Soft Spots (2P!Russia x Reader)

Ivan had been staying close to home for quite some time now. Since the holidays, he’s been opting to come home earlier and even beginning to relax. Before, he was usually a hermit until winter passed and then he’ll slowly emerge from his hibernation and get back to work. However now, he had a reason to stay and actually enjoy the cold. ___________ was often seen with him during these days. Sometimes he’s stay in a room just because he knew she was in it. He liked watching her doing things. She talked more. He didn’t mind that and at night, she cuddled on him. He liked hugging her. She learned for awhile now that Ivan didn’t talk much but he had his own way to communicate. He would do small things to show his happiness, if something bothered him or if he was just neutral. He would grunt for a yes, tch for a no, and silent if he wanted to be neutral. However, he was most physical. If he often dragged and pulled her when he wanted her to go and at night would smother her in his arms and nuzzle her neck. If he liked something he would just do it or eat it. She remembered when she made borscht. He almost gagged on it because mixed a lot of dill and sour cream in it. Nikolai however, loved it and finished off the pot himself. Another time was when she took him to the botanical gardens. Sh e remembered admiring the lilies and scent of them. The next week, he took her outside and reveals a small lily garden next to his sunflowers. They spent the rest of the day sitting there, in each other’s company. No matter what he didn’t say, she knew he cared about her and she about him. She was making breakfast one morning. Ivan perched nearby and just watched.

“Want to help?”

“Da…but I’m not too good,”

“Come on! I’ll show you something easy! Let’s make omelettes!” She passed him another apron. He looked at it. She was wearing the frilly (f/c) one that Eduard got for her. Ivan was resigned to wearing a bright yellow one with sunflowers all over it, a gift from Natasha. She started cracking eggs. He tried, only to crush them. So she puts him on chopping duty. He liked chopping as he chopped onions, mushrooms, tomatoes, and beets, “Okay, let’s see if you can beat the eggs,” Ivan started and took the whisk and started mercilessly. In no time, he was done, “Okay, what do you like in your omelette?” before he could answer another voice sounded through the house.

“Smells great in here!” Dmitri and Nikolai were coming down the stairs. They were visiting their uncle. Dmitri was a sweet boy with blue eyes and blond hair. He was the friendliest of the pair. Nikolai was a very protective. He was a fairer blond with gray eyes who often had a very frighteningly cold expression on his face. Ivan introduced her to them years ago. Dmitri was friendlier and took to her almost immediately. Nikolai was very wary of her and it took a while but he warmed up to her, even becoming very protective when she went out into public when his uncle wasn’t about. She liked the boys; they were sweet and looked just like their mothers.

“Very good,” said Nikolai. They walked into the kitchen to be greeted with the sight of their uncle in an apron and _____________ giving him orders. They never SEEN their uncle in an apron let alone taking order from someone else.

“Ivan you can’t put caviar in an omelette!”

“Why?”

“The sodium would kill you and you don’t need that extra pressure!” he said nothing and went back to chopping.  She looked up. The boys were staring at her, “Good morning boys. How do you like your omelettes?”

“Beets with cabbage,” said Dmitri. Nikolai winced.

“There’s something wrong with you. I want mine with zucchini and eggplant,” she finished them up for them and gave it to them. She made one for Ivan too he grunts a hello for them. After they ate, he actually tried to clean the kitchen while the trio made small talk.

“To be honest, we like it when you cook,” said Dmitri, “Uncle tried but…”

“Breakfast for him is making one of the subordinates make it,” said Nikolai

“Or worst, just kasha with boiled eggs. Usually I like kasha but when it makes it it’s awful, it’s thick and lumpy or very water,”

“And he overcooks the eggs and they’re runny,”

“He’s been trying. I think he’s bored for some reason,” said ___________ eating her an (favorite veggies) omelette with toast.

“Winters aren’t really good for him,” said Nikolai biting into some toast, “So he’ll act that way until everything gets warm again,”

“Should we be worried?”

“No but just make him happy, he’s not usually this chipper during winter,” said Dmitri. She nodded. Ivan soon joined them with a slightly burnt omelette with caviar, beets, and goat’s cheese. They stared at it as he happily digs in.

“Uncle, you do know you can’t put everything in an omelette, right?” said Nikolai.

“You can,”

“He means without becoming sick soon!” said Dmitri.

“Still good,”

***
She didn’t want him to feel sad during winter. But sometimes, she did get into her one of her funks. He didn’t like when she became sad. He noticed however, whenever she did feel down, she clung to him at night. He loved when she did it. Sometimes, however, he got jealous and that was when she would laugh and talk to his subordinates. He was nearby when they laughed and talked but she looked so relaxed. He wished she relaxed like that with him.

“Not everyone is ticklish,” __________ is still trying to figure out how the conversation went to being tickled. Eduard and Ravis was having an argument about this.

“Biologically yes but some could have evolved from being a way for someone to feel pain!”

“How can something so fuckin’ hilarious be painful?!”

“I’m with Rav on this,” said Toris.

“It’s because humans feel a tickling as a defense mechanism for attacks,” said _________, “It’s mainly to protect us from spiders, mice, and other things that’s sweep against skin,”

“Exactly!” said Eduard, “It’s good to have someone who’s just as smart to help me counter with you two idiots,”

“Up yours!” said Toris, “She’s not that smart!”

“Smarter than you,”

“Cow shit is smarter than Toris,” Toris pulled out his gun. Ravis pulled out his. Eduard and ________ stared.

“The fuck you say you little shit?!”

“You heard me asshole,” said Ravis, “And wouldn’t drawing something that tiny if I were you!”

“I will fuckin’ END you right here,”

“I’d like to see you fuckin’ try—,” the two men collapsed. Eduard and __________ were so used to them fighting that they knew what to do. She would go behind Ravis and Eduard would go behind Toris and they pinched their necks in a certain place making them pass out. Ivan looked on from his hiding place impressed. Maybe they were rubbing off on her too much. Then again, it was always a good thing for her to be able to get used to this shit if he decides to have Francis or Yao about. He wasn’t ashamed of her or anything. He just didn’t want her to get hurt. He yawned and decided to retire for the evening. He went to his chamber and started to strip down. He looked at the scars all over his body. She still touched him, even though he was a damaged man. She still looked at him with a smile and bright (e/c) eyes. They were never filled with disgust, more like admiration and trust. He smirked. Winters have gotten a lot easier with her around. Suddenly, he felt something, strange…something very weird around his waist. It was a hug but something on his sides. He didn’t like that. It felt too…light! He jerked away. _____________ was looking at him from behind. Her smile faded when she saw his face.

“Don’t do that!” he barked. She recoiled. He glared at her, red faced and stalked away. What did she do? That evening, she decided to make something to eat since Eduard had a special task that night. Toris and Ravis could cook but Ravis hated it and Toris…his food looked inedible until you tasted it. She remembered one incident it looked like he fried maggots in mud but it turned out to be rice-o-roni with ground beef. His presentation was always terrible. Ivan had to leave the last minute that evening.

“I’m tying up some loose ends, I’ll be back,” he said and brought his pipe with him. She knew that he would come home covered in blood. She gave the nephew their food.

“What’s wrong?” said Nikolai looking at her.

“I’m fine,” she said smiling at him.

“You really suck at lying,” She sighed and told them what happened earlier.

“And I have no idea what I did wrong! I mean I didn’t mean to hurt him but then again can a man that strong be hurt? Maybe I hit a bruise or something?” the pair looked at each other then at her before laughing hard, “What’s so funny?”

“N-Nothing, you didn’t do anything wrong,” said Nikolai snorting.

“Uncle Ivan is just ticklish,” said Dmitri laughing, “That’s why he yelled at you. It’s because it’s his sweet spot,”

“Ivan is ticklish?”

“Very,” said Nikolai with a small smirk on his face, “Dmitri ambushed him once and got him when we were younger in his sleep. Kicked him square in the face,” _________ winced, “That’s what he gets for sneaking up on him when he’s sleeping,”  

“Mama was so mad at him but I tried again. He’s really ticklish in his ribs,”

“But he doesn’t really like to be tickled,”

“Why not?”

“Let’s his guard down too much,”

“He doesn’t like not being in control but he lightens up when it’s me or Nikolai. I bet he wouldn’t mind if you did it,”

“What?”

“Seriously! Try it! Ambush him in bed! That’s when he’s at his weakest. I’ll back you up,”

“Just hope you can outrun him if need be,”

“Are you two insane?!” Dmitri laughed.

“Come on, I used to sneak up and tickle my girlfriend all the time. It was a bonding experience that I think couples would love,”

“Ex you mean,” said Nikolai, “You two mutually broke up, remember?”

“She’ll always be my girl friend, even if she’s with someone else,” ___________ laughed. He really was Ivan’s nephew, “But she really did like it and we used to bond over doing things like that. It’ll help Uncle get out of his shell. Try it!”

“Okay, okay,”

***
She was nervous. How could she NOT be nervous? She was about to ambush someone who could easily hurt her without even trying. Ivan came into the room. He seemed much better than he was yesterday. He stretched, took off his scarf and shirt and sat on the bed. He took off his boots nonchalantly. She swallowed a lump in her throat. It was now or never. She inched towards him and immediately tickled his ribs. Ivan squirmed and stifled a laugh coming from her throat. She grinned and inched to his armpit. He leapt up and tried getting away only to be tackled and tickled all over the place. He squirmed, he flailed, he tried crawling away but she was smaller and was able to get into all his sweet spots. Ivan laughed and chuckled and helplessly tried to get her off him. He finally managed to grab both of her arms and held her away from him. She bit her lip and smiled innocently at him. He leered at her, trying to suppress his smile.

“What was that for?!”

“I’m sorry Ivan but I really wanted you to just…lighten up,”

“By ambushing and assaulting me?!”

“It’s called tickling! You know you like it,” he glared at her and then puts a pillow over her head.

“Eek!”

“Who told you?!”

“Dmitri gave me a few pointers,”

“Damn kid,” she moved the pillow. He was blushing badly at the assault and sulked.. She grins and pokes his cheek.

“Awww don’t pout. I’m sorry but you have to admit, it was fun!” he grunts. She laughed. He then grabbed her wrist and glared at her. She gulped. Without warning, he grabbed her leg and started ticking the soles of her feet, “EEEK! Ivan stop!”

“Niet,” she started laughing hard. He mercilessly tickled her. She actually surprised that it didn’t hurt. Usually his love taps were painful. Soon he stopped and looked at him with a smirk of triumph.

“Now we are even,” he said. She reached up and pecked his cheek. He pulled her into a bone crushing hug and cuddled her for the rest of the night.

***
“You’re not mad at me, are you?” said ___________ in their garden the next day. Ivan didn’t have to go to work so he decided to have a picnic with her that afternoon.

“No,” he said taking a long drink from her vodka, “It just felt funny,”

“Have you ever been tickled?”

“I never liked it,” she eyes him. He looked down at her. She nudged him, “Yekaterina used to ambush me along with Natasha all the time,”

“Sounds cute,”

“Yekaterina would do it until I wet myself,”

“Oh that’s terrible,” she said, “No wonder you don’t like it,”

“I like when you do it…” he rubbed the back of his head, “But don’t ambush me,”

“But that’s the only way to do it! How about this, I’ll just tickle you in the evening? That way you can expect it but not expect it?” he nodded, “Okay! I wish you’d laugh more, you sound cute when you laugh,” He pulled something from the basket and passed it to her.

“Here,” she pulled out about eight different types of omelettes, “Made them all this morning and made your favorite one, there’s also crab and spinach, and I found some liver and made one with at,”

“Ivan, this is sweet of you,” she couldn’t but stare at the omelettes in one place. She smiled and took a few bites, “It’s interesting,”

“I’m glad you like it! I even made one with fruit, try it,” she smiled pleasantly and took another bite, making a mental note to teach Ivan how to make other things too.