2P!Russia x Little!Lost!Reader- Change of Heart

Walking barefoot through the snow, [Name] looked around. She saw nothing, just a thousand miles of trees and snow. The wind blew furiously as snow heavily poured down from the dark grey sky. She shivered uncontrollably, her long locks of [H/C] hair swaying around vigorously. She took another step, clutching her sunflower tightly to her chest. It was the only thing she ever had besides from her tattered white dress, and she didn’t want to lose it. Adjusting the flower in the slim vase she held, she squinted. She couldn’t help but notice a light in the distance. Was she hallucinating? No one would live in such a cold and unforgivable place. But then again, it might be her only chance. It was probably worth the shot, as she was freezing to death and she was unbearably hungry.

She ran towards the light, footsteps crunching in the snow. As she got closer and closer to it, she could make out a shape.

It was a bungalow! [Name] wondered why a cottage would be in such a place, but nonetheless she ran faster. Despite the loud howl of the wind echoing throughout the air, the only sound she could hear was her grumbling stomach. It motivated her to keep running. Oh, she couldn’t wait to stuff her belly with warm soup!

Sooner than she expected, she stood in front of the cottage. It was just a regular cream cottage, and cute little Russian stacking-dolls were strewn on the front. Standing up on tip-toes, she wiped the window as she peered through the glass. It seems like no one was home, as it was dim and she couldn’t see a thing. Smiling, the little girl quickly shuffled to the door and twisted the freezing door knob, pushing it open. She hurriedly walked in, trying to find her way in the dark and small room. Luckily, she had found a box of matches as she was looking around, and ignited one stick before throwing the burning match into the fireplace. The fire quickly blazed to life as she added some more coals lying by the fireplace. She smiled as she sat down in front of the fire, putting her hands up near it, enjoying the warmth she felt. Her [E/C] eyes shine brightly as she watched the tongue of flames blaze brightly.  While quietly chuckling to herself, her joyous sounds were interrupted by a loud growl.

“Oh…” She whispered, clutching her belly. It was growling loudly, moaning for food. She had just enjoyed the fire too much; she forgot she was starving to death. Standing up, she took the vase with her and hugged it tightly, walking towards the kitchen to look for food. It was tiny, a bit cluttered, but she could just smell the scent of spices she couldn’t make out, making her hungrier by the minute. Looking at the dinner table, she noticed a plate of bread on it.

“This will do…” She muttered to herself, taking a slice of bread and shuffling back to the fireplace, huddling up by the fire. Hunger urged her to lift the bread up to her mouth and take a nibble.

“Mm… I bet this will taste better with jam…” She whispered, taking another tiny bite. She hummed happily by the fireplace, petting the golden petals of the flower. Though, her triumph wasn’t long before it was interrupted by a whisper filled with anguish.

“Hey you… Who told you to barge in stranger’s houses?”

The little girl turned her head around, gasping with her mouth full of bread. Her eyes met with a quite tall man, whose accent was heavily that of a Russian’s. The man’s red eyes shone as he glared into yours. The wind blew from the open door, swaying with his brown hair and his grey shredded scarf, making him look more intimidating than ever. His frown clearly stated that he does not approve of her presence.

“You need to be taught a lesson!” The man growled, pulling out a pipe concealed in his dark coat while inching closer towards her.

[Name] whimpered in fear, backing away the instant she saw the pipe. Who would hide a metal faucet pipe underneath a coat? Anyone who would do that must have issues. As the strange man took a step closer to her, she pressed her back against the wall, hiding her face with the sunflower vase.

“I’m so sorry, it won’t happen again sir, I’m really sorry…” She whispered almost inaudibly, clutching the vase and the loaf of bread tightly. “Please don’t hurt me… T-take anything you want, please…” Of course, she knew she had nothing, but she was so distressed and scared at the moment that those were all the words she could utter.

As he raised his weapon in mid-air, he noticed the item in the girl’s hand. No, it wasn’t the loaf of bread; it was the sunflower in the vase. It seems like the girl had devoted some time into taking care of the flower, as it bloomed beautifully even if she had brought it in such a frigid place. His knit eyebrows quickly settled down as he knelt down and took the slender vase in his cold hands. She stopped whimpering and slowly peered at the Russian, wondering why he suddenly stopped. He noticed her staring at him and quickly covered her eyes, whispering. “Do you… want to have it?”

He held the little girl’s wrist and slowly removed it from her face. “What’s your name?”

She shyly replied. “[Name] [L/Name], sir.”

The man stood up and went to the kitchen. The little girl was puzzled, wondering why he had just suddenly left. Minutes later, the Russian came back with a piping hot bowl of borscht. He laid it next to her and stood up, speaking. “I’m Ivan. Ivan Braginski.”

He reached his hand to the sunflower vase and grabbed it.

She looked up at Ivan’s cold red eyes and back at the bowl. Hurriedly, she grabbed it and ate it, all the while fearfully eyeing the strange owner of the house. In turn, he sat down on a single beige couch while passing the vase playfully with his hands. The girl was afraid he would break the stem, but all he did was affectionately pet the petals. Breaking the silence, she spoke. “It’s yours, if you want to have it.”

Ivan paused, glaring at the girl. She bit her lip nervously as she talked again. “My mother gave that to me a long time ago.

The Russian carefully rested the vase on the flower table. He loved sunflowers, but living in a frigid and desolate area, it was impossible to find any. It was really pretty, the golden petals brushing against his nose. It was obvious that the girl took care of the flower, as it was a gift from her mother. The girl, who had just finished her meal, licked her lips as she placed the now-empty bowl on the table. Before Ivan could speak, he felt something under his coat vibrate and heard a faint sound. Pulling out the walkie-talkie, he walked out of the bungalow and stood just outside of his door. A harsh static accompanied a voice from the device.

“Hey, Ivan! It’s me, Alfred. I got another idiot here who messed with me. I did what I normally do.”

The Russian replied to Alfred. “Da, I know. You beat him up?”

The American chuckled. “Of course, what else! So what’re you up to? I’m bored, let’s hang!”

Ivan sighed, and refused. “I want to, but I cannot. I can’t leave the girl alone.”

“Huh? You’re babysitting now? No way, dude!!”

“Do not worry; I’ll get rid of her later when she’s asleep. I only kept her for the flower, anyway.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. But yeah, do that. Bye dude!!” Alfred cut the line after that. Sighing, Ivan put the walkie-talkie back in his coat. He walked back into the small abode and spotted [Name] still enjoying the warmth of the flames, smiling as she watched tiny embers escape the tongue of flames.

“[Name], do you have anywhere to go tonight?”

She frowned as she shook her head. “N-no, sir. But I could leave if you want…”

He wordlessly walked towards her and wrapped his arms around the little girl and lifted her up. She squealed as he walked towards another room, this time a bedroom. As the other rooms, this one was also small, but it was enough to move around without a bother. He carefully brought her down on the mattress and pulled the warm and fluffy sheets on her. For some reason, she was staring at the wall, which bothered Ivan.

“What are you looking at…?” He mumbled, frowning. She spoke in an absentminded manner. “That portrait over there.”

He walked over to the portrait and grabbed the portrait from the wall. He then walked back to the girl and showed it to her. “This?”

She nodded silently, taking it in her hands and examining it. It was a picture of a young Ivan and two other young girls in the snow, smiling, although the one with the big chest seemed very… eerie. Without looking back at the Russian, she asked him a question. “Who are those two?”

He scratched his cheek as he replied. “They are my sisters, Irunya and Natalya.” He didn’t exactly like to think about his siblings.

She stared at the portrait intently. The one with the big chest, probably Irunya, was smiling widely, although it looked albeit forced. She wore a lacey black gothic dress that covered her feet. Her red eyes were similar to her brother; they were also frigid and mysterious. Her scarlet red hair was kept short and neat. The other lady, probably Natalya, had a very cheery smile. Her beautiful blonde hair was neatly kept, a white bow sitting atop on her head. Her brilliant purple eyes shone at the picture, as if they also wanted to smile too. She wore a lovely pink dress similar to her sister’s.

[Name] smiled at the image, giggling a bit. Ivan was stunned by the sudden laugh. Why was she laughing? He was pretty sure if she met his sisters she wouldn’t be laughing. The girl noticed that he was puzzled by her laughter and spoke. “You have a very lovely family.”

He replied, a bit surprised by the comment. “I wouldn’t say that if I were you.”

She sighed, frowning a bit at the picture. There was a short silence before she spoke again. “I wish I had a nice family.”

The Russian glanced at her. “What do you mean?”

She crept out of the bed and returned with the sunflower she had brought earlier. She settled back on the mattress and handed it to him. “My mother passed away a few years ago. She gave me a sunflower as a reminder so I could always remember her by.”

Another short silence hung in the air between them before she broke it with her words. “I didn’t have any friends. My father doesn’t spend much time with me. He’s too busy with work. I’m usually left alone at the house whenever that happens. The only friends I ever had were the flowers in the garden. They seemed to understand me.”

“Whenever he’s at home, though, he’s still busy with some business projects… I never really felt what it’s like to be in a family. That’s why I ran away.”

She left the Russian speechless. She just smiled back at him and spoke once again. “But you’re really lucky! You have a nice family and all, one who cares for you.”

She plunged the back of her head into the pillow and sighed dreamily. “Well, I don’t really like to talk about it so”, she shut her eyes and smiled. “Good night, Mr. Ivan!”

Ivan left the room quickly before coming back with the pipe he always carried around.

“Do not worry; I’ll get rid of her later when she’s asleep. I only kept her for the flower, anyway.”

He told Alfred earlier that he would get rid of the girl… After all, he only took her in because she was toting a sunflower around. Yes… Yes, and he has to do it. He can’t let this girl be a burden to him. He has to do it. Raising the pipe in mid-air, he glanced at [Name].

She was sleeping ever so peacefully, a tiny smile on her lips. Then he looked at the portrait of him and his sisters, then back at the girl.

“But you’re really lucky! You have a nice family and all, one who cares for you.”

It made him miserable to think that the girl had a family that neglected her. She doesn’t know what it’s like to feel that she was being cared for. He knew what it felt like to be neglected, and it was really painful. It hurt him that he knew there was someone lonelier than him, when he thought he was the most isolated person on Earth. In these days he seldom got visits from his sisters, but whenever they do his heart fluttered with joy. But… has she ever felt her heart flutter with joy, too? And now, he stood in front of the sleeping girl, a pipe raised mid-air, ready for the strike. And it made him feel even more miserable when he knew he had to kill an innocent girl who was neglected by her family and by the world. His heart felt heavy at the thought of that.

His arms were trembling as he stood in the same pose, deciding whether or not to do it. He clenched his teeth as he loosened the grip on the weapon.

“I… I can’t do this…”

He fell down to his knees, dropping the metal pipe with a loud clang. He buried his face into his hands and cursed silently. This… This was the first time he was ever reluctant on killing a person. He never refused to participate in bloodshed and violence, but why did he hesitate? Why now? He couldn’t understand.

“Mr. Ivan? What’s wrong?”

He turned to see [Name] with a worried look on her face.

“It’s nothing, [Name]. Go to sleep now.”

Before he could leave, he heard her voice again. “Can you… Sing me a lullaby?”

He was a bit surprised by the request. But he sat down at the bed and sang anyway.

Words are born into air

And quickly fade out in the wind

But they find their way inside you

And they live there forevermore

She started to yawn.

When the skies are dark and full of rain

Look inside your heart

Light so warm and all aglow

Shining just like the sun

She looked at him with curiosity. She thought he had such a nice, sweet voice.

You can see just how much you’ve grown

How strong you are

A path will open up to you

And it starts from the day that you

First heard those words

Before he knew it, she fell asleep. Ivan just looked at her with an almost emotionless face. He reached out a hand and twirled a lock of her hair with his fingers. While doing that, his mind wandered. [Name] doesn’t deserve to live in a house like this, nor does she deserve to live with monsters like him and his sisters. He was afraid that such an innocent girl like her would be tormented with memories of bloodshed. That shouldn’t be a life for her. He frowned and looked away.

She deserves better than this.

[Name] woke up to the soft light of the moon, stretching her arms. “Mr. Ivan, are you awake…?”

No one responded. She opened her eyes. That’s when she realized she was no longer in his room. She was in her mansion’s bedroom. How did she get there…? She quickly ripped the warm and fluffy sheets off her and jumped out of bed. She also realized that her white tattered dress was now a white long-sleeved dress with frilly sleeves and neckline. She switched a lamp on and saw a note on the drawer. She opened it and read the text scrawled on the paper.

Dear [Name],

I know you might be a bit mad that I returned you to your home, but you don’t deserve to live a horrible life as I did. Do not think I did this because I want you to be isolated. I did this for your own good; I did this so you would learn that you lead a better life than me. I do not deserve to be with you. I don’t mean that you are a burden to me; I may have grown attached to you. You may not know it, but I know too well the pain of isolation you feel. I would have stayed with you if I could, but I don’t belong here.

You have taught me a lot, and in fact, it has changed my life. For that…

…As a final reminder, go to the garden and you will see the piece of me that I have left with you.

До свидания,

Ivan Braginski

[Name] folded the note and shoved it into her pocket. She quietly tiptoed out of her room and checked the hall. It was lined with paintings of some important people she didn’t even recognize. No one was there. The butlers and the maids must be asleep.

As she walked down the stairs, she was curious to how she got to her room or how Ivan went to her mansion.  She exited the mansion and hopped off the front porch. Quickly she ran towards the garden. She looked around, seeing miniature windmills and koi ponds and flower bushes and trees. Nothing else was there. She walked further into the garden. As she looked around, she spotted a flower— or two flowers— that were seemingly familiar to her. She ran closer to it.

“Those are sunflowers… No one ever planted sunflowers in the garden.”

They grew really tall— taller than her, even. The petals were bright yellow and they were growing radiantly— almost as if they were glowing. As she observed it, a light wind blew over the plants, dropping something.

It was Ivan’s grey scarf. She unfurled it, dropping a piece of paper. She stooped to pick it up and unfolded it, reading the note.

I give you this scarf as something to remember me by. As for the sunflowers, they tend to grow accordingly to how much I care for it. It must mean I do a lot.

Спасибо,

Somewhere in a frigid and unforgivable wasteland, there was a small cold abode where a lone Russian lived. Sitting on his couch, he stared straight at the fireplace, reminiscing about how he found the girl by the flames. She alone was the flame warming the entire house. Her warm touch had reached its way into his heart and had changed… something deep within him. He learned that there was someone like him. He always thought that destroying was the only way to erase his loneliness, even just albeit. But [Name]… she didn’t destroy, instead she created. She created beautiful things that bloomed and grew with each loving touch she gives. Everything just seems to grow around her. He was happy she met [Name].

Blankly staring at the fireplace, he whispered to himself.

“[Name]… You changed me.”

Closing his eyes, he whispered again.

“Thank you.”