Ex's to Lovers

Chapter 49

In Which We Reach The Climax Of The Story, Alfred is Found, and Its All Downhill from Here

While everyone else was panicking, Alfred was having a semi-conscious dream-memory. He wasn't sure exactly which parts were real, or which parts were dreams, but he was fairly certain that Ivan really had tripped him into the pool at that party, and he was also pretty certain that Mathew had helped him get back at Ivan by pouring collecting ants and dropping them into his soda can, the first of many, many, pranks.

He wasn't so sure that Ivan actually had drank the ant-filled drink, despite what his delirious dream was telling him, and had a sneaking suspicion that Arthur had caught him and made him dump it out - though, in a gracious act unlike his older brother, Arthur had taken mercy and not made Alfred apologize. He was also pretty sure the part of him and Ivan wrestling while he tried to forcibly dunk Ivan's head into the toilet was not a real memory, but a delirious fantasy.

He was less sure about the foggy memory when Alfred had pointed at Ivan and declared with  conviction;  "One day I'm going to frame you for a crime, just wait and see!"

Regardless of how sure he was about the verity of certain memories, the fact remained that they were definitely on his mind, which was definitely what contributed to his bad idea. On the best of days, Alfred was not the best at making good plans and thinking things through. On a day like this one, where he was fevered, sleep deprived, and had survived the past 24 hours soley on junk food and soda, his planning and thinking were completely non-existent.

So when Gilbert came spilling into the basement in a panic, babbling about Alfred needing to go right away (for reasons Alfred really hadn't listened to) Alfred did not mention that he had a fever, wasn't thinking coherently, or that the world spun if he moved too fast. He didn't pack his stuff up either, nor did he head straight home like Gilbert assumed he would.

Somewhere, in his foggy mind, Alfred was certain he'd heard Gilbert say something about being kidnapped, and Alfred was fairly certain that was a crime. And if there was a crime going on... Well, didn't he promise to pin it on Ivan? So Alfred headed somewhat jaggedly for Ivan's, stopping for multiple rests, before letting himself in with the key above the door and making his way to Ivan's room.

If Ivan had known what was going on, and had ignored all the multiple things wrong with that situation, and focused solely on how Alfred had let himself in, he might have been concerned at how Alfred knew where the spare key was, and why he seemed so casual while treating Ivan's home like his own. Of course, that's assuming Ivan had ignored the fact that the supposed missing, kidnapped, or dead Alfred was alive and in his house, suffering from a bad fever, and in Ivan's bed, which Ivan did not do when he stalked into his room that night in a furious mood, glowering at the world, only to stop short with the type of expression Alfred would have tried to take a picture of if he was conscious.

For a moment, Ivan just stared with that expression that he'd never shown to anyone, not even his sisters before. Then, he dropped his bag, and turned and yelled a single name down the stair, fear lacing his tone.

"Katyusha!"

Ivan's big sister responded with a speed that told of years of practice of sprinting when she heard that tone, eyes wide and face tense, then she too, stopped short and stared.

Ivan looked at her like a child looking for an adult for help, and the words slipped out before she thought it through.

"Oh no."