Love you guys! Your response to this fic was amazing! Also, there is going to be a lemon later in the fic, just a heads up.

Who needs a fun chapter after the end of the last one? –Raises hand-

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Russian and War

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December 7th

12:45PM

Today was the first day of the new quarter, it was also the first day of 'Commie 101', yup, Alfred and Ivan were in their Russian class.

Dear ol' Vanya kept his distance from Alfred now a days. Not since Thanksgiving had the man touched him.

Not once, not even to pat him on the shoulder or head like he normally did in mock comfort or after Alfred did something stupid. The blonde didn't know why it bothered him so much, but his chest constricted every time the man would look shamefully away from him, or pull back quickly when the smaller blond would touch him on the shoulder or arm, yet he'd still act like nothing was wrong any other time.

The hell? It was driving the American up a wall.

Now they sat next to each other in this class and the teacher comes in spouting words that sounded like babble to Alfred, but he heard enough of it to know it was Russian.

Ivan laughs at what she says and everyone else in the class throws him awed looks while Alfred just mutters obstinacies under his breath.

As Arthur would say sarcastically: 'bloody brilliant.'

He Wished there was just a class he could take on getting a British accent and learning the slang and different word usage the Brits had vs. American. That would be a language class!

But the class went just fine, much to the blonde's glee, as they just got a simple vocabulary list and sheet on the letters and their pronunciation. Eh, not too bad, but Alfred couldn't roll his 'r's to save his life.

Damn it.

"Oh, I can help you with that, just try saying butter really fast for awhile, you just start to roll them after awhile." Ivan had said, but Alfred wasn't going to do that in public.

No sir-ee.

So here he was now, sitting in their empty apartment (Ivan had math after language) saying 'butter' over and over again as he looked over the letter sheet and vocabulary sheet, attempting to say some of the longer words and just ended up sticking out his tongue and blowing a raspberry at it.

"That's what this language sounds like!" Repeat raspberry, let paper drop to floor.

That'll show that vocabulary sheet!

Alfred flipped so he was upside down in his chair, staring at the bunk beds.

"Butter butter butter butter-"

The door opened and Ivan walked in on this scene, had it been an hour and a half already? But the blonde who saw him as walking on the ceiling, stopped his mantra for a moment to stare at the snow-covered man who tilted his head in questioning, before Alfred continuing his mantra to prove that he was practicing.

"Butterbutterbutterbutter-" He stopped suddenly, finally hearing the roll in the 'r' as Ivan crossed the room to remove his winter clothing (except the scarf of course, but Alfred understood why now).

Thinking he got a breakthrough, Alfred flipped to sit appropriately on his chair as he repeated the tail end of the word, tongue at the roof of his mouth, just behind his front teeth, trying to get the sound to come out.

"Ter, ter, ter terrrrrr!" HE HAD IT! But he also started to cackle at himself as he finally figured it out.

It sounded so funny!

"Ivan, Ivan, dude, it's like a cat purring." Alfred said between his laughter as he repeated the sound and then laughed harder.

Ivan smiled brightly at Alfred.

"Да, when you drag it out like it sounds really silly, especially coming from you! But I am glad you took my advice." He said smile remaining and Alfred felt his heart give a particularly forceful thump at the sight of the genuine smile, insult forgotten.

Stupid commie with his demon magic making him feel all weird n' stuff.

"Yeah, well, it was the only advice that I got." He replied as Ivan turned away and began unpacking his school items.

"Hey, want to help me practice saying this stuff? I just end up blowing raspberries at it on my own." Alfred said suddenly, startling himself, and even Ivan looked up in surprise.

"Really?" The hopeful look on his face…

"Да." He had heard 'yes' enough in Russian to know how to say it plus the smile the man gave him was worth it.

Ugh, knowing something terrible had happened to Ivan is making him get all mushy.

It's all a conspiracy…

Alfred needed to go play catch with Matthew and talk soon, get his head screwed on right, maybe even Gilbe- No, bad idea. Gilbert would tell him the same thing Francis would: Stick his bare-naked ass in the air for Ivan to see as an offering.

Not happening.

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December 13th

2:30pm

Alfred was outside with his brother and the rest of their rather large group of friends in the snow, the two had just got done with playing catch and were now sitting on the roots of a rather large tree on the grounds, watching as Arthur, Francis, Kiku, and this chill cat dude named Heracles were building a snow fort while Gilbert, Ludwig, Feliciano, and Ivan were making another one a bit of away from the other group.

"So, what's up Alfred?" Matthew asked, bumping his shoulder into his brother to grab his attention.

"Oh, nothing much man. I think the damn commie put some sort of spell on me." Alfred said, throwing said man a glare at his back before turning his gaze back on a chuckling Matthew.

"Spell? I thought that was Arthur's jurisdiction." He stated, and Alfred grinned with him.

"They're probably conspiring against me together. Weirdos. But really thought, Mattie. I just keep getting these odd feelings around him. I don't really know what to think of them. I mean, they're similar to when I liked that one chick back in high school, but, this is way different than that. Plus-" He threw a glance at Ivan, checking to make sure he was out of hearing distance before looking back seriously to Matthew, who's light purple eyes widened.

Alfred rarely ever had that look, last time he had that look was when he watched their parents fight when Dad went over to Mom's so the boys could see each other.

That had been a few years ago.

"He hides a lot of scars under that scarf, Matthew, sometimes he gets really odd, like someone's done something to him or he's seen something. Like at the movie theater. (he wasn't going to tell Matthew the second time it happened…)" Matthew bit his lip and glanced at the tall Russian who was now sitting behind the barrier with Ludwig and Feliciano making snow balls while Gilbert was trading profanities with Arthur.

"Alfred, do you like him?"

Said twin blinked before throwing his head back and laughing loudly; fake, before denying the assumption.

"No, no, just concerned. Just a concerned friend and I wanted to know your thoughts on it."

Matthew barked a laugh of his own before mumbling

"You and Ivan are about as good as 'friends' and Gilbert and I."

But Alfred heard him, and blue eyes looked intently at Matthew.

Maple.

"What's this about Gil? Is he liking on my little bro?"

Well, in Matthew's mind, at least Alfred admitted to liking the Russian indirectly, but the sibling was pretty sure the other didn't realize he just admitted it to his brother. But, that wasn't Matthew's biggest concern: it was that look on Alfred's face…

"Alfred! I like him back! It's not like it's not mutual or anything, it's just that we haven't really told each- Alfred, what are you doing?"

The blond had gotten up from his seat, as a snowball was being formed in his hands, sky blue eyes intently focused on the albino.

"MY little bro?" He yelled harshly before chucking the snowball, hitting the white haired man square in the face, sending him to the ground with a mouthful of snow.

There was a pregnant pause.

"WORLD WAR THREE!" Someone yelled, no one was quite sure whom, but no one really cared, since everyone was dodging and throwing snow.

Alfred grabbed Matthew by the arm and dragged him behind the tree and the two brothers quickly stockpiled ammo and grinned at each other.

Them against the world, bitches better look out!

Accented voices from different nationalities screamed at each other as the sound of snow hitting snow and people erupted in the air. Alfred and Matthew looking over their cover briefly to chuck a snowball at those attempting to hit them. Alfred got Arthur in the face after a few shots, aw yeah!

They were going to have to move though, as Gilbert and Ivan seemed to have teamed up, and were going to attempted a flank on the tree.

Not today!

"You can't have him, Gilbert! He's mine!" Alfred cried out, picking up his very flustered brother with ease and rushing from the cover of the tree, as the two got closer.

Matthew argued and flailed for a moment, before going still and grinning.

If his brother wanted to play that game…

"Same goes to you Braginski! You can't have my brother! You'll have to kill me!" Matthew cried out, grinning as a confused look came over Ivan, Alfred came to a stop with a sound of indignation and Gilbert had to stop running due to his laughing.

"Dude, bro, what the hell?" Alfred exclaimed, dropping his highly amused brother who just gathered snow to create snowballs while he was on the ground.

"Oh, just returning the favor, dear brother of mine!" He said with a grin before chucking a snowball at the advancing duo that side stepped it.

Alfred just huffed before helping his brother, just managing to get a few hits in on the two when suddenly-

"Oh shit!"

The other's came from everywhere! Like the trees, and the bushes n' shit! What the hell? How'd they do that?

The whole group was after them! What kind of alliance is this?

Alfred and Matthew yelled out as they ran for their lives and zigzagged as the whole group chucked snowballs at them, trying to chase them down.

But Mattie was slowing down, side aching from running too much.

"No Mattie! Come on! We have to keep running! You can do it!" Alfred cried as he turned his head to look at his brother before ducking it as a projectile flew over him.

Matthew panted dramatically, his arms starting a pathetic swimming motion, slowing to the 'I can't go on' movement.

"Alfred, I can't-" Light violet-blue eyes widened, and Alfred stopped in his tracks.

"NO!"

Matthew had been pelted with five snowballs to the back. The poor pale blonde slowed his running and fell to his knees.

Arthur saw this and held up his hands to the rest of the group who was about to tag Alfred as well.

"No, let us watch."

Alfred ran forward and caught his falling brother a few feet from group, ocean blue eyes shining with tears as he held his brother in his lap, tiring to brush away the snow debris from the rounds shot at him.

"Y-you're going to be okay, Mattie, I promise, you're going to be just fine, and I'll make you all the pancakes you want when we get home, doused in maple syrup just how you-"

"Alfred, everything is g-going dark. You don't have to lie to me about going home-" Violet eyes unfocused on his brother and the looked up to stare at the grey, wintery sky as the weakened one coughed violently.

"Snow is beautiful, isn't it? Makes everything look so pure." A cough escaped him.

Alfred held Matthew close, cradling his brother's head to his chest, a tear escaping him.

"Yes Mattie, yes it is."

"O-oh, Alfred, I can see a light." Alfred's eyes widened in fear.

"No! No Matthew! Don't go into the light! Please!" Alfred gently shook his brother as Matthew brought up a hand to wipe away the tear running down Alfred's cheek.

"At least I didn't have to die alone." He whispered, before his head lolled to the side, his body went limp; hand falling to the side and his eyes slid shut.

"… Matthew?" Alfred whispered, but the other didn't respond and tears spilled from Alfred's eyes.

"NO MATTIE NO!" He screamed, before opening his eyes to glare at the group, who were trying very hard not to crack up (Except for Feliciano, who was crying with Alfred).

"You bastards! See what your stupid War has done?" He yelled with a sob.

"But, he threw the first shot-"

"Gilbert, shut up."

"My brother! You've killed my brother!" Alfred cried, picking up some fluff and chucking it at the group harmlessly in a show of helpless rage.

He fell to the ground next to the still Matthew and sobbed pathetically.

Gilbert came forward with a straight face as he gently picked up Matthew bridal style, a look of complete shame and sorrow coming over his face.

"He will be given a awesome hero's funeral." He said, and Alfred nodded into the snow before being helped up by Ivan and Kiku as Gilbert led the procession to the tree that witnessed the first shot of the short war.

Alfred, Arthur, Francis, Kiku, and Ludwig helped clear the snow to the frozen grass to the point that it would fit a human, or Matthew to be specific. They stood to the side as Gilbert laid Matthew 'to rest'.

Feliciano kept bawling.

"Oh Matthew! I'mma so sorry!" He cried out, tears streaming down his face.

Ludwig, surprisingly keeping up face, hugged the distraught brunette close, combing his fingers through the other's hair.

Other students passing the scene stopped to watch what was going on as Ivan and Alfred began to put snow over Matthew's legs, while Kiku and Heracles got his torso, leaving the head alone.

Alfred leaned over him and gave a peck on Matthew's cheek before flinging himself on top of the 'grave' and sobbed out some more.

"Why Matthew, WHY?"

Ivan, finished the burying by putting snow lightly over Matthew's face, and everyone stood before surrounding the 'grave' in a semi circle, bowing their heads, Francis threw a rose (Did he pull those things out of his ass? Where does he get these roses?) on the grave, wiping some tears away, hats came off as Arthur began a prayer that sounded more like a demon summoning…

An arm shot out of the snow and Alfred point at the hand in shock and fear.

"Arthur, what have you done? You made him into a zombie with your freaky voodoo shit!"

"ZOMBIE ATTACK!" Cried out Gilbert, he too pointing at the hand with fear as Matthew pulled himself out of the grave, gave a snarl.

Everyone ran for their lives as Matthew attempted to eat their 'brains' (Or peg everyone with snowballs) while the rest of the college's occupants looked on with confusion and/or jealousy. Cause it was the best snowball/zombie fight, ever. Everyone became zombies in the end, they then went inside to conduct their peace with hot chocolate and the watching of 'How to Train Your Dragon'.

In Alfred's opinion, this was a very successful snowball war.

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A/N: Quick note about the butter thing. It works. I've been able to roll my r's since I was a wee lass (I actually do it when I talk too, I've never really noticed till my roommate pointed it out) so I've never had to teach myself how to do it, but explaining to people how to do it? That's my solution. Alfred learning Russian is fun for me to write since I am too! His progress would probably go a looootttt quicker than mine though due to the fact he has some one to talk to who's fluent in it. Lucky bum. Trying to learn a language all on your lonesome is hard work, but damn if it isn't fun!

Also, who get's the reference to the 'Zombie Attack!' Line?

Thanks again guys! R&R please!