Side Story 6

Ivan peered over Alfred's shoulder curiously. Matvey was away, tutoring some unimportant person, so Ivan was stuck waiting with Alfred. Not that he particularly minded. The two of them were on good terms at the moment, and Alfred was highly amusing. But not when he was complaining. Which he seemed to be doing frequently.

"Man, its soooo cold. Mattie must be part fucking polar bear. He's such an asswipe; he won't let me turn up the heat!" Alfred whined and continued working on his project, "My fingers are numb. How can I produce artistic genius with numb fingers?"

Ivan hummed, "It seems to be an improvement. If your previous work is to be judged."

"Fuck off." Alfred grunted, "So what are you doing for Mattie for Valentines? Or, wait, you're the girl? Then I should ask him what he should be doing for you!"

Ivan considered this with narrowed eyes and his face hidden behind his scarf. Alfred had yet to learn how to shut his mouth. And of course, he rarely used his brain to process the obvious. Ivan was obviously not a girl. This was not a case of mistaken identity or gender ambivalence. He used the correct pronoun after all and called Ivan 'big guy.'

"I am not female." Ivan rumbled, deciding Alfred was being his ignorant, irritating self. Ivan wished he was being his ignorant, amusing self, but it seemed today was not that day. "And why should I care about Valentines?"

Alfred's blue eyes widened as he snapped around. His mouth gaped for a split second before it started running non-stop. All Ivan heard (heard not understand) was holiday and love and devotion. Ivan rolled his eyes silently, thinking he sounded like a certain man who was less that particular about the brand of 'love' he was spreading around.

"It's the holiday of love, big guy." Alfred repeated, slower this time, as if he was talking to a handicapped child, "You love Mattie, don't you? It's a special day to show him you care about him."

Ivan frowned, "But I like Matvey every day."

Alfred sighed dramatically, "You're hopeless. You have to show him you love him. Do something special. The poor guy needs some reassurance."

Ivan thought this all sounded highly suspicious and stupid, but what if Matvey expected something? Wasn't Ivan's duty to be a good boyfriend? Alfred might be annoying, but Ivan knew he was the closest in Matthew's confidence and he had a bad habit of letting things slip when he got excited. Plus, he was genuinely concerned about their relationship. Too much so, in Ivan's opinion, but he acknowledged there was good intentions behind it.

"Then what do you propose?" Ivan would have to ask a different source to verify Alfred's information. And, while he would not like doing so, he knew Francis' cousin would be more than happy to advise him.

"Oh, I don't know. Chocolates? Oh, polar bear plushies, cuz you know, they're like his cousins. He shares a blubber-bond with them. Why else would he be out in this weather?"

Ivan didn't bother to hide his scowl this time. He could feel his lips starting to curl into a smile and a sinister giggle wiggled through his lips. He did not care if Alfred was Matthew's brother; he should not be insulting Matthew's beautiful, lithe body in such a rude manner.

"Matvey is not fat."

Alfred's tongue stuck out and he was working on his card again, ignoring Ivan. Ivan giggled again, darker this time. Alfred needed to take back his insult and admit that Matvey had a slender, muscular body.

"You should not say such lies."

"What?"

"After all," Ivan let his mouth curl into a smirk, "You purchased new boxers. I believe the purpose of elastic was to stretch, but perhaps you still do not fit?"

Alfred's head snapped up and suddenly Ivan found a Sharpie practically shoved up his nose. Angry blue eyes glared at him and he found himself stumbling backwards. Before he could regain his balance, his knees knocked into the coffee table, and he staggered back into the front hall. Then the pen jabbed under the soft spot between his chin and throat forcing him on tiptoes.

"You are a fucking douchebag commie. Get the fuck out of my house." Alfred growled in a rage and jabbed the Sharpie hard making Ivan trip further backwards and out the door, "Too bad we got rid of Daisy's dog house because it's going to be a longass, freeze-your-balls off wait for you."

Ivan was too surprised to fight back as he was left out in the hallway and the door slammed and locked behind him. With an aggravated grunt, he sunk down with his hands over his knees. Alfred never did bother to apologize for insulting his brother. So Ivan was miffed. And he was still miffed two hours later when he couldn't feel his feet or nose and Matvey found him crouching by the door.

"Dare I ask?" Matvey asked looking down with concern. Ivan grunted, mostly from the effort of trying to get his stiff limbs to work. Matvey grabbed him under the arm and tugged. He was quite strong despite his statue, Ivan thought in appreciation. Which made him remember Alfred's stupid comment and fume some more. "Did you two have a fight again? Ivan, I've told you it's not a good idea to insult his comic book collection."

Although Ivan did think that Alfred's childish fixation with heroes was worth being mocked for, there was much more at stake here. But Ivan wouldn't bring it up with Matvey. Matvey seemed to take offense at the oddest things concerning his 'manliness' as Alfred had called it.

Matvey fumbled for the keys, still pressed up against Ivan's side. He opened the door and called to his brother. Alfred's voice came back happy and devoid of anger.

"Hey bro!" there was a pause, "Is the commie with you?"

"Yes, Ivan is with me. Al, don't lock him outside! You know the dorms are closed for the weekend for renovations. I thought I could trust you two to behave while I was gone!"

"I was being my awesomely good self. HE started it. I'm not a saint Mattie, and some things are totally unforgivable."

Matvey gave an inquiring look, apparently startled by his brother's venom, and Ivan shrugged. Alfred's comment was forgivable, but only with a sincere apology. Which didn't seem to be forthcoming. Matvey winced as there was a flurry of footsteps and a door slam.

Matvey shrugged and went into the kitchen with Ivan trailing. He barely glanced at the mess of construction paper and markers littering the table and went to the fridge. As he was digging, he mumbled to himself.

"Valentine's Day again, eh?" there was a pause and a soft ah-ha before he pulled back out giving Ivan a less sensual view of his back. He plopped the spoils on the table and sat down, "Don't worry about Al. He always gets a little crazy about V-day. Maybe he's still hoping to get laid."

So Valentine's Day was about getting sex? Then why bother with the chocolates and gifts? It was much easier to simply provide the right environment and let nature take its course. Still, this was an opportunity for information gathering.

"I do not understand." Ivan's favorite fall back when confronted with something he didn't want to spell out. It's a cultural difference; I don't understand. It worked every single time. It was the best weapon in his arsenal.

Matvey looked thoughtful, his lower lip poached out, and Ivan couldn't resist. Unfortunately, the kitchen was highly uncomfortable, they had both found out earlier. So he settled for a brutally short, intense kiss and a quick grope before rocking back with a smile. He couldn't help that he enjoyed games and Matvey was a perfect target.

"I-Ivan!" Matvey sputtered, turning red and looking cross. Ivan's smile widened slightly, hoping for some repercussions. Unfortunately, the other man simply grabbed a handful of chips and chewed viciously. When he finished massacring the chips, he swallowed and answered Ivan's not-question.

"Valentine's Day is for showing appreciate for people you like. Usually of the monetary persuasion, but," Matvey gestured to the mess Alfred left, "For the romantics, it's like the best holiday ever. Alfred likes to think himself a romantic."

"Is Matvey one?"

"A romantic?" Matvey chuckled, "I know it when I see it, which is more than Al can boast of."

Ivan frowned at the step-siding of the question but waited.

"I can appreciate a romantic gesture or two." Matvey assured him, "What about you?"

Ivan gave a tight grin. He certainly was not going to confess to Matvey his love and adoration of sunflowers, no matter what the reason, nor how he truly appreciated show of affection and was deeply touched by them. These were simply things he could not bring himself to admit to anyone, even his sister or Natalia. Well, especially not Natalia; there was a limit to how many sunflowers could fit in one dorm room. Plus, he hated to see when they withered.

"It's a secret, isn't it?" There was a dark, resigned cast to Matvey's voice. He never accused Ivan for his secrets, but it was clear he resented them. Ivan felt his stomach do uncomfortable contortions that he never seemed to get used to no matter how often they happened in this relationship. He really wanted to share himself with Matvey. He really did, but it was so hard after keeping his own council for so long. And for so long it wasn't just a habit or a preference… it was necessary. Now that it wasn't necessary, he couldn't seem to stop.

Ivan sat as the war was waged in his mind and Matvey got up to put the food away. There was a distinct sharpness to his movements, although he didn't say anything. He rarely did when he was angry. Ivan wasn't sure which was worse: when he gave Ivan the cold shoulder of disappointment or when he blew up like a volcano. He had, fortunately, not been the recipient of that last mood of Matvey's but he had seen the aftermath and Alfred had slunk around for a week like a jumpy, paranoid chipmunk.

"Perhaps I do not understand the meaning of 'romantic'…" Ivan offered hesitantly, already sensing that his plead for ignorance wasn't going to work a second time.

"Let me make it easy for you." Oh yes, Matvey was quite peeved if he was using his patronizing tone. "If Alfred gave you a homemade card, would you think it was a sweet gesture?"

"It would be quite amusing. His talents are not in art." Ivan chuckled, remembering his look over Alfred's shoulder. "Yes, I would enjoy it very much."

"Is that so?"

Ivan froze. He had done it again. He had tried to make things better with something light and amusing but it had backfired. And he did not know how to make it better.

Matthew was too gracious to shun him completely as they went to go watch TV on the couch. He begrudgingly made room for Ivan, leaving a small sliver of personal space between them. He would normally have wedge himself in some strange yet endearing position that involved touching Ivan in as many places as physically possible.

The rest of the evening passed much the same way, except at some point Alfred moseyed out to join them. He gave Ivan a nasty look and plopped down across his brother on the couch with his toes nearly in Ivan's face. Ivan reached forward to break them but happened to see Matvey's disapproving face in his peripheral vision, daring him to do it. Ivan scowled, smacked Alfred's legs as hard as he dared, then went down the hall. He slipped into Alfred's room, careful not to put his foot is some toxic sludge or fuzzy green Cheetos. The window was easy to slide up and since their apartment was on the first floor there wasn't a drop.

He wasn't sure where he was going to go. There weren't many places he was welcome. He was certain that his sister would allow him in, but it was much to far to travel. Natalia certainly would but… he would rather stay in the freezing streets. Eventually he decided on a destination and strode purposefully.

"You!"

Ivan stared down at the short, short black haired kid. The kid stared back before slowly looking away and calling back into the house. Ivan vaguely remembered him from somewhere.

"Koreans are not intended to fly!" the kid said as he regarded Ivan, the door posed to slam if Ivan attempted a second flying lesson. "Why are you here? Don't you have some other place to go that's not here? Big brother doesn't-."

"Yong Soo, move."

The Korean reluctantly complied. Yao seemed faintly surprised to find Ivan at his doorstep but let him in without protest. He didn't ask why Ivan had came to his house for the first time in months and Ivan didn't enlighten him.

Although the day was really putting a lot of restraint on him with both Kiku and Yong Soo needling him and each other. Yao just ignored them and served Ivan some tea.

"Big brother, I want copy!"

Ivan's eyebrows moved slightly as Yao pulled out a small packet of instant coffee with a sigh. He dumped the contents, which mostly seemed to be white crystals, into a mug and filled it with hot water. With another sigh he handed it over to the already-hyper Korean.

"Now go do your homework." Yao said and Yong Soo groaned, "This is America! I want to have fun not study!"

"How will you be successful if you don't study? Yong Soo, your grades are appalling even after all the tutors. Your parents entrusted me with your care and this is how you repay us?" Yao scowled.

Yong Soo bowed his head and slunk out. Kiku excused himself taking the other silent boy with him. Yao's sisters were apparently out because Ivan saw no sign of them. That was fine with him.

"Why are you here Ivan. I don't believe this is a friendly social call, aru."

Ivan reluctantly gave Yao some details. His serious, dark eyes and thin face never moved as he quietly listened to the story. When Ivan finished, Yao sighed.

"I am perhaps not the best person to ask, as I don't quite understand Western dating skills, but I believe you offended both of them, aru. It is best to apologize and save face." Yao finally said. "A nice present. What does Matthew like?"

Ivan stared at Yao.

"…You don't know, aru? Aiyah!"

"Matvey likes me…"

Yao threw his hands up.

"Maple syrup. Hockey." Ivan trailed off thinking of what Matvey liked. Mostly he seemed to come up with a list of things Matvey didn't like.

Yao had gone back to his tea, "Then do something special, aru."

Ivan stayed the night, much to Yong Soo and Kiku's mutual horror. Kiku decided to leave the premises, claiming that he rather not be murdered in his bed.

The next morning Ivan thanked Yao and headed for the last place he had ever thought he would voluntarily go…

And of course, the dogs were out front. All four of the big slobbery brutes were dashing around, eviscerating a soccer ball under the not-so-watchful eye of Gilbert. He was on the opposite side of the lawn seeming to be in the middle of a fist fight with Elizabetha. And she was winning.

Ivan dearly wished he could leave and come back when Sophia was around but the dogs had already spotted him. They stood a few feet away, growling. Elizabetha waved and Gilberts scowled. Ivan gave a giggle of irritation. This was not going how he anticipated.

Gilbert shouted a command in German and the dogs all reluctantly laid down. They didn't stop growling though. And Ivan was sure to keep his ankles out of snapping distance as he threaded through them.

Gilbert stood challenging in front of the bakery.

"I wish to purchase some fudge." Ivan said bluntly, wishing it had been anyone else, even Kiku. Kiku knew the value of money. Feliciano or Ludwig would have been better of course.

"Oh, do you have an order number?" Elizabetha butted in, "Is it for Mattie? That's soooo sweet."

"Order number?"

"Oh dear, you don't? Ludwig and Sophia completed all the orders and went out of town for the weekend. I wish Roddy was that romantic! I want to have a candle lit dinner on the beach!"

"If you didn't order anything, you're shit outta luck, asshole." Gilbert yawned idly, "Because I know shit-all about making pussy sweets."

Ivan was still trying to process that his salvation had gone away. And left Gilbert in charge of not only the dogs but the shop as well.

"Surely there is something…"

"Nope, all sold out. Man, West made a killing this year!" Gilbert grinned, clearly thinking he was entitled to a share of the kill. Elizabetha swatted him and tutted, "Poor Mattie will be so disappointed. But, you know, maybe Sophia will lend you the recipe…"

And this was how Ivan found himself almost elbows deep in flour. Feliciano was chattering happily about everything and nothing. Sticky syrup decorated everything within reach and a scowling Lovino glared from the kitchen doorway.

"Why did you let the scarf dick in?" he whined at his happier twin, "It's bad enough you keep letting that tomato bastard in when I told you not to!"

"Aww, Toni just wanted to see you, fratello." Feliciano chirped in reply and guided Ivan's hand without even really looking. It was clear this was his element. It was also equally clear that Ivan would never be even a passable chef. He was contemplating giving his creation to Arthur, just to see if it would kill him or if he truly did have immunity to toxic food.

"Yeah, thanks to you the bastard's now stalking me." Lovino grumbled, "It'll be even worse this weekend. He keeps leaving me presents."

Ivan perked up.

"I mean, what the hell is this piece of shit?" Lovino said holding out a small, plush ball. Ivan realized it was actually a small, red tomato with a dopey face on the front. Lovino gave it a squeeze and it burst into some rendition of Elvis and vibrated with lazer light heart eyes.

"Cute!"

Alfred had mentioned something about stuffed animals… Perhaps he hadn't been teasing.

"Be careful!" Feliciano warned a second too late. Flour exploded all over the kitchen, coating Ivan and Feliciano liberally and making the tomato look like a dancing snowball.

Feliciano decided to make the next batch himself while Ivan dutifully cleaned up the mess. Feliciano also helped him wrap it. Satisfied with it, he enthusiastically wished Ivan good luck. Lovino just looked relieved that he was leaving the premises.

Of course, Ivan had no idea how to choose a stuff animal. As a child he used to delight in decapitating his. They were quite useless. They didn't have guns or blow up or keep the chill out. He remembered one time he was bored and decided to use a small firecracker on a stuffed animal. Unfortunately, it was not his stuffed animal. Natalia had been devastated to find her unicorn's tail and eyes hanging from a rose bush. The body was never recovered.

He poked around the mall, observing the other couples. There did seem to be this pattern going on where the boy would pick up some sickly-sweet creature that was painted cotton candy pink and had googly eyes. He would consider the price tag briefly. If acceptable he would pay and give it to a very happy girl. If the price was too high or he was just cheap, the animal would go back and he would browse the clearance bin.

Ivan tried to envision this strategy with Matvey. He imagined himself pulling some mutant animal off the shelf, perhaps a shiny rainbow fish, as Matvey seemed to think these animals made the best pets, and paying for it. As a student he wasn't rich, but he was more than happy to pay the ridiculous, inflated price. He would hold it behind his back and tease Matvey because it was too much fun. Matvey would finally wrestle it away from him… and look at him in confusion before giving it back and running away.

Ivan sighed and idly poked a plush seal in the eye. It yelped a mechanical 'I wuv you!' drawing the attention of a near-by shopper.

Michelle didn't look particularly surprised to see him.

"He likes bears." Michelle said quietly. They had seen each other a few times since Christmas, but she really hadn't gotten over the fact he shoved her out of the van into a snowdrift. He had assumed she would prefer the extra padding. Apparently she would have rather cracked her thick skull than go diving in a freezing snowdrift. Perhaps she was better suited to Alfred.

Ivan made some kind of noise. It was really a smother giggle, but he hoped it sounded friendly. He reached for a wretched purple bear that had beady black button eyes. It seemed to mock him. He wasn't sure he could stand that thing staring during an early morning round. And it would be extremely embarrassing to not perform because of a ridiculous toy.

"Not that kind of bear." Michelle hissed and grabbed Ivan's hand. He resisted the urge to push her into a giant display of glaringly ugly, white lambs. Something about her made him want to shove. She dragged him out of the store and down the mall into a tiny store. It was filled with soothing music and several trickling fountains. Pictures of wildlife and realistic toys stacked the shelves. Bird feeders and natural noise cds were neatly on the shelves. Ivan wanted to leave immediately.

"Excuse me," Michelle motioned toward the clerk who was reading, "Do you have any polar bears for adoption?"

Ivan recalled that was the word Alfred had used to explain Daisy's disappearance. Did Michelle really think Matvey would want a real bear? Ivan was in the middle of figuring out the logistics of bear feces and the amount of raw meat needed to keep an animal that size alive. Maybe it was a specially engineered miniature bear?

The clerk nodded and whisked away. She came back with a white polar bear stuffed animal. It was so realistic Ivan wondered if it was made out of real polar bear. When he heard the price, he felt that it better be made out of real polar bear.

"Shouldn't your boyfriend surprise you?" the clerk asked Michelle, glancing over with apprehension at him as he poked a wind chime. Shopping bored him.

"My… oh no! God no. He's not my boyfriend…" Michelle trailed off and added, "You know what they say about the good ones…"

The clerk's eyes widened and she said, "OH, I see."

Ivan didn't see but he didn't care. He paid for the bear and impatiently waited as a certificate of adoption was printed out. Michelle insisted the personalization would add a special touch.

She tried to drag him over to the jewelry too but Ivan was getting sick of the clichés. Alfred had said candy and stuffed animals. He had both. This should be more than enough to get him back in Matvey's good graces.

He had almost gotten out of the mall when a store caught his attention. He remembered his talk with Yao and went in. After a harsh debate and consulting the employee, he forked over the cash and came out with his final present. Luckily the employee wrapped it for him.

This was looking half-way presentable in his uneducated opinion.

The closer to the apartment he got the slower and more nervous he became. He shuffled his feet and rubbed his hands. It was quite ridiculous that his body was so affected by his state of mind. Eventually he got to the door and gave a hesitant knock. Usually he would simply walk in, neither of the two residents ever bothered to lock it when they were home, but he wanted to make a good impression… and avoid having a knife thrown at his head. Natalia should have never started teaching Alfred…

There was a shuffle and banging. That would be Alfred answering the door. Ivan had hoped he was out hunting down Natalia.

He opened the door and Ivan had to look twice.

"Alfred?"

Alfred glared.

"Back again. How nice of you to join us." He stomped off making his suit look far less eloquent. Ivan simply wondered if Matthew tied his tie. It was done so perfectly. And they must have used super glue on his cowlick.

Ivan poked his head in and cautiously slid in. If Alfred was still that angry, then it was a fair bet that the more vindictive one was still fuming.

"Matvey?"

"In here Ivan."

Well, he didn't sound angry, but Ivan knew that he was a good actor.

Ivan inched around the door frame into the kitchen. He winced. The kitchen was probably not the best place to do this. Unlike Alfred, he was aware of social manners, and he was attempting to follow them. Then again, he could appreciate the irony of the giant circle they had made.

He shuffled in the doorway.

"Ivan?"

Matvey poked his head around the corner. Like his brother, his hair had been tamed down, although it was long enough to pull back into a short ponytail. Even his curl had been pulled back opening up his face, showing off the delicate bone structure and mauve eyes. He gave Ivan a soft smile and abruptly hugged him tightly.

"I'm so sorry! I was just angry. But I wasn't kicking you out!" Matthew sniffled and Ivan blinked. He hadn't left to punish them; he had left because he thought they were pissed and needed time to get over it. "You didn't sleep outside, did you? We looked for you for hours."

That explained Alfred's sour mood.

"Yao let me stay."

Matthew twitched. Ivan and Yao's past history was pretty well known despite it happening before Ivan had come to this town. Silently Ivan vowed a certain Korean would be inventing a lot more things in the near future.

"Yao is my friend." Ivan added and gave Matvey a kiss on the head. His hair smelled delightful. "Besides, his brothers were there as well."

"Were you serious about Valentine's Day?" Matvey mumbled, "Because, you know, I realized I might have hurt your feelings. I just haven't bothered to celebrate it since I was in elementary school."

Ivan felt his traitorous stomach acting up again, although this time it felt vaguely pleasant and his chest full. It was a strange feeling but he liked it. He buried his nose in Matvey's hair again and nuzzled enjoying the comfortable tingling feeling.

"What's this?" Matvey asked curiously, tugging on the bag Ivan was carrying. Ivan held on tightly and pushed Matvey back with his body. He was very surprised to see the kitchen, which appeared to be in the midst of some sort of preparation that included candles and sunflowers.

Ivan paused and Matvey pushed away, "Um, I don't know your favorite dinner, so I was just going to make pancakes. I know, not as romantic as sirloin… but the price Francis was asking was way too high! A handjob for dinner is not a fair trade."

"No dinner is as good as Matvey's hands." Ivan agreed staunchly and Matvey flushed bright red. Ivan didn't know why, but he liked the look and leaned forward. He gave a slow lick then lapped at the lips below him. Matvey made some kind of noise but Ivan ignored it and pushed harder with his lips and nipped with his teeth. This time Matvey's noise was of appreciation and he sunk into Ivan's chest.

"Uggh, the table's off limits." Alfred's voice cut in behind them and Matvey pushed away, flushing even more brightly. "I have to eat off that you know. Take it to the bedroom."

Ivan gave Matvey a good grab and Alfred groaned while Matvey squeaked.

"I'm going out. Don't burn down the house… and NO SEX ON THE TABLE!"

"Yes Mommy." Matvey retorted then called, "Good luck."

"Heroes don't need luck!"

"Heroes don't usually get laid either." Matvey called back sweetly. Alfred's voice floated back protesting that of course Clark Kent got his girl.

"Oh, finally. He's been out of his mind—well, more out of his mind, all week!" Matvey sighed and went to go work on the pancakes. "Ivan, you really scared me! I didn't know where you had gone and I thought you were hurt… or dead… or mad and you weren't ever going to come back because you hated me."

Alfred's words came echoing back. Matvey needed reassurance.

"I wished to make things better between us." Ivan replied honestly with a small smile.

Matvey gave a shy grin, "I can think of some ways that involve you with me."

Ivan gave the bag to Matvey and enjoyed the gasps of pleasure. It was much better to hear those than silence. And Ivan hoped they would lead to a different type of pleasured gasps. He wasn't quite expecting the scream of joy though at the hockey jersey.

"You are the best boyfriend ever!"

Ivan found himself with his arms full of a very amorous Canadian.