Ex's to Lovers

Chapter 13

In Which Natalya Makes Sure Her Brother Gets A Chance To Speak With His "Ex"

Natalya appeared in the doorway, squeezing under Ivan's arm, and Alfred flinched away despite himself. 

"Ah! Sorry, I actually... I have homework to do, just remembered!" He squeaked, turning to make a quick getaway, having learned from last time, but Natalya's silky voice stopped him, sending shivers down his spine. 

"Nyet. Don't mind me, I'm going out anyways... Take your time talking with my brother."

Natalya's words were not a suggestion or invitation, but a command, and Alfred shrunk, but didn't leave his escape route cut off. Once Natalya decided something, you did what she said- or else. Miserably, Alfred hung his head and pointedly studied his shoes and Natalya disappeared back inside and reappeared with her coat and quickly brushed past Ivan and Alfred and made her way to the end of the driveway. Alfred didn't want to risk a peek.

"Is she gone yet?" 

He muttered quietly to Ivan.

"Nyet. She's staring at you."

Alfred glanced at Ivan's face, and felt a small satisfaction in his own misery to see that Ivan also looked annoyed. Finally Ivan sighed and gestured into the house.

"Might as well come in now." He huffed, "she will not go away until you do."

Even though Alfred would have welcomed being invited in only moments ago, he was beginning to feel rather unpleasant towards to invitation now, but with Natalya's sharp gaze stinging his back, he finally relented and followed Ivan into his home. Ivan's house was neater than Alfred expected, less..he wasn't really sure what he'd been expecting, actually. Bloody baseball bats with nails in them or pictures of faces stuck to the wall with darts. Instead it looked rather like a normal clean house with the remains of dirty dishes left on the table.

"We just finished eating." 

Ivan explained shortly, gathering up dishes. If Alfred was Mathew, he might have tried to help clean up, like Arthur would have wanted him too, but Alfred wasn't Mathew and he quite honestly couldn't think of a good reason why he should help his rival/ex when personally, he was still blaming the whole situation on Ivan. So instead he dragged one of the chairs from the table out and draped himself backwards over the chair as he watched Ivan clean up.

"You didn't tell me your sister was here!"

Alfred complained, and Ivan turned to look at him with a raised eyebrow.

"This is our home. You did not tell me you were coming."

Ivan's infallible logic only irritated Alfred more, but seeing as he didn't have a good comeback, Alfred wisely chose to keep his mouth shut for once, and just silently sulked as he watched Ivan clean up. Finally, Ivan turned to Alfred tiredly.

"What do you want? You did not come here because you missed me, da?"

Alfred responded to the words a little spitefully, feeling bitter towards everyone at school and home, and mostly his traitorous best friend. 

"I did miss you, " Alfred grumbled, "You're the only somewhat sane person left in this world."

Ivan's expression shifted momentarily, but since Alfred was busy looking out the window to be sure Natalya really was gone, he didn't see the change.  Still, he did notice Ivan's voice sounded a bit less begrudging and more forgiving as he prompted Alfred.

"What happened?"

Alfred began to explain.