Paper Airplanes

Chapter 3

    Ivan paced around the room with his hands behind his back. He was a nervous wreck. Normally, when things went wrong, Ivan was calm and collected. The mark of a true Russian commander was his ability to remain stone cold in his emotions no matter what. Commanders were strong, the very image of the perfect Russian man. There were no room for emotions on the battlefield. Yet, this American had caused Ivan to lose his calm demeanor. Rage and an emotion he didn’t quite understand coursed through his veins like gunsmoke spreading through the air after the first rounds had been fired on the Eastern front. He didn’t understand. How could something so simple, so insignificant make him feel, dare he say, fear. The American fighter pilot that he had spent months before searching for was finally in his grasps. And, with this latest escape attempt, he was allowed to do anything he wanted to the pilot. He should be happy, ecstatic even. So why did he feel afraid?

Grunts, curses, and yells filled the air around the tent as his men approached Ivan’s tent. Ivan scowled and pulled his chair out from under his desk. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. He needed to calm down before his men saw him like this.

‘Breath, Ivan. Breath. You are Russian, strong. An American of all people doesn’t deserve your fear.’

In front of Ivan, Alfred fell onto his knees grunting and cursing at the soldiers that held him down. Ivan’s eyes widened when he saw the bloody gash mark on a young lieutenant's face. Bite marks littered up and down the private’s arms. Ivan wondered how many bruises and other marks the soldiers endured just to bring Alfred to his tent.

“You all can go fuck yourselves!”
Alfred yelled thrashing around. He even made it it out of the grasp of the troops lunging at Ivan despite having a broken and bloody ankle. “Get the fuck off of m-” He was cut off when the captain stuffed a rag into his mouth and tied it behind his head. Muffled words and hardened glares were shot at Ivan before Alfred was punched in the face. Blood dripped down his nose, and Alfred hung his head falling to the ground unconscious. The captain scowled wiping off his hand on a plain white handkerchief.

“My apologies, commander,” the captain apologized giving a small nod to the most badly injured soldiers. They knew their orders before the captain uttered the words. Live to fight another day, that was the Russian way. They were to go to the medical tent to get treated and return to their post to serve their nation once more. “We ran into . . . complications. It seems everyone's favorite prisoner is a head -butter, and a biter, and a fighter.”

Ivan nodded glancing at the broken bloodied Alfred laying face down in the dirt. It was so uncharacteristic to see Alfred so quiet. “I see. I am sorry that you and your troops had to endure such a pathetic, dangerous prisoner.”

The captain only licked his lips and glanced down at the dirt. He was enraged that his troops had to go through all the trouble, while Ivan sat on his ass and waited for them. Someone had to say something to the commander. “Sir, I don’t think the troops can take it anymore. They are afraid.”

Ivan got up and placed his hand on the captain’s shoulder. He frowned down at him. “And I don’t expect them to. I will handle Alfred Jones from now on. Who knows? In time he may even call me commander.”  He chuckled in attempt to lighten the mood. However, the captain only gave him a blank stare.

“I hope so, commander. I hope so.” He said softly taking his leave from the tent. Ivan noticed how the captain clutched his large hands into tight fists.  Ivan frowned.  He would have to deal with him later.  For now he had other things to worry about,  other things being Alfred F. Jones. 
Alfred groaned and began to stir from his place on the floor.  He opened those precious baby blue eyes and glared at Ivan before wiggling out so that he could speak again.  Before he could speak,  Ivan kicked him in the stomach. 

“You will not speak unless spoken to prisoner.”

Alfred lost his breath and began to cough.  Blood stained his lips red as the blood literally poured from his mouth.  He looked up at Ivan and muttered two words using the rest of his strength. 

“Fuck you. “

Ivan slapped the boy and grabbed him by his hair so that the two looked face to face.  Ice blue eyes met an arctic violet, almost as if Antarctica and Siberia were fighting each other in an ice storm.  They were equals. The only thing that divided the two was position and circumstance. Ivan pulled him up and breathed a chilled breath down his neck. 

“How dare you talk to me like that.  Here, I am your commander and I will be addressed as such. Do you understand, prisoner? “

Alfred’s eyes turned a dull blue.  He had lost and he knew it,  at least in Ivan eyes eyes.  He nodded slowly shifting his gaze down to the dirt beneath him. 

“Yes, Commander,  I understand. “

Before Ivan could praise his prisoner for the compliance, Alfred hugged Ivan's leg and nuzzled into it.  Ivan was shocked with the sudden affection.  He knew that Alfred did fall in love with another man, but he never expected this to happen.  Ivan smiled and combed his fingers through the thin hair that seemed to be dirty again.  Alfred looked back up at him.  He seemed so innocent, so sincere,  so regretful of what he did.  Ivan actually believed the American was sorry.  Alfred tranced tiny invisible circles into Ivan's skin and frowned. 

“Sir, may I stand up? “ he asked.  “I want to give you a proper apology.”

The way Alfred said that made Ivan's skin shiver and his hair stand up on end.  Alfred whispered it like an innocent child.  Ivan nodded and pulled him up as Alfred shyly looked away.  Alfred stood up and touched Ivan's chest.  Ivan trembled. He eventually let go of Alfred.  There were a few moments of complete silence. Ivan enjoyed them greatly.  The little American was finally broken.  He was Ivan's now, and Ivan loved it.

Suddenly,  without warning,  Alfred punched Ivan in the face with all his strength.  Ivan was ricocheted into the desk and crashed into it.  While Ivan was trying to recover from the blow, Alfred quickly limped to the opening in the tent crying out in pain with every step.  His leg was still broken and bloody from the trap, so he couldn't get very far.  Ivan was seeing red.  How dare a prisoner do that to him?! He stood up and kicked Alfred in the ankle causing him to scream and fall back down again.  Ivan pulled his arm and dragged him to the back of the tent.  Alfred screamed and kicked.  He spit and bit. He did anything he could think of to get away. 

Ivan dragged him to a little tent that the prisoners called solitude.  It was a pitch black tent where the unruly prisoners stayed. There was no food,  no water,  for three days.  Alfred's eyes widened in realization realizing where Ivan was taking him.  Instead of fighting against Ivan's grip,  he clawed at the ground trying to get ahold of anything that would stop Ivan from dragging him to living hell. 

“Ivan, please, you don't want to do this! “ Alfred yelled grabbing onto some weeds.  He pulled them out of the ground and embedded dirt into his fingernails.  His fellow prisoners stood by the fence muttering words of doubt, hope, and prayer for Alfred. “I can't go back there!  Please,  stop! “

Ivan growled and pulled the hood of the tent open. He pulled Alfred up by his hair and pulled him up to look at him eye to eye.  He was done treating Alfred like a prisoner. He would now treat Alfred as if he were  training to be Ivan's hunting dog.  He grit his teeth and turned Alfred to look at the others watching him.

“For the past couple weeks,  we’ve disbanded six-teen riots and stopped twenty attempted escapes.  You are leading by example dog and I will show them what happens when you decide to cause trouble in my camp! “

He threw Alfred into the tent and pad locked the door.  Alfred started to cry and pound on the door screaming for Ivan to let him out.  Ivan scowled and walked away with his scarf fluttering behind him.  Little did he know, Alfred was deathly afraid of the dark.
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Hey guys! 
Thanks for reading the chapter and happy fourth of July to everyone!  I hope you all go see fireworks and more importantly have fun!! Just remember if you have dogs they may not like fireworks (have I ever mentioned I'm a HUGE dog person???)  Any way,  sorry for not updating lately.  I've been trying to get my tumblr writing blog started and it's been a difficult process with my laptop breaking.  Texting a story is horrid!  If you're interested in what it is,  let me know and I'll comment it below.  Let me know what you think! 
Happy 4th! 
~ForeverPineapples