As the days passed, Gilbert and I became more comfortable around each other. I even became nicer to those around me. Toris and my sisters all noticed my change in demeanor and said nothing of it, for fear that I would snap back to my usual self. The winter was spent with everyone piled in my room, all huddling against the only working source of heat in the entire house. Some nights, I would even wake up in the middle of the night to find Gilbert in my arms, fast asleep and muttering on about old wars and treaties that didn't turn out the way he wanted them to. Of course, he never spoke of this to the others, the morning after was just him coldly tossing me a plate of pancakes, blushing furiously at having slept in my arms. I never bothered to get any more physical with him than the few times he sweetly dozed off and cuddled up against me. I figured that he should be given his privacy up to a certain extent, beside; lack of liberty should not mean lack of privacy. So, for the most part, I let the grumpy Prussian be.

When spring came around, I once again gave up all hope in breaking the curse. Warmer nights eliminated the need for everyone to cram into my room, and for Gil to seek warmth in my arms. I began to realize that no matter what, no matter who I forced to be with me, I was fundamentally alone. One afternoon, as I groggily made my way up to my bedchamber, Katya grabbed my arm and pulled me back.

"Vanya…something is wrong…" She sighed. I cursed her maternal instinct and tried my best to hide the lonesome expression on my face.

"Nothing is wrong. Leave me alone. You heard me, alone. Like always. Just leave." I muttered, surprised at how full of irony and longing my words were. She shook her head and made me sit down on a nearby chair in the hall.

"You seem distant. More than usual. I mean…just…sad…please tell me what is on your mind…"

"Nothing. I am a monster am I not? Monsters do not think. We are creatures. We have no feelings. Certainly not of love when one is forbidden to love…" I sighed. She offered me a small smile and caressed my cheek, her affectionate touch making me shiver.

"Ask him out to dinner…" She offered. My eyes widened in surprise and I promptly shook my head.

"Niet! I mean last time I did that he ended up throwing stuff at me!"

"Da, but that time, you demanded he join you. Now , you have given him a bit of freedom within his cell. Ask him this time, nicely. I will try to make everything as nice as possible for you two. He still resents you for capturing him but that does not mean he hates you. You just need to try…do not give up hope brother!" She skipped off, informing the others that they were to cook the best possible meal and set the table with the finest silverware to offer the best dinner this old castle had to offer. I sighed and dragged myself into my room, flopping down on the bed. I lay there, listening to time tick by on the old clock on my desk. After a while, Katya came in with a tape measure and a pin cushion full of pins. I groaned as she propped me up and began measuring my arm span.

"I think I have a suit that fits you," She chirped, still measuring me intently, her mouth full of pins.

"No" I huffed. She grinned and skipped off, returning with a tailored, navy sports jacket and a white, button-front, pinstriped vest. She rummaged in my closet until she found cream colored trousers and set it all on my bed.

"Dinner is in less than an hour. Be downstairs in this by then, maybe a bit earlier. Actually, change into this and go ask Gil to dinner."

"You have not even asked him? Wow what if he does not want to come?" I groaned. She smiled and shook her head.

"Ah I guess I got caught up in the excitement. Tell you what, go ask him right now!" She grabbed my hand and dragged me, as best she could, to the hall.

"Niet I will not! If he has not said yes then I will assume he said no and I will go back to my room and stay there ok?" I hissed. She pulled me to Gil's door and knocked on it a few times, ducking behind a plant to hide. I sighed and tried to hide in my scarf as Gilbert opened the door.

"What is i-…oh…it's you…whatdayouwant?" He grumbled. I looked around him, trying to find words in the space between us.

"I um..was wondering if…you…would like to…come….to…dinner…not as a ask but as a comma-I MEAN YOU DO NOT HAVE TO BUT I AM ASKING IF YOU WISH TO COME AND I JUST…IT IS IN AN HOUR! JOIN PLEASE DINNER FOR ME!" I scampered off to my room, slamming the door behind me.

It took me a good half hour to drag myself out of bed and into the clothes my sister had set out for me. I matched them with shiny white shoes, my white, fleece scarf and my golden cufflinks. I sighed as I combed my hair, styling my part off to the right and spraying on some sort of musk smell I found on my vanity. I made my way downstairs, drawing smiles from my sisters and the others.

"L-looking g-good…Mister Braginsky…" Raivis managed to choke out. I grumbled and took my seat at the head of the long, mahogany, dining table, in front on a grand fire-place that had been lit just for the occasion.

"It's just dinner…" I muttered crossly. "I bet he's not even gonna show. Just watch, he won't show…he hates me…" Petty minutes turned to greater fractions of the hour as my anxiety grew with each tick of the clock. I fidgeted with my scarf, my cufflinks, my vest buttons. I sighed and turned to face the fire when I heard a voice that raised my hopes up.

"So um…are you just gonna stand there or are we gonna eat or something..." He muttered. I spun around and saw him, standing there, in a magnificent outfit. He wore a gold, pinstriped suit, a bit more like the gangster style that was in fashion mid-century. His pants were a bit loose, his jacket long, his black shoes gleaming. He had a yellow rose in his lapel and his Iron Cross medal holding his shirt collar together. He smelled faintly of a floral aroma, subtle enough to not overwhelm but strong enough for me to notice. "Ja…your sister made me wear this shit…." He grumbled, taking a seat across from me on the other side of the table.

"You…l-look…um…so dinner maybe?" I choked out, blushing profusely. He shrugged and lay back in his chair.

"Is this to like, make up for the birthday dinner I never had?" he muttered, raising an eyebrow. I spat out my water.

"B-birthday? What? When the hell was this?" I looked behind him and found Toris, Eduard, Raivis and my sisters making signs for me to stop. "I mean um…"

"What was in January?" He said, raising an eyebrow.

"U-uh…Christmas?"

"NEIN! UGH I SWEAR YOU RUSSIANS ARE SO-"

"I-I mean…your birthday! Right?" I hid my face in my scarf, for fear that he would yell again.

"Oh ja…heh so you did remember after all! Ja it's a little hard to forget MY birthday I mean, everyone knows!" He smirked, his ego satisfied, and propped his feet up on the table. "So like…are you gonna feed me or…I mean cuz I was expecting quality beer for my birthday but I don't know if you can find that in this shithole…" I saw my sister furiously jotting down notes and handing them to Raivis. Who ran around frantically trying to deliver them to the kitchen.

"Ah I am sure we will have beer! I-mean we should have at least some beer here!" He nodded and we remained in a thick silence for a few minutes until Natalya came out with two platters and placed them before us.

"Here's your food…" She muttered, forcing a curtsy before she left. Gilbert grinned and grabbed his fork, picking at the food as he examined it.

"All right! You guys actually made saussages and oh shit is this fucking beer dip? Oh hell yes!" He quickly began to devour the food. "D-danke, I fucking guess!" He mumbled, his mouth full of food. I smiled and stared at my own plate, not entirely willing to try the dish before me. I pushed it away and mustered a smile as I watched him quickly eat through his entire place. "Ah man are you gonna eat that? Nein? Lemme take that then!" He sat next to me and took my plate, scarfing down its contents as well. "Wow I mean, what's for dessert? Cuz that was fucking great! Best birthday ever! Even if it is like four months late and I'm in prison but whatever!"

"D-d-d-dessert? Wait you expect more?" He glared at me, his fragile ego crushed by my comment.

"Um…ja, I do…I mean back at home we always had dessert after dinner. Of course, I got to eat it before dinner because I'm awesome like that but whatever. Are you Russians too cheap for sweets or somethin-" His eyes widened as he saw the plate that Toris lay before him. "….you're shitting me…" He whispered in awe. I stared confuse at the mess of pastry and sticky sauce in front of him. "D-did you really make fucking strudel with hazelnut spread?" He stared at it a bit longer. I looked behind him and saw Katya sigh in relief.

"He likes it!" She mouthed, giving me two thumbs up. "Now say something, idiot!" She hissed. I cleared my throat and looked at Gil.

"So um…t-that's strudel! Mind if I-" It was too late. Before I could finish, Gilbert finished off the confection in several quick bites, licking sauce from his fingers.

"Mein Gott….that was the best fucking dinner I've ever had! Hey Big Guy…guess you're not such an ass after all…" He burped loudly and propped his feet up on the table, leaning back on the chair and placing his hands behind his head. I smiled shyly and tried to find something trivial I could use to break the silence. As I was about to open my mouth, I heard big-band music coming from the record player in the corner of the dining room. I blushed a bit, embarrassed as I tried to recognize the song and hope it was not something cheesy put on by Katya as a joke. "The fuck is that…jazz?" He said, sitting back up. I nodded and cleared my throat.

"It was all the rage overseas and I suppose it gets to me rather late in this big old castle…this song is called-" Oh fuck, I thought. It's a love song. I got up, ready to punch whomever decided it was ok to play this during dinner.

"Wait wait wait wait wait, sit down, Big Guy! Lemme listen, it sounds alright!" He shushed. I bit my lip as I heard the song drone on.

"We've played the game of 'stay away'

But it costs more than I can pay

Without you I can't make my way

I surrender, dear." The voice of Bing Crosby cooed through the speaker.

"I-it's a stupid song, let me go turn it off…" I muttered.

"Nah just wait a minute…it sounds alright…leave it on…" He smirked as he watched me sit back down, red faced and cursing under my breath in my own language. "I surrender, dear!" He mocked. I huffed and fidgeted with the ends of my scarf. "I bet I can get you to surrender!" He grinned. I shook my head.

"I am not playing games with you. I invited you to dinner and that is th-"

"Hey, this is catchy dance music! Bet you can't dance!" He lifted his head in an egotistical manner and smirked. I grinned and stood up. I glared at him and smirked, confident in the dance skills that made my people famous world-wide.

"Toris, play us a little Artie Shaw, if you please!" I made my way to the small ballroom area in the main foyer by the grand staircase and straightened my jacket. I smirked and tapped my foot to the rhythm as my favorite song came on. Gilbert followed me and took my hand.

"Let's dance, Big Guy!" He said slyly. I swung him around to the beat, trying to outmaneuver him with complicated footwork, but he followed my every step, every cross of my feet, every move of my arm as our hands entwined, he kept up with everything, grinning like a madman.

"It's called prosschai

Which means goodbye, goodbye don't cry

I'll soon be returning to you

Don't cry dearest one prosschai" I muttered along with the song.

"Prosswhatnow?" Gil chirped. I shook my head and sighed.

"Prosschai…ah sort of…the song sort of messes it up. It is another way of saying goodbye in Russian, it means more along the lines of 'farewell' than just see you later, you know?" The song came to an end and I found him exasperated and panting against my chest, out hands still entwined.

"So…if I were to w-walk out that door, and say prosschai, would y-you let me?" He panted. I looked down and bit my lip. Would I? I noticed I had tightened my grip around his waist and loosened it immediately, letting out a sigh.

"To be honest, I would…" I let him go and hid my face in my scarf. "I suppose…you have been here long enough certainly…a few months by now…so da, udacha, proshchal'noy…" I muttered, barely audible through my scarf.

"Wow…you would? But why? I thought you liked having me as your prisoner…" He looked down at his feet, avoiding my eyes.

"Da…well…I mean…I am certainly less alone than I have been in years…"

"But you have five others you can-"

"Have you ever heard of being alone in a crowded room? That is how I feel every day…you see…long, long ago…around the time you signed a treaty that screwed me over for dropping out of a stupid war, someone put a curse on me…h-his name is Rasputin and he is a bit of an ass…" I sighed and rubbed my temples. "He said that….since I had not loved the Romanovs enough to spare them their lives in the heat of the Revolution, I would never be able to love again…a-and since then…I have been alone…just…wandering through life, hitting things that annoy me, glaring at things that refuse to go my way…I have become a beast…"

"A-and you expect this beautiful arse to set you free ja?" He teased. I glared at him and sighed.

"Gilbert, this is not a game. I am being serious here. I have no emotions but anger and I am incapable of loving!"

"Then why do you blush like an idiot and mess up your words when I'm around? I mean I usually ignore that sort of stuff unless it comes from pretty girls, but I understand, my awesomeness can be too much to handle sometimes!" He struck a pose and smirked in my direction. I sighed and stood up.

"Da, whatever. I just get nervous that is all. I am not used to communicating with people. And niet…" my voice became somber. "I do not expect you to break the curse…you are clueless and do not take anything seriously. Whatever, I have learned to live as a beast…I am used to it now…" I spun around and headed for the main stairs.

"I-Ivan! Wait!" He called, running after me. "L-look…I wanted to t-thank you for dinner…I mean, I don't usually thank people, especially when they've forgotten my birthday…b-but I think tonight deserves a thank you…"

"Thank my sisters and those other guys, they cooked everything, I just sat at the other end of the table and faked a smile…" I muttered, climbing up the first few steps.

"Nah…I mean I will…just…dinner wouldn't have been dinner if you weren't sitting at the other end of that table…I mean…that smile wasn't' all fake was it?" I heard him tapping his foot nervously. "Look just…don't give up hope dumbass…I think I'm as fed up with your sour attitude just as much as everyone else in here a-and…if I can help you break that stupid curse then I will!"

"It cannot be forced love…trust me…I mean it cannot be one-sided or forced…it has to be genuine, true love…and I doubt you feel that way about me…spokoinoi nochi…" I mumbled, going up yet another step.

"WAIT!" He grabbed my arm and dragged me down as best he could. "Just wait! I-I don't hate you! Does that count? I mean I don't love you but, I wouldn't run you over with my Panzer you know?" I held back a giggle at his comment.

"And I wouldn't run you over with my T-34…is this some sort of attempt at diplomacy or something?"

"A-ah…a great, militaristic Prussian, be diplomatic? Please, don't make me laugh! Nein it is not an attempt at a treaty! It is just…it just is you know? I do not hate you and I hope that counts towards helping you break the curse that makes you pissy!"

"…s-spasibo…" I realized I was blushing and hid my face with my scarf. "I just…I think I should go to bed now…"

"Nein! Here, one last dance, Big Guy! Let me prove my skills out on the floor!" He dragged me down a few more steps.

"Ah but…but…it is a bit hard to dance this sort of music alone!"

"What's wrong with dancing together then?" He smirked and flipped the record. "Now whatever song comes on, no matter how stupid you think it is, we have to dance to it! And you let me lead, I deserve to because it's my insanely belated birthday!" He turned the handle and his eyes widened as he heard the introduction to the song. "I-is that a c-clarinet…?" He muttered, blushing.

"Da, Artie Shaw. Do you know this song or something? And are we dancing or what?" I crossed my arms and tapped my foot impatiently, amused by the deer-in-the-headlights look on his face.

"Ah um…nah I'll just go to bed…" He grumbled, not moving or changing his expression. I shrugged and walked up to him.

"I'll admit it, that last song gave me really fluffy weird sensations in my chest that I hadn't felt since, oh around 1917 or so. Now tell me, what is your deal with this song?" I put a hand on his shoulder. He sighed and shook his head.

"I used to hear some soldiers sing this back home…I know it's a chick song but they would sing it because they would say it reminded them of their girlfriends back home. N-now it's an American song, so of course the Americans sang it…and I felt bad cuz I had to put a bullet in their heads the next morning ya know? I just felt bad for all those girls back home that never got their lovers back…I wonder what they did…" I found myself holding him close and swaying in time with the music.