I don't own Hetalia okay? I don't have much else for this opening. Anyway, enough of this A/N, on with the fic!
Lukas came home to the small shared apartment. Perhaps if we hadn't made Lien and Alfred so mad we'd have had the security deposit from our old place we could have something a little better than this one…. He thought as he looked around. Roderich and Christensen must be still at work. He opened the fridge to find a few pieces of pizza left and he put it in the microwave and sighed. The oven hardly worked and they could not get the landlord to replace anything. Christensen had suggested it only needed a new heating element that could be replaced fairly cheaply but the landlord refused to repair it and threatened to evict them if they tried to fix it. Something that made no sense but from then on anything that needed baking was done in a toaster oven. At this, the door opened and Roderich came in.
"Oh. Hey Rod." Lukas said. "Might get our old band back together."
"WHAT?" Roderich said. "But We're down a front man and drummer!" He said.
"I got a card from another producer who found our old promo CD in that thrift store I work in so we don't starve." Lukas said. "I left a message with Lien and she hasn't replied yet."
"Well what about Alfred?" Roderich said. "I mean he was the front man after all."
"That, I have not attempted yet…" Lukas blushed.
"I will try then." Roderich said. "It was his idea we form this. His idea that got us out here. He should not have left us to this hellhole."
"Of course…." Lukas said not paying too much attention. When it was your attitude that pretty much told Alfred the band was over and you were not willing to keep trying. Maybe you should be the one who tells him about this. He thought as the microwave dinged and he headed over to eat his pizza. But Lien would be easier to reach and could come down on weekends for free time…. He thought as he began to dial her number and maybe, just maybe Alfred would believe her more than the rest of us…
Ivan looked at Francis and Arthur with trepidation. Alfred was holding his hand under the table the whole time when he wasn't tearing into his papa's roast beef, which he himself had to admit was pretty good. The tension was in the air as the memory hung in the air of Arthur and Ivan's first encounter and the warming relationship Alfred and Arthur and neither party wanting to ruin Alfred's relationship with the other. Ivan was pragmatic. Yes, he dreamed of having Alfred all his own, to wake up by his side every morning before he headed to work. The times Alfred and Ivan had spent in bed together and waking up the next morning holding onto him were heavenly. It was something he could not allow himself to get too used to as he knew soon their relationship would become long distance, very long distance. He knew that Alfred was going to see him in Russia that summer, he'd move heaven and earth to do so and to fight it with him would be useless. But he also knew that if Alfred was too angry with his dad, then he would likely just leave. Stow away to Moscow even knowing how much he was in love and how he would go off halfcocked. "So, Alfred tells me you own a bistro out in town Mr.…." Ivan asked looking over at Francis.
"Bonnefoy but you need not be so formal." Francis smiled. "You may call me Francis as I do not think you are quite ready to call me Papa like Alfred and Mathieu do."
Here comes the really tough part…. Ivan thought. "And I heard you are a high school teacher Mr. Kirkland. Admirable work. It is always important to give children a good education." He added.
Arthur paused chewing his husband's food. In a way what Ivan had said to him before he even started dating Alfred was what struck the nerve that helped him to start to come to terms with his past and his past disappointments and his disappointment in Alfred. This is the man that Alfred has come to love and if I must say so myself he has helped to give the boy direction. I know before the holidays he was bemoaning the classes he was going to have to take as a waste. I know Alfred can do great things. His high school grades were not from lack of ability but just well…lack of seeing the use because he was dedicated to his dream. "Why thank you for that kind statement Ivan." Arthur said. "I wish we could have had our first encounter be under more pleasant circumstances but it seems my dear Alfred has taken quite a liking to you and you have made quite an impression on him. He seems much more dedicated to his classes since you had taken him on as your sort of protégé in your field."
Alfred blushed at how formal Arthur was being with Ivan and how Ivan was reacting. "I am right here Dad…."
Ivan ignored this and kept going. "My bosses have seen how much he has contributed to the product I am in charge of developing and have many of the same comments as you did towards his work. They did hire him on as a tester for this and would take him on full time if he does well enough with his school when the company does expand into America they will likely hire him." Ivan only brought this up to show to Arthur that Alfred was indeed dedicated and not a failure and that he had a good influence on him. Hopefully that would not start any rifts between Arthur and Alfred and risk hurting his and Alfred's relationship with moving things too fast or Alfred clinging to him because of spite of his father.
"Wow." Arthur said genuinely impressed. "Good work Alfred. I am proud of you."
"You…. you are?" Alfred said.
"Yes. I am even slightly envious of how well you had done when you went out to Los Angles. Much better than I did. All I ever did was covers of other bands in bars. No deals, nothing like you had. And the work you put in just to live out there while trying for your dreams. I realize I may have let some of my anger at my own position in life. It's a long story and I do not want to trouble you with that right now. It will only bring down the mood." Arthur said, noticing Francis's frown. "I guess I should have helped with dinner and made some of my famous scones.
"NO!" Alfred and Francis yelled at the same time, causing Ivan to look at them curiously.
"You shouldn't put yourself under the pressure to do so Dad, you're so busy with all those kids." Alfred quickly said not wanting to outright insult his father. "Maybe another time. I mean Ivan does have to go back to Russia on the 10th, maybe make some as a care package?"
"Now that would just be so cruel to a man who likely has a very long flight ahead of him." Francis said. "I don't know how you can call that petrified couch stuffing a pastry. If you feel like we need to send that poor boy on his way with some sort of care package, then let me handle it mon amor…."
"Here they go again…." Alfred moaned as he placed his face in his hands. "I was trying to be nice and get his mind on another thing, he'd likely forget by then so you wouldn't suffer those tooth breaking things. Dad can set cereal on fire. I mean Papa complains all I can cook is something with microwave instructions on the box or Hamburger Helper but it's a step up from Dad's skills to him. I don't think he's being nice either because he will let you know when you fuck something up cooking…."
"Oh." Ivan nodded.
"Sorry for our behavior there…" Arthur said as he noticed Alfred's embarrassment.
"yes, it was most immature, especially with the one you love Alfred." Francis said. "Although Ivan I do think it is good his hair is growing back towards it's original color, I swear that brown he came back with did not suit him well, you agree no?"
"Yes, I have only known Alfred with just the brown tips left over from the dye but he does look better with his hair it's natural color." Ivan said as they continued to eat. "May I have some more?"
"Like Oliver Twist huh?" Alfred said trying to connect with his father's love of Dickens.
"I guess…." Arthur said, appreciating that Alfred was trying to connect with him. "But I see no reason to withhold anything from someone who treats my son so well and has captivated his heart."
Blushing, Alfred smiled as the discussion went on through the night. Yes, his fathers were rather embarrassing and treating him like a child at times, always poking fun at his new love and thinking it rather adorable, it seemed to go smoothly that night. So smoothly, when his phone rang, he simply hit the ignore button as Arthur offered some after dinner tea.
"Well that went well…." Roderich sighed as he placed his phone down and sighed.
"You get yelled at by Alfred?" Lukas asked. He remembered Alfred's attitude when he called him just to tell him that Lien was looking to speak with him. And you'd deserve it too. While it was mine and Christensen's bad idea to follow you, thus getting the wrath of Lien's paddle you did start that fight about not wanting to go on further or try again.
"No that insolent little twat hung up on me! Well he didn't even answer. It just went straight to voice mail." Roderich yelled leaning against the wall. "Do you think he is still mad at me?"
"Someone's slow on the uptake?" Christensen said as he came out of the bedroom in a tank top and boxer shorts, grabbing the milk and drinking it straight from the carton.
"Brother, please at least put some pants on." Lukas said.
"I just got up. Pulled an all-nighter at the truck stop." He said laying back on the mushy and threadbare couch.
"Just what did you mean about me being slow on the uptake?" Roderich asked tapping his foot at his roommate.
"Dude, Alfred would be way mad at you the worst. You don't seem to recall when he and Lien left to find their own greener pastures do you? It was your idea to just give it up and play for TV shows or whatever crap there is."
"I will have you know I have an audition with the Los Angeles Orchestra" Roderich huffed.
"Ooooooooooohhhh and what are the odds you'll make it?" Lukas replied bitterly.
"Better than you'd think." Roderich said.
"Oh go to the gym and grow your hair out and you can pretend you are some 2002 Stewart Townsend Lestat wanna be at the goth clubs for all the emo girls…." Lukas said.
"Woah." Christensen said looking at him in shock. "That's a burn that not even a full restore can heal. What's wrong?"
"What's wrong?" Lukas said tossing his paper plate he had the pizza on in the garbage violently. "Maybe I have just been thinking about where I fucked up in my life listening to you two! Lien and Alfred are all moving on to satisfying careers, stable ones mind you too. Lien is going to be a teacher and Alfred is in with some sort of cyber security thing his new beau put him onto and frankly he sounds really happy with the guy. He was expecting that Ivan guy or whatever he called him when I called him and I had NEVER heard him sound that way about any of the people he dated here. Lien found what she is good at in the shitjobs we all did to afford to live and now is working towards that. Sure she misses Alfred more than the rest of us, think she wanted him bad but whatever. And here I am with all of us working two jobs to stay like this with no shot at our dream that we tossed aside because of you being tired! It wasn't our fault! We did everything right the way we were supposed to! A record label owner likes our stuff we did before and if Alfred and Lien were still here it would be a miracle and it'd be so awesome! We'd have that second chance. Well here is the second chance we cannot take because the front man and drummer left us because we were jackasses to them! Our music isn't the same without them if we tried to start again! I don't know what Lien did to get the drums to do what they did and Alfred's lyrics were what set us apart even if he couldn't come up with names and titles worth a shit! Now I am stuck here in this sun soaked smoggy hell hole and I have no fucking clue what I am going to do with myself for the rest of my life." He said as he looked at Roderich and Christensen who looked stunned. Lukas normally did not have outbursts like this.
"Dude." Christensen said quietly.
"For whatever it is worth, I am sorry." Roderich said. "I guess I did not think how you all really felt. And now we are in a real mess." Roderich took a breath and looked around. "I will send Alfred a message. I will use all of my eloquence and such and apologize to him. Maybe he will hear us out. It is also possible that he will not be able to join us again. Especially if what you say is true." Roderich sighed. "Alfred is passionate and devoted. If he indeed has found someone and they make him happy, he won't give them up."
At this a silent pause filled the air. To which Christensen said, "Good luck bro."
Back at Alfred's house, he, Ivan Francis and Arthur were now sitting in the living room just talking about their thoughts on random things and getting along in the conversation. No one else has gotten along with Papa and Dad like this before…. Alfred thought as he smiled looking into Ivan's eyes. So this is what Matt was talking about when he said you just know…. At this a text rang on Alfred, Francis and Arthur's phones. "Can't people stop bothering me!" Alfred said as he looked at the text. "Emma said yes. We haven't picked a date but my girlfriend is going to marry me. Figured you guys would like to know." At the end was a string of maple leaf emojis. Alfred looked up and around at Francis and Arthur.
"Well now…." Arthur said.
"My boy…. Oh he's found his soul mate…." Francis sobbed.
"Don't go pressuring me now you two!" Alfred laughed with a blush. He looked at his watch and picked Ivan's hand up to head out. "Look at the time. I best get Ivan back to his room. He has a lot of work to do over the next few days."
"Oh." Arthur said. "Sorry we kept you."
"It was no problem." Ivan said as Alfred dragged him to the car. Once inside, he looked over at Alfred confused.
"Oh, that…." Alfred said as he pulled his keys out of his pocket and drove out of the driveway. "Don't get me wrong, I am happy for Mattie there, but I don't want a ton of questions asked about when I am going to get married or things like that. Not like I don't think of the idea of spending forever with you the best ever Vanya, but it's just too soon. Mattie has his act together more than I do and I don't want to marry you with a ton of baggage or me not ready just yet. I hope you understand."
"I do." Ivan nodded. "Frankly we've only been together a week. It would be horrible as we haven't tested our love as bad as that sounds. I feel a special connection with you but I don't want us to go too fast and ruin what we have. I love you so much Fredka." With this he pulled Alfred closed and kissed him deeply, pulling him closer as a cold January breeze blew by.
"I love you too Vanya." Alfred said. "I want this to work out and last forever."
"I do too." Ivan said. "Now go get some sleep. I need some too."
"See you tomorrow Vanya."
"Same with you Fredka. I love you."
"Ya lyublyu tebya Vanya." Alfred smiled as he saw Ivan head to his room and he headed back to his house. He was sure to be asked about his love life by his papa later but it would be easier without Ivan around.
Translation guide.
(Obtained via Google Translate)
Ya lyublyu tebya-Russian-I love you
So how was that? Good? Bad? Short? Long? Let me know in a review. I know I have been slower updating this story than some of my others, but I love me some good RusAme so I have no plans to abandon it. And if you see some of my other works on FFN, you will find it took a LONG TIME to finish it. Anyway remember to read, well you just did, and to review. Ciao for now,
Otherrealmwriter
Aka
Realm
