aGAYnst it all [RusAme]

Chapter Four - Brunch Buddies

I ran downstairs to see how Al was doing, just to make sure he doesn't break another plate. He hummed as he opened the fridge but immediately growled in frustration. "DAMMIT!" He shouted.

"What happened?!" I said a bit concerned.
"We're out of eggs!"
"Eh... That's it?" Is this what first world problems are?
"I can't believe it! The only time I actually got productive and made something good..." He took off his glasses dramatically, he shed a single tear "cannot be created again."
"Oh boy, here we go." I said.
He suddenly jumped up enthusiastically and said "But fear not! Breakfast time shall be saved by your local hero!" He put his glasses on in a flash.
"Hooray! It's USA Guy, saving the starving people of this land from hunger by buying them all burgers!" I played along, actually having fun.
"That's right Mr. Russia Dude! Off to McDonalds we gooo!" He grabbed my hand and dragged me outside.

"ALFRED I STILL HAVEN'T DRESSED UP YET, WAIT!" I shouted, I didn't take a shower, brushed my teeth either and yet we were going out!
"Whatever bro! Last night was good night to sleep in on our clothes!" He shoved me in his car and drove away in the speed of light!
"AL! DON'T DRIVE TOO FAST!" I screamed for my life, I swear this might just be my last day on earth if he does not watch where he's going!
"It's 11:30!" He replied
"SO?!" I exclaimed
"We're gonna miss the breakfast menu at McDonalds if we don't hurry!" I pinched my nose at the stupidity of this idiot
"We could have just went to the store and bought the eggs..."
"PFFT! Screw that!" I can't say I did not see that response coming.

He was soon driving really fast for a few minutes but he suddenly stopped, me almost hit my head against the front window, it's a good thing I remembered to wear a seatbelt.
"Alfred!" I scolded him
"WHAT THE- Traffic?!" He completely ignored me as the sound of beeping overpowered our thoughts. Alfred groaned and repeatedly smashed his head on the wheel, making this car beep along.
I tried my best to ignore it by covering my ears with my scarf, quietly praying the traffic is over soon and that he would stop banging against the horn.
"Alfred. Pleeeaase stop." I ordered him, he finally lifted his head
"Sorry." He apologised, his forehead was all red and his eyes showed disappointment.

Honestly, even if I don't understand what his deal is, I still felt a lot of sympathy for him.
"Come here." I looked at him
"What?" He said quietly
"Come here, your forehead is red." I repeated myself, he touched his head and cursed. He proceeded to lean his face towards me, I placed my hand on that area but he suddenly pulled his head away.
"Y-your hand!" He exclaimed looking shocked
"What?" I said confused. He held my hands.
"They're so... cold." I never even noticed that myself. "I mean it's not such a bad thing for this situation! My head's throbbing and your hand is equivalent to a cold scrap of meat which helps ya know?" He placed my hand back to his face.
"Well, okay then." I said.

It had been a few seconds and I suddenly realised how oddly close our faces were... And how red Al's cheeks were!
"Oh my! Al! Your cheeks are burning red!" I placed my hand on his cheek as well, I was concerned for his health now...
"What?! Oh uh, let's get a move on shall we?" Weird...
"Sure? Are you feeling okay now?" I asked still worried
"Yeah, I am..." He started to drive away slowly. The traffic surprisingly almost cleared up already, if only the stoplight would go away soon we'd finally get a move on.

We sat there in awkward silence. I tried to break the ice, thinking of something to talk about. Heroes? Burgers? His personal life? My thoughts were cut off as he asked me about what it was like in Russia.
"Cold." I told him bluntly "It gets warm occasionally where I live though."
"Oh, so the heat exists in Russia?" He chuckled
"But of course! We wouldn't be able to live properly as human beings in Russia if there weren't any heat there, yes?"
"Well I suppose that makes sense." He drove at a normal speed this time
"You think it's always cold and snowing where I'm from but it's really not. There's this beautiful place I go to where there's sunflowers everywhere and the snow doesn't interfere with them." I told him, I hadn't noticed but I had a smile on my face as I recalled happy memories of when I was a young child.
"That sounds really beautiful." He said "I'd like to go to Russia someday, in fact I'd like to see what every country in this world has to offer." He continued
"The world has many beautiful things, I wonder how it's like in other planets."
"Yeah? Me too." This is a pretty normal conversation.

By the time we arrived the mall, it was a few minutes past 12pm. Alfred bawled his eyes out, not knowing what he should do now.
"I am miserable. Miserable!" Al wailed.
"There, there. It will be alright." I pat his back for comfort.
"Nothing's alright without having breakfast! I failed to save the day!" His eyes were welling up with tears and this obviously meant I had to do something. I grabbed him by the shoulders and told him to get a grip, though I was the one with the grip!
aaasssaasSasaSAsAwaÀ
"Okay, we're going to have..." I paused thinking for that word which meant breakfast and lunch "what do you Americans call it..." breaklunch? lunchfast? "Brunch! Da! That!" I felt proud of myself for saying American slang and I don't know why!
"Oh, brunch..." He still looked sad but his face later became joyful "Oh yeah, brunch!" He grabbed my shoulders as well "Ivan! You are a genius!" He slightly tiptoed and ruffled my hair like a puppy "Good boy!"
"Hey! I am anything but a dog!" I laughed, shoving him. "But in all seriousness, where's a good place to get brunch?" Al pondered for a moment then immediately snapped his fingers
"Wendy's has a summer brunch special this month! We should totally go for it, come on!" He grabbed my hand and ran.
He rushed to Wendy's so fast that I didn't even get to have a say on this!
In less than two minutes we arrived.

Al quickly began ordering two burgers and large fries – brunch edition. All these burgers got me a little overwhelmed and flipped my stomach upside down like a patty. I swear if I eat what Al does I'll get even chubbier than I already am!
"Ivan, what do you want?" He asked with a grin
"Umm... just fries." I replied
"Just fries? You don't want a burger with that, sir?" The counter lady said with a sweet, southern accent
"No, thank you. I'm good." I said with a smile. Alfred apparently gave me this look... Is he mad that I'm not eating as much as him?

We patiently waited for the food on a table for two. Al was groaning, complaining he was hungry and I just tolerated his impatience. I was staring out the window until I just realised something.
"Hey," I said "I just realised something!"
"What?" He whimpered
"We were still holding hands when we were at the counter." Al then turned red.
"W-w-we were?" He covered his mouth with his hand
"You didn't notice?!"
"No?!" He turned even more red
"Wow, you just made us look really gay." I frowned
"Ok first of all, there's no wrong in that," What?! But it's so weird! "and second of all, I'm not the one who doesn't notice that I'm smiling even at inappropriate times!"
"...what?!" I'm confused.
"You didn't notice?!" He mocked me.
"Hahaha. No." I said in sarcasm "But do I?" My eyebrows knotted.

How come I've never noticed this before?!
"Dude, you have like a resting smiley face! You look nice and cute and cuddly at first, made me think you liked me at one point," nice? cute? cuddly?! "but then you like get aggressive and violent, like wow bro!" He laughed obnoxiously. Am I really like that? "One of the reasons I thought you were bisexuhHHH I MEAN BIPOLAR!!!" He turned red again, oblivious to the fact he screamed that out loud. "Bipolar. When I first met you." He put on a sheepish grin as the food arrived.

"Enjoy your meal." The waiter said
"Thanks, you too." Al blurted out then quickly shrunk, apologised to the waiter and vigorously ate his fries.
"Calm down, you will be obese!" I pointed at him with my fry before I placed it in my mouth.
"I'm sorry, I'm just so embarrassed and I'm a nervous eater!" He mumbled through the fries in his mouth
"I thought we were supposed to enjoy brunch together." I said eating another fry. Al paused and slowed down on eating, taking a bite of one of his burgers
"Yeah, you're right. I ruined it for ya!" He began eating sadly, I sighed
"No, you didn't. You shouldn't put yourself down so much." I told him, it's funny coming from me though.
"Yeah, right again... Well, forget about that! Let's eat!" He continued munching on his food and I watched him.

As I did I felt quite hungry too, my stomach growled and my fries were apparently almost over. Al heard it and looked up at me, he grabbed one of his burgers and handed it to me.
"Those fries won't fully satisfy you. Take this, please." I pushed the burger away from me.
"No thanks. I don't want it." My stomach grumbled again.
"Please do, you know in France they say breakfast – it's technically brunch but it's still breakfast to me – is like a king's meal. They eat the most in the morning!" He shoved the burger right back to me. I quickly gave in and accepted his act of kindness.
I then tasted the juicy, tenderness o the meat and the crunch of the lettuce, and before I knew it, I started eating like Al. This both got us in shock.
"Spasibo, thank you!" I said, my voice muffled because of the food in my mouth.
"Hey, eat slower! You'll get fatter by the minute!" He mocked me again and laughed "But you're welcome." He said with a grin before eating again.