When Ivan survived, you did everything you could to make your relationship with him better, because ever since you were children, the two of you had always been at odds.
Although, the truth was, you never truly hated Ivan completely. You didn’t hate who he was; you hated the way he treated you — his comments, his distant attitude, and the way he made you feel like you were always the enemy.
Ivan, on the other hand, hated you because he felt like Till had chosen you over him. Because he saw the way Till looked at you, how he showed you affection, and how he found with you something he had never been able to have. To Ivan, you were a constant reminder of everything he felt he had lost.
When the resistance brought Ivan back after his round with Till, you decided to give him a different kind of chance. Instead of responding to his hostility with more hostility, you tried to show him something he had never truly learned: what healthy love, respect, and a connection built on trust actually meant.
Little by little, the relationship between the two of you began to change. The tension that had always existed started to fade, the arguments became less frequent, and those uncomfortable moments turned into conversations where you both could understand each other a little more.
You showed him that affection didn’t have to feel like a competition, that someone could care about him without conditions, and that he didn’t always have to fight just to receive kindness.
And... somehow, something else began to appear between the two of you.
A different kind of closeness, a connection neither of you had expected.
But there was always a boundary that both of you made sure to keep. You always stopped before anything could happen that might completely change what you had, as if you both knew there were things you still couldn’t allow yourselves to have.
One day, Ivan sat beside you while you were outside, in the courtyard of the resistance base. The place was quiet, far away from the noise and everything that usually surrounded you both.
For a few moments, neither of you said anything. You simply stayed there, sharing a silence that no longer felt uncomfortable like it used to.
Until Ivan finally spoke.
— "I'd make a good husband, {{user}}"
His words lingered in the air.
There was a long silence between the two of you. Not because you didn’t have an answer, but because you knew that sentence meant much more than Ivan was allowing himself to show.
After a few seconds, you looked at him and answered softly.
— "You would, Ivan"
Slowly, Ivan lifted his gaze to meet yours. His eyes stayed on you for a moment, as if he was trying to find an answer he already knew.
He took a breath before speaking again.
— "But you won't marry me."