Sorry the chapter is a day late, I have been away from home. Please enjoy this next one. ^.^

I don't think there is any T/Ws for this chapter

Chapter 4: Chocolate

1st December 1942

Ivan came back to his hideout after a day of fighting, this was dragging on and he missed home but at least he wasn't alone anymore. Even if his company insisted on insulting him every few minutes. Ivan pulled out a battered old pot and set it on the wood burning stove before grabbing his water jug to pour some water in it and getting to work lighting the fire.

It had been a week since he began inviting Gilbert to eat dinner with him and he was enjoying it. Even though he knew just how much trouble he would be in if he got caught. He enjoyed having company that wasn't scared of him, or at least didn't visibly show it.

The down side was Ivan often found himself being more hungry in the morning, likely from the fact he wasn't eating as much in the evenings so he could also meet Gilbert but that was fine. He was happy for a few hours a night.

Ivan threw some animal bones he had found in the pot to make a stock as he got to work on preparing the rest. He was gonna make soup. After cutting up the potatoes, meat and what vegetables he had, he added that and some buckwheat he had left from breakfast to the pot letting it boil.

As he sat watching the pot and making sure the fire was staying strong he buried his face in his scarf as he thought of his sisters. He missed them so much. Even Natalia's clinginess that scared him.

Ivan then heard the secret knock on the door before it opened revealing Gilbert, snow dusted over his clothes.

'Mein gott! Its so fucking cold. How do you deal with it!' Gilbert immediately complained as he got in.

'Do you ever say nice things?' Ivan smiled darkly.

'The awesome me is too good for such shitty weather. Like my place gets cold but this takes the piss.' Gilbert sighed, flopping on the bed.

'You need chairs.' Gilbert scowled.

'I burned them for heat a long time ago. This is how I survive the cold, da.' Ivan smiled.

'Anyway I found a chocolate bar today. Do you want some?' Gilbert smiled, pulling a bar out his pocket.

'You are sharing it with me?' Ivan said in awe.

'I mean you are sharing food with me. I am awesome after all so I should share my awesome finds. You can thank me now.' Gilbert said cockily, he hated to admit it but he was starting to become fond of the Russian.

'You are only sharing it to get my praise. That's not why we share.' Ivan said darkly.

It was strange to say but Gilbert had kind of gotten used to Ivan's intimidation. He knew how to avoid Ivan getting angry and knew when he was just being the creep he was. Hell he always enjoyed getting a rise out of him anyway. So doing it in a way that still got him the food was a bonus.

'Fine be that way, you can have some anyway without thanks because I am that awesome.' Gilbert laughed, snapping it in two and handing Ivan half.

Ivan took it and began eating it. He hadn't had chocolate in a while and it was nice. He liked how sweet it was.

'Where did you get this?' Ivan asked.

'On a dead guy but he hadn't rotted yet so I figured it should be fine.' Gilbert shrugged.

'I want to be grossed out but I miss chocolate so much. Maybe I need to start searching the body's I kill too.' Ivan said nonchalantly.

'I hate to break the news but I don't think we have any chocolate left, this could be the last bar.' Gilbert sighed.

'My rations are getting smaller. No intimidating the cook would get me more. I think food in general is becoming scarce.' Ivan admitted, even though he probably shouldn't have as Gilbert was technically the enemy.

'We are eating whatever we find.' Gilbert said sadly.

Ivan still had a quarter of what he had been given in chocolate left. He wasn't sure why he cared but he felt really bad hearing Gilbert was that hungry and placed the leftover chocolate on the empty wrapper on Gilbert's lap.

'That's enough chocolate for me. You have the rest.' Ivan said getting up to check on the soup before grabbing some bread and buttering it.

Gilbert happily ate the last of the chocolate, not even minding the fact that Ivan had bitten into it and it had his gross germs on it. It was nice to have chocolate, he and his brother would share chocolate all the time. It felt nice to share it, even if it wasn't with the person he wanted to.

'Yay! The soup is done! I am so hungry!' Ivan smiled as he grabbed two metal bowls he had and poured it in.

Ivan handed Gilbert his soup and bread before grabbing his own and sitting down. It wasn't much but it was something.

Gilbert tried his best to slowly savour it but couldn't help himself and ended up eating it quickly anyway. He hated that he was this hungry but he was on his feet all day, fighting and scavenging for food.

Still even with how hungry he was he always managed to save some for Gilbird. Happily watching as the little yellow bird ate away at the food.

'I never get it. If you are so hungry why are you feeding the bird? Why not eat it?' Ivan asked confused.

'I could never eat my Gilbird! How dare you even suggest it!' Prussia said defensively, grabbing his bird tightly in his hands.

'You are very fond of it I see. That is funny. Alright then, we will never eat the bird.' Ivan smiled genuinely, it was always cute how much Prussia loved his little birds.

'So you're not completely heartless I see.' Prussia smirked, placing his bird back down.

'Me feeding you was not proof enough of that?' Ivan said trying to hide his hurt from that line.

'That's not what I meant. Forget it okay.' Gilbert sighed.

Ivan eventually finished his own food and took the dishes away, trying his best to use as little water as he could to wash them. Even though he was collecting the snow he had to preserve as much of it as possible.

After sitting and chatting a little it was time for Gilbert to leave, however when he went outside there was a massive blizzard.

'Oh shit.' Gilbert said as Ivan quickly shut the door to keep the heat in.

'It's too dangerous, we will wake up before sunrise and sneak you back.' Ivan explained.

'Seriously, what the fuck is this weather.' Gilbert grumbled as he sat back on the bed.

'Its okay. It will pass and it's nice and warm here.' Ivan assured sitting by him.

'Besides my bed is big enough for both of us so don't worry.' Ivan added.

'I am not sharing a bed with you.' Gilbert argued.

'It's practical reasoning. I only have one blanket, but fine, sleep on the floor and be cold then.' Ivan said hurt.

'If there is no other choice but not cuddling!' Gilbert warned.

'I don't want to cuddle you anyway.' Ivan pouted, Gilbert being so against it making him sad for some reason.

'Who doesn't want to cuddle the awesome me. Either way that works for me.' Gilbert said cockily.

'Your so arrogant.' Ivan said, taking his boots off before laying on the bed and sulking.

'And you act like a fucking child.' Gilbert sighed.

Gilbert rolled his eyes at how childish Ivan could be. At Times like this it was almost easy to forget how psycho this dude could get. However Gilbert still very distinctly remembered when Ivan had saved him from the ice when they were kids, only to strangle him after.

'Hey, you remember the battle on ice, when we were kids.' Gilbert smiled.

'What, when your stupid idiot head made you cause all the ice to crack and I had to drag your heavy ass out.' Ivan rolled over facing him.

'And you strangled me after, yeah. Young me would have flipped at the idea of sharing food with you.' Gilbert laughed.

'I always knew you would return one day as a friend.' Ivan smiled.

'We are at war, I hardly call this me returning as a friend.' Gilbert scoffed.

'We can have personal lives outside this shit, da. In that we are friends right?' Ivan said joyfully.

'I mean. I guess.' Gilbert sighed.

He didn't know about friends yet. Even though he resented it, he didn't completely hate the guy right now and he was helping him out after all.

'One day, everyone will come back to me as a friend. And then we can all live together in a big house and no one will ever be lonely or away from those they love. It will be warm and happy.' Ivan said lying on his back and reaching his hand out to the ceiling as if he was reaching for the sun.

'You don't honestly believe that?' Gilbert asked in disbelief.

'I do. I know it will happen. No one wants to be lonely right. So it must happen.' Ivan said honestly.

'Your naive. Not everyone can get along.' Gilbert sighed, taking his own boots off and lying down.

'They will. Because I will make it so, then we can be happy.' Ivan said darkly.

'And there's the creepiness, you were almost not scary for a moment there.' Gilbert laughed.

'Are you scared of me.' Ivan asked sadly.

'I mean I am trusting you not to poison me or shoot me in my sleep right now. Besides I am way too awesome to be scared of anyone, the great Prussia fears nothing.' Gilbert smirked.

'Yay! I am happy you are not scared of me!' Ivan said happily.