Winter Sun: Chap 4

You dusted the fireplace mantle in the ballroom the next day with Alisa. It was always your duty to dust there once a week.

"_______, you've been off lately. What's on your mind?" she asked as she picked up a glass figurine and dusted it.

You sighed and shook your head. She poked you with the handle of her duster.

"Come on ________, I tell you about me and my Alexey all the time!" she said with a giggle.

Your breath caught in your throat and you turned on her. "Who said a man was on my mind?!" You knew you gave yourself away though.

Alisa giggled and clapped her hands. "You have a man on your mind! This is terrific!" she said as she hopped up and down.

"Who is he? Tell me about him." she whispered as Madeleine walked by and looked at the two of you.

You got back to dusting furiously. She poked your arm with her duster handle again. You swatted it away and she laughed. She was another person who was immune to your temper.

"Tell me tell me tell me!" she said.

"No." You frowned at her.

She pouted and said, "I tell you everything though."

You sighed. She was right. You looked at your reflection in the mirror hanging above the fireplace.

"His name is Ivan." you mumbled.

You started dusting furiously again. "Go on." she teased.

You laughed softly and said, "Alisa, would you believe me if I told you that a long lost childhood friend popped out of nowhere and is working his way into my heart?" She looked at you in surprise.

"Tell me more. Now I'm really curious!" she said as she lightly dusted another figurine.

You loved Alisa for this reason. She rarely judged others. "I had a childhood friend in Moscow. He had been there for as long as I could remember. I was six and he was eight or nine when we became friends. He would always walk with me around Moscow. He would protect me. He never left my side. We had nicknames for each other and everything. He disappeared when I was nine. He was just gone. I walked around every street in those slums and I could never find him."

You paused and looked at Alisa. She was listening intently. You took a deep breath and continued, "I cried myself to sleep every night for a month. I missed my cornerstone, my friend. Then I started working as a scullery maid with my mother when I was ten and I eventually made my way here, as you know.

"Then, I see him again. Only, my heart has a different feeling for him now. My little Ivan has turned into a strong man, and my heart knows it. And I don't like it!"

You growled in frustration and threw your duster down and got your polishing rag. "How come I haven't seen him? You only started acting like this when that General came-" She paused and let out a small gasp.

Another thing you loved about Alisa, she had a bubbly personality but her brain was as sharp as a knife.

"Ivan Braginski?!" she hissed through her teeth.

"How do you know him?! He couldn't have grown up in the slums!" she whispered.

You shook your head. "He was captured by the former General Braginski. I guess the man was lonely so he decided to take an orphan in." you replied.

Alisa shook her head and tsked. "That's hard to believe ,but you never lie.  But ________, you have feelings for a high ranking General, childhood friend or not. You're in a tight situation if I ever saw one." she said.

You nodded and said, "I know. And I hate it."

You polished faster. She laughed and stopped your hand. "You're going to polish this mantle to death! Well my friend, you can do one of two things."

You frowned at her. "And those things are?" She held up a finger.

"One: you can ignore these feelings and be miserable and never see Braginski again after he leaves. Or," she held up another finger, "Two: You can actually try to see how this will work out."

You grunted in surprise. "Are you insane Alisa?!" you croaked. Your throat suddenly went dry because you knew she was right.

She laughed and shrugged. "I'm not letting this off easily my friend. You helped me find my Alexey! Now it's my turn to help you get your man!"

She tapped your shoulder and got back to work with a giggle. You smiled at the memory. You and Alisa did the most half-witted things so that she could be able to talk to the young man on the palace guard.

"What should I do then Alisa? I don't plan on being miserable." you grumbled. You really weren't, but you hated that you finally admitted that you had feelings for your Vonya.

Alisa put a finger to her lip and pondered for a moment. She snapped her finger and perked up. "I got it! Do what you had me and Alexey do! Go out on your day off tomorrow and you tell him to meet you somewhere. Nobody would suspect! You two would just be another cute couple walking down the streets of Petrograd!" she chirped.

You thought about it. The Tsar was going out with his family tomorrow so the military men wouldn't be busy tomorrow either.

"That could work." you mumbled. Your heart was pounding.  A day with Ivan? Without worrying about the eyes of the palace watching? You gulped.

She grabbed your arm and lightly shook it.

"It has to be fate _______! You have to take the door that is opening for you! Go find happiness!" she said excitedly.

You giggled and pulled your arm from her grasp. "You sound like a gypsy!" you laughed quietly.

She giggled and said, "My mother was one you know." You both laughed and picked up your cleaning things. You had to help clean one of the many meeting rooms now.

You and Alisa schemed about tomorrow the whole time.

*******

You walked into Ivan's room that afternoon. You jumped when a chair hit the wall next to the door.

"Damn him!" Ivan snarled. You scowled.

"Ivan Braginski if you break one piece of furniture or put another dent in the wall I will make you regret it!" you snarled back. Ivan looked at you in shock.

"Podsolnechnik?!"

You threw your stuff down and stomped over to him after you closed the door. You stuck your finger in his face.

"You know I damn will!" you said through your teeth.

He gulped and turned away. He walked over to a window and leaned his arm against the wall and he looked out.

"Fine. Act like a rebenok!" you hissed.

"You would have done that if you had to deal with that man." he growled as you started to make the bed.

You sniffed and said, "What man?"

"That ublyudok Bilinski!"

You looked at him and sighed. "Vonya, you're acting like he wants you to act. Stop." You got back to work.

"He called you a whore again Podsolnechnik."

You sighed and looked up at the ceiling. You put the covers down and walked over to him. He wouldn't look at you. He was glaring out the window. You put your hand on his shoulder.

"Vonya, the important thing is that you and I know that's not true. Now calm down, I don't like seeing you like this."

His shoulders slumped and he turned to look at you.

You pulled your hand away and you smiled. "Now, was that so hard?"

He grinned and looked down at the ground.

"Vonya," He looked up. You frowned and growled, "And if I catch you throwing furniture again…"

He grunted in surprise and you got back to work with a smirk on your face. He laughed quietly and sat in his usual chair. You went to the mantle last. You got your duster out and you started dusting.

"Vonya, I think we should meet tomorrow." you said while you were cleaning.

You and Alisa planned that you act like it was nothing. "I thought you didn't want to do that Podsolnechnik." he said in a confused tone. You looked at him over your shoulder.

He was looking at you in confusion. You turned and said, "Vonya, it's my day off tomorrow. And you said that the generals weren't going to have any meetings so I thought that we could meet somewhere in Petrograd tomorrow."

He smiled and stood up. "That's a great idea Podsolnechnik!"

You smiled and said, "Well, let's meet at the park just west of here."

He nodded and took your hand. "I'll be there in the morning Podsolnechnik." he said gently.

You gulped. You gently pulled your hand back and got your things. You looked over your shoulder and you smiled. He smiled back and you quickly walked out.

*******

You wrapped your arms around yourself against the cold. You hated this time of year. You walked down the street and you tried to get to the park as quickly as you could. You finally got there and looked around for Ivan. You finally found him leaning against a tree. You made your way over to him.

"Podsolnechnik." he said as you walked up.

"Vonya." He smiled and held his arm out for you.

You looped your arm through his and he led you away. "Where are we going Vonya?" you asked. You hoped it was somewhere warm.

"I was thinking that we could walk through the park." he said.

He looked at you. "Is that okay? Or do you want to go somewhere else?" he asked. You shook your head and leaned closer to him. You honestly didn't want to go through the park. You decided not to complain though.

Memories of Moscow swam through your thoughts. "Vonya?"

"Hm?"

"It's funny. I used to tell you where to go when we were children. Now you're guiding me." you said quietly.

He looked at you and smiled. "I guess I am." he said.

You grinned and leaned your head against his arm. He led you through the park for a little while. Then you started to shiver.

"Are you alright Podsolnechnik?" he asked. His voice was filled with worry. You nodded and he led you away toward a small cafe.

You spent the whole day with him. You let him lead you all around the city. He offered to buy you stuff in many of the shops you visited and you always pinched him and frowned when he did. You couldn't remember a time you felt happier. You felt like you were walking with him to Babushka's again. The sun was setting and he was leading you through the park again. You looked at the small pond in the middle of the park.

"Vonya look!" you said as you pointed.

The pond was frozen. You dragged him toward it. "Do you think we can walk on it?" you asked.

Ivan studied the ice. He hesitantly stepped on it. He walked out a little ways. He jumped.

"Its solid." he said with a childish grin. He knew why you wanted to go on the ice.

It was another thing he and you did when you were children. You would slip and slide all over one of the ponds in Moscow all of the time during the winter. You giggled and tip toed out on the ice. He held out his hand and you grabbed it. He grinned devilishly. He suddenly swung you around. You laughed and you held onto him so you wouldn't fall. He laughed along and you both slid along the ice a little.

"Vonya! Don't scare me like that!" you laughed as you playfully smacked his arm.

He chuckled and said, "It's payback! You tripped me all the time on the ice in Moscow!"

You laughed because it was true. He spun you around. "Vonya! We'll fall!" you squealed.

He laughed and wrapped his arms around you. "I won't let us." he said.

You laughed and held onto his upper arms. You realized how strong he was as he held you up and kept his balance at the same time. You suddenly slipped and you fell into him. You yelped as your face crashed into his chest and his arms wrapped around you.

"Podsolnechnik! Are you alright?!"

You laughed and regained your balance. You looked up at him and your breath caught in your throat. You just realized how close you were to him. Your hands were splayed out across his chest and his arms were pulling you close to him.

You looked down and focused on the buttons of his coat. Your heart was starting to pound.

"Podsolnechnik, look at me."

You gulped and looked up at him. His tender gaze made you want to melt. He pressed his forehead against yours.

"Why are you afraid, _______?"

You gulped. You really had no answer for that, but you knew he was right. You were always afraid when this feeling came up, and you didn't like being afraid. You opened your mouth to answer but, no sound came out. He chuckled.

"You are definitely right though Podsolnechnik. We're not children anymore."

You laughed softly. No, you both were definitely not children anymore.

"Ivan." you whispered.

He sighed and you shivered as his warm breath fanned out across your skin. You gulped and closed your eyes. You liked this. The feel of his arms around you; keeping you safe. You didn't know how long you stood like that, but it felt like hours. You loved every second of it.

"Do you know what I've wanted to do ever since I came to Petrograd, Podsolnechnik?" he whispered.  

You shook your head.

"This." he said quietly.

He leaned forward and softly pressed his lips to yours. Your eyes widened in surprise. Your heart felt like it was going to beat out of your chest. You closed your eyes and kissed him back.

He broke the kiss off and pulled you closer to him. He dug his fingers into your hair and he buried his face in it.

"_________," he whispered.

You wrapped your arms around him. You buried your face into the junction of his neck and shoulder. You breathed in his scent. It was familiar yet different to you. Ivan looked down at you. He leaned forward again.

And that was how your night ended; you both holding each other in the fading sunlight. You couldn't count how many times he kissed you. It was a night you were never going to forget.