Ex's to Lovers

Chapter 41

In Which Ivan Gets A Lap Pillow

"It's your fault that I had that Wierd dream!"

Alfred refuted, unsympathetic to Ivan's frustration.

"Because you told your sisters that we were getting married, I got grilled by your family, my family, all my friends, and Francis! Do you know what it's like to get a relationship talk from Francis? Do you?"

Ivan, equally unsympathetic, responded bluntly.

"Da, I do. You think you're the only one who he talked to? This would not have happened if you didn't say that in front of Yao!"

Alfred frowned.

"How the hell is it my fault that Yao is a gossip who likes to spread rumours?"

Ivan beamed his best I-want-to-punch-you smile.

"Do not speak about my friend like that."

Alfred started to retort, then stopped with a sigh.

"Whatever, I'm to tired to fight."

He leaned back on the porch step. Ivan, surprisingly, seemed to agree, and dropped down next to Alfred with a heavy sigh of his own. 

"Da, me too." 

Alfred didn't have to ask why, having a pretty good idea of what Ivan had experienced, himself having spent the last night and most of the day trying to convince everyone he knew that they were not getting married, and if he were, Gilbert would be the first to know-after Mathew and Arthur. Gilbert had been especially hard to convince, seeing as Gilbert had been very intent on sulking  and not very interested in hearing any "excuses" Alfred tried to offer. Eventually, with Francis's help, he'd gotten Gilbert to listen and had made up, but the Alfred felt more exhausted than if he'd run a marathon. 

"Your porch is uncomfortable." 

Ivan complained, more because he felt he should than because he really cared. Normally Alfred would have retorted "Then go home! No one's making you stay here!" But Alfred didn't, because he knew what sort of situation Ivan was trying to avoid by visiting Alfred. Yes, Arthur and Mathew nagged a lot, but at least neither of them were phsycos with a brother-complex like Natalya. Alfred couldn't even offer that they talk in the nice coolness of his room, partially because it was a mess, but mostly because both of their family's had suddenly and inexplicably forbidden Alfred and Ivan from being alone together inside, for any reason, which Alfred just didn't understand, and thought was a little unfair.

Ivan, shifted, trying to get comfortable on the porch, and Alfred grew more and more frustrated as the tossing and turning continued. 

"Dude! Seriously, cut that out! Find a place and lie in it!" 

"It's uncomfortable." 

Ivan complained half-heartedly, sitting up wearily. Alfred made the offer casually, without thinking it through, like he usually did. 

"Then just put your head on my leg or something, geez." 

Ivan, usually the voice of reason between the two, Ave Alfred a look for a second, then quickly gave up, too tired to put the effort into reacting, and flopped down, taking Alfred up his offer silently. Alfred hadn't really thought about what would happen if Ivan did take him up, and suddenly found himself with the uncomfortable weight of Ivan's head on his thigh. But admitting that Ivan's head was uncomfortable and heavy was something Alfred would have counted as a loss against Ivan, and since he didn't want to seem weak, Alfred made an effort to not react. Instead he leaned back on the porch himself, basking in the heat, feeling almost too hot.

" 'S Hot. Hope Mattie gets back soon." 

With Matthew's return, the both of them would finally be allowed to enter the air conditioned house, since they wouldn't technically be alone. Ivan made a mumbled noise of agreement, and Alfred closed his eyes, slowly drifting off to sleep in the heat.