Always [Russia x Reader]

Your health was failing you. No matter how much you hated to admit it, your heart was starting to give in.

Only mere days before, you had been in the hospital after having a heart attack. After having been hospitalised for over two weeks you were finally discharged three days ago. The doctors had advised you not to do anything that may bring about another one. That meant no sports, travelling or anything similar to that for the time being.

None of your friends knew, you couldn't find the heart to tell them. You could already imagine how they would react, they'd be very melodramatic- as they always were-but you could imagine that there would also be a deep sorrow. A nation could not die, as they all knew, so to hear that your nation was starting to falter was devastating. If your nation fell, so would you.

Sitting in an arm chair within the confines of your living room, you take a casual sip of tea as you flip through your latest book. Outside, there is no sounds for it was the dead of the night. The only light in your entire house was that of a small table side lamp which you were using to read the ink scrawled upon the pages before you.

Turning the page, you try to concentrate on the story but find with great displeasure that you cannot. Promptly shutting the novel, you get up and shuffle over to your kitchen where you put your empty mug into the sink. A sigh escapes you as you look side long out the window.

Ever since you had been discharged from the hospital you had felt overwhelmingly guilty. You knew that you should tell your friends but how could you? How could you look them in the eyes and tell them that you were dying? Taking in a deep breath you look over at your oven's clock which tells you that it is well past midnight. Taking this as your cue to go to bed, you shut off the light in your kitchen and the lamp in your living room before going upstairs and into your bedroom.

After changing into your pyjamas you sit on the edge of the bed, grabbing a photo frame off of your dresser as you do.

In the picture is you and your best friend, Ivan Braginski, otherwise known as the nation of Russia. You smile lightly at the photo, in it the two of you are laughing. His arm is wrapped loosely around your waist while your arm is around his much broader shoulders. It was amusing to you how apparent the height difference between the two of you was and this photograph did nothing to lessen its appearance.

As you look at the photo your smile falters and then falls. How were you going to tell Ivan? He was such a lonely man, in fact you were his only friend- unless you counted the Baltic trio but even then it was more of a master/slave relationship than that of friendship. Ivan had gone through so many hardships in his life, on more than one occasion he had called you in the middle of the night out of distress and always you would do whatever it took to help. Even if that meant flying out all the way to his country just to give him a hug.

In your mind as long as you could help and be there for the people you cared about, your life was complete.

So it terrified you to think about what it would be like to tell him of your current health. He would be devastated. The thought of what it would be like to actually die and then leave him all alone was something that you didn't even want to consider.

You are snapped out of your reverie when, as if on cue, your phone rings. Picking it up your eyes go wide as you look at the number on your display.

Hurriedly picking it up, you press the mobile device close against the side of your face. "Hello? Ivan? What's the matter?" You ask, knowing instinctively that something was wrong.

The other end of the phone is quiet for a moment before you can hear the Russian man's voice on the other end. "[Na-name?]" he asks.

"Yes, it's me Ivan. What's wrong? Did something happen?" You ask, unable to hide the concern flooding your voice. On the other end you hear him sniff before his heavily accented voice flutters through the speaker once more. "[N-name], big- big sister.." He starts, voice trailing off before he can finish. "Ukraine? What about her?" You ask as you stand up and pace nervously around the room.