((Glad you like it~ ^_^ That would probably make sense... Arthur from what time, though? When they weren't at odds? The cafe introduction sounds good to me - though I'm sure he wouldn't be there for the coffee. I'm not sure what kind of reaction Ivan should have to him, but those eyebrows are bound to make an impression. Milking the feels is all good with me. You're welcome~))

While Ivan dreamed of he and Alfred in the field of sunflowers, Alfred was having a much different sort of dream. Someone's voice read a story out to him, one that felt so deeply familiar but at the same time so unfamiliar. He should know this voice, he knew he should. Something from when he was little.

((It's really cute~))

Even after his dream had faded, Ivan's sleep was peaceful. Though he had ceased to be aware of it, the warm and comforting presence of the American up against him continued to be a soothing barrier between him and the darker dreams that could be waiting. He occasionally shifted a little in his sleep, but he never let go of Alfred, and he continued to be snuggled up close to the other male throughout the night. Vodka had curled up near their feet, not certain whether Penny would tolerate him setting himself down alongside her, and had decided to let her make that choice - his sleep was also undisturbed. Possibly he dreamed - perhaps of that long-ago caretaker who had reared him - but it wasn't as though a cat would be able to speak of his dreams in the morning.

Come morning light, not a single sunbeam reached Ivan's closed eyes, and for a very good reason - Vodka was sitting on his face. The fuzzy tom, who had awakened before either of the humans, had decided to wake them up, kitty style. With his butt planted on his biped's face, he set to giving Penny's person a lick on the nose. Therefore, it was a rather confusing awakening for Ivan, and all that fur tickling caused him to sneeze - which served to get Vodka out of his face. Blinking muzzily, he tried to process what had just happened, realising that he had been sat on by his new cat - who was now grooming himself as though to say 'I meant to do that'. Was Alfred awake? Even if he was, Ivan was in no hurry to move, and he was quite delighted to find that they were still holding one another. If Alfred was still asleep, Ivan would probably drift off again, and that cute sleeping face would be a nice view to fall asleep to.

Alfred mumbled sleepily when he felt his nose being licked, turning to curl up closer to Ivan as he tried in vain to continue his peaceful slumber. That dream stuck with him, but beyond that he hadn't hadn't had one the rest of the night. Penny, however, decided that it was indeed time for the humans to wake up and stepped up to sit on Alfred, meowing loudly and batting his face with her paws, demanding her wake up immediately to feed her and Vodka. Alfred let out a quiet little groan and whined softly. "Pennyyy I don't have to be awake yeeet," he whined before he gave in and moved to roll on his back, his cat stepping off and then settling herself on his chest as the blonde pouted up at her. "You're such a killjoy cat I swear," he huffed lightly, lifting a hand to tap Penny on the nose, making her sneeze again. Alfred giggled sleepily. "Consider that payback for waking me up early," he stated before he looked over at Ivan, trying to avoid yawning in his direction since he still needed to brush his teeth. "I'll go feed the cats. You can sleep more if you want," he told him, leaning over to press a soft kiss to the tip of the other's nose, then to his cheek, before he climbed out of the bed and started off tot he kitchen with Penny trailing behind him.

Ivan, having quite liked the way that Alfred had drawn in closer, smiled sleepily at the protesting American, mildly amused that their cats seemed to conspire to getting them up. "Ahahh, the kitties seem insistent this morning." He mumbled, trying not to let on that he thought Alfred's reactions adorable, as he felt it might be a little irritating at this point. He reached over to stroke Penny when she sat on Alfred's chest, feeling a little bit deprived now that his contact with Alfred was less. "Good morning, miss alarm clock~" He giggled, before meeting his boyfriend's gaze as the other looked across to him. He could see in the set of the American's jaw that he was resisting a yawn, and he thought it looked kind of amusing, for all that he could feel one of his own coming on now. "Ahh, thank you." He murmured, a sleepily blissful ex
pression settling onto his features when Alfred kissed him - not once, but twice. It was such a nice feeling~ "I am feeling a little dozy, but I will probably feel more awake in a little bit." He responded, feeling a little chilly when he was the only one in the bed. He watched Alfred wandering out, Vodka following Penny in the hopes of being fed, then rolled over and reached under the pillow to find his scarf. Its soft fabric held to him, in the absence of his sweet one, he cuddled it like a teddy and closed his eyes to doze for a little while longer.

Alfred made his way to the kitchen, Penny winding around his feet and purring as he knelt down to pour food into her bowl. He smiled, stroking his hand along her back before he detangled himself from his cat and moved to head over to the fridge to pull out eggs and grab his bread so he could get started on going ahead and making breakfast. If Ivan was still asleep by the time it was done he could take it to him in bed. That was a good thing to do right? Take his sleepy boyfriend breakfast in bed?

Vodka, too, wound around Alfred's legs when it was clear that food was imminent, purring softly. He quit doing that as soon as his bowl was full, though, and began to eat with enthusiasm, occasionally looking up in order to see what Penny was doing, or what Alfred was doing. After having lived on the street for a while, he'd gotten into the habit of assuming that he needed to keep a look out, in case someone wanted to steal his dinner. He could smell eggs, but he had food right in front of him, so he didn't investigate - doing that might mean coming back to an empty bowl, and that after maybe not getting any egg.

Curled up around his scarf, Ivan could dimly perceive the sounds of Alfred pottering around in the kitchen, and the cats eating, but he was in a sort of half-sleeping state in which he was only partially aware. Not truly slumber, but certainly not awake either, and he had his eyes closed. He was smiling softly, still feeling the warmth inside that came of having been held through the night by someone he loved, and who loved him. It was a very nice change from just a teddy or his scarf, and he hoped to experience it more from this point on. Muzzy recollections of his dream mingled with those of what had taken place when he'd become aware of the morning, and all that he was really sure of was that he was thinking of Alfred, but that was okay - he liked thinking of Alfred.

It wasn't long, eggs never took very long, before Alfred was trotting happily into the bedroom and sliding back into the bed, considerably more awake now than he had been upon climbing out. "Hey, I made breakfast," he said gently, reaching out to playfully prod one of Ivan's cheeks with a soft laugh. " Come on before it gets cold. Cold eggs are hardly appetizing, after all, man," he said, tilting his head a little bit. "I mean, this is the kind of thing good boyfriends do, right? If the cats wake them up they go feed them and make breakfast in bed, yeah?" He grinned. "Well, there's that and the fact that if I'm up and awake I shouldn't be alone. Who knows what sort of mischief a puppy can get into, after all," he said, carefully crossing his legs in front of him.

Ivan stirred when Alfred returned, his eyes sliding slowly open when he felt the American slipping into the bed next to him. "Hmm?" He mumbled, blinking as his cheek was prodded, and lifting a hand to gently rub his eyes. This caused his scarf to fall from his grip, and his turning motion as he moved to regard Alfred ensured that it draped across him. "Oh! Spasiba, Solnyshka~" He responded, a smile wending its way onto his face as he spotted the food that his boyfriend had brought him. "Da, you are a good boyfriend, Shcheenok~" He added, taking hold of the breakfast he was being offered, and giggling softly at Alfred's little joke. "Ahahahh, da, that is so - puppies can be quite good at making trouble in their playing. Ahh, this smells nice~" He murmured, beginning to eat. He felt so lucky, and a little pampered as well, and he gave Alfred a beaming smile in between bites, hoping to show his appreciation. "Is delicious~" He informed the other male, "Have you had anything?" He thought it probably hadn't been very long, so he doubted that Alfred had eaten, and he wondered if he should offer to share. Alfred was certainly close enough that he could try to feed him - but that could make mess if things fell, so maybe it wasn't the best idea.

Alfred grinned. "I'm glad you like it!" he said happily before he reached over to grab his own plate. "And I made myself some, don't worry. I'm definitely not going to work on an empty stomach, considering the fact that if I eat any of the pastries I have to pay for them," he stated moving so he could scoot over closer to Ivan, leaning lightly against him. "After we finish eating we may be able to nap for another hour or two before I have to go take a shower and get into my uniform with the blinding traffic-cone orange apron," he said, swallowing his food and pausing a moment. "Oh! Was the DS on the charger before we went to bed last night?" he asked, looking over at Ivan curiously. "If not I can go put it on the charger since I'm more awake than you are right now," he said with a quiet laugh.

"Ahh, that is good." Ivan responded, nodding. He felt a little foolish for not having noticed that there was more than one plate, but then again - he was just waking up. Alfred's voice sounded happy and bright, like the merry song of some bird, though not so high-pitched. It was a nice sound, and one that made Ivan smile as he tucked in. "I would certainly be up for more cuddling~" He murmured, his eyes half-lidded and content as Alfred leaned against him, and he leaned into the touch as well. "Ahahahh, why do they make you wear such an orange, by the way?" He asked, seeing as the American had brought up the subject of uniform. "It is rather glaring - although it is not eye-hurtingly bright, which is good. Ahh, the DS? Nyet, I... uh, forgot about it. I did save, though." He continued, when the gaming device was mentioned, and Alfred looked over to him. "Ah, spasiba, that would be quite helpful." He added, smiling again. "I am going to be coming with you, da?" He asked, just wanting to make sure. It wasn't as though he would mind supervising the cats, but they seemed fine, and he rather liked the idea of following Alfred to work. It would be nice, he felt.

"I'm not really sure why they make us wear such a bright shade of orange, considering the name of the place is Cafe Americana," he said with a quiet laugh, nuzzling the other's shoulder idly. "You'd think we'd wear a mix of red white and blue or something, but I guess it's because orange is eye-catching," he said with a little bit of a shrug. Then he nodded and smiled back at Ivan. "Well, yesh, if you want to come with me," he responded. "You may end up having to watch me clean tables and the counter but neither of us will be alone at least," he said, stretching out his legs and crossing them at the ankle. "And you'll have something to keep you occupied assuming we get customers during my shift," he added, setting his plate aside once his eggs were gone.

"That is true... I suppose that there might be problems in dealing with other places that have done such things to their uniforms, though... Still, there are plenty of American symbols, so I am still a little surprised." Ivan rambled, considering Alfred's words as he enjoyed the nuzzling. "Eyecatching is certainly correct - you could not be much more conspicuous while remaining within the bounds of common sense while wearing that orange garment~" He added, snickering a little as he finished his breakfast. "It does not make you look any less lovely, though it does not suit you so well as blue." He amended, not wishing Alfred to think that he was making fun of him. Placing his plate to one side, on the nearest available surface, Ivan nodded. "I certainly wish to be coming with you, and not be alone." He responded, softly stroking Alfred's cheek with one finger. "I do not mind watching you do your work, and I could certainly bring along something. I do have a couple of things in my luggage for passing time." He continued, his mind wandering vaguely to the items in question. Perhaps he could try to sketch Alfred while he worked? It wouldn't hurt to try, certainly.

Alfred laughed softly, grinning. "I don't think they could be more eye-catching if they tried unless they started using colors that clash," he responded as he shook his head a bit, smiling rather fondly. "At the very least it's not a bad place minus that one coworker of mine, really. I like it there since it's usually a pretty calm place to work," he murmured, closing his eyes as he nestled closer to his boyfriend. "Which is probably good since considering my usual amounts of energy, working somewhere really busy would probably not end well." Alfred turned his head to give Ivan a soft kiss, smiling as he felt his cheek getting stroked by his thumb. "So, you still up for that nap?" he asked with a soft laugh. He certainly was, despite how woken up he already was.

((It's no bother~))

"That is certainly true - though I think that they would lose customers if they did that." Ivan replied, chuckling a little at the thought. "Just as well, really, or they might try it." He quite liked the fond smile that adorned Alfred's face, even though it was not directed at him this time - it was pleasant to see, and Ivan felt that he could happily look at that for as long as it was present. "A tranquil place? That does seem like a nice choice." He commented lightly, enjoying the feeling of the American drawing nearer to him. "Hmm, to put you in a frenetic place could indeed have consequences, and not all of them as funny as might be thought of... That is a good point." He continued, considering his boyfriend's statement. "Although, I am sure that there would be energetic things that you would be good at - I simply do not have any of them at the top of my mind at present." He concluded, before feeling his lips met by those of his sunny Shcheenok, whose face had turned to meet his. His eyes drifted closed, and he felt so content and happy that he had to wonder how he had ever coped without the satisfaction and elation that came with being in love. He certainly did not think that he could go back to the way things had once been - he was changed, and he liked it. "Mmm~ Nap or not, it would be nice to lie here and relax with you." He murmured, when Alfred spoke next. "I am in no hurry to move, nor to let go of you~" He added, enveloping the American in a gentle hug. It felt right to do that, as though they were meant to fit together, and he smiled.

Alfred nodded and chuckled softly. "Probably,"he responded to the cafe losing customers if their colors were clashing and eye-burningly bright. They may lose a few employees as well. Sure, Alfred had a bright and cheery personality usually but that sure as hell didn't mean he could handle wearing nonsensical colors. It wasn't the best usually but he did at least have a small sense of what was socially acceptable to wear in public and what not to do to bring people into a business. "I'm sure there are but I haven't found them yet," he said with a chuckle, closing his eyes and letting out a contented sound as he was hugged. "Mm, I really wish I didn't have to work so we could just sit here until we get hungry enough to get up or something," he murmured, yawning softly as he lifted his arms to rest his hands on top of Ivan's. "It's warm and nice and comfortable." How he ever lived life without feeling like this he wasn't sure he would ever really know. It was too good of a feeling and if anything happened to this he wasn't really sure he'd be able to handle the change.

((Gahh, I accidentally lost it again when it was almost finished! I don't know what I did, but it bugs me when that happens.))

"I suppose that they could avoid driving people away if it was shirts such as those that Hawaii is famed for," Ivan began, musing on the topic of cafe attire, "But while Hawaii is of America, is only one little part, so theme would be off." Truth be told, he thought that Alfred would probably look quite good in Hawaiian print shirts, so long as the colours were sane. He wasn't so sure about how well he would look wearing the same, but he didn't have to picture that while he was imagining his boyfriend in different clothes, did he? "Do you dance?" He asked, when his mind landed upon the thought of that particular energetic activity - at least, it tended to use up energy. It didn't seem like something that Alfred would make a career out of, but perhaps a hobby? He himself could manage a few dances, though it had been a while. Perhaps he could show the American some time? Ivan smiled as Alfred's sound of contentment reached his ears, feeling warm happiness of his own wrapped and fluffed up inside him while he listened to what the blond barista had to say. "Mmm, that would be nice, wouldn't it?" He murmured, feeling tingles of delight as Alfred responded to being held. "It is so very lovely~" He added, his soft tone practically a croon. It sounded as though he were lost in wonderment, and perhaps he was - to be honest, he was half-tempted to suspect that Heaven had leaked or something, for so much happiness to be possible. It was a fanciful notion, to be sure, but it amused him, and it said something about the way he was feeling. "Still, sweet moments are the sweeter when there are other things between." He murmured, "After all, we know that we will hold one another again, da? It is a thing I intend to do much of~"

((By the way, those kittens-to-be... How do you think we should name them when they become part of the plot? I thought we might pick names from the islands of Alaska, but I'm not sure how good that is... Still, there are plenty of those. What are your thoughts? Got any ideas?))

((I like that idea OvO And maybe you accidentally refresh the page somehow? ovo))

((You do? I'm glad~ Like I said, there are plenty of islands to pick between, so it shouldn't be hard to supply a litter of kittens with names that way. :3 What are your thoughts on gender ratio? As for the refresh thing - I think it's probably something like that. Possibly a missed keystroke triggering something unintended? I don't know what else it could be.))

"They kind of do look rather appealing, don't they?" Ivan murmured, before blushing a little when his grinning boyfriend told him he'd look nice in one. "Ahhh, I was just thinking the same of you," He mumbled, "Would I really? I have never worn one, so I do not know... I think it would look better on you - they are full of cheer and brightness, as you are. That goes together well, da?" It felt nice that Alfred thought he'd look good in something, whether or not he thought the same - though he didn't exactly disagree either, he was simply uncertain. The blanket was back now, at Alfred's tugging, and that was nice as well. It was quite cosy, being snuggled together underneath covers, and pleasantly companionable. "Mosh... pits? I would not have imagined you in a pit... Oh, is this a word that means something else? I have heard it somewhere, I think, but I forget the meaning." Ivan replied, puzzled, when Alfred answered his question about dancing. He knew what was meant by 'rave', though. "A lot of dancing has jumping, I think, so that is not so unusual... Myself, I am more at home with folk dances than raving - ahh, I hope that you do not think me stuffy for that - they can be quite fun." He responded, before closing his eyes as he felt Alfred's fingers gently carding through his hair. It felt nice - a sweet ex
pression of affection, and he sighed happily. "Mmhmm~" He agreed wordlessly, when Alfred spoke of the meaningful nature of sweet moments found between less butterfly-filled times, his eyes still closed. If anyone knew it, surely it was him - after all, he had felt alone for a long time, but now his heart seemed swollen with the joy he had found. As his eyes were closed, he didn't see the kiss coming, and he squeaked a little into it as they fluttered open to see his sweet one so close. He had been surprised, but most certainly would not protest - kisses were very nice~ He pressed back gently against the soft lips that had met his own, his belly feeling full of - well, something. Perhaps the summer wind itself, dancing and twirling, and full of warmth and light.

"Flowers suit you, why wouldn't you look nice in a shirt covered in them?" Alfred responded, smiling as he turned to wrap his arms around Ivan to keep the two of them as close as possible, his fingers returning to gently combing through the Russian's hair. "And they are pretty bright and cheery, huh?" he added with a soft laugh. "As for the moshpits it's usually at heavy metal concerts. It's a lot of jumping around and stuff and sometimes people end up getting hurt because of how closely packed it tends to be," he explained, tilting his head a little bit. This was all so nice and warm. He couldn't help but happily relax into it all. "You should totally teach me some of the dances you like to do," he said just before he moved to gently deepen their shared little kiss.