Healed By Love

Sunflower/Ivan-Part 3

Age 3...

"Papa!" Kylie ran around the large man's boots, before grinning up at him. Russia chuckled, leaning over to look at her. "Da, Sunflower?" This entire conversation was in Russian to help her improve her knowledge of different languages. "Can we play Superman?" He laughed again, opening his coat so he could pick her up. "Of course!" It was a game she had learned from Mr. America. Something completely harmless and fun. Kylie squealed as she was held like she was flying. "Okay," Russia had you in both hands, above his head like Superman. "Are you ready?" "Da!" she giggled as he began to run down one of the hallways of the large house. "America would be so proud." "Higher, Papa!" He laughed. "This is the highest that I can go, Sunflower!" "Papa, I'm flying!" Russia laughed again, turning her at an angle as the two turned a corner. "I can see the whole world!" she laughed as he put her on his shoulder in place of flying above him as the ceiling was lower in this part of the house. Still, Kylie had her arms up like Superman, what Mr. America had shown her once when he babysat. Once. "You mean the inside of our house?" Russia laughed. "No!" she giggled. "Silly Papa! We live in this house, and we have all of our awesome memories here, so it's our world!" He frowned slightly. "You have been talking to Prussia again, haven't you? " "I saw him at the store the other day." She laughed with childish delight when Russia picked up his pace and bounded into the living room. "Faster! Faster!" "I can't without tripping over myself!" Russia laughed. Things did change when Russia ran into the bedroom and practically threw her onto the bed. Both of them were panting and cackling, unable to stop laughing. The Russian man collapsed on the bed beside her, really panting. That had been a great ten minutes. Laughing and panting, she grinned at the gasping nation beside her. "I saw the whole world, Papa. I love you!" "I love you too, Kylie!"...

Age 4...

"We want to know if you have been hurt. In any way." Kylie blinked in utter confusion at the three men. "Who are you, people?" "Well? Has he ever laid a finger on you?" The man with blonde hair and glasses asked again, shaking her shoulder with a finger slightly. "Um...Shop Man used to hurt me a lot. But Papa's really nice and snuggles me when I'm sad!" The man sighed, taking a step back and away from her. "This is good, isn't it?" The young teenager asked, standing watch by the door. "It means she does have a good home." She continued to swing her legs, sitting on the edge of the table. There were three men in here, whom she had seen a few pictures of hanging around the house (well...Russia had them hanging in one room, but the rest of the house was mostly full of nature or history stuff and his sisters). "But it's Russia!" The glasses-man exclaimed, throwing his arms out. "How is it she is not the least bit intimidated by him?" "I love him," she said simply. "Didn't he invite you over for my birthday today? He's being really nice and doing that!" Toris—the man she had met several months ago and was rather uncomfortable around—was standing off to the side with his arms crossed. "Yes, but he doesn't exactly know we are here...Yet...And we just wanted to know if your...Papa has ever hurt you like that Shopkeeper did." She frowned. "The only time I've ever seen Papa get mean was when you two were fighting and yelling that one time." Toris looked down in shame. "Lithuania?" The teen asked, "What did you—?" "That is not important!" He cut in, "Kylie, I want you to know that I am so, so sorry you had to see that..." Whatever it was. He barely remembered anything from that night at all. He had been totally wasted...She was about to say something else before seeing her Papa in the doorway smiling softly. "Papa!" The Baltic Trio all looked down at their feet awkwardly. They were kind of embarrassed, ever so slightly, at having been caught interrogating a toddler on whether or not Russia was hurting her and unsure as to how much of their conversation he might have heard. "So. I see that you have met the Baltics, da little Sunflower?" "We didn't introduce ourselves," The teen squeaked out. The other two glared at him, but he didn't really care. "Oh? Then allow me," Russia smiled, picking her up and pointing to each Baltic. "This is Latvia." "It is a pleasure to be finally meeting you. Officially." And so she met her Uncle Baltics. And then she went on to have a blast with cake and presents! Another stuffed bunny from Latvia, along with a few children's books from Estonia. The amber heart necklace Lithuania gave her, however, was the only one that lasted for the thousands of years she was alive...