Chapter Text
Ivan POV
My morning starts off as it always does: with sleep paralysis.
My limbs are completely frozen. I can't manage even a wiggle of my toes. I need to run. There's a demon right across the living room, staring right at me, leering with black teeth, empty white eyes.
Go away, I plead in my mind. Leave me alone.
But the demon keeps leering, coming closer and closer. I try and try to move, but I'm stuck to these couch cushions.
Finally, I can move. I sit up on Alfred's couch, breathing in and out.
"Oh my God, dude. That was freaky. You were just...laying there, with your eyes wide open."
I adjust my scarf. "Sleep paralysis."
Alfred nods in understanding. He looks rather adorable, dressed in a Pikachu onesie. I see Eddie in the kitchen, and I realize I'm hungry. Looking at my watch, I see that it's 7 in the evening. I napped longer than I thought.
When Alfred comes back in, he's holding a sea shell with smoke emanating from the middle, a feather in his other hand. He mutters under his breath, walking slowly around the living room. When he circles around me with the aromatic smoke, I chuckle a little. "Alfredka...what are you doing?"
He doesn't answer until he's walked the entire first floor, opens the windows, and then puts away the aromatic smoke and the shell and feather. He plops down next to me on the sofa. "Smudging. It's the Dine way of cleansing bad spirits out."
I frown, perplexed. "Alfredka, I don't have a demon, it's a recognized medical condition, da?"
Alfred shrugs. "I know, dude. But every time I have sleep paralysis, which isn't often, I usually see an evil ghost the same day."
Sunflower, that might not be a real ghost. I smile regardless. "I appreciate it. What were you burning, it smells delicious."
He chuckles. "White sage. My mother taught me that, before....um..."
I finish, "Before Trail of Tears?"
Alfred nods, his face clouding with something dark. I pat his shoulder, and he seems to light up a little.
"Я пришел забрать то, что принадлежит мне." A cruel voice, Zhalkiy, whispers in my head. I ignore him, even as it sends chills through my bones. Trying to distract myself, I wander to the kitchen, where Eddie and Sean are cooking dinner. Alfred helps out as much as he can, washing onions and potatoes but not going near the knife drawer, to my relief.
"Alfred, where'd you even get those...whatever they are?" Sean says in amusement as Alfred noms on pain au chocolat.
He laughs. "It's pain au chocolat! And it's so delicious! Ivan, you want some? Don't let me hog it all."
I smile and take two of them. "Spasibo. Do you have jam? I only eat sweet bread pastry with jam."
Alfred hands me a jar of blueberry preserves, and I eagerly spread it on my pastries. Eddie chuckles as Alfred and I finish the entire large box. "How do you two manage to eat so much and still be hungry?"
I explain with a smile, "We are both nation, our metabolism makes us hungry. And also, we are both on strong medications."
Alfred nods, drinking orange juice right out of the carton. I watch as he searches in his cupboard, making a noise of joy when he finds a bag of candy. I recognize the brand, and idly wonder why Alfred is eating edibles.
I worry when he finishes the entire bag, and then peers at the bag. "Oh shit. Those were my edibles!"
Sean pouts. "You didn't save any for me?"
"Alfred, that'll clash with your medication." Eddie chides, sighing as he turns on the oven.
Alfred laughs. "Dude, they were only ten milligrams each! How much is that, that's not even that much."
I giggle. "Oh dear. You're going to be so high."
"Pfft. No I won't."
Alfred, it turns out, is very wrong. When dinner is cooked, roasted potatoes with onion soup, the weed begins to hit him. He finds more edibles and lets me eat half of them, giving the rest to Sean and Eddie.
I sit on the floor right next to the fireplace, watching as Alfred plays Stardew Valley, Tony next to him. Eddie and Sean are watching too, only looking mildly bored. I giggle as Alfred yawns and smiles dopily, staring into space with a rather cute look on his face.
Bundled in blankets, I say to him, "Alfredka, I want see your sensory room."
He snaps out of his reverie, and grins tiredly. "Sure, dude!"
The two of us meander upstairs, past the guest room where Sean and Eddie sleep, past Alfred's bedroom, and finally, to a room that is spacious. Alfred claps his hands, and to my delight, fairy lights blink on.
The entire room is pastels, adorned with plushies, and the atmosphere is soft and calming. I gingerly sit on the rocking chair, and Alfred pushes it so it rocks, creaking a little under my weight. I close my eyes, a smile growing on my face. Alfred turns on classical music, and I think about the first time I heard this particular piece; many centuries ago.
Alfred voices my thoughts. "I was freshly a nation when this came out."
I laugh. "We sound like geezers, da."
"You're the geezer here, not me." He says with a smirk. I happily hum. Am I falling asleep?
A heavy blanket is laid over me, and I snuggle underneath it. A hand ruffles my hair, ever so gentle. I happily smile when a pillow is slid under my drooping head, and a kiss is planted on my cheek.
I wake unable to move as usual, that same demon leering in the corner. I wait for it to pass, trying to ride the wave of fear paralyzing me. Eventually, my limbs loosen, and I can stand up and stretch. Not seeing Alfred, I wander through the halls, humming the classical music piece I was listening to.
I hear another melody playing, but can't pinpoint from where it is coming from. I search and search, even entering Alfred's bedroom to try and find the source. I have to accept defeat when ten minutes pass on my watch and the music only grows louder.
Voices begin to speak from the corners, unintelligible but definitely in English. I listen, my irritation only mounting. When they don't cease and I hear more and more of them, I sink to the floor, arms encased around my head. "Go to happy place, Ivan. Think of Malibu beach, think of Alfredka."
I close my eyes, imagining I'm in Malibu again, happily splashing around in the waves, Alfred running after me. It's not long before I can uncurl, and everything around me is blurry, morphing into Malibu. I giggle and happily watch as Alfred spins around, looking utterly blissful. His scars are gone, and there's no sad heaviness in his eyes anymore.
"...really high. Hey dude, let's get you to bed."
Malibu vanishes, but I can still feel the warmth of the sand, the hot sun on my back. I smile loopily at Alfred as he helps me to my feet. My vision is so far away looking, like I'm watching Alfred guide me though the hallway through a TV screen. I begin to truly wonder if that's what's going on, before a terrifying truth comes to me: I'm not Ivan. I'm someone else, perhaps an unnamed evil face who locked us inside a TV screen!
"Hey, hey. Dude, it's okay. It's alright." Alfred's voice sounds tinny and distorted. Where even am I?
I shakily say, "Alfred, you are trapped. But I can end this, I can get us out. They..I won't do this again! I'll pay for my mistakes!"
"What are you talking about? Ivan, are you okay?"
Something cold is in my hands. Oh, I must be back home. But why is Alfred here? No...I'm in a familiar looking room...come on, I should know this place!
When I remember I'm in the sensory room, I see that Alfred is holding me, rubbing my back. I'm holding ice cubes.
I laugh shakily in relief. "I did it!"
"You sure did, babe. Okay, I'm never giving you weed again."
I shake my head, getting to my feet and pacing. "I got us freed. But I wasn't me, Alfredka, I was an evil mastermind! But I think he's gone. I hope. Alfredka, do you think he's gone? Have you ever looked inside a TV? The wires...they must be there to put people inside! Turn them tiny, and then they're inside the screen!"
Alfred doesn't respond, and I'm unable to read his face. Is he mad at me? "Alfredka, I say something wrong?"
He stands up, patting my shoulder. "Nothing's wrong, big guy. Say, I bet you've got munchies. There's leftovers of dinner."
I nod. I am actually pretty hungry. "Good idea, da."
Alfred also makes me a milkshake, much to my pleasure. For some reason, he leaves and comes back with something hidden in his sweater pocket, I get distracted by Eddie asking me something about Russia. I answer, wondering what I even said.
The milkshake is delicious, and the roasted potatoes and soup warms me up. When I deposit my disshes in the sink and start to clean them, my hands begin to feel stiff. My feet are next, and I watch in fear as I become immobile, slowly collapsing to the floor. I lay in a rather uncomfortable position. To my confusion, I stay conscious, though my eyes close. But I can't move a single muscle.
"Oh shit. Alfred, come quick!"
I hear Alfred plop down on the floor next to me. A hand checks my pulse, and another opens one of my eyes, shining a light.
"Pupillary response is normal. Ivan, can you hear us?"
Yes, I want to scream. I can hear you, please free me! Is this my retribution for freeing Alfred? What's happening?!
"Mattie, is Katyusha there? Oh, good. Yeah, it's Ivan. He's collapsed, he won't move, he won't respond and I think his schizophrenia's acting up."
What is that supposed to mean? I'm relieved at hearing Katyusha's name. Maybe she can get me out of this.
I hear a door open, footsteps, and then Katyusha's hand is on my shoulder, trying to rouse me. "Ivan? Brother, wake up!"
"He's definitely conscious, ma'am. He just...seems to paralyzed or some shit." Is that Sean?
"I know what this is, eh. But Ivan needs medical attention if this hasn't happened before. You mentioned he's schizophrenic?"
"так. He does, but I don't see how-"
"It's catatonia, and it can happen with schizophrenia. I know because Alfred's had it before. Your muscles stiffen completely and you can't move. Best we can do is get a doctor and keep him comfortable, if it's the first time."
Catatonia...where have I heard that word before? Maybe I haven't and I'm imagining it.
"...hasn't ever done this before to my knowledge. Natalya, do you have any recollection of this happening to him ever?"
"няма, never seen it before." Little sister! She is here! I struggle to move, and this time, my legs ccome loose. My arms are next, and before I can praise God, I'm sitting up, and staring at many worried faces.
Alfred laughs shakily. "You're back!"
Sean asks calmly, "Ivan, has that happened to you before?"
I silently shake my head. It's then Sean glances at the others, and dials something on his phone. 911. They're sending me to the hospital and locking me up!
My heart pounds. "Nyet, don't do that."
Alfred grabs my hand. "Ivan, they need to make sure it's not something serious."
Panic seizes me. "Please don't do this, you don't need to lock me up. Pozhaluysta, ne nado!"
"Babe, they're not gonna lock you up. You'll just go to the emergency room."
Mattie nods. "Yeah, and maybe get a brain scan, or something. Nothing too scary."
My lip wobbles. "Alfredka, you have to stay with me, you hear?"
He nods. "Of course, babe."
"Little brother, I'll be there too."
I breathe in, breathe out. "I am strong Russian man, if I can survive General Winter, I can survive trip to hospital!"