"Just stay on your side of the bed and we won't have any problems." Alfred yawned and snuggled deep into the cars. He popped his head out and looked at Ivan as he stripped. He couldn't help the small smirk on his face.
"Ivan, have you ever personally killed one of your citizens?" His voice came out a bit muffled from the covers. Ivan climbed in beside him rolling his eyes. Alfred wrapped an arm around him and snuggled into his chest.
"The confessions corner again?" Alfred nodded kicking him a little. He took off his glasses and set them on the nightstand. Everything went blurry.
"I've done it before. I'm sure you have." Ivan shrugged and started stroking his hair. He sighed and leaned his head back to make more contact with his hand.
"I have and I'm sure you have as well." Alfred grunted and threw his leg across Ivan. He rolled over to be on top of him more.
Ivan put both arms around him. They fit together rather nicely. He quickly pushed that thought from his mind.
"Wanna try one of mine?" Alfred looked up and smiled at him. He looked like a little angel without his glasses.
"You're not human." Ivan spat out glaring at him. Alfred smiled even wider. He had a look in his eyes. It was devious, deceitful, and maybe a little scary.
Alfred just shrugged. He never felt more human than when he was with Ivan. He didn't feel this way with England or Canada. He felt isolated.
He snuggled up closer to Ivan. The man was blurry without his glasses. Everything was all blurry. He didn't like it.
"I still hate you." Alfred looked Ivan straight in the eyes and smiled at him when he said it. The smile didn't reach his eyes. Ivan just smirked at him. It was too blurry for him to it well.
"I love you too, Alfred." Ivan closed his eyes and fell asleep comforted by the words Alfred had said. Alfred, on the other hand, stared at him for a little while deciding whether he meant his words or not.
"Six clicks is a mighty short walk when you march behind a band..." Ivan woke up to Alfred's muffled singing. He could tell he was taking a shower just from the sound of his voice.
He groaned and sat up debating on whether he should check on the girls or not. They were probably still asleep. They weren't in school yet so there was no real reason for them to be awake at this ungodly hour.
Ivan looked over to the clock. 11:02 AM. It was much too early for it to be morning. He sighed and flopped back down onto the bed. His life wasn't as depressing now that he was with Alfred. He didn't know if the other felt this way or not, but he could honestly say that Alfred seemed happier.
"But six clicks can seem like a hundred miles when you're walking in Charlie's land…" Ivan stood up and walked over to the bathroom door listening to the sad song sound so happy. It tore his heart up to hear it. He knew he was responsible for personally helping the Viet Cong.
He walked away from the door. There is no reason to bring up bad memories. There was no reason to remember that war.
"Ivan?" Alfred just walked out of the bathroom with a towel around his waist. Water still dripped from his hair. Ivan didn't respond instead choosing to stare him down.
"You remember napalm?" He nodded closing his eyes seeing the pictures of children who were burned alive. He remembered walking down with some Viet Cong to a burned village. The Americans had suspected Viet Cong to be there. They were right, but in being right they sacrificed people who weren't even involved.
"What about it?" Alfred just shrugged. He walked over to the dresser and pulled out some pants and underwear.
"That song just reminded me of it. I had the radio on this morning when I was working out. It was on the oldies station. Of all the wars that I've been in I can honestly say that one was the worst. I think the tension is what really did it for me." Ivan nodded watching Alfred dress himself in some blue jeans and a ragged old t-shirt.
"Not knowing who the enemy is and never seeing them. When you walk through elephant grass never knowing if you're going to set off a trip wire or if you'll find yourself with punji stakes in your body." He finished dressing and walked over to him.
"You were trying to stop communism." Alfred nodded.
"Yeah, containment. If they just stayed at the 17th parallel we wouldn't have even gone!" He shook his head laughing dryly.
"Let them govern themselves, right?" Alfred walked past him as he said this.
"They were communist. Communism is bad." He just shrugged. He preferred not to think of such horrible things.
"It's not so bad in theory." Ivan remarked thoughtlessly. Alfred just smiled wryly at him.
"And that is exactly why I will never be able to trust you, Ivan." Ivan just shrugged not letting on how much that comment actually hurt him.
A.N./ And this one is finished! I wrote this while listening to that song about walking in Charlie's land. Every time I hear the song I feel like crying.