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Post by Russia on Nov 5, 2010 3:39:44 GMT -5
Violet eyes quickly fastened on Toris as the other nation made a slight choking noise at what Ivan saw as a perfectly reasonable and sane statue idea. The blonde Russian gave the other man a questioning look, trying to figure out why his words would cause such a reaction. He was being perfectly serious after all. He came to the conclusion that Toris must have merely been coughing. Surely there was no way the slender brunette would laugh at Ivan’s ideas. He had not said anything funny, and to laugh at a superior was never good.
“I think perhaps that image might have been too powerful for the people of Vilnius. Lithuanians tend to be quite...mild.”
A decent looking statue would be too powerful for the Lithuanians? Toris was probably right; he would know his people far better than Russia would. A statue like that would be a rather powerful symbol after all, and if they were half as mild mannered as their nation was, it would undoubtedly be too imposing. As it was, Lithuania himself was prone to acting more timid whenever Ivan brought out his own pipe. All the more so if the Russian had been drinking that day. He concluded that Lithuanians in general were very skittish people.
“Vanya, look,”
The tugging, combined with the verbal command drew his gaze once more from the pretty greenery of the surrounding square. He allowed himself to be gently guided over to a patch of small yellow-ish flowers. Staring down at the small plants, he was about to ask what they were when Toris decided to answer.
“It's rue.”
He watched as Toris stroked the delicate looking plants, noting that they were indeed pretty enough, but nothing next to his gorgeous sunflowers. Taking one of his gloves off, Ivan reached down and petted the flowers as Toris went on about how they were his national flower. To him the little flowers looked fragile enough to be a Lithuanian national emblem. Not that he could say much, having chamomile as a national flower. With his obsession with sunflowers, he often wished that they were his national flower instead. They were a much more powerful, and noble looking plant. Far more beautiful too.
“These are...as lovely to me as sunflowers are to you.”
The pale Russian looked at Toris as though he had just officially declared himself a madman. How could these little flowers possibly be more appealing to anyone than sunflowers? They were so small! And relatively drab next to a sunflower of any type. After so many years of living with him, he had to wonder how Toris could still have such an odd taste in plants. Yet, Toris himself suddenly looked sad while staring at the rue.
“Do I really have to go back with you to Moscow tonight?”
Russia laughed at the remark, initially assuming that his Lithuanian lover was playing around. “You’re so silly sometimes, Litva.” Resting his hand on the other smaller man’s shoulder, he stared into Toris’ green eyes. There was something unsettling about the Baltic’s expression. He looked generally sad and upset. Russia’s smile faded as he realized that just maybe Lithuania was not trying to be silly. If he really was serious though, he was being completely unreasonable.
“Of course you are going to return with me. Why would you even ask me this?” His eyes fell back onto the rue. Somehow, those deceptively innocent looking flowers must have convinced Lithuania to plead to stay. They must have been the reason. Before Toris had seen them, he had seemed perfectly content to stay at Russia’s side. It was only after he had ran a hand over them that he suddenly got the crazy idea to stay in Vilnius, and force Ivan to go home to Moscow alone. His eyes narrowed at the rue as though the plants had personally done him a great wrong. In his mind he could almost hear them snickering at him, as if to rub it in that they had convinced Lithuania to be difficult.
Rising to his full height once more, the less than sane and understanding country lifted his boot and stomped down on the wicked little rue plants. He would teach them to go causing problems between himself and his subordinate. After stomping the small group of offending plants into oblivion he looked to Lithuania once more, his serene smile falling back into place. “Ignore the flowers, Toris. They were just being difficult. You want to come back with me, yes? Unless…you want me to travel all the way back to Moscow alone?” He gave the Baltic a hopeful look, not intending to actually allow Toris to stay behind even if insisted on staying.
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Post by Lithuania on Nov 5, 2010 17:10:09 GMT -5
“Of course you are going to return with me. Why would you even ask me this?”
Toris stared at the confused Russian sadly. Why would he ask such a thing indeed, he wondered to himself. There was hardly any point- Ivan would always drag him back no matter what objections he raised. The other nation's hand on his shoulder was heavy, as though the superficially affectionate gesture was a crushing weight. He was about to speak when the blonde got to his feet and began to look at the small flowers with a disconcerting menace.
"Ivan..." the nervous Baltic began cautiously but it was apparently too late. In the next moment, the taller man brought his foot down on the little patch of plants and Toris winced as he watched a hundred little symbols of his homeland crumple and die under Russia's boot. He looked away as bitter tears began to sting at his eyes.
"Ignore the flowers, Toris. They were just being difficult. You want to come back with me, yes? Unless…you want me to travel all the way back to Moscow alone?”
Raising his gaze away from the ruined rue to meet Ivan's hopeful smile, his heart sank. There was no truthful answer he could give on the subject that would placate the violet eyed man; clearly there would be no more talk of anything that might continue to betray Toris' acute longing to remain on his own dear native soil. Slowly and sadly he got to his knees, then clambered to his feet to face the Russian. Ivan did look genuinely hurt by the notion that Toris might have somewhere he wanted to be more than at the dominant nation's side, and the brunette felt a sharp pang of guilt.
"Of course not, Vanya," he said sadly, taking one of Russia's large hands in his own two smaller ones. "I don't ever want you to be alone."
And it was true, that much he was certain of. The idea of leaving Ivan to his own self-destructive devices filled Toris with a unique kind of horror. He looked up into two bright purple pools of innocence, hope and selfishness and pressed the other man's cold hand to his lips briefly.
"I was just being silly," he mumbled sadly. And he almost felt, looking up at Ivan from under his own eyelashes, as though he really had been in the wrong to ask. The thought of leaving his lover was almost as abhorrent as the thought of leaving his homeland.
"I couldn't ever leave you," he said, both as reassurance to the blonde and as a stark reminder to himself. Still clasping Ivan's hand, he gave the less-than-sane nation a watery little smile before lowering his voice, half-ashamed, partly of his own sentiments and partly of the fact that he'd contemplated hurting Ivan in the midst such a lovely day. "You know I love you too much."
It felt like a strange, awkward statement to make, out here in the real world away from the confines of Ivan's house and the attendant blanket of quiet insanity it seemed to wrap them both up in. The words seemed so frighteningly real, here in the middle of Vilnius with the city around them and the sun streaming down and the air so crisp. But then, wasn't everything about the unlikely duo strange, awkward and frightening? Toris spent most of his days shut away from the outside world, pale and sunstarved and isolated. Depending on circumstances, the Lithuanian could easily go months on end without gaining permission to leave the confines of the blonde's ramshackle estate, and even when he did it was usually only to run errands. When he'd come back after the war ended, it had been an entire year before he'd been allowed to even venture past the front garden. His life with Ivan was bizarre, intense, glorious, painful and utterly removed from reality. No influence from the outside world touched him save through Ivan's own distorted perspective. In many ways and through no choice of his own, Russia really had become his whole world and the thought of being parted from Ivan filled him with a flutter of anxiety.
He held the hand in his grasp a little tighter.
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This post was brought to you from hospital courtesy of morphine and an iPhone so I cannot guarantee it's quality. Apologies for any formatting errors. At least I'm dedicated, right? XD
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Post by Russia on Nov 7, 2010 3:34:07 GMT -5
"Of course not, Vanya, I don't ever want you to be alone.”
He scrutinized the smaller man skeptically at first, trying to discern whether or not Toris was being truthful with those blessed words. It was what Ivan wanted to hear, and that in and of itself made him already eager to accept it as truth and move on. However, he had since learned that Toris could be a deceptive little nation when he wanted to. Memories of the brunette trying-and succeeding for a short bit- to sneak away from his influence in favor of Germany back at the beginning of the war came to mind.
His servant kissed his hand then, and Russia decided that what he said had to be truth. His hopeful look instantly gave way to childish glee. The other man really didn’t want to leave, and all was well once more. Those nasty little symbolic flowers must not have been enough to do more than put a brief crazy idea in Toris’ head after all. Now that they had been dealt with, the obedient Baltic nation had regained his senses.
"I was just being silly,"
Feeling completely content and elated once more, the larger nation ruffled Toris’ hair. It was his mode of thinking, that Lithuania should not try to be so silly all the time. All these mentions of returning to his homeland or staying in his homeland were just not healthy. It was not nice to long for something that you couldn’t have. He had been there himself on more than one occasion and it never ended in anything other than disappointment. He couldn’t help but feel that if Toris were to stop lamenting over his homeland and culture, and embraced all Russia had to offer him, then he would be a much happier nation. So long as Ivan held power over the Baltics, Toris would never get to return home for any lengthy amounts of time. Russia did not want to be lonely after all, and his sisters were not the best company most days.
Re-assured at Toris’ claim that he loved Ivan and did not want to leave him, the unhinged Russian cast one last triumphant look at the destroyed rue before dragging his Baltic captive back onto the red stone path with him.
“You shouldn’t be so silly about these things, Toris. You’ve left me before, remember?” His eyes wandered to Lithuania’s chest, before he turned his head to look down the path again. If nothing else, the scars on the other man’s pale flesh should serve as a reminder to stay in line and not act on any foolish ideas he might develop. He doubted the other nation would actually try anything silly again; not after the punishment he had incurred from the last time.
“Besides, what is there for you here, that you don’t have at my house? Don’t I take good care of you and the others?” Meandering off the red stone pathway and onto the lush green grass, Russia patted Lithuania’s arm affectionately. “You know that so long as you do as I say without a fuss, I’ll protect you. It’s only when you get silly ideas in your head that I have to hurt you,Да ?” As far as he was concerned, that last part was obvious. He liked to think of himself as a benevolent and fair master, who would only hurt those who deserved it. In his mind, he wasn’t cruel at all to Toris or any of the other nations under his power. He was fair, yet strong and unyielding at the same time. If Lithuania would behave himself, then he would never have to feel the lash of the whip or the crushing blow from the pipe.
Leading the way through the park with no real destination in mind, Russia’s thoughts slipped to the embassy and the fact that they needed to be there at three o’ clock. They had not been too long in the café, and it seemed to him that they had not been in the park for a ridiculous amount of time, but all the same, time had a way of sneaking up when one least expected it. As much as he was not looking forward to being cooped up in the embassy building for awhile, he couldn’t be late. Forgetting he was the one with the watch, he turned his eyes back to Toris. “How long do you think we’ve been out here?”
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Post by Lithuania on Nov 8, 2010 22:18:22 GMT -5
“You shouldn’t be so silly about these things, Toris. You’ve left me before, remember?”
Violet eyes trailed down towards his chest and Lithuania suddenly felt his throat go tight. Absently, he placed a hand over his chest, where four stark cyrillic letters stood out underneath his clothing, in amongst the myriad of other pale scars. Ivan's name, which was etched indelibly into his flesh. Another brutal reminder of the reality of their relationship, not to mention another reason why nobody but the blonde would ever be able to see him with his shirt off.
The lilt in his voice and the casual glance at his chest was really all it took for Toris to get the message, the unspoken theat which hung in the air every time the Baltic so much as hinted at wanting freedom.
“Besides, what is there for you here, that you don’t have at my house? Don’t I take good care of you and the others?”
The brunette nodded vaguely and made a non-commital noise as he followed Ivan onto the grass, his hand still absently twined up with the other's. There wasn't much he could say that wouldn't betray how he felt on the matter, so it was better for him to stay silent, he reasoned. Ivan's hand on his arm caused him to look up with a start.
“You know that so long as you do as I say without a fuss, I’ll protect you. It’s only when you get silly ideas in your head that I have to hurt you,Да ?”
“ Да, Иван,” he replied mechanically, avoiding those starling violet eyes and fixing his gaze on the scarf around the other man's throat. It seemed like such a simple little contract. Be obedient, and nothing bad would happen. In theory, it wouldn't be such a bad way to live, if it wasn't for the fact that Ivan's ideas of obedience were often unfeasible to the point of being impossible. The blonde expected so very much from him, and gave almost nothing in return but pain, worry and the odd small flash of hope. Would things really be better now that Stalin was dead? He sincerely hoped so. He was about to say more when the Russian cut him off again.
“How long do you think we’ve been out here?”
Toris looked at him in slight surprise. “I don't know, Vanya,” he pointed out reasonably. “I don't own a watch.”
Because you wouldn't let me have one.
He reached over and gently tugged Ivan's sleeve up to glance at the time. Two fifteen, and they were due at the embassy by three. “We have some time,” he said, with a hint of regret. He wasn't particularly looking forward to an afternoon of meekly acting as secretary and translator for the Soviets, especially not where his own people were concerned. Still, better for everyone if he could somehow ensure that the meeting went smoothly. “And it's not so far. But if you want to walk there, then we should probably start to go soon.”
He pulled Ivan's sleeve back in place and wondered how he wasn't far too warm. Looking up at the taller nation, he met his eyes for a moment. “I do try really hard, you know,” he said thoughtfully, looking down at the grass again. “To make this work, to be what you want, to keep you happy...” He let go of Ivan and shoved his hands in his pockets, chewing on his bottom lip for a moment. He wasn't terribly sure of what point he was trying to make and he faltered quietly. “Just...I try. It's not easy and sometimes things go wrong, but I really do my best. You should know that.”
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Post by Russia on Nov 11, 2010 0:54:00 GMT -5
“I don't know, Vanya, I don't own a watch.”
But of course Toris didn’t own a watch or have a way of telling the time. He had never given him one before. He was about to pull his sleeve back and check the silver watch on his own wrist, when Toris beat him to it. Perhaps he should get Toris a watch someday. They weren’t all that expensive, and it might make the smaller nation happier to be able to check the time from anywhere. That way, he would never have to be late on running errands or getting the chores done either. Better yet, Ivan could get himself a new watch and give Toris his old watch eventually.
Russia glanced at the watch himself as his sleeve was drawn back. Toris was right, they did still have some time. He looked around the quiet little square, his eyes stopping on the silhouette of the NKVD building looming off in the background behind some trees. They wouldn’t have time to visit it now though. Not if they wanted to look around it in any amount of depth. They would not have had much time even if they had went there right off and had not chosen to wander around the square and stare at the Lenin statue. It would have to wait for another time, another visit.
“I do try really hard, you know,”
Try hard at what? For a moment, Ivan was left puzzling over what his companion meant by that. Try to be good and obedient? That made the most sense in this case, but the little Baltic had surprised him before by thinking about different things at different times than him.
“To make this work, to be what you want, to keep you happy...”
Pleased that they had been on the same page this time, he watched the other man fidget and put his hands in his pockets. But why on Earth should Toris seem so discontent by that? He did a wonderful job most days with those tasks. The Baltic nation was exactly what he wanted. In many ways, Ivan had shaped him to be exactly what he wanted. All he had to do to get Toris back in line was either give him a slap or two to the face or-in extreme cases- drag him off for a good whipping. Then he was always good and made sure to do exactly as Ivan told him. He was perfectly happy with Toris, so why did the slender brunette feel the need to try?
“Just...I try. It's not easy and sometimes things go wrong, but I really do my best. You should know that.”
“Litva,” he started, lowering his voice as an older Lithuanian man made his way past them. “You always make me happy. You’re my favorite servant.” He beamed at the other nation as he grabbed onto his arm and tugged him along in the direction of the edge of the square. “You can be very naughty sometimes, but I don’t mind. After a bit of punishment you always straighten right up. So long as you stay with me and don’t run off anymore, everything is очень хорошо .”
Staring at the seemingly pensive little country walking with him, Russia couldn’t shake the near irresistible urge to squeeze Lithuania into a hug. He could be so cute when he was bothered by something, or merely thinking about things in depth. Had they not been in a public setting, Ivan would have been all too happy to grab Toris and squeeze him like some sort of over-sized stuffed animal. He managed to refrain, and stopped in his tracks once they made it to the edge of Lenin Square.
“Lead the way, Lithuania. I don’t actually know where the embassy is.” He admitted thoughtfully. Just thinking about the meeting ahead was enough to make him look back to the pretty, quiet little square with a feeling of longing. Had he not been ordered, he would surely not even bother setting foot in the actual embassy today. Meetings with other nations themselves could be tense and annoying, but at least they were interesting. The same could not always be said for these types of meetings. He was pleased at the chance to get out and about, but actually sitting in doors and listening to fellow Soviets and Lithuanians alike was bound to be about as interesting as it sounded. He wondered vaguely if Lithuania was the type who enjoyed these kinds of meetings. If so, he would probably be very happy shortly. ______________________ ((My apologies for the shortness and choppiness to this one. Hopefully I can beat this writer's block back and make the next one better. ))
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Post by Lithuania on Nov 11, 2010 13:08:07 GMT -5
“Litva...”
It's Lietuva...
Toris closed his eyes briefly and ignored the tiny flash of patriotic resentment. Ivan's next words washed away any momentary defiance that he was feeling.
“You always make me happy. You’re my favorite servant.”
As the larger nation closed a hand about his thin arm, Lithuania passively let himself be dragged to the edge of the square. He looked up at Ivan intently, and almost felt ashamed of the little thrill he felt in the pit of his stomach as the other man referred to him as his “favourite”. It was objectively worrying how Russia had managed to exploit his natural desire to please and turned it into something so absolute. But then, he loved Ivan, so it didn't really matter, right?
“You can be very naughty sometimes, but I don’t mind. After a bit of punishment you always straighten right up. So long as you stay with me and don’t run off anymore, everything is очень хорошо.”
He winced a little. The brunette felt certain that Ivan had somehow intended this slightly disturbing statement to be reassuring. He wished that the other man could see that he didn't have to beat him to keep him from running. If anything, Toris felt certain that they would be so much closer, that everything would be so much better for both of them if Ivan was able to curtail his sadistic urges. And it was always there, that nagging frustration that came from knowing that he was the saner one, that he knew better and could see things more clearly and was utterly powerless to do anything other than gently try to calm down his violent lover where he could, and hope and pray that if he was understanding enough, and patient enough, then one day Ivan would wake up and realise and come around.
Maybe now that the last war was starting to fade to bad memories, maybe now that Stalin was dead, maybe now that there was a little more to eat and things were a little more stable...maybe Ivan, who felt his country's ills more keenly than any other nation and who had gone mad as a result, would start to become that little bit calmer, and that little bit saner. It certainly seemed that way recently. Things were better now than they had been, there was almost no comparison between the state of affairs now, and the way things had been between them before the war broke out, when Ludwig had dragged Toris, bloody and emaciated and half-dead, from Ivan's home.
No, things really were looking up. And if he held out just a little longer, if he could put up with just a little more of Ivan's insanity, then maybe they'd stand a chance of being genuinely happy together. Maybe one day, Russia could find some kind of peace, and Lithuania could find some kind of freedom, and they could meet each other half way.
“Lead the way, Lithuania. I don’t actually know where the embassy is.”
With a tight nod, Toris started off in the direction of the aforementioned building. It was still some walk from the square, but they had enough time, and being out in his capital was still the most delicious experience for Toris. He was delighted that Ivan hadn't insisted on taking a taxi.
“I won't run off, Vanya,” he reaffirmed quietly after a period of thoughtful silence as they left the square behind them and emerged back onto the city streets. His voice was small as he continued. “I'll always be here. We'll live together, and plant sunflowers in the spring and keep warm through all the bad winters, and I'll make sure that you always have hot tea and a tidy house and someone to talk to.” The prospect was a happy one. Despite his blatant mental health issues and childlike demeanour, the Russian was, in his experience, far more intelligent and well-read than people gave him credit for, and capable of exceptionally engaging conversation when he wasn't being petty and delusional. Toris might have been capable of falling for a madman, but he knew that he could never love an idiot and he prided himself on being one of the few people in the world who could see how utterly precious Ivan's fragmented mind really was.
“And...and maybe you won't have to go to war again and you can stay home with me instead and let me look after you.”
And one day you'll get sane.
He let out a tiny sigh. “We can be really happy together, Vanya. I just know it.”
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Post by Russia on Nov 13, 2010 3:03:11 GMT -5
They walked the streets for a bit in silence, Ivan following Toris’ lead and staring at the people and buildings as they passed by them. It was a comfortable silence by his reasoning, not at all like the silence that hung in the air sometimes as two rivals faced off; nor the silence that would often fall when his boss had demanded an answer to an unwanted question. It was one of the reasons Ivan was so thrilled to have Toris around as company. The man did not waste time with meaningless constant chatter. Odds were, when the submissive brunette spoke out, it was something more meaningful escaping his lips. Or at least interesting.
“I won't run off, Vanya,”
The words broke the silence and only made the possessive Russian even more pleased. Already, he was certain that Toris and him would be together forever. He would always be the kind and powerful master and Toris would always be his submissive servant. The other country sounded so sincere with his ideas about the future, that it was hard to doubt he meant what he said. Russia figured so long as he kept Lithuania out of enemy hands, then all would be well between them and they could easily do all those fun things.
“And...and maybe you won't have to go to war again and you can stay home with me instead and let me look after you.”
He stared off absently at an old dilapidated building as he listened. Truth be told, he liked wars. Not so much the financial strains and loss of countrymen that they brought with them, but he did genuinely like to fight and dominate other countries. In that regard, as tempting as it sounded to stay home and be waited on hand and foot by Toris, he hoped he was wrong about the not having to go to war again.
“We can be really happy together, Vanya. I just know it.”
“Aren’t we already really happy together, Toris?” He searched his companion’s expression for a sign of contentment. He was perfectly happy with how things were now between them, so he figured Toris should be as well. Wasn’t that how things were supposed to be? If he was in high spirits, then surely his lover would be as well.
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The meeting had been just as dull as Ivan had feared. It wasn’t that he had anything against meetings in general. Certain types- usually the kinds involving other nations- were very interesting to him, even if he did abhor speaking out at them. Meetings between non-countries tended to be less fun though, and more than once he found himself staring out the window of the room they had gathered in, daydreaming about sunflowers, warm weather, nuclear weaponry and rivers of vodka. After Ivan had said exactly what Khrushchev had wanted him to say - with Lithuania’s translation help - he had been left to sit there and listen to the rest of the what was said with limited interest until the meeting had ended and they were free to go at last.
They had no time to explore after the embassy. The hour was getting later and Russia just wanted to get home and relax. Preferably with some good vodka and a blazing fire. The two were a favorite combination of his for all seasons except summer - when it got to hot and humid in the area around his house for even him. He drug his faithful servant with him back onto the train, without a thought as to how Toris would feel about leaving his own homeland in favor of going back to Russia’s. Since Toris had admitted to being silly about the whole “wanting to stay in Vilnius” thing, he merrily assumed that the other nation would be just as happy as he was to return to Ivan’s personal abode near Moscow. That had been where Toris had been living again since Ivan had re-claimed him from Germany’s clutches, so why wouldn’t the timid brunette think of it as home?
The train had perhaps a few more people on it than Russia would have liked, but he managed to find an empty compartment just the same and collapsed on one of the seats near the window. Reaching up, he loosened his scarf a bit before fixing his Baltic comrade with a brilliant smile. “We can always come visit again, Toryshka.” He assured the other nation. “Maybe sometime we could come by without having any official business to attend to first. Then we can explore all the places we didn’t have time to today, Да?”
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Post by Lithuania on Nov 14, 2010 6:26:12 GMT -5
Lithuania had not enjoyed the meeting at all. Ordinarily, he didn't mind playing secretary to Ivan so much. He usually considered such affairs and their resulting paperwork to be a welcome break from domestic chores. Not to mention, even a meeting in Moscow still meant getting to leave the house. But as wonderful as being on his own soil was, today's meeting was fraught with the still-burning remnants of the anti-Soviet sentiment present within the Lithuanian populace and Toris couldn't shake the feeling that, by meekly sitting at Ivan's side and translating his words, he was somehow a continued accomplice in betraying...well, himself.
They left the meeting eventually, Ivan visibly eager to get back on the train and Toris heavy-hearted with an armful of diligently taken notes and minutes. He would type them up and put them all in order once they were back in Moscow, since he doubted that Russia had been paying much attention. In fact, if he were a gambling man, he would probably give good odds on the fact that Ivan had probably spent the last three hours daydreaming about vodka, sunflowers or some kind of weaponry.
As Ivan dragged him back on the train, Toris found himself digging his heels into the ground involuntarily. But there was no use in resisting. Russia would haul him back to Moscow whether he protested or not and starting a scene in the train station would only earn him a very pissed-off Ivan to contend with that evening. Swallowing down the lump in his throat, he followed the tall blonde to the nearest empty compartment and sat down opposite his companion. Putting one hand to the glass, he looked out longingly at what little of the city he could still see from the grimy windows of the train.
“We can always come visit again, Toryshka.”
He looked towards Ivan with a little start and took in the other man's beaming smile. And instantly, even through his overwhelming sadness at being torn away from Vilnius again, he felt a tiny little swell of hope in his chest.
“Maybe sometime we could come by without having any official business to attend to first. Then we can explore all the places we didn’t have time to today, Да?”
Despite the pale hand that was still pressed to the glass and despite the ache he felt in his chest as the train began to slowly trundle away from the platform, he matched Ivan's grin with a slightly watery one of his own.
“I'd like that, Vanya,” he whispered, his voice catching a little in his throat as he tried not to watch the sight of his capital slipping away as they sped for Moscow. “I'd like that a lot.”
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