Surviving Winter
Chapter 6
Worth It? Not You...
Columbia woke up frowning. She was having some kind of crazy dream where a cake kept chasing her through a giant mansion full of strange little ball-things screaming in angry German. Or at least what she thought was angry German, she didn't speak the language so it was probably just babble. Her back was sore and her neck hurt, and she realized that a couch was not meant for overnight sleep. Instinctively, she felt down to comfort the Italian who had laid on her chest all night.
The weight wasn't there though, and she looked up, blinking madly.
"Feli?!" She called.
"Vee...kitchen!" Focusing harder, she was able to make out the clanking of dishes and the sound of cooking food. She smelled it too, rather suddenly.
Groaning, she sat up. She was going to have a headache, that much was certain.
"Buongiorno!" He said with a smile as she stumbled into the kitchen, a palm to her head.
"Feeling better?" She asked, honestly concerned.
"Si, grazie..." His attention was focused on the cooking bacon and eggs in a frying pan.
"That's good..." She sat down in one of the tall chairs to the kitchen island. "Feli...there is something I have to know. I'm sorry if I'm being too forward or uncomfortable, but - "
He stopped moving, his shoulders drawing up slightly.
"Hartwin - " He flinched at the name. " - it was a hate crime, right? Because he was gay. With you."
"S-si..."
"Feli." She slid off the chair, walking to him and wrapping her arms around the mans slender form, he was biting back tears. "It's okay. I may not know what happened exactly, but...I know what it's like to lose something so important to you. If it was anything like what I experienced, then there was nothing you could do." She kissed his cheek. It seemed like such a simple notion with him, a kiss on the cheek. "You all right to work today?"
He made a strange, strangled sound before wiping his eyes wildly, and turned to smile at her. His eyes were still a little red, that could have been from anything at this point. "Veee. I am fine. Breakfast is ready."
Lovino picked him up after the days work was through, earning a thorough scolding in Italian that Columbia could not even begin to try to pick up. Feli had started to speak slowly around her when he got upset, and she had started picking up a word here and there. But when Lovino was around, it was back to the very fast and incomprehensible speech they were used to. She also noticed he had a verbal tic, much like his brother, the 'chigi' escaping the mans mouth whenever he seemed angry...which was often.
Columbia settled into the thick quilts of her bed, feeling physically, mentally, and emotionally exhausted. There was too much going on in this town, the relationship of everyone versus Feli, Ivan being the only exception and she had no idea why, where everyone else was hesitant to even mention the heir of a Russian, and then there was the conversation with Katyusha and that was a whole other can of worms that she had not even begun to explore.
On the up side, her mind about her own issues have been unnaturally calm because of all the commotion. She was oddly grateful for that fact.
She stared at the phone on her end table. Maybe she should call her parents sometime. Give them an update. She checked the date. Next week was Thanksgiving. She grimaced. How did it get to be so late in the year already? Winter would be upon her soon. There was already a light snow once. She shuddered, ice and snow and winter...and Holidays.
Realizing this would be her first year of Holidays without family made her feel terribly lonely.
Maybe making more friends would help?
"Damn it's cold..." She complained to herself, wrapping a scarf tighter around her neck. The barn was fixed. It could be used by anyone who wants it.
She hopped into town hall, finding the community bulletin board easily enough on her own this time. Tearing down her old post, she picked up a new paper and scribbled in a short ad.
Farmhands wanted for year round animal and crop care. Good pay. No animals yet -looking to invest.
She wrote down the address and her house and cell number before pinning the simple ad to the corkboard.
Satisfied, she started to leave, when she remembered Katyusha worked in the building. Maybe it wouldn't hurt to stop by?
Navigating the corridors was easy this time around, and it wasn't long before she spied the well dressed platinum blonde working behind her counter. She knocked on the open door, earning the other woman's attention.
"Ah! Columbia!"
"Hello, Katyusha." She greeted, smiling gently.
"Can I help you with something today?"
"Actually, I just came by to see you." It was sort of true. "I wanted to know if you wanted to maybe spend some time together? Sometime? Ah...maybe this is weird." She shifted her weight uncomfortably.
"Goodness no! I would love to!" Katyusha smiled widely, I am actually almost done for the day. Would you like to go somewhere?"
Pleasantly surprised by the enthusiasm, Columbia nodded vigorously. "S-sure! I'll wait outside in my truck then?"
"Be there in fifteen minutes."
"G-good!" Was all she could manage, spinning to leave the building. Columbia felt oddly proud of herself. Hating to admit it, she knew that being a shut in was an incredibly unhealthy lifestyle, but one she had grown accustomed to. After the everything that had happened she realized...she had no idea how to talk to make friends again.
Social skills? That was something she had thought she lost. Maybe she was finally doing something right? There was a cheery spring in her step as she walked through the parking lot. It's just a day out with another girl. Why was it making her so excited?
Sitting in her truck, happily, she spotted Yao. His hands were wrapped around his middle, and he was hurriedly walking along the sidewalk.
She rolled down her window. "YAO!" She called, waving him over. The shorter Chinese man looked up, eyes wide, and he walked over. She pushed open the passenger door at let him in. He shivered.
"Well hello." She greeted, turning the heat towards the shivering man. "Need a new coat?"
He just nodded, rubbing his arms. "What are you doing out here, aru?" He asked.
"Waiting for a friend. We're gonna go do something..."
Yao paused, cocking an eyebrow. "Vargas?"
"No, Katyusha Braginskaya. Ivan's sister, she -"
"Are you crazy?!" Yao exclaimed, his hands flying to his side to lean towards her. "I heard what happened at bakery! You are going to end up dead, aru!"
"I can take care of myself, thank you." She changed her tone when the man sent her a decidedly worried look. "But I appreciate the concern. Really."
"...Be careful, aru." Yao said. "I don't know why, but I kind of like you. And is not just because you give me good work, aru!" He clarified.
"Thanks, Yao. You're a pretty okay guy as well." That was the second time today she felt oddly happy. "You should get a new coat."
He grumbled something, in Chinese, she thought, and spotted another person walking along the sidewalk. "Huh. I don't know him."
The man sitting next to her looked up, his face screwing up in disgust. "Kiku Honda." Yao spoke, venomously. Another string of Chinese.
"Kiku?" She asked, looking back at the small stature man. Neat, cropped black hair, brown eyes. "Is he...Japanese?"
Yao folded his arms, his too-long sleeves flapping annoyingly. "Yes." He grumbled, sinking in the seat. "He own video rental place couple of street over. Though there's more video games there now than movies, aru." His tone was matter of fact and sour all at once.
"Problem, Yao?"
"YES! We were good friends until he burnt down half of my store room! It was disaster!" He started to sniffle a bit. "I lost some best work in that fire, aru..."
Taken aback, Columbia frowned worriedly. "I'm sorry."
"Is not your fault." He grumbled.
"At least you're still here. You weren't...hurt in the fire, were you?"
Yao's sour expression hardened, and he slunk further into the seat. "Thank you much for warming me up. I should get moving. Oh. I will be coming over soon with table, aru. It's almost done."
Columbia's eyes lit up. "R-really? I can't wait!"
"I had to make it in parts again, aru. Assemble inside, like last time."
"Sure, no problem." She smiled, the prospect of replacing the crappy chairs and table in her house made her excited. Maybe it was just being a girl thing.
He opened the door, wrapping his worn coat tighter around him and bowing. "Thank you again, aru. See you soon." He waved, flopping his sleeve around before shutting the door.
She watched after him, half-smiling, and noticed Katyusha walking across the sidewalks with Ivan right behind her.
"Oh shit-" She swore, surprised at Ivan's presence. They hadn't spoken since the bakery incident. Still, she pushed open the passenger seat again.
"Privet!" Katyusha greeted happily. Columbia assumed it meant 'hello'.
"Hi." She smiled. "Pri- um. You know what. Nevermind." The last time she tried to speak Italian she butchered it so badly Feli had blushed. And then laughed.
"Privet." Ivan repeated, looking at her with a level of intensity. She stared, and he nodded his head. "Go ahead, try it." He encouraged.
"Pr-privet." She attempted, feeling a slight flush in her cheeks.
Katyusha giggled. "Roll it a bit more."
"I'll...practice." She replied, her embarrassment deepening. "Get in, before all the hot air leaves."
Ivan and Katyusha exchanged conversations about who would sit up front, and the male eventually took the front seat, leaning his water pipe against the dash, and the female opened the back door to hop in.
"All right...Ivan, I'm...sorry to be awkward, but why do you carry around a water pipe?"
"This?" He asked, eyes soft with surprise as he fingered the cold metal object. "I like my job. Is good promotion, da?"
The look he gave was so innocent it caught her off guard, and she again found herself thinking the tall man 'cute'. At least it was an explanation, albeit not a very good one. The idea of Yao being scared of a walking promotion suddenly made the whole 'solidifying his bad reputation' thing laughable.
"Plus it makes for excellent support when my leg gives out."
"What's wrong with your leg?"
"Old injury, from my youth. Nothing to be concerned over." Again, his expression never changed from the neutral smile. It's like he practiced it.
"If you say so." If he had a bad leg, that wasn't something he could help. Kill two birds with one stone, she guessed. "So where are we off to?"
Thoughtful silence.
"To a small market?"
"Liquor store!"
"How about an equipment sho- you want to shop for liquor?" Columbia asked, turning to Ivan.
Katyusha shook her head. "Brother is so simple minded sometimes! Let's do something fun."
"Vodka~, vodka~!" Ivan sang. "All kinds, sweet and smooth!"
Columbia stared at him. She covered her hand with her mouth. She couldn't help it. She laughed. Hard.
Large, deep voiced Ivan was singing a vodka song in the most sing-song voice he could muster with a stupid smile on his face. The last part was almost always true, but coupled with his actions, it was an amusing sight.
"Why are you laughing at me?!" Ivan half-shouted. He sounded distressed rather than angry.
"I'm -sorry!" She breathed, trying to remember the last thing that made her laugh. "But do you have any idea how cute you are when you do things like- " Her laughter vanished in a blink, and Ivan's cheeks turned pink.
"Cute?" He repeated.
"I-I - um -" She turned her head away, feeling the heat rising from her face. "So Katyusha, where's the nearest mall?! Can't go wrong with a mall, I mean there are alot of shops...in..." They were both staring at her, Ivan burying his head in his scarf again, his glance turned downcast and cheeks flushing ever so slightly. He had no idea he was making it worse, and Columbia's flush deepened.
"Well, um , let me see what I can find!" Katyusha offered, breaking the growing silence. She pulled a cell phone from a pocket inside her coat, pressing a few buttons and browsing. It was mid afternoon, so if they were going to do something she hoped it was fairly close. Problem was, it was quiet again.
"S-so. Ivan..."
He seemed very distracted with rubbing his thumbs together.
"You seem to have a lot of assets. So why take a clerk job?"
"I told you, I like it."
"W-well I understand that part. I mean why did you look for a job in the first place?"
"Oh." He looked up from his thumbs, his features back to 'normal'. "I wasn't always supposed to be head of family. I guess..." He paused, mentally sorting his thoughts. "Part of me wanted to try to leave."
"Lots of pressure in a prestigious family, I suppose." She figured his family name had to be of at least some significance, with the manor and everything. She vaguely remembered skimming something during her internet research on the Russian, suddenly wishing she had read more up on it. But this was good, things were smoothing out. "What do they do, anyway?"
"I think our company develops weapons. I'm not directly involved anymore, though. After Grandfather passes, responsibility will pass to the Braginskayas, and my house will receive a smaller percentage. Katyusha will have to quit working here eventually."
"Oh, I found a place!" Katyusha smiled, pushing the phone in front of them. "There is a larger town just twenty minutes out this way. They have a mall that's open until late."
"Is that all right with you, Ivan?" Columbia asked.
"If Katyusha picked it, it is fine." He smiled, and Columbia noticed it was a little different that time. A bit more...sunny, maybe?
"We're off then." She backed the truck out, taking Katyusha's directions when needed.
"So you have a grandfather then?" Columbia asked when the road turned open. Last they talked, he only had two sisters for family.
"Da." He confirmed quietly.
"So I guess he's in Russia then." It was a stab in the dark guess.
"Da, he used to live here and he and father would travel back and forth, taking turns. And then...father died." He inhaled deeply. "And grandfather raised me from then. He had a close employee handle the company during those years."
"Are you and your grandfather close?"
"Ne."
Columbia tried to glance at him, to gauge him. Her eyes were on the road but her ears were listening intently, and that last word was spoken with a tongue dripping in acid. And it wasn't da, which she had grown accustomed to and expected.
Change the subject. "So how did your father die?" Not a happy topic either, but Ivan did seem more open to talk about that as he had visibly relaxed.
"He was assassinated in Russia." Columbia nearly swerved the car in surprise. "Poison in his drink. They traced it back to rival company." Ivan sighed. "I do not remember father well."
"Poor Ivan." Katyusha soothed, and she rubbed his shoulder with her hand lovingly. "Is all right! I don't remember mother well much anymore either."
"Ah, Katyusha." Ivan breathed. "I do not know what I would have done without my big sister sometimes." He grasped her hand, holding it to his cheek.
Columbia could only glance for a second at a time. This was not a man to be afraid of. What a crappy childhood. So this is what he meant when he said things had grown 'dangerous'.
At least, she didn't think he was someone to fear. His family was beginning to sound like trouble, though. Perhaps that's why he was feared.
"You two are lucky you're so close, at least." She finally said. The quiet was starting to get to her. "My brothers and I were never really that close." She giggled lightly. "I remember having one conversation with them...we were all debating which planet we each came from."
"How many siblings did you have?" Katyusha asked.
"More than six. I'm the oldest, and I think last I heard mom was pregnant again."
"My goodness! That's quite a woman. How old are you, Columbia?"
"Twenty four."
"Funny." Ivan stated, lightly grinning. "I'm twenty three."
"What- " Columbia couldn't help it. She felt pale. "You're younger than me?!"
"Apparently, da."
She glanced back at Katyusha. "And that would make you..."
"Thirty!" She replied exuberantly.
Columbia gaped, taking a moment to process the idea that the very pretty young-looking woman was nearing middle ages. "You do not look it."
"Is my baby face." She smiled, patting her cheeks happily. "How about your mother? How old is she?"
"Forty four. This will be their last child, for sure. Let me think..." She counted up the siblings in her head. "We are...including me, twenty four, twenty, seventeen, fifteen, thirteen, ten, eight, five, and zero."
"Mother of mercy! Nine children..." Both Katyusha and Ivan were staring at her in surprise.
She just shrugged. "They love their kids, that's for sure." She sighed deeply. "It gets crowded though. Maybe that's why I left..." Hm. She wondered.
"Why did you leave such a large family?" Katyusha asked. Columbia glanced at Ivan, and she could have swore she saw a flash of sympathy on his face, even if it only lasted a split second.
"Long...touchy story. Tell you what, you get enough good alcohol in me and I'll answer your questions." She laughed. "We can play truth or dare."
"Oh? That sounds interesting." Ivan said.
"I think it does." Columbia added, and Katyusha's phone beeped, and she gave more driving instructions. Parked in the rather crowded lot, they hopped out, surveying the large stone building before them. "I've never seen such a huge mall before!"
"Really? I think it's a little small..." Ivan mentioned, and Columbia noticed he was leaning on the water pipe. She found it strange how he could carry the strange item with such confidence. Maybe he didn't realize that such a thing was an oddity?
"Let's go, let's go! It's been too long since I've had a relaxing day just walking around, looking at things - "
"Ugh, too bad the Christmas stuff is already up. Thanksgiving is next week, how tacky!" Columbia complained, kicking the tire of her truck.
"You make good point, little Coli." Ivan stated, tapping her head gently.
She had to look up at him to see his face. "Don't call me that. Feli just came up with that stupid nickname - it sounds nothing like me."
"Oh? So he can get away with it?" For a moment he looked confused.
"Feli is a crybaby. A hard worker, but a cry baby." She was beginning to understand why, but still.
Ivan sighed. "He always has been. Kind of a pain sometimes." They started walking inside.
"What's your relationship with him anyway?" She asked, hoping it would be a casual question.
"Tell you what, get enough good Vodka in me and maybe I'll answer question~!" Was his reply.
There was definitely something wrong with the people in the town of Nation, New York, Columbia decided. At least she seemed to fit in.
Going into the mall, Columbia noticed an instant mood change in Ivan. He tightened his scarf around his neck, and was extra careful to dodge people walking towards him. They ended up walking slowly through the hallways, which no one really minded. Sensing something was off, she fell in-step next to him, acting as a buffer between him and the passing throngs of people.
"You don't like crowds, do you?" She asked quietly. Katyusha turned, walking backwards to face them for a few steps, turning back around, and repeating. It was fine because they were going so slow.
"Ne." The clinking of the pipe on the tile floor could barely be heard over the ambiance music and people. "People touching me is bad."
"Is that why you're always so covered up?"
"Da." He said it a little harshly.
A fear of people touching him. That was an important note for later. "Would...you like to maybe hold my hand?" She asked carefully. He contemplated for a moment, then shook his head. "Sorry."
"It's fine. Whatever you're comfortable with is important. And I mean that." She had noticed that he only made contact with her when he initiated the motion.
"Let's go in here!" Katyusha said excitedly, pointing to a higher-end clothing store.
Columbia shrugged. "Sure, I guess." Being careful to avoid people, the trio ducked into the store, Katyusha instantly attracted to multiple racks. Ivan seemed to smile at his sisters glee.
"Is good for her to be so happy." He said, leaning against the wall.
"We could probably sit there." Columbia said, pointing to the display window. Mannequin's sat on a raised platform, but there was plenty of free room.
"Very well." They sat down in silence, watching Katyusha browse happily. "You do not want to join her?"
Columbia shrugged. "It's not very practical for me to have a lot of nice clothes. I need stuff that can get ripped up and torn. Working a farm isn't easy work."
"Da, I suppose not." There was a short pause. "I do not think I understand you."
"Hm?" She asked, looking up at him.
"You. I do not understand you."
"How do you mean?"
"No one has every actively sought me out before. Not out of curiosity."
"Everyone else seems too scared, for some reason."
"Da, there may be a reason."
So he does admit it. "Care to tell me? Because honestly I've given up trying to figure it out. Everyone seems to think you've...well, killed someone." She lowered her voice.
He was silent, his lips tightened into a thin line. "I do not understand you." He repeated.
There was no denial. That shook her a little bit. "You're...fascinating." She said, sighing. "I don't get you either. But I want to." Exactly why that was was still a mystery to her too, but he didn't need to know that.
"What makes me so special?" He asked, sending her a confused stare. "My wealth?"
"I didn't even know about that until I saw your freakin' mansion. I was curious about the tall foreign office worker with a cute butt."
His cheeks went pink. "Saying such things-!" He bent his head low, wishing to hide his face in his scarf.
"Too blunt?" She asked, a coy smile playing at her lips. When did she start enjoying herself?
"DA!" He retorted, almost panicked.
"Ludwig was the one that gave me the newspaper clipping. Yao almost refused to talk about you at all, he's worried for my safety, hanging around you. Feli too though...he called Feli 'bad luck'."
"Ne, Feliciano is fine. Honestly, it is Gilbert you should watch out for."
"Gilbert?"
"The white hair gunman." He bit.
"Oh. I don't like him."
"Neither do I. We do not get along well. He had tried to pick several fights with me."
"I noticed the German's aren't very afraid of you."
"We have mutual understanding."
"Columbia, look!" Katyusha was excitedly holding up a a half length dress. "I think this would look fantastic on you!"
"Um - Katyusha, I don't do dresses." Really, she didn't. Skirts made her feel uncomfortable and the thing that Katyusha was holding up was all kinds of frills and poofs that she wanted nothing to do with.
"Nonsense, every girl must have a dress for something! Come try things on with me! We can show off for Ivan!"
Columbia sent Ivan a pleading look. "Help?"
"Not a chance." She swore his grin widened.
"God, you really are evil, aren't you?!"
He held a hand up, wiggling the fingers a bit. "Bye- bye! Show me pretty outfit."
Columbia was unwillingly dragged to the dressing room with Katyusha, and to her horror they found themselves in the same stall, the platinum blond removing her coat and shirt almost at once. The more modest female turned around, face burning. "Lord, Katyusha, a little warning?!"
"We are both girls?" She said, looking down on herself.
Columbia groaned slightly, turned around and raised her own shirt over her head. Before she could even think the dress was shoved over her head, Katyusha tugging the material in all the right places to get it to fit. "Oh, it doesn't fit your front..." She said sadly, peering her head over Columbia's shoulder to look down. The material hung a little too loosely. "Where are your breasts?"
"Non-existant!" She cried, blushing furiously.
"So sorry. Here - " She took the back tie, which was made for such adjustments, and pulled it good and tight. The dresses front molded to Columbia's modest chest well after that, the 'v' of the bodice no longer crumpled under it's own weight.
"It's too frilly for me." Columbia stated, staring at the large bow in the back, the way the shorter skirt poofed out around her was ridiculous, though the rich purple and magenta colors were nice.
"Pants off~~!" Katyusha sang.
"Hell no!" She would absolutely NOT be walking about those doors without her legs covered. "This is fine. Okay? I'm wearing the dress. It's fine."
The older woman paused, then nodded. "Very well." The garment she picked out for herself had the opposite chest problem, and Columbia had to bite back giggles as she watched the woman stuff her bosom into the slightly tight evening gown. "Okay, let's go show Ivan!"
"If he hasn't run off by now..." But she left the dressing room with her, making sure to prop the door open with a hangar or something.
"Brother, what do you think?" Katyusha asked, twirling in the glittering red evening gown, her breasts begging to be free of the material.
Ivan had found a chair...somewhere, and was waiting patiently outside the dressing rooms. He eyed his sister up and down. "I think you need bigger size." He commented, smiling.
"Brother, you know I try..." Poor Katyusha. As much as Columbia was self-conscious about her own small bosom, she figured the opposite was probably worse to deal with.
"Columbia, come out here!" The woman urged, and hesitantly, heat radiating from her face, she stepped out from behind the wall.
"Oh?" Ivan spoke softly, watching as Columbia carefully stepped forward. Her shoulders were drawn up, her arms frozen at her sides. Her jeans were still on, which distracted form the overall look of the poofy, fairy-like dress, but he still saw the impact. The most amusing part was how red she was turning. The blush nearly crept down to her neck.
"OkayI'mgoingtochangeno-" She blurted, Katyusha grabbing a shoulder.
"Oh wait just a moment, please! Brother, isn't this pretty on her?" She asked, smiling sweetly.
"Da, very cute. Although..." He eyed her shaking form. "You do not like your shoulders being exposed, do you?"
"N-not really." She admitted, feeling air on her normally unexposed skin was...off-putting.
"Oh, I'm sorry Columbia, you should have said something." Katyusha said. "Let's go." They walked back to the dressing room, opening the door and removing the blockade to let the door fall into it's place with a loud click.
Katyusha untied the dress from the back, helping shimmy it off of the younger woman. The fabric had begun to pool around her waist when the platinum blonde caught something she missed before. "Columbia..." She breathed, her eyes glued to a dark spot on the other girls side. Right under the ribcage, a dark mass of scar tissue was marring the otherwise pale skin.
"Th-that..." Her opposite hand fingered the scar tissue carefully, and she stared at herself in the body mirror the dressing room provided. "It's from the fire. It...it goes down to my knee."
Katyusha's eyes widened. "I'm sorry..."
"Don't be. Stupid to be sorry for something like this." No, the scar didn't bother her. How it got there did, though. She exhaled roughly, forcing the thought from her mind. "Don't worry about it, honestly. It doesn't bug me that it's there, I'd just rather avoid stares."
She nodded in understanding, and they redressed, Katyusha mumbling about finding a dress she liked that actually fit her.
Katyusha's solemn looks did not go unnoticed by Ivan though, and he immediately asked what was wrong. She shifted uncomfortably, glancing to Columbia who frowned.
"You're sister is a terrible liar, huh?"
"Why would my sister lie?" His face and tone darkened.
Columbia added never insult Katyusha to her growing list of mental things about Ivan. "Eh, I'll just show you." She shrugged, deciding in that second it would be the best course. Not like it mattered. The marred skin honestly didn't bother her.
Really.
"C-Columbia! You don't have to." Katyusha insisted, but she was waved off.
"Secrets are stupid." Columbia replied. "Unless you can talk about it only with the aid of alcohol. Or whatever. Ivan, come here." She gestured leaving the store, spotting what she was looking for across the hall. She really would rather show than tell.
Ivan's confused face glanced at his sister, who urged him to follow. "Show me what?" He practically demanded. Columbia glanced around, spying the leering store clerks and spinning to leave, Ivan following behind her in annoyance. She used the buffering technique of walking beside him, a little harder walking straight across the mall but they made it.
"I...have a scar." She whispered lowly, earning another confused glare. They walked to an off-shot hallway led to the restroom areas. She looked around carefully, the clinking of Ivan's water pipe more prominent in the more empty, enclosed space. She knocked on the door of the family bathroom, and in earning no reply, pushed the door open. Empty. "C'mon." She urged, and he followed her inside.
"You do not have to show me - " He stated, and she flushed, shrugging her coat off and laying it neatly on the metal bar pinned to the wall.
"...I kind of want to." She replied.
"...Why?"
"Because your sister saw it. I...if I could have someone to talk about it then...well, it'd just be weird. Having her know and you not. And seeing...just look." She flushed deeper, hiking her shirt up and showed him the dark mass.
"Bozhe moy..." He muttered.
"I don't wanna make a big deal out of it, but I knew it would drive you nuts not to know, and it would drive me nuts to talk about it without showing you and you kind of know anyway...so..." This was so stupid, she realized. How crazy insecure did someone have to be to pull this kind of dumb stunt?
"Of course..." He frowned, realizing the he couldn't see the end of the burn mark. "How far down..."
"To my knee."
"Heavens...is that from fire you told me about?" His expression was oddly unchanging, which she was grateful for. Pity was decidedly absent. Good.
Her face tightened. "Yeah."
"You did not say you were injured."
"Didn't want to. We should get back to Katyusha."
"Da..." The left the small room, thankful for a still empty hallway and rejoined the older sister, who was leaning against the wall outside the bathrooms. She gave them each a worried glance, and Columbia rolled her eyes, telling her to relax and that it wasn't a big deal,
Several hours later, and hands full of shopping bags, the slowly made their way back to the truck. "I bought too much." Columbia said, having trouble carrying a full bag of books and movies and just a couple of new clothes.
"House is still empty for you, da? Maybe is good thing to fill it with odd and end knick knacks." Ivan said. He was carrying a bag for Katyusha.
"You could use a maid or two. Your vases are dusty."
"They are never used..." He said sadly.
"Sorry." Columbia said, sticking her key in the bed of her truck and popping the back open. They neatly stacking the shopping bags into the compartment, and brought down the cover. She noticed something strange. Walking to the side of the vehicle, she leaned down to check her tires, and swore loudly. The back right was flat. Alarmed, she checked the rest. "Fucking -SERIOUSLY?!" She yelled, kicking the wheel.
"What is it?!" Katyusha asked, alarmed.
"My tires were slashed!" She leaned down to inspect it further. "What the hell. It looks like they were cut with a wide knife or something." She groaned, pulling out her cell phone and searched for a service. She was glad she went ahead and got the stupid smartphone thing.
"So what do we do in the meantime?" Katyusha asked.
"It's tires...it should't take too long." The number she found rang, once, twice...
"Hello, this is Carl's Car services - "
Relieved, Columbia explained the situation, gave her information and hung up. "Ten minutes to get here." She said to the expecting Russians.
"Is a shame. I wanted to go home and put away my new things..."
Columbia's mood had entered a downward spiral. She loved her truck. Her glare sharpened and she checked the surrounding cars. "Weird..."
"What is it?" Ivan asked.
"Prank slashers usually hit one or two around...and only slash one or two tires. You know, enough to be annoying. These cars are fine, and my tires are fucking slashed!" She checked the rest of the vehicle meticulously. There didn't seem to be any major marks or scratches on it. Something odd was sticking out from the hood though, and she realized it was a piece of paper. Pulling on it, the hood popped up, and she had to jump back to dodge getting smacked in the chin. What she saw next made the color drain from her skin. "WHAT THE FUCK?!"
Deep, harsh scratches littered the inside of the hood, 'MARRY ME' written so many times over they overlapped each other. "The hell is this?!" The clinking of the water pipe falling to the asphalt made her turn her attention to Ivan, who was backing away from the car slowly, like it was a dangerous animal about to chase after him.
Katyusha sighed heavily. "Not again - "
"Ivan?" Columbia asked. She didn't want to think it, but the large man looked positively terrified. "What's wrong."
"N-Natalia..." He murmured.
"Natalia?" Columbia repeated. "As in...not your sister?"
He nodded dumbly, licking his lips. Then, as if coming to a sudden realization, bolted for the truck door and scrambled into the back seat. Katyusha acted as this was normal behavior but a rather bewildered Columbia followed him, and disbelief wrote her face as the tall man had laid himself down on the floor of the backseat, water pipe held out to push back any intruder, and shaking slightly.
"Close the door!" He hissed, and she was too dumbstruck to not obey.
"Um. Katyusha?"
"Yes?" The older woman answered sweetly.
"What in God's green earth is going on here?"
"Natalia." She responded simply, as if that would answer the questions without a problem.
"Natalia. Ivan's sister that's not your sister."
"Da..."
"She slashed my tires and scribbled 'MARRY ME' repeated under the hood of my favorite truck."
"So sorry about that."
"And Ivan is terrified if her."
"Well, she is very good with knives, she would never actually hurt Ivan, I don't think, but it is an intimidating sight - "
"Okay, I don't...understand this."
"You will probably meet her in a few minutes. She usually appears after vandalizing..."
At this, and without uttering another word, Columbia opened her driver's seat door and laid down in the front seat, to avoid being seen out the window.
Katyusha hung around outside, enjoying the crisp air.
"Ivan." Columbia asked. The man didn't answer, the she did hear an odd 'tap'. "You okay?" Another tap.
Really Ivan? Too scared to talk? "Okay, one for yes two for no. You are talking about your sister, right?" One tap. "Does she stalk you or something?" One tap, surprising her. "That's weird." Another tap. "Do you get along well?" There was a short silence.
"Is complicated." He replied. She swung her weight forward, leaning over the car seat and looking down at Ivan. She gave him a look, and he sighed. "I try to comply with her. Makes it a little easier. She is still my sister after all. She normally behaves in public... She thinks we get along. I do not."
"Have you told her?"
"She is very insistent." He almost whined.
"So what does she want?!"
"She wants to marry me."
"Ugh!" Columbia felt physically sick. "That's nasty! That's like - if I - EW!" Her face scrunched up in disgust. "I'm gonna puke..."
Ivan watched her reaction with interest. "Is it...that strange?"
"YES, it's strange! Ah God, even thinking of thinking of Daniel in THAT way I - " She covered her mouth with her hand. "I really am gonna be sick..."
"Strange..." He muttered. "I can recall several instances in my family's history where close relatives married..."
Columbia frowned. "I - um - maybe that is true with the kind of family you have..." She scratched her head. "Ugh, no, I can't wrap my head around that..."
"BIG BROTHER!" A scream from outside.
"I'mnothereI'mnothereI'mnothere-!" Ivan whispered to himself insanely, holding his pipe with a shaky hand. His eyes had squeezed shut, and he held his breath for a second. God, he really was scared!
Columbia ducked back under her dashboard. She didn't think she was scared of this 'Natalia' as much she was scared of how much Ivan was scared. His reputation of 'most terrifying' had competition.
The truck suddenly shifted, and she heard Ivan suck in a breath.
"If you're going to be quiet, be quiet!" Columbia hissed harshly, and she heard the groan and creaking of the truck as the back end lifted.
"Oof - " She heard Ivan struggle to keep his position and she was being shoved further downward by gravity. "What is - "
"SHH!" Then they were suddenly moving. "Oh. The tow truck must have got us..." She said dumbly, and Ivan breathed a deep sigh of relief.
They sat quietly as the truck moved, gravity pushing them at odd angles. "So you okay back there?" She asked.
"Da, I am fine."
"Um...so, hey. I keep forgetting to, but I never did thank you properly for the dinner the other night. It was nice."
"Even with the interrogating?"
She chuckled. "Yeah, even with that. Seeing where you come from, I can understand. Pretty obvious now, but I'm no gold digger."
"Er - why would you think I have gold?"
"Um, nevermind. It's an expression. A-anyway. Thanks."
"Katyusha helped me plan it."
"...Really."
"Da...to be honest...I've never done anything like that before..."
"What, 'courting'?"
"That was courting? Every meeting I've had before was...arranged and ended with Grandfather..." He stopped. "There was never anyone who seemed right."
This Grandfather of his was a touchy subject. "Hey, Ivan..."
"Da?"
"Is there something you're afraid of?"
"My sister..." He mumbled.
"I can see that." She sighed, and peeked over the dash. The car was definitely being pulled. Columbia pulled herself up over the slanted seat to face Ivan once again. His back was settled on the floor, almost laying parallel to the backs of the front seats. With a good force of strength, she tumbled over the top of the seats, resting in the back chairs and sticking her feet out straight to keep in her the seats instead of rolling into Ivan.
"What are you doing?" He asked.
"I wanted to see you." She said simply, peering down at him.
"You really confuse me..." He said, squirming uncomfortably.
Curious, she reached her hand forward, slowly, moving towards his face -
He flinched, the joint of his pipe catching her wrist. "I - no - don't - "
"I'm just gonna rub your cheek." She said carefully, and his features were full of dread. He might have started shaking, but she couldn't really tell. The pipe against her wrist pressed down on her slightly, but she pushed her hand forward anyway, feeling the the shudder under her palm. Her thumb caressed the skin, and she realized it wasn't soft at all. His skin was hard, calloused, like it had been tempered for toughness. Fascinated, she brought her other hand to his other cheek, rubbing small circles with her thumbs.
"W-why - " Her gaze returned to his eyes, which were hesitant and full of...fear? Was he scared?
"Why what?" She asked softly, pulling back one hand a bit.
He shook his head, viciously, knocking her hands away and yelling. "You are so confusing!" He shouted. "You act weird! You do weird things! Is not how people are normal, da? Why aren't you like everyone else?!" And next thing she knew he was grabbing her, his pipe dropped to roll into his body and a hand gripping her wrist so hard she winced in pain, feeling the bones being pinched together.
"O-ouch-! Ivan-!" She was so shocked she could barely muster those words.
"Ne. No 'Ivan'." He pulled her closer, shifting his weight so their faces were close. "You want to be friends? Good, let's be friends together. I know I want to be friends..." He smiled at her.
What the hell was this? The feeling of dread came all to suddenly for her to hide her fright. What button did she press that brought this on? What made it worse is that he was staring at her with a gentle smile, and a second gloved hand wrapped around her throat. The last line stuck with her the most though. He wanted to be friends. This is friendship?
What was he thinking?
"You should come live with me." He stated calmly, in his normal, even tone. God, that smile was cute and creepy at the same time. "Then we could see each other every day! You can be good little girl and help around the house! Since you think it's so dirty and all." He squeezed gently around her throat, and she coughed.
"Ivan- " It was hard to talk with her wrist slowly being broken and the hand around her throat had her on the verge of panic. "That's not what friends do!"
"Of course it is." He breathed. "Toris was a great friend. Very good. He didn't want to leave at all! It was stupid Grandfather." He squeezed again, and she gasped.
"Ivan, whatever the hell you're thinking, stop it!" She stared hard into his eyes, trying to find what she was looking for. He was threatening her, she knew, but the malicious intent to kill wasn't there. It was so lacking, did he even realize what he was doing right now? Her fear dissipated, leaving only annoyed anger. "Look, you're not gonna hurt me, not really, so just let go!"
"Why aren't you shaking?" He asked, honestly confused. "Why aren't you saying da?"
Columbia wasn't sure what level of cockiness came over her. Maybe it was because she was American, she wasn't sure, but she smiled, and stared back into his eyes with full confidence. "You think acting like this will bring us closer? You're delusional." The hand around her throat had started to shake, and she gripped the leathery fingers, prying them loose one by one.
"Listen...I can..." She sighed. "It's obvious something has gone wrong for you. Do you even realize that you're threatening me?"
His confusion intensified, and he looked like he was almost ready to smack her upside the head. "There is something wrong with that, isn't there?"
She felt her lower jaw fall, and she stared at him, eyes wide. Vaguely aware of her new found freedom, she re-asserted her steady position and pressed her feet to the back of the front seat once again.
"...You've never had a real friend before have you?" She suddenly realized, coming to the strange conclusion that maybe he had no idea how he was supposed to act in front of people.
"I have!" Those words were defensive. "When my house was full, I had lots of friends." He growled. "You are SO confusing!" He restated, huffing.
She decided to remain quiet, and for a moment the silence seemed louder than any shouting. "...You know you attacked me, right?" She finally stated. "We can be friends. Seriously. But not if you act like that!"
"You talk as if I am the weird one." He finally stated, giving her a dejected look.
She couldn't take it anymore. He needed to understand. "This..." She started, pulling her shirt up to once again show off the dark scar tissue. "...was caused by my fiancee. He ran out of the house - his - he was on fire, a rambling mess. He was trying to grab me. Screaming that 'we could be together in death'. People pulled me away from him and they tried to save him, but he was too far...gone, obviously, in more ways than one..."
Ivan shuddered. "Reminds me of sister..."
"He was insane, clearly! Enough to run out completely on fire and still be focused on being with me-! Just...my point is, I know crazy when I see it, all right?! And you are about a level below completely psychotic!" She glared at him furiously. His eyes were muddled in confusion, his entire body frozen with hesitancy. Don't deny it. Just whatever you do don't deny it -
"I'm fine - " He protested.
"ARGH!" Columbia shouted, kicking the back of the seat in front of her furiously. "You know what, I was wrong. YOU are a lost cause!"
And Ivan looked at her, his expression full of hurt. She decided at that moment, she didn't care. It was too much of a long shot. Dammit...she still wanted to be friends with Katyusha but their life was too complicated. Too many details she was sure weren't going to be recounted or well understood. A crazy sister, his all to obvious layers of problems, some a little too familiar for her to deal with.
Wait. When did the vehicle stop? The door swung open, and Katyusha was facing them both. "What is going on in here?!" She asked worriedly.
"Absolutely nothing." Columbia stated, fuming. She monkeyed out of the slanted truck, actively not reacting to the pain in her wrist, a rather heavyset man staring in disbelief.
"You the one that called me?" The man asked.
"Yeah. Let's talk business!" She said, walking as far away from the siblings as possible.
Katyusha's fretting went unnoticed. Ivan was just staring at empty space, his frame frozen on the floor.
"Ivan?" The older sister asked tentatively. "Are you all right?"
The worried edge in his sister's voice forced him to his senses, and he slowly clambered out of the difficult position. She offered her hand as he climbed down, and he leaned on his water pipe. "Brother, your breathing unevenly..." She noted, and he nodded, feeling his hair stick to his head with sweat. He was nervous. Why was he so nervous? He felt like there was a crack in his world, something that couldn't be mended. Those words she said couldn't be taken back. But what really bothered him were the actions. Even under threat she glared back at him like there was nothing for her to lose. Was she unshakeable? He decided he wanted to know more.
"Sister...I think I did something bad..."