A/N: Yeah, I mentioned a few days ago I was going to do hits...so I am!

I'm starting it to day because, as of now, I have 100 days left to spend with my friends, with my family. I have 100 days left to live in my home town. And then I won't live here for the next 6 years. I'll be up in Maine, in the itty bitty town of Machias, going for my Master's in marine biology.

It's actually kind of scary, thinking about it all. I won't have anyone to tell me what to do, or make me food. I'll have no one to take money from. Everything from then on, will be my choices, with no one to really guide me, but myself.

It's scary. But I'm still excited.

And going to college is something special, so, I thought I' do something special with my last few months here! I hope you like it!

Mostly AlfredxIvan based. Other characters are mixed in, but that's either to further the plot, or their relationships. Enjoy.

Alfred bounced on the balls of his feet, his pointer finger tapping out a frantic beat on his thigh. His other hand was used to roll up the falling sleeve of his sweatshirt. Standing in line, mashed in between two of ,what must have been, one hundred other people was starting to get stifling.

Sky blue eyes flicked to the clock on the wall above the registers. Registers that were miles away.

He turned his gaze away from the clock, a glare from his glasses masking the worry lining his eyes. School was going to start soon - in about ten minutes. He couldn't be late again. He'd lose his class credit and he wanted to graduate next month.

But it felt like the line hadn't moved an inch, the hands ticking in the never ending circle moving too fast.

Alfred glared at the small tube in his hand. The label read lip balm, but he eyes saw the spawn of the devil.

It was all this stupid thing's fault. The reason he was stuck in this, his personal hell, standing so close to the person in front of him he could practically smell the scent of their deodorant and losing his sanity as he lost his high school credits.

If only his younger brother hadn't asked for a stupid tube of lip balm.

Why the hell did Mattie even want some anyway? Lip balm was for, like, girls. You didn't see men put any of this stuff on their lips. Except for Francis. Alfred shivered. But he was creepy and girly anyway, so he didn't count.

What would the cashiers think when he put this item down? If it was a girl up there, they'd either smirk but really laugh outside - only out of politeness - or think he was gay. And, if it was a guy working in whatever register he was unfortunate to get to, they'd laugh outright and call him gay. And there was no other item to hide it under! Maybe if he just snatched a candy bar or that magazine right there, he could-

"I can help the next customer over here."

Alfred snapped out of his panicked thoughts and, wondering where in the world the bazillion other people in line had gone, he swallowed (Damn you, Mattie. How could you do this to me? Your own brother?) and stepped up to the counter.

"Good morning, sir", the woman chirped, punching in a few buttons on the cash register.

At least she would only smirk. Out loud.

The cashier pulled out a small plastic bag and placed the stick of lip balm inside. "Will that be all today?"

Alfred hurriedly took the bag and handed over the money, nodding. "Yeah, thanks."

"Have a nice day", she called, beckoning for the next in line.

Alfred shot out of the small store, stuffing the change and receipt into the bag. He wasn't watching where he was going, and didn't notice the shadow until it towered over him.

"Watch out!"

Alfred let out a muffled oof and his glasses dug into his face as he walked right into the other person.

"Dude, I'm so sorry. I wasn't watching-"

"Icould see that", a heavily accented voice looked up, and up, and up, to meed the pale violet eyes of the man obstructing his path. The purple eyes widened in surprise. "Alfred Jones?"

Alfred gave him a small, uneasy smile. How did he know his name? He was sure he's never even seen this freakishly tall guy before this. And a man with such pale gray hair and an old fashion coat as that, he would have definitely stood out. "Yeah? And who are you?"

The other frowned. "I am Ivan Braginsky."

Oh. Russian. That's what the accent was. The name sounded only vaguely familiar, like he's overheard it in a conversation before.

The Russian's frown deepened. "I am in your physics class? I sit behind you."

There was a guy behind him in physics calls?

By the scowl on Ivan's face, Alfred though voicing that aloud wouldn't be one of his best ideas. So he went for plan B. Lying.

"Oh! Ivan! Hey, man. You don't talk very much in class", I think"and you're always the one getting the better grades", I hope,"even though I try like crazy!" He grinned.

Ivan watched him, unconvinced, with narrowed eyes and Alfred's smile dimmed as the eyes stayed on him.

"Yeah, well, it was nice catching up and all, but I'm going to be late, so..."

Before Ivan could begin to formulate a response, Alfred stepped around the giant and dashed to his car.

There was a giant Russian sitting behind him in class? Since when? Why hadn't he noticed him before?

He glanced out of his window as he drove out of the parking lot, watching Ivan disappear into the store.