So, that was the game that Dima was choosing to play, hm? Very well. She’d go along with it, for now. This was what she had meant when he’d asked her so long ago about her supposed hatred for him. In this moment, she does hate him. He’s making this task INCREDIBLY difficult. Why did men have to make everything so complicated this way?
Still, Anastasia was not one to back away from a challenge. So she marches up to Dmitry with a determined gleam in her eyes – so clear a man could look right through them and see her inner workings. “I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t love you, Dima. You know, it was Nona who pushed me to chase after you? If it made me happier than any amount of gold or dresses?”
“Fine then, if that is what you ask of me. We can go. Right now. Find a courthouse, grab Vlad and Lilly and Nona and then we can…. we can be together. But there is one condition here, Dima. We stay in France. With Nona. We can live comfortably. Never have to worry about anything ever again. Silk sheets, porecelain bathtubs… don’t tell me you haven’t dreamed about that too. A life of no worries after so long on the streets. That is my condition. We only get married if you agree. No other way.”
The Dowager told her to chase after him ?? Now he knew this was a JOKE. After the way he behaved ??( dmitry could still f e e l the STING along his cheek ). It mattered not that he didn’t take the money, that he now had absolutely no desire for it —— what was he to them ??
N O T H I N G ——— that’s what. && that would never change.
Russet orbs stare deeply into her own, never once even THINKING of parting ways. Dmitry oh so wants to believe her, a l m o s t does, but this is TOO GOOD to be true. These sorts of things never happen. History will always repeat itself, the conman learned that much from all his studies ; from how his life has gone, there was NO GOOD that could come from it.
“You want me ?? To live in your world ??” Now he scoffs, rough hand rubbing the nape of his neck. Hands sweat, digits tingling with nerves. He’d make a fool of himself, of her && her family. “The press will LOVE it Anya. They’ll never leave it be. I’m ——”Not one for the limelight. A wanted man in the papers for something positive (ish??) — that’s unheard of.
“Of course I have Anya, who wouldn’t ?? Doesn’t mean I’m IDIOTIC enough to believe that could ever happen for me ; so F I N E . Go on && get them. We’ll get hitched. Once you hear what the press will have to say, you’ll be GONE anyways.” Heart sinks, brow rises in CHALLENGE nonetheless. Arms extends for her reach, another disbelieving laugh parting from dry lips. “Lead the way, your highness. We have a wedding to get to.”
“Like I said, everyone lies, Anya, even Grand Duchesses.”Childish, he looks anywhere BUT her, jaw stubbornly clenched as he REFUSES to let her proclamations of l o v e sink in. It never turned out well in real life —— this wasn’t like in the movies or novels ( even if they did get a few things right —— sweaty palms, beating heart … love iss t r a n g e).
Dmitry doesn’t w a n t to remember, each memory so VIVID, real as she runs through them. It hurts too much, knowing she’ll be gone. It was only a matter of time, her FAMILY, the people she truly deserves, were waiting for her. She was wasting her time, being here with him / PITYING HIM. He erupts in bout of humorless chuckles, shaking his head as fawn eyes finally meet her own.
The idea is so preposterous, ridiculous( something he now knew he wanted … &&only with her ). But, it’s sure to push her away, make her run back into the arms of the Dowager, crown ‘pon head —— the image Russia deserves to see in all the papers. The words fall from dry lips, laughter breaking between utterance ——— “The only way I’ll ever believe you, is if you MARRY ME.” @anastcsie//con’t.
She was just about to quip back about his nonexistent objections to her possibly using him —– which she wasn’t, not in her mind —– but there’s not enough time to before he’s suddenly right in front of her again, and is kissing her yet again with no sort of warning.
Questions that there’d been before are gone in that instant. It seems that neither party is willing to admit their feelings, but is rather choosing to act upon it. Which isn’t a bad thing, not by a long shot. Yes, the sneaking would take some… careful planning, but it wasn’t nothing they couldn’t handle. If they were able to make it out of Russia in one piece, then this should be a slice of cake, shouldn’t it?
It doesn’t take Anya very long to settle into the kiss, and for a split second, she worries that she isn’t doing… whatever this is RIGHT. Dmitry wasn’t complaining, and if something was off, he wasn’t going to say anything, not now… well, if something was off, she wasn’t about to break this kiss just to ask such a silly question.
With no wall to support her this time, she’s left on her own to lift onto her toes yet again ( it’s not the first time she’s cursed how short she is, and certainly not the last ) as she finally tells herself to stop thinking too much and to start feeling. What she feels is her heart pounding against her chest, and this internal voice edging her own, practically begging for more, more of this, more of him.
If there’d been any doubt before about her being hooked in this moment, whatever that was, hopefully that was long gone, because now, it’s not a conman and a would be princess. It’s just THEM. And oh, could she get used to this.
It would be e a s y right ?? For all Vlad knew, Dmitry COULDN’T STAND Anya … which to be fair wasn’t always too far from truth. However, until lips pressed against hers, until hands trembled with a softness Dmitry did not know he possessed, he thought t’was because she was stubborn, someone who always had to be RIGHT.
It wasn’t that.
Anya challenges him in ways no one ever has d a r e d too, has gotten closer to him in mere DAYS than others have gotten in years. Why ?? Dmitry couldn’t begin to explain. She just did … && that fact terrifies him.
But he likes it. A lot.
Yet, dread for a moment breaks surface —— pulls a few inches back, lips swollen ( eyes still clouded with n e e d&& emotions he yet knows know how to process). Chest rises up && down from shortened breaths —— “I’m not pushing you am I ?? Going too fast ?? You can tell me to stop&& I will. I mean, we can still pretend this hasn’t happened, if uh, if you want.”He won’t ever forget.
“But if n o t , we’ll just say that we’re going over h i s t o r y —— yeah. && once we find Lily well, he’ll be quite busy anyways. ONLY if it’s what you want I mean, otherwise, pft —— I didn’t say a word.”
“And what if I do, hm? What would you do then, Dima?” She poses this question with an all-too mischievous light entering her own gaze. But it had been when he’d really saved her from those thugs back in Petersburg that he’d do his best to keep her from harm, that was when she’d started seeing him not as a necessity… but as a person.
She has to wonder if he, too, sees that in her. Would he have kissed her otherwise? She was getting ahead of herself. Maybe if this didn’t work out, there was a chance for them, but she was such a natural with so much of the things that Vlad had been teaching her that she too wonders if it’s real. If she is this Grand Duchess, this almost mythological person.
As Dmitry steps away, Anya’s own face drops and she tries to return to her normal mindset… failing miserably. He’s got her hooked, and she bets he knows it too. She shouldn’t allow herself to be so drawn in, but the idea of being wrapped up in those arms, with a chance to be normal for once right in front of her…
“Who says that Vlad has to KNOW about this?” She asks after stepping away from the wall and further into the room, whirling to face Dmitry as she proposes the idea. “We’ve both spent time running from the law, haven’t we? We both know how not to get caught…”
“Besides,” she continues, teeth once again worrying her lower lip. It’s a nervous habit, and not one she’s proud of. “What’s one secret between accomplices? We both want the same thing. Really, it’s a win-win situation. And if I’m not her… well, better for us, isn’t it?”
Jaw juts out to meet her JEST, a challenge forever reflects in russet gaze. That infamous smirk, warming of cheeks —— “What would I do ?? Well Anya, I might just have to kiss you again — only to help you sort out your life choices of course. It’s the least I could do.” Feet remain firmly planted nonetheless, even though the three steps it would take to get to her tempt him, make digits twitch at the thought of grazing s o f t skin once again.
This will be the end of it / a mere moment of lapse. Yet, her words stir something within, && she KNOWS him. Secrecy ?? The forbidden ?? Temptresses a man such as he could never refuse. Vlad was family, but he’d hardly approve ( even if the man himself had done some questionable things for ‘ love ’ —— Sophie was the opposite of available when the two met ).
“Between the two of us ?? I’d say we could divert his attention well enough. After all, if you’re going to impress the Dowager, your ACTING could use some work. This could be our private lesson.” Sly smirk, hand rubbing at angled chin. It was a thought, not well planned, but right now in this very moment, with her in the room, the last thing he wanted to do was THINK.
ONE STEP. “Well сла́дкая, you better hope you ARE her, you don’t wanna be stuck with me.” A light quip, but one that held a bit of truth. He couldn’t help but believe she was just Anya, a needy orphan they found on the street. && yet, a large part of him DOUBTED it, held hope that maybe it was her. It’d explain so much — the sudden bursts of memory, the expertise of the French language … he couldn’t pretend that Anya could never be her.
“&& your plan does sound a bit like you’re u s i n g me.” A change of topic, light jesting continues as he takes that second step towards her. “But to be honest, I kinda really don’t mind.” A smile, && with the third step he lands in front of her, lips c r a s h i n g into her own.
Hands shaking, heart thundering —- she really shouldn’t be so frightened about all this, it’s just Dmitry. But, at the same time, she’s kissing him. And he’s VERY good kisser. That hadn’t been something she’d expecting coming from Dmitry of all people. But she can’t help but laugh as the kiss breaks just for a second as they both gulp down as much air as possible before diving back into these delightful kisses —- proper ones this time, ones that a sister she might have had would have dreamed about.
Thank her lucky stars that the wall behind her catches the rest of her weight as Dima steps forward and closes any sort of gap that might have been between them. Her arms have to only tighten around his neck to make sure she doesn’t lose her balance on her toes completely, but with the wall there, there’s no need for her to stretch anymore. Was this what happened to normal girls, girls who weren’t stuck on the streets or on some wild caper to find a family that mightn’t even be her own? A moment of normalcy in her chaotic life… imagine that.
When Dmitry starts talking, Anya has half a mind to shut him up with another kiss. There shouldn’t be any words here, not ones that could make the moment fizzle out and leave her wanting more, wanting more of this but maybe even not getting that. However, she is inclined to respond. Clear blue eyes meet those warm brown ones that she doesn’t care to admit that she loves so much as eyebrows furrow.
“HATE you? No… you’re frustrating at best, and infuriating at worst, but… but I don’t hate you, Dmitry. And I know I can be snippy sometimes —- okay, most times —- but… I don’t hate you. In fact, I don’t think I have for… for quite some time.” That’s by no means an admission to the fact that she might very well love him, but, in her mind, she tolerates him enough, likes him enough, to not mind being kissed by him. Of course, each word to her is a little like a kiss, as her lips keep brushing his as she speaks, not to mention those eyes are not only darting to his lips, but all over his face, trying to soak in every detail.
“How… how long do you think we have before somebody finds us?”
Dmitry needs to pull away, he knows this. Partly because of their scheme ; their plan is complex —— && it certainly didn’t involve getting the girl in the end. Girl gets family, boy gets rich( that’s what this fairytale’s happily ever after is going to be, HAS to be ). But also because of how his heart began hammering inside his chest every time he saw her, how he could never e v e r seem to say the right thing. She managed to squeeze her way into his heart, one that once was thought cold, calculating.
There was supposed to be no room in there, yet leave it to this girl to change everything.
P u l l a w a y , he repeats it like a mantra, yet makes no move to do so. His morals are lackluster, to say the least, but even with that in mind he has enough to wish to RESPECT her. && yet, with the warmth of her gaze, instead arms comfortably wrap around her, holding her close, giving her a bit more leverage. Eyes WATCH her speak, see how her lips move as she emphasizes some words, mumbles others. An addict who can’t seem to get enough, one who wants to know the little things, to UNDERSTAND. Apparently, rats aren’t always so selfish.
Locutions raise a crooked smile, pulling back an inch only to let out a short, raspy chuckle. “Quite some time ?? Since the train ??” A small shake of the head, eyes LIGHT up. “The diamond ?? You at least trusted me back then.” A slow exhale, lips dash across her jaw, brushing over the rim of her ear. “Careful Anya, with talk like that one might think you do MORE than tolerate me.” A jest, a push of the button ( even now, Dmitry can’t help himself / always quite vexing ).
With that, he forces himself to take a step back, hands falling to his sides. Already his tall, lean frame feels c o l d , lips tingling from recent touch. Eyes scan the analog clock on the wall, taking a moment to read it before shrugging. “Vlad will probably want another lesson soon. I think he thinks you’ll use the wrong fork. So uh —” Another shy, unsure shrug. “— Maybe ‘bout twenty minutes till he wakes up from his afternoon nap or something.”
It seems almost silly that a childhood want is something that Anya remembers, especially since it had everything to do with where they were. As a child, she’d wanted her first kiss to be in the most romantic city in the world with a handsome PRINCE. It was always more akin to something Maria would want, so she’d never told a soul, but now… now it felt like it had happened, even if Dmitry was as far from a technical prince as she could get. But that didn’t matter —— in this moment, he is as good as they come.
She has to try not to laugh at the fact that he’s still questioning this moment, even in the form of a kiss. He was infuriating sometimes, because to her, this wasn’t a real kiss, not the ones she’d read about in some cheesy novel she’d find in her travels. But then again, it’s understandable, and she has to wonder…. is she his first kiss? Surely not. A man as handsome as Dmitry must have had a dozen different female companions in his time.
That’s not going to stop her from responding in kind, however, and she deepens the kiss on her own, practically crashing their lips together as both of her arms —- bare, thanks to the dress she’d chosen for today’s excursion, which was far more expensive than she was used to —- reached over his shoulders and around his neck, pulling him closer so she didn’t have to stretch as much.
Now is when she starts praying that nobody comes looking for them for a long… long time.
For a moment, Dmitry SWEARS Anya will pull away, hit him && be gone as quickly as she strode into his life. Yet, when she does the opposite, hands weaving around his neck —— he almost stops completely /shock. Lids blink rapidly ( oh yes, this is r e a l ) before finally shutting tightly closed.
It wasn’t his first kiss, but it certainly was the first to MEAN something. A man easily riled with boredom && curiosity, he’d tried a few things (though he had yet to get much farther than where they were now ). Other may have noticed his strapping looks, a bit rough around the edges sure, but still NOTICEABLE —— but he himself never saw it. He was a nobody, one who had to focus on survival every single day. There wasn’t much time for any normal, frivolous activity.
Yet in this moment, it was just the two of them. Anya && Dmitry. There was no ballet to get to, no scheming or w o r r y. Just a girl && a boy who finally caved into emotion neither was willing to admit was there. SHAKING hands finally find their way to her waist, grip tight as kiss lingers. Lips curl into a wide smirk, pulling away as rapid breaths make pulse quicken / an attempt to catch some air. Delightful eyes meeting her own ( finding no proper words, no JESTS to say for once).
“Anya ——” It doesn’t take long for lips to once again collide against her own, a proper kiss, one that held no trace of the hesitancy prior. A step forward, pressed to the wall, he rids of any distance. He shouldn’t, but he can’t help himself. Okay, just TO MAKE SURE, of course. “Sorry, I just ——” He makes no move to step away, lips brushing against hers as he speaks. Is this okay ?? God, that’d be embarrassing. “I thought you supposedlyHATED me ??”
In Paris, anything was possible. That was what a young Anya had always believed, ever since she realised that the key to finding her family was in the city that had only seemed like a dream up until now, and still was, somehow. What was even more dreamlike was his hand on her arm, calloused but safe and comforting at the same time. He’d worked hard to get here, why choose to erase those scars?
Maybe if she wasn’t Anastasia, they could eek out an existence here, work their ways up, and… and, well, from there any sort of plan falls through, as she’s not able to think that far ahead right now. Not with Dima so close to her, and as she lays a hand against his chest for balance purposes, she swears she can feel his heart hammering just as hard as her own.
Still, the message definitely gets across —- he’s clearly wanting to kiss her. Not that she’s objecting, no matter how infuriating he can be. “No… no there’s no harm in it… I suppose it wouldn’t be…” She’s got to lift onto her toes slightly to reach him, but she does notice her fingers curling into the fabric of his shirt slightly. Her own gaze flickers to his lips, just for a second; she could just do it right now. But she won’t, because she’s a coward. “Dima…”
Despite knowing he had NO SELF CONTROL, Dmitry somehow still got himself into situations like this —— ones where he was too stubborn to give up ( when he should) or cave(&& in this case, oh how he wanted to).A life of treading on tightrope, weaving ever so slightly to to one side on occasion, yet never allowing himself to F A L L. The conman knows his place, what people expect of him ( at least in regards to the man, rat they choose to see ).
Her every touch, no matter how small sends shocks to his skin, putting ideas into his head he never dared wish to have. A partner, someone to completely TRUST. Vlad was great, an exception to his usual rule —— the man was practically family from the start. But Anya, she was dangerous. He felt A L I V E && he knew better than to wish for that kind of disappointment.
&& yet —— A smile tugs ‘pon lips, brow arching in jest. “You SUPPOSE ?? Well a woman of your repute should be sure.” Breaths soon become heavy, deep as he notices the twitch of her hand, pulling at the cheap fabric of his shirt —— her weight pressed‘pon tip toes. In that moment, that was enough of a VICTORY for Dimitry (not to mention that damn nickname).
The remaining inches between them vanish, lips pressing against hers ever so hesitantly —— a question.
He wanted to LEAVE Paris? And do what, with no reward money? Keep playing this dangerous game of his until the law caught up with him? She knew there were feelings there for her, that one alleyway was enough to tell her that, but it wasn’t until she’d just left her grandmother after nearly being shot that she’s realised it, this infuriating feeling in her gut that happened whenever she caught him smiling at something she said or proved her wrong: it was love. Even if he drove her crazy most days… she loved him.
And so, Anya grabs his suitcase out of his hands, lets it fall to the ground, and then proceeds to stand on it so she’s not at such a disadvantage before grabbing either side of his face and not giving him a chance to say anything before crashing their lips together.
It’s a firm kiss at first, a plea to stay here by her side, because she NEEDS him there more than she cares to admit. But slowly it devolves into something more passionate, more fevered, because she’d probably go out of her mind if he just left her like this.
Finally, she breaks the kiss, and she’s still standing there on his suitcase, a glittering vision of gold and red, when she speaks. “The parade. The one you told me about when… when it all came back, don’t you think that day was fate trying to tell us something?” Then again, she’s just nearly been shot, so Anya is pretty heavy into the whole FATE thing right now. “Stay here, Dima. With me. Please. I’m not moving from this suitcase until you say you will, and I have a meeting with the press I’m already late for, so you had best be fast.”
That smile as she says his nickname —– did he really thing she would forget such a thing? —– only causes her heart to pick up speed; if it keeps up, her heart will probably stop completely, and that wouldn’t benefit anybody. But she’s observant, and she saw his gaze flick to her lips.
And then his forehead is against her own, they’re suddenly sharing the same air, and though Anya isn’t used to such closeness…. she isn’t minding it either. She can’t look anywhere except the brown of his eyes, and that damned nervous habit of biting her lip kicks in —- she can’t help but flush when she notices. Why would he ever want someone like her?
“I’m no royal… we… we don’t know that yet… so wouldn’t that be rude of me? And… and… aren’t you the one that told me Grand Duchesses weren’t RUDE?”
Her breaths gliding against skin t e r r i f y him. As much as the idea of isolation, loneliness bothered him ( dread clamping down ’pon his heart ), he knew better than to ever HOPE for much. In the Russia they now lived in ?? Survival was of the utmost importance. It was difficult enough alone, add in another ??
— Impossible.
Besides, in the end —— everyone leaves right ?? Better to be alone, for that’s how EVERYONE goes out. But why did she of all people make him want so much more ?? An imagined life filled with hopes he never once before wanted. It was all in her gaze ( her laugh, that TEMPER ).
A hand trails up her arm, his skin rough from work ( yet a touch so surprisingly gentle ). Other hand cups her jaw, thumb grazing over flamed cheek. “But you could be —— it’d at the very least give you practice. Besides, it wouldn’t be RUDE if the other person —”Wanted it just as badly. But his voice drops, eyes full of hesitation. Don’t push your luck, Dmitry.
Maybe it’s the thrill of being in Paris, a city so well known for its label as the City of LOVE, that made her say such a thing. But she’s cursing her heart for hammering against her chest like it is. Anya peers up, biting her lip, trying so desperately to think of a comeback.
Does she want to kiss him? Yes. Should she? Absolutely not. They couldn’t afford to let feelings get in the way, not when they were so close to never seeing each other again. “Well, I…” You’re floundering, Anya! Say something! Anything!
“I don’t know, Dima. You tell me.”
Don’t look at her lips, don’t look at her lips(Дерьмо, he already has). If hand wasn’t pressed to the wall behind her, it’d be s h a k i n g. Why though, he could never understand. A skinny brat, a NUISANCE who stood between him && ten million rubles. With one wrong answer, a moment of lapse —— it’d all be g o n e. To think, he was already a wanted criminal, && with the Dowager’s HATE it’d only get worse.
Dima —— he smiles, eyes falling to the shortening distance between them. She remembered ( a hint of caring, && for him ?? oh how’d he RELISHES in it ). Forehead just barely presses ‘gainst her own, breaths short, staggered.
“I was hoping you could tell me, or —— just ASK for what we both know you want. Royalty can make demands, y’know.”
