Ex's to Lovers

Chapter 73

In Which Ivan Finds Out He is (Supposedly) in love with Feliks

Alfred had been in a daze for the better part of almost three days now, and Gilbert was already past the point of being amused or concerned, and was settled quite nicely on "annoyed". He'd written the note to stop Alfred from being annoying, not to add to it! Of course, Gilbert was blaming Ivan. What was surprising was that Ivan was actually at fault this time. Of course, being at fault didn't make Ivan any more receptive to Gilbert's loud accusations.

"You created this mess, so you fix it!"

Gilbert demanded loudly to Ivan, when he answered the door. Ivan, who was currently sulking because Alfred was now avoiding him didn't respond pleasantly, despite his pasted grin.

"I broke up with Alfred as you said. This is not my fault!"

Even if it hadn't been his fault, that wouldn't have stopped Gilbert from blaming him, and he wasn't about to stop when Ivan clearly was at fault.

"Of course it is! You said something Wierd, and now Alfred thinks you're in love with Feliks!"

This was news to Ivan, and he choked on seemingly nothing.

"What?"

Gilbert didn't actually know exactly what Ivan had said, because Alfred was too dazed to explain, but he did know that Alfred had thought Ivan liked either Feliks or Mattias. What the connection between the two was, Gilbert didn't know, since Feliks was kind of girly and obnoxious, as well as shorter than Alfred, while Mattias was loud, couldn't read the mood, and taller than Alfred. Ivan had made the mistake of picking on Feliks in front of Alfred (though Ivan hadn't known Alfred was nearby, or watching) and though it was clearly meant as bullying to annoy Toris, Alfred had interpreted it differently.

Which is to say, Alfred assumed Ivan was jealous of Toris and Feliks being so close, therefore he must be in love with Feliks. This was the issue that Alfred couldn't comprehend. He'd been certain that Ivan loved him, and finding out that Ivan didn't, and apparently loved Feliks, who was nothing like Alfred, was a double blow emotionally, and to his self esteem. Gilbert had overheard Alfred saying some very concerning and un-Alfred-like things because of this, and it was beginning to scare him.

"Should I try painting my nails?" Alfred had muttered, with a ghostlike appearance. "But that's kinda..."

Alfred wasn't the type to change himself to suit others, seemingly of the impression he was perfect, so there was nothing to change, naturally, this line of thought was very concerning to Gilbert. Which is why the annoyed Gilbert had taken to harassing Ivan to fix the issue.

"Give me my best friend back, " Gilbert complained, "Before he turns into Feliks!"

Ivan could have chosen to focus on any point, such as the fact Alfred was considering changing himself to be more like Feliks, or that Alfred even thought he liked Feliks in the first place, which was very much not the case. Indeed, he might have, if only Gilbert would have shut up long enough for him to process these facts instead of being annoyed. Instead, Ivan chose to very eloquently tell Gilbert what he thought of him.

"I Do not need Alfred's tag-along to come and harass me. Why don't you cry to Alfred instead, da, instead of whining like a puppy on my porch?" 

Which was Ivan for "You're annoying, get lost." 

Gilbert, never one to concede to someone he hated, took a challenging tone. 

"If you don't clear this up, I'm going to tell the whole thing to Francis! "

Ivan, who was not aware Francis already knew, froze at the threat, suddenly feeling pressured. He'd already suffered through too many of Francis's "consultations" which he'd neither wanted nor asked for. In the face of the threat of another, likely more annoying session, Ivan reluctantly folded.

"Fine. I will talk to Alfred."