[Gladis & ~Silver_Pedal~] Love and Deceit

[Gladis]

 

 

Name:

Nikolai Kuznetsov

 

Age:

19

 

D.O.B

October 26th

 

Height:

167 cm

 

Weight:

58 kg

 

Appearence:

Nikolai is a young man, though his soft facial features, large eyes and full lips could have anyone fooled. His long, bright red hair that goes all the way past his hips is his pride and joy, but certainly doesn't help in convince anyone of his actual sex. Not that he tries to hide it. The clothes he wears on a daily basis tend to be fairly gender neutral. When dealing with the russian mafia however, he actually does take on the persona of a woman and puts considerable effort into his appearence.

 

History:

The Kuznetsov family has been involved with the Russian mafia even long before Nikolai was born. As such, his association with the criminal organization may not come as such a big surprise. Though he has not offically joined their ranks, he appears to have a fairly close relationship with the leader of the orgnaization. The extent of his extent of his exact involvment with them is however unknown.

 

During the day Nikolai attends university and hopes to become a veterenarian by majoring in biology. He has a close friend named Rose and a pet cat named Felix.

 

”And that concludes today's lecture. Any questions?”

 

It was the sound of several hundred clapping hands that pulled Nikolai from his deep slumber. A soft groan escaped his lips, his eyes squinting in a futile attempt to shild himself from the harsh lamp light. For a moment his mind became clouded with irritation. The indiscriminate chatter that soon followed the clapping reminded him that he ought not to be. He was in class. As such, he wasn’t supposed to have been napping in the first place. Something his dear friend was more than happy to remind him of a few moments later, as the two of them made their way through the corridor.

 

”Dude, what was that all about? You pretty much slept through the entire lecture!”

 

This would never have been a problem if only that damn old geezer had just let me sleep. Yet even as that thought crossed his mind, the corners of Nikolai’s lips pulled into a slight grin.

”Well, aren’t I lucky that I have such a nice friend who’ll gladly help out a sister in need. Right, Rose?”

 

She looked understandably skeptic for a moment, only for her resolve to falter shortly thereafter. Not even Rose was immune to Nikolai’s puppy eyes.

 

”Ohh... Fiiiiine! But only this once. You really have to stop pulling those all-nighters, or at this rate you’ll never be a vet! And don’t you ’sister’ me. I know very well you’re not-”

 

”Uhm, excuse me miss!”

 

Both Nikolai and Rose turned around in a near simultanious movement. Coming towards them at a quick pace was a young man Nikolai could only vaguely remember seeing at some of their lectures. The cluttered cover of the notebook he was waving around on the other hand seemed considerably more familiar.

 

”You forgot your notebook.” He gasped between yaps for air, his cheecks flushed from running. Or perhaps it was because or something else?

 

”That’s very sweet of you.” Nikolai mused as he accepted the notebook, his expression molded into a near perfect, awardwinning smile. The young man’s cheeks seemed to become a deeper shade of red. ”What’s your name?”

 

”D-daniel!”

 

”Well, thank you Daniel. See you in class.”

 

Barely was had he disappeared out of their sight and the two of them burst into laughter.

 

”Unbelievable!” The brunette exclaimed. ”You don’t even try, do you? They just flock to you like flies. Sure wish I had that kind power. If only they knew...”

 

”Hey, it’s not my fault they’re unable to resist my femmenine charms!” Nikolai jokingly tried to defend himself, earning him a well deserved elbow in the side.

 

As they reached the entrance to the building, the slightly odd duo came to a halt.

 

”I still have a book I need to return at the library. Where will you be heading now?” Nikolai inquired. ”The usual?”

 

She nodded her head in response.

 

”My dad has been working pretty late shifts lately, so I’m the one who has to go get the little one from kindergarten.”

 

”Alright, see you to-” before he even had time to finish his sentence, he suddenly felt a pair of slender arms wrap around his shoulders as Rose pulled him into a tight hug. He blinked, somewhat startled by this unexpected display of affection. ”What’s this su-”

 

”Nikki,” again she cut him off mid sentence, ”I don’t know what you’re going through right now, but please promise me that you’re taking care of yourself. Okay?”

 

Momentary silence. Then his expression shifted and once again he smiled, returning her tight embrace with a gentle squeeze. ”Hey, it’s nothing you need to worry your pretty little head over. My situation is far from as difficult as yours, so please don’t be concerned. Say hi to little Ollie for me, will you?”

 

”...” Rose didn’t seem entierly convinced, but she let go of him nonetheless, nodding her head slightly as she attempted to return the smile. ”Okay.” She said softly. ”See you tomorrow.”

 

As soon as she had turned her back on Nikolai and he watched her head out the door, his smile began to falter. No one, not even his own parents had ever been able to see through the mask he had so carefully crafted to conceal his rotten self. How did she do it? Lies rolled off his tongue so naturally and he’d long since perfected the art of smiling. He’d even had masters of deception fooled. And yet Rose somehow seemed to be able to see through him. Good old, hardworking, kindhearted Rose.

 

He sighed softly, combing his hand through his long, scarlet locks. Well, there was no point in standing around there. He better get going.

 

By the time he’d returned the book to the library, it was pouring outside and Nikolai cursed his own forgetfullness. He should have remembered to bring an unmbrella. Still, there wasn’t much he could do to change that now, so he simply pulled his somewhat tacky, bright red hoodie over his head and started running. The train station wasn’t far away, so now he could only hope that there wouldn’t be any hinderences on the way.

 

”Ah!”

 

His hopes were in vain. Due to his limited vision caused by the heavy rain and his oversized hoodie, he ended up bumping into another person. The force of the impact caused him to topple backwards, falling bottom first straight into the mud.

 

”Oh, for fucks sake!”

[~Silver_Pedal~]

 

 

Name:

Viktor Maximoff

 

Age:

19 1/2- his birthday is coming up very soon.

 

D.O.B:

November 21

 

Height:

6'3"

 

Weight:

194 Ibs- Viktor works out a lot so its all muscle.

 

Appearance:

Viktor, is the tallest in his family- he may look a little slender in built, but under his clothes he is all muscle. His face doesn't show much expression, since his father trained him into concealing his emotion's; his light colored pink eyes are one of his most charming features aside from his full lips. Viktor, is seen wearing sunglasses nearly all of the time, considering the fact that his eyes are quite sensitive to light due to the light pigmentation of them.

 

Background:

The Maximoff family has been around for nearly ten generations, they were one of the oldest Bratva* clans in Russia. Viktor, was the oldest of five children- he has two younger brothers and two younger sisters. When he was nine years old, his mother had passed away due to complications between another Bratva clan. He was devastated over the loss, leaving him to take care of his four younger siblings. He had to grow up faster then he should have, helping his father manage the family business- balancing the books, taking care of loose ends, and practicing mixed martial arts, training his body to become a lethal weapon. At the age of fifth-teen he shot his first ever gun, he wasn't that good to begin with- but over time he became a top marksmen, however- he prefers the use of his knuckles and legs as his weapons of choice.

 

When, Viktor, turned seventeen he graduated from high school- top of his class, he was the one whom was voted as valedictorian so he had to make a speech about life and the future. During that time in his life, his father had remarried another woman, she was very nice- but she could never replace his mother.

 

Last year, he had became a third degree black belt in several of his mixed martial arts. He currently was enrolled in a top notch university studying corporate business and law.

 

 

"As you can see... during this fiscal year..."

 

The room was silent, listening to the professor who was standing in front of a podium- reading from an open book that was perched upon the steal surface. This class was seeming to drag on and on and on... Pink eyes were squinting slightly due to the bright light fixtures in the room. Viktor, felt his eyes starting to sting- but he had to endure the pain. He wasn't permitted to wear sunglasses inside the classroom, which in his opinion was downright idiotic... The university knew fully well of his eye condition, maybe he should just tie some bricks to the administrators feet and throw him over in the bay... Make it look like an 'accident', that thought alone caused a chuckle to rumble through his chest.

 

"Is something funny, Mister Maximoff?" The professor paused in his sentence in favor of looking at the slicked back brunette haired male. His eyes narrowed at the young man, however- he backed down when he saw the light colored eyes glaring icily back at him.

 

"No... But I think your teaching method is a joke..." His tone was even and harsh, his hand was resting on his cheek as his elbow was propped up on the desk.

 

Muttering was heard among the students as the watched with terrified but curious eyes back and forth between teacher and student. It was like watching a train wreak in slow-motion. The professor gulped down the lump that appeared in his throat, he pulled his collar with his index finger. A cough followed suit, "Class is dismissed!" His voice shook as he silently watched the students pack up their belongings and head for the door. Viktor, snorted as he stood up, packing up his belongings into his leather brief case, he picked up his sunglasses and placed them on.

 

Much better, he sighed contently- feeling his eyes getting the rest and protection they needed, before he walked out of the room, his attention shot over at the professor who was not even looking at him. "Call me out again... And you'll be sorry..." He slung his bag over his shoulder while taking his umbrella from the rack near the door. He walked down the hall after exiting the classroom, people parted to let him walk pass them- they knew the drill... Another sigh escaped from full kissable lips, his hand clutched tightly on the base of the black umbrella. Once he got outside, he saw it pouring down- great... Just what he needed today...

 

Unraveling his strap that was keeping the nylon fabric in a bunched up fashion, pushing the button on the base and moving it up, the umbrella sporing to life. Viktor, started walking towards the pick up point- lost in his own thoughts... That was until he felt somebody run right into his strong broad back, he stumbled slightly forwards- he caught his footing. The person who ran into him... Was not so lucky... He heard somebody curse loudly, he assumed that person fell back into the mud puddle that was slowly forming.

 

He shook his head and turned around to see who was the poor soul that fell. When he turned around completely, he blinked his eyes a few times behind his sunglasses. A girl? The poor victim was a girl? He frowned slightly- he then leaned forwards and held out his hand for her to take. He was towering over her smaller form, "You alright, miss?" His tone was even and calm. He felt sort of bad for being the one to cause the woman to fall in the mud. Viktor, waited for her to grab his outstretched hand.

 

(Bratva- Russian mafia)

[Gladis]

Nikolai felt like a drowning kitten, and perhaps he looked like one too. In the short time that he’d spent outside without any reliable form of cover, his clothes had become soaked. The mud that had smeared all over his trousers and shirt – little bits of it even splattering onto his face, certainly didn’t do much to improve the situation. In short, was cold and wet and miserable. Yet all that was forgotten the moment the very reason for his misery turned around to face him.

 

The man wasn’t just handsome; he was outright blazing. Tall, lean, well defined features and a pair of lips that Nikolai couldn’t help but want to claim for himself. Shades in this kind of weather were an odd fashion choice for sure, but it could be forgiven. Gods don’t have to follow rules set by mortals. For surely someone this good looking couldn’t possibly be human. Or perhaps all of it was just wishful thinking on Nikolai’s part. The rain was doing a pretty good job of clouding his vision, and the idea of accidentally bumping into someone this handsome and polite seemed a little too good to be true. Nevermind that it also sounded like the start of a very cheesy love story.

 

And yet Nikolai couldn’t help but think about long had it been since anyone had treated him with this much consideration. Or was this simply standard etiquette? He certainly wouldn’t know, considering the sort of people he usually surrounded himself with. Nevertheless, it made him happy. Despite the mud, the rain and a somewhat sore butt, Nikolai could feel a small but surprisingly genuine smile tug at the corners of his lips.

 

”I don’t think anything is broken, if that’s what you mean.” Despite Nikolai’s not entierly unironic response, he gratefully accepted the young man’s outstretched hand. ”I’m so sorry, I should have payed more attention to where I was going.” Almost the very moment he was back on his feet, the youth bowed his head in apology. Was he getting flustered? It certainly seemed like it, his cheeks burning in embarassment over his own blunder.

 

”Thank you.”

[~Silver_Pedal~]

"I'm glad I didn't hurt you too badly..." Viktor, muttered softly when he saw the young woman take his strong, but firm hand in order to stand upright once more. As he saw her stand up and bow her head lowly, thanking him for giving a helping hand- he shook his head, "You are welcome... Oh! Your cheek..." He noticed the spot of mud smudged on her face, he adjusted the handle of the umbrella and his suit case- placing the case under his arm that was holding his protection from the pouring down rain.

 

Once his left hand had became freed, he unbuttoned one of the pockets on his long black petticoat. The hood was hanging loosely down his shoulders; he felt a nice silky fabric between his long slender fingers. He removed his hand from his pocket and reached over- wiping the mud off of the woman's soft smooth cheek. "Something as lovely as your face shouldn't have any dirt on it..." Viktor whispered gently as his hand moved over her cheek in a gentle touch.

 

When he finished wiping her cheek off, he placed the handkerchief back inside of his pocket. Just as soon as he had done so, a nice black limo pulled up next to the curb- the window-shield wipers were moving quickly- trying to keep the water off of the front window. That was when a man dressed head to toe in a black suit- not really worrying about being rained on. His slicked back black hair was getting soaked and removing whatever was holding the form of it out. He was tall, lean, and muscular- he was handsome, but not as much as the young male who was standing there watching the movement of his body guard from the corner of his eyes behind his sunglasses.

 

The black haired male approached his charge, "Young master... I'm here to pick you up..." Viktor, turned his attention away from the beautiful girl and looked at his body guard with a blank look, like usual... "I see... Thank you, Leo... Hold this for a second..." He handed, Leo, the umbrella handle and his suit case that he had firmly under his arm. When the objects left his hand he turned his attention once more on the woman, he started to unbutton his coat- he knew the other male standing next to him would protest, but he didn't care.

 

As he threaded the last button through the hole on his jacket, he shrugged it off- revealing a crisp white collared button down shirt, it clung to his form- showing off his muscular arms through the thin fabric of his sleeves. "Here... Take my jacket... It should cover up the mud stains on your own clothing..." Viktor, held the thick wool petticoat out for the woman.

[Gladis]

”Oh, sir, that’s not really-”

 

Nikolai’s cheeks turned into a deeper shade of red as he felt the silky smooth handkerchief gently wipe the blotch of mud off his cheek. Was this guy for real? Was Nikolai dreaming? Had he hit his head on a rock during the fall and died? Was this heaven? No, impossible. He would never have gone to heaven. Hell then? It sure didn’t fit his image of it, and perhaps rightfully so. The icy wind that tore at his hair and clothes was enough to remind him that this was in fact reality. He shivered, tightly wrapping his arms around his slender body. Truly, the only thing Nikolai desiered at the moment was to get out of the rain and find a change of clothes. Oh, and perhaps a hot bath. After a something like this, he could definitely benefit from one.

 

However, it wasn’t so simple as just to leave. Not when he was dealing with this kind of smooth talker, who was definitely taking advantage of Nikolai’s vurnerable state. Normally something so trivial wouldn’t have been enough to make him flustered – not even by being treated so kindly by a man this gorgeous. Or at least, that was what he tried to convince himself of before the sound of an aproaching vehicle brought him onto a new line of thought.

 

His bright blue gaze shifted from the young gentleman to the limousine that came into his line of vision. A fancy car with a fancy driver. Nikolai should have figured. Everything from the expensive looking attire to the man’s conduct screamed upper class citizen. It was a fairly strong contrast to Nikolai, who rain and mud aside, at the time wore a pair of worn out jeans, an oversized hoodie and a pair of torn sneakers. He didn’t usually feel self conscious about these kinds of things, but it did occur to him that between his handsome gentleman, the fancy driver and the shiny black limo, he definitely looked, and perhaps felt a bit out of place.

 

”...”

 

This time around, Nikolai found himself hesitating. The jacket looked nice and warm and it was yet another incredibly nice gesture, though this time not without consequence. Even Nikolai could tell this was an expensive piece of clothing. Not something he should just be handing out to random strangers.

 

”Are you sure this is okay? If I put it on now, it’ll get dirty. And at this point it’s not really like I have any dignity left to save. I’ll still look just as wet and miserable.” Though perhaps slightly less cold... Nikolai added in his mind. ”Don’t get me wrong, it’s very nice of you but...” he trailed off, smiling somewhat sheepishly as he wrung his hands together. ”It’s not like the rain will kill me.”

[~Silver_Pedal~]

"Yes, I am fine with you putting this on... After all, it was my fault you had fallen..." Viktor, responded right back in a calm tone of voice. The look on his face basically told the woman that he wasn't taking no for an answer, not even when he heard his phone ringing loudly in his ears. He ignored the annoying default ringtone- his body guard on the other hand was not going to stand there and let the damn thing ring off the handle.

 

Leo, opened the side pocket of his charges brief case- after shifting everything around into a more comfortable holding position. He pulled the black thin device and looked down at the caller identification, "Young Master... It's your sister..." He said holding the phone up to show the young brunette haired male. The young male glanced over at his phone. He pushed up his sunglasses for the first time since he had put them on, his pink eyes were finally exposed- he squinted them as he looked at the bright screen.

 

Viktor, reached over with his free hand and snatched his phone from his body guard. He slid the green phone button- "Laurel? What is it? Did something happen?" His voice may have held worry and concern; but his face was expressionless.

 

"I'm fine! It's just, you promised to be here for my dance rehearsal!" The fourteen year old girl said in a huffy tone of voice.

 

"I'll be there... I just ran into somebody and got them dirty..." He muttered softly into the earpiece.

 

He heard a sigh on the other side, "That is so like you... But... I understand..." She sighed once more, she knew her brother tries to right his wrong's.

 

"You'll be here soon right afterwards right?"

 

"Yes... I promise..." He said while glancing back over at the woman. With that answer both brother and sister bid each other a farewell, once he heard the line on the other side go dead he placed his phone in his front form fitting nice black designer slacks pocket. "Sorry about that... But- please take my jacket..." Viktor, once more offered his jacket to the woman.

[Gladis]

It really wasn’t. Nikolai had been the one to bump into the young man, not the other way around. Why he kept insisting on the contrary was beyond the red haired youth, but he was hardly stupid enough to complain if the other wanted to take the blame. A warm jacket to wear was a tantilizing offer, especially as the rain continued to beat down around them in a steady streem. Under the cover of the gentleman’s umbrella it was barable enough, but once that was gone...

 

”Well, if you...”

 

It was the sound of a ringing phone that interupted their conversation.

 

Nikolai watched the scene unfold with a sense of mild curiosity. So his gorgeous savior had a sister? Though the man’s expression remained as serious and deadpan as it had been throughout their entire interaction, Nikolai could tell that he genuinly cared. It was kind of sweet, actually.

 

Even sweeter was to finally get a glimpse of the other’s eyes. The peculiar shades of pink were unlike anything he’d ever seen before – yet mesmerizing all the same. They were beautiful, and certainly added to his overall attractivness, which upon closer inspection, Nikolai had realized was in fact not a delusion. Perhaps instead of cursing his luck for falling, he should celebrate the fact that he’d garnered the attention of such a good looking fellow. There was only one little problem.

 

The guy still thought he was a girl.

 

Should he correct him? Normally he wouldn’t have bothered. It was too much of a hassle to correct every damn stranger that had ever made the mistake. Besides, people thinking he was of the opposite sex had its perks at times. He was sure that the gentleman wouldn’t have treated him quite as kindly if he’d been aware. Not that Nikolai actively tried to fool anyone. His clothes were perfectly masculine. The only problem was that they made him look more like a tomboy than an actual guy. Perhaps cutting his hair would have helped, but that was out of the question. His silky red locks were his pride and joy.

 

What if the he became angry if he found out the truth now? It was a legitimate concern, though not one he got to dwell on any longer. The conversation between brother and sister was over and the others attention had shifted back to Nikolai.

 

”I suppose that since you’re insisting, it would be rude not to accept.” This time he accepted the jacket without hesitation, the fine fabric pleasant to the touch. He slipped it on, though soon realized that it must have looked a bit funny on his slender frame. Nevertheless, his pink lips quirked into carefully crafted smile – warm, yet slightly reserved. ”Thank you, sir. I won’t keep you any longer. Oh, but before we part, could I at least have your name? Or at least a way to contact you? Otherwise it would be difficult to return your jacket...”

[~Silver_Pedal~]

Viktor, looked pleased that the woman had taken his jacket from his grasp- before she moved her hand completely away from out of reach, he grabbed her hand and brought it up to his plush lips. "Viktor Maximoff..." He kissed the back of her knuckles lightly, he then placed the soft hand down.

 

Just as soon as he had done so- he felt someone tapping his shoulder with what he assumed was a pen and small note pad. He turned his head over his left shoulder and sure enough, there was Leo- holding the objects in his free hand. The brunette haired male took said objects, and flipped opened the note pad- clicking the bottom of the pen, his hand was moving delicately over the blank page.

 

A few minutes later, he tore the page out of the book, and handed her the paper with his number on it. He also turned the pen, and note pad towards her- "Write down your name and number as well... So, I know who is calling me..." He spoke lightly, knowing that every second that he wasted standing here- the more irritated his sister was going to be with him.

[Gladis]

Viktor Maximoff.

 

Nikolai found himself momentarily frozen in place; too shocked by the revelation to even pay much attention to yet another of Viktor’s incredibly charming gestures. Maximoff... he repeated the name in his head, Viktor Maximoff. Surely it had to be a coincidence, a mistake? Any number of people could have that name – it was far from exclusive to that group. And yet it would explain everything from the light, though hardly noticable accent, to the fancy driver in a suit. If they’d been in Russia, perhaps he would have had an easier time to just dismiss the entire thing as a mere coincidence – but they were not. And so he could only come to one conclusion.

 

This did indeed seem like it was turning into a rather peculiar situation. Though perhaps one he could take avantage of, if he played his cards right.

 

His pink lips quirked into a tantalizing smile.

 

”Such a lovely name for a lovely man.”

 

Accepting the note he folded it twice before slipping it into his pocket, taking the pen and notepad. He hesitated, if only briefly. If Nikolai wrote down his full name now, Viktor would know he wasn’t a girl. Not only was his name clearly masucline, but if that didn’t make it obvious enough already, the gender specific naming conventions for last names in Russia would. Besides, it was probably better if Viktor didn’t assume he might be able to speak the language, or that he had any connection to his world.

 

So he simply jotted down the name he would normally give people when they asked for it.

 

”My friends usually call me Nikki; please feel free to do so as well.”

 

Well, at least it wasn’t a lie. That was what he told himself, as he handed the notepad and pen back to Viktor.

[~Silver_Pedal~]

"Nikki; that is a krasivaya* name..." His Russian accent seemed much more heavier as he spoke that one word, not to mention he didn't even bat an eyelash as he heard the compliment. Viktor raised his hand up and grabbed his belongings back- he held it over his shoulder for Leo to take. Once the objects slipped from his grasp, he bowed his head at the young woman and gave her a small wave as he straightened his posture. "Proshchay*..." He said before walking away from Nikki, pulling down his sunglasses while heading towards his limo. Leo, opened the door after he managed to shift the belongings around- the young brunette haired male entered the back seat. As he got settled in, the door closed behind him after his suit case was placed right beside him.

 

Leo, nodded his head at the young red headed woman- he walked around to the drivers side, pulling down the umbrella and hopping into the car. He placed the wet rain protector next to him on the passengers seat. Buckling up, he drove away- leaving the young woman standing there.

 

---

 

"Alright girls, one more time from the top! A five, six, seven, eight!" A beautiful woman shouted out as she clapped her hands together, her long orange hair was up in a high bun- the sides were braided. Her bright blue eyes were staring at her students with a firm gaze. The grand hall at the amphitheater was decorated for the yearly Halloween ballet- being distracted by the teacher nobody noticed the two men who had slipped inside the theater. Viktor walked down the long rows and moved over into a seat that was close to the stage.

 

One girl stood out, she had long dark brown hair and stunning blue eyes. Her hair was up in a high bun- her blue leotard framed her body perfectly. She looked slightly depressed- however, as she did a twirl her eyes caught sight of the young man with his sunglasses pushed up and sitting on his head. Her sad, somber look soon brightened up as she saw her older brother sitting there watching her with a very rare smile. That smile alone made her grin from ear to ear, her movement's became much more graceful. She was all too happy to see him!

 

(*krasivaya- beautiful

*Proshchay- goodbye)

[Gladis]

Does he know?

 

Nikolai couldn’t help but wonder as Viktor spoke to him in their shared mother tongue. For a moment it almost seemed like the taller male was implying something. Of course, there was a good chance that Nikolai was just overthinking things and Viktor simply had a habit of randomly interjecting russian words into his sentences. It seemed unlikely, but Nikolai chose to feign ignorance anyway, tilting his head slightly to the side as his brows frowned in what was meant to resenble mild confusion. Then he smiled, as though he were attempting to hide the fact that he ’didn’t understand’.

 

”Well, have a nice day, sir!” He called after Viktor, hoping that his voice would carry through the rain. The very rain that was once again fully exposed to. Nikolai’s smile was almost instantly replaced by the same frown he’d worn when he first stepped out into the rain. Wasn’t it ever going to stop? Well, it wasn’t like he would stick around to find out. Sighing softly he buried his freezing hands in the deep pockets of the jacket, turning on his heal as he started heading towards the metro station.

 

***

 

”I’m home!” Nikolai’s raised voice echoed through the cramped hallway as he kicked off his soaked shoes, socks following soon thereafter. As expected, there was no response. Shrugging his shoulders, Nikolai slipped off Viktor’s jacket and carefully draped it over an old chair that just happened to be standing around in the hallway. How convinent, he thought as he pushed aside cardboard boxes and a large bag filled with empty cola bottles to gain access to the bathroom.

 

As he waited for the bathtub to fill up, he decided to chek his phone. A slender finger swiped across the cracked screen, tapping one of the flashing messages. It contained the notes he’d requested from Rose. With a smile, he typed up a quick [Thank you love

 

[sorry, have an upcoming deadline for an assignment, so I wouldn’t be able to make it tonight. Maybe next week?]

 

The deadline wasn’t a lie, exactly, but it certainly was an excuse. He’d already spent all of last night away. Now he just wanted to snuggle up with Felix, catch up on what he’d missed by napping during the lecture and maybe watch a movie or something. Well, and he did actually also have to finish that report.

 

A glance to the side told him that the water level in the bathtub had risen considerably.

 

Putting aside his phone and started pulling his hoodie over his head. A small pile of soaked clothes formed by his feet – a pile that he bundled together and attempted to push into the already over-filled laundry bin. His efforts nearly caused the the bin to topple over, to which he responded with an annoyed huff before simply tossing the pile of clothes next to the bin. To be fair, he could almost never be bothered to care about keeping things tidy – in that sense he was harldy any different than the rest of his family.

 

The hot water in the tub was a nice contrast to the icy shower from before. He breathed out, shutting his eyes as he allowed himself to sink deeper into the water. For the first time in ages he actually relaxed, and for a short moment, all his worries and concerns simply seemed to wash away.

 

That moment ended when thee loud knocks on the bathroom door echoed through the room. Startled, Nikolai sat up, glancing around as though trying to identify the source.

 

”Kolya, are you in there?” A familiar voice called.

 

Nikolai visibly relaxed, sinking back into the tub as he hugged his knees to his chest. ”Dah. I’m in the bath.”

 

”Alright. I’ll be taking out the stuff that needs to go to the rubbish dump now. When I get back, will you help me with dinner? I’m making chicken soup.”

 

Nikolai’s lips curled into a slight smile. His mother might have gotten a lot of things wrong throughout the 19 years he’d known her, but her chicken soup was for sure the best. ”Yeah, sure. Did you remember to buy cat food this time?”

 

”I did! It’s in the kitchen.”

 

”Thank you.”

 

Through the thin walls, Nikolai could hear the slight commotion of things being moved around in the hallway. It was only after the housedoor had swung firmly shut, that Nikolai was once again surrounded by a pleasant silence. By the time Nikolai finally finished up in the bath, about half an hour had passed and his mother had returned. He could tell because as he stepped out of the bathroom, one towel tightly wrapped around his body and another that contained his hair, he was met by familiar noise of pots and pans rattling in the kitchen. As expected, the hallway looked considerbly tidier with most of the junk gone. The only problem was, that ’junk’ included the chair he’d hung the jacket on.

 

”...”

 

There was no reason to panic, right? She’d probably just put it somewhere else, right?

 

”... Mum?”

 

The head of a middle aged woman, who’s mouse colored gray hair had been tied into a tight bun, poked out from the kitchen.

 

”Yes love?”

 

Nikolai almost didn’t even want to ask. He already had a terrible feeling about this.

 

”Where did you put the jacket that was draped over the old chair you threw out?”

 

The momentary silence that followed was enough to confirm Nikolai’s fears.

 

”Why would you do that?” Though he tried his best to stay calm, his grip on his cellphone considerably. His voice was laced with exasperation, and his expression was one of utter disbelief. This had to be some kind of terrible dream. Except... Nikolai knew for sure that it wasn’t. How would he even begin to solve this? It wasn’t like he could just call Viktor an apologize either, because the damn note with his number was still in the pocket of that jacket!

 

”Well...” His mother started wearily, stepping into the hallway. She was weraring an apron and in one hand she held an empty pot. ”I thought your father put it there because he wanted me to throw it out. It looked so dirty so...”

 

”NO! No he didn’t!” Nikolai exploded, all self restraint gone in a matter of seconds. ”Why would you even think that?! That man has been gone for three fucking years – do you really believe he would come back here only to drape a coat over that chair so that you could throw it out, and then disappear again?! That makes absolutely no bloody sense! You could’ve, at least you know, asked or something!” Nikolai stopped himself short of yelling, only then realizing that his mother had gone oddly pale.

 

”I’m sorry, Artyom. I’m sorry, please don’t be mad...”

 

It hurt. It hurt so badly. Like an invisible knife was plunged into his chest and twisted around many times over. Everything from how meek his mother sounded as she begged him not to be mad, to the name she’d mistakenly used. It was as though all the anger he’d held seeped out of him in an instant. Left were only feelings of regret and emptyness.

 

”Mum, I’m not Artyom. You know that...” He sighed, closing the distance between them as he pulled her into a gentle hug. ”I’m sorry too; I shouldn’t have yelled. And... I suppose I also should’ve payed more attention to where I put it...” Especially knowing full and well how his mother could be at times. Only after giving her another gentle squeeze, he let go of her. Well, how was he going to solve this? Nikolai had a vague idea, but he wasn’t exactly happy about it.

 

Smiling vaguely, as not to worry her, he gently brushed a few loose strands of gray hair out of his mothers face before tucking them behind her ear.

 

Then he took a step back, shifting his attention to the phone in his hand as he started to compose another message to Boris Rozovsky. [Turns out the deadline was actually next week, so if you’re still interested you can pick me up at 8]

 

Once he'd finished typing he glanced up to face his mother again.

 

”Mum, do you think can we save the chicken soup for tomorrow? That jacket belonged to someone pretty important, so now that it’s gone there’s a few things I need to sort out. I’ll probably not be around tonight...”

 

At this point she seemed to be back to her normal self, because she looked genuinly troubled by these news.

 

”Kolya, please don’t tell me you’re-”

 

”It’s nothing you need to concern yourself with, mum. I’m fine, aren’t I? I’ve been fine all these years. So please don’t worry about it, okay?”

 

”Those people – they’re dangerous, Kolya. Please be careful. Please, I beg of you... don’t end up like–”

 

Nikolai decided to cut her off right there.

 

”You’re the second one saying something like that to me today. It’s very sweet of you, but didn’t I tell you?”

 

His sharp nails dug into his pale arm, though his smile never faded.

 

”I’m not Artyom.”

[~Silver_Pedal~]

"Okay that is a wrap for today! Great job everyone!" The woman said while turning around and rummaged through her sports bag, she grabbed out a water bottle- trying to unscrew the cap. Viktor stood up from his seat, smoothing out his shirt- pulling down his shirt at the bottom slightly, walking out of the row.

 

He approached her slowly, placing a firm hand on her shoulder, "Eek!" The orange haired woman jumped slightly shivering at the cool touch on her warm skin. She whipped her body around and blushed deeply, however- a sweet charming smile spread across her beautiful face as she recognize who it was that touched her, "Vitya! Its just you!" She giggled lightly, the flush on her cheeks darkening as she noticed her ex-boyfriend standing there- looking as handsome as ever.

 

"Prosti* Isabella..." His heavy Russian accent came out for the second time that day, hearing him speak caused her to giggle even more. Part of her really wanted to know why they broke up, everybody said that they were good together... Sighing softly she shook her head and felt the water bottle being taken from her grasp. Isabella snapped out of her thought's as she watched the slicked back haired male open the top with no problems at all.

 

"Here you go..." Viktor handed her the water bottle back, watching her brush her soft fingers against his rather ruff ones- her blue eyes were looking into his pink ones for a moment. But- "Vitya! You came!" They both heard a soft and sweet tone of voice, turning both simultaneously to see a young fourteen year old girl standing there holding her own work out bag over her shoulders, the grip was light as was her smile.

 

Her brother gave her yet another rare smile, he reached over and patted her head- causing her to giggle and stick her tongue out at him. "Of course I did, moya milaya sestra*... I wouldn't miss it for the world..." She giggled even more, Isabella took a small sip of her water. "You did great today Laurel! Keep it up okay?"

 

"I will! Thank you Isabella!" She waved at her while skipping ahead of her brother and Leo, who stopped her by the double doors in order to grab her duffel bag.

 

Viktor shook his head slightly, his sister was too cute for her own good. "I better get going... I have to go get Ana from skating practice and the twins from piano lessons..."

 

"That's fine, tell your family that I said, zdravstvuyte*!"

 

He nodded his head, waving goodbye as he walked down the long rows- his hands were placed firmly in his pockets- after he had pulled down his sunglasses. Blue eyes watched the retreating form of the tall male, biting her bottom lip she wanted to say something else to him but... It was already to late- they were already out of the doors, "I also wanted to say... I still love you... Viktor..." She muttered softly to herself, feeling even more depressed.

 

(Prosti- sorry

moya milaya sestra- my sweet sister

zdravstvuyte- Hello)

[Gladis]

About a week had passed since the incident with the jacket. It was an early saturday afternoon, and they had set to meet at Le Petit Théière at three o clock. Well, it wasn’t so much a unanimus decision – as Viktor simply sending Nikolai a time and place for their meeting. And Nikolai had to admit – the gangster son’s taste in café’s wasn’t bad. Le Petit Théière was small, but not to the point where it felt cramped. The large windows of intriquate design that lined one of the walls let in more than enough of the golden autumn sunlight, reflecting off the the stained furniture and neatly descorated tables nicely. A pleasant aroma of newly ground coffe hung in the air, and the cakes and pastries that were on display behind the counter looked absolutely mouth watering.

 

Yet Nikolai was hardly in the mood to appreciate any of it. Every now and again he’d throw a nervous glance at the cracked screen of his phone, inwardly praying that time would just stop completely. Or perhaps that Viktor just wouldn’t show up, but that almost seemed equally unlikely. Letting out a long sigh as he shut his eyes, massaging his temples with his thumb and middle finger.

 

Perhaps he should just have bailed and pretended like nothing had ever happened. The thought had crossed Nikolai’s mind more than once, but he always ended up dismissing it in the end. Trying to run from a debt to any prominent member of a mafia organization was hardly a good idea. Nikolai knew that all too well. Besides, after all the kind gestures by his gorgeous gentleman, it would kind of have been a douchy thing to do. If nothing else, he at least owed Viktor an explaination. Yet that was part of the problem. No matter how Nikolai tried to put it – and he’d attempted it many times throughout the past week – his explaination sounded dumb. In the end he never sent any of the drafts he’d made, and simply settled on telling Viktor face to face.

 

It was a decision he now, as he was seated at one of the tables in the café, sorely regretted. Just imaging what kind of scary expression that stoic face of his would make when he learned that his expensive designer jacket had ended up at the grabage dumb was enough to send a chill down Nikolai’s spine. Then again, perhaps it would be worse if his expression didn’t change at all.

 

”...”

 

Nikolai sighed again, straighting up slightly as he looked at his dim reflection in the window. His long red hair had been neatly tied into a thick braid that rested against his back, and he’d even bothered to put on a bit of makeup this time around. Not much – just enough to accenturate his better features. He was wearing a nicer pair of jeans too, which worked well with the ruffled white blouse he definitely hadn’t found in the men’s section of the clothing store.

 

”Well...” he murmured quietly to himself as he attempted to smile at his reflection. ”If I die today, at least I’ll do so looking cute.” Barely had the words left his mouth, and the door to the café openened. Nikolai glanced up, instantly recognizing that peculiar pair of sunglasses. He swallowed.

 

Well, now there definitely was no chance of running away. Nikolai did not have a doubt in his mind, that he’d reached the point of no return.

[~Silver_Pedal~]

Two reason's why the tall male was late; A- he had to help his father balance the books and deal with some unnecessary business with an Italian client who had skipped out on some payments. B- he was stuck watching his youngest sister, Anastasia. Viktor- as much as he loves his family, tried to get out of watching her saying that he had important matters to attend to later on in the day.

 

But, with his youngest sister pulling her inescapable puppy pout- he caved in. She was way to adorable for her own good... Sighing heavily the brown haired male watched the short thirteen year old girl run inside laughing, her long white dress fluttered as she moved quickly to the counter.

 

Her long brown hair had two blue barrettes holding back her bangs from covering her bright blue eyes. She turned quickly on her heels and looked up at her big brother- "Vitya!~ Can I have hot coco and a vanilla bean piece of cake?" She asked in an all to sweet tone of voice.

 

Scratching the back of his head, loose strands of hair gliding through his long slender fingers- today his hair wasn't slicked back like it was a week ago. Even his outfit looked different, he was wearing a tight gray three button long sleeved shirt; all three buttons were undone- his sleeves were rolled up to his elbows. The cotton shirt was tight, outlining his muscular upper body- his pants were tight blue designer jeans and a pair of expensive sneakers.

 

Pushing up his sunglasses he approached the young girl, placing his hand on top of her head- stroking her soft hair, "Anything you want Ana..." He spoke gently, a very small genuine smile graced his usually sonic facial features. The girls blue eyes sparkled brightly, "Yay~ Can I have a hot coco with a piece of vanilla bean cake please?~" She turned back around and looked at the woman behind the counter.

 

The woman smiled sweetly and nodded her head, putting in the young girls order- her attention then moved over towards the handsome young man standing there looking up at the menu. His pink eyes were scanning over the items, after a moment he looked at her causing her to flush brightly.

 

"I'll take a Peppermint Macchiato with an extra shot of espresso and make that two pieces of cake..." He said reaching into his back pocket pulling out a rather fancy leather wallet. The woman re-read the order back to him and saw him nod his head, he told her his name and paid for his order- giving her his card.

 

Anastasia was rocking back and forth on her heels- her arms were behind her, waiting for their order to be filled. After signing the check, he felt somebody looking right at him- in fact he felt eyes burning into the back of his head since he had walked right in. Turning his head he saw that girl from a week ago, sitting by the window- he blinked a few times before bending down and whispered in his sister's ear.

 

"Why don't you bring those cakes to that table, okay?" She nodded her head excitedly as she also noticed the pretty girl by the window.

 

"Okay, Vitya!" She grabbed the two pieces of cake from the counter and walked over towards the table. Her frilly dress fluttering with her movement, once she reached the table she placed the two pieces down. Turning towards the girl, smiling brightly at her- "You must be Nikki! I'm Anastasia, Vitya's sister! Pleased to meet you!" She giggled lightly as soon felt something hot touch her cheek.

 

"Wah!" She jumped and looked up glaring at her brother who just smirked and chuckled lightly at her facial expression, "You are so mean!" She stuck her tongue out at him, causing him to chuckle some more.

 

"If I was so mean I wouldn't have bought you a hot chocolate and a piece of cake..."

 

His sister went quiet for a minute before puffing out her cheeks, sitting down next to the window and eating her cake. Viktor shook his head and sat down next to her. "Sorry, I had to bring her along- my father made me watch her today..." He sighed softly, blowing the top of his coffee mug and taking a small sip.

[Gladis]

So Nikolai’s drop dead gorgeous gentleman had brought what he could only assume was Viktor’s sweet little sister along. The redhead didn’t know if he was supposed to be disgruntled or delighted as he watched the teen skip over to the counter, her brother following suit. On the one hand, her presence ensured Nikolai’s safety – at least for the moment. Surely Viktor would keep himself in check around his younger family member. On the other hand – now he would have to explain the situation not only to Viktor, but his little sister would be listening in as well. It would be embarassing, to say the least.

 

Shaking his head, he wrapped his slender fingers around his still completely untouched tea cup. He’d gotten it for the sole reason of not looking stupid as he waited for Viktor to arrive. In actuality he felt so sick that if he tried to consume anything right then, he was fairly sure that he would throw up. There was a chance that he was overreacting in regards to the entire ordeal. There was a chance that Viktor wouldn’t be mad at all – a very slim chance. Yet it seemed so unlikely to Nikolai that he didn’t even dare to hope. Nothing in his world had ever been that forgiving.

 

Anastasia’s cheerful voice was what stopped his gloomy train of thoughts. He glanced up, only to be met by a beaming expression so warm, it could have rivaled that of Rose. Nikolai couldn’t help but return the smile, and for once it wasn’t entierly ingenuine.

 

”That would indeed be me.” He agreed, tilting his head a little to the side. ”It’s very nice to meet you, Anasia.” For a brief moment he actually managed to put his concerns aside. That moment ended when Viktor joined them at the table. No matter how endearing the interaction between brother and sister was, Nikolai was once again reminded of why he was there in the first place. And still, he tried not to let it show, instead shaking his head a little in response to Viktor’s apology.

 

”Oh, don’t worry about it. She seems like a sweetheart.” Nikolai paused briefly, his smile slowly beginning to fade as he tried to think about how to go about this. ”Uhm... so... regarding your jacket...” as he spoke, color seemed to slowly drain from Nikolai’s features, his voice growing quieter. ”My... mother is kind of helter skelter at times. She accidentally mistook your jacket for...” he took a deep breath. ”She accidentally misstook your jacket forjunkandthrewitout. ItriedtoretrieveitbutIcouldn’t.” At this point Nikolai was speaking so quickly that he was beginning to run out of oxygen. Thus he was forced to pause again before continuing, now at a slightly more managable pace. ”I’m so sorry.” Nikolai said hung his head in shame. ”I don’t have the monetary means to repay you, but if there’s anything I can do, anything at all...” As long as it didn’t involve his organs ending up on the black market he would be fine with it. Probably. ”I’m sorry.”

[~Silver_Pedal~]

Viktor stared at her with an unreadable expression, the woman may have spoken quickly but he knew what she had just said- so... His jacket is gone and in the trash? His $1200 jacket.... Placing his cup down silently, his once calm demeanor turned rather icy within a matter of seconds.

 

Luckily his sister held up her fork to his mouth, "Vitya, open up!" She giggled softly- Anastasia could sense the tension forming between her brother and the girl. His pink eyes looked over at his sister who was still holding her fork up, he knew what she was trying to do and it wasn't working- "I'm not hungry Ana..." He said coolly, but felt the fork slide in his mouth.

 

She removed her hand and let the fork stick out in her brothers mouth, the young teen turned towards the girl and smiled sweetly- "It's fine! It was an old jacket given to him from-" This time she was cut off with the piece of cake (a rather large piece) being shoved in her mouth.

 

"Quiet you!" Viktor growled lowly after he had swallowed his piece. Sighing softly he scratched the back of his head- maybe it was a blessing that the gift was tossed out. "She's right... It was old and given to me for a birthday present last year from my ex- boyfriend..."

 

He leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes for a moment due to them starting to sting a little bit- he reached up blindly and pulled his sunglasses down cover his eyes. His bangs falling over the top part of his black eye wear; opening his eyes behind his sun protector he leaned forwards once again, resting his right arm on the table while the left was occupied with lifting his coffee mug to his kissable lips.

 

"To be honest... I should have given it away or threw it out a long time ago..." He said after taking a sip from his drink, he slid his piece of cake over to his sister, who giggled softly and pulled the plate towards her. Enjoying her brothers piece of the treat.

 

"So, in the end you did me a favor..." He reached over and grabbed her hand in his- running his thumb over her knuckles in a soothing kind of way. "Don't be sorry... Besides, that depressed look doesn't suit you very well..." Viktor squeezed her hand lightly. He knew his sister was too busy eating to even care what was going on.

[Gladis]

”...”

 

Nikolai could tell that Viktor wasn’t taking the news well. He didn’t even have to say anything. In fact, his lack of a verbal response in combination with his completely blank expression was telling enough. Even the normally warm shade of his eyes appeared barely made a difference to his cold gaze. A shudder traveled down Nikolai’s spine. Now he’d done it. He wasn’t going to survive this for sure. Viktor was furious and–

 

The seriousness of the situation aside, even Nikolai had to admit that Viktor looked considerably less menacing with a fork wedged between his lips. The redhead blinked. It definitely wasn’t something he’d suspected, and it almost – but only almost, made him smile.

 

”Uhm I–” he was cut off by Anastasia enthusiastically reminding her brother of the fact that the jacket apparently hadn’t mattered much. Really? REALLY? Just because it was one year old and he’d recieved it from an ex, it was suddenly okay that he’d lost it? Nikolai could hardly believe what he was hearing. It was a relief that Viktor seemed to calm down for sure, but that jacket must still have been incredibly expensive. Even if it was a year old and he’d recieved it from a person he didn’t like, it wasn’t fine at all!

 

”...”

 

Oh, you rich bastards! So exasperated was he in fact, that he nearly missed Viktor admitting ex was a guy. Only nearly, though. It was important information, and would certainly save both of them some awkwardness. It also meant that Nikolai no longer had a reason remain ambigous about being a guy. It literarily didn’t matter.

 

His lips curled into a tentative smile as Viktor’s hands gently wrapped around his hands, his touch warm and pleasant. It did make him feel a bit better about the entire situation, though certainly not any less guilty. What a nice guy...

 

”That hardly makes it okay. I really am sorry...” he trailed off, hesitating for a brief moment, ”but I’m glad that you aren’t angry. I don’t think I could’ve handled that.” That certainly wasn’t a lie. There weren’t enough words to describe how grateful he felt to Anastaisa. He wanted to express that, but wasn’t sure how. Well, he was sure there’d be a chance to do so later on. For now he had a more imortant issue at hand.

 

Withdrawing his hands from Viktor, he tilted his head a little to the side as he rested his chin in his palm.

 

”So, you’ve had a boyfriend, huh? That’s great~” He beamed. ”Since it means I might actually have a chance...”

[~Silver_Pedal~]

Feeling the hands withdraw from his grasp, Viktor moved his own back onto his side of the table- picking up his mug once more, hovering the edge close to his lips for a moment. "Yes, me and him broke up about two months ago..." He said in a nonchalant manner, taking a sip before placing the cup down, nearly choking on his drink as his ears picked up the last bit of 'her' sentence.

 

Lifting his free hand up, he started to cough rather harshly- apparently he did choke on his drink. Staring at the person across from him made him suddenly feel like he has egg on his face. Which was very rare, this was actually the second time in his life he was sideswiped with this. The first time was with his current ex-boyfriend who had to move back to Italy, because he was the next in line to take over his families wine vineyard.

 

Anastasia looked over at the 'girl' and blinked her blue eyes a few times, before looking over at her brother who looked like he was having trouble figuring out what went wrong, maybe he was blinded by the guys beauty?

 

"Vitya?" She asked confused, tilting her head to the side worried about her brother.

 

"Der'mo*, not again..." He cursed under his breath, after his coughing fit- he raised his hand that was resting on the table and placed it over his face. Damn, why couldn't he have picked up on the fact that the 'girl' was actually a guy!

 

His sister heard him curse and frowned, she knew her brother didn't like being taken for as a fool- and she was pretty sure he would blow up at any moment like he did when he first found out about Karina...

 

However, he just sighed deeply, how did he get into this mess? Then again it was his fault for assuming the person sitting across from him was a woman...

 

"..... Let me get this straight... You are a guy?" He asked slowly removing his hand from his face, in favor of pushing up his sunglasses once more. His pink eyes staring intensely on the guy, his facial expression was still pretty sonic but his eyes on the other hand was enough to express what he was feeling right at the moment.

 

(*Der'mo- Russian for shit)

[Gladis]

”Viktor, are you okay?” Nikolai asked with a slight frown, more than just a little concerned as the other was lunged into a rather violent caughing fit. It only lasted for a brief moment, however, and Viktor seemed to be fine. Dismissing his concerns, Nikolai instead focused on the others reaction.

 

Ah, this was amusing indeed. Perhaps a little too amusing, even. Nikolai was having a blast watching Viktor’s expression change as the true meaning of his statement slowly began to sink in. So the eldest son of the Maximoff family wasn’t so expressionless ater all. Though the change was minor, it was certainly there if one payed attention – and Nikolai was taking in every detail of the scene. Naturally it didn’t forgo him that Viktor seemed less than happy about his announcement. He was sure that the taller male disliked to be decieved – but technically Nikolai hadn’t lied. He’d just witheld unimportant information. Such as his full name. He could hardly be blamed for that, right?

 

”On the nose~" He mused jovialy, reaching over the table to playfully tap the tip of Viktor’s nose, ”but don’t feel bad about not realizing. You’re hardly the first.” Nikolai withdrew his hand, once again wrapping his fingers around his tea cup before lifting it to his lips and taking a sip. ”Which is why I generally don’t even bother to correct people. It’s not like-” what I’ve got dangling between my legs actually matters. Yeah, that wasn’t really appropriate to say in front of Anastasia, so he opted for a milder expression instead. ”-what combination of chromosones I am really matters, right? At least not usually...” he trailed off as he set his cup down.

[~Silver_Pedal~]

Scrunching up his nose at the light tap, he grumbled to the male to not do that again- narrowing his pink eyes slightly before he heard the sound of a phone going off. Blinking he held up one finger up at the male and moved up slightly in order to reach for his phone that was in his back pocket.

 

Once the phone was in his hand, his pink eyes widened when he saw who was trying to call him. Viktor excused himself from the table- sliding the green phone button on the screen. Once he had done so, he was greeted with a voice he knew all too well.

 

"Pronto!* Vitya~" The voice on the other line said in a all too happy tone of voice. A soft sigh left the Russian's mouth, why did everybody like to mess with him when he was out and about?

 

Regardless, he spoke softly and calmly back- "Pronto, Karina..." Anastasia perked up when she heard the name and whipped her head in the direction of her brother. Watching him walk away, talking on the phone in Italian, almost like it was one of his native languages. "I wonder why Karina called him? It's been over two months since they broke up... Unless its about the cherry wine he sent?" She pondered out loud drinking her hot chocolate. She nearly jumped when she heard her brother laugh at something that was said.

 

It was so long since she heard him laugh like that, "Certo*, ti parleró dopo?*" He was silent for a few minutes before he pulled his phone from his ear in order to check the text message that was sent. He opened it and saw the times for take off in a few months.

 

"Vitya, hai scelto un po 'di tempo?*" He heard the voice coming through the speaker as he had put his ex on speaker for a moment. "Ah, si l'ho fatto*..." He responded back after a few minutes of picking one. Taking him off speaker he placed the phone back up to his ear.

 

"Okay, ti parleró dopo?" It was silent on his end of the phone conversation, he listened to the other male talk for a bit longer before he finally heard him say goodbye after they exchanged times and dates. He hung up and sighed softly, walking back over towards the table and sitting down next to his sister. She looked at him for a bit, waiting for him to say something.

 

Viktor felt her eyes baring holes into his head, looking over at her he saw her raise thin sculpted eyebrows. She rested her hand on her cheek. "So, what was that about?" She asked in a highly curious tone of voice. Her older brother didn't say anything but place his phone on the table and picking up his mug to take a sip of his drink. "Business..." He replied simply as he started to scroll through his contacts.

 

(Pronto!- Hello

Certo- Sure

ti parleró dopo- Talk to you later

hai scelto un po 'di tempo?- did you choose a time?

si l'ho fatto- Yes I did)

[Gladis]

”Oh, don’t be such a grouch.” Nikolai’s lips formed a slight pout in response to Viktor’s warning, though he made a mental note not to repeat the action in the future. At least not any time soon. After all, he didn’t want to end up irrtating the other male. Not because he was afraid of the consequences, but rather because he had nothing to gain by doing so. Though... surely there was no harm in teaseing him a little, right?

 

Nikolai’s inner musings were halted by the sound of that standard ringtone he figured could only be Viktor’s. Had he never considered changing it or was he being purposfully discreet? Well, it hardly mattered. The conversation that followed was much more important – though Nikolai quickly lost interest upon realizing that he didn’t understand a word of what was being said. So his handsome mobster also spoke italian? Hot, but mildly irritating.

 

”Karina, huh?” That sure as hell didn’t sound like a guy’s name. At least Nikki was ambigious enough to pass for both genders. At least as a nickname. ”Anastasia, if you don’t mind me asking, for how long-” he was just about to ask the girl something regarding this mysterious Karina when the phone call came to an end and Viktor returned to the table. Nikolai let out a soft sigh, once again resting his chin in his palm. Well, it wasn’t really all that important. ” Nevermind. It hardly matters.” Molding his expression into a friendly smile, he turned his focused his sapphire gaze on the girl. ”You’re in school, right? Which grade?” He asked softly. Anastasia was there, so he might as well make an effort to include her in the conversation. Besides, casual small-talk was good. It would help to lighten the mildly strained atmosphere.

[~Silver_Pedal~]

Placing down her cup of hot chocolate, the long brown haired girl looked at the long red haired male- she was still having a hard time wrapping her brain around the fact that the person sitting before her is a guy... Then again she had seen stranger things before, so this was mild in compare to what she has seen.

 

"I'm in 7th grade, my older sister is in 8th and my older brother's are high school sophomores." She said politely, smiling innocently at Nikki, scratching her cheek with a well manicured nail she spoke up once more, "My class is making a float for this years Thanksgiving Parade, I'm actually super excited to be in it!" She giggled softly, that one giggle caused her brother to lift his head up and slid his phone in her direction.

 

"Is that the paint color you need?" He asked looking at the young girl who took his phone and looked at the color, her eyebrows furrowing together in a thoughtful kind of way. That very look added only to her cuteness, Viktor was resting his cheek in his hand- a bored expression was covering his face.

 

He then glanced over at the male across the table, "Hey, to make up for this-" He gestured towards his sister with a small nod in her direction. "Well you do me the honor of joining me for a show and dinner?" His tone was smooth, almost too smooth- like silk gliding against ones skin. Anastasia was busy scrolling through the different colors of paint on a website from a high class hardware store.

[Gladis]

Nikolai listened attentively to what the girl had to say. Not because he was particularly interested in what she was talking about, but rather because every piece of information – no matter how trivial could be of great importance. Of course, what he learned here hardly seemed noteworthy enough to report to his superiors. Besides, it never hurt to get on the good side of Viktor’s family members. Anastasia seemed like a sweetheart and surprisingly open minded. That was something even Nikolai could appreciate.

 

”Oh, that sounds like so much fun!” He beamed, seeming genuinly intreguied. ”You must be super busy then. What kind of theme do you...” Nikolai trailed off as Viktor spoke, handing his younger sister his phone as a way of efectively diverting her attention. The redhead blinked, straightening up in his seat slightly as he locked his deep blue gaze on the taller man.

 

Again he was faced with that strange feeling. Again he found himself hesitating. It was the same fluttering sensation he’d felt when they first met in the rain a week ago. Viktor was great. Absolutely perfect. A little too perfect, perhaps, and it was what made Nikolai feel uneasy. Something told him that there was more to his insanely attractive gentleman than just good manners and a pretty smile. Well, of course there was. He was the heir to the leader of a great Bratva organization. It was something Nikolai constantly had to remind himself of, lest he’d be the one led astray by Viktor’s incrdible charms.

 

Oh, you smooth, smooth bastard...

 

”That sounds absolutely wonderful. I’d very much love to join you.”