I don't own Hetalia okay? I don't have much to say here with the A/Ns on this story, so enough of this A/N, on with the fic!
Alfred sat on his bed and pulled out his laptop, deciding to look up what types of things Ivan would be teaching him on. Looking over a few career building websites, he noticed that Ivan likely couldn't teach him everything with just some certificate course. Well he said the company wanted it as a kind of introduction, basic thing for high school kids…. He thought as he looked from the laptop to the books for his next semester and laid back. Dad apologized, and from what these websites say, it might not be too bad to get into what Ivan does. Sounds kind of fun. Tracking down internet hackers or whatever. I mean one thing I was thinking of specializing in was criminal justice as the State police did require a 4-year degree and the admissions officer at the college said I could get some experience with the associates level too…. if I am going to impress some of those HR managers who look for reasons to not hire you I have to work hard…. As this turned in his mind, his phone rang. "You got me." Alfred said when he noticed it was Ivan.
"Privet Fredka. I was just calling to make sure everything was okay at home." Ivan smiled through the phone.
"Dude, we talked a few hours ago." Alfred laughed. "Not that I mind it. It's nice to have someone to talk to that isn't trying to psychoanalyze me or is my parents." He noticed Ivan's curious tone. "I said my brother was a psychologist, remember?"
"Oh!" Ivan spoke up "Da, I remember now. But I was calling to let you know I had at least finished the introduction to the course if you would like to see it and give me feedback."
"Sure bro." Alfred smiled. "I need something to do. I have the next few days off work anyway. I do want to ask you a few things as I had been researching this field myself before I got in too deep. I don't want to be a bitter man hating my life like my dad after all."
"Sure, what is it you want to know?" Ivan replied.
"Well, I was looking at things and it's not like there's a lot of jobs in this field without some sort of degree." He heard Ivan agree. "So just will this be like a whole additional program like college or what?"
"I don't think I explained the goal too well. You did have a nasty hangover after all." Ivan teased.
"Shut up! It still kind of hurts from that…." Alfred sulked.
"You may need more coffee and aspirin." Ivan teased. "But to address your concern, yes I have talked with my bosses on that matter." Ivan paused
"Yeah, and what did they say? You can trust me." Alfred reassured.
"Well…." He paused, thinking it over. He didn't want to violate any disclosure rules. "You don't have anyone you know in a competing technology industry?"
"Let's see, my brother is a psychiatrist in Canada, my dad a bitter high school English teacher who because he has the gentlemanly accent, the girls all flirt with him despite him not being into that for multiple reasons, two biggest being they are underage and he's married to a French man, and my Papa runs a small bistro in one of the most upscale parts of town by the river. Small, snooty and fancy."
"Which one? I do believe I have stopped by it while here on work." Ivan asked.
"Hmmmm it's called, Erable et Lapins "Alfred said. "It translates to 'Maple and Rabbits.'"
"That's a rather unique name for a French Bistro." Ivan said confused.
"Well the idea came from when me and my brother were kids. Two of the things we apparently were obsessed with." Alfred blushed. "And if you tell anyone that I'll kill you."
"Your childhood secret is safe with me krolik" Ivan teased.
"What did you just call me?" Alfred asked annoyed.
"Bunny rabbit in Russian." Ivan laughed. "But back to business, I ask because it is a rather secret project and you can only find out being the tester for this."
"Dude, I'm not working for your company and I can get in on some of their workings?" Alfred asked.
"Well, actually you will be considered an employee if my boss agrees to it. And the thing is we are looking to expand operations into America as well. Given the perception of the common American of Russians who happen to be technologically skilled being something that means ill will…" Ivan said, confused on the perception himself, but it was what it was what it was. "We needed to have something that would endear us to the public before we made big moves, got contracts, things like that. And having a program like this where we introduce young people to the field and help them get a certification does wonders for public image."
"The business world huh?" Alfred laughed. "Much like the music one. All about the image."
"Yes. You'll know all about that, wouldn't you Fredka?" Ivan laughed. "Only in this industry, if you end up messing up and giving the wrong customer the wrong items, you lose your job."
"Justice." Alfred smiled.
"But there is not a major need for degrees in this field. At least starting out in this field you don't need to worry so much. Although I wouldn't discount getting a degree Fredka." Ivan smiled. He really wanted to see Alfred succeed in this more than he wanted the assignment his boss gave him to be done. He felt for the young man much more than he was worried about his company. His work was well, the boss never had anything bad to say about him. But for some reason he could not quite explain, he couldn't stop thinking about Alfred. I hope this works out. I want you to have something good in your life. This may be all I can give you but I want to give you so much.
"Yeah you're right about that. The place I am going does have some 2 year programs in this that can transfer to 4 years. Before you called, I was thinking about looking into that, seeing if I could be further help to you." Alfred said.
"So eager to help a stranger who offered you something you met in a bar?" Ivan teased.
"Well, it's just…. hard to explain but you have been the nicest guy I had met in a very, very long time. Like I said, Gil is a good drinking buddy but beyond that, I can't say much more about the guy. And hey, you took me to your room last night. How do I know you didn't do anything foul to me?" Alfred teased.
"Oh I am not so pathetic a man I would need to do that to someone passed out drunk. You flatter yourself Fredka." Ivan laughed causing Alfred to get annoyed.
"What you wouldn't want this? I have been told I have a wonderful body." Alfred teased right back. "Nothing like being a human Sasquatch with a big nose Vanya." Alfred teased back.
"Oh you're just terrible." Ivan said. "But I have to get back to work. And if you are going to tease me like that I may just reconsider the whole thing." Alfred laughed, able to see that Ivan was being factious
"You wouldn't dare." Alfred said.
"I guess not. But I seriously need to get this letter to my boss done today. Be well krolik krolik" Ivan said.
"Stop calling me that!" Alfred sighed.
"Nyet. I love seeing you get so worked up over your childhood." Ivan teased.
"Well I got to sleep that drunkenness off." Alfred said. "Bye dude."
"Proshchay Fredka." Ivan said as he hung up.
Alfred smiled to himself. He had felt slightly floaty inside after talking with Ivan. He lay back and smiled, Ivan's goodbye in his Russian accent sticking in his mind. He closed his eyes and began to drift off to sleep only to spring back awake. I haven't felt like this in a long time…. I mean I had a few dates back in Los Angeles but god…it couldn't be…. could it…. nah…. you're just making a new friend and excited over that…. but then again…. At this he sighed, seeing that his mind was running a million miles a minute on the question and headed out of his bedroom. There were two people he knew he could talk to in the house about this question, although the idea of him, a 26-year-old man asking his Papa or brother about if he was falling in love or just overexcited about someone treating him well after what had happened was something that seemed kind of shameful. Sighing, he headed to his brother's room and knocked on the door. Well it is his job to not make fun of issues…
"Hold on Emma, I heard a knock." Matthew said.
"Bro, it's me, I need to talk about something and you're the only one that won't make a big deal about it." Alfred said as Matthew opened the door to his brother.
"I got to go Emma, make sure those kitties are taken care of well. And good luck with that bear cub."
"Merci" Emma said as Matthew shut the door behind Alfred. "Je t'aime beaucoup ma feuille d'érable" She said.
"je t'aime aussi ma chérie. Au revoir" He replied and hung up.
"So, that girlfriend in Canada wasn't made up." Alfred laughed.
Matthew sighed and rolled his eyes. "Why is it you think I am such a loser that I could not get a girlfriend?"
"I remember the high school prom." Alfred laughed.
"You got Josephina so mad at you she dumped the punch bowl over your head." Matthew said. "I wouldn't talk about something that happened 8 years ago. Just because I had to go stag, does not mean I am hopeless. I at least went home dry."
"Yeah yeah you got a point." Alfred said. "She speak French?"
"Yeah, that's Emma. She's a veterinarian who specializes in cats. The bear cub thing, that's because before I came down here, I found an orphaned and injured polar bear cub on the side of the road and she said she could take care of it and make sure its healthy."
"Is she from Quebec? I know that's the part of Canada that has a lot of French speakers." Alfred asked. Figure I should take some interest in his love life if he's going to help me with mine…. even if it is love that is going on here….
"Nah, she moved to Canada from Belgium. Great at making waffles too." Matthew smiled.
"So, got any plans for anything bigger?" Alfred nudged winking at Matthew.
"Not quite yet. She's still trying to open up her own clinic." Matthew said. "But it's certainly on the table…" He blushed looking away.
"I'm going to so tell Papa this when you head back to Canada…." Alfred sniggered.
"Okay so when you are thinking of if you're going to ask Ivan to marry you, I'll tell Dad." Matthew teased. Alfred's eyes widened. "Oh so that is the issue you're having." Matthew laughed.
"Okay what gave you that idea?" Alfred asked.
"I heard how you were talking to him while I was heading to the bathroom. You sounded like you are over the moon with him and you only knew him a day. Man if there was one thing Papa taught me well was the arts of romance." Matthew smirked. "It helped so much with Emma."
Alfred sighed. He looked at his brother. It was no use for him to lie about what he was thinking. "I guess you're right bro. But I also was worried that I was just too excited that I had someone who was so nice to me that it might be love too…."
"Well I don't know what it would be like that with him or not, or if it is just you had been so hurt before. It does seem like it could be either case honestly. However, if Ivan is that nice to you to offer to take you under his wing, give you a warm place to sleep after you got so drunk you passed out, then at least you would want to keep a friendship with him. He seems nice." Matthew said.
"How did you feel when you first met Emma?" Alfred asked, knowing his brother wasn't going to give him a straight answer on this one.
Matthew smiled. "Well I ran into her at a Tim Horton's."
"God, this is sounding like a snoozefest." Alfred sighed.
"I literally ran into her." Matthew said. "I then offered to take her to lunch to make up for it and kind of hit it off from there. So yeah, we got a clichéd romantic comedy beginning. Want to poke fun of it?"
"Nah. But what you're saying is that you can't tell me if it's different?" Alfred said. "That feeling when I was talking with Ivan if it was me getting a crush on him or just a friend?"
"Sorry, that's something I couldn't help you figure out just yet. Too soon. You could try talking to Papa about it." Matthew suggested. "I mean it's not something that is really in my forte here. I can get a family functioning again or at least on track but matters of the heart, nope."
"Oh you're a lot of help." Alfred sighed.
"I tried." Matthew smiled as he shoved his brother out of his room.
Back at the hotel, Ivan saved his work for the day and headed to the bar for a drink. Sitting down, Gilbert turned to him and smiled. "A vodka for you Ruski?" he laughed.
"Do you have a life out of this place?" Ivan asked. "You were here this morning and now you're here again?"
"Swapped shifts. If I wanted New Year's Eve off, I had to cover the guy who normally works this one's shift. Besides, this time of year, the closer it gets to the end of the year, the bigger asshole my little brother gets. He's very well organized and has a great job as a designer for a few German firms. Even had a contract for Glock there for a while but sleeps with an old luger under his pillow." Gilbert sighed. "Luddy needs to learn how to relax." He handed Ivan his glass of vodka as he looked at the band on stage. I wonder what some of Fredka's songs sounded like. From what I read on his notebook before he got mad at me, his lyrics could have been brilliant… Noticing Ivan sitting there, Gilbert turned to Ivan. "Is Al okay?"
"Da." Ivan nodded. "He met up with his brother and sounds like him and his other father guilt tripped that little angry Brit into thinking somewhat and Fredka isn't so hopeless as to forgive him like some sappy American sitcom from 25 years ago."
"So why do you have a real interest in him anyway? I mean I even saw it when you sat beside him the other day. You getting a crush on the boy?" Gilbert said.
"WHAT?" Ivan said spitting out some of his vodka.
"I guess you are if you spit up your beloved drink like a middle school girl does when her friends figure out who she has a crush on." Gilbert wiped the vodka off his face. Ivan looked at him confused. "I am a bar tender. I am a great people reader, and they often come to me to help them figure out their issues and matters of the heart is something I get a lot of."
"So you think I am beginning to fall in love with Fredka?" Ivan asked.
"Well he's not bad looking. You could do much worse." Gilbert laughed. "But alas, I cannot tell you. I just report that you look like you are getting rather chummy with Alfred and really seem to like him. And from what I could see he did like you. Just invite me to the wedding big guy."
Ivan turned beet red. "He's just a friend. It's not like that at all!"
"5 bucks says that come Valentine's day he's going to be overnighting chocolates to Russia." Gilbert teased making kissing noises as Ivan smacked him. "Hey! That's assault!"
"I think I will take my drinking elsewhere…." Ivan blushed as he paid for the drink. Am I falling in love with Fredka? I mean he does seem like a good friend, yes he is handsome…. Ivan clutched at his chest. He had hardly felt much for anyone before in his life, keeping mainly to himself and most people being terrified of him. I only looked after him because that is what decent people do. Right? Ivan sighed as he headed back to his room and turned on the television, hoping there would be something on that would distract his mind from that question. Besides, Gilbert is right, once this job is over I have to go back to Russia. It would crush poor Fredka if I were to even entertain the notion. Teaching him and having him review my program can be done virtually, love cannot. It does not feel the same. And how would I want someone to hold onto me and tell me it's okay….
So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? I always figured that Ivan and Alfred were types that when they fell for someone they fell hard and fast. And yeah I shipped Canada with Belgium here. And Josephina, since there is no official Mexico, is the feminine version of a Jose I saw of a fan character of Mexico. Other than that I don't have much else to say, so remember to read (well you just did) and to review. Ciao for now,
Otherrealmwriter
Aka
Realm.
