T/Ws: Violence, Abuse

Chapter 12: Misunderstanding

2nd September 1945

Gilbert had been living in the Soviet household for a month now and had spent as much time as possible avoiding Ivan. Ivan was trying to give him time to adjust and knew he would have no choice but to eventually stop trying to avoid him but he was starting to get impatient. Ivan wanted one big happy family and Gilbert was stopping that from happening.

Ivan tried to just focus on his work but his mind kept wandering back to the nights in Stalingrad and the image he had of Gilbert back then. How he had begged for Gilbert to find him when the war was over. How much he had missed him for those years before Berlin. How Ivan had trusted him enough to let him be his first.

'BLYAT!' Ivan snapped, throwing his typewriter off his desk in frustration.

'You hate him! You hate him! You hate him!' Ivan screamed as he threw his papers all over the room.

'I will break him!' Ivan said darkly, grabbing his pipe from under his desk and smiling ominously.

Meanwhile Lithuania was doing some paperwork in the shared office as Prussia sat at another desk, spinning around on the chair.

'Would you stop that already?' Lithuania sighed annoyed.

'Nah.' Gilbert smirked, spinning around again.

Lithuania was about to snap back when he froze up as a terrifying looking Ivan swung the door open.

'Hello Prussia.' Ivan said regaining his composure and going back to smiling.

'What do you want?' Prussia sighed.

'We are friends right?' Ivan asked, emulating how he did in Stalingrad.

'Fuck no.' Gilbert scoffed, much to Lithuania's horror.

'WRONG ANSWER!' Ivan said gleefully as he smashed his pipe into Prussia's face, causing Prussia to fall from his chair on the floor.

'From now on every morning I want you to say 'Russia and I are best friends and I don't need any other friends' Do you understand?' Ivan said, standing over Gilbert.

'Fuck you.' Gilbert spat back, only for Ivan to smash his pipe into him again.

'I will let you think about it but don't take too long.' Ivan said darkly before leaving the room.

Prussia pulled himself up after Ivan left and sat back on the chair sighing in pain.

'How do you live like this?' Gilbert laughed sadly.

'I hate your guts but since we are both stuck here let me give you some advice. Russia loves people who give him a reaction. His like a child, he latches on to the most interesting thing. Before you came along he used to follow Latvia around all day but now he follows you because you always fight him back. Take from that what you will and let me get on with my work.' Lithuania explained before getting back to his paperwork.

'I can't help that I am so awesome.' Gilbert laughed.

'Your arrogance will get you hurt here.' Lithuania scoffed.

Later that night Gilbert found it hard to sleep, having a hard time coming to terms with what his life was now. After hours of tossing and turning he finally gave up and headed down stairs to get a glass of water.

As he did he heard some chattering come from Ivan's office as the door sat open slightly. Even though he knew he really shouldn't as he could get hurt if found, Gilbert couldn't help but listen on in.

'I just don't get it sister. I am trying so hard.' Ivan said down the phone crying.

Gilbert couldn't hear the other side but kept listening anyway.

'It's not just that Irunya. It's not like I am making him like me for the first time. I haven't told anyone this so you must keep it secret.' Ivan sighed before a long pause.

'In Stalingrad, we made a deal, I gave him food in exchange for company, it was a win-win…' Ivan started.

'As time went on, I thought we were growing closer, we were friends. Then I threw him a little birthday party and that night… well… he… he kissed me and then we… did things… it was my first time and we kept doing but…' Ivan paused to wipe his face.

'A week later he found out that they were planning to surrender and he didn't want to so he could see his brother so I helped him escape… First time I saw him since then was when we stormed the Garrison and he has hated me ever since. Especially now and I don't know if I did something wrong or or he never liked me and was just using me. It hurts.' Ivan sobbed harder.

Gilbert knew there was no way this was staged, there was no way that Russia knew he was out here and Russia didn't know he spoke Russian either, since he had learned it after Stalingrad. So if what Russia felt was true, why did he treat him like shit then? Separate him from his brother? Beat the crap out of him earlier? None of this made any sense!

Gilbert just made his way back up to bed, not sure what he wanted to do with what he just heard. Laying in his bed he opened the drawer beside it, pulling out the music box and wooden bird. Gilbert wound it up and let it play.

He found his mind wandering back to his birthday on that night in Stalingrad. He felt so special that night, Ivan doing everything he could with his limited resources to make the day special. Looking back those few weeks seemed so much more simple between him and Ivan than now. Hell, he even had more hope back then of seeing his brother than he did now.

He knew he needed to figure this shit out sooner rather than later or his existence here was only going to get worse and worse. If him and his brother were ever to be reunited he would have to survive this house and to stand any chance of that he needed to figure out what the fuck was going on in that Russian's head.