I Call it a Draw

A game.

I raised my voice a bit to make him realize what he was doing. "I don't remember allowing you to touch me so stop that Alfred."

Alfred's hold weakened but he didn't retrieved his hands. He muttered an apology but kept on holding his gaze with Ivan, who was smirking at him.

Ivan's voice was so harsh that I accidentally flinched. "You heard him Alfred, he doesn't want you to touch him."

Alfred narrowed his eyes but let go of me.

I wasn't sure of what to do now, walking beside any of them was not really appealing for me, after all, this was way too similar with what they used to do in the past, except this time they were bickering over some stupid thing and not about which one would get more land or as they used to call it "territories of influence".

I can picture myself in the office of that old house, hearing Ivan complain about me not making the necessary effort to overcome the conflict or Alfred lecturing me about the aid he was providing to the government and how I didn't seem convinced of the soviet threat.

I sighed, I can let my mind wander there, and it is enough being with these two in the same place for so long.

I decide to ignore them and walk alone, apparently Ivan wasn't lying, after all some city lights are visible from here.

I can hear them behind me.

Alfred was trying to whisper but failed horribly, I could understand all of his words. "This is your fault, you used that scary voice of yours and now he is avoiding us."

Ivan didn't even tried to whisper, he was reproaching Alfred. "My fault? You were the one crushing him to death."

Ugh this doesn't help my nerves, I have to stop paying attention to those idiots and focus on not panicking.

Finally we get to a more populated place and we take a taxi. Ivan goes in the front seat while Alfred is with me in the back, I avoid his gaze.

We get there faster than what I wanted, I see the façade of the house and my hands tremble. All these years and that house hasn't changed at all.

It is obviously repaired since the last time I saw it, it is no longer falling apart but nevertheless conserves the gloomy air it had.

When we step outside the air is chilling, and I feel like my senses are hyper aware, I can hear the clicking of Ivan's keys against the lock, Alfred kicks a little stone with his foot and it lands on the fence and I feel the smell of iron coming from the inside.

Iron?

Copper?

No.

No, calm down it smells like wood. Pine or maybe cedar.

My posture is so tense that I could be misplaced as a statue.

Alfred's voice is barely audible for me. "Whoa Yao I didn't know you could get so pale! Are you scared?"

Why is he so candid? I can feel Ivan's eyes on me, I focus on the floor, yes that's a nice little spot of grass. I hear a dog, I have to ask Ivan if he is keen of dogs, like Germany, or Prussia, Prussia? Yes I understand why he doesn't come here, he has a reason to, but me? I don't... why am I so scared then? I make no sense, I left before anything could happen, because I could... no, because I had to, he wanted another satellite state because that meant more land and resources and... and why am I thinking about this if I was looking at the ground?

I looked up to see both Alfred and Ivan looking worriedly at me. I have to say something so they don't notice anymore... but what?

I end up muttering. "This is a really nice grass..."