Magnet (Hetalia x Reader)

Conflict 4: Past

There is an unspoken set of rules of what one must not do when one is a young woman who just moved to an unfamiliar city full of unfamiliar faces. Placed in the top five is "Never tell a complete and random stranger personal information" or "Enter a complete and random stranger's home". It's common sense. Name repeated that to herself all the time.

Yet here she was completely ignoring that mantra on the first day of moving.

She wasn't stupid, she's well aware of the situation she got herself into. However, she was the kind who likes to believe in people even when she knows she'll end up playing the fool. Maybe that is why she accepted Ivan's offer to give her a tour.

But how she accepted his offer to have lunch with him in the hotel he is staying in is a mystery to her. Perhaps it was how he seemed so happy to finally have someone talking to him without showing disgust or fear. Or perhaps because it was the fact that the coffee wasn't enough to satisfy her stomach and the hotel is an undeniably fancy-looking one.

Selfish and stupid as both possibilities are. They are the reasons why she accepted. Although she did protest a bit mainly because she didn't want to mislead him into thinking she was interested in a relationship and partly because she's heard of the hotel he is staying in and she knows that it is a ridiculously luxurious one.

He insisted anyway and claimed that he wants to 'make friends' with her. That was a red flag and quite suspicious but chances are if Ivan is some sort of serial killer or part of the Mafiya, Name really, really didn't want to piss him off.

Now she was standing inside the lobby of the five-star hotel, Rosewater Inn, feeling small compared to the fancily dressed individuals around her.

After Ivan finished talking with the manager, Name whispered to him, "Um, are you sure it's alright for me to be here?"

He smiled reassuringly, "Of course, it is" He then frowned, "Is something wrong?"

"Yes, I mean no, no it's just that..." She waved her hand at her dress and boots, "Aren't I a little too under-dressed? Well, compared to them?" She shifted her gaze at the men in pressed custom-made suits and women in designer clothes.

The Russian laughed, "You look pretty, like a little podsolnechnik"

"I'm sorry, I don't really understand Russian"

"Sunflower. Pretty like a little sunflower"

"Oh. Well, thank you"

"Shall we go now?" He gestured towards the way leading to the hotel restaurant.

"Yeah, okay"

She followed him to the restaurant and the two of them were seated near a window. The polished, clean-cut waiter offered them each a copy of the menu, and the hesitant girl had to keep herself from gasping at the prices.

'No way can I afford any of this! Gawd, what are these food made of, gold and diamonds?' The girl exclaimed inwardly.

"Feel free to order anything you want, sunflower" Ivan spoke up as though reading her mind, much to the girl's surprise. He gave her a tender smile, "Consider it as a thank you gift for being my friend"

The girl blinked and mirrored his smile, "Really?"

He nodded.

"That is so sweet, thank you but you don't need to do that with friends—although I'll take it"

They burst out laughing and told the waiter their orders. Being the somewhat conservative and polite person she is, Name only ordered water and the cheapest lunch dish on the menu. After a few minutes of quiet, comfortable chatting, their orders arrived.

"You told me that you're here for business, right?" Name asked Ivan.

"Da" He replied, "All the time when it isn't in Russia we have our meetings some other country in the world"

"Sounds tough"

"It is"

"But isn't it fun?"

"Hm?"

"I mean you get to travel around the world and it's a part of your job. You get to experience a different culture, eat exotic dishes..." Her eyes began to sparkle. Ivan chuckled inwardly at the dreamy look in her eyes.

"You know you could always travel the world if you wanted to" Ivan said, "It can be your job as well"

"I know, but... Ever since I was a little girl I always wanted to be a doctor. To be able to help people, to inspire them to keep on living, to change someone's life for the better"

The stars were replaced by a burning flame, "You'd think life is easy because everyone does it but... it's not" She shook her head and ran her tongue across her teeth, "But even if it is difficult, I want to let others know that... there is always something to look forward to and the world isn't as cruel as we see it"

Silence fell over them but for different reasons. With Name, she was still stuck in her own little world, with Ivan he was entranced by the sudden change of starry-eyed fantasizing into passionate determination in her eyes. It eventually broke when Name snapped out of her daze.

"Sorry, I was rambling again" She shrunk in her seat with a hanging head and flustered cheeks.

"...I think you'll be a great doctor, da?"

Name lifted her head up slightly and saw Ivan with a mysterious gleam in his purplish blue orbs. She smiled at him and nodded.

"Thank you for lunch, Ivan" Name says to the Russian as he escorted her outside the hotel.

"Goodbye" He replied, "Be careful, sunflower"

"I will"

"Are you sure you don't want me to walk you to your home?"

"Oh no, no, no" She shook her head. The man was without a doubt among the biggest sweethearts Name had ever met but she wasn't going to let him know where she lived. And there's also the fact that she didn't want to trouble him any further, "I appreciate it but... I have to go meet up with my professor's colleague, so uh... I'll see you around"

"All right then"

"Well... bye then" She flashed him one last smile before spinning around, not noticing the sadness that washed over her Russian friend.

***

"Thank you for shopping" The friendly old clerk handed over the brown paper bag containing Name's groceries. Mostly just some chocolate bars, and sanitary napkins.

"All right, thank you" She took it along with the receipt and walked out of the convenient store. She breathed in the frosty early fall breeze.

Name talked with her professor's colleague, Dr. Hoffman, just like she said she would. He was a kind, elderly man who speaks with a heavy Scottish accent. He told her that she will be starting school in three days, and since she asked to cut her school years from the usual twelve to eight, she'll be taking longer hours and her vacations will be shortened. Name didn't mind. Not like she had anything else to do with her life, right?

She let out a sigh before she started walking back to her complex however she ended up bumping onto someone causing her to drop her groceries. The contents fell out the paper bag and Name cursed under her breath as she and the stranger bent down at the same time to pick up the groceries.

"Oh, pardon me, mademoiselle" The stranger replied and Name's eyes enlarged at the sound of the familiar voice. Cautiously, she forced her head up and found herself staring into a pair of blue eyes that widened upon seeing hers as well.

"Francis?" She muttered his name breathlessly, like she just woke up from a dream and wasn't sure if she was actually awake. Or if it was a good or bad thing.