Art by  mainlion!

* * *

As Ivan went to the locker room to change, he suddenly thought of haystacks and how Tank was as big as one. An odd thought, but one to make him chuckle.

He then sobered up as his mental gears shifted to Hopper. Where did he go? Ivan hoped his roommate would not do anything foolish like suicide. That would be quite the extreme reaction over the death of a pet, no matter how loved it was. No, Ivan would not--could not--believe Hopper would ever get that distraught. In many ways, the rabbit reminded him of the surfer people in the movies. They lived life without any worries, and so did Hopper.

And yet...was that not false? Hopper certainly did have worries. The death of his iguana was proof of that. It was the first time he'd seen Hopper emotionally distraught. The iguana was like family to him.

Family. He was reminded of how far apart he was from his own. They were on the other side of the globe. Did they miss him as much as he missed them? Most likely, as they were a close knit unit. It was difficult for them to decide that Ivan should go to America to study, and he almost refused to go.

It was ultimately his father who gave him the motivation to come overseas.

"It will be good life experience, to go to the land of opportunity," his father said. "It is a land of freedom. Something Russia is still trying to become."

So Ivan gave in to his father's request. He tried his best to embrace the culture with some success, but his home, his heart, would belong to his family. He would call them as soon as he returned to the apartment. It would chase away the growing homesickness in his heart.

The workout went without difficulty, although Ivan exercised alone. No one offered to help spot him, so he usually went to the machines for the heavier routines. But whenever possible, he used the free weights. They were far more challenging to use, since he was forced to use the proper form on his own rather than be assisted by mechanical devices.

Thoughts of the old barn at home. Inside, a workout bench with several weights. His father owned that bench, and started training him when he was old enough to understand the responsibility and dedication required to get in shape. Then his younger brother was introduced to their workout routines, and soon all three were determined to get stronger and healthier.

Now he was alone. His father and younger brother most likely worked even harder in his absence. But they only needed to replace him. He had to replace both.

It was a heavy weight on his heart. One he could barely carry. Yet he did. He would talk to them soon, and the conversation in their native tongue would lift his spirits, and perhaps their own.

He hoped his run home would be free from stalker bees.

<<< PREV | FIRST | NEXT >>>