Chapter Nine: Trouble Brewing

Ivan woke, his body strangely warm, to the menu music of the Korean drama DVD that he and Yong Soo had been watching the night before. A small noise at his side startled him and he tried to pull away, but something held his arm down. He took a second look to see Yong Soo pressed up against his side, one arm draping over his stomach. Ivan stared at the other boy's face, absolutely entranced at the sight before him, his mouth agape in silent awe.

Yong Soo's face was completely relaxed; a lock of chocolate brown hair fell over it. His long black eyelashes fluttered softly against his cheeks and his lips, just barely parted, breathed easily into Ivan's shoulder. Ivan reached over with the arm opposite Yong Soo and touched the other's face with trembling fingers. Yong Soo leaned into the touch and the Russian almost pulled his hand back, but he heard Yong Soo let out a happy sigh and Ivan's heart leapt to beat rapidly in his throat. Yong Soo was...

Perfect.

A loud knock at the door shattered the silence and Yong Soo suddenly sprung up in bed. "Huh? W-what's-" He yawned loudly. "What's going on?"

An exasperated sigh answered him through the door. "Aiyah! You have got to be kidding, Yong Soo! It's time for school, Lee is already waiting for you outside, aru!"

"오 안돼, 오 안돼! I'll be out in five minutes, Yao-hyung!" Yong Soo leapt from the bed and began tearing through his closet, tossing random articles of clothing on the floor and on his chair. He was halfway undressed before he noticed a brightly blushing Russian sitting on his bed, his face partially hidden behind his scarf. "Ivan!" Yong Soo hissed and skidded across the room, almost falling in Ivan's lap. "Oh my gods! I'd be in so much trouble if my brothers knew you spent the night, da ze! You gotta get out of here before they find out!"

"A-ah, да!" Ivan stuttered and stood up quickly, tangling his legs in the blankets and stumbling into the door with a resounding thud.

"Yong Soo? Was that you, aru? Are you okay?" Yao's concerned voice come from somewhere beyond the bedroom door.

"No-no-no-no-no!" Yong Soo frantically waved his arms and tried to pull Ivan away from the door. "Yao-hyung will definitely see you if you go out that way!" The Korean turned and shouted, "Yeah, I'm fine, Yao-hyung! I just tripped putting on my pants!" He turned back to the older boy and said in hushed whispers, "창! Go out the window!"

Ivan frowned, but nodded nevertheless. At least this time and should be easier to get through it. Ivan was halfway through the window when Yong Soo ran up, now fully dressed, and threw his arms around the Russian's neck.

"Thanks, Ivan, for the flowers and for hanging out with me. You should come over more often, da ze!"

Ivan nodded numbly. Yong Soo actually wanted him to come over again? His chest tightened and he couldn't stop the smile that crossed his face. He didn't think he had ever felt so happy.

-o-o-o-

Lee stood, patiently waiting, in the Wang's front yard, his backpack slung over one shoulder. They were going to be late for school, Lee knew it, but he didn't really care and he wasn't particularly surprised either. Yong Soo slept in at least once a week or so. Lee exhaled and shifted his bag to his other shoulder. He was about to call Yong Soo's cell phone when he spotted movement in the yard. Ivan. It was Ivan. The Russian who had been stalking his cousin Yao since the day he started college; the man who constantly fought with Kiku, who was the easiest person to get along with that Lee knew, as well as the least likely one to get angry; the same guy that Lee had heard horror stories about from his other cousin, Arthur. And most importantly, as much as Yong Soo denied it, Lee knew something happened at that party.

"Good morning, da ze!" Yong Soo's voice cut through Lee's inner monologue. "I can't believe I slept in so late!" The Korean groaned over dramatically as he grinned apologetically at his friend.

"And you went to bed so early." Lee's tone was flat, neither sarcastic nor suspicious, but the purpose behind it was probing.

"Huh? O-oh, right!" Yong Soo laughed uncomfortably and scratched the back of his neck. "Yeah, weird, isn't it? Maybe I'm sick or something."

Lee's brow furrowed and he frowned. "Maybe." He didn't know why Yong Soo was still lying to him, but he was worried. Everything he had heard led him to believe that Ivan Braginski was a dangerous man. Ignoring Yong Soo's rambling of lame excuses, Lee pulled his cell phone out and typed up a quick text. He wouldn't let anything happen to his friend.

-o-o-o-

Yao still had a few hours until his first class of the day, but that be no means meant that he had the time to relax. He cooked breakfast (which Yong Soo had skipped, much to his annoyance), washed all of the morning dishes, got Yong Soo up for school, vacuumed both the living room and the hallway and now stood ready for his most dreaded task of the day: straightening up Yong Soo's bedroom. Yao hadn't had to clean up after Kiku since he was about six-years-old, but if he didn't go into Yong Soo's room every week it would turn into a toxic wasteland. Not to mention that all of their dishes and silverware would somehow find their way in there (Yong Soo always claimed he didn't know how it happened).

Yao took a deep breath and walked into his youngest brother's bedroom, almost immediately tripping over what he recognized to be freshly laundered clothes on the floor. "Ugh! Can he not keep his room clean for two days, aru?" Groaning and telling himself that if he didn't do it, it wouldn't get done, Yao began angrily picking up and refolding the scattered clothing. He turned to put the clothes into the dresser and then dropped them back to the floor.

There were sunflowers on Yong Soo's desk.

Yao's heart beat faster and he held his breath as he silently began to approach the offending bouquet. It's a coincidence, he told himself. It had to be a coincidence. But the paper and the ribbon... The bouquet was identical to the dozens Yao had received over the years he had known Ivan.

Hesitantly, he reached out to grab the flowers. Yao jumped and retracted his hand as if it had just been bitten when his phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. It was a text from Lee. "That's strange... Lee almost never talks to me, aru..."

yao- i saw that russian guy in ur yard this morning.

i think somethings up. thought u might wanna no.

Yao's slender frame shook in rage. He grabbed the sunflowers from the desk and violently threw them down into the trashcan next to it. Ignoring the golden shower of petals, Yao stomped down the flowers down a couple of times for good measure.

"该死！那个混蛋！这令人难以置信的混蛋！How dare he? How dare he come near my 小弟弟? I won't-I won't let him get away with this, aru."

-o-o-o-

A/N: Uh-oh! Ivan's in trouble~ And I'm guessing I am too, huh? It's been so long, but my hiatus is finally over and I should be releasing chapters on a more regular basis now. For those of you also reading my other story, a new chapter of Jealousy should be out in a few days. Thank you and much love 'til next time!

Translations:

오 안돼, 오 안돼 : Oh no, oh no! (Korean)

창 : Window

Да : Yes (Russian)

该死！那个混蛋！这令人难以置信的混蛋 : Damn it! That bastard! That unbelievable bastard! (Chinese)

小弟弟 : Little brother

Warning: All these are translated using online translator, so the grammar probably sucks. ^^;