Work Text:
Ivan is all nerves and tension as he sits at the table closest to the door, in a chair that is just a little too small for him, sipping at a styrofoam cup of coffee that was very overpriced. Maybe choosing this cafe as their meeting place was a bad idea, thinking about it now, but at the time when the arrangements were made it seemed perfect. Not too close to the conference that anyone they knew would be likely to interrupt them, but not too far away to make it a hassle to get to. Because if it was too much of a hassle, maybe Cody wouldn’t come, and-
The black plastic top pops off of his cup and Ivan fumbles for a moment to try to avoid making a mess.
Once his coffee is properly secured once more, he checks his phone. 11:26. Normally he wasn’t this early, but Ivan had gotten too restless waiting in his hotel room. He could only check his appearance in the mirror so many times before there was nothing left to fuss over. He worries that, maybe, this is a bad time, and they should have scheduled for later. What time is it in Canberra right now? He can’t do the math right now, too much going on in his head. Cody might still be jet-lagged. He should have made sure it was really okay, or let Cody decide on the time since he decided on the place, why was he only thinking of this now?
He jumps when the bell above the door chimes. It’s just a pair of teen girls, though, chattering excitedly and huddled up against the cold, and Ivan deflates back against his too-small chair and checks his phone again.
11:32. He’s not coming. He’s changed his mind, decided he’d rather not be seen with him, with Russia. Ivan can’t say he really blames him. Maybe he came on too strong. Maybe he should have given Cody more time to think about it instead of just springing the question on him after the meeting. Maybe he shouldn’t have asked at all, he thinks miserably, because of course this wouldn’t work out, and of course he wouldn’t show, and of course he wouldn’t like Ivan the way Ivan likes him-
“Hey! Sorry if I’m late, my alarm clock is shit.”
Ivan jumps again, and blinks, and stares at Cody as he shrugs his coat off to drape over the back of his chair. Once he’s down he shoots him a grin, that wide, slightly lopsided kind that makes those green eyes positively light up, and all the nerves and tension and doubt melt away, just like that, and Ivan finds himself smiling, too.