The train ride was boring, as most train rides were-Alfred managed to entertain himself for the first day of their trip, but the second day left him listless and bored, practically hanging off of Ivan's shoulder as the other man tried to read.

"Ivan, I'm bored."

"Then find something to occupy yourself with."

"I tried! Everyone else on this train's either older than dirt or still plays with dolls."

"I would have thought the latter would have appealed to you."

Alfred made a face, glancing at Ivan, then sighed reluctantly before flopping into the seat across from him. "And before you say it, I already tried sleeping. That only lasts for so long."

"You should have brought something to do."

"I'm not a kid, Ivan! Besides, at home it was always either go to work, prepare for work, or sleep to get ready for work. We didn't really have….leisure activities."

"We didn't, now?" Ivan raised an eyebrow, sticking a bookmark in his novel before setting it aside. "What did we do nearly every week?"

Alfred shrugged, leaning forward conspiratorially. "Well, it's hard to do that here….I mean, there's security everywhere, and we're in motion constantly."

"Excellent points. It is heartening to see you using your brain for once." Ivan smiled patronizingly, making Alfred scowl.

"Fine, smart ass. What do you want to do? You managed to finagle us through that hell of a boarding station-surely your great and wonderful mind is at a loss with only a mere book for company."

"Of course. You make a far better companion." Ivan nodded, looking to Alfred, then shrugged. "I watch the people. As I watch you."

"Creep." Alfred thought for a moment, then smiled. "Like what you see?"

"I always have."

"Unless we're on a deadline, then you can't spare me the time of day."

"Oh, please. You are still upset about that?"

"Just a little, yeah-" Alfred cut off as Ivan sighed, standing hurriedly. "Where are you going?"

"To get your head out of your ass." He replied shortly, glancing back as he gathered his book. "Come along."

"Ivan, what…" Intrigued, Alfred stood to follow Ivan, weaving through the train cars before returning to their sleeper car. "I already told you, I tried to sleep-"

"Please just shut up already." Ivan shook his head, turning to quickly stare at Alfred. Alfred swallowed, confused, then nodded, watching as Ivan tossed the book into the small compartment with their luggage, then pulled open the curtain separating their bunks from the hallway.

"If we cannot have our fun the usual way…we will have to do with the next best thing. Come."

At Ivan's invitation, Alfred stepped into the small compartment, waiting as Ivan secured the curtain shut again. "Ivan-I don't understand, what are we doing-"

"You keep acting like I forget you. So. I will endeavor to prove that is not the case." Ivan shrugged, spreading his arms wide. Alfred hesitated, thinking, then stared at Ivan as his eyes went wide.

"You're serious? You want to do it-here? Now?"

"As long as you are quiet, and we do not take too long, I do not see why not."

"Right, um…" Alfred shrugged, moving to sit on the bed. "Then have at it. You have stuff this time, right?"

"Of course. I had a little more warning." Ivan smiled, reaching into one of the drawers beside the cot in order to pull out a small tube, nodding to Alfred. "Clothes off."

"If you insist…" Alfred moved to remove his shoes and socks, tossing them under the cot, then worked his shirt off over his head. "This is really weird…I've never done it without, you know, offing someone first."

"So delicate, malyutka…use your imagination." Ivan watched as the blonde carefully undid his fly, shoving the jeans down to his ankles before letting his boxers follow.

"You know I'm crap at that. Just-"

"No. You 'just' be quiet, and let me do the work, yes? Now turn around." Ivan directed, kneeling on the bed beside Alfred before turning his attention to his own waist, unzipping the fly to massage himself through the cotton. Alfred, still apprehensive, carefully moved to prop himself on the bed in front of Ivan, glancing over his shoulder before sighing.

"I don't honestly see-" He cut off suddenly, feeling Ivan's hand against his back. "What-What are you doing?"

"Preparing you." Leaning over him, Ivan reached around Alfred's torso to run a finger up his sternum, soon pausing to graze his nipple. "Now-we start with blood."

"Blood?"

"Yes, blood, thick, and red, and warm-"

"Yeah, I remember-" Alfred tensed, leaning into Ivan's touch. "When you hit 'em just hard enough, or when-you were always really good with that, making the blood drip down from their necks while the heart was still going-"

"Ah, see! You do remember." Ivan smiled, supporting the other man before gently placing a kiss at his hairline. "Do you remember when I would cut the heart out, and let you play with it-"

"The brains were better." Alfred mumbled, closing his eyes in order to prop himself against the sheets. "You were always so careful, lifting them out like some goddamned surgeon-" He tensed suddenly, suppressing a gasp as he felt Ivan's fingers trace his entrance, carefully massaging the skin. "Oh my god, Ivan-"

"Ah, and you-you were always good with the saw." Ivan smiled, waiting a moment longer before shifting behind Alfred, pushing the fabric away from his waist to carefully align himself at Alfred's entrance. "The lovely rip, and tear, that symphony you specialized in-"

"Yeah, yeah, and when we were lucky-" Alfred shuddered suddenly as Ivan carefully inserted himself, pushing forward to meet Alfred's hips. "When we were lucky, they'd do that little choked scream, and we could look down their throats sometimes to watch their skin flutter, like a little trapped bird-"

"Did you ever look for the intestines? Or the muscle?" Ivan placed the gel to one side, moving one hand to Alfred's hips in order to pull him back. "The muscle is better, all stringy and resilient-and with the right tools, it just falls away, and you can tear it to find the tiny little bones."

"And the blood-Ivan, you can't forget the blood, that's the best part." Alfred smiled into the sheets, hands clutching at the fabric as he felt Ivan push inside him. "All red, and gooey, and it looks so nice against their skin-"

"Does it not? There is that strange beauty in the trails you can make, the little cuts and marks you can make to show that you know them-"

"Inside and out, you can see their smooth skin, and their blood, and the brains-my god!" Alfred moaned, arching his back, then felt Ivan's hand pushing him back down against the mattress. He squirmed momentarily, smiling, then began panting as Ivan increased his pace, driving them both closer. "Ivan, please, don't-don't stop-"

"Remember, malyutka-the red." Grinning, Ivan leaned over him, using both hands to maintain his pacing. Alfred's chatter soon ceased, segueing into a series of gasps and soft moans, until his body tensed, twitching before he came suddenly, bucking back against Ivan. The American buried his face against the mattress, riding his climax, then collapsed against the sheets while he reached down to massage his erection, grinding against Ivan. Ivan bit his lip as Alfred moved, then pulled him closer one final time to release inside him, leaning forward to place a hand against the mattress as he let his orgasm take its course. Finally, both of them panting, Alfred shifted to pull away from Ivan, turning over to take a tissue from the shelf.

"Shit. Does that hydrogen peroxide trick work on cum, too?" Glancing down at the sheets, Alfred winced as he sat up, carefully cleaning the liquid from his cock. Ivan simply smiled distractedly, staring at him, then moved to sit back against the opposite wall, shrugging.

"Not really. Soap and water does fine."

"Good, okay…" Alfred nodded, then moved to hand Ivan another tissue. "Um…that was…"

"You liked it?"

"I liked it. I just…I like the blood better."

"Right. Of course. I…" Ivan hesitated, pulling his pants back up.

"So-how long did that take?"

"About ten minutes. The average."

Alfred nodded, glancing out the tiny window of the compartment. "And how much longer to Moscow?"

Ivan smiled faintly, shifting back against the bed. "Approximately another one hundred hours."

"Well, then." Alfred tried to hide his smile, shrugging non-commitally. "I could get used to sex on a train."

I apologize for the delay. Please take smut in recompense.