Eastern Promises fluff
Oct. 21st, 2007 10:34 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
wowieThis little tidbit, entered into the VFB Creativity contest, calmed a plot bunny that kept hopping in my head.
Eastern Dreams
It was still a decidedly strange sensation, being chauffeured about rather than doing the driving himself, Nikolai Luzhin reflected, from the back seat of the car, even after all this time. He stared out the window mulling over how things had changed so quickly in just a few years. After a few initial quick manipulations, the rest of his changes in the organization had been very subtle. He knew he was still being watched, that it would always be an ongoing process, and he would have to be very careful. He also knew those in charge were somewhat comfortable with his way of doing things, his level of control. Soon everything would be in place.
The squealing of tires and abrupt swerving of the car broke Nikolai out of his reverie. He looked up in concern as the car pulled off to the side of the road, and saw the fear in the young driver's eyes as he glanced at him in the rear view mirror. Nikolai merely nodded in reply, clenching his jaw. They did not need the police involvement. They'd managed to stay below the radar for a time now and he intended it to stay that way.
Cars continued to pass in both directions, reminding Nikolai they were pressed for time. He swore in Russian under his breath as he opened the car door, the young man following close behind him. They were an interesting pair: Nikolai, the taller of the two, with scars on his face, tattoos on his hands, and weary eyes that missed nothing, and Pavel, the younger man, barely out of his teens, his life's experiences yet to be written upon his slight frame.
"How dare you!" exclaimed a rather angry small blonde haired girl, looking at the men, and then looking across the heavily traveled road, cars not even slowing down to look at what was taking place on the roadside. "Get back over here right now!" The men's eyes followed hers across the road. There, laying in the grass, wagging its tail, looking for all the world as though it had done nothing wrong, was a small puppy. Suddenly realizing what had just happened was rather insignificant as it appeared no one was hurt, Nikolai breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time spoke sternly to the child.
"I don't think," Nikolai said in his highly accented English, "you want him to come back over here, he could get hurt. You" he pointed at the little girl, "You stay right here. I get dog. Understand."
The change that came over the little girl was instantaneous but Nikolai paid no attention to her sudden nervousness. He was accustomed to his orders being followed without question, and he wasn't about to let this little one do otherwise.
The tall man realized there was a lull in the traffic and took advantage of it to cross the busy road to retrieve the errant animal. He bent to pick up the dog, which seemed friendly enough, licking his hand with its rough tongue. He stood, dog in his arms, looked up with relief to see a woman had joined the little girl and was standing with a possessive hand on the girl's shoulder. At least it felt like relief for a split second, until he realized he knew the woman.
Nikolai hadn't seen Anna Khitrova in five years and if anything she was more beautiful than when last he saw her. He steeled himself, his face showing no emotion as he crossed the street again and wondered what she might say if she recognized him. She was one of the very few that had an idea of his vulnerability and could exploit his weakness. Would she?
She held a lead in one hand, and attached it to the dog's collar as soon as he came close, muttering quietly at the dog.
"Excuse me?" Nikolai asked, not understanding her. He let her take the puppy from his arms and put it gently on the ground with a firm hold on the lead. Her scent drifted up to him and he sharply inhaled.
"I said bad Stepan. That's the puppy's name," she explained with a smile on her face. Up close, she looked exactly the same. It could have been yesterday when he last saw her.
"After Uncle Stepan," interrupted the little girl, "because he can be just as bad, right Mama?" Nikolai looked at the child with renewed interest, realizing they had met when she was but an infant.
"That's right, Tinka," the blonde woman affirmed. "Thank you for retrieving the puppy. I am Anna, and this is my daughter Christine. And you are?"
"Late for a meeting," Nikolai said apologetically. "I'm sorry. We -" he nodded at Pavel who knew that was his cue to get back into the car "must go".
As the young girl bent over the puppy to give it a sound scolding, Nikolai's gaze went from watching her to the younger man climbing into the car and start the engine. The windows were up and he knew anything said between them couldn't be overheard and yet he felt extremely cautious. If he were to say the wrong thing there could be serious consequences.
"Anna," he started to say, but she stopped him with a shake of her head.
"No." Her voice broke. Nikolai looked curiously at her face, her eyes refusing to meet his, He saw her cheeks were damp and knew she was crying. How could he be stupid enough to think she'd forgotten? "Please go." Then she looked up and he knew as lost as he was in the artificial world he'd created, it wouldn't take much to get lost in her eyes.
Nikolai heaved a heavy sigh, but nodded his head in agreement. There was no other way. He raised a hand in acknowledgement and moved towards the car, not looking back.
He'd made a choice and unfortunately there was no turning back.
The tires squealed once again as the car moved from the kerb to the road, leaving a cloud of dust and dirt behind that slowly dissipated. Anna wished her emotions could seemingly disappear in a similar fashion, but she knew that wouldn't be the case. She grabbed the lead tightly with one hand, the child's hand tucked comfortably in her other one as they turned back towards home.
It had been five years, and were it not for Christine, she would have considered the entire business with Nikolai Luzhin and the people he worked for a bad dream. He'd managed to protect her family then, and in the process also save the life of a child that she had subsequently adopted and was raising as her own. Anna had managed to keep most of her thoughts of Nikolai at bay, except in those moments at night when he came to her in her dreams. While she knew Nikolai was not what he seemed, she also knew he was involved with some very dangerous people and having had one somewhat brief connection was more than enough to her liking and she didn't want to repeat it. It was done.
Anna hoped Christine's exuberance with the puppy as they entered the house would keep her own moodiness from registering with her mother. She thought she didn't have to worry though as she saw her on the telephone until she saw the puzzled look on her face.
"Mum? What is it?" she asked, returning the puzzled look.
"The phone. It's for you. Anna, it's," she hesitated, "the driver." And she realized that what she thought was puzzlement on her mother's part was actually worry. Helen Khitrova thought they were free from that business after five years, as she had.
Anna grabbed the cordless phone and took it into the bedroom.
"How did you get this number?" she hissed into the phone without an acknowledgment of the man on the other end.
"It's easy," replied the heavily accented voice, "If you know the right people." There was an uncomfortable pause. "Have dinner with me, tonight, Anna? I will pick you up at seven. And shall return you by ten." Anna knew even though he spoke politely, she had no choice in the matter.
As she walked into the hotel suite a few hours later, Anna realized the time since the phone call passed in a blur. She still felt rather dazed. She removed her coat, as did Nikolai, and they threw them over the back of a chair in the opulently decorated room.
"This was all I could do on short notice," Nikolai said apologetically, conveying a sweeping gesture towards the table spread with a feast of covered dishes that would probably feed her family for a week. "I thought you wouldn't mind the privacy of the hotel." His phrasing ended as a question, and he looked at her with a tentative smile that made him look years younger.
"It's fine," she replied. It wasn't really. Not being one for small talk, she decided to cut to the chase. "Nikolai, what do you want from me?"
In answer he crossed to the opened bottle of wine that was chilling, and poured two glasses, and handed her one. He moved to the couch, sat, gestured for her to join him, and she did. They both sipped from their glasses then set them down.
"What do I want from you? Everything and nothing at all. Five years ago I made a pact with myself I would have nothing to do with you ever again. And here today by a quirk of happenstance our paths cross. Tell me Anna, do you dream about me? Because try as I might to keep you out of my thoughts," his voice fell to a whisper, "I can't keep you out of my dreams.
"I'd like to kiss you, but I know I shouldn't."
Anna felt herself move towards the man even though she knew she shouldn't. She traced the tattoo on the back of his right hand with a finger tip, and then traced the faded scar on his cheek.
"I do dream of you, of this, " she whispered. "And one kiss -"
She moved her head closer and their lips touched gently and as the kiss deepened the wine on both their lips intermingled.
" - will lead to so much more," Nikolai muttered against her lips, as he completed her sentence. He broke apart from her, swearing in Russian.
"Then what do you want? Why did you contact me? There's nothing to be gained from this!" She stood to put distance between them but it didn't last. His arms came around her from behind in a tight, all encompassing embrace. She stiffened momentarily but her body then rebelled and melted against his strong frame.
"I know, but I needed to see you, to touch you, to prove to myself you aren't a dream. My life is complicated." She could sense the desperation and anguish in his voice and also through his touch as his hands moved about her body. In another time, she thought, closing her eyes.
She laughed and spoke, fighting back tears.
"That's an understatement. And I have a small child. Under other circumstances..."
"Exactly so," he said adding an affectionate term in Russian. "Now can we just enjoy a couple of hours of dinner, stimulating conversation, and avoid the stimulating other part? We don't need that added complication, as much as I think," he paused, releasing her and turning her around, and saw an unspoken yearning in her eyes that he was sure was mirrored in his own, "no, _know_ , that we both would enjoy it".
He smiled a sad bittersweet smile and pulled her close to him again for just a moment. There'd be no more than a few hugs, a few stolen kisses, a shared meal, and meaningful conversation, but even in missed opportunities there were unspoken, unfulfilled promises that would just have to last.
Eastern Dreams
It was still a decidedly strange sensation, being chauffeured about rather than doing the driving himself, Nikolai Luzhin reflected, from the back seat of the car, even after all this time. He stared out the window mulling over how things had changed so quickly in just a few years. After a few initial quick manipulations, the rest of his changes in the organization had been very subtle. He knew he was still being watched, that it would always be an ongoing process, and he would have to be very careful. He also knew those in charge were somewhat comfortable with his way of doing things, his level of control. Soon everything would be in place.
The squealing of tires and abrupt swerving of the car broke Nikolai out of his reverie. He looked up in concern as the car pulled off to the side of the road, and saw the fear in the young driver's eyes as he glanced at him in the rear view mirror. Nikolai merely nodded in reply, clenching his jaw. They did not need the police involvement. They'd managed to stay below the radar for a time now and he intended it to stay that way.
Cars continued to pass in both directions, reminding Nikolai they were pressed for time. He swore in Russian under his breath as he opened the car door, the young man following close behind him. They were an interesting pair: Nikolai, the taller of the two, with scars on his face, tattoos on his hands, and weary eyes that missed nothing, and Pavel, the younger man, barely out of his teens, his life's experiences yet to be written upon his slight frame.
"How dare you!" exclaimed a rather angry small blonde haired girl, looking at the men, and then looking across the heavily traveled road, cars not even slowing down to look at what was taking place on the roadside. "Get back over here right now!" The men's eyes followed hers across the road. There, laying in the grass, wagging its tail, looking for all the world as though it had done nothing wrong, was a small puppy. Suddenly realizing what had just happened was rather insignificant as it appeared no one was hurt, Nikolai breathed a sigh of relief, but at the same time spoke sternly to the child.
"I don't think," Nikolai said in his highly accented English, "you want him to come back over here, he could get hurt. You" he pointed at the little girl, "You stay right here. I get dog. Understand."
The change that came over the little girl was instantaneous but Nikolai paid no attention to her sudden nervousness. He was accustomed to his orders being followed without question, and he wasn't about to let this little one do otherwise.
The tall man realized there was a lull in the traffic and took advantage of it to cross the busy road to retrieve the errant animal. He bent to pick up the dog, which seemed friendly enough, licking his hand with its rough tongue. He stood, dog in his arms, looked up with relief to see a woman had joined the little girl and was standing with a possessive hand on the girl's shoulder. At least it felt like relief for a split second, until he realized he knew the woman.
Nikolai hadn't seen Anna Khitrova in five years and if anything she was more beautiful than when last he saw her. He steeled himself, his face showing no emotion as he crossed the street again and wondered what she might say if she recognized him. She was one of the very few that had an idea of his vulnerability and could exploit his weakness. Would she?
She held a lead in one hand, and attached it to the dog's collar as soon as he came close, muttering quietly at the dog.
"Excuse me?" Nikolai asked, not understanding her. He let her take the puppy from his arms and put it gently on the ground with a firm hold on the lead. Her scent drifted up to him and he sharply inhaled.
"I said bad Stepan. That's the puppy's name," she explained with a smile on her face. Up close, she looked exactly the same. It could have been yesterday when he last saw her.
"After Uncle Stepan," interrupted the little girl, "because he can be just as bad, right Mama?" Nikolai looked at the child with renewed interest, realizing they had met when she was but an infant.
"That's right, Tinka," the blonde woman affirmed. "Thank you for retrieving the puppy. I am Anna, and this is my daughter Christine. And you are?"
"Late for a meeting," Nikolai said apologetically. "I'm sorry. We -" he nodded at Pavel who knew that was his cue to get back into the car "must go".
As the young girl bent over the puppy to give it a sound scolding, Nikolai's gaze went from watching her to the younger man climbing into the car and start the engine. The windows were up and he knew anything said between them couldn't be overheard and yet he felt extremely cautious. If he were to say the wrong thing there could be serious consequences.
"Anna," he started to say, but she stopped him with a shake of her head.
"No." Her voice broke. Nikolai looked curiously at her face, her eyes refusing to meet his, He saw her cheeks were damp and knew she was crying. How could he be stupid enough to think she'd forgotten? "Please go." Then she looked up and he knew as lost as he was in the artificial world he'd created, it wouldn't take much to get lost in her eyes.
Nikolai heaved a heavy sigh, but nodded his head in agreement. There was no other way. He raised a hand in acknowledgement and moved towards the car, not looking back.
He'd made a choice and unfortunately there was no turning back.
The tires squealed once again as the car moved from the kerb to the road, leaving a cloud of dust and dirt behind that slowly dissipated. Anna wished her emotions could seemingly disappear in a similar fashion, but she knew that wouldn't be the case. She grabbed the lead tightly with one hand, the child's hand tucked comfortably in her other one as they turned back towards home.
It had been five years, and were it not for Christine, she would have considered the entire business with Nikolai Luzhin and the people he worked for a bad dream. He'd managed to protect her family then, and in the process also save the life of a child that she had subsequently adopted and was raising as her own. Anna had managed to keep most of her thoughts of Nikolai at bay, except in those moments at night when he came to her in her dreams. While she knew Nikolai was not what he seemed, she also knew he was involved with some very dangerous people and having had one somewhat brief connection was more than enough to her liking and she didn't want to repeat it. It was done.
Anna hoped Christine's exuberance with the puppy as they entered the house would keep her own moodiness from registering with her mother. She thought she didn't have to worry though as she saw her on the telephone until she saw the puzzled look on her face.
"Mum? What is it?" she asked, returning the puzzled look.
"The phone. It's for you. Anna, it's," she hesitated, "the driver." And she realized that what she thought was puzzlement on her mother's part was actually worry. Helen Khitrova thought they were free from that business after five years, as she had.
Anna grabbed the cordless phone and took it into the bedroom.
"How did you get this number?" she hissed into the phone without an acknowledgment of the man on the other end.
"It's easy," replied the heavily accented voice, "If you know the right people." There was an uncomfortable pause. "Have dinner with me, tonight, Anna? I will pick you up at seven. And shall return you by ten." Anna knew even though he spoke politely, she had no choice in the matter.
As she walked into the hotel suite a few hours later, Anna realized the time since the phone call passed in a blur. She still felt rather dazed. She removed her coat, as did Nikolai, and they threw them over the back of a chair in the opulently decorated room.
"This was all I could do on short notice," Nikolai said apologetically, conveying a sweeping gesture towards the table spread with a feast of covered dishes that would probably feed her family for a week. "I thought you wouldn't mind the privacy of the hotel." His phrasing ended as a question, and he looked at her with a tentative smile that made him look years younger.
"It's fine," she replied. It wasn't really. Not being one for small talk, she decided to cut to the chase. "Nikolai, what do you want from me?"
In answer he crossed to the opened bottle of wine that was chilling, and poured two glasses, and handed her one. He moved to the couch, sat, gestured for her to join him, and she did. They both sipped from their glasses then set them down.
"What do I want from you? Everything and nothing at all. Five years ago I made a pact with myself I would have nothing to do with you ever again. And here today by a quirk of happenstance our paths cross. Tell me Anna, do you dream about me? Because try as I might to keep you out of my thoughts," his voice fell to a whisper, "I can't keep you out of my dreams.
"I'd like to kiss you, but I know I shouldn't."
Anna felt herself move towards the man even though she knew she shouldn't. She traced the tattoo on the back of his right hand with a finger tip, and then traced the faded scar on his cheek.
"I do dream of you, of this, " she whispered. "And one kiss -"
She moved her head closer and their lips touched gently and as the kiss deepened the wine on both their lips intermingled.
" - will lead to so much more," Nikolai muttered against her lips, as he completed her sentence. He broke apart from her, swearing in Russian.
"Then what do you want? Why did you contact me? There's nothing to be gained from this!" She stood to put distance between them but it didn't last. His arms came around her from behind in a tight, all encompassing embrace. She stiffened momentarily but her body then rebelled and melted against his strong frame.
"I know, but I needed to see you, to touch you, to prove to myself you aren't a dream. My life is complicated." She could sense the desperation and anguish in his voice and also through his touch as his hands moved about her body. In another time, she thought, closing her eyes.
She laughed and spoke, fighting back tears.
"That's an understatement. And I have a small child. Under other circumstances..."
"Exactly so," he said adding an affectionate term in Russian. "Now can we just enjoy a couple of hours of dinner, stimulating conversation, and avoid the stimulating other part? We don't need that added complication, as much as I think," he paused, releasing her and turning her around, and saw an unspoken yearning in her eyes that he was sure was mirrored in his own, "no, _know_ , that we both would enjoy it".
He smiled a sad bittersweet smile and pulled her close to him again for just a moment. There'd be no more than a few hugs, a few stolen kisses, a shared meal, and meaningful conversation, but even in missed opportunities there were unspoken, unfulfilled promises that would just have to last.
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no subject
Date: 2007-10-21 02:41 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-21 02:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-21 03:42 pm (UTC)There's such longing in this piece. Very good!
Love this line,
" - will lead to so much more," Nikolai muttered against her lips
I love that.
no subject
Date: 2007-10-21 04:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-21 05:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-10-22 09:31 pm (UTC)Nice job!!!I loved it.