Chapter 7

Matthew stayed unconscious for another full hour, his lips and fingernails no longer blue, and his face was no longer white. Ivan nervously paced in his room, hoping that nobody noticed him carrying the smaller man up to his room. Every so often he would stop pacing and put his hands to Matthew's face and neck, checking his temperature. He gradually warmed up with the aid of the fireplace and multiple blankets that Ivan had pulled off of his bed and wrapped around him like a cocoon.

The Russian man was pacing away from Matthew when he heard a small, quiet series of coughs. He immediately rushed to his side, helping him sit up in his nest of blankets. Matthew tried to stand up when he noticed what room he was in.

"I'm sorry for being a burden." He was cut off by another fit of coughing. "I'll leave now." He stood up and wobbled for a few seconds before starting to fall, but before he hit the floor Ivan caught him and laid him down on the semi-made bed, since the sheets and pillows had been changed while he was outside.

"You aren't feeling well, Matthew. You need to rest." He replied as he took the blankets that were on the floor, re-tucking Matthew in but keeping his arms free. "I'll bring you some hot chocolate or something, just stay here." Ivan half-ruffled, half-stroked his hair, making him smile slightly and blush.

When Ivan made it to the kitchen, he saw an angry Francis and an apathetic Arthur. "What are you doing with Matthew?" Francis asked, blocking his way to the ingredients he needed.

"I am helping him. He fell asleep outside and needs to warm up. If you'll excuse me, I'm trying to make it up to him. He deserves an apology for my actions." Ivan motioned for him to move and he reluctantly moved to Arthur's side.

Ivan meticulously prepared the hot chocolate for Matthew and himself, grabbing a few maple cookies from the cooling rack and placing everything on a tray. Francis fumed as he watched him leave with the food and drinks, going towards his room.

Matthew was messing with the edge of the top blanket when Ivan entered the room. He saw the cups and plate of his favorite cookies and grew nervous. "You didn't have to do all of that, I'll be fine." He told him, blushing bright red and avoiding eye contact.

"No you won't. You aren't feeling well; I can see it on your face. The best things for you to do right now are rest and eat something." Ivan handed him the hot chocolate and cookies before pulling up a chair so he could sit next to him.

"I'm sorry you have to go through all of this trouble. I know it won't benefit you to have a spouse that is weak and stupid." Matthew continued to stare down at the cookies and hot chocolate, holding back tears at the memory of what Ivan said to him that morning.

"I had no right to say any of those things. I realize that I am not who you expected or hoped for, and you are not what I expected, but I am going to try to be nicer to you." Ivan replied, looking down at the hardwood floor.

Matthew sniffled and attempted to hide a minute smile behind taking a drink of hot chocolate, but Ivan still noticed. "Thank you, Ivan. I know you don't like me, but I really appreciate you trying to be nicer to me." Matthew looked up to see a slightly pink tinge in the larger man's cheeks.

Ivan cleared his throat and sat up straighter in his chair, noticeably uncomfortable at the display of emotion. "I saw the sunflowers. They are growing quite beautifully. I didn't know you spent so much time on them." He commented awkwardly, taking off his thin jacket but leaving on his scarf.

"I asked Kiku and Ludwig if they knew anything you liked. They both said vodka and sunflowers, and since I couldn't really get you alcohol I decided to grow some sunflowers. I only knew things about you from Ludwig, Feliciano, Kiku, and my brother, and by what they said I wouldn't be exactly what you wanted. I just thought they would make you happy, or at least not as angry." He looked back away from Ivan and finished the cookies.

"Thank you. It is a very nice gesture that I hope I can someday return." He gripped the mug hard, but not quite hard enough for it to crack

"You don't have to. I just didn't want to be refused… again." The last sentence was spoken so quietly Ivan thought he merely imagined it.

"No, I should, to truly apologize for what I have done. You said this morning that we could walk the grounds together, and I think we should once you feel better. We can use it as a way to get to know each other." Matthew looked up at him and smiled.

"I'd really like that. I hope I get better soon. Oh my gosh! I didn't know it was that late!" He exclaimed when the wall clock caught his eye. "I should probably get back to my bedroom now." He started to move the layers of blankets out of the way so he could stand up. Ivan was quick to push him back into the pillows.

"Don't worry about that; I know your rooms are quite a distance away and you're sick. I'll just sleep on the couch." Matthew blushed at the idea of spending the night with somebody who is meant to be his fiancé and snuggled into the blankets. Ivan grabbed a spare pillow and blanket from the closet and set up a bed on the couch. The smaller of the two sat up from his place on the bed just in time for him to see Ivan taking his shirt off to get more comfortable, and he saw everything.

He saw the cuts that were healing from the car accident. He saw brutal scars that ran down rippling muscle that made him blush. However, all he noticed was how much more peaceful he looked when he was tired.

"Ivan? Ivan, please wake up." Matthew's voice cut through the layers of sleep, waking him up to see his nervous and frightened face from where he was leaning over the back of the couch.

"Mattvey? What are you doing awake?" He asked, the lingering tiredness making his accent much thicker.

"There's a loud storm outside." He answered simply, not wanting Ivan to think he was weak again.

"Are you afraid of storms?" He asked, sitting up slightly. The smaller man blushed and nodded, messing with the hem of his shirt. Ivan sighed and moved the blanket out of the way, allowing Matthew to lay down with him. Matthew blushed harder at his lack of shirt while lying down, trying to touch Ivan as little as possible.

Ivan wrapped his arms around Matthew's waist and pulled him closer, tucking his head under his chin. He ran his hands up and down Matthew's back a few times to comfort him while he was having a mental breakdown. Matthew wanted to object and say that the position was inappropriate, but he was overwhelmed. Not only was Ivan accepting affection, he was initiating it! Matthew smiled and snuggled closer, falling asleep to the beat of his fiancé's heart.

Hey guess what! I'm sick. I feel like shit and I look even worse so I hope this chapter isn't that bad. I wanted some fluff and didn't feel like reading any so I wrote a bit instead

I want to say that I love you guys, all of my readers, because without you this story would have been pushed to the edge of my mind and never updated or developed like it is now. So from the bottom of my heart, *puts on a hazmat suit so you guys won't get sick and gives you all a giant hug*

Song of the chapter- Brutal Love by Green Day