Hello! We are Cat and Bee from RusCanWonderland on Tumblr.
Disclaimers, Notes & Warnings:
We do not own Hetalia or any characters within.
Warnings: Witchcraft, Tarots, death, mild body horror, implied witch trials
Notes: This is mostly for us warping the perception of religious society. In this story witches have been part of polite society for centuries and certain Christian denominations of the church, instead of condemning them, protect them. Based loosely off of Practical Magic.
When a witch was given a familiar it was a great ceremony, as the cat itself had to choose the fledgling. It used to be thought that older cats were better because they had more life experience, but it was soon discovered that if the familiar developed along with the fledgling that it was of a greater benefit for the witch later on, as a deep connection had been built.
Currently Ivan was struggling with carefully walking around the kittens that had been raised in the breeding house down the road from the church, the witch watching with amusement from the next room as Ivan managed to get one kitten into the basket only for the three previous kittens inside to leap out when he lifted the wicker lid.
This went on for a good fifteen minutes before Ivan finally just started to gather the mewling bundles of fur into his arms and placing as many kittens as he could at one time into the basket before gathering the next bundle. Eventually they were all mewling and settled inside their transport and Ivan could carefully carry them back to the church.
Unfortunately the minute he set the basket down and opened it to check on them the kittens came scrambling out before he could stop them. Half an hour of trying to fit under pews to capture the tiny creatures and eventually just giving up and laying down on the floor where the kittens piled on top of him for warmth and use as a kitty tower found Ivan in much the same position when Matthew arrived.
Matthew wasn't exactly the best cook in the village, but he at least tried to make Ivan a snack of sorts before the familiar ceremony, which depending on the fledglings, could take some time. Stepping into the empty church, Matthew tilted his head in confusion at the slightly miscued pews and the very loud mewling of kittens.
"Ivan?" Matthew called softly, setting down the small basket near the front door before shrugging off the warm cape he had worn over to keep out the cool air. Head tilting, Matthew followed the mewling of the kittens until he found Ivan on the floor, covered in the little fur balls. A hand pressed to his mouth to suppress a laugh as he knelt on the floor and gently reached to coddle a fluffy kitten in his hands.
"Ivan…you are aware the kittens go inside the basket…yes?" Matthew asked, amused as Bageshri slid in the side door and perched on a pew, a good distance from all the small, loud kittens.
"I'm well aware. But you have to explain it to them." Ivan stated as another kitten climbed over his eyes and draped itself there contentedly. "They don't seem to be listening to me at all."
Matthew laughed softly and shook his head, cupping the kitten he had picked up closer to his chest. "That's because, Ivan Darling, you're not telling them correctly," the blonde hummed, kissing the kitten's nose even as Bageshri swiped her tail unhappily.
Ivan pouted as he lifted the kitten from where it was draped over his nose. "If you can teach me the cat words for "please get in the basket" then I'd be very grateful."
Matthew laughed softly and rolled his eyes a little. "Ivan…you can't speak cat. Just insist, sweetly, as if they're the most important creatures on earth, that they stay in their basket for the time being, and that you'll be sure to fetch them some warm milk and tuna as fast as you can," the blonde nuzzled his nose against the kitten he held before getting up to place it in the basket. The little orange kitten mewled and its brothers and sisters waddled and hopped back into the basket before they seemed to look at Ivan quite expectantly.
"See?"
"Now I have to get them tuna and warm milk, huh?" Ivan smiled as he leaned over to pull a soft kiss from Matthew's lips. "They're like me, food is always the perfect incentive." The man smiled as he peered at Matthew before glancing down at the expectant little kittens. "Can you guard them and make sure they don't go anywhere while I go get those treats?"
"Dutifully I will guard," Matthew smiled as he knelt beside the basket, his head tilting towards Ivan. "Although…I think Bageshri wants to go with you," the blonde pointed out, a finger extending to point towards his own familiar, the dark, fluffy cat currently weaving her way between Ivan's legs and purring.
Ivan smiled as he bent to pick up the cat, stroking at her head and scratching behind her ears as she contentedly snuggled against his chest. "Who's my favourite cat, huh? I bet you know." The man grinned as he smiled over at Matthew. "I'll be right back."
It took a few minutes but eventually Ivan returned with an enormous bowl of cream and a dish of tuna that the kittens instantly mewled impatiently over before Ivan placed the two items on the floor, smiling as he sat beside Matthew with Bageshri inbetween them, having already eaten her fair share of tuna and cream.
It didn't take long for a bunch of excited fledglings to flock in like little bats, giggling and excitedly peering at the kittens that were moving back to their basket as Pastor Lars smiled and moved to stand beside Ivan.
The ceremony was simple enough, as fledglings approached a kitten would move forward and it was Ivan's job to bestow the tiny bundle of fur into soft hands while Lars read a brief blessing.
By the time the last kitten was mewling in her new owner's arms Ivan was exhausted after having had to herd both kittens and children back to their seats throughout the ceremony. The elderly witches were smiling at the man's patience and his own weary smile as he slumped down in his seat and moved to rest his head against Matthew's own temple.
"You're a natural with them," Matthew whispered softly, his head tilting to place a kiss on Ivan's cheek as Bageshri eagerly moved to nuzzle into the older male's lap. "And there's food for you at home," the blond sing songed, a hand reaching across to curl against Ivan's.
Ivan sighed contentedly as he cuddled close to the blonde's side even as people began to filter out of the building. "Time for dinner and then sleep and then we do it all over again." The older male smiled as he tilted Matthew's face towards his for a soft kiss, sighing again as he cupped Matthew's cheek. "I love you so much."
"I love you too, so much, Ivan," Matthew smiled, his hands curling gently into the front of Ivan's robes before he stood and gently tugged the older male up with him. "You deserve a nice long nap," the blonde hummed, one arm curled around Ivan's as he led him slowly back to their little home.
"Are you going to let me?" Ivan teased as he wrapped his arms around Matthew's torso, lifting the blonde into his arms when they arrived at the gate to their little home, wandering into the house before he plopped down in front of the fire, sighing as he cuddled Matthew close against the plush rug that Katyusha had sent for them as a housewarming gift. The older male groaned as he stood, wandering into the kitchen and lifting the ladle out of the first pot that he saw, not even bothering to smell it as he lifted the ladle up to his mouth. "So did you make stew again?" He asked as he began to take a sip from the ladle.
Matthew hummed and laughed softly, his head shaking before his eyes widened and he rushed forward off of the rug and into the kitchen. "No, Ivan! Wait! That's not stew!"
Ivan, after previous experience, knew that when Matthew sounded that panicked that he should remove whatever it was from his mouth. The man turned towards the sink and spat out whatever had been in his mouth, rinsing it out with water a couple of times before he swallowed and sighed. "What was that? Not dinner?" Ivan asked after the initial panic was gone, tilting his head towards the blonde, ignoring the slight itching around his mouth, not realizing that there was a five o'clock shadow quickly forming around his jaw and mouth.
"Oh no," Matthew sighed and shook his head. "I'm going to have to come up with a new system so you know what's food and what isn't," the blonde moved to find the most reflective pot in the kitchen so he could hold it up for Ivan to see himself. "You're growing a winters' beard, Ivan…even the smallest drop on your tongue would've made that potion work.."
Ivan laughed at the sight of himself with a rather thick, pointed beard on his chin and a moustache to go along with it. The man waggled his eyebrows at Matthew. "Do you think I should keep it?" The man asked teasingly as he leaned forward to kiss Matthew's lips gently.
Laughing softly, Matthew rose his hands to gently press to Ivan's chest. "It tickles..but there's no getting rid of it now….well…not until the effects wear off marginally," the blonde sighed with a smile. "…next time, you should look before you eat silly," Matthew hummed before leaning forward to press a kiss to Ivan's nose.
Ivan smiled as he nuzzled Matthew's nose with his own. "So if it's winter's beard… Will I have it all winter?" The man asked as he wrapped his arms around Matthew's waist. "And I'll start to look more carefully."
"If you want it," Matthew smiled and tilted his head towards Ivan as he pressed another kiss to the man's forehead. "…though…I'm sure it'll prove difficult to get rid of before spring."
"Well then I suppose it stays until spring." Ivan grinned as he pressed his lips to Matthew's. "And I know that look on your face. You like it. It's the same look you get whenever I wear that one shirt with the sleeves rolled up." The older male lifted Matthew into his arms briefly before he pressed their noses together. "So. Dinner."
"Will you eat or will you just continue to tease me for the rest of the night," the blonde hummed, a finger trailing under Ivan's chin just as teasingly, before he pointed at a pot with steaming potatoes and meat.
Ivan chuckled as he gave Matthew's finger a soft nip before he moved to the pot and got a clean spoon to fill a bowl with the potatoes, meat and carrots inside the pot before he gave Matthew a bowl as well. The older male quickly ate his meal before he gathered Matthew up into his arms, waiting for the blonde to finish as they sat on one of the chairs.