Your Words Warmed Me chpt 5

30 Nov 18

*Ivan/Russia's POV*

As Ivan went to turn the doorknob and step into Canada's house, he felt a cold breeze wrap around him in a hug, and not in the way that is commonly thought of when non-Nations used the term, "warmth or cold wrapped around them."

This was actual cold wrapping around him. It was a feeling he only ever knew from the General touching him, and that's what this was. The General was there, putting a hand on his shoulder.

Ivan looked back, purple eyes searching, but The General had not materialized this time.

Hoar frost tipped his hair as an icy breath came close to his ear and breathed out, "Be careful with him."

Ivan nodded, and the cold weight on his shoulders left him as The General removed his hands and seemingly disappeared.

Ivan stepped into the house, careful to be quiet. He hadn't knocked. He wasn't too sure if Canada was in a fit state to answer. He hadn't been when he had left, after all. And, despite his concern and how he had even overcome his emotions surrounding the thought of it, he had called the other Nation's so called "family" and none of them had been interested in coming over. Sure, it was hidden up with excuses, but he had the feeling that this was the kind of treatment that Canada normally received from them, and it made his blood broil. So, in spite of Canada's delicate state, Ivan had left him alone when he'd left to see The General. After he had left, he'd thought of how he could have probably ordered Lithuania over to watch over Mathew, but hindsight is 20/20.

He hadn't been gone too terribly long though, so he was mostly sure that barring a very sudden change of heart that he was likely safe to assume that Mathew's "family" hadn't come by. So he felt safe enough to come straight in and not expect an attack from the American. However, one concern remained and caused his cautious entry: Canada's polar bear was an entirely different matter from Canada's family and their potential threat.

It hadn't been there when he had come by and was caring for the Canadian before, but one could never be too cautious around polar bears. Sometimes they looked cuddly, then next thing you know, they are trying to bite your head off, and he didn't know if Canada's hadn't somehow come back while he was gone.

He never had understood what the small blond Nation saw in the creature he kept around. Supposedly, it was seen as "the cutest little thing" by the majority of the female Nations, but he knew Canada was not of that opinion and so was at a loss as to why the other man kept it around.

Seeing nothing, he strode forward, leaving his shoes by the door, but, as always, keeping his coat and scarf on.

Despite Canada seemingly not noticing his Curse, he wanted his scarf to stay. On the topic of Canada being affected by his Curse…

Maybe that was why he was drawn to the other. Everyone else, even his sisters were affected by his Curse. Everyone was, except for Canada, or at least it hadn't seemed to affect him ever before. Well, besides that one time at the meeting where he'd tried to test the boundaries of his Curse and see how close he could get to the other before his Curse affected them and ended up sitting on the other Nation…

Apparently he had to have extremely close contact for his Curse to work against him when it came to the smaller winter Nation.

Ivan felt his thoughts straying along what that meant to him, to have someone that could actually touch him, and could stay in his presence completely unaffected, then firmly shut those straying thoughts down. This was no time to be thinking of that.

Ivan ignored the snide emotional part of his brain, the part that had wanted to think about Mathew in ways he wasn't too sure he was ready to think about the other in, the part that was currently saying that if he never let himself think about it then nothing would ever happen. He would never have his greatest wish fulfilled. He would never look into the idea of Canada as anything other than a fellow Nation and possibly a friend because he was scared.

He wasn't scared, thank you very much. He just couldn't think of that right now.

Therefore, despite Canada's seeming near-immunity to it, the scarf stayed on. It was his security blanket, the only thing he'd found that had ever lessoned his curse's impact on the people around himself. He nearly couldn't take it off. He could only both thank his sister and simultaneously wish that his own Curse was as harmless as his sister's curse of always making those around her happy no matter their previous feelings and bemoan that she could have gotten so lucky.

It was as he had reached the stairs leading up to Mathew's room and had taken the first step that a growl sounded from the top of the stairs.

There, nearly hidden in the shadows, was Canada's polar bear.

Ivan cursed under his breath, and halted still half on and half off that first carpeted step, and the polar bear advanced slowly down the stairs towards him, still growling with its hackles raised and fangs bared.

*Mathew/Canada's POV*

'But you feel nothing, remember? It's just cold all the time. Stop thinking about him. Stop. Stop. Stop,' Mathew told himself, or at least tried to, then stopped the mantra abruptly from its continuous utterance as the flash of remembrance filtered across his mind of a noise from earlier down by the stairs…which reminded him of how Ivan must still be in the house with him...and of the flashes of warmth he felt whenever the other male was near him.

He had at best been barely lucid since the meeting, but he remembered and just plain knew that the other had been there taking care of him.

It had been enough to bring him that loose lucidity and slight remembrance of his surroundings, but it wasn't enough to cure him. He could feel how the chill had a gripping hold on his insides. The absolute loss of warmth hovered threateningly near.

He knew that he had just gone unconscious again not too long ago. He felt the time missing, and wondered as to why.

Maybe Ivan had left his presence?

It had always been when the other was near that he had felt his best and his strength had almost started returning...it would make sense if Ivan leaving him would cause an opposite reaction...

Then, the sound coming from the area by the stairs outside of his bedroom door registered in his mind and he sat bolt upright, ignoring the wave of vertigo that wanted to send him back into nothingness on his bed.

Kumjairo was guarding him! And apparently felt that either he or Mathew was threatened enough to give warning of attack…

Ivan! Where was he? Was he okay?

Mathew swung his feet out of bed, and still shivering grabbed a wool cardigan as he passed it be and headed into the hallway.

No matter how weak he felt, he had to make sure that Ivan was okay.

What do you think? Anything I should add? Any guesses as to where I am going with this?