A/N: Hey. Guess what? I had a hint in the story on when this would happen. Yeah, that's right, if you look at chapter 17, you would see that Alfred and Ivan get two fortunes. The actual fortunes don't mean anything, but the numbers do. They stand for December 18th and December 24th, and the 2 represents two people. ;P That's right, I've let you know this whole time when they'd fall in love. I'm sneaky like that. Anywho, You've probably stopped reading this by now because you just realized you're about to see Alfred figure out he's in love, so enjoy the rest of the chapter.
Ivan barely slept that night. Not from a lack of trying, but he found that his mind was still buzzing from his earlier interactions that last evening. He had finally given up on getting any sleep around seven in the morning, instead preoccupying himself with his thoughts as he sat by his window and watched the cars and people passing beneath him. While he hadn't too worried about getting Alfred a gift before, now he found himself fretting over it. The problem was, everything he had thought to buy him now seemed too insincere or too plain for him now. He wanted Alfred's face to light up when he saw his gift, and not just because he had gotten him something. He wanted to see Alfred truly happy with his gift.
He had thought to give the younger nation a pair of ice skates, but he had just realized that one, he didn't know the other nations shoe size, (weirdly enough, at one point he had when he had spied on him in the past, but he had forgotten), and two, he would not be caught dead snooping in his shoes like a weirdo. He couldn't even ask him because that might give away what he was giving him. Then there was the small matter of use. Alfred may be up here in New York right now, but he admitted that he didn't go onto frozen lakes by himself and that he liked to stay in warmer states during winter, thus making the present a more sentimental gift than a practical one.
Ivan wracked his brain for a while, thinking about all the things Alfred had told him in the last few weeks. Surely there was something that Alfred could use and be a good connection between them. When nothing came to mind, he couldn't help but let out a frustrated sigh. This wasn't something he was going to be able to solve himself. He was too close to the problem to think clearly. So, glancing at the clock next to him, he picked up his phone and choosing the first contact, he put the phone up to his ear and nervously waited for his older sister to pick up the phone.
It took a few seconds, but eventually he heard the phone click as his sister picked up. To his amusement, he heard a soap opera playing in the background. He couldn't seem to get away from romantic media lately it seemed.
"Oh! Hello? Just one moment, let me turn this down." Ukraine said, and he heard the T.V. volume disappear.
"Hello Katya." Ivan said, not bothering to hide the amusement in his voice. "Are you watching strange drama's again?"
"They are not strange, you just do not have good taste in T.V." Ukraine said in a slightly exasperated tone. "If you gave them a chance, you might like them."
"Hasn't that show been running for over twenty years?"
"That is besides the point. Anyways, I do not think you would have called me at-" Ivan heard Ukraine shift as she seemed to be looking at something, "-seven in the morning to criticize my taste in T.V. Why are you calling me at such an early time? Is something wrong?" She asked, sounding slightly worried.
Ivan grimaced slightly. "Katya, I do not want you to get mad at me-"
"Ivan, what did you do now?" Ukraine asked in a scolding tone. "Is this about you and Alfred? Did you cause a fight?"
"Of course not! Why would you think that?"
"Ivan, honey, you are not the best at relationships. It is not out of the realms of possibility." Ukraine said bluntly, and Ivan winced slightly at her words.
"Ah, well…you are not entirely wrong. However I did not start a fight or anything. I…" Ivan trailed off, worriedly glancing at the door behind him. He quickly lowered his voice so that Alfred wouldn't be able to over hear his conversation if he woke up. "Do you remember what I said about Alfred and I being friends?"
Ivan heard his sister go silent for a moment, before she answered with a suspicious, "Yes, I do? Why?"
"Katya, are you alone right now? Is Belarus with you?"
"I'm alone, but Ivan, what are you talking about? What's going on? Are you okay?" Ukraine asked worriedly.
"I am fine. Katya, after you left, I've gotten closer with Alfred, and I don't know when or how, but I…I have fallen for him." Ivan said, and he couldn't hide the nervousness in his voice as he spoke. "I do not know what to do. We have only just become friends, and I do not want to mess this up. I need some advice." As Ivan said this, he couldn't help but glance nervously at his door again.
"Oh Ivan." Ukraine sighed, and Ivan was surprised to hear how gentle her voice was. "Oh my sweet, sweet boy. What am I going to do with you? Of course you're in love with him. You are only just realizing this now?"
Ivan paused for a moment, before letting out a disbelieving huff. "Are you saying that you knew that I was in love with Alfred before I did? How?!"
Ivan heard his sister let out a giggle. "Do you remember when we went to the bookstore a few weeks ago? I saw how you were looking at him back then. And while I wasn't convinced, I knew as soon as you asked him about his smile. Not to mention how you have been behaving lately."
Ivan frowned in confusion. "What do you mean? Behaving lately?"
"Oh, I've already heard all about you and Alfred last night." Ukraine said with another giggle. "Prussia was telling everyone about it. Of course, no one's told Natalia, so don't worry about that." She added quickly. "Unlike France, Prussia made sure to only tell us at the betting pools, and you know Natalia doesn't go to those."
"I did not think the news would travel that quickly." Ivan admitted.
"Oh, I'm sure everyone will know by tomorrow." Ukraine said, sounding slightly amused. "I would keep an eye out for England if I were you. He might not appreciate you literally sweeping Alfred off his feet. Speaking of which, when did you become such a romantic?" Ukraine asked in a teasing voice, causing Ivan to go slightly pink.
"Katya…please." Ivan said in embarrassment, causing Ukraine to laugh.
"Oh, please. You have no right to be so embarrassed when you made such a bold move on him. So, how did he take the news? Did he accept your feelings?" Ukraine asked eagerly. "You do not sound like you have been rejected, so I assume it is happy news, yes?"
Ivan didn't respond right away, instead letting out a nervous cough. "Ah, I have not told him yet?" Ivan confessed reluctantly, cringing away from the phone as his sister started to berate him.
"Ivan! What is the point of falling in love with someone if you have no plans to confess your feelings?" She asked in an exasperated tone.
"I was planning to!" Ivan said defensively. "Just…not yet."
"Why are you waiting? Ivan, he won't wait for you forever. What if he changes his mind about Japan? Then you will be sad and alone!"
Ivan was suddenly reminded of the old women back home who would berate their children about not being married yet. He could already feel his sister pinching his cheek in displeasure like she used to do back when he was a child.
"Katya, I can not yet." Ivan explained with a huff. "He already denied Japan's advances not too long ago. If I talk to him now he will just push me away!"
"Well, you aren't Japan, are you?" Ukraine asked. "Ivan, just because he said no to Japan doesn't mean he will reject you outright. Talk to him!"
It took all of Ivan's willpower to not let out a groan of frustration. "It is too soon!" He objected.
"So, when will you talk to him? When you've already run away? That'll impress him." Ukraine said sarcastically.
"If you must know, I am planning to talk to him just before I leave." Ivan said stubbornly. "I do not want to tell him before the Christmas party. It would not do us any good if we had to live together if we had to avoid each other!"
Ukraine hummed disapprovingly for a moment, before she sighed. "Well I guess that makes some sort of sense. However," She added sternly, "you are going to the Christmas party as his plus one, right?"
"Well, yes. He has already invited me to go with him?" Ivan asked in confusion.
"Good. Good." Ukraine hummed to herself, and Ivan heard her ruffling through some papers. "I'll have to make some rearrangements to my flight, but I think it will work out."
"What are you talking about?" Ivan asked.
"Oh Ivan, did you really think I would allow you to go to that party without me helping you prepare?" She asked. "Don't worry, I will make you so handsome that he won't be able to look away from you! You will be the only one he'll be able to focus on all night! Just leave it to me!"
"You do not have to do that!" Ivan protested, but he heard her click her tongue impatiently.
"Oh please, if i left you alone you would be too nervous to even approach him. Speaking of which, did you have a present ready for him yet, or do you need help with that?"
Ivan, deciding that it wasn't worth the effort to stop his sister at this point, just sighed again. "That is why I called you in the first place. I am not sure what to get him. He already seems to have everything in the world, and my first choice seems to be out of the question. It wouldn't be very useful in the long run."
Ukraine hummed thoughtfully. "You are thinking about something practical, but meaningful?"
"Exactly. Do you have any ideas?" Ivan asked, and he swore heard his sister grin.
"Oh, I think so. In fact, I already had something like that in mind. Tell me, how good are you with your hands?"
_Later_
Alfred woke up in confusion. For some reason, he felt warm. Like, really warm. To the point that it was slightly uncomfortable. He tried to ignore it at first, but eventually he opened his eyes and squinted into the slightly dark room. He was temporarily confused on where the hell he was. The last thing he remembered was falling asleep on Ivan when they had been driving home. Reaching up and rubbing his eyes, he pushed himself up and blearily looked around at his surroundings. To his relief, he realized a few seconds later that he was just in his living room. Relaxing slightly, he allowed himself a moment to stretch.
Looking down, he was slightly confused to see that he was still wearing his clothing from the night before, including Ivan's scarf. He guessed that was why he was over heating then. He must have been wearing at least three layers of clothes. Chuckling slightly, he started to take off his outer layers, taking extra care with Ivan's scarf. He didn't want to damage it. He made sure to fold it gently and he placed it on top of the couch. He'd have to return that later. As soon as he was down to just his shirt and suit pants, he got up and glanced up at the clock. It was already around 10 o'clock.
"Hey Ivan, are you up yet?" Alfred shouted over at Ivan's room as he strolled into the kitchen, ignoring the fridge and instead making a beeline towards the coffee maker. When he didn't get a reply, he just shrugged. Maybe he hadn't heard him..
It wasn't until about ten minutes later when he started to glance at Ivan's room in confusion. Odd, Ivan was usually up and moving about now. Frowning slightly, he strolled over to Ivan's room and knocked on the door.
"Hey, are you up?" He called, but again he didn't get a reply. He waited a minute, before he opened the door and peeked into the room, only to see that Ivan wasn't there. He looked around the room, then poking his head out the door he saw that the bathroom was also empty. Now utterly confused, he stood there for a moment looking around with a frown on his face. Where had Ivan gone?
"Ivan?" Alfred called, walking back into the kitchen to see if he missed the taller nation somehow. That's when he noticed that Ivan had left him a note on the dry erase board on his fridge.
"Alfred,
Had to go out to pick up some supplies. Will be back soon."
Alfred felt a little disappointed as he read the note. Oh, so Ivan wasn't here. Bummer. Trying to shrug off his disappointment, he went back to the cupboard to start making himself breakfast. As he rummaged around in the drawers, he couldn't help but wonder what Ivan had had to get so suddenly. Hadn't they just gone to the store a few days ago? Frowning, he tried not to think about Ivan's odd behavior from the last day.
Alfred didn't know why, but it seemed like Ivan had been avoiding him. Now, at one time he would have celebrated this fact, but seeing as he had started to really enjoy the other nations company he couldn't help but feel a little…hurt? Upset? Disappointed? He wasn't completely sure, but it was something like that. Then again, Ivan still seemed to be more than happy to snuggle with him last night, so it wasn't like he was mad at him or anything.
Speaking of snuggling, Alfred paused for a moment as he thought about last night. Ivan had seemed to be ecstatic to pick him up yesterday, much to his amusement. While he hadn't expected the other nation to carry him like that, he had to admit that he hadn't hated it. While it had been a little shocking to be picked up so easily, (seriously, he hadn't been picked up like that since he was a kid), it had been kind of fun. Plus, he had been warm. And seeing the other nation's faces had been hilarious.
Alfred couldn't help but chuckle at the memory. He knew this was going to stir rumors about them again, but at this point he didn't really care anymore. Hell, he couldn't help but wonder if they had lost their minds at the news. He should ask his brother about it later. He always seemed to know what was going on with the other nations, so he would know.
Returning to his breakfast, he looked up to ask Ivan if he wanted anything, only to remember that Ivan wasn't there. Frowning again, he suddenly felt that weird disappointed feeling again. Whatever. He'd be back soon.
Unfortunately for Alfred, whenever he tried to do something, whether that be picking out a movie to watch, playing with the cats, or just having a random thought come to mind, he found himself looking around for Ivan to see his reaction, only to be disappointed each time. After about an hour of this, Alfred felt himself getting annoyed at his behavior. Ivan wasn't there. He knew that already. So why did he keep looking up and expecting the other nation to be there?
Pouting slightly, Alfred decided that he should try and find something to distract himself. But as he tried to go through his video games, he saw his old game boy, and was just reminded of Ivan again. At that point, he threw his hands up in frustration. What the hell was going on with him. It wasn't like he wasn't able to live a day without the other nation! He was a grown ass adult, he could surely find something to do without Ivan.
Eventually, he ended back up on the couch with nothing to do. He was bored. Nothing in the house seemed to be very interesting, and even the cats seemed to be happily ignoring him, napping in a patch of sunlight on the floor. Honestly, this was really weird. Usually he didn't have any trouble entertaining himself. Frowning up at the ceiling, he couldn't help but wonder where Ivan had gotten off to.
He had just decided to go on a walk when his phone started to ring. Getting excited, Alfred looked at his phone and felt his happiness quickly vanishing when he saw it was his boss. Oh great, just what he needed. More work. Sighing, he picked up the phone.
"America speaking."
"America, how are you doing?" His boss asked, surprisingly sounding pleased for once.
"Um, good?" Alfred answered. "Why? What's up boss man?"
"Well, I'm glad to hear that. So, I just wanted to say that I'm very pleased to hear that you and Japan have made up! I've just gotten off the phone with his boss, and it seems that things are getting back to normal. Have you made any progress with France by any chance?"
"I haven't seen him since the meeting."
"I'm not surprised, but it doesn't matter. You can deal with that during the new year if you want to. No one seems to care what happened with him anymore on a political level, so we have some time to deal with that."
"Um, that's cool." America said, not sure where his boss was going with all this. "Is that all you're calling for?"
"Actually, no." His boss admitted. "Ah, I'm not sure how to break this to you, but I just got a call from the U.N. security department, and it seems like there's a small problem with the guest list for your party."
"A problem? With what? Did a few people forget to add their plus ones to the list?" America asked, not really caring about it. It was a common problem that popped up every year.
"Actually…it's a little more than that. It seems like over 50 extra nations are wanting to attend the party, and security is throwing a fit about it."
America's eyes went wide at the news. "Wait, what?" He asked, suddenly sitting up straighter in his seat. "Wouldn't that mean that most of the world is going to be at my party?! I mean, I know I have open invitations and all, but dude!"
"That's why the security team is upset. They're going to have to increase the amount of people working that night, and I haven't even mentioned the last minute catering fees." His boss grumbled. "Seriously, I know how much your lot likes to eat. Not to mention the absurd amount of dietary restrictions I now need to fight with now. You're going to bankrupt me one day."
At the mention of food, America suddenly remembered a conversation he and Ivan had a few weeks ago. "Hey boss, speaking of catering, do you think I could add a last minute change?"
"Oh, not you too." His boss groaned. "Okay, fine. What is it?"
"I need a Vodka fountain."
There was a long pause from the other side of the phone. "Are you fucking serious right now?"
"I'm being completely serious."
"And just what," his boss asked, his voice getting more incredulous by the second, "do you need a vodka fountain for?"
"Russia. You see, I invited Russia to my party this year, and he said he'd only come if there was a Vodka fountain. As you know, we want this project to be a success, so I thought-"
"America." His boss said in a long suffering voice, making America stop talking, but America just gave the phone a cheeky grin. That was his favorite tone from his boss. It meant that he was going to give into whatever he wanted because he didn't want to deal with his weird requests.
"I will allow you to get a vodka fountain-"
America threw up his arm in victory.
"-but only if you come to the U.N building and talk to the catering businesses and to security and set it up. I am not arguing with them over something this stupid. And it needs to be done today. We can't make any more changes after today. The security team might just throw out the whole thing if we ask anymore of them."
America quickly lowered his arm and pouted at the phone. "You're only sending me because you don't want to deal with it."
"Exactly. Good luck champ. Merry Christmas!" His boss said smugly, and he hung up on America.
"Shitty old man." Alfred grumbled, but he recognized the order for what it was. Annoyed, Alfred suddenly realized that he was still in yesterday's clothes, his hair was a mess, and he probably needed to get a shower. Groaning, he got up and sulkingly headed to the shower. Next year, he was just ditching the party. Ivan was right, it was too much work.
Suddenly snapping his fingers, he quickly turned around and headed to the kitchen. If he was heading out, he should leave a note for Ivan. He wouldn't want him wondering where he got off too.
_Meanwhile_
Ivan hummed as he closed the shop door behind him, carrying a bag full of his recent purchases. After his sister had stopped nagging him to get on with his love life, they had spent a good half an hour coming up with a game plan for Alfred's present. Honestly, Ivan felt like kicking himself. The answer had been so obvious, and he'd almost overlooked it. In a rather cheerful mood, Ivan had decided to walk back to the apartments for a while. The weather was unusually nice that temperatures had warmed up to slightly above freezing, and the snow around him had begun to melt, making the sidewalks clear from the usual snow piles. Humming a small tune, Ivan hadn't expected anything of note to happen on his stroll.
Of course, because the universe hated him, as he approached a small bakery, he heard a voice of someone he knew up ahead of him. He paused, contemplating just waving down a taxi so he wouldn't have to talk to yet another damn nation, when he stopped as he recognized the voice he was hearing. Then, with a large smile, he quickly turned back around and made a beeline to the bakery. He changed his mind, the universe had decided to give him a helping hand!
Quietly standing by the door of the shop, he waited patiently for the other nation to come out. Luckley, he didn't have to wait long for said nation to come out. Ivan, who had been waiting for this damned meeting for two weeks, quickly released his creepy aura and grabbed the back of the other nations jacket, stopping them dead in their tracks.
"Ah, France! What a coincidence! I just happened to be walking by, and I have been wanting to have a chat with you!" Russia said cheerfully, but his death aura didn't subside one bit as he spoke. "Perhaps we should go somewhere a little more private, da?" With that, Ivan grabbed the back of France's collar and dragged him into the nearby alleyway.
France, who had froze as soon as he had heard Russia's voice, slowly turned around in terror as soon as Russia had let him go. "Ah…Russia!" He said in a tiny voice, his eyes darting around him as he looked around for a place to flee. "What a…surprise?"
"Indeed. Usually, I would love to spend some extra time with you after a good hunt, but lucky for you," Ivan said, slowly leaning towards France, who seemed to shrink with every word, "I am a busy person, and unfortunately, I do not have much time to deal with you today. That, and I cannot afford to get blood on my shopping today, because it is very important. Also, I am in a very good I think this shall suffice." Ivan happily put all his bags in one arm, and with a large smile, he pulled back his arm to give France a good punch in the face. As France flinched back, Ivan suddenly felt someone grab his arm. Annoyed at being interrupted, he yanked his arm out the person's grip, and turning around he scowled when he saw Japan scowling up at him.
"I think it would be better if you did not harm him, don't you?" Japan asked.
Ivan couldn't stop the cold chuckle that came out of his mouth, and the temperature around them seemed to drop as Ivan glared at the shorter nation, who continued to glare up at him without flinching. "That is rich, coming from you." Ivan said coldly. "Or have you forgotten that you are just as guilty as this one?" Russia said, pointing at France, who looked like he'd really rather be anywhere than there.
"I have not." Japan said, narrowing his eyes. "Though, I already made amends to the wronged parties. My conscience is clear."
Ivan stared at Japan in disbelief, before he let out a laugh at the audacity of the other nation. France was shooting a terrified look at Japan, who promptly ignored him.
"Ah, I suppose I should have expected that from you. I must have gotten soft from hanging around Alfred, seeing as I had actually expected an ounce of decency from you of all people." Ivan said with a dark giggle. "I told him to let me handle you, but he was against it. What a shame."
"That is because Alfred has not lost his mind, unlike you." Japan said with a sneer.
"Hmm, It seems to me that you didn't take Alfred rejecting you very well then, if you are acting like this." Ivan said with a petty smirk. When Japan's face darkened, Russia couldn't help but feel a little bit pleased by how much those words must hurt.
"You should choose your next words very carefully." Japan said, his hand twitching towards his pocket.
"Oh, I am trembling!" Russia said sarcastically, waving Japan's threat off. "Did you really think you could hurt me? It is not my fault you have lost your chance with Alfred, so do not take your anger out on me." Ivan said suddenly, his voice becoming a lot more serious as he glared at the Asian country. "If you know what's best for you, you would not interfere any further."
Japan's face seemed to become murderous for a split second before he quickly seemed to calm down, much to Russia's surprise. He had honestly expected Japan to at least try and swing at him. When Japan saw Ivan's confused frown, he smirked at him, much to Ivan's annoyance.
"I suppose you have a point." Japan admitted, suddenly straightening out his jacket with a calm expression. "Perhaps it might be best for me to simply stand back and let things play out."
Ivan's frown deepened, and he gave the other nation an annoyed glare. "What are you implying?" He asked, knowing damn well Japan would never calm down this quickly without a reason.
"Well, I just heard about what happened last night. I do believe you have become a contender for Alfred's attention?" Japan said with a dark look in his eye, but he kept smirking at Russia.
"I think," Ivan said coldly, his eyes never leaving Japan's, "you had better rephrase that statement, before you lose your limbs."
"I don't think I will." Japan said calmly. "But even if he does fall for you, remember this. He won't be yours forever. You'll mess up. You always mess up, and when the dust settles, you'll be gone, and I'll still be with him. So enjoy it while it lasts, because I'll be waiting." Japan said with a cold grin, his eyes boring into Ivan's soul.
France, who was still cowering against the wall, let out a shriek of terror as he ducked Ivan's fist, which punched through the brick wall like it was tissue paper and tore a pipe out of it. Japan was just able to move out of the pipe's way as Russia aimed a blow at the shorter nations head, cracking the wall that had been right behind where Japan's head had been seconds ago like it was plaster and not solid concrete. Ivan's face was twisted up into a terrifying expression of rage, which just made France let out a louder shriek of terror, and he quickly grabbed his bags and held them out in front of him like a shield.
"Japan, for the love of god, please shut the fuck up!" France yelled hysterically. "Do you want us to die?!"
"Leave. Now." Ivan spat at them.
Japan didn't move for a moment, watching Ivan yank the pipe out of the wall and glower at him. Then with a huff, he grabbed the back of France's jacket. "I have said what I wanted to. Let's go." Then with a last nasty look at Russia, Japan dragged a weeping France away, who was weakly beating Japan's arm with a ruined piece of bread and swearing meekly in french, until he turned the corner and he disappeared from Russia's sight.
Ivan stood there for another moment, until he was sure they were gone, then he collapsed against one of the walls, the only thing stopping him from sinking fully to the ground was the fury screaming in his heart. Taking a few deep breaths, he slammed his fist against the wall, causing it to crumble further.
Fucking Japan.
Glowering at the ground, he forced himself to calm down. He saw that his bags had been flung onto the ground, and as soon as he got his temper under control, he pushed himself off of the wall and picked them up. He only felt slightly better when he saw that their contents hadn't been destroyed. Small mercies, he thought with a huff as he dropped the pipe onto the ground. He winced as he saw that his hands had been imprinted into the metal. Sighing, he slowly walked back towards the street.
The universe must really, really hate him.
_Later_
Alfred all but dragged himself up the stairs to his apartment. He was fucking exhausted. That damned head of security had ripped him a new one, and if Alfred hadn't had the head of the secret service with him he was sure that man would have thrown him out of one of the windows. Not that he blamed him, he knew that planning these kinds of events was a pain in the ass, but it was a god damn party, not a military operation for god's sake. Oh, and the fucking caterers. Those little fucking bastards had doubled their costs just for just a few simple changes, and it had taken Alfred the better part of two hours to get them to lower it to just a 50% extra charge. Thieves, the lot of them. Absolutely done with everything, Alfred finally dragged himself over to his door and unlocking it he grumply walked into the apartment.
To his surprise, as soon as he stepped into the room, he smelled something absolutely divine from the kitchen. Perking up slightly, he kicked the door closed behind him and poking his head into the kitchen, he saw, to his delight, Ivan sitting by the stove, watching a pot with a surprisingly fierce glare.
"That smells fucking amazing." Alfred said, announcing his presence as he bounced over to Ivan and basically draped himself over the older Nations shoulders. "What ya making?"
Ivan's expression softened slightly as he glanced over at Alfred. "Ah, there you are. I see you have survived the demon meeting." Ivan said, gesturing towards Alfred's note on the fridge.
Alfred made a face. "It was hell. Absolute hell man. I swear, we need to make that head of security the head of interrogation for the C.I.A. Just talking to him is torture."
Ivan chuckled slightly, waving Alfred off his shoulders. "Go sit down, the stew is done. I was just keeping it warm.
Alfred gave the pot a curious look as he sat down. "What's in the pot?"
Ivan smiled as he lifted the lid of the pot. "Clam chowder. I thought I would try out one of your recipes. I must admit, I did not expect to like it but I found it to be very good."
"No fucking way!" Alfred said, his face absolutely shining with joy. "You pulled out one of my favorites?"
"Mhmm." Ivan hummed, and grabbing a nearby bowl he poured it out, placing it in front of Alfred. Ivan suddenly reached down and opened up the oven and pulled out a warm loaf of bread. As he placed it on the table, Alfred all but stared at him with stars in his eyes.
"Bruh, you are like, the best fucking person ever! How did you even find time to do all this?" Alfred asked.
"I had some time after I got back. I thought you might like it. Also," Ivan said with a suddenly sheepish expression, "I suppose I owe you after I carried you at the theater."
"Ivan," Alfred said with a soft, but exasperated expression, "you don't need to apologize for that. If I had actually been bothered by it I would have told you. If anything, it was…nice?" Alfred said, an unsure smile on his face. "I mean, definitely don't do it again without warning me first, but it's fine. You know?"
Ivan just smiled at Alfred, then with a shake of his head he turned around and started to pour out his own bowl.
Alfred felt his heart do something weird as Ivan turned, which made him frown slightly. The hell had that been? When Ivan turned back around, Alfred forced the frown off his face.
"So, what did you get up to this afternoon? You said you had to buy something?" Alfred asked curiously as Ivan sat down.
"Ah, I only had to go out to buy some of the ingredients for the chowder." Ivan said with a shrug. "However, I did run into France on my way home, so I stopped to say hello, so to speak."
"Wait, really?" Alfred asked in surprise. "You just ran into him?"
"I was surprised as well." Ivan admitted. "However, I think our talk went rather well." Alfred frowned as he saw Ivan's face darken slightly.
"You didn't beat him up too badly, did you?" Alfred asked, but Ivan simply shook his head,
"Quite the opposite. I simply made a point to tell him not to do it again, broke a wall, and he was on his way."
"Oh!" Alfred said, pleasantly surprised. "But, I mean, you at least scared the shit out of him, right?"
"Of course I did." Ivan said with a gleam of amusement in his eyes. "I would never let him leave otherwise."
Alfred nodded with a look of satisfaction. "Well, I'm sure whatever you did was punishment enough. Unless he's not sorry next time I see him, I guess I'll let him go."
Ivan couldn't help but chuckle at Alfred's words. "You are much too forgiving to those who have wronged you."
"I wouldn't say that." Alfred said with a slightly embarrassed expression. "I've had my moments." He glanced up at Ivan with an awkward smile. "You should know that better than anyone."
"I admit, I've had quite a while to get to know most of the different sides of you." Ivan admitted. "Then again, you've seen most of my bad sides as well, and you still chose to forgive me."
"I mean, what's the point of holding grudges?" Alfred said with a shrug. "It's better to let your past enemies become your friends if you can. I mean, it's not always possible, but when it is it's better than being hated."
"I find that to be one of your best qualities. It is not easy to forgive." Ivan admitted, and Alfred felt his heart do that weird flop again. Desperately trying to ignore the weird feeling building up in his chest, Alfred just hummed in agreement.
"Well, people wouldn't like me as much if I didn't have the power and money to back up those apologies." Alfred joked. "It's a lot easier to like me when I can buy off people's forgiveness and affection."
"You did not have to buy me off when you apologized to me." Ivan pointed out with a small smile.
Alfred let out a light chuckle at that. "What are you talking about? You got to see me squirm in embarrassment the whole time I tried to say sorry. I think that counts."
"I will not lie, it was rather amusing to watch." Ivan admitted, smirking slightly. "Although, If i remember correctly, I was so taken aback by the fact that you even apologized at all I did not even get to enjoy the show."
"Oh, like I didn't hear you laughing afterwards," Alfred teased, playfully pointing his spoon at Ivan. "I'll have you know that hurt my poor little heart."
"You seem to have recovered quite well, so I think you will live." Ivan teased lightly, giving Alfred a quick smile.
For a moment, Alfred let himself admire that smile. Before Ivan had come to live with him, he hadn't known that it could be so warm. A part of him wanted to see Ivan wear it all the time. A small part of himself seemed to puff up in pride that it was him that made Ivan smile. As soon as he realized it, he felt a small frown pulling on the side of his mouth. Was that normal?
"Hmm, I guess." Alfred responded lightly. "So, getting back to France, tell me everything."
They spent the rest of the dinner catching up on the day's events. Ivan commented on how busy the store had been and how France had screamed his head off, and Alfred vented about how his meeting went. By the time they were done with dinner, both of them were in a good mood again.
Ivan couldn't help but admire the younger nation as he watched him stretch and yawn, clearly ready to relax after a hard day's work. Once again, Ivan had to stop himself from reaching out and holding his hand. Slightly saddened by his need to hold back, he couldn't help but remember what Japan had said earlier that day. While he truly detested Japan for saying it, he couldn't help but feel like he had made a unfortunately good point about him ruining relationships.
He was worried about screwing up. He knew, deep in his heart, that even if he wanted a relationship with Alfred , that it might not be able to last very long. Either from his own actions, or those of their respective governments. No matter what he wanted, no matter how desperately he wanted to preserve this short peace, he was worried that it would fall apart no matter what he did. He was scared.
Alfred, who had just stopped stretching, frowned as he noticed that Ivan had gotten quiet. Glancing over at the taller nation, he became slightly concerned when he saw Ivan looking slightly down and deep in thought.
"Hey, are you okay?" Alfred asked, and Ivan seemed to snap out of his thoughts, before giving Alfred a reassuring smile, which Alfred saw through immediately.
"'I am fine, da."
Alfred let out an unimpressed huff. "Sure you are. What's eating you? And be honest." He added when Ivan tried to protest. "You've been acting weird since yesterday."
Ivan felt his heart rate spike, but he made sure not to show it. There was no way he would ever tell Alfred the truth yet, but he also didn't want to lie either. So, he decided to tell a half truth.
"I am slightly worried about what will happen to our friendship after I leave." Ivan admitted reluctantly.
"What do you mean? What's going to happen to it?" Alfred asked in confusion.
Ivan frowned at Alfred. "I am worried that we might not be able to be friends for very long after I leave. After all, what if something happens and we are unable to act as ourselves? What if something happens, and… you do not see me as Ivan again?" Ivan asked, looking down at the table with a slightly upset expression. "It is not out of the realms of possibility."
Alfred's expression softened slightly as Ivan spoke. Ah, so that had been it then. He should have realized.
"Ivan, I'm going to be honest. Looking at our past, there might be a time where we might have trouble with each other's governments again. Unfortunately, there really isn't anything we can do to fix that." Ivan nodded in agreement, looking slightly disappointed.
"That being said, I honestly don't see how that affects us on a personal level." Alfred continued, causing Ivan to look up at Alfred in surprise. Alfred couldn't help but be slightly amused at his reaction. "What? Did you think it was impossible to separate our personal and work lives?"
"Yes?" Ivan admitted, looking slightly embarrassed.
"If that were true, we'd never get anywhere in life. Hell, if my boss locked me up in D.C all the time I'd lose my damn mind. Trust me, been there, done that. Not fun. Think of our relationship like England and France. When we're being nations we can argue and bicker and be scary with each other all we want, but as soon as we leave the meeting rooms, we can just be Ivan and Alfred again." With a huff, Alfred reached over and strongly pinching Ivans cheek he added, "Have you ever tried having a good work life balance? How many times do I have to remind you that you're your own person? Do I need to beat it into you?"
Even though his cheek sort of hurt, Ivan couldn't help but let a huge smile grow on his face as Alfred continued to berate him. As a crash of relief swept over Ivan, he found himself having to blink the mist out of his eyes. If it weren't for Alfred being there, he might have collapsed from the relief. Instead, he found himself laughing as Alfred continued to nag him.
Alfred, rolling his eyes slightly, finally let go of Ivan's cheek. As Ivan happily rubbed his cheek, Alfred pointed at Ivan with a surprisingly firm look. "Look, why don't we make a deal? Whenever we don't have to act as nations, let's just leave all the politics and shit in the meeting rooms. That way it won't have to affect us when we're just Alfred and Ivan. Sound good?"
It was more than Ivan had ever hoped for. Smiling so hard that his face hurt, (although that might have been from Alfred's pinch), he quickly nodded. "I would love that." He said. Realizing what he had just said, Ivan froze, but Alfred didn't notice as he leaned back into his chair, giving Ivan a slightly bitter sweet smile.
"Good, then that's settled. Now, as for not seeing you as Ivan, do you really think I've agreed with everything my government has done?" Alfred asked, his gaze dropping slightly as he spoke. Ivan saw, not for the first time, Alfred's years in his eyes. "Of course not. I've had plenty of times where I saw myself as the worst of my people and government. Sometimes, that's affected my life and behavior, so I can't throw stones. I know that sometimes your government is going to force you to do things you don't want to do. Just promise me that when that happens, you'll remember that Ivan isn't Russia, okay? I'll make sure to be waiting for you when it's over."
Ivan couldn't help it. His heart, which had been trying so hard to stomp out the small flame of hope that he had been harboring, was all but consumed by it; he finally allowed himself to embrace his feelings for Alfred. Unable to stop himself, Ivan reached over and gently embraced Alfred, trying, and failing to blink the tears out of his eyes. "Do you promise?" Ivan asked, not caring that his question sounded childish.
Alfred smiled brightly up at Ivan, happily snuggling into Ivan's arms. "Always."
Looking up at Ivan, who was looking at him like he had hung the stars and moon, Alfred's heart seemed to stop. The person looking back at him wasn't Russia, the enemy he had been fighting for so long. No, the only thing he saw was Ivan, holding onto him like his world would fall apart if he let go. Ivan, who had decided to accept Alfred for all his flaws and odd quirks. Who had complimented his smiles and laughter. Who made bad puns, and ate his steak well done to tease him. Who had picked him up when he had been at his lowest. Who didn't want to use him, or demand anything from him. Who just liked him for being himself. Who trusted him enough to give his most treasured possession. His Ivan.
As Ivan held him, Alfred's heart, which had seemed to have finally realized what was going on, finally dropped its defenses. For just a second, Alfred looked up at Ivan and felt like the weight of the world had fallen off his shoulders. Just one second, because in that one second, Alfred's heart seemed to skip a beat. And for a moment Alfred didn't see Ivan as anything less than perfect.
For the first time in his life, Alfred felt something more than friendship. For the first time in his life, he wanted to keep holding the person in front of him and never let him go. He wanted to give Ivan everything, and at the same time he just wanted him. And it broke him. As suddenly as his heart had allowed its defenses to drop, it just as quickly slammed them back up. As Alfred realized what was going on, he felt something like fire pour into his stomach, and he felt a fear so terrible that he felt his breath hitch slightly, before he felt his lungs almost stop working.
Ivan realized something was wrong as soon as he saw Alfred's face go pale. "Alfred, are you okay?" Ivan asked, slowly letting Alfred go with a concerned expression, but Alfred just shook his head frantically.
"No. No, I don't feel-" Alfred's face suddenly went green, and he quickly pushed Ivan off of him. He shot out of his chair, and before Ivan could even move, Alfred had already run to the bathroom where he promptly emptied his stomach's contents into the toilet. Ivan sat there at the table in shock for a moment, gawking like an as he heard Alfred retching again, he snapped out of it and ran after Alfred.
"Alfred, are you…" Ivan started to ask as he hovered in the doorway of the bathroom, before he stopped himself as he saw that, no, Alfred was not okay. No one who looked that miserable could be okay.
Ivan hovered awkwardly for a few moments, watching Alfred be sick, not sure what to do in a moment of panic. "Alfred, do you need help?" Ivan asked, feeling every bit as stupid as the question he just asked.
Gasping for breath, Alfred shook his head yes.
Ivan quickly left the room, and a moment later he entered the bathroom again with a cup and grabbing a towel off a nearby shelf, he threw it in the sink and ran some cold water over it. "Are you done?" Ivan asked Alfred, who just let out a pathetic groan and shook his head no.
It took another solid minute before Alfred stopped gagging, with Ivan offering comforting words the whole time. As soon as Alfred seemed to be done, he offered Alfred the cup of water.
"Rinse." Ivan basically commanded, and Alfred took the cup without much fight. As soon as he was finished, Alfred allowed himself to lean against the bathtub, allowing himself to catch his breath. Concerned, Ivan put his hand up to Alfred's forehead, and he was slightly concerned to feel that Alfred was warm.
"I think you might have eaten some bad seafood." He muttered worriedly, and Alfred couldn't help but let out a weak laugh.
"Yeah, you could say that." Alfred said, beyond thankful that Ivan was being so, so dumb right now. He gently pushed Ivan towards the door. "Get out for a few minutes. I need to get a shower. Do me a favor and get me a change of clothes?"
Ivan hesitated again, and only reluctantly left when Alfred pushed him towards the door again after he got him a change of clothes. It was only after Ivan left that Alfred let himself lean against the bathtub again. Oh god, he felt like shit. While the fire in his stomach had settled down a bit, the fear running up and down his veins had not. Of course this just had to happen when he had seafood. Because it was sooo much better when it came back up. Fucking god damn feelings could be so inconsiderate.
Ignoring his brain's want to break down, Alfred was finally able to at least get himself cleaned up, and by the time he opened the door in his clean pajamas, he was exhausted. Not that that mattered, because Ivan was waiting outside the door with a worried expression. Alfred, ignoring every part of his body demanding he flee from the other nation, simply reached out to Ivan. "I don't think I'm going to make it to the couch at this rate." Alfred admitted. And he wasn't lying. His legs really weren't feeling very stable right then. For some reason they kept shaking.
Ivan, taking the hint, picked up Alfred and carried him over to the couch. As soon as he was on the couch, Ivan basically wrapped him up in layers of blankets and pillows until he was sure he'd never escape his fluffy prison. Alfred, too exhausted to even complain, just tried to stay comfy.
"Hey Ivan." Alfred said, pointing to his phone that was still in the kitchen. "Do me a favor and hand me my phone. I need to text Arthur and tell him to get his ass over here as soon as possible."
"Why do you need England to come over?" Ivan asked, looking even more concerned than before.
"I made him a promise that if something like this ever happened he'd be the first to know." Alfred said miserably. "It is a promise, and something I really want right now."
"Do it in the morning. I am sure it can wait." Ivan said firmly. "Rest."
Alfred was tempted to reach over and strangle Ivan. If he wasn't so determined to not tell Ivan the real reason why he threw up, he would have. Instead, he let out a long sigh and flopped back onto the cushions. "Fine."
Ivan threw him a sympathetic look. "You'll feel better tomorrow." Ivan said, trying to cheer him up.
But Alfred knew better. He knew, deep in his heart, that it was just the beginning of something that wasn't going to get better anytime soon. He was, and totally, screwed.
A/N: I was the student, learning about romance. I think, without too much exaggeration, that I have become the master. Oh yeah, that's right, I just fucking did that. You thought they would just fall in love like that?! YOU FOOLS! Of course not! We still need that sweet, sweet angst. My god, I haven't been this pleased with one of my chapters in awhile. And it's just going to get better because THIS! THIS IS THE PART OF THE STORY I'VE BEEN WANTING TO WRITE! FOR 4 YEARS, I HAVE BUILT THIS STORY UP, SOLELY FOR THESE UPCOMING CHAPTERS! I AM SO FUCKING EXCITED, YOU GUYS HAVE NO FUCKING IDEA. I AM SO PUMPED! I CAN ALMOST TASTE THE CHRISTMAS PARTY. No! Must. Not. Spoil. Story. ARRRGHHH!
Also, Jesus fucking christ, I think that's the meanest, nastest, and cruelest thing I've ever written in my whole writing carrier. It was like all of Japan's resentment of being second fiddle came out and tried to get revenge. Damn,these characters really do get minds of their own after a while, don't they?! But…I guess a win for Japan? Damn, even I'm shook. Poor France. I was actually going to let Ivan get in a punch, but I think his punishment was good enough for now. We'll see what Alfred has in store for him.
Oh yes…I'll see you next time. *Evil laughter*