Alfred dragged his bag off of the carousel and tugged the handle up. He eyed the crowd, wishing he could understand a damn thing being said. He supposed he might have picked up a word or two if he had actually looked at the phrase book he had brought instead of playing video games and looking at magazines, but he would get around to it!
Where had Ivan said they would meet? By baggage claim? Alfred hoped it was by baggage claim, since he was there. He picked a direction and set off, trying to avoid other travelers.
“Hello? Mister?” a girl said. English! Alfred turned in her direction and blinked.
She did seem to be addressing him. She had short, pale hair, and was petite. Mostly. Except for... well. She was definitely well endowed.
“Um, yes?” Was she lost? She sounded Russian, but that didn't mean she was familiar with the airport. Though how had she known he spoke English?
“Are you Alfred?” He nodded, and she smiled fondly at him. “I'm glad I found you! Oh, Vanya says he's sorry, but he's feeling a bit unwell today.”
Alfred's smile stretched wider. “Oh, you must be his sister!”
She nodded. “I'm Yekaterina. You can call me Katyusha.”
Russian nicknames made no sense. But they were cute, so whatever.
“So what's wrong with Ivan?” Alfred asked as he followed Katyusha.
“He, um... last night...”
“Oh, he's hungover.” Alfred nodded sagely. That was never fun.
“He didn't mean to drink so much yesterday. He was in a good enough mood. But sometimes it happens.”
“He was probably worrying I'll do something stupid and start a war.”
Katyusha giggled, maneuvering through the crowd toward what was presumably the exit to parking.
“You don't seem much like your sister,” Alfred said, yanking along his suitcase and trying to juggle his other bags.
“Oh, I know. We aren't too similar.”
A mild understatement. “I can relate!” he said with a grin. Though at least Mattie didn't go psycho on Alfred's boyfriend. Or on Alfred.
They eventually arrived at a small car in the parking lot, and Alfred paused near the trunk, head tilted. “No limo?”
“No limo,” Katyusha said, helping Alfred get his bags inside. “Sorry.”
“S'okay! I like a good ol' car.”
And then he found himself enveloped in a pillowy hug. “It is so nice to finally meet you!”
“Oh, hey.” Alfred laughed, hugging her back. “And you.” Man, talk about different personalities. How could those two women be related? But Ivan was sweet, too. Maybe not in such an obvious way, but definitely sweet.
“Okay, come on.” Katyusha released him, and they got into the car. “Let's get you to Vanya!”
-----
Alfred's breath caught as he stepped out of the car and saw Ivan seated outside, looking more peaceful and content than he had in a long time, hangover either passed or ignored. The poor thing really had just needed to get away from work (and muggers). Alfred probably would have suggested a local bed and breakfast or something, rather than a country on the other end of the planet, but it must be good to be home.
Ivan's peaceful face broke out in a broad smile as he watched Alfred approach. “You made it.”
“I did!” Alfred flung himself at Ivan, hugging tight. “My ass could use a massage after all that sitting, but I'm here.”
“Hmm.” Ivan gently held Alfred close. “What do you think so far?”
“Well your hands are on my back, so that's not quite-”
“I meant of Russia.”
“Oh.” Alfred laughed. “It's great! I can't understand a damn thing though.”
“Well, you won't have to be alone much.”
“I'll just put your things in Vanya's room,” Katyusha said, rolling Alfred's suitcase toward the front door.
“Oh, thanks!” Giddiness bubbled up in Alfred. They would get to share a bed every night!
“Would you like to go sightseeing?” Ivan said.
Alfred nodded. “Of course! You don't mind showing me around? Oh, let's go to that Disney castle.”
Ivan blinked. “Um... Disney castle?”
“I don't know what it's really called. The famous building that's all colorful and looks like something from Disney.”
Ivan looked puzzled for a brief second before understanding dawned. “Do you mean St. Basil's Cathedral?”
Bratva 17a/??
Where had Ivan said they would meet? By baggage claim? Alfred hoped it was by baggage claim, since he was there. He picked a direction and set off, trying to avoid other travelers.
“Hello? Mister?” a girl said. English! Alfred turned in her direction and blinked.
She did seem to be addressing him. She had short, pale hair, and was petite. Mostly. Except for... well. She was definitely well endowed.
“Um, yes?” Was she lost? She sounded Russian, but that didn't mean she was familiar with the airport. Though how had she known he spoke English?
“Are you Alfred?” He nodded, and she smiled fondly at him. “I'm glad I found you! Oh, Vanya says he's sorry, but he's feeling a bit unwell today.”
Alfred's smile stretched wider. “Oh, you must be his sister!”
She nodded. “I'm Yekaterina. You can call me Katyusha.”
Russian nicknames made no sense. But they were cute, so whatever.
“So what's wrong with Ivan?” Alfred asked as he followed Katyusha.
“He, um... last night...”
“Oh, he's hungover.” Alfred nodded sagely. That was never fun.
“He didn't mean to drink so much yesterday. He was in a good enough mood. But sometimes it happens.”
“He was probably worrying I'll do something stupid and start a war.”
Katyusha giggled, maneuvering through the crowd toward what was presumably the exit to parking.
“You don't seem much like your sister,” Alfred said, yanking along his suitcase and trying to juggle his other bags.
“Oh, I know. We aren't too similar.”
A mild understatement. “I can relate!” he said with a grin. Though at least Mattie didn't go psycho on Alfred's boyfriend. Or on Alfred.
They eventually arrived at a small car in the parking lot, and Alfred paused near the trunk, head tilted. “No limo?”
“No limo,” Katyusha said, helping Alfred get his bags inside. “Sorry.”
“S'okay! I like a good ol' car.”
And then he found himself enveloped in a pillowy hug. “It is so nice to finally meet you!”
“Oh, hey.” Alfred laughed, hugging her back. “And you.” Man, talk about different personalities. How could those two women be related? But Ivan was sweet, too. Maybe not in such an obvious way, but definitely sweet.
“Okay, come on.” Katyusha released him, and they got into the car. “Let's get you to Vanya!”
-----
Alfred's breath caught as he stepped out of the car and saw Ivan seated outside, looking more peaceful and content than he had in a long time, hangover either passed or ignored. The poor thing really had just needed to get away from work (and muggers). Alfred probably would have suggested a local bed and breakfast or something, rather than a country on the other end of the planet, but it must be good to be home.
Ivan's peaceful face broke out in a broad smile as he watched Alfred approach. “You made it.”
“I did!” Alfred flung himself at Ivan, hugging tight. “My ass could use a massage after all that sitting, but I'm here.”
“Hmm.” Ivan gently held Alfred close. “What do you think so far?”
“Well your hands are on my back, so that's not quite-”
“I meant of Russia.”
“Oh.” Alfred laughed. “It's great! I can't understand a damn thing though.”
“Well, you won't have to be alone much.”
“I'll just put your things in Vanya's room,” Katyusha said, rolling Alfred's suitcase toward the front door.
“Oh, thanks!” Giddiness bubbled up in Alfred. They would get to share a bed every night!
“Would you like to go sightseeing?” Ivan said.
Alfred nodded. “Of course! You don't mind showing me around? Oh, let's go to that Disney castle.”
Ivan blinked. “Um... Disney castle?”
“I don't know what it's really called. The famous building that's all colorful and looks like something from Disney.”
Ivan looked puzzled for a brief second before understanding dawned. “Do you mean St. Basil's Cathedral?”
“That's the one!”
Ivan's smile returned. “Yes, we can go there.”