Hot and Cold

A Faded Memory

        Madeline smiled as she gave Francis another hug. "I-I'll be fine, papa.. you shouldn't worry about me so much.." The Canadian said in her quiet, whisper of a voice. The tall man in question that was embracing the small girl chuckled a little bit.

        "I can't help but worry about you, you are such a small thing, mon cheri.~" He finally set the little girl down and gazed upon her once again. Maddi really was very cute, with her soft, pale brown hair set into two braids with red ribbons, and her little dress that Francis himself had picked out this morning. Maybe she was right and he shouldn't be too worried - but it was her first day of first grade, and the very thought to send his little ray of sunshine to school just seemed to make him anxious. Madeline reached her small hand up to give Francis' a reassuring squeeze, then skipped off towards the bus that had arrived moments ago. "Au reviour, have a good day, Maddi~!" The Frenchman called after her, watching the bus drive off a few seconds after she had gotten on. He then went inside his house to clean up, and wait for her to arrive back home with a sad sigh.

        The small Canadian walked cautiously down the narrow isle of the school bus, looking to her left and right unsuccessfully for an empty seat. She reached the back of the bus and was about to turn around to just go and squeeze in with someone before a hand gently rested on her shoulder. "You can sit with me if you would like, da?" Madeline turned around to face a smiling Russian boy, and after returning his smile, slid into the spot next to him.

         "M-merci.." She said quietly, setting her small book bag in her lap.

        "It is no problem.. nobody ever seems to want to sit with me anyways. I'm glad that you did, though," The silver-haired boy looked a little bit sad at the mentioning of everyone on the bus avoiding him, but turned back to her with another smile and offered her his gloved hand. It was still small, but considerably larger than hers, and she stared at it for a few moments with big, indigo eyes before slipping her own petite hand into his. "I am Ivan Braginski and I represent the country of Russia! Who are you?" Ivan asked cheerfully, giving her hand a little shake before releasing it. She returned the hand to clasp the other in her lap before answering in a shy and hushed voice.

        "I-I'm.. Madeline Williams.. I represent the country o-of Canada," She said before adding, "You can call me Maddi i-if you would like to.." Ivan's smile grew a little bit bigger.

        "Great! It is nice to meet you, Maddi. Would you like to be friends with me? I understand if not, since I have no friends, but it would be nice to have at least one.." He trailed off, the saddened look coming back. He wasn't doing it intentionally, as she later learned, but was actually genuinely depressed by this. Maddi smiled and wrapped her little arms around him in a gentle hug, his sadness causing her to feel it as well for some reason. She didn't have any friends either, on account of everyone ignoring her. Ivan, however, had rarely been hugged and didn't know what to do for a few seconds. He then wrapped his arms around her as she did him and squeezed tight, smiling brightly. "Th-thank you, Maddi.." It was Ivan's turn to stutter, but she released him all too soon for his liking. He had liked the warm feel of the embrace, and longed for it again. Madeline nodded, returning her doe-eyed gaze to her once again clasped hands as she thought about at last having a friend until the school bus had stopped at the school.

        Madeline slid out of her seat after all of the other small countries had filed out, since she was in the very back. Ivan followed close behind, humming what sounded like a lullaby from his homeland. When the two had entered the school however, Maddi noticed that all of the other children looked frightened and wondered why. She turned back to Ivan, a curious look on her face. "Why are all of the others scared, Ivan.. ?" The silver-haired boy looked at a few of the other countries, causing them to shrink a bit.

        "I guess it is because I'm so scary. That is probably why I don't make friends, too.. " He shrugged indifferently and continued his way to the classroom. Maddi blinked and hurried to catch up with his longer strides.

        "I-I don't think you are scary, you're really very kind.." She mumbled as they turned into the room where a teacher was sitting at his desk, as were a few other children. Ivan turned to smile again at her, giving the Canadian's head a few pats.

        "Thank you again, Maddi.. I have a feeling we are going to be best friends!" He said with a warm, happy tone as he reached out for another hug. Madeline obliged, but once again pulled away too quickly for his enjoyment and skipped to the desk that had her name tag upon it. Ivan stared after her for a few more moments, but then walked over to his own desk and took out his notebook, ignoring the looks and things that the other countries were whispering about him. The Russian kept in mind that he had finally made a very nice friend today, and that kept him cheerfully going throughout the whole day.

        When lunchtime came around, Maddi was sitting by herself in the grass while the other children had formed several different groups and were chatting away, waiting for their guardians to pick them up. Ivan made his way over to the Canadian with his own lunch box in hand, and took a seat in front of her, causing the little girl to jump a bit. She was lost in her own world again, and didn't seem to have heard the Russian approaching. "O-oh, hello Ivan. How was your day?" Madeline placed the sandwich that Francis had packed back down into her little red and white checkered lunch box. Ivan smiled.

        "Privet again, Maddi. It went pretty well, how about yours?" He crossed his legs and waited for her reply. She nodded.

        "Mine, too.. although Alfred and Gilbert kept playing with my braids while I was writing." The Canadian said with a small laugh. Ivan laughed a little as well, as he had noticed the two doing so earlier.

        When the two were finished eating their lunches, Francis was walking across the small field along with a few other guardians where the children had their lunch and played until they had some to take them home. His face lit up when he saw her sitting with another child her own age, but then looked a bit startled. Russia, the Braginski child? Oh well.. he supposed that if he wasn't scaring his little sunshine to bits and pieces and she, in return, enjoyed his company, then it wasn't really his place to complain. Ivan looked crestfallen when Francis came to take his new best friend home, but was reassured by her hug once more. "S-see you tomorrow, Ivan.. !" Maddi called as Francis took her hand and led her away.

        "Da, see you tomorrow, Maddi!" The silver-haired Russian called back, his violet eyes alight with happiness.