#nssh

“Tomato potato,” the Russian said casually.

Alfred snorted, before letting out a full-hearted laugh. Ivan gave him a confused look, happy as he was to hear him laugh.

“What-“ Alfred laughed out, “What did you say?” He looked at Ivan with bright blue eyes and an equally bright smile.

Ivan frowned for a second, before letting out a small ‘Ah’ of realization. He sighed, “I said it wrong, didn’t I?”

“Oh, completely,” he stated cheerily. He gave Ivan a loving smile, which he gladly returned.

“Figures.”

“Don’t worry, I got your point,” he squeezed his hand affectionately, “No Mexican or Spanish tonight then.”

“Or Italian, for that matter.” Ivan had dealt with enough Italians for one day.

“Fine,” Alfred said. Ivan moved his arm to sling it over the blond’s shoulders while he thought of another place.

“How ‘bout Tino’s House?” he offered. “We haven't been there in a while.”

Ivan considered for a moment. “Tino’s sounds good. Let’s go there.”

He felt Alfred nod next to him. “Uh, we might wanna hurry up then. Did you bring an umbrella?” he asked suddenly. Ivan saw him staring up at the sky out the corner of his eye, before looking up himself. It was dark and overcast, full of rain-heavy clouds. Ivan had thought it was a little dark outside, he just figured it was late.

“I think we’ll be fine,” he stated, “it’s not supposed to rain until tonight.” One perk of being able to influence the weather.

“Alright, but if it starts raining, I'm hiding in your coat,” he said very seriously.

That got a giggle out of Ivan. “I’d have no problem with that.”

“I didn’t think you would.”

They glanced at each other and shared a little laugh, continuing the rest of their walk in comfortable silence.

Tino’s House was a nice seafood restaurant a few blocks from the apartment. It was in one of those old shopping-centers that ran the length of a road and was almost unnoticeable, stuck in the middle of a wall like that. It was a cozy little place, and Ivan was quite fond of it. After all, it was the place of their first date. The food was good and the service was nice. What more could you ask for?

The two arrived at the place within a few minutes. Ivan noticed it was rather quiet and calm outside, for a large city. Not many people in front of the restaurant or the shops. He glanced at his phone. It was still rather early in the afternoon, only about 5:00 p.m. At least we won’t have to wait for a table, he thought.

A little bell rang as the opened the door and were greeted by the hostess.

“Table for two?” she said sweetly.

“Yes, please,” Alfred replied. She nodded politely and led them to a table, close to the bar at Alfred’s request.

Ivan looked up at the low-lit chandeliers and blue walls with the ocean themed decorations he had seen a hundred times. Soft music in the background gave the restaurant a fine but cozy feel. They took their seats and waited for their server. A young woman with short blond hair came up to them and asked them what they wanted to drink.

“Just a water for me,” Ivan stated.

“And a coke for me,” said Alfred.

She wrote down their orders and replied, “Alright, I’ll be right back with your drinks and some menus,” then headed towards the swing door no doubt leading to the kitchen.

Ivan looked around the dinner, taking note of all the different people. There were a few other customers sitting in the booths and tables around them, and one couple at the bar. It had become a sort of pastime of sorts for him. Really it was just a habit born out of bad curiosity and paranoia. Being a, uh, journalist meant he was always paying attention to what was going on around him.

Rather ironic that a Russian had become an American journalist. Ivan had moved to Atlantica, Alaska for the same reason most people did, to find a new life, a better one, and leave the old one behind. Something he was eager to do. At first, Ivan spoke English with dictionary precision. It took a long while to get used to all the slang and idioms. He always worried about proper grammar and pronunciation; he didn’t want to stand out as a foreigner. Perhaps that’s what got him the job; it certainly wasn't his friendly disposition. After all, why pay for an editor when Ivan triple checked everything anyway. After meeting Alfred however, he’s loosened up his vocabulary a little bit. He still hasn't quite grasped metaphors, evidently, but he’s getting there. Alfred had certainly changed a few things in Ivan’s life, and it seemed to be for the better.

Alfred—that energetic, nosy ray of sunshine who always seemed to see the bright side no matter how dark it was. Ivan couldn’t help but wonder.

How the hell did he end up with someone like me?

Click Click Click

“Helllooo, Earth to Ivan.”

Ivan was thrown off his train of thought by a pair of fingers snapping in his face. He focused back into reality, and back on the subject of his daydreams in front of him.

Alfred smiled, having now gotten the other’s attention. He laid down his hand, setting it on one of Ivan’s. “You alright there? You didn’t even move when she set down the menu.”

Ivan looked down at the hand covering his and saw a black booklet with fancy writing on the cover sitting in front of him.

“Ah, I’m fine,” he said and moved to grasp Alfred’s hand, rubbing it gently. “I’m just a bit tired, that’s all.” He rubbed his other hand down his face, trying to focus back on the present.

“You been running around all day?”

“Pretty much, yes.” Ivan gave a tired sigh. At least that much was true. “Mostly just asking people if they saw anything.”

Alfred's eyes lit up a little and he began ranting off a stream of questions. “Did you see anything? Was there another robbery? Oh, was there another explosion?!”

“Slow down there, solnyshko,” Ivan held up his hand for Alfred to stop. “One question at a time, please.”

The honey blond stopped his barrage of questions, but he still looked ready to jump out of his seat, which made Ivan chuckle lightly. “Well, what did you hear? What happened?” he asked, more calmly this time.

Thinking about his response, Ivan replied, “Apparently there was a big chase downtown, which is why the roads got closed. The Guild was running down the Banksy Brothers in the middle of the sidewalk, so they had to evacuate some people.”

“What happened to the Brothers?”

“I believe they have been arrested.” Hopefully, Ivan thought. Eros wouldn’t have let them escape before the police arrived. But the Banksy Brothers have a habit of not staying in jail for very long.

“That’s good,” Alfred stated, “Maybe things will calm down enough that you can actually spend some time with me.”

Ivan smirked at him. “I am spending time with you right now, am I not?” He asked coyly.

“Yes,” he stated matter-of-factly, “And I couldn’t be happier.” He flashed him a blinding smile before turning his attention to his menu.

Drifting back into a comfortable silence, Ivan went back to observing the room, this time turning his gaze towards the entrance. There were two people at the counter, a rather tall and stocky blond man, and a smaller man with flowing black hair. The shorter man caught Ivan attention. He had a small frame but he stood tall and proud; it almost made up for his height.

A frown formed on his face the longer he looked. The shorter man looked strikingly familiar, even though he wasn't facing him. He couldn't make out his appearance either; he seemed to blend into the shadows. But the familiarity was driving Ivan to the point of annoyance. Finally, when he couldn’t hold back his curiosity any longer, he shifted to stand and get a closer black haired man.

“Are you ready to order, sirs?”

Ivan turned his attention to the young waitress now in front of him. Alfred smiled politely at her—Ivan thought he almost saw her blush—and addressed the woman. “Yeah, I know what I want,” he said kindly and turned to Ivan, “You know what you want, Ivy?”

Ivan blinked a few times, trying to collect his thoughts. His mind was still on the familiar man. He managed to glance down at the menu and quickly picked something to tell the waitress.

The waitress wrote down their orders and hurried off to the kitchen. Once she was gone, Ivan glanced back over to the front counter. However, there was now no one to be seen besides the hostess.

Ivan frowned but tried to brush it off, turning back to the table. He took a sip of water as they waited for their food. They ate in relative silence, then casually chitchatted after they finished. Soon after, the waitress came back.

She held a little black book and a sweet smile. “Would you gentlemen be having any dessert tonight?”

“No, thank you,” Alfred replied, “I think we’re all full.”

“Well, alright then,” she said cheerfully. “I’ll just leave this here,” she set down the little black checkbook on the table, “and you can check out at the counter whenever you’re ready. Have a nice night.” She picked up their empty plates before heading back to the kitchen.

Alfred wished her the same as she left, while Ivan picked up the little checkbook.

“Hey, it’s my turn to get the check,” Alfred protested, reaching across the table for the black booklet in Ivan’s hand.

Ivan yanked his hand back from the blond’s reach. “Nyet, it is my turn, you paid last time.”

“You say that every time!” He was practically lying on the table at the point, still reaching for the booklet.

“You say that it is your turn every time.” Ivan batted his hand away, keeping the check out of reach. Eventually, Alfred sat back down with a pout.

“Come on, Ivan,” he whined, “You always pay, let me.” He paused, then gave the other the most pitiful puppy face he could manage. “Please.”

The Russian let out a little sigh before conceding. “Fine.”

He held the checkbook out in front of him. The blond’s pout morphed into a victorious smile while he reached to grab the book but Ivan snatched it back up a second before the blond could grab it. Alfred gawked at him and looked ready protest but the other beat him to it.

“But I’m getting the tip,” Ivan smirked and let him snatch the book out of his hand.

“Fine by me,” he said, standing up to head over to the checkout. Ivan left a few bills on the table before following him to the counter. They paid at the front then headed back out into the town.

The clouds overhead had cleared, but the sun had gone down quite a bit while they were inside. Faint stars dotted the dark blue sky to the East, while pastel pinks and oranges and purples streaked it to the West. The last fading rays of sunlight were outshined by the bright white of car headlights and building lights.

It was a bit more crowded right now, so the two of them stuck close to each other and the building walls lining the sidewalk. They followed the crowd to a crosswalk, waiting patiently for the light to turn. When they had crossed to the other side, Ivan looked over at the other.

“Do you know what we need from the store?” he asked.

“Uh, yeah, I got a list somewhere.” Alfred fiddled around in his pockets and pulled out a small scrap of paper.

“How much do we need?” It would be inconvenient to walk all the way home with a carload of groceries.

Alfred quickly scanned the list before replying. “Not much, just milk, eggs, sugar, and coffee.”

Ivan hummed in acknowledgment as the made their way downtown towards the grocery store. A few blocks later, they arrived at a brightly lit store right on the corner of a busy intersection. Automatic doors slide open as they entered, closing behind them and shutting out the noisy street outside. The inside appeared bigger than the outside, but otherwise, the store was as ordinary and normal as can be. There was a large fruit section just to the left of the door, a meat and deli section in the back, and isles for frozen foods and drinks at the far right end. The two headed down one of the first isles. They had been there enough times to know where everything was.

The store was mostly empty of people since most everyone was eating dinner at this time. Just a couple people here and there and some cashiers. The store was rather quiet aside from the faint pop music playing in the background. Alfred grabbed his coffee and Ivan grabbed the sugar, then they made their way to the next aisle.

Right as the rounded the corner, a loud yelp was followed by a sudden crash. Ivan looked over at Alfred, his confusion matching his own, before turning to look down the aisle where the shout came from. In the middle of the aisle, there were two men, one looking down on the other disapprovingly and the other lying on the floor surrounded by cereal boxes. It looked like the fallen man had tried to grab a box from the top shelf, but ended up bringing half the shelf with him. The one on the floor had fair skin and pale blond hair that stuck straight up like he had used an entire jar of gel to spike it up. He looked up at the other and smiled broadly, despite his current position, and held up a cereal box triumphantly.

“See, I told you I could get it,” he gloated cheerfully. Ivan couldn’t quite place his accent, but he reminded him of Alfred a little bit.

The other man, a shorter blond with hair like Ivan’s, stared down at the other expressionlessly.

“Yes, but you also got twelve other boxes,” he told him. Amethyst eyes widened slightly in shock. He knew he had heard that monotone voice before, but he could not quite believe his ears. Before he could stare any longer at the two men, Alfred tugged on his arm.

“Come on,” he urged quietly, “we better move before we get caught staring.” His blue eyes shined with mirth and Ivan could tell he was suppressing his giggles. He stole one last glance toward the couple in the aisle, who were now picking up the fallen boxes, before following the tan blond to the refrigerated section.

Once they were out of earshot, Ivan found his voice again. “Well, that was interesting.”

Alfred finally let out the giggles he was desperately keeping in. “Dude, that was fucking hilarious,” he stated ever so elegantly.

The more he thought about it, the funnier the scene became to Ivan. Soon he started giggling with him. It seemed the American's laughter was contagious. “It kind of seemed like something you would do, Alfred.”

The blond glanced over at him, amusement still evident on his face. “What, you mean climbing the shelves?”

“If it were to get something you could not reach, yes.”

“If I want something from the top shelf, I'd just stand on your shoulders,” he stated confidently.

“You think that is much safer than climbing the shelf?” Ivan looked at him curiously.

“Yeah, of course it is,” he said, “I know you won’t let me fall.”

Ivan stared at the blond beaming at him, slowly letting one of his genuine smiles spread across his face.

“Besides,” Alfred stated suddenly, throwing his arm over Ivan’s shoulder, “if you did, I’d pull you down with me.” He pulled him down slightly before place a small kiss on the Russian’s cheek.

Ivan felt his face heat up as he darted his eyes around, making sure no one was around to see them. He turned at glared at the smug blond next to him as he willed his face to cool down.

“Damn, it seem cold in here to you?” Alfred asked suddenly. The super snapped out of his embarrassed daze, forcing himself to relax and return to normal.

He cleared his throat before replying. “Well, we are in the frozen food section,” he stated.

“Yeah, that’s true.” Alfred moved his arm from around his shoulders to his hand, walking close to him to steal his warmth. “Let’s just hurry up and get the cold stuff so we can get outta here.”

Ivan quickly agreed, and they hurried through the store to get the rest of their items. They checked out without any more eventful scenes and finally headed home.

The walk home was even more crowded than before. The sun had fully set and the noise of the city night had begun. Teens headed home from parties, couples had finished up dinner dates, and late workers waved over taxis to drive them home.

Ivan and Alfred made it home quickly and uneventfully. They made their way up the stairs to their apartment. Ivan fished around in his pockets for the keys and unlocked the door. He took his shoes off by the door, while Alfred set the groceries on the counter. He hung his oversized coat on the coat-hanger, then headed into the kitchen to put away the groceries. When he set the milk and eggs in the fridge, Alfred leaned over and gave him another kiss on the cheek. Ivan glanced over at him curiously, but not nearly as embarrassed as before. He closed the fridge and walked over to the couch. He sat down with a great sigh, grabbing the remote and flipping on the TV. Leaning back, he settled down into the couch fully, happy to finally relax for the day.

Ivan glanced up as he heard Alfred walk around the couch, sitting down next to him and cuddling up into his side. He put his arm around the honey blond and closed his eyes, ready to drift off to sleep.

Right as he was about to drift off, Ivan felt a soft hand caress his cheek and smooth lips press against the other. He opened his eyes lazily, moaning slightly as he was roused from his partial sleep. He turned his head and was met with yet another kiss, this time on his lips.

Alfred had his head resting on his shoulder, looking up at him with sweet innocent eyes. He kept his hand on his face, stroking it softly with his thumb.

“Why do you keep kissing me?” Ivan asked, slightly confused. Not that he minded the kisses.

Alfred chuckled lightly. “Stubble.” He rubbed his hand over Ivan’s jaw to emphasize his point. “Feels nice,” the blond explained.

Ivan reached up his own hand to run over his jaw. Sure enough, there was the faint scratchiness of stubble all over the Russian’s jaw. I must have forgotten to this morning, he thought.

“I do need to shave,” he thought aloud.

“I wish you’d grow it out.” Alfred glanced up at him with hopeful, bright blue eyes. Ivan snorted at the display. Those puppy-dog eyes weren’t going to work this time.

“Beards are too much work to keep,” he stated, leaving no room for argument.

“They’re just as much work not to keep,” he argued anyway.

“If you're so sure why don't you grow one,” he teased.

The begging, sweet face quickly morphed into a small glare. “Shut up,” the blond huffed, crossing his arms in a pouty fashion.

Ivan smiled innocently, holding in his giggles to spare the rest of his lover’s pride. He put his arm around his waist and pulled him closer to his side, thankfully without any resistance. They sat there peacefully for close to an hour, watching ridiculous home improvement shows and making fun of stupid commercials.

Eventually, Alfred removed Ivan’s arm from his waist and stood up from the couch.

“I’m gonna go take a shower,” he announced.

“Alright,” Ivan replied, “don’t use up all the hot water.” He glanced at his watch while the other wandered into their shared bedroom. It was already 9:40. “And don’t take too long either,” he shouted after him, “I still want to take my shower.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Alfred shouted back.

Satisfied with his answer, he focused back on the TV, waiting for his turn in the shower. Not a minute later, though, Alfred came trotting back in, still fully clothed and dry. He held his head down, almost shyly, as he came up behind Ivan.

“Hey,” he mumbled. “How ‘bout we just,” he paused awkwardly, “shower together.”

The platinum blond raised his brows in surprise. The American blushed lightly, looking around the room nervously. While he may be more comfortable with PDA then Ivan, Alfred was still shy about being naked around him. Ivan just found it adorable.

“That works for me.” He had to strain to keep his excitement out of his voice, but it must have slipped through anyway.

“W-we’re just gonna shower and go to bed, alright.” The pink on Alfred’s cheeks became more red as he sputtered slightly. “I, um, still have to be at work tomorrow morning.” He fiddled with his hands, looking anywhere except at him.

“Whatever you say, Fredka,” Ivan laughed, standing up from the couch and walking over to the blond. He put a hand under his chin, lifting up his head and forcing blue eyes to look at him.

“You are an odd one,” he remarked. He leaned down towards him, pressing a deep kiss on his lips.

Alfred still blushed lightly, smiling into the kiss before pulling away with a little laugh. “Yeah,” he smirked, “but you love me anyway,” he said before returning back to the kiss.

Ivan hummed nonchalantly into the kiss, eagerly returning it. He moved his lips gently against the other’s, pressing slightly more against the shorter blond to dominate the kiss, before pulling apart. He grinned at the blond’s dazed face and headed into the bedroom to get a change of closes. Once he snapped out of his daze, the honey-blond followed quickly behind him, footsteps thudding against the floorboards.

When Ivan walked into the bathroom connected to the bedroom, Alfred had already stripped off his shirt and started the shower. He couldn’t help but stare at the tan, muscular back as he unwound his scarf. He swiftly turned back around when looked back at him, distracting himself by taking off his own shirt. When he looked up in the mirror, however, he caught the other eyeing him up and down as well, before looking away completely red-faced.

Ivan smiled contently as he finished disrobing. Nothing made him happier than to see Alfred like this: joyous, healthy, and without a care in the world. Life hadn’t always been this kind to him. Life for Alfred had once been pretty rough. And on Ivan too at times.

When he had first met him, the cheerful blond had been a simple cashier, who happened to have the most beautiful smile Ivan had ever seen. As he started to get to know him, however, he found out just how hard life was for Alfred at that time. Living on minimum wage, the only place Alfred could afford was a rundown, shitty apartment with two other drunkard roommates. Having been living in borderline poverty since he was a teen, he was unable to attend college, and therefore had a hard time finding a second, better-paying job.

Ivan, absolutely smitten with the sad blond, helped him find the second job he needed, calling in a favor from an old Japanese friend who owns one of the casinos uptown. After that, the two began seeing each other more and more. And the rest was history.

Ivan was pulled out of his memories by a warm hand tugging at him. He let the other guide him into the shower, doing his best not to stare too much. They finished washing up, much faster than if they had done it separately, Ivan thought, and with plenty of hot water. They dressed more slowly, stealing occasional glances at each other, and finished their nightly routine. Alfred had protested enthusiastically when Ivan began spreading shaving cream over his face but ultimately did not stop him.

Afterword, Alfred went through the house, turning off the TV and all the lights, while Ivan climbed into bed and waited for him. He joined him shortly, crawling under the covers and snuggling up next to him. Ivan wrapped his arms around the smaller man, resting his chin on the slightly damp head as they both drifted off into sleep.

OoOoOoO

Ivan was awakened by the sound of drawers opening and hurried footsteps stomping around the room. He cracked one eye opened to see Alfred out of bed, hastily getting dress and rushing around the room picking up his shoes and jacket. With a groan, he rolled over and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. 6:55 a.m. Alfred didn’t need to be in until 8 usually.

“Why are you up so early?” He questioned groggily, accent thicker than usual. “And why are you in such rush?”

“I forgot my boss asked me to be in at 7 this morning,” he stated, struggling to shove his pants on. “Shit, I'm already late, he's gonna kill me.” Finally pulling his pants on, he snatched his keys and wallet off the dresser and bolted out the door, shouting “Bye, Ivan,” as he slammed the door behind him.

“It’s fine,” he muttered, “but why are you back so late?” Alfred was usually never out this long, even on busy nights. “Is everything alright?” he fretted, a slight frown graced his features.   Alfred shook his golden blond head while smiling softly at him. “No, no, no. Everything's fine,” he said. “I just had to fill in for the Black Jack dealer. Hehe, he had to go home a little early. Had a bit too much to drink.”

Ivan’s frown relaxed a little at his explanation. Alfred reached out his hand, threading  his fingers through platinum colored hair before leaning in and leaving a chaste kiss on his forehead.

“You worry too much, big guy.”

“Is that such a bad thing?” he replied, taking the hand from his hair and leaving a kiss on the back of it.

Alfred rolled his blue eyes playfully at the action. “As much as you worry, it might be,” he stated. “As much trouble that you get in,” he shot back, “I should worry more.”

Alfred snuggled in closer while Ivan wrapped his arms around him. “Eh, you can worry more in the morning. I’m tired right now.”

A light chuckle escaped the larger man. “Alright. Goodnight, Alfred.”

“Goodnight, Ivan.”

As he drifted off, Ivan hugged him closer. Though Alfred may not know it, he had every reason to worry about him. There were dangerous people in his line of work that would jump at the chance to get an advantage over him. Nevertheless, he couldn’t let Alfred go. He was too selfish for that. Eventually, sleep found him once again.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Sunlight was streaming in through the windows into the bedroom when Ivan woke up. He blinked his eyes open slowly, adjusting to the soft light in the room. He shifted, feeling a warm weight around his torso. When the weight around his midsection moved, he looked down to see Alfred with his head lying on the Russian man’s chest and his arms wrapped around his middle. A soft little hum sounded from the younger man as he snored peacefully. The platinum blond disentangled himself from his partner, moving slowly so he wouldn't wake him. He stood and stretched, then headed into the kitchen. Turning on the TV, he began making coffee for himself and Alfred when he woke up. He would probably not be long, the cheery blond was surprisingly not a late sleeper.

The news station droned on in the background as Ivan poured himself a cup of coffee.

“In recent events, the Banksy Brothers have once again brought terror to Atlantia in their latest heist. Yesterday evening, the Brothers broke in a bank in the downtown area and stole over 25,000 U.S. dollars.”

Three members of the Guardian Guild arrived on the scene shortly. However, during their escape, the two criminals set off a chain of explosions. Witnesses say that one of the Guardians, the noble General Winter, was caught in the explosion. Lucky he seemed to be relatively unharmed, and no civilians were injured in the events.”

Ivan glanced over at the TV, listening bitterly as he remembered yesterday’s events. He took a long sip of coffee to soothe his nerves, before beginning making breakfast. He pulled the milk carton out of the fridge as well as a few eggs. It was Sunday so he thought pancakes would make a special treat. He started mixing in the milk and eggs with the pancake mix, letting the news cast drift into back into the background.

He stopped mixing when he felt arms wrap around his waist and a warm breath on his back. He looked over his shoulder to see a blond head pressed against his back. “Good morning, Alfred.”

Alfred glanced up at him with a smile and replied, “Morning.” He pulled away slowly to pour himself a cup of coffee.

Ivan turned back to the pancake mix, pouring it into the pan on the stove top. “I thought you might sleep a bit longer. You were home rather late last night.”

“Eh, I couldn't go back to sleep after you got outta bed,” he said, taking a big swig of his coffee.

Ivan glanced over at him after putting the pancakes on a plate. “Sorry. I did not mean to wake you,” he said apologetically, taking a seat at the kitchen island.

“Don’t mention it, sweetheart,” Alfred responded, flashing Ivan that movie star grin of his. He took a seat beside Ivan at the bar and added pancakes on his own plate. “Damn, busy night in the city last night,” he stated suddenly.

Ivan glanced at his roommate in confusion before peering over at the TV once again.

“Other events took place last night in a wealthy neighborhood over in Tren district. Around 11 o’clock last night, there was a break in at the mansion of the wealthy Trost household. The business man, Mr. Trost, said that he saw what looked a shadow man moving through his house.”

Amethyst eyes watched the news woman in silent shock. No call had been sent out last night. Not after the Banksy bank heist. There wasn’t even a call on the police radio, not that he had heard.

“The rich hotel owner claims that the thief grab a few pieces of jewelry and the money out of his and his wife’s wallet, then ‘seemingly melted into the shadows on the walls’ as Mr. Trost put it. Civilians are claiming this is the work of the Shadow Dog, the city’s favorite anti-hero.”

As the news changed to a different topic, Ivan was left to contemplate this new information. The Shadow Dog was a curious man. Hell, many questioned if he was even a he in the first place.  Not much was really known about him and the extent of his powers. The Guardian’s Guild had him  investigated as much as they could, what with him being a super and all. The Shadow Dog had the ability to enter shadows as if they were a doorway to another room. Once in the shadows he could use them to move around the city quickly, using them to disappear into thin air, and even go through walls or climb vertical buildings. Apparently, he was a fairly decent street fighter as well. Though, he wasn't much of a villain. He never killed or caused mass destruction like the other menaces of the city. In fact, the lower class people looked at him almost like a vigilante of sorts. It was not uncommon for him to be found beating up muggers or seen fighting off street gangs. Ivan had once heard he had gone into a burning building and bringing out more than a few people (though that was merely a rumor. Whether or not it was true was another matter). He picked up those that were too weak and put down those that were too powerful. He was, however, not a hero. Well, not completely anyway. The robbery on the news was proof of that. The Dog was still a criminal in the eyes of the law and a terror to wealthy, arrogant businessmen and women. He wasn't above stealing to get what he wanted. Though, if the Shadow Dog has robbed someone, you can be sure the local homeless shelter would not be going hungry that week.

Once the pancakes were all gone, Alfred stood and placed the dishes in the sink to be washed later. Ivan quietly sipped at the rest of his coffee while watching the weather report onscreen. Looks like all the rain had passed for the week.

“Do we have anymore milk?” Alfred asked suddenly.

The Russian looked at him curiously, having been brought out of his trance. “No, I used the last of it to make breakfast,” he replied. ”We’ll have to go to the store later for groceries.” He let out a soft sigh. He was hoping to stay inside today. Even with Firefox’s healing, he was still very sore from yesterday.

Alfred must’ve pick up on Ivan’s tired attitude. “I’ll go to the store,” he offered. “No need for you to get out and drive us there. Besides,” he added with a grin, “I imagine it was pretty hectic for you yesterday, right?” He turned a grabbed a notepad and a pencil. As far as Alfred was concerned, Ivan was a journalist who worked for a minor newspaper business. And in Ivan’s opinion, that’s all he needed to know about his work life.

The blond finished his list and headed for the door. “Be back in a bit,” he said.

Ivan gave a small hum of acknowledgement and thanked Alfred as he headed out the door, motorcycle keys in hand. At first he was a little skeptical about his Alfred driving a motorcycle, but it was the only vehicle they had. If there was anywhere Ivan needed to go, he could just walk—or fly.

Finishing his coffee, he walked over into the connecting living room, taking a seat in the large recliner next to the couch. Flipping through the channels, he let himself relax into the chair, enjoying the small bit of peace and quiet.

That is until a harsh buzzing noise from the kitchen interrupted said peace. Purple eyes glared menacingly over the recliner at the buzzing phone. Exasperated, the large man got out of his comfy seat and picked up the ringing phone.

“Privyet?”

“General Winter? It’s Firefox. The Banksy Brothers have been spotted. We need you ASAP.”

Ivan let out a tired sigh before replying, dropping his voice so it sounded gruffer than normal. “Da, I will be there shortly,” he stated before hanging up. Looks like he wasn't going to get the day off today after all.

Hope you enjoyed~