform. No exceptions. I'll help, da?"

"No. Last time you tried to help I earned this prize." I stated, pointing to the bandages on my wrist. "I can just use this bar, and in no time I'll-"

"No. 'S no longer question." Was it just me or was his accent getting thicker...and was that a hint of anger in his voice? He began advancing, and the only exit was in his direction. Today, luck was not on my side. "You want practice late? S' okay. Give me leg."

"No, no it's okay! I can definitely wo-"

"Leg, Alfred." He was too fucking close, and I'd successfully given myself no way to escape. I lifted my leg carefully and he grabbed my ankle. Maybe this was karma getting back at me for being so mean to him in the car that one day...when his accent didn't seem so thick... Or maybe this was Ivan getting back at me for being so mean to him in the car.

He pulled my leg up, and away from me, I tried to hop toward him with my other leg, but that ended as soon as his large foot stepped atop mine.

"Uh, Ivan...ouch!" I heard something pop! He moved my leg around and I heard a second pop! He set my leg back down and went to pick up the other one. "Woah, woah, dude! What the fuck was that?" He ignored me and pushed my shoulder against the wall I hadn't realized I'd gotten so close to. Silently I attempted to loosen his weight on me, without victory.

"Stop moving." He demanded in a voice that immediately won over my usual need to defy domination. He repeated the action and set down my leg motioning for me to try the jump again. I watched myself in the mirror float, legs only slightly curved at this point. I gripped the bar at the other side of the room, and looked back at him.

"How did you...?" I looked down and looked back up.

"Magic fingers." He smiled deviously, like he had done in the hospital room. He started walking toward the door.

"Wait!" I called, cringing. "Can I, um, have a ride home...?" Me and Matt needed to stop coming in the same car if he was just going leave me for Francis every other day. This whole Getting-A-Ride-From-Ivan business had to stop. But I was feeling much to tired to start a journey home.

There was silence for a moment.

"No."

"No?"

"No."

"No?"

"Is there other meaning for 'no' word?"

"It's like eleven thirty! I won't get home 'til one in the morning if I walk! It's probably freezing out there!" I gasped, "What if I get kidnapped?"

"Not my problem."

"Mother fuckin' Russian asshole..." I whispered under my breath, watching him leave.

I picked up my stuff, flipped off the lights, and closed the door behind me.

"I changed my mind."

"Fuck! You scared the shit out of me!" I yelled, dropping the spare Matt had made me.

"Sorry." After retrieving the key he'd made Ivan had made me drop, I found myself closer to him than I had originally thought myself to be. A few seconds had passed and he had yet to step away.

"Um...you're kinda popping my bubble..." I stated, my head craned back as far as possible. My neck started to hurt as he made no sign of giving me space. I attempted to slide through the small space between Ivan and the wall when his arm popped up to blocked me.

"How about Friday?" He asked liked we'd been carrying on a perfectly normal conversation.

"Friday?"

"For a movie, da?"

"Woah- hoh hoh! I am not going on a date with you. I don't know if your noticed, fruit cake, but I'm not looking for any 'hott boo-ty' action." He took a step back and smiled.

"I accept that answer." He said, still smiling.

I sighed, "Well thank you, I respec-"

"-But only because I always get what I want, podsolnechnik." I gave him a frank look and locked the door behind me. Better to let if fall to the back of my head and ignore him then to feed his crazy infatuation with me. Tino may have told me not to resist, but it was going to be a cold day in hell before I went along with something I didn't want.

-;-

"He likes me." I said cuddling into Matty's sheets.

"Alfred why do you keep invading my bedroom like this..."

"Ivan fucking likes me." I repeated hoping to get my point across.

"And then you just compla-wait. What did you just say?" Matt said, finally tearing his gaze from the computer.

"Ivan fucking Braginski wants to make sweet love to me." I shuttered.

"Okay he did not say all of...well...he might've..."

"He didn't. But he might as well have..."

"Really?"

"No..."

"Well what really happened then?" He asked, sounding agitated.

"He asked me to go to a movie with him..."

"And you said...?" That's when I realized something a little off...

"...Is that...hope in your voice?" I asked, horrified.

"Alfred!" I tossed off his covers, and threw my legs over the edge of the bed.

"Well, 'bro-ther', if that really if that's even what you really are, you would have told me and tall, weird, and creepy wanted my nuts!" I said, exiting his bedroom.

"Alfred!" He called after me, but I was done Ivan and Matt...but mostly Ivan.

Hope this chapter was satisfactory. Again, hoping to improve next chapter...