Chapter Text
BEEP….BEEEP…BEEP…BEEEP!…BEEEP!
“ALFRED COME ON… you know that we are going to be late if you don’t get up.”
BEEEP…BEEEP…BEEEP!
As Ivan started to shake Alfred violently and recklessly in a desperate attempt to awake a bed ridden Alfred from is deep sleep. “GET UP.” Ivan is still repeating getting more desperate and just plain annoyed as each wasting minute goes by. Still in the midst of Ivan’s continual shaking, a half asleep Alfred finally stopped his hog-like snoring and finally started to wake up.
“What’s up dude, what do you want? It’s so damn early.” Alfred said all of this not realizing he needed to be up a half hour ago.
“You need to get up! Do you even know what time it is?” Repeated Ivan with a tone of doubt fullness in his voice. Still looming over a shirtless Alfred still watching him still struggling to even move a finger to get out of bed.
Alfred sluggishly cranks his head to his left to his digital clock to read 8:23. With a sudden instant slam of Alfred’s palm of his hand down on to his annoying beeping digital clock. Pushing himself up now sitting up right in his messy bed. Now fully awake he turned to reach for his glasses that were placed careless next to that useless alarm clock he had on his nightstand. But not before yawning that turned into a stretch where both of his hands were stretched on top of the back of the wooden backboard of his bed. That slowly exposed his whole bare chest. Since Alfred could see fully and clearly he was now just staring at Ivan puzzled on why he was even in his room this early in the morning. Who was starting slowly starting to turn red in the face.
“Ummm… you know Alfred you… need to get a new alarm clock Alfred… or something.” Ivan looks side to side desperately trying not to look at the pigsty that Alfred so desperately calls his bedroom. Ivan comes back into thought, continuing “Or at least one that actually gets you up in the morning.”
Alfred, still confused, asked Ivan “What are you even doing in my room man? And how in the hell are you even wearing your coat and scarf, it’s like 80 something in here!”
“You were supposed to be up half an hour ago. You know that you and I were supposed to be on the road already to see your brother Matt and his boyfriend for the holidays.”
“Or did you already forget?” Ivan said abruptly to Alfred’s exhausted face, stunning Alfred. Ivan threw something at Alfred’s face. It was his winter jacket.
“Get dressed, your bags already in the car waiting, we can stop later to get food if we get hungry on the road.” Ivan started to walk away from Alfred heading to his door stomping with his thick wool lined winter boots down on the hard hot wooden floor of Alfred’s bedroom.
“Wait!” Alfred said, almost stuttering to spit out his words from embarrassment “Thanks man.., you know… for getting me up and all that stuff dude, I hope you know how much Christmas time means to me and my brother. And not being able to spend it together would devastate me. So thank you.”
Ivan now suddenly stopped with his head resting up against his hand peacefully resting on Alfred’s door standing there looking behind him so he could fully see Alfred sitting now quaint in his bed. Making sure Alfred could see him he started to adjust his thick white wool winter scarf he always wore even if it seemed to be the dead of winter when it was below 20. Or in the middle of August when it was 80 out and bright and sunny. Smiling with his head slightly adjourned, making sure Alfred would be able to see him smiling with his full face.
“I know Alfred. Again thank you.” Ivan now started to blush. “Thank you for inviting me to meet your brother and his boyfriend. It’s been hard for me to adjust to your weird American customs. But by the way you were not getting up I thought you had forgotten about your brother.” Ivan turned around having his back turned to Alfred walking away but not before slamming his door shut allowing Alfred to get changed and get ready for their long trip ahead of them. Ivan let out a loud and concerning sigh. Resting against the outside of Alfred’s door.
“God why did I have to say that to him. He probably thinks I hate him now. What was I thinking! What was I thinking when I said “Or did you forget about your brother.” (Mockingly repeating the words in his head) Hopefully this trip won’t end up being as awkward as I think it will be.” Ivan started to walk to the kitchen but not before letting out one last sigh and smacking himself on his forehead to signal what idiot he was being to himself and his friend Alfred.
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“I’m coming I’m coming dude no need to get upset with me. Can’t you see I’m dressed, see I didn’t take that long after all.”
Alfred was telling Ivan whilst running down the hallway of their shared house. His winter jacket still in hand, the one that Ivan had previously thrown in his face. Ivan is still impatiently waiting for Alfred but now in the kitchen still getting things ready for their trip to Canada. Ivan not noticing, being too fixated on packing food and other miscellaneous things for their trip.
“Hey where did you go?” Alfred looking all over not being able to find Ivan. He started to go near his room, slightly creaking open his door. But nothing, no Ivan. “Huh that’s odd where could he have gone?” Alfred thought to himself while shutting the door. Touching the cold, smooth, rounded brass doorknob that leads into Ivan’s frost bitten room. Alfred strayed near the kitchen practically gliding as if he was practicing his ice skating skills.
“Oh there you are Ivan, I couldn’t find you for a hot minute. I thought you had left without me.”
“Why would I do that, we’re seeing your brother Alfred.” Ivan said now having to stop his packing to give his full focus while talking to Alfred. Alfred smiling and scoffing at that ridiculous statement Ivan said. Now sitting on the kitchen counter stool to put on his winter boots. And his thick winter coat. Alfred grabbed the car keys from the kitchen counter in one gliding motion.
“Hey Ivan.” Said Alfred while throwing Ivan the old beaten up car keys that perfectly match the ridged, and rusted exterior of Alfred's beaten old truck.
“Why don’t you go to the car with the rest of the bags, I’ll come help you in a minute. I have to go run back to my room. I almost forgot the presents I’m going to give Matty and whatever that guy's name is, he seems to be dating now.”
Still looking at Alfred, Ivan breathlessly caught the keys with one hand while never taking his focus off Alfred, who still seemed to somehow still be putting on that thick winter coat of his.
“Ok sounds good. If you want to help you can, but I think I can get the rest of the bags myself. You know me… I’m used to the snow, this is nothing compared to what we have back home.”
“Cool dude.” Alfred said, now starting to run to his room.
Shaking his head Ivan now starting to pick up the rest of the bags bringing them to that damned old beaten up truck who seemed to be on its last life for the past 8 years. Ivan opened the bed of the truck carelessly throwing in Alfred’s bags next to the ones that seemed to be waiting for hours. And then carefully setting the food and other bags one by one next to the rest of everything making sure not to upset anything else. Hoping into the driver seat of the truck struggling to find the keyhole for the car key fob. Rustling around for a minute until he was able to find the key while igniting the truck engine somehow in the cold and miserable New York winters. “Finally.” Ivan thought to himself not noticing Alfred standing outside of the truck window staring at him. Startling Ivan Alfred finally spoke and said.
“I’m proud of you dude for starting my truck in this weather. Usually it's such a pain in the ass to deal with. But I’m sure like you said. You’re used to the cold, depressing weather back in Russia.”
“Yeah…” responded Ivan, just glaring at Alfred, confused as to how he didn’t hear him sneak up on him. Even with the crunchy days old snow.
“I didn’t see you coming Alfred. When did you get out here?”
“Oh you know man I just came out the back door. But I have Matt's presents now.” Alfred said to Ivan still looking at him through the now rolled down window. Causally waiting for Ivan to get the cue to move over to the passenger side of the truck. So Alfred could drive.
“Oh sorry.” Ivan started to move over to the passenger side. Now embarrassed to not have realized that Alfred wanted him to move over just awkwardly looking at him. Alfred's face now starting to turn a light pinkish color from standing in the below freezing weather.
Alfred opened the car door, pulling himself up off the hard frozen ground into the driver's seat of the truck. “It’s all good man. But we need to get going so we don’t want to be late.” That statement alone made Ivan so irritated, making him start to glare into Alfred's soul.
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Several hours have passed since the beginning of the trip, passing through the long American wilderness. Just passing through empty forgotten ghost towns. Old train station towns. Miles and miles of isolated farm land that seemed to be going on for hundreds of miles. But in reality just for mere minutes. But who else could forget the hundreds if not hundreds of thousands of trees. But not like any normal ones. These were capped in the rich, blindly white snow of the north. But among the amazing environment. Or even the desperate isolation of the north. The boredom started to settle in for Ivan and Alfred.
“Hey, Alfred.” Ivan’s voices sounded like pure heaven to Alfred cutting through the hours of long continual nothingness.
“Yeah, Ivan, what do you need?”
“I was wondering why don’t you get rid of the piece of shit car you have? If you could even call it that in the state it is in.”
This made Alfred start laughing historically. “Well… you know dude, I had it since I was 16, It was the first car that me and my brother had to start learning how to drive on. But since it was even in a bad state then haha.” Alfred started to reminisce on a believed old memory. “My brother didn’t want to be seen driving it. So he let me keep it when he moved to Canada when he was 18.”
“Do you have any siblings Ivan?” Alfred asked, still thinking about the embarrassment on his dear younger twin brother's face.
Ivan was startled by the question Alfred had just asked him. Hesitated to respond “...I have an older and younger sister, I do love them and it’s hard to be separated from them for Christmas. But… I’ve kinda always been distant from them even as a child.” Ivan is now looking out the passenger window trying not to look at Alfred. Thinking he would think of him as lesser.
“What did they think you stand offish or something like that?” Alfred asked, trying to look at Ivan but not wanting to drive off into the ditch.
Ivan not answering to Alfred remarks. But now side eyeing him. But deep down Ivan felt ashamed he didn’t want Alfred to see him like this, or to ever make him think that Ivan is standoffish. People have always thought this about him but in reality this was not true at all. It was just that Ivan didn’t know how to talk to people or be friendly. He was so used to being alone in Russia. He thought this would have changed once he moved to America for his studies… but it didn’t change anything. The only thing that had changed was Alfred… Now Ivan was staring at Alfred perfectly posed looking at the road looking like a statue of a hero, reflecting the sun bouncing off the snow on the highway, shining through his golden hair flowing in the car from hot air from the heating in the truck.
As Alfred was trying to figure out how to come back after realizing he made Ivan upset by his question. He only asked out of pure curiosity and not out of hate or malice towards his beloved friend.
With a slight tap on the shoulder, Ivan turned to his right to look at Alfred who was not staring at him. But not with a curious intent but now with pure confidence.
“Ivan man do you have any hot…”
Then all of sudden a loud WHOOSH and serve, followed by Alfred steering off into the snow covers banks of the highway. All of sudden Alfred who was once sitting behind the wheel of his truck was now pushed up against Ivan’s ruffed up chest from the sudden crash. Ivan who had still not woken up yet was peacefully lying spread out across the driver's seat and the passenger seat. Alfred had started to notice how he had been lying on top of Ivan staring at his face while still on top of him. Rushing with embarrassment to be on top of Ivan he tried to pick himself up but in doing so his arms gave out making him come into even closer contact with Ivan. So close that their lips were almost touching, just barely enough for Alfred to feel cold misty breath from Ivan’s almost blue lips up against his own coming from his silent motionless face. All Alfred could do in this situation was to stare, what else could he do? Ivan could be hurt; he didn't want to move him or hurt him any worse…or for him to ever find out Alfred was ever this close to be. Alfred felt like he was intruding on Ivan…But he couldn’t merge up enough courage to move either.
“I need to snap out of it man, what am I thinking Ivan could be hurt I need to get up.” Alfred thought to himself, finally snapping out of it.
Slowly moving his right hand, that only happened to be his free hand since the other one was stuck under Ivan’s back in a griping position. Placing his hand onto Ivan’s chest trying to propel himself onto the floor of the truck. But not fully working. But just in that moment Ivan woke up to the sight of Alfred on top of him… staring. But in that sudden moment when Ivan woke up Alfred was finally able to get off of him (not going fully as planned). Alfred’s last and final attempt to get off the unconscious Ivan making one final thrusting movement just for the both of them to end up on the floor of the truck. Now in this case Ivan who was once on the bottom of Alfred was not on top of him on the ground having both of his forearms pushed up against Alfred in the plank position, almost being able to touch Alfred’s face but only with the slight whispering touch of his finger tips.
Ivan started to lean forward, inching ever so closer to Alfred’s face. To the point is messy winter silver blond hair hovering up against Alfred’s opposite in complexion bright sunny golden hair that had now been disturbed by the car crash. Lying across all of his face.
“Oh Alfred, why couldn’t we stay like this forever.” Ivan thought to himself now practically holding Alfred’s cold face in between his hands. Getting closer to each other by each second. Now the two of their noses are touching up against each other. Now having their hot exhausted breath becoming interwoven with one another. But just as Ivan was able to place a devastating kiss on the nervous Alfred he heard.
“Hey Ivan, why are you looking at me like that? Dude, don't think I’m dead or something alright!” With a sudden smack to the face from Alfred’s hand. Right on the center of Ivan’s icy nose.
Ivan stumbled back outside of the truck in one rapid movement on the snow laced ground that used to be the soft, green grass of the summer time. That was caused by the unexpected blow to the face inflicted by Alfred.
Alfred who was now out of the truck. Once lying on one truck floor, now hovering over Ivan on the snowy ground. Just as Ivan was doing this morning in the horrid heat of his Alfred’s room. Ivan stayed put in the exact position in which he landed on just like a snow angel in the soft pillowy snow, that accompanied the rushing and zooming motion of the on going traffic around them. Ivan slightly adjusted his head to face the now hovering Alfred who had also positioned himself in order to see past the sun in order to get a better look at Ivan. His left hand resting on his hip. And the other hand perfectly positioned on his forehead just as if he was a soldier would be expected to do when saluting.
“Get up dude we need to get going if we want to make it there before sunset.” That's what Ivan would have thought Alfred would have said to him, still not loosening his saluting stance. But instead Alfred said nothing at all. All he did was just stand there just simply gazing at Ivan who also hasn’t moved either. Rather Alfred, still not moving his saluting hand, extended his other free hand to Ivan.
Ivan extended his hand and took Alfred’s hand and began to start picking himself off the ground. But then out of the blue once Ivan had steadily picked himself and was finally on his feet. Alfred took that once saluting hand and grabbed the back of Ivan’s head, digging his finger deep into his Ivan’s silver winter hair covered with a thick layer of white shiny snow. With a sudden rush Alfred put all of energy into kissing Ivan. All of a sudden the once blue and icy cold lips that Ivan used to accompany his face seemed to finally seem to go with something. The bright burning sensation had all of the previous cold and depressing feeling finally gone away for Ivan.
Ivan couldn’t help himself; he let go of Alfred’s hand now sitting comfortably on Ivan’s waist. Setting himself free, finally having both hands now, he placed those free hands around Alfred’s neck tightening his grip as they kept going in and out of kiss. Trying to let loose from each other every few minutes in order to try to get as much air as they can with loud gasps… and sighs intertwining with each other's kisses. Nor never to stray away from each other for too long to avoid getting the slicing pain of the cold winter air in their lungs. Alfred, who is still digging his hand directly in the back of Ivan’s head with enough strength to send both of them crashing to the snow cushioned ground with a large smoke of snow dust spinning around them. Forever encasing them in the frost of the isolation of the winter cold as if their poses were carved out of ice. The two of them now deep within the layers of snow fall, still holding onto each other’s bodies. If ever letting go they would lose each other or this moment forever.
VROOM!!! Belted out a car that dared to get too close to Alfred and Ivan to break up their moment in time. With all of the excitement and enthusiasm surrounding them they seemed to have forgotten that they were dangerously close to the curb of the highway. Not to mention their even more busted truck. Who knew that Alfred’s truck could get in any worse of shape than it’s already in? Almost getting run over by another racing car that passed by them while tossing a turning in the knee deep snow.
Between their combined twisting and turning into one. A swift panicking fear came into Alfred’s head. He suddenly realized how late they were going to become. What would his brother think about him being this late? What could he tell him? Alfred couldn’t even begin to think about that. About Ivan, about he was damn near screwing him in the ditch of a highway ... .Not with a girl or even a stranger but with his roommate… Ivan. All he could do in that moment was think about how stupid he was being. His brother would be devastated by him not showing up on time. Trying not to let his ever increasing panic set in, Alfred who was being crushed by the weight of Ivan on top of him, still trying to kiss neck. Finally Alfred had to push him away. Loosening Ivan’s grip. Alfred was able to situate himself in order to grab him by his jacket lapels.
Practically shaking Ivan, Alfred frantically spitting out enough words to get his point across to him. “We need to go now! My brother will be pissed at me!”
With a frantic smile on his face, still holding tight on to Ivan’s lapels he picked him up with ease. Even with Ivan being taller and just heavier in stature than Alfred. He threw him into the passenger seat of the truck still stuck in the ditch. With haste Alfred ignited the vehicle. Swiftly whipping his head around to face the road. Slamming his foot down on the gas pedal accompanied by a thud from the pounding of his foot down. Spinning the steering wheel around until they are back facing straight on the black asphalt of the slick, icy surface. Alfred could now feel his heart beating in his ears, but not before slamming his hand down onto the stick shift switching the gear into drive.
“We’ve got to go, we’ve got to go!” Alfred panic truly started to set in now nearly on the verge of tears.