Hi again! I looked through your blog very briefly (gonna take a deeper dive once I am free from uni stuff, sigh), but honestly you feel like someone I would click quite well, so if you are still looking for requests, I would really love to see something fluffy and comforting about Graves from you. I really will devour with great pleasure anything you cook, but if you do something for Graves x Russian reader, I'd be even more happy. No pressure tho, genuinely
Most importantly I really hope you write things you enjoy and have people you like around you, here and offline obv. Sorry if I sound annoying lol, I just think you're cool. Much love!!
HEY!!!!!! You’re not annoying at all and I really appreciate the request! So, minor warning before hand, I am incredibly Australian, and know, admittedly, fuck all about Russia or Russian people. So if anything here is wrong or incorrect, just put me down 😞 (JK, lemme know and I can correct anything, or maybe add a few tidbits if a learn some new things) Anyways, I hope you enjoy this! I decided to do a headcanon list and not a full story lol I hope that’s okay.
Russian Reader x Graves Headcanons (Fluff)
Graves has picked up a few words during his time working with many, many different types of folks from all four corners of the world. They’re not full sentences though, more random tidbits. Sometimes their phrases that he doesn’t fully know the meaning of, but finds fun to say (The Russian version of “I’m going to fucking kill you” was repeated to him so much he started saying it out loud around the house. Didn’t know what it meant until you had to sit him down and explain why your relatives were looking at him a bit offended)
Despite how well he can repeat phrases he finds on the field, he absolutely fumbles when attempting to actually teach him the language. Suddenly, his fat American tongue can’t wrap around the words and it sounds like the syllables are choking him. Looks at you all proud each time because in his mind, he’s absolutely nailing this (he isn’t)
But there are some phrases you’ve taught him that he caught on to quite well. Things like “Я люблю тебя” (I love you) and “Любовь всей жизни” (Love of my life) he learned pretty quickly because his association was with you. He also looooves to pull these out when he wants something from you or is trying to soften you up. He a cheeky bastard like that.
Now, Phillip is all about the grill. He is the man who has full control of the barbecue at any and all social functions. He has self assigned that role and he takes it very seriously. However, that doesn’t mean that he is a single minded cook. In fact, with a clear recipe he can just about make anything to near perfection.
Pirog? The juiciest meat stuffing available. Kasha? Every morning with side of strawberries. Literally any dish you want, he can make. He cooks to impress. (And it’s a bonding moment if you have some recipes you wanna teach him. If you stand behind him and guide his hands you’ll get him blushing a little and give him a good laugh because you knooooow he’s normally the one with his chest against your back)
I do believe this man is a chronic google-er so he spends a lot of time on his phone searching up phrases like “New Russian Partner” “How to impress Russian family” “Russian culture” “Russian language learning easy”
If you’re new to America and are struggling to find your footing, he is more than happy to come to your rescue. And doesn’t necessarily mean he understands what you’re going through, because he honestly doesn’t know what it feels like to be homesick or isolated to such a degree. But that won’t stop him from trying to help.
I think you’ll find a lot of that in your relationship with him. There’s no real way around the fact how different the two of you are culture and upbringing wise. That’s not even talking about the distance between a civilian and a pmc. But that doesn’t stop him. He doesn’t give up for nothing, even for a partner three times out of his league.
He knows he’ll never fully understand the cultural shock, or your upbringing, or even half the words you speak. But he keeps doing his darnedest every single day, in the hopes that one day he will understand. One day he will speak Russian fluently, and understand Russian culture, and learn the history and learn everything and anything about all the things that make you, you. One day, starting now.