Finally, something a little less depressing!

I do not own Axis Powers Hetalia.

…

Perhaps coming to the hospital last night hadn't been so embarrassing because he was in such a depressed daze at the time, but when Ivan woke up the next morning in Madeline's room… he felt a bit foolish. Well technically, the first thought he had was how sore his back was… but as soon as he opened his eyes, took in his surroundings in a shocked state, and remembered everything that happened… well… he wasn't really sure what the doctors must have thought when he was dragged in by the Canadian girl and said to be staying the night. He really didn't want to think about it, either.

He sighed, wondering how he got himself into such a situation, and then looked across the room to Madeline. She was sleeping peacefully in bed with a small smile on her face. This was really some girl, Ivan decided. Of course, he had thought that about her ever since they met. To think he had broken down and cried right in front of her… and to think she showed him so much kindness when he did. She had hugged him, for vodka's sake! Ivan felt bad about the events of last night for multiple reasons, he really did, but at the same time it had been something he had needed desperately. Getting all those emotions out, finally speaking to someone who listened… it was like a huge weight was lifted from his shoulders. He felt so much better now, his head a lot clearer... and basically, it was just because someone knew the real him now and how he truly felt. He wasn't all alone.

Ivan stood up and stretched, hearing a series of loud cracks in the process. Sleeping in a chair wasn't comfortable no matter what position you sat in, especially for such a big guy. He was six feet right now at fifteen, and he might even get taller than that in the future, who knows? He noticed he had also slept in his heavy boots… well, he was so out of it why would he have bothered to take them off? Ivan pouted a little, feeling a few knots in his back. Oh well, the situation he was in now was better than the many situations he could possibly be in instead. It was a good thing Madeline had been at the park, he decided. Although… now that he was fully awake he began to wonder why she had been there in the first place. Sure it had only been around dinner time but…

…maybe he just wouldn't question it.

Ivan decided to take a better look at the room as he remained standing. It was plain, like most hospital rooms… and it was lonely, too. Sure, there was no doubt it was well lived-in but… just not a very happy place to begin with. He slowly walked to the center of the room. On one side of the room, there was nothing but the bed and a little table next to it that had some water and a bottle of pills, as well as the door to enter the room right nearby. The bed was like any hospital bed… white sheets and railings surrounding it. On the other side of the room, there was the large window and chair Ivan had been sleeping in, and further down a desk with another chair and lamp that was piled with books similar to the ones he had at school. Attached to the desk was a counter with things like a sewing kit and basket of yarn. Above the counter was a line of cupboards, and one had been left slightly open to show a shirt hanging out. It was probably where Madeline kept her clothes.

"It seems you are awake." A French accented voice commented from the doorway. Ivan turned his head and realised it was the young doctor Madeline had been talking to last night. He blushed deeply, embarrassment rising.

"I'm sorry that I… came here all of a sudden last night. I… really don't know how to explain myself... er… Doctor…" he started nervously. The doctor just laughed.

"Doctor Bonnefoy-Kirkland. I know it's long, but I wanted to keep my maiden name so that my husband wouldn't have too much power over me, oui?" she gave a cheesy wink and continued, "Anyways, I trust Madeline's word and judgement. I understand you were out of it, too. If it had been any other of my patients I may not have allowed it, so feel lucky." She winked again, blond bun bounding up a bit and bright blue eyes sparkling. She was being a lot nicer than last night, that was for sure, and it kind of scared him. At least she wasn't nervous.

"Why do you trust Madeline so much?" he asked curiously. She was checking over the sleeping girl by now, and looked up with a rather sentimental smile.

"She's been my patient for so long; in fact she was one of the first real patients I got when I came to work here. Madeline's been in this hospital since she was around nine or ten years old, and she's going to be turning sixteen in July." the woman explained. Ivan's eyes widened. She had been here for THAT long? He couldn't even imagine that sort of thing…

Francis ignored his shock and continued, staring down at the girl in adoration, "She so mignonne and petite, oui? Sure, I don't see much of her except when I'm at work… but I've always tried my best to treat her like a bit like a petite soeur… a little sister. I keep a lot of my old clothes, so I always give her all the ones that will fit. After all, the clothes she gets each year never really suit her, or just don't fit very well." The clothes she gets? Ivan was confused. Who gave her clothes every year? Her parents? Or was there some sort of hospital system?

"My husband also gives her a lot of books, as you can see." The lady pointed to the desk and counter with thin and thick books alike. "He's a librarian… and they always have old or extra copies lying around there. He tutors her too… after all she doesn't go to school. Arthur isn't a very affectionate man, but he's taken a liking to her." The doctor explained happily. Ivan nodded slowly.

"…What about her family? Do they come here a lot?" he asked cautiously. Dr. Bonnefoy-Kirkland's smile vanished, and her eyes became dark.

"If Madeline wants you to know anything about her, then she'll tell you." The blond woman mumbled quickly. Ivan stayed silent for a moment, and then nodded seriously. If he wasn't supposed to know right now, then so be it. Maybe if he asked Madeline himself she would tell him. He was also curious about her illness… but Ivan felt that asking Doctor Bonnefoy-Kirkland any more information would be inappropriate at this point.

After a while, the mood lightened and the doctor smiled again. "Well… just be careful, alright? It's nice she's making friends, but I'll get in a lot of trouble if something happens to her. I don't know much about you, and you're pretty scary-looking… but I suppose since Madeline's growing older she has the right to make her own choices. I'm only her doctor, anyways… I think she needs someone that will be around her more often than Arthur and I can be… someone who's there by their own choice and nothing else." She explained in a more mature voice, then turned on her bright red high heels and walked out the door, humming the French national anthem all the way.

Someone who's there by their own choice and nothing else. Ivan replayed the sentence in his head over and over, thinking about the meaning of it. It didn't necessarily mean the young doctor didn't care for Madeline, it just meant that she had come to care for her by another force, not by her own choice. It was nice to have someone there for you who had approached you by choice… and apparently that's what he was to Madeline… But really, he realised, she was the one who approached him. The first one to approach him without any reason behind it, in fact. Ivan even had tried to ignore her and push her away… but he supposed he couldn't do that anymore.

Sure, he was still just a bit untrusting of the girl… but hey, a chance like this might not come by ever again for a guy like him. He had even called her a good friend last night, even if he had been so exhausted he had not known what he was saying exactly. Ivan defiantly couldn't back out now, that was for sure. He was a bit hopeful considering the situation, but at the same time he was quite unsure and nervous. He didn't know much about this new "friend" of his, and yet she knew quite a bit about him already. In fact, she knew more than anyone did by now. Was that something he should be worried about? Maybe full trust and happiness with this girl couldn't be achieved quite yet… he would have to be alert for a while.

Ivan nodded to himself then pulled out his (rarely used) cellphone to check the time. His eyes widened as he realised he was late for school… in fact, it was almost lunch. Without a second thought, the Russian-Canadian boy rushed out the door.

…

By the time Ivan got to school, there were only fifteen minutes of lunch left. He quickly went to the office to get a late slip (the secretary didn't even bother to ask where he had been and handed it to him with a shaky arm) and began to walk to his locker to see if he had the right books for class or if he would have to "borrow" some things. Borrowing usually meant approach some fragile-looking kid and say something like "I need that, da?" Maybe he should stop doing that… but if there was one thing Ivan liked, it was being in control of someone. Especially since he didn't have much control of himself. That was how most school bullies became bullies, anyways.

He discovered he had everything he needed and stuffed his late slip in his coat pocket, and then began to gather his books in his arms. The teen shut his locker door and turned around, only to be met with the sight of his little sister Natalia. She had her arms crossed, eyes firm and red lips pursed. Her black high heels tapped on the floor in annoyance. As he stared at her further, she sighed and flipped her perfect blond hair behind her shoulder.

"Where did you go last night?" the young girl asked in Russian tongue. Ivan knew this meant she was annoyed, for he often found himself doing the same thing.

"I was with… someone…" he said warily, also in Russian. She growled, arms uncrossing and falling to her waist with balled fists.

"Someone? Is that all a get?" she hissed, heel clicking against the ground harshly. Ivan flinched. He wasn't afraid of many things, but an angry Natalia was one of them… no question about that. He knew for a fact she carried various… objects under her perfectly ironed clothes. Dangerous ones. He backed up a bit, and the young girl gave a deathly glare before regaining herself and turning on her heel. Ivan let out a breath he hadn't realised he had been holding, going ahead and walking to his next class.

…

School went as it always did… no surprises there. Ivan didn't want to go home tonight even more that he usually did. After all, if Natalia had noticed he was gone then everyone else probably did, as well. He was a bit nervous to face Madeline too. Would she bring up the fact that he had cried in front of her? Would she act differently? Not to mention, she had put up a lot with his bad side…

Ivan wandered aimlessly, and before he knew it he was passing the flower shop. Something bright caught his eye in the window, and he stopped immediately. Looking closer through the glass and white flowers painted on, he saw that there were sunflowers inside. Ivan felt a smile cross his lips. The Russian walked into the store to get a better look at them. He loved sunflowers, they were his favourite flower. So rare to find during this time of the year, as well. They also reminded of something… someone…

The sunflowers reminded him of Madeline, he realised. Her hair was almost the exact same colour, and the warm feeling they both showed were similar, as well… Ivan dug into his coat pocket and found his wallet. He wasn't a big spender and tended to keep things simple, but he still always kept a wallet with some money in it. He got an allowance every month, after all, and since he didn't spend much of it he had saved himself up quite a bit of cash. It was times like these he was thankful he kept a bit of it with him. The Russian boy walked up to the counter where an elderly man was reading some sort of book about birds.

"Excuse me?" he called. The man looked up.

"What can I do for you, young lad?" he asked in a gruff voice.

"Could I have five of those sunflowers?" he asked. The man nodded and stood from his seat, walking over to where the flowers were and selecting a few.

"This for your girlfriend? Sunflowers aren't that popular for men to buy, usually it's roses." The man explained as he wrapped the stems into brown paper to hold them together.

"Nyet, just a friend." He answered simply, grabbing his wallet as the man put the flowers over the table.

"That right? Well, I guess roses aren't a very good thing to get a friend, eh?" The man laughed a bit. Ivan stayed silent. Roses were more suited for that Dr. Bonnefoy-Kirkland woman, but they didn't suit Madeline at all.

Although it was odd how his favourite flower reminded him so much of her…
…

Madeline was in her small washroom, staring at herself in the mirror. She had become more self-conscience about her appearance lately, and Dr. Bonnefoy-Kirkland told her it was because she was become older. She had also added it was only natural that Madeline would want lots of boys to look at her at this age but… Madeline decided to ignore that part. She wasn't quite sure what it was like to have a crush, and she wasn't all that interested in having a boyfriend, either.

Shyly, Madeline opened her little make-up case and stared at all the colours of powder and lip gloss, as well as the mascara and eye liner that was kept on the side of the large black box. Dr. Bonnefoy-Kirkland had bought it for her, saying that girls her age should to wear at least a bit when they went out. She hated it when the woman bought things for her, which was why she only accepted hand-me-downs from the doctor and her husband. This time, however, the blond lady insisted it was essential for Madeline to try to put on when she went outside. She had been given a quick lesson on how to apply it, as well. Shyly, Madeline put some pink lip gloss on her finger and rubbed it on her lips, then brushed the pink powder on her cheek to give them some colour. That was enough for now… right?

The door opened and Madeline jumped a bit. She walked out and smiled at the sight of Ivan standing there. He had something in his hand, too… sunflowers, she believed. Ivan had a bit of a blush on his cheeks and he was staring at the ground. He shoved the flowers into Madeline's arms and pouted.

"Here… your room isn't bright enough and… I just figured… you put up with a lot of trouble with me. Think nothing else of it." He stated. She looked at the bright yellow petal curiously.

"Oh… um… you didn't have to, eh. I…"

"Just take them." The boy mumbled. Madeline paused, and then figured she would have to keep these. She felt bad, for she couldn't give much back but… Ivan was just so determined to give them to her.

"Thanks…" she finally whispered with a smile. She walked to her bed and placed the bouquet next to Kuma gently. They really did make things look brighter.

"Are you going outside today?" Ivan asked from behind. He looked less tense now that he had performed his embarrassing task without much hassle. Madeline turned and smiled brighter.

"Yes… the park… do you want to come?" she asked. He nodded, eyes lightening more.

They went to the main floor, and all Madeline did was tap the front desk so they could see she was leaving. As the two teens exited the hospital and began their short walk, Ivan decided now would be the perfect time to ask this Canadian girl some questions.

"So… what illness do you have?" he mumbled awkwardly. Madeline looked up, a little surprised, then giggled.

"No one really knows what it is exactly… it's just that my heart acts… weird. I haven't got the strongest body, either. I'm getting better as I grow older, though! When I first came here, I almost never left my bed, eh." She explained. Ivan nodded.

"The doctor told me you've been here since you were nine or ten… that's a long time…" he mumbled. Madeline nodded quietly.

"I suppose… but I have nice people taking care of me like Dr. Bonnefoy-Kirkland and her husband, eh!"

"Da, she told me about him… but what about your parents?" Ivan asked. Madeline stopped walking, and her face grew sadder than Ivan had ever seen it.

"… I… can't really answer that…" she whispered. Ivan stood there for a moment, staring at the girl, then nodded, turning around.

"That's fine." He answered. They continued to walk quietly.

At the park, the mood slowly lightened as Ivan and Madeline sat together under a tree. For a while they simply looked around at the view and watched the leaves fall. Finally, Madeline spoke up.

"Is that… a hockey stick on your scarf?" she asked curiously. Ivan paused and took the end of his white scarf, seeing the small black hockey stick sewn into the fabric.

"Da… my older sister made this scarf for me when I was small. I've always liked hockey, it's one of my favourite sports." He explained, feeling a bit happy and sad at the same time.

"She sounds nice…" Madeline smiled warmly. Ivan frowned.

"Da… but we don't get along very well anymore… I don't get along very well with anyone in my family, actually…" he sighed. Madeline frowned a bit, too.

"Um… well… if it makes you feel any better… hockey's my favourite sport too! There are a lot of televisions in the hospital and when no one uses them I watch hockey! I love all the Canadian teams in the NHL! I have a little radio in my room to listen to when I can't use the television, as well." she giggled happily. Ivan pouted.

"Canadian hockey is not as good as Russian hockey." He stated simply, crossing his arms. At that moment, it almost seemed as if Madeline became a completely different person.

"You hoser! You don't know anything about hockey! Russian teams are getting even worse than the American ones, and Canada is hockey's game! They're nothing but hose-heads!" she exclaimed in a rather scary voice. Ivan did nothing but smirk, though.

"Canadians are ruining the game, they don't see the fun in it the way Russians do. The NHL worries about money and nothing else. The fights are boring, too. In Russia, hockey is passion, not mere sport." He stated smugly. Madeline had murder in her eyes, but a smile crossed her face, as well.

"Canada invented the game! All the greats are Canadian, after all!" she proclaimed. Ivan laughed at this.

"And they are pansies, too!" he grinned. Madeline's smile became childish as she gathered leaves in her hands threw them in the boy's face. Ivan was surprised as they all got caught in his blond hair, but gathered his own handful and repeated the action. This caused them to both start to laugh and continue to throw leaves at each other for a good fifteen minutes. Ivan hadn't laughed like that in so many years… he hadn't even had fun like that in years!

Finally, when the two became exhausted and were gasping for breath, the both sat against a tree and relaxed before Madeline stood up, cheeks bright red and sweat making her skin a bit shiny.

"I'm going to go back now… I'm really tired…" she laughed lightly.

"Da, I suppose I should go home before it gets dark." Ivan agreed, standing up as well. They walked together to the gate and went separate ways afterwards, giving each other a friendly wave before doing so.

Ivan decided he wasn't all that worried about being Madeline's friend anymore.

…

Meh, I'm not proud of this chapter. The flow is just… yuck. The next chapter is boring as hell, but I promise things pick up a bit after that XD

Don't be afraid to give me constructive criticism… just be nice when you do it please XD