Two Of Us (WW2 RusCan)

Chapter Five

     Night fell rather quickly that evening, causing the two of them to stumble on their feet as the fire was very low.

    Matthew rushed to the entrance while Ivan tried to blow onto the fire to make the flames bigger. "I'll get more wood!" Matthew said, about to run outside and get some more sticks before the wind shoved him back inside.

   "You blow on fire, I get wood!" Ivan said, rushing past Matthew and outside more easily than the Canadian could. Matthew stumbled to his feet again and started to blow on the flames, not making any difference. He continued to blow before Ivan threw some more sticks into the fire, making the flames burst higher and the flames gently waving because of the wind.

    Matthew stayed back and sighed along with the Russian. "I will get more wood." Ivan said, walking back out to get  a few arm fulls of sticks in which he brushed the snow off when he went back inside.

    "That was close..." Matthew said, sitting back down but closer to the fire, making sure the flames stayed flickering.

    Ivan sighed gently, "Da."

   After he got the courage to speak to him, Matthew spoke, "You can go to sleep if you want...I can watch out here while you sleep at the back of the cave."

    He shook his head, "No. You can sleep while I watch."

   The Canadian refused, "N-no...I bet you've barely had any sleep ever since you left yesterday, you need rest or else you'll get weak-"

    "Ha! Ivan Braginsky does not get weak! I just do not trust you while I sleep. You do have pistol after all."

    Matthew sighed, "Then that's the problem. We don't trust each other yet."

    Ivan sat back down again, his back leaning on the wall. "Why would I trust you? Sure you make fire but I do not know if you plan on killing me. That is main problem in war. Trust. Trust can be used either as lie, truth, or tool." He looked at Matthew, "Most people use it as tool. Just to use it as a tool to work their way to someone before they kill them."

     He understood. He then took the pistol from his belt, studying the object for a moment. It's fine detail and how beautiful it looked, but how it could kill someone just by a shot to the head. He took a breath, not believing what his own mind was thinking before he slid his pistol over to Ivan on the cold hard solid ground.

     Ivan lifted his eyes towards Matthew, giving him a look like he was insane. "What are you doing?"

    "I'm showing you that I trust you. Truthfully." He said.

    Ivan looked at the gun, then at Matthew, then at the gun again. He looked...what was the word...hesitate.

   "I trust you, Ivan." Matthew said, trying to gulp down his own regret. "I trust you with my life. I mean, where am I going to go anyways? I'll be stuck here in Russia even after the blizzard ends...no way home. So....Since I'm ever so desperate, I trust you." He said finally showing he wasn't armed at all as he made his way to the back of the cave.

    Ivan then noticed the bear he left behind. He gave a growl. So did Kumajiro. Then a pair of arms scooped up the bear, those arms belonging to Matthew.  "But I don't trust you with Kumajiro yet!" He said, returning to the back of the cave with his bear beside him as he lied down.

    It was much warmer with Kumajiro next to him when he fell asleep that night, a little voice in his head telling him he was probably going to die from three things;

    Ivan shoots him in his sleep,
  
   Hyperthermia,

    Or Kumajiro trying to eat him.

   All of those scared Matthew anyways, all of them were a bad case to die from. He prayed to God almost all night long that that would not happen as Kumajiro snored away in a snap. Matthew wrapped an arm around the bear, holding him close as he did so, bringing the bear to his chest. The warmth from his friend was almost like a slice of heaven!,

   
    When Matthew woke up, he felt like he couldn't move, nor did he wanted to dare to. He felt cold but warm. He still felt tired but something kept him from moving. Oh god!

    Matthew took a second before realizing Kumajiro was still in his arms and they were still in the cave. But Matthew shifted his head up and saw Ivan. He then realized the Russian was spooning him!

    "Wha-"

    Ivan covered Matthew's mouth quickly. He could feel the snow off of Ivan's glove, then realizing they were covered with snow, almost like a blanket. It was no wind that did this, it was on purpose.

   Ivan didn't move. Ivan didn't speak. He only stayed still and held Matthew completely close to him. Matthew stayed quiet like Ivan and tried to not breathe heavily. They were facing the back of the cave and if Ivan wasn't looking in the direction of the entrance, Matrhew didn't dare to either.

    That was when he heard a soft tick sound on the solid ground, along with a huff almost like a dog sleeping around.

     Matthew could feel Ivan slowly gripping onto him, bringing him closer into the Russian's chest. That was when Matthew could feel something over them. Something sleeping them. An animal.

    He held his breath when he could feel whatever animal was sniffing them. He was panicking too. Whatever animal was there could definitely smell them. Matthew prayed over and over again in his head.

    Silence. There was only silence. More of the ticking on the ground was fading away from Matthew's ear shot, sounding like the animal was leaving.

   But one sound made Matthew jump.

   One sound made Matthew's heart stop.

   One sound made Matthew want to go home and cry to Alfred.

   The sound of a howl.

   A howl that belonged to a massive winter wolf that ran off back into the forest outside of their cave. A wolf that could have bitten into their skulls if it wanted to.

    After a few minutes after the animal had left, Ivan finally moved, looking over his shoulder to see if it was clear as he let go of Matthew. Matthew didn't realize it straight away, but he was holding Ivan's hand that was wrapped around him. And he was still holding on even when Ivan let go.

    Ivan noticed this, looking unpleased and annoyed until he could feel shaking. He could feel and see Matthew's hand and body shaking senselessly, too quickly to even fake. When he did notice, Ivan held his hand in return. Matthew's grip tightened but it had no effect on Ivan at all as he stayed close to the Canadian who was half way scared to death.

    He wanted to cling to someone. A human. Not Kumajiro. The only human who was there he could cling on to was Ivan. He did so anyways. Too scared to think of what he would say in return. Too scared to even think about any consequences. Too scared to even care if Ivan appeared as insane and quiet. Ivan saved him.

    He was asleep, defenseless. But Ivan protected him. He hid them. He saved himself and Matthew and Kumajiro.

   Matthew's regret was starting to sino in, making him feel guilty for ever doubting himself for trusting him. If he didn't hand over his pistol would Ivan still would have saved him from a savage wolf from eating him alive?

   He didn't want to imagine it.

   To be continued...