#captainwrites

==

Alfred was unsurprised when the morning came and his patient was moving about. He had wandered into one of the drawing rooms where he found the two sisters sitting alongside the man and his own brother. They all seemed content and close with one another which set Alfred slightly on edge. His younger brother had been absent from the household for nearly a year as he had run off to go travel through the Northern wilds upon turning eighteen. He had promised to come back when he had found something worthy of settling and for him to come back with three people raised the question of that permanence. Even if the elder wished his brother happiness, he was still set on distancing himself from the supernatural. These individuals certainly fit the criteria for distancing as the patient sniffed and his head immediately snapped over to the door where Alfred stood silently.

There was a moment were things were tense as they stared at one another before Alfred heard his younger brother clear his throat and both gazes snapped to him. The young man leaned close to their guest and muttered something in a language Alfred could not understand which did nothing to calm his sudden irritation. “Matthew,” Alfred near snapped as he heard his name in the conversation for the sixth time. Every pair of eyes in the room raised to look at the blond still by the door and Matthew seemed to be the least hostile of them which was very unsettling. He managed to keep his voice steady as he spoke again with his thumb pointed back at the door. “Wanna talk about this?”

Matthew takes his time in unwinding from the group and then follows Alfred out the door with his head lowered like some sort of kicked dog. The elder could only assume the body language had to do with their guests. “Who are they?” Alfred asks when they get just out of earshot from the room. The question bypasses all apologies his brother could try to throw out.

 “The sisters are Katyusha and Natalia. The brother is Ivan,” Matthew slowly explains. “We met when I got to Alaska.”

“Why are they in British Colombia?” Alfred demands, trying not to sound mocking.

Matthew swallows and softly rubs his hands together. That is news enough to him that whatever it is will be horrible enough for him to hear about. He stops another bout of apologies and braces himself when Matthew finally stops to explain. “Maybe I got Katyusha pregnant and maybe her siblings are kind of here to like…make sure I can provide for their pack?”

“Their pack, right. The guy smelled me across a room and almost died from a bullet wound to the shoulder that I still have no explanation for and now a pack,” Alfred lets the words drop out without a thought to how harsh they are. His brother gets tense and he knows that he needs to calm down so he takes a few breaths. “Werewolves?” The nod is confirmation enough and Alfred rubs his temples roughly before starting to take off down the hallway towards the kitchen where he hopes to find a bottle of bourbon. “You have your half of the house. Keep them there.”

 ==

Things are peaceful for a few days with only a few incidents of howling in the woods late at night which is surprisingly calming to the elder brother. The first issue he runs into happens to be huge, however. He comes home from work like normal by driving up the long driveway and hopping out of his car to trek to the door. He gets about half way up the path when he notices that something is off in the lawn and quickly realizes that the blotch is a dead deer lain across his grass.

It takes no time for Matthew to get to him after he screams. Alfred is pissed when the only explanation he gets is that the slaughtered deer is a gift. It takes a few minutes of scolding for Matthew to promise it will be cleaned up.

While making himself dinner that night is when he finds his second issue. He had just slid the pizza in the oven when he turned to find the hulking figure of his male guest. From what he could recall, the man was named Ivan and he was now staring with an open look of disgust at the box which Alfred held tightly to his chest. The next thing Alfred knows, his pizza is being shoved in the trash and the man has gone about pulling all sorts of things from the cupboards. He makes Alfred some sort of weird dish consisting of cabbage and meat. He doesn’t think about where the latter came from and it isn’t the food which pisses him off about the interaction. The whole while the man cooked for him, there was no talking and no other form of communication.

Alfred attempted to protest as his pizza was thrown out though the man continued to ignore him. Matthew would later tell him that it is another one of those wolf things. Even if you save the life of an alpha, they never talk much aside from with their pack and it’s made worse by the fact that English is their second language.

The third issue is really a matter of himself and his insistence on distance from all supernatural. Alfred has caught himself growing attached to the cooking and the gifts which have continued to show up. The dead things have been noted as unappreciated and now small trinkets from nearby towns have begun to be left for Alfred in the kitchen. More frequent than the gifts, the man will come into the kitchen around dinner time and cook for him. All of the meals turn out to be wonderful and Alfred knows he has gained a soft spot for all of this domesticity. He wonders if Ivan enjoys it much as he does and he wonders if distancing is really what he is set on at this point.

“I’m gonna take a chance and spout about my day seeing as you never talk to me during dinner,” Alfred starts one night as the other settles into making food. There is nothing said back, just the usual gentle smile that the other wears on his face.

“I’m gonna assume Matt has told you nothing about me aside from my name. I’m twenty two years old and I work at the high school in town as a coach slash science teacher. I used to be on the football team myself and now I teach biology on top of all that drama. Look, you wanna hear some fucked up things teenage boys think? Become a coach and pop into the locker rooms one day without them knowing. You would not guess what they say Sammy and Martha doing the other day. Oh god, does Brad know?” Alfred mocks and is surprised when his audience actually turns to look at him. His face is covered with a look of genuine mirth which is nice to see and the younger offers a smile to encourage.

“You like hearing about all this? I had a kid who thought it would be a good idea to snort a pixie stick in my class one time and god it was the worst. He literally just dumped it in his hand and there it went, one sniff, gone,” Alfred says with disbelief in his voice. He feels his heart twinge at the noise of a chuckle across the kitchen.

 ==

The tales of his day becomes normal while dinner is being prepares and Alfred is happy for the interaction even if the conversation is one-sided. Just being able to see the way the other reacts to his stories is nice. He likes to watch how the man scrunches his face at gross parts and the odd curve of his smile when something is funny. It is comfortable and distancing has become less than a thought in the back of Alfred’s head.

Its only when Matthew mentions it that Alfred once again thinks of moving away from the supernatural. The younger comes to him with a small clipping from the local newspaper. It is an ad for two cabins off on a plot of land near a lake which he says would be ideal for his new family. Alfred feels his chest go slightly hollow knowing that leaving also includes Ivan who is so dedicated to his family. He pats Matthew on the back and excused himself to go to dinner with a simple comment to think on it for a while before deciding where to go. He reminds that more options may pop up.

He enters the kitchen and finds a large bundle of flowers rested on the island in the center of the kitchen. It is probably one of the sweetest and most conventional gifts he has received over the last few weeks. He picks them up gingerly and admires the long golden petals of the six sunflowers. The sound of the kitchen door opening had him turning to catch onto the sight of Ivan who looks oddly embarrassed. Alfred gives him a gentle smile and chuckles, “This is real sweet of you.”

The man put his hands behind his back and gave his own awkward smile as a blush crossed his cheeks. It was amusing to the younger man who moves over to the cupboard to pull out a vase. He goes about putting them in the water before setting them back on the island. Ivan has already set about getting ingredients for their meal that night. “Do you get flowers for people often?” Alfred asks and tries not to laugh when Ivan nearly jumps.

He is surprised when he hears a soft mumbling come from his companion and he tilts his head forward to try to catch onto what he was saying. “You talkin over there? I can’t hear you, bud.”

“My sister bought them,” The words sound forced out and Alfred feels himself smile at the fact Ivan seems so awkward about giving him the flowers. It really is adorable and he admires them before his attention is brought back to Ivan. “She wanted me to give them to you because she noticed we are spending…more time together.”

“Real nice of her,” Alfred says, leaning on his palm as his eyes drifted to the broad back of his companion.

“She is very nice,” Ivan says as he continues to work.

“You’re talking to me,” Alfred tries, and he is disappointed when he gets no response.

 ==

The next week passes slowly with no more conversation. Alfred is disappointed in that though he tries to not let it weigh on him because he already has things to worry about. His brother has become more insistent on buying the cabins due to some apparent interest from others. It is when Matt approaches him about it again that Alfred lets it slip.

“Why don’t you just stay here? All of you?” He begins and Matthew nearly drops the paper he is holding.

His voice is filled with disbelief as he leans in close to Alfred. “Are you fucking high?”

Alfred attempts to speak again and Matthew just shakes his head before pulling out his phone. He types in the number on the newspaper slip and the elder feels his heart breaking as he listens in. When the conversation is done, Alfred excuses himself and takes off out of the house to go for a walk despite all questioning from his brother.

 ==

It seems real easy to get lost in the woods and that suspicion is confirmed when Alfred wanders a bit too far out. There is no way he can tell which way home is from the trees. He has been too deep in thought to really focus on any particular thing outside and so he sighs deeply. His phone turns out to be little help and at that point he finally let’s worry seep in. He sits heavily on a rock where he allows tears to stream openly down his face. It is the sound of a gentle whine that wakes him to the figure of beast not a yard from him. It is squatting down so it is closer to his level and Alfred instantly recognizes the biped by his grey fur.

“What are you doing out here, Ivan?” Alfred asks, wiping at his tears as if he can hide what the other has already seen.

The noises of the biped turning back into a man are slightly sickening and Alfred flinches away from the scene. Ivan is quickly to apologize as his voice comes back to him though it is the only thing he says. Instead of more words, he comes forward and sits beside Alfred with no apparent care for his own nakedness.

“Will you please just talk to me? I’m not one of you, so treat me like a damn human, would you?” Alfred begins and is ashamed when his voice cracks through it. He sounds weak and he does nothing to stop his frustrated snarl at the all of this.

“What is wrong?” Ivan asks, and it irritates Alfred when he looks over to see the other softly smiling.  

“This is your fault. Should have never let you in that night,” Alfred says bitterly and almost immediately regrets it.

Ivan seems to show no sign of offense at it though and simply seems to solidify his smile. “Is that all?”

“I don’t want…” Alfred pauses, then continues in a moment of confidence. “I don’t want you to leave me.”

There is an exhale from beside him though it is nothing like a sigh or a huff which would have upset him worse. It is more like the man had been holding his breath while waiting. It gives Alfred a bit of hope as his hand is gripped by his companion and carefully held there. “Wolves have two homes. They have a place where they go to raise their children and a place for the cold months when the home is not so full,” Ivan starts to explain. “We have months till Katyusha has her children and that is when the cabins become our home. This home here is where we come to warm up during the winter.”

Alfred cocks his head at Ivan who reiterates. “I will come back.”

It is not much for comfort and Alfred sighs as he brings his hand back to himself.

“I don’t want you to leave in the first place.”

“I have my family to look after.”

“Am I not family? You’re talking to me.”

Ivan looks over at him and he looks all too amused. Alfred wants to smack the look off his face, but he finds himself too taken aback when the wolf suddenly grabs him. He is pulled close to the man who buries his face in his neck. It would not have been so awkward if the other had been properly clothed and Alfred pushes at his bare chest insistently. “I don’t know what exactly I said to prompt all of this hugging fest or whatever, but I just, it would be more appreciated if you had some pants on.”

The laughter from the larger man is contagious and Alfred allows himself to giggle softly into his shoulder before he is settled back onto the rock. “What was all of that about? Trying to loosen me up?” He asks, leaning against the other.

“Pack members smell like their pack,” Ivan explains and Alfred gives him a skeptical look. The other gives no sign that he is joking or lying so the younger man settled down so more explanation can be given. “We can do it when I am…better clothed but I believe Matthew has called it cuddling. You have noticed him and Katyusha being very close and since I am the one inducting you then you will cuddle with me.”

“I guess you’ve made me dinner enough times,” Alfred says after a moment of thought. It earns him a laugh and another smile from Ivan which is enough to get him home.

 ==

The months at the cabin go by fairly smoothly with the usual amount of mosquito bites and lake incidents. Ivan had fallen off their little boat more than one and they have become fun stories to recall among their family. The baby was healthy and Alfred feels lucky for all that has transpired over the year.

As he sits on the dock by the lake, he reminisces on all the memories and feels excited for what is ahead of him. All those times he spent wanting to run away from the supernatural, yet it turned out to be his home. It was almost ironic. He glances over when Ivan sits down beside him and wraps an arm loosely around his waist. Alfred has grown more than comfortable with the cuddling and he kisses the other on the jaw. “You know…It’s kind of mean to say but I’m happy you almost died.”

Ivan shot him a confused look and he sighed dramatically. “If I hadn’t have helped you, where would we be?”

The other seemed to understand then and chuckled before reaching off beside him. He offered Alfred a small sunflower which he had likely picked from the stocks near the edge of the lake. Alfred takes it and swirls it between his fingers. “I love you,” He mutters and Ivan cocks his head closer with a smile.

Somebody clears their throat and that does more in attracting the attention of the young American than the dull ache now in his ribs. The meeting starts and the conversation takes hold quickly among the leaders as they discuss the future of the world at large. Japan is a hot topic as well, to which Alfred shifts and allows contempt to cross his face until Arthur just has to make a move of near comfort. Alfred takes his time to brush him off and settles back in with his usual expression of indifference to it all. He smiles as if nothing is wrong.

Then it comes along, the talk of a new weapon that they have invented to aid against the foreign enemy. Alfred is excited to see the way that his enemy across the way shifts at the news and how there are a few weary glances shared. He can hear Arthur let out a worried breath.

The meeting ends peacefully and Alfred is released from his duties for the night. He takes off to his hotel after a few too long goodbyes and is not surprised when he runs into the Soviet nation waiting outside his hotel room. Alfred gives him his best possible smile as he goes to unlock the door. Not caring to hide any of the harsher feelings behind the expression, his voice is filled with malice as he speaks: “You did a great job in the meeting room not acting like a starving animal, but you could still work on keeping that ugly mug of yours under control. Not even a blind man could miss the way that beak of yours wrinkles when you’re angry.” He laughs when he looks up to see the other doing the exact face he had been describing. The other seems to notice quickly though cause he turns and snatches the keys from the American, letting them in himself as if to get this over with any quicker than it usually takes.

Alfred is one to play and he takes a lot of joy in stripping off his suit jacket slowly so the other has to wait all the longer for him to settle down for a talk. As he reaches for his tie, he is interrupted by the sound of the other snorting behind him which sounds more like the grunt of a wild hog. Alfred turns to look at him. “Do you have a damn problem?”

“It just amuses me that you all seem to have similar skillsets to each other,” Ivan says. He seems to get that Alfred has not understood and decides to explain after pouring himself a glass of vodka from a bottle on the dresser. “You undress like a showgirl. I just assumed it was something all capitalists have in common with each other…I find it hard to think of you on a stage like that.”

Alfred grips the knot of his tie and yanks it down quickly before shucking it off into the chair he had set his jacket over. He turns to glare at Ivan who is smiling at him over a glass of his favorite beverage. “Did you even ask if you could have a drink? Guess you can’t help it though seeing as all your people are alcoholics, right?”

Ivan scowls at him for a split second and hides it away by taking a sip from his glass while Alfred settles down on the bed to take his shoes off. “What are you here for?” Alfred is speaking with his bored drawl now. He doesn’t want to give the bastard much more of his attention now cause he knows the direction it’s going in already. It hasn’t changed since the first damn time and Alfred nearly chucks his shoe on the ground as a painful, hollow feeling settles in his chest.

“You said you have a new weapon,” Ivan says casually.

“You already know. Probably have known for awhile. If you don’t then you won’t hear it from me. Have a damn good day, get the hell out.”

There is silence as Alfred moved to undo his suspenders and then a soft chuckle breaks the silence. It grates on his ears to the point he has to turn to look at the other with a glare as if warning him, shut up or something will happen. Ivan does not stop and he even seems to laugh harder at it before giving the younger a smile which tells Alfred, he is still very amused even without the noise.

“I told you to get out.” Alfred reiterated.

Ivan seems to sink into the chair. His body relaxes and sets the ankle of his right leg onto the knee of his left. He looks too damn cocky like that and Alfred is done with this bullshit right now. He is not letting this happen again. He points at the door with insistence and he lowers his voice to that tone he has used only when he damn well means something. “Get out before I fucking move your ass out myself.”

The older man sets his jaw. Alfred sees the way his head is working over the words looking for any weak spot he could make a retort from. There is nothing that seems worth saying and so the man stands up with a sigh. He goes to down the rest of his drink though stops midway through as he seems to remember the comment from earlier. He sets the glass down on the dresser next to the bottles before fixing his clothing. “You know where my room is.”

Its his final comment and it seems so insignificant. There are no obvious undertones to it that would make it damaging yet the words settle into the American like ice. He picks up his shoe and flings it at the closing door. He knows the other can hear the thump of it as the laughter reaches through the door to invade Alfred in the worst way. It stings worse than the words cause it just shows another damn weakness.

“You were late, Ivan,” Alfred commented, with a dry drawl.

The teasing smile Alfred had seen faded for only a moment before it returned with its full force. Ivan always had something to throw back, to keep his mouth running and Alfred was no longer smiling. He sneered as he listened to Ivan speak. “So you risk frostbite in the cold? You must have been desperate to see me as soon as I came then, yes? I apologize that I kept you waiting.”

He had not wanted to admit defeat though the cold had long settled into his toes and through his ears. They burned and, as he took in a deep breath for another huff, he sputtered into a choking fit that lasted roughly two minutes. He wiped his mouth roughly and pushed away the hand which had been offered to support his shaking form. “There is no way you bastards can live in this shit all the time,” Alfred hissed as he brushed past the taller man. “Let’s get inside if you’re so worried about my health. You said that you would treat me to coffee, so you have my attention.”

The interior of the café was much warmer and Alfred plopped himself down into a back booth with a heavy sigh. He pulled his throbbing, red fingers out of his pockets and rubbed them together as if it would help the life back into them any faster. He only looked up briefly when Ivan sat down across from him with an equally heavy sigh. Alfred offered him a crooked smile, “You bothered by something?”

“Why did you agree to coffee with me today? You never meet with anyone after world meetings, that is what I have been told since the news spread that you accepted my offer for coffee,” Ivan asked, voice low as he flipped through a small menu with a bored expression on his face.

Alfred studied him and then licked his lips before reaching for his own menu so he could hide the look on his face. He felt nervous though with the normal confusion that came with their meetings over the last decade. “You said the right word: coffee.”

There was a snort from across the table which Alfred angrily twitched at though he made no such noise back to betray himself. “Like simple coffee could get you to spend an hour with me. Are you here to brag about something?” Ivan said it like a demand and he gave a rare scowl when Alfred shook his head with an amused smile. Within a moment the look was gone, however, and again it was replaced with that smile that somehow showed complete indifference. “You will have to join me for coffee again during our next meeting then.”

It was to a soft warmth that Vanya would next awake. With fluttering eyes, he took in the blazing blue form slowly approaching him in the void before he quickly raised a hand. “Do not come any closer!” Vanya yelled, sudden fear rising in his core as images of countless dying lights flew through his mind. He gripped his head as if to steady himself and closed his weary eyes to shield them from the light.

There was an airy noise which fluttered around his ears and his eyes once more opened, rising to see the figure yet closer to him. “Do not do that!” He called once more, thinking he had not been heard by this light.

“Why are you so scared, buddy? I’ll have you know I’m the best and the brightest in this here space!” The figure jittered. Vanya found it odd though it caused him to pause long enough for the light to move closer again. There was a gasp and he was quick to move away as a few small embers of the blue light swirled about him and then rested over his core. Vanya watched the now weary figure move back and away, his blue eyes now wide. “What /are/ you?”

It was a surprising phrase, almost rude though Vanya felt no anger over it now as he had heard it many times before. “I am an anomaly? I believe is the wording you might use if you do not know, and neither do I…”

The light cocked its head to the side and scrunched its face up, “Do you have a name?”

“Vanya,” He immediately responded and then took a moment to ponder that before nodding. “That is all, and you?”

“My name is Alfred and its nice to meet an anomaly, never done that before…Vanya is a cool name,” The light said with the brightest smile Vanya had ever seen. Its very skin seemed to glow and rise before it closed its mouth and all became still once more aside from an occasional flicker.

Vanya was quiet for awhile after that as this Alfred continued to go on for a time about the void he had been traveling through. Though, as Vanya listened he began to think of it less as a void. Alfred was odd and described it filled with others, including many lights such as himself which Ivan found very peculiar. He had never met somebody as bright and beautiful as Alfred was, it was almost a jealous thing.

“You seem lonely out here,” Alfred sighed after a lull in one of the stories and Vanya startled out of his thoughts.

“Do you not have to know friendship before you feel lonely?” Vanya said back, to which Alfred stared at him in a forlorn manner. It was quick that Vanya pushed himself away from the light as he tried to come too close, more embers slipping off.

“Do you want a friend?” Alfred was soft in the way he said it and he reached out a hand. As it got too close Vanya let out a cry at the appendage which blew away like ashes in a breeze, swirling about him and resting once again at his core. Alfred simply stared at the missing part and looked up at Vanya with a softly pleading look.

“Do you want to die?” Vanya spat, his voice more venomous than he could ever remember it being and Alfred seemed hurt for a moment.

“Do you want to be alone?” He said with just a moment of hesitation and Vanya was torn between his responses. For the time, however long, Alfred had been beside him there had been just enough light for him to see. For once his mind had been able to focus and it felt wonderful against his usually cluttered darkness.

He slowly shook his head and the light came forward with his arms outstretched. His form wavered in front of Vanya as Alfred reached his arms out to take hold of him, wrapping about his neck. The light was swiftly disintegrating and beginning to swirl about Vanya until they were intertwined as a bright cast in the void. It was an exhilarating experience and Vanya sighed as he felt the warmth of sunny lips against his cold ones.

“Do you think he will?” Alfred said, sounding quite hopeless.

Matthew was silent as his eyes were drawn off to a large figure inching out to join the other contestants in the arena before them. His voice, he kept soft though he allowed contempt to seep into his tone as he spoke of the man beside his brother. “Though he is a coward and quite full of himself, you have to admit that Arthur is clever with planning all of this. There isn’t much hope that Ivan will let your hand be passed off on a sports event.”

It was less than an assurance though Alfred could not help but be flattered at the idea his lover would not abandon him to such a fate. With a light squeeze to his hand by Matthew, Alfred set his gaze back on the contestants who he scanned for any familiarity. It was almost instant that his eyes fell on the last to the right, before he and his brother.

The man was large and broad in the shoulders with the most fair hair, almost white upon first glance. His face was obscured by a long white beard though the look in his eyes showed a spark of youth which had Alfred skeptical. His blue eyes drew in the set gaze of the man, and he quickly found himself caught with a very familiar stare that set his heart tumbling. In an instant, he both felt pure terror and affection much stronger than ever before which set him solidly back into his throne.

All noise was deaf to him as he watched the tall man through the beginning of the event; however, as the first two men approached each other with weapons drawn he heard his uncle beside him.

“How long do you suppose till the bastard gives himself up?” The man said as he leaned to the left away from the princes. He was speaking to his aid which set Alfred with a feeling of soft unease. Yao was intelligent, unlike Arthur, and would probably find Ivan out upon seeing him fight through the next couple of rounds.

“I would say he is already here, your majesty, do you not think he would be in the first few events?” Yao could just be heard over the din of the crowd as the first man fell to the ground. He had been easily run through by the largest contestant, the one man who Alfred knew was there for him and not his riches. He squeezed his brother’s hand with his own as the anxiety rose up in him, ears still straining to catch onto the conversation to his other side.

Each round passed quickly and it was nearing noon when the last man fell into the dirt with a quiet cry, and Alfred was astonished to see his bearded hero standing in the arena alone. His heart did soar at the thought of marrying his love, yet sunk in an instant as he knew deeply that this was the end.

Arthur stood to clap and asked the name of the contestant, to which Alfred felt his breath hitch and he gave the other a pleading glance. It was not to be received though as the man reached up and removed the false beard from around his face. There was a gasp from the crowd before cheers erupted and the King quickly waved his hand, calling forward his knights who rushed to grip onto the man who carelessly stood staring at the King.

Everything passed in an instant, the yelp that suddenly left the king and the guards being told to release their prisoner. Before any one feeling could rise in the prince beyond his surprise, he heard a familiar call from behind him and he quickly stood to follow it through the curtain.

“Francis! You’ve all come!” Alfred said, voice near a yell over the chaotic sounds coming from before the stage. He rushed down to meet the best friend of his lover, and he found himself held tightly in a hug before another person crashed down the steps. It was the king himself who stared up at them with a dazed expression before gasping and screaming for help. Ivan was the one to burst forward through the curtain next as he wrestles two guards off and away from him. His eyes traveled over Alfred and then quickly caught onto those of Francis, who seemed to catch onto a message in their glance.

“Time to go,” Francis said as the guards hurried to get on their feet so as to help the king who was scrabbling there. Ivan was quick to follow behind his friend and lover as they rushed off towards the trees, away from the chaos they had caused at the event.

“Where are we going?” Alfred asked excitedly as he watched various others rush into the trees beside them.

“Into the woods, and away from your coward of an Uncle!” Francis chuckled as they paused to look back out into the field where they could just see the king bouncing about some guards. His hands were clenched at his side as he hopped around, shorter than most though still causing a fuss with his screaming. His face was near as red as his cape and he carried on to the guards. It was Alfred who noticed something off about the raging king.

“Where is his crown? He always has it!” Alfred asked, and gasped when a heavy ring was settled atop his head.

His eyes travelled up and caught onto the softly amused violets of his lover, who gently brought his fingers down across the prince’s cheek. “I do not believe Arthur is ready to have the crown,” Ivan said, pausing as Alfred insisted on leaning up to kiss him. “It will be much better when your father returns, though for now it is safe with you and the people here. We should be going now, yes?”

Alfred nodded and looked off to Francis who stood at the tree line with a gathering of peasants and others from the village. Their tired eyes set on Alfred and Ivan with affection at which the prince filled with a want to protect them. “What do we do from here?”