Ex's to Lovers

Chapter 38

In Which Revenge Is Sweet, And Misunderstandings Are Sweeter Still

Ivan's phone was ringing loudly. Again. For the 5th time.

"Um, Ivan, are you going to get that?"

Ivan's friend Eduard ventured finally. Ivan, after checking and confirming the caller ID once again, smiled happily and answered firmly.

"Nyet."

Eduard flinched, knowing Ivan's smile never meant anything good, and busied himself checking his own phone as a text came in. Ivan's phone continued to ring loudly. Ivan's other friend, Yao, threw a slipper at him.

"Ivan, if you don't pick up I'm going to throw my other slipper at you too!"

Ivan, who usually would have thrown the shoe back, twice as hard, only smiled pleasantly at Yao, which caused him to recoil with a disgusted face, but Ivan didn't say anything other than agreeable compromising. 

"I will mute it." 

Eduard, suddenly looking very awkward, put away his phone and hurriedly excused himself, saying he had to head home for a vague reason relating to his adopted brother Ravis, which would normally also have upset Ivan, since it was obvious that Eduard was making an excuse to leave, and not even a good one at that. Ivan smiled at him and waved goodbye cheerily, further freaking his friends out, and Eduard fled the scene as quickly as he could. The reason for Eduard's speedy departure became apparent only five minutes after Eduard's escape. 

The only warning was the slam of the door - something none of Yao's brother and sisters would dare to do- and then and angry voice shouted. 

"Ivan, you jerk!​​​​​" 

Alfred, who had not been invited in at all, but had become so comfortable with visiting Kiku at his home that he treated it like his own house, appeared around the doorway looking furious. Ivan's smile slipped from his face, and Yao didn't have the chance to react to either Alfred's sudden furious appearance(which was strange in the fact that it was rare to see Alfred angry, since he usually took everything in astride), or the unsettling disappearance of Ivan's smile (which was strange because Ivan tended to smile more ​​​​​​when he was upset, rather than less), when Alfred confronted Ivan loudly, uncaring about audience or eavesdroppers. 

"Why the hell did you tell your sisters that we were getting married!" 

Belatedly, Ivan realised an obvious flaw in his revenge plan against Alfred. Namely, that Alfred's mouth had no filter and Alfred's brain didn't work. Yao put one hand to his mouth in shock. Behind Yao, his siblings began to appear one by one, peeking around the doorway with large eyes. Ivan realized that if he didn't say something quickly, it would be impossible to stop the rumours. Unfortunately, Yao's brother and Alfred's friend Kiku was quicker than Ivan. 

Kiku, looking red and flustered, offered Alfred a sort of Half-bow, awkwardly, and blurted out his words. 

"Um, Alfred, congratulations!" 

Alfred faltered, finally realizing the serious mistake he had made, but it was too late. Soo Young, another of Yao's younger brothers, caught Alfred in a tight hug, shouting his own congratulations, and his other sisters and brothers followed suit. Yao looked like he was trying to decide whether to be proud or annoyed, and settled on a bizarre mixture of the two, turned to Alfred and declaring;

"I'm not lending you money for your wedding. You still haven't paid me back."

Before turning to Ivan, and Ivan felt something plummet to his stomach and stay there when Yao congratulated him too, sincerely. 

"Congratulations. I'm happy you're happy."