Ex's to Lovers

Chapter 18

In Which Ivan Is Just So Very Sad (But He Doesn't Know That)

It started with Michelle, a friend of Alfred's who he regarded kind of as a "sister he never had", who had caught up to him to talk with him on the way to school. Then, it happened. At first Alfred didn't think much of it, just a slip of the tongue. 

"I hope Ivan's okay, he looks really upset."

Then quickly Michelle's hands flew to her mouth like she said something she shouldn't have, and then she hurriedly apologized ran off to join another friend before Alfred could even fully register her words.

Even after he did, Alfred still wasn't concerned, since Ivan was usually upset when Alfred saw him, which was due a great deal to Alfred's presence being the cause of the upset. Except he kept hearing that same statement whispered and let slip by almost everyone around him as he entered the school and made a beeline for his locker. If Alfred didn't know that all his friends were desperately trying not to mention Ivan in front of him so they wouldn't risk upsetting him, Alfred would almost have thought they were doing it on purpose. 

But that would have been ridiculous, it's not like he'd care if Ivan was upset, especially since it was actually one of Alfred's hobbies to upset him. It wasn't until he ran into a couple of Ivan's friends conspicuously gossiping near his locker that Alfred actually began to worry.

Eduard, Ivan's "friend" as Ivan called him, or "Lackey" as Alfred called him, started when he saw Alfred, then mechanically turned to his friend and spoke almost robotically, like Alfred was his cue to speak. 

"I. Feel. So. Bad. For. Ivan. Because -" 

Tino, Eduard's close friend, butted in with an urgent look, almost as though he didn't want Eduard to talk anymore. 

"Oh, of course! Because Ivan just looks so sad today, right? I also feel bad for him. If only someone close to him would talk to him." 

Alfred would have ben more concerned by Eduard's bad acting and the sharp glances Tino kept throwing his way if he wasn't so shocked to hear the words they said. Ivan was sad?  That Ivan?  Alfred had almost been under the impression that Ivan had ice in his veins instead of blood, since he'd never even seen Ivan show so much as any remorse. The concept of Ivan being sad, or moping about sniffling, was disturbing to Alfred, in the way that knowledge that teletubbies are actually six feet tall is disturbing. 

Part of Alfred wanted to avoid Ivan, because he wasn't sure he could handle a sad, sniffly version of his rival, and he also was pretty sure he didn't want to see it, or be the one that Ivan took his feelings out on. On the other hand, part of Alfred was very curious about this new version of Ivan he'd never seen. Alfred was so busy debating whether or not to go see Ivan, that he entered his locker combination wrong three times. 

Tino nudged Eduard and pointed out Alfred's shaken expression quietly. If Alfred had known what was going on, or if Gilbert had warned him ahead of time, he might have been able to curb the rumours that would spread like wildfire before the end of the day. 

Ivan, currently also peacefully oblivious to the spreading rumours, grabbed his stuff from his own locker further down the hallway and beamed towards Alfred's direction as he waited for Alfred to find out about his prank.