Hot and Cold

Désolé

        After the game of bobbies and robbers, Alfred had led Maddi downstairs to the kitchen, where England was making lunch. "Hurry up Iggy, I'm starving!" He whined, putting his hand on his stomach and giving a faux swoon. Arthur rolled his eyes.

        "I'm almost done, you impatient little git." No sooner than a few moments after he had spoken, Arthur set two plates of sandwiches in front of two chairs, then pulled one out for himself as he began to sip at a cup of warm, calming tea.

        Madeline ate in silence while Alfred chatted on, even with his mouth full, much to the Brit's irritants. When he had stopped to take another bite, the small girl spoke up.

        "U-um.. Mister Arthur.. ?" She mumbled quietly, looking down at her half-eaten sandwich.

        "Yes, Madeline?" He looked over to her, holding his teacup in one hand and the saucer in the other.

        "Could I visit my friend today.. ?" Arthur looked somewhat happy that this child wasn't completely antisocial and had a friend she was wanting to see.

        "Of course. What is this friend of yours's name?" He paused to take a small sip from the cup.

        "H-he's Ivan.. Ivan Braginski." Maddi replied, looking somewhat happier that she could go and visit him today. Arthur swallowed his hot tea wrong and began to cough into his elbow for a minute or so. Alfred just stared at her with a 'really?' expression. When the blonde man had recovered from his coughs, he looked at the Canadian with uneasiness in his eyes.

        "Russia.. ?" Maddi nodded eagerly. "Um.. maybe some other time, then." Arthur said, taking another sip of his tea and trying to ignore her shocked and saddened expression.

        "Yeah, we don't like that Braginski kid very much." Alfred rolled his eyes.

        "Alfred!" The Brit snapped, looking over with a slightly irritated expression that clearly told him to 'shut it'.

        "Hey, you said it too!" Alfred crossed his arms and chewed the last bit of his sandwich, starting to eye Maddi's now.

        "B-but.. he's my best friend.. and h-he doesn't have a lot of friends, and the other kids a-at school are just horrid to him.. !" Madeline said, her eyes burning with a little bit of tears.

        "I'm sorry Madeline, but we just don't associate with his kind." Arthur spoke with a rigid tone, setting his teacup and saucer down with an audible clink.

        Hours had passed - Maddi had continued to play with Alfred after lunch, but it was now bedtime. She did not mention Ivan again throughout the rest of the day, but was still very upset about what Alfred and Arthur had said. Madeline looked over to a snoring Alfred and decided that she would sneak out to see her best friend. She silently slid out of bed and tread lightly over to the window and was about to try and get it open without any noise when a pebble flew up from the ground and made a soft tink on the glass. Maddi squinted, but saw nothing, and was about to try and open the window again when another pebble tapped the glass from below. Curious, she quietly slid the window open and peered out into Arthur's dark yard. She finally then saw a silhouette as it stepped out of the shadows, revealing none other than Ivan himself. Blinking, the Canadian peeked her head more out of the second-story window. "I-Ivan?" She called quietly, not wanting to wake the sound asleep Alfred on the other side of the room.

        "Da, it is me." The Russian had walked over to the window and smiled up at her. "I wondered why you did not come over today after school, so I went to Francis's house. He said that Arthur took you away, so I waited until everyone was asleep and came to visit you.. are you okay, being separated from Francis and all.. ?" He said, tilting his head. Madeline shook her head and ignored the burning tears forming in her eyes at the thought of her papa again.

        "N-non.. but I wanted to come and see you earlier.. Arthur wouldn't let me, though.." She gave out a quiet, trembling sigh, making Ivan look concerned. He reached his hands up to her and gave a reassuring smile.

        "Here, climb down carefully. You can stay at my house for the night if you want." Madeline's face brightened a little. She carefully climbed out of the window, making sure that Alfred was still snoring. "Let go of the windowsill, I can catch you." Ivan said, holding his arms out again. She blinked, but squeezed her eyes shut and did as she was told. The sensation of suddenly falling made her stomach turn, but a pair of strong arms was there moments after to break her fall. Ivan smiled again as he hugged her. It seemed that he could never get enough of her hugs, they filled him with happiness and warmth. Maddi hugged him back with a smile as well, and let him hug her until he was satisfied. The Russian set her down gently, then took her hand and started running across the yard, down the street, and to his home. She stumbled a few times, as her legs weren't as long as his - but at least she had trousers and not a skirt or dress, as this would hinder her speed even more so - yet Ivan's steady hand corrected her stumbles every time.

        After ten or so minutes of running along the sidewalk, cloaked in shadows, the two came to a stop in front of a large, dark-colored house. It loomed before them like some haunted mansion, but Ivan paid this no mind and led Madeline to the side of the house where he had obviously climbed down from his room - not wanting to wake anyone else either, Madeline thought. He gestured for her to go first. "If you fall, I can catch you again, da?" Ivan added with a quiet laugh, but started climbing as well once Maddi had done so. She pulled herself in through the window that was still ajar and stumbled to her feet as Ivan slid in after her. "We can talk, but still have to be quiet.. Dmitri and Nikolai are asleep in their rooms." Maddi nodded, remembering his brothers, the representatives of Ukraine and Belarus. Ivan sat down on his bed and patted the space beside him for Madeline to sit beside him, and she did so. "I hope you will be alright, with the separation and all.. plus living with that loudmouth, Alfred." The silver-haired Russian spoke with a shake of his head, remembering the American's constant torments towards him.

        "I-I will.. eventually.." Maddi said with a slight shake of her head, smiling faintly at the comforting sound of his laugh.

        When the two had talked more, Maddi felt much better about getting all of this off her chest, and was curled up in Ivan's bed, fast asleep. However, Ivan woke up almost in tears from a garish nightmare. He sat up from the floor, rubbing the sleep from his eyes, then stood up. His tired violet gaze traveled over to the sleeping Madeline and his look of terror turned into a smile. He walked over to his bed and sat on the edge, watching the Canadian doze. Ivan then yawned and after a moment laid beside Maddi and pulled her into a hug, quickly falling into the clutches of sleep again - but this time, he had no nightmares. Maddi smiled a little in her sleep when she faintly felt someone wrap their arms around her, and mumbled, "Désolé papa.. désolé, monsieur Arthur.." while still sleeping, as her thoughts had drifted to her father and  the Brit, and how he didn't want her to associate with Ivan. The Russian held her a little bit tighter as he dreamt of warm sunflower fields, the first happy dream he'd had in quite a while.