Out of school, work timez! (I can't think of a better title. Shut up. >:\ )

His bubble was gone. That place, that warm, honest, thrilling place he shared with Katyusha, vanished. They were back to awkward politeness.
And he saw her eyes, the blue swirling with confusion and what assumed to be regret. But what really hurt were her words.
"Th-This isn't...this...this j-just happened now...!"
She saw it as something spontanious, something for just the thrill of the moment, and she regretted it. A fling, nothing serious. It was like having a dull knife twisting into his chest.
Calmly, so she wouldn’t see his shaking, Matthew released her, taking a step back to give her the appropriate space and reached down to collect his glasses and Katyusha’s bags that he’d dropped. He glanced at the woman, morbidly curious as to how she knew Katyusha but didn’t ask deciding it was none of his business anyway.
Matthew squared his shoulders, forcing a smile. “Would you like me to carry these to wherever they need to go?” The masochistic side of him wanted her to say yes despite her rejection so he could spend just a few more moments with her, while the other half wanted to run back to his dorm, grab his stuffed polar bear and watch reruns of his favorite hockey games on Youtube.
In all honesty, he should have known better, because in what reality did girls like her get with guys like him?

---

Time for KD! XD

Katyusha's eyes grew wide as she watched Matthew; that smile was so unnatural, and he looked stiff. She tried not to make it obvious - but was failing miserably - but she was concerned and confused by the sudden change. Had she said something wrong? Did she hurt him somehow? Maybe he just wanted to leave...maybe he was going to accept the woman's offer after all this. The conclusions she was coming up with jabbed at her, leaving a harsh sting. Why it hurt so bad...well, she'd thought of the answer...she was just scared to admit it.
"Y-Yes...please...I still need to pick up a few things, but...stay..." Her voice was just above a murmur and was shaky. The woman passed between them both, whispering something along the lines of "I'll call you tonight". Whether she'd meant calling HER or Matthew, she didn't know. But the woman must've suddenly felt awkward; from what Katyusha knew about her, she was very straightforward with everything. Her heart was pounding rapidly and she felt uneasy. She'd done something wrong, she'd done something wrong...! The atmosphere that had formed between Matthew and her was gone, like it had never been there in the first place. She noticed just in time that her vision was nearly blurred with panicked tears, and she turned sharply to avoid eye contact. Much more sharply than she would've liked; this was just going to make things worse.
She could only hope that the slow drizzle of rain would help her look less upset over her mistake.

_____________________________________________

Yummeh~! XD
Hnnnnggg, angst makes me sad. But I like writing it. >3> I'm weird like that.

He was such a scum bag. Matthew berated himself over and over again as they walked down the streets. He could see the tears sparkling in Katya’s eyes and knew he’d caused them. She didn’t ask him to kiss her, to grab her and smother her like he did, and he felt like some pig forcing himself on her.
He really was scum.
As Matthew watched her, throwing habitual glances from the corner of his eye, he stayed in step with her, shortening his normally long strides to their walking was slightly slower paced. He wanted to say something, needed to say something if just to tell her that she wasn’t obligated to keep him around. Just because they’d kissed or because in little more than a week Katyusha had made him fall head over heels in love with her without even knowing it, didn’t mean she had to tote him around out of pity. But whenever he opened his mouth to say something to convey this, Matthew’s nerves failed and he was left letting out his breath in a deep sigh. Coward.
It was twisted, it really was. The fact that he’d rather guilt someone into spending time with him should have his therapist concerned. Maybe it was because he’d been ignored for so much of his life, so much that he barely cared anymore when people forgot his name even after he’d repeated it to them time and time again, or when those around him always had that poorly hidden expression of shock when they realized he existed.
… Or maybe it was because in this depressing, humdrum of a school life, Katyusha was his ray of sunlight. From that moment he’d seen her standing panicked in the school doorway, to even sitting in front of her orange crotched and smelling of soggy noodle soup, she actually made him feel important… like he wasn’t just an invisible nobody. When she smiled at him he knew he could deal with all the stress both school and life seemed determined to crush him under, just because she was there.
They were just about to cross the street when Matthew stopped. The rain was coming down harder now and he could barely see through his spattered glasses but he didn’t care, he only had one thought in his mind.
He couldn’t lose her.

---

*dramatic soap opera music* Next time one Hetalia Rp-ing...

Katyusha's head was spinning the whole time, and she couldn't bring herself to even glance at Matthew. She was inwardly freaking out about the whole thing. She could hear him sigh once in a while, and neither of them tried to strike up a conversation. Everything had changed so quickly...and she wasn't just thinking about the weather. The tears in her eyes remained where they were despite her attempts to blink them back, and the rain successfully made her shiver from the cold. But nothing felt colder than the guilt that was relentlessly digging its way deeper into her heart. She wanted to say something, she had to say something...but the words, like always, were stuck in her throat. The tension only made her anxiety grow.
She noticed Matthew stop as she stepped into the crosswalk. She turned, curious, and called his name softly. "M-Matvey?" No. That wasn't his name. That was just a stupid nickname she gave him. He'd said it was alright to call him that, but who was she to say it in the first place? It was rude...
She stared at him from where she was. They were both drenched from the rain, and their expressions were surprisingly similar. Something about the scene they were both in pulled at her heartstrings, but she was abruptly pulled into reality with a car honking at her. She was still standing in the crosswalk. Letting out a small cry of surprise and waving an apology, she ran back to stand with Matthew. She worked up enough courage to look up at him, her lip quivering along with the rest of her body.
"...M-Matvey...I d-did something w-wrong, didn't I...? I-I want to know why...why y-your smile l-looks so fake..." Her voice was chalk full of worry, and the tears she'd been holding back for what seemed like ages finally spilled onto her cheeks, joining the raindrops that had already settled there. She swallowed thickly and hiccuped softly, unable to keep her gaze locked with his. Looking down at the ground, she tried to speak again, "W-Whatever I did...I-I'm sorry...I'm sorry...!"
Always apologizing. That was Katyusha for you. For the smallest things, and for things that weren't even her fault. It was simply in her nature.
And apologizing was all she could think to do at the moment. The Matthew infront of her wasn't her Matthew. This wasn't the Matthew that had simply smiled when she apologized, the Matthew that had kissed her so suddenly but so sweetly, the Matthew that had said "I'll do anything to help"...
She apologized because she didn't know how to get "Matthew" back.

________________________________

Matt and Kat's feelings finally show! What will be the outcome?!
*bricked*

“S-sorry…?” Matthew balked in alarm. “You’re sorry? N-no!”
How could she even think that? This was all his fault! His heart shattered seeing her eyes drop to the ground, body shaking as she cried.
He caused that.
He made Katyusha cry.
“No… Katyusha,” Matthew spoke weakly, his voice barely audible over the rain. “I’m the one that’s sorry.”
She looked so… broken. Wet, cold, and without the blush he’d come to cherish, she looked so pale.
Matthew yanked off his jacket and walked forward to place it around her shoulders, letting his hands linger on her upper arms. He wanted to pull her close, wrap himself around her and fight away the chills until she was warm again. He wanted to see her smile again with those cute little dimples.
Licking his lips, he found his own eyes downcast watching a fallen leaf captured by the trickling current of rainwater being swept away onto the street and down a sewers grate.
“I’m sorry I-I jumped you like that and… kissed you. I was being selfish, I shouldn’t of…! B-but Katyusha I… I…” Come on, spit it out! Be a man for once! “I like you! I really like you…” Matthew pulled his hands away, like having physical contact with her when she rejected him would give him an electrical shock. “Y-you make me so, so happy and you have no idea how glad I am that I met you… “ He licked his lips again, mouth suddenly dry. “But I know that you don’t feel the same way- and that’s okay! It’s okay, really… “ Matthew smiled sadly, puffing a small bitter laugh, his eyes looking off to the side.
She deserved better than him. He was doing the right thing.
“You don’t have to worry about me… I don’t want you to feel obligated or anything because of what I’m saying. I won’t be the one to hold you back…I just wanted you to know…”
Matthew’s voice trailed off pitifully.
What else could he say…?

---

Crappy post is crappy. Sorry >_<

Katyusha stared at him, her usual blush returning to her cheeks. She sniffled a little and tried not to hiccup, taking in what he'd said. He liked her...? As in, like-liked her? A crybaby like her? Her heart had a kickstart and was pounding against her ribs, and she found that instead of stopping her crying, more tears stained her now red cheeks. She was happy...really, really happy. It was strange...in such a short time, how was it that she developed all these feelings for the boy infront of her? Happiness, longing, admiration... He was a best friend, almost like a brother, and...well...more. She loved being with him, she loved who he was, she loved...
Matthew.
She loved Matthew.
But seeing his downcast expression brought another wave of confusion down onto her. Since when did he assume that...? She didn't finish the thought, almost clinging to his jacket. It had it's own warmth and a particular smell to it...coffee, some other sweet smell, and Matthew.
"M-Matvey...who said...that I..." Her voice was just above a whisper and she tried again, trying to find her voice. She closed her eyes for a moment, gathering her courage up. Why are things so easy to think, but so hard to say?
"I...I like you, too..." Her face burned red at the confession and her voice was still as soft as ever, but she continued regardless. "I feel like...I can trust you. I can relax. I can do things...I've never done..." Her voice faded out much to her frustration. There were so many feelings she wanted to explain, so many things she wanted to tell him...and yet, she merely stood there half-crying, half-smiling.
Little did she realize that, subconciously, she'd drifted closer to him and taken his hand between both of hers, toying with his fingers gently. She was startled with herself; since when was her subconcious so bold?

__________________________________________

Nyeh, want to write more but brain says "NO."
Ack.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! Please don’t cry!” Matthew sputtered uselessly. What he said was supposed to STOP her from crying and here he was making it worse!
… then her words began to sink in.
Katyusha… Katyusha liked him… back? Matthew blinked. R-really…?
In the back of his mind he registered the feeling of his hand being touched by her slender fingers but for the life of him, he couldn’t think straight. He kept hearing her words repeating over and over again in his head but he couldn't believe it. She liked him? Trusted him? Could relax because of him?
Matthew looked down into her sincere blue eyes. She was still crying, but a watery smile had made its way across her face and he found himself smiling back, laughing a little breathlessly. Then that smile turned to a full blown grin and he rocked back on his heels, running a hand through his wet hair disbelievingly.
“I’m such an idiot,” Matthew muttered, enclosing his hand around hers until their fingers laced together. Palm pressed against palm.
His happiness however was dampened as that small dark corner of his mind, the place that constantly lashed at him, naming every one of his insecurities and faults, hissed a dark thought. What if she was confessing this just to be nice? It wasn’t in Katyusha to be mean but she could very well be humoring him, letting him get his feelings out in the open and out of his system just to walk away and ignore them.
However Matthew couldn’t deny the honesty in her eyes, the earnest, wholehearted expression of hope and happiness displaying on her flushed heart-shaped face. Just as it wasn’t in her to be mean, Matthew had no doubt that lying wasn’t in her blood either.
Bring up their linked hands, he placed a sweet kiss on her knuckles, still smiling. He’d have to work up the nerve to kiss her directly again.
Gently, Matthew tugged her forward, feeling lighter like a heavy weight had been lifted off his shoulders. He held up the bags. “Come on, let’s go drop this off and then get out of this rain!”

---

I know whatchya mean ._.

Katyusha's small smile grew and grew until her cheeks hurt, her eyes glowing with love as she nodded in response. She was relieved; she hated seeing Matthew so sad. He didn't deserve that. There were tears remaining in her eyes, but they hardly mattered. All the mattered was the here and now.
Here, as in the little adventure the both of them were taking. An emotional rollercoaster, that was for sure.
Now, as in their intertwined hands and the remaining tingling sensation left from his kiss to her knuckles. It wasn't every day that a gentleman roamed school halls; most boys would comment on something more, erm, vulgar. Sure, they had their dignity too, but there was still a difference.
She followed his lead, remaining close to his side as she gently squeezed his hand. She blinked away a raindrop on her eyelashes, realizing just how soaked they both were. It was a bit uncomfortable, yes, but it was refreshing. There'd been misunderstandings and so much tension before...and now it had been replaced with the overwhelming feeling of relief and bliss. It made her want to cry again, but she stopped herself.
The greenhouse had come into view and with each step they took, she dissapointment rising in her. Did they have to part so soon? After everything that took place...she just wanted a little taste of what was, hopefully, in the future for them.
Despite her slight worries and curiousity, she really couldn't stop smiling. Today was just full of mood swings and some things she would've rather never happened, but...
It was a good day, none the less.
Stepping inside the entrance, she waved a little to another fellow worker - not the previous woman, mind you - who simply eyed them curiously. It was her turn to tug Matthew along, looking back at him. "I'll show you where to put all of it, Matvey."

________________________________________

Nyeeeeeeh, short reply is short.

Matthew gazed curiously around the building. Surprised and not a little mortified, he recognized the greenhouse as the one he’d bought Katyusha’s sunflowers- or should he say sunflower- from. Gosh, he hoped she didn’t see him, he thought, his ears turning red as he flushed. Though, now, if they were really… together, then wasn’t it customary for him to shower her in gifts? The idea of seeing her surprised and blushing because of him made Matthew smile, already plotting. He’d most definitely have to look into that…
Matthew welcomed the warm humidity as they stepped into one of the actual greenhouses, winding their way through the tables lining both sides and down the middle, carrying tray after tray of every fathomable plant imaginable. Several times, Matthew had to duck to avoid smashing his head into the baskets hanging from the ceiling. But his eyes kept dropping, slipping down the beautiful backside of the woman pulling him forward-
THWACK!
“Ow!” Matthew hissed, grabbing his throbbing nose, vision going burry. He quickly tried to brush it off, not wanting anyone to see him watery eyed. Why did he always hurt himself in front of her? Was it some kind of universal law he didn't know about?
Katyusha continued ahead of him, pulling at their laced fingers. She seemed so much more at ease around plants, Matthew mentally noted in amazement.
He had some competition then.
“So… you work here… tending to the plants?” Matthew asked voice nasally thanks to the attack to his head by one of those hanging deathtraps.

---

But I love eeeeet~

Katyusha glanced back in surprised at the thunk she heard, blinking at Matthew's pained expression. He'd hit his head? Aah, shoot! Why didn't I warn him about the over hanging plants?! It'd hurt a lot more with his glasses, but it looked like he was just shaking it off. Letting out a small huff, she continued on.
They continued on through the green house, passing out the back, and reaching a small storage room. Stepping inside, she finally answered his question, feeling a little bit distracted. His hand was so large compared to hers...it was a bit unnerving. She wasn't exactly one to fight back...but she quickly shoved the thought from her mind, feeling ashamed. Why should she even think like that?! She trusted him! He would never do something so low...she knew that.
"Yes, most of the time. I do a lot of the planting, so I look after a lot of the plants, too. Ah, well, I'm not alone in that, of course..." Gently freeing her hand from his - although her fingers lingered slightly - she motioned him over to a tall cupboard, taking the bags from him and setting it on the counter. She'd been asked to pick up the few things on the list, and cautiously assumed that organizing the items would be up to someone else.
She then turned to him again, smiling but worry glinting in the depths of her eyes. His voice had sounded odd... "So...y-you're sure your alright? Y-You're head, I mean." She tried to ignore the fact that even though they were in shelter, they were both still dripping from the rain and, frankly, she was cold. She'd almost forgotten that she was wearing Matthew's jacket, and wondered how he was favoring.

___________________________________

Aw, shank ya.
Unfortunately, you get another really short reply. ;w;

It wasn’t something he’d quite grown used to, feeling too big for a space. It didn’t help that the storage room was tipping towards the smaller side of the scale making Matthew feel huge and cumbersome. For safety’s sake he kept his arms to his side and tried to move as little as possible.
“Yeah, m’all right,” Matthew answered. His nose still throbbed, but he just added it to the list of his ‘Injuries, Accidents, and Other Self Induced Calamities’ he mentally kept check of. That list was getting awfully long…
The silence between them slowly began to grow awkward and Matthew dropped his eyes to his soaked through shirt, fidgeting nervously with the hem. He tried to focus on the stead chill encroaching on his body and not the way Katyusha's wet hair stuck to her cheeks or her clothes slicked to her curves.
Cold wasn’t something that really bothered him, though the clingy wet clothes were becoming a bit of an annoyance. Glancing up, he saw that his feelings of fondness for the cold were not mutual for Katyusha.
“Are you okay?” Matthew asked, concerned with ashen tint her complexion had taken. It only took one stride to stand toe to toe with her, and Matthew reached out a hand, testing the inside of his jacket. “It’s soaked through,” he frowned. He moved to take it off her, but stopped eyes questioning. “May I? Keeping it on while it’s wet won’t help you get warm…” He’d never forgive himself if she got sick because of this. Albeit, the mental image of himself at her bedside, taking care of her had certain provocations…

---

Ah well, mine's short to >o<

Surpressing a shiver, she nodded in acknowledgement, helping him peel the jacket away from her clothes and off of her shoulders. She could feel her face heat up, cheeks turning a soft red. She squirmed a little, both from her now tighter-than-needed clothing and from Matthew's hands ghosting over her, taking back his jacket.
"I-I'm fine. Just...cold..." she answered, trying not to make the uncomfort of the cold seeping into her from her clothes. She tried to distract herself. She looked up at Matthew---
Distraction; failed.
She almost wished she had a camera. His hair was a bit ruffled, really, but stuck close to him at the same time. Because of the dampness of it, the slight wave in it was also gone. Droplets clung to whatever they could, falling from the ends of his hair or down his skin. The gleam of his glasses and the remaining moisture on his skin, throw in his gorgeous-as-always eyes...
The result?
She felt her blush increase ten-fold.
Looking down, she skirted off to the side, smiling a little. A shiver finally managed to overtake her and she shook her head, trying to ignore the tingling of goosebumps that had appeared on her skin. "S-So, do you think we should wait until the rain lets up to leave...?" She'd like to stay indoors, really. But school was still in session, and she was a bit worried. Not that skipping one day would make her whole life fall apart, but she didn't want any attention because of it. Plus, she felt that the majority of her time spent with Matthew today had been much too tense. She wanted to fix that, even in the smallest of ways.
The sticky feeling of her clothes was getting to her, and she turned to another smaller cupboard. Quickly finding what she was searching for, she pulled out a few small, insignificant clothes and offered one shyly to Matthew. "I-It's not much, but...i-it'll help a little, a-at least...."

_________________________________________

Aw, c'mon brain! Do better than this! ;_;

No staring. Absolutely NO staring.
No staring at her figure, no staring at her lips, and positively not even a glance at her br-
“Thank you,” Matthew answered meagerly, gladly accepting the piece of cloth he discovered to be a shirt. Seeing Katyusha holding her own, Matthew blushed to the roots of his hair and spun to face the cupboard, giving her some privacy. “S-staying might be a good idea. It doesn’t look like it’ll last too long and if you’re cold you should stay dry.” Playing with the shirt embarrassedly, he added quietly like he almost didn’t want her to hear, “If you’re really cold… we could use body heat.” Ears red, he added, “First rule of Boy Scouts.” As if that made his words more innocent.
Truthfully, since their… kiss, he’d been particularly careful not to touch her any more than necessary or any more than what she initiated herself. Even while helping her out of his jacket there was no Mr. Grabby.
Not that he liked not touching her. He’d felt the softness of her skin, tasted it… and it was agony not to do so again. But, Matthew had decided, after the afternoon they’d had it was safer if she established their next move.
He didn’t dare turn around, and getting sick of his chilling wet shirt, pulled that one over his head (dropping it to the floor with a disturbing ‘splat’) and replaced it with the one Katyusha had given him. It was small, too small, for his tall frame, stretched just about as far as it could around his ribcage and so tight around his arms that he couldn’t bend them all the way. He felt like one of those douche-bags that hung around in clubs, all he had to do to complete the look would be to pop the collar. But as awful as it looked, the warmth it brought was undeniable.
“A-are you finished…?” And without thinking Matthew glanced over his shoulder.

---

I think it's bedtime for me @_@

She was mentally stuck at "body heat".
Even if her body moved, Katyusha couldn't get his suggestion out of her head. It would help, yes, but...it would also be... Not that she didn't like being close with him! To have someone to hold other than a friend or a family member...was new to her, but gave her a pleasant feeling. Matthew was gentle with her, and it seemed like he was being quite cautious at the moment...
Having left her shirt on the ground at this point, she held the dry shirt to her chest for a moment, trying to ignore the fact that they were slipping on new shirts in the same room. She had her back turned, just as he did, but it didn't change the situation. Her cheeks burned red and she could've sworn she could light up a good couple buildings with the intensity of it. She didn't notice Matthew's glance over the shoulder as she pulled the shirt over her body, shaking her head a little. She also took off her headband; it was drenched, so there wasn't much of a point in wearing it if she was trying to stay dry. In her embaressment, she'd missed his last question, turning her head in the slightest towards him.
"B-Body heat...? That's...a-alright...with me...." Her nibbled at her lip a little, noting that her voice had hardly escaped her throat. Yes, he was the one who'd brought it up, but what would he think of her agreeing?
...
Although, a hug wouldn't be so bad.

____________________________________________

*dies from lateness of reply*

What the hell had he said about NO LOOKING?!
Matthew whipped his head around to once again stare unseeingly at the cupboard doors, face so red he was probably going to pass out, but that didn’t stop his mind from instantly replaying what he just saw. With her arms stretched upwards lifting her shirt over her head, he had the perfect view of her back and…and… wow.
He recalled the way her alluring alabaster skin almost seemed to glow even in the dimness of the storage space. The indent of her spine ran downwards, trailing off to where her hips began to widen. Matthew had seen pictures of those twig thin girls, on TV ads, on posters and magazine covers. They always looked so sickly and bony. But not Katyusha.
She was fuller, softer with curves that sent his heart thrumming against his insides. Matthew ran a hand down his face, noticing how hot his cheeks felt and tried to will the flush away. Then he shifted his weight, and that’s when he noticed something else. The blood wasn’t just rushing to his face.
No! No! No! Please not now! Not now!!! Come on, think! Uh dead puppies, old people in saunas, Paris Hilton…
Just as his problem was subsiding, he heard Katyusha’s answer and hastily shoved his hands in his pockets. She sounded so nervous… She didn’t think he was going to jump her or something, did she? Granted, the whole ‘he’d get to hold her’ thing was a rather nice perk, he’d never do anything improper to her. He liked having her around and he wanted to keep it that way.
Making sure it was okay this time, Matthew turned- not gawking at the way the new shirt hung cutely on her frame, or how without her headband her hair fell enchantingly into her eyes- carefully dislodging his hands from his pockets and held them out invitingly. He didn’t step forward, giving her the choice to change her mind.

---

*is braindead*

How she'd ended up in this situation was long beyond her. Cold, but warming up slowly, with Matthew extending his hands out towards
her...
She didn't deserve to be so lucky.
And yet her heart was pounding rapidly at the opportunity.
She hesitated briefly before taking a few small steps forward, slipping her hands back into his. She looked up at him with a small smile, the blush from before still lingering. Her hands shook out of...excitement? Nervousness? She wasn't too sure, but everything felt like it was a dream. A dream way too good to be true. The new feelings and experiences terrified her deep down, but she couldn't have wanted more than she did now. She moved her head in a jerky motion to the side, trying to get her bangs out of her eyes. Even while doing this, she couldn't break the eye contact she'd just made. Matthew's eyes were such an odd colour, but they captivated her almost as much as his smile did. She wondered why they held such misery at times, and why they shone so brightly at other times. Surely she wasn't the cause of that! She'd never had that sort of power over anyone. She knew beauty was something all people enjoyed and she tried not to cringe uncomfortably at the shallow though, but she couldn't have so much of an influence on a person's emotions. What could she have even done to do that...?
Her thoughts rendered useless when she realized she'd been staring. What were they doing again? ...Right, body heat!
...
Body heat.
Her cheeks still flushed at the thought.
Once again taking her hands away from his, she took a step forward, moving in for a hug---
But she jerked back sharply when she realized she was doing instead of thinking.
"Ah...! I'm sorry! ...M-May I...?" She tried to steady her shaky breathing, smiling sheepishly out of reflex.

___________________________________________

Whatchu talkin' 'bout, Willus? XD
That was awesome, silly!

“You’ve got the right idea,” Matthew chuckled, smiling at the adorable charm of her blush. Gently, as if any sudden movements would scare her away, he tucked her into his chest, wrapping his arms around her but not tightly. Just one word or movement and he’d let go. He tried to cover as much as he could, presuming that would remedy her chills faster. When his hand came in contact with the skin of her arm he almost jumped.
“Mon Dieu! Ma chérie, you’re so cold!” He ran his hand up and down her upper arm quickly, hoping the friction would help. No wonder she was shaking…!
This was all his fault, making her stand in a downpour like that. What a great thing to make the girl you love do. Matthew cheeks brightened again. Looking down, his eyes locked onto those swirling pools of cerulean and he was a goner. It was amazing; really, a tiny little thing like her had complete control over him. If Katyusha asked him to jump his answer would automaticly be ‘How high?’. It scared him. Of course there had been crushes in his life, girls he’d thought he couldn’t live without. Now he realized just how wrong he’d been. His feelings then paled in compared to now. With Katyusha it was the truth, he really couldn’t live without her. She was his air, his sunshine. The sheer intensity of his own feelings terrified him. What if one day this all ended and she left?
Matthew shuddered, not even wanting to contemplate the idea.
“Is it helping?” he asked, in an attempt to distract himself. The heat generated between their bodies was already starting to leech through his clothes, vanquishing the cold lickety-split. Extending a hand to her own he frowned, discerning that his little plan wasn’t affecting her icy fingers.
“Give me your hands.” Cradling them he brought them up to his mouth and blew in a warm breath. His glasses fogged up to the point where all he saw was a cloudy Katyusha blur, but he continued to blow in heat and alternated with employing the use of friction once more. He hoped it was helping if just a little.

---

*strikes a pose* Ta-da~ /fail

"Mon Dieu"? "Ma cherie"? She'd never heard him say anything like that before...it was...French, right? Whatever they had meant, he'd said it in such a distressed tone that Katyusha merely let him continue his work. It felt nice anyways...
Warmth surrounded her hands as Matthew continued the motion, and she felt herself biting back a smile. Watching him was heartwarming, but his glasses were causing a funny sight. A short burst of giggles came from her and she stopped herself, failing to contain them. Pulling herself back a little, she reached up and slid his glasses off, taking a portion of her shirt and wiping the fog off of the lenses. Carefully slipping them back into place, she hesitantly wrapped her arms around him and made herself comfortable, grateful that he was willing to do this. "Matvey, you're cold, too..." The soft thumping of his heart could be heard as she hugged him, and she absent-mindedly drew patterns on his shoulder blade with her fingers, sharing what warmth she had with him. He'd done so much for her today; it was hard to take it all in. She wanted to thank him and maybe this was all she could do to thank him at the moment...
A thought popped into her head, but her cheeks immidiately heated up in embarressment. She couldn't...!
Could she?
No, it was too soon! It was going too fast, this was all right, this was fine.
But the previous experience played in her mind, and she couldn't help a blissful shiver that went up her back.
But...what would he say? What would he do?
A voice in the back of her head shouted at her, "You'll never know until you try!" and a small series of doubts raced through her. She'd settle for second best then, for the good of both of them. Looking up at Matthew, she gathered her courage and stood on her tiptoes, pressing her lips up to a space between the corner of his mouth and his cheek. She looked off to the side, arms still wrapped around him, and murmured, "Th-Thank you...really..."

_______________________________________________

That was cute, mahn! :U

She kissed him.
Katyusha kissed him.
Instantly a flood of memories recalling earlier this afternoon had Matthew’s mind reeling. One second he was grinning, trying not to laugh at her sweet, bubbly giggles and the next those soft lips were pressing to the edge of his mouth. His newly cleaned glasses sliding hazardously close to the end of his nose were forgotten- what were glasses again?- and he’d come to a screeching halt with trying to warm her hands, the same hands stroking his back.
Matthew slowly stirred from the shock. Her expression had changed so fast. From settling in against him and relaxing with her cheek to his chest, it shifted suddenly, face reddening in a flustered look, and then confidence seemed to beam from her as she reached up on her tiptoes. His instinctive response was to slip his arms around her shoulders, one hand playing with a lock of her hair still damp yellow hair.
“Y-you’re welcome…” Matthew studied her face, looking for any signs, any flicker at all, of discomfort. Seeing none, he leaned closer to her heart-shaped face, near enough that their breaths mingled, but at the last second hesitated, adding, “You’re very welcome.” And then pressed tentative kiss back.

---

Too tired brain died ._.
Sorry it's so short XC

Katyusha was lucky that he was supporting her; her knees were caving in on her all over again.
She lost all sense of what she'd been doing before. Whatever she'd been worrying about, doubting, contimplating...all of her focus had turned to the feeling of his lips against hers. They'd done this once before, yes...but this was only their second kiss. She assumed she'd be feeling like this for a quite a while. So, she savoured it. Every lingering second...
She returned the guesture, being careful with how she moved, shivering as Matthew played with her hair, leaving behind a ticklish feeling. She didn't dare try anything "else" with the kiss; she'd gathered up her courage to kiss him, but she wasn't quite brave enough to enforce everything. Tightening the hug for a moment, she tried to settled herself, make herself more calm... She could hardly stick with one emotion for a few minutes right now.
Then, all at once, the kiss was over.
Feeling him begin pull away, she let out a hardly audible, breathy whine...then her eyes snapped open. She didn't just do that. Why did she do that?! Her cheeks turned red and she forced her gaze away from his, inwardly ridiculing herself.

_________________________________________

Mine's short, too. .____.;;

Matthew sucked in a breath as that tiny, panted keen escaped her mouth and seemed to hang in the air like and electrical charge around them. That sound only made him crave to kiss her more, but with a dismayed sigh, he kissed her forehead then leaned back. He adjusted their stance so his arms were still around her but were acting now more as a mild restraint. It was hard to ignore the pink tint to her cheeks and the way her mouth was parted to breath, he could feel her chest rising and falling against his. There really was no part of her that wasn’t tempting to him. For his own good, he shifted his gaze to the ceiling, scrutinizing the water stain on the corner tile with particular vigor. This wasn’t fair. The first time he gets her alone in a room and he won’t allow himself to do anything!
Exhaling through his nose, Matthew dropped his gaze and carefully led her back until his shoulders rested against the cupboard, then slowly sank down until they were sitting. He made sure Katyusha was comfortable before he rested his chin on her head. By the hotness of her cheek pressing against his neck he guessed she was finally warming up. He linked their fingers and was pleased to see that they were no longer icicles.
Outside he could still hear the rain, trickling down the roof spitting out a rain pipe somewhere. The sound was very relaxing, and mixed with the quiet even breathing of Katyusha it had Matthew half asleep and happily so. If he got in trouble for skipping today, detention or suspension, he pictured himself grinning blissfully at the school staff and telling them that if every day he skipped was like this one then he’d never come to school at all. Even with the tension of earlier, thinking that all of this was just some high school game to her- a conclusion he deeply regretted jumping to- he’d do it all over again. Katyusha brought out such acute emotions in him, joy, heartbreak, confidence, anger, it was overwhelming when all he was used to was slight irritation when they served waffles at breakfast and not pancakes. It was like his whole life he’d been ankle deep in the kiddy pool then being swallowed up by the biggest tidal wave you could imagine the moment she walked into his life. And it was because of the sheer potency of his feelings that Matthew wanted to do this right. It sounded so stupid, irrational and childish, but this wasn’t just some crush to him, Katyusha was not a crush to him. She was his everything. He wanted there to be a one year anniversary so he could go find the biggest bushel of sunflowers he could and make damn sure she got every single one of them, he wanted them to be one of those cheesy high school sweethearts that met early before classes for a good morning talk and kiss.
But he only had a year.
Katyusha would be leaving after just a year.
Sadness tore into his heart at the thought and brought his back to the warm body in his arms. Matthew pinched his eyes shut and pressed a kiss into her hair. You’d think with the limited time they had he’d gladly accept the passionate kisses with open arms. But Matthew didn’t want that, not the kind of passion that’s impetuous and short. He wanted to feel those embers again, steady and hotter than the flames, for them to build something sturdy and enduring. When her year at school was over, Matthew promised himself, that he’d find a way to make it work.
Katyusha’s boiling curiosity of his sudden silence and why he’d stopped her didn’t go unnoticed by him, and with a chuckle Matthew traced the lifeline down her palm, answering, “There’s no need to rush. We have all the time in the world.”

---

Finally. Done *passes out*

Simple. Complex.
The relationship between them both was so simple, but so complicated.
The swirling madness inside her that one would call "emotions" made her think a lot more than she usually would about something like this.
Something like this. A relationship between two people.
Matthew's warmth towards her brought both a peacefull happiness to her and guilt. He never went out of line to do anything that made her uncomfortable...he was considerate with every action. Who was she to force him into anything? She was hardly sure of herself when giving him a small kiss, let alone anything...else. Whatever bursts of confidence she did have were only momentarily, then she was back to her stuttering, fumbling self. It was rare to find someone who thought so carefully over their next move, to the point where they almost seemed overly cautious. Not that she minded. His friendly nature and overall shyness made him someone she liked to be with, someone she could trust in. She didn't have to rush, and neither did he. The realization of this caused the guilt in her to throb, but her thankfullness increased. If he was willing to stay with a crybaby who was constantly worrying and apologizing over the smallest things, if he was willing to do that...
She wanted to make this work.
She'd been so uneasy when she'd transfered to the school, only wanting to get through the year and go without unneeded attention. Work was nearly the center of her life, apart from eating and sleeping. Not any more. Katyusha had found something she wasn't to put as much time into as possible, something she really didn't want to lose... If she could stay here forever, just being with him and getting to know him, even just that much... She wouldn't mind if they were trapped at all.
Tears welled up in her eyes as an understanding smile slowly spread across her face, and she hugged him ever tighter. "Baby steps, right...?" she murmured, chuckling softer and trying not to let her tears escape.

_____________________________________

Crap reply is crap. X_X
fklsdkfjsds You're reply was fantastic. *clings*

Matthew laughed lightly, “Right, baby steps.”
He continued tracing the lines on her hands absentmindedly. Her fingers were pale and slender, but he could feel the roughness indicative of years working hard with her hands. His own fingers trailed down to her to wrist, feeling her heartbeat thumping just below her skin. He could easily wrap his large hand around it, fingers overlapping. She was such a contradiction. Small, fragile, shy and anxious, but in certain moments he saw her come out of that shell confident and bold. There were so many sides to her, always reminded him how little he new about her.
Matthew frowned at the thought. He really didn’t know much about her and that wasn’t right, not if he supposedly really loved her.
Shifting back, he looked down over his slipping glasses. “Tell me about your family?”

---

Crap post! :B

Blinking, Katyusha looked up at him, eyes still glistening. "My family...?" Her family was...interesting, to say the least. Shifting a little in his grip, she made herself comfortable and began to speak.
"My family is...odd. I have 2 younger siblings, Ivan and Natalia. Ivan is a masochist...and Natalia wants to "marry" Ivan. He's terrified of her, though... They're both a bit violent, and I actually owe Ivan quite a bit of money. But...despite their quirks...and their tendancy to scare people...I love them very much. Besides, I basically raised them." She laughed a little in between her explaination, a loving smile plastered onto her face.
Yes, they were a strange little family, but she loved them anyways. They were close since they'd been through so much, but she still had a ways to go to fully understand her siblings. Fiddling with the collar of Matthew's shirt, she returned the question.

_______________________________________

*makes up song about short posts*
:U

Matthew swallowed nervously, trying to hide his immediate panic. He puffed a laugh, clearing his throat when it came out as a high octave squeak. “Y-you raised them?”
Ah, now he understood where her adorable fretting and mother hen qualities came from, showing him yet another side of Katyusha. But his eyebrows furrowed as he thought over her answer. She had raised her siblings? But she was always working, endlessly busy with her jobs, where did she find time to raise her –apparently quite eccentric- brother and sister? And for that matter, why did she have to raise them? Did she have to do it all on her own?
Deciding that those particular questions were a little too personal for the time being, Matthew sighed, focusing his attention on playing with the cuff of her sleeve. “I have my brother Alfred. We’re the same age and we look really similar but we’re only half-brothers. We get along fairly well, but we don’t, um, run in the same social circles, I guess one could say.” With short laughing snort, he added, “He’s pretty much the exact opposite of me, loud, demanding- I get in trouble sometimes because people he’s pissed off come after me thinking I’m him since we resemble each other so closely.” He tried to keep the humor in his voice but it trailed off into irritation, remembering the last time when a big burly Cuban guy jumped him as he was leaving the library.

---

*clinging to computer hoping the power doesn't go out*