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Description

Care
(Male! Belarus x Reader)

Nikolai stumbled along the long dirt road which was swamped in an incredulous amount of snow with a nearly empty bottle of vodka swaying loosely from his fingertips. A few cars sped right by him throwing Belarusian curses his way for staggering into their path. He tossed the now empty bottle pathetically missing and shattering in front of one particular car which simply swerved around and avoided the intoxicated nation. The glass shards struck one of the thick rubber tires and quickly void the wheel of air.
The car screeched to a halt and parked on the side of the road while Nikolai continued down the dreary, blizzard ridden road. His blurred vision and the sheer darkness of the night made for a difficult stroll to his desired destination. He was unaware of your rage infused march towards him since you were a considerable distance behind him. You stopped, however, when he approached the railing of the bridge he had dragged himself onto while squeezing his eyes shut.
"This is what you wanted, right? If you won't marry me, at least I can make you happy." He whispered much too softly to reach your ears. A strong gust blew heavily through the opening and lifted your heavy coat slightly. You pressed your folded arms closer to your body as a shiver wracked through your spine. Nikolai embraced the frigid air and tilted his head heavenward with a dreamy expression when he felt his heart pound nervously before he hoisted himself on the edge. His wobbly stature was more than enough to send panic coursing through your veins.
"H-hey!" You managed between chattering teeth. Unfortunately, he couldn't hear your muffled voice hidden by the lush scarf encasing your neck, so you began sprinting towards him. He teetered forward and off the ledge to an impending death by the high roaring waters below in the freezing creek. Surely the sharp rocks below would lead to a quick and painless death, but before he could go too far, he felt himself hooked on something which prevented his fall.
Nikolai's face angled towards the force suspending him from his goal. He noticed you were leaning over the railing and gripping the plush sleeves of his winter coat. He glared daggers deep into your eyes as you struggled to hold him, let alone pull him from the side of the bridge.
"Let go!" He demanded attempting to shake you off. You released a growl and dug your nails harder into the fabric of his coat.
"Stop struggling! I'm trying to help you!" You hissed wedging your foot against the snow covered rail and leaning backwards, slowly but surely raising him.
"Are you deaf or stupid," He exclaimed clutching your forearms attempting to inflict harm so that you would release him. His eyes brimmed slightly with water, but he continued to fight. "Let me go."
Your eyes softened, but your determination burst into a mighty fire as you flattened both your feet against the railing. Your body was bent as you held onto this bizarre boy and carefully hauled him back onto the road. He landed haphazardly on top of you with wide eyes before he scowled and pushed himself off of you.
"You're welcome." You scoffed as he glared at you.
"I didn't ask for you to save me," He snarled stepping towards you and leaning near your face. "I don't need anybody. I knew what I was doing."
"I couldn't just let you throw your life away." You whispered averting your eyes.
"What's it to you? You don't even know me." He snapped with a hidden expression of shock locked away deep within his eyes.
"I know that something must have hurt you so deeply to make you even consider - this," You paused to motion towards the rushing waters of the creek below. "And I'm sorry. I - I just wanted to help."
Nikolai kept his mouth shut after that. Your words struck a chord from deep within his chest. His big sister had hurt him and cut him so deeply with her words of rejection and insults. Anya threw a particularly large fit this time when he accused his big brother Dmitri of trying to take her away. She ripped his heart in two with the cruel words she had tossed at him - even stating it'd be better if he weren't around.
"I'll leave you alone now. Sorry." You mumbled quickly striding away rather embarrassed. Nikolai snapped his focus towards your retreating figure and wondered what made you care for him in particular. His face tinted slightly with the thought of another caring for him. He couldn't just let that slip through his fingers!
Nikolai followed you back towards your car where you noticed the flat tire. There is no way you could make it back to your temporary home in this weather with a vehicle in this condition. You groaned and searched your car desperately for the gloves you subconsciously knew weren't there. You hadn't expected a run in like this and neglected to bring some due to your distaste in driving with gloves. You heavily cursed before stepping from your car to see the handsome Belarusian studying you at a much too close proximity. You shrieked and covered your heart with your right hand in an attempt to slow the racing tempo.
"H-hi. Again." You greeted awkwardly as you shut the car door and swiftly stumbled over a quiet goodbye before stalking off to your temporary place of residency which wasn't too far away.
Nikolai curiously bound after you with expert navigation through the high snow while you stumbled ineptly. He observed you from afar and noticed your hands desperately rubbing against each other to hopefully create warmth from the friction. The sound resonating from the soft crunching when his feet met the fluffy precipitation caused you to look back in worry a wild animal was prowling you for dinner. You were met with the nonchalant and uncaring expression of Nikolai while he stopped and gazed at you expectantly.
"I-Is your h-home this w-w-way, too," Your chattering teeth almost completely destroyed your ability to speak. He blankly stared back at you while you nodded and turned back around. "Alright."
About half way to your house, your foot lodged itself beneath a root buried beneath the thick snow and pulled you down. Fortunately, you caught yourself when you threw your arms in front of yourself before you hit the ground. A hiss protruded from your lips when the frozen ice covered not only your gloveless hands but most of the anterior of your body. After pulling yourself up to rest first on your knees, you brushed the snow from yourself and slowly stood before someone scooped you up into their arms.
With wide eyes, you turned to see Nikolai holding you with your arms wrapped tightly around his neck - probably choking the poor man. When he expressed difficulty breathing, you immediately relinquished such strength in your grip, but kept a hold on him to keep from falling onto the ground once more. A blush crept stealthily across your cheeks when your eyes locked with his steely blue ones beneath his scowl. You weren't sure whether the tremor you experienced was from fear or the cold.
"Where is your home?" He inquired marching up the road with a blank yet somewhat irritated expression. Did he intend to carry you home?!
"I c-can walk you kn-know," You informed with chattering teeth attempting to elude his warm grasp. No wonder he seemed so unbothered by the temperature - he radiated heat almost as well as a fireplace! "If you w-would just-"
"You can't even take four steps without stumbling. You'll catch a cold if you continue to travel at the rate you are." He disagreed bitterly. You sighed and directed him to your home.
By now your fingers were absolutely numb, so you decided to tuck your hands within Nikolai's warm fur collar. He ceased immediately and tensed upon the contact of your ice cold fingers on his warm skin. He released a high squeak and immediately glared at you as you released a giggle. Whether it was from embarrassment or the lovely sound of your laughter, Nikolai felt his cheeks grow warm.
You both arrived on the street you lived within a reasonable amount of time, much to your satisfaction. You tried to pull away from the Belarusian, but he only held you tighter. He didn't release you until he reached the top stair onto your porch. You sighed in relief when you heard the door click after it unlocked, but you hesitated and turned towards your new intimidating acquaintance.
"Thanks for the - well - lift, I suppose. It was nice meeting you and all. Maybe we'll see each other ag-" Nikolai pushed right by you and into your home. "Or - come inside. That's alright, too - I guess."
He snooped around for a bit, scavenging for hints on what type of person you were. He stumbled upon a collection of photos which included you, another woman, and a rather handsome man. There were quite a few of the man and that caused an unnerving feeling to bubble in Nikolai's stomach. His scowl deepened at the pictures before ripping one off of the corner table and shoving it in your face.
"Who is this?" He demanded with narrowed eyes.
"Ah, that's my friend's boyfriend. This is actually her home. She just wants me to house-sit while she's in Italy for a business deal. It'll be a whole six months so she flew me out here." You explained carefully watching Nikolai's expression as you spoke. His face softened and he retracted the photo from your personal bubble, gazing sheepishly down at the smiling man.
"Why does he care," You thought fiddling with your fingers quietly on the sofa as you watched him stand and roam around the room once more. "Is he always so protective over people he just meets?"
"You're a strange girl." Nikolai thought out loud casting a curious gaze at your seated form. Your jaw dropped and eyes widened at his remark. How rude!
"Wha- e-excuse me," You sputtered standing and stepping towards him while jabbing a finger into his chest. "You're the one who carried me home and stepped into the house despite my protests."
"Because you saved my life." He replied grasping your hand which was jabbing his chest between his two hands. You ripped your hand away with a scowl knitting itself on your brow.
"But you were - you said you didn't," You bit your tongue before something nasty slipped past your lips. After a moment of collecting your composure you flicked your gaze towards the staring man with cold blue eyes. "Do you like hot chocolate?"
Nikolai remained silent as he left your vision and seated himself on the sofa once more, picking up the photos of you and others that your friend had on display. It seemed he preferred to ignore more often than not. A minute or two passed with silence while he studied the numerous photos. His eyes showcased sadness and regret while he wallowed in self-hatred.
"Of course you like hot chocolate. Who doesn't?" By now you were conversing with yourself and just dragged yourself into the kitchen to prepare the cocoa. He seemed rather depressed, not to mention slightly unstable and periodically annoying, so you took it upon yourself to mash as many marshmallows and as much whip cream into the mug as possible. That could make someone with even the coldest of hearts smile and spread joy!
When you reentered the living room, Nikolai was still frozen on the sofa gazing at a photo of you with several other friends. You shoved the mug in front of the picture so he couldn't look at it anymore and stop sulking. He jumped slightly at the sudden action and carefully set the picture down while keeping an eye on the mug completely stocked with nothing but sugar. He hesitantly reached for the steaming confection with a wary gaze as if some sugar monster would attack should he bring it much too close.
You rolled your eyes and sipped on your own warm drink. He glanced at you for a moment as if asking if it was truly safe to consume. He slowly brought the ceramic piece to his lips with great circumspect and sipped. When he pulled it away, there was a noticeable amount of whipped cream along his top lip, although he didn't notice it.
Nikolai's face flushed as he saw you burst out into a fit of laughter when he pulled the cup away. Since she met him he had always been so dark and intimidation, but now he was currently sipping hot cocoa from a mug decorated with kittens and sporting a whipped cream mustache. She attempted to stifle the laughter, but she couldn't help it as she pealed into another fit of giggles.
"Why are you laughing," He demanded with a narrowed eyebrows. You leaned forward and wiped the cream from his upper lip. His face burned with embarrassment as he scrubbed at his face with his wrist to remove anything that may have been left over. He bloomed darker when you licked the whipped cream from your finger. When you realized what you did, you adorned yourself in a lovely tint of pink as well. Does that count as an indirect kiss? You shot a small, embarrassed smile his way before he threw his scowl back on.
His dark exterior aura took over from then on as he sipped the sweet, warm liquid in silence. You sighed as you wondered just how long he planned on staying tonight. You chanced a swift glance and felt your eyes nearly bulge from your head.
"Wow - it sure is late, huh?" You hinted with a shrug. He nodded sinking farther into the plush sofa. Your shoulders fell slack in disappointment as he stayed seated and gave no intention to move any time soon.
"I sure am tired." You yawned to emphasize your point.
"Yes, you seem very sleepy." He responded while you grumbled something into your mug as you finished off your drink. Was he really this dense? Perhaps he required another person for company, but he had to have family who was worrying right now. You decided to try one more time and if he was intent on staying, you'd leave him on the sofa to do as he wished.
"You know, I'm not actually supposed to have guests here." You mused turning the mug in your hand. His eyes flicked upwards and studied your exasperated expression for a moment.
"It's a good thing I'm not a guest." He shrugged as you cast him a fearful gaze.
"N-no? Then what - what are you?" Trepidation crept into you as he glanced around nonchalantly and finished his hot cocoa.
Nikolai was absolutely fascinated by your character and why you acted so kindly towards him. His brother and sister had often dealt with him because he was family and although he tried with all his might to ignore it, he knew they hated him. He was a burden creating nothing but an imposition for them. They've often hinted on this and just recently splayed it blatantly before him.
He never wanted to leave them alone with the mindset that he was there to protect them - to protect his beautiful sister, Anya. She had always acted so kindly towards him and welcomed him with open arms until he began to show an interest in his big sister. Was it so unexpected that he should fall for the first individual who showed even the slightest sliver of respect towards him with a smile, no less? When she had snapped, his perspective shifted in a crashing devastation. She was afraid of him and wanted nothing more than for him to go away - and so did Dmitri. He could see clearly now - more than he ever had in his entire life.
After the incident with his brother and sister, Nikolai fled the scene with a fire burning within him. His entire purpose had vanished - slipped between his fingers and he had run away. After submerging himself within the murky waters of intoxication, he decided to fulfill his family's wish. That was when you sparked the same feeling he had felt with Anya when she opened her arms to comfort the floundering Belorussian.
You cared! He didn't need to know your name to know he wasn't going to let you slip away. No - now he had a new purpose and you weren't going to abandon him like his siblings had and vice versa. If you left him - he'd crumble and meet a demise of eternal solitude.
"A resident." He murmured as his thoughts cleared from his cloudy mind. He wasn't going to return home anytime soon, so it was only natural to find another home especially on such a cold night. Why not with you?
"Ah," Your voice betrayed you as Nikolai stared at you expectantly awaiting a response. "I suppose - for a night. We did walk - well you walked here and carried me."
Nikolai sunk farther into the couch with a slightly satisfied expression, although it barely seeped through his cold, stoic façade. He could sense the uneasiness within your voice coming from the slight fear of him, but you still acted kindly towards him. And to top it all off, you were a stranger who knew nothing of him.
You stood and dragged yourself from the room only to hear heavy footsteps trailing behind you. You turned back to see Nikolai standing merely an arm’s length from your current position. Your face flushed as he continued to step closer.
"You probably just want some clothes, huh?" You quickly stammered bounding towards your friend's, though temporarily your, room, but when Nikolai failed to follow, you stepped out of it and beckoned him to do so.
"She has to have plenty of his stuff here." You reasoned as you dug through her closet in pursuit of clothing that wasn't made for the female body. He seated himself on the soft, lush bed decorated in dozens of superfluous pillows and removed his boots, winter coat, and other outdoor necessities. They were all eventually piled up in a heap of soaking wet fabric upon the floor. You sighed and handed him only a pair of flannel pajama bottoms as you were unable to find a shirt. It seemed he had several thermals on, however, so you didn't worry.
"Change into this while I - wash - these." You lifted the drenched ball of dirty garments when a few knives fell to the floor. You turned to confront Nikolai when - oh. He was shirtless and presently removing his pants.
"Don't change now!" You exclaimed with a flushed face. You tossed one of the pillows at his predominantly bare body when he sported a perplexed expression. He slipped on the pants and sat himself back onto the bed when you released a defeated sigh and slipped from the room ignoring the weapons laying on the floor. He'd take care of them anyway.
After placing Nikolai's belongings into the washer, you prepared the sofa for either you or him to sleep on. You slipped into nightwear and began your trek back to your room where Nikolai had settled himself into the covers and gazed blankly at the ceiling. Deciding it was probably going to stay this cold all night, you retrieved a few extra blankets and placed them at the foot of the bed.
"Well, if you need anything I'll be sleeping on the sofa. Goodnight." You offered striding from the room and flicking the switch. Before you completely exited, two warm arms snaked their way around your waist with an eerie presence. You reached one of your hands back and touched his torso.
Yup. Still shirtless.
"No. You will be staying," He demanded in a soft whisper against your ear. A long stream of blabbering nonsense spewed from your mouth in an attempt to comprehend his actions. "You'll catch a cold on the sofa."
You were much too dizzy to even respond at this point, so Nikolai lifted you into his arms for the second time that day. He gently laid you on the bed and climbed beside you, crushing you to his firm torso and running his fingers through your hair while you remained tensed. And to think he had attempted to whisk you away at first.
"Nikolai Arlofsky." He murmured as you finally relaxed against his body. You turned so that you could look into his face, but were met instead with his pale scar covered chest. You traced a finger along a few of the ugly marks before realizing what you were doing. You jumped and angled your head upwards. He gazed at you expectantly while it seemed he completely ignored your previous action.
"What?" You replied lamely.
"Nikolai Arlofsky. My name." He repeated. Your eyes widened when you remembered how everything that day had unfolded and denied a proper moment to introduce yourself to him. You whispered your name with a quivering voice, but it only became worse when you noticed him frown when you stated your surname. What was that supposed to mean?
His eyes searched your face for something while an unfamiliar expression flashed briefly through his eyes and then - he smiled! Well - through his eyes he did while his mask kept firmly in place, but from the proximity you were, you could see the bright gleam sparkle swiftly through his deep orbs. You quickly spun around and tried to ignore his persistent gaze.
"Thank you - good night." He mumbled just loud enough to understand before the weight of his eyes lifted immediately from the back of your head. His soft snores resonated quietly throughout the room as you forced his grip to lessen slightly. You glanced back to witness his innocent sleeping face void of his constant scowl.
He seemed peaceful and less strange - well, when you ignore the fact he was cuddling a stranger in her bed, that is. You turned to face him and brushed the platinum blonde hair from his eyes before whispering a soft, "Good night."
What a strange day…

Description

Care
(Male! Belarus x Reader)

Nikolai stumbled along the long dirt road which was swamped in an incredulous amount of snow with a nearly empty bottle of vodka swaying loosely from his fingertips. A few cars sped right by him throwing Belarusian curses his way for staggering into their path. He tossed the now empty bottle pathetically missing and shattering in front of one particular car which simply swerved around and avoided the intoxicated nation. The glass shards struck one of the thick rubber tires and quickly void the wheel of air.
The car screeched to a halt and parked on the side of the road while Nikolai continued down the dreary, blizzard ridden road. His blurred vision and the sheer darkness of the night made for a difficult stroll to his desired destination. He was unaware of your rage infused march towards him since you were a considerable distance behind him. You stopped, however, when he approached the railing of the bridge he had dragged himself onto while squeezing his eyes shut.
"This is what you wanted, right? If you won't marry me, at least I can make you happy." He whispered much too softly to reach your ears. A strong gust blew heavily through the opening and lifted your heavy coat slightly. You pressed your folded arms closer to your body as a shiver wracked through your spine. Nikolai embraced the frigid air and tilted his head heavenward with a dreamy expression when he felt his heart pound nervously before he hoisted himself on the edge. His wobbly stature was more than enough to send panic coursing through your veins.
"H-hey!" You managed between chattering teeth. Unfortunately, he couldn't hear your muffled voice hidden by the lush scarf encasing your neck, so you began sprinting towards him. He teetered forward and off the ledge to an impending death by the high roaring waters below in the freezing creek. Surely the sharp rocks below would lead to a quick and painless death, but before he could go too far, he felt himself hooked on something which prevented his fall.
Nikolai's face angled towards the force suspending him from his goal. He noticed you were leaning over the railing and gripping the plush sleeves of his winter coat. He glared daggers deep into your eyes as you struggled to hold him, let alone pull him from the side of the bridge.
"Let go!" He demanded attempting to shake you off. You released a growl and dug your nails harder into the fabric of his coat.
"Stop struggling! I'm trying to help you!" You hissed wedging your foot against the snow covered rail and leaning backwards, slowly but surely raising him.
"Are you deaf or stupid," He exclaimed clutching your forearms attempting to inflict harm so that you would release him. His eyes brimmed slightly with water, but he continued to fight. "Let me go."
Your eyes softened, but your determination burst into a mighty fire as you flattened both your feet against the railing. Your body was bent as you held onto this bizarre boy and carefully hauled him back onto the road. He landed haphazardly on top of you with wide eyes before he scowled and pushed himself off of you.
"You're welcome." You scoffed as he glared at you.
"I didn't ask for you to save me," He snarled stepping towards you and leaning near your face. "I don't need anybody. I knew what I was doing."
"I couldn't just let you throw your life away." You whispered averting your eyes.
"What's it to you? You don't even know me." He snapped with a hidden expression of shock locked away deep within his eyes.
"I know that something must have hurt you so deeply to make you even consider - this," You paused to motion towards the rushing waters of the creek below. "And I'm sorry. I - I just wanted to help."
Nikolai kept his mouth shut after that. Your words struck a chord from deep within his chest. His big sister had hurt him and cut him so deeply with her words of rejection and insults. Anya threw a particularly large fit this time when he accused his big brother Dmitri of trying to take her away. She ripped his heart in two with the cruel words she had tossed at him - even stating it'd be better if he weren't around.
"I'll leave you alone now. Sorry." You mumbled quickly striding away rather embarrassed. Nikolai snapped his focus towards your retreating figure and wondered what made you care for him in particular. His face tinted slightly with the thought of another caring for him. He couldn't just let that slip through his fingers!
Nikolai followed you back towards your car where you noticed the flat tire. There is no way you could make it back to your temporary home in this weather with a vehicle in this condition. You groaned and searched your car desperately for the gloves you subconsciously knew weren't there. You hadn't expected a run in like this and neglected to bring some due to your distaste in driving with gloves. You heavily cursed before stepping from your car to see the handsome Belarusian studying you at a much too close proximity. You shrieked and covered your heart with your right hand in an attempt to slow the racing tempo.
"H-hi. Again." You greeted awkwardly as you shut the car door and swiftly stumbled over a quiet goodbye before stalking off to your temporary place of residency which wasn't too far away.
Nikolai curiously bound after you with expert navigation through the high snow while you stumbled ineptly. He observed you from afar and noticed your hands desperately rubbing against each other to hopefully create warmth from the friction. The sound resonating from the soft crunching when his feet met the fluffy precipitation caused you to look back in worry a wild animal was prowling you for dinner. You were met with the nonchalant and uncaring expression of Nikolai while he stopped and gazed at you expectantly.
"I-Is your h-home this w-w-way, too," Your chattering teeth almost completely destroyed your ability to speak. He blankly stared back at you while you nodded and turned back around. "Alright."
About half way to your house, your foot lodged itself beneath a root buried beneath the thick snow and pulled you down. Fortunately, you caught yourself when you threw your arms in front of yourself before you hit the ground. A hiss protruded from your lips when the frozen ice covered not only your gloveless hands but most of the anterior of your body. After pulling yourself up to rest first on your knees, you brushed the snow from yourself and slowly stood before someone scooped you up into their arms.
With wide eyes, you turned to see Nikolai holding you with your arms wrapped tightly around his neck - probably choking the poor man. When he expressed difficulty breathing, you immediately relinquished such strength in your grip, but kept a hold on him to keep from falling onto the ground once more. A blush crept stealthily across your cheeks when your eyes locked with his steely blue ones beneath his scowl. You weren't sure whether the tremor you experienced was from fear or the cold.
"Where is your home?" He inquired marching up the road with a blank yet somewhat irritated expression. Did he intend to carry you home?!
"I c-can walk you kn-know," You informed with chattering teeth attempting to elude his warm grasp. No wonder he seemed so unbothered by the temperature - he radiated heat almost as well as a fireplace! "If you w-would just-"
"You can't even take four steps without stumbling. You'll catch a cold if you continue to travel at the rate you are." He disagreed bitterly. You sighed and directed him to your home.
By now your fingers were absolutely numb, so you decided to tuck your hands within Nikolai's warm fur collar. He ceased immediately and tensed upon the contact of your ice cold fingers on his warm skin. He released a high squeak and immediately glared at you as you released a giggle. Whether it was from embarrassment or the lovely sound of your laughter, Nikolai felt his cheeks grow warm.
You both arrived on the street you lived within a reasonable amount of time, much to your satisfaction. You tried to pull away from the Belarusian, but he only held you tighter. He didn't release you until he reached the top stair onto your porch. You sighed in relief when you heard the door click after it unlocked, but you hesitated and turned towards your new intimidating acquaintance.
"Thanks for the - well - lift, I suppose. It was nice meeting you and all. Maybe we'll see each other ag-" Nikolai pushed right by you and into your home. "Or - come inside. That's alright, too - I guess."
He snooped around for a bit, scavenging for hints on what type of person you were. He stumbled upon a collection of photos which included you, another woman, and a rather handsome man. There were quite a few of the man and that caused an unnerving feeling to bubble in Nikolai's stomach. His scowl deepened at the pictures before ripping one off of the corner table and shoving it in your face.
"Who is this?" He demanded with narrowed eyes.
"Ah, that's my friend's boyfriend. This is actually her home. She just wants me to house-sit while she's in Italy for a business deal. It'll be a whole six months so she flew me out here." You explained carefully watching Nikolai's expression as you spoke. His face softened and he retracted the photo from your personal bubble, gazing sheepishly down at the smiling man.
"Why does he care," You thought fiddling with your fingers quietly on the sofa as you watched him stand and roam around the room once more. "Is he always so protective over people he just meets?"
"You're a strange girl." Nikolai thought out loud casting a curious gaze at your seated form. Your jaw dropped and eyes widened at his remark. How rude!
"Wha- e-excuse me," You sputtered standing and stepping towards him while jabbing a finger into his chest. "You're the one who carried me home and stepped into the house despite my protests."
"Because you saved my life." He replied grasping your hand which was jabbing his chest between his two hands. You ripped your hand away with a scowl knitting itself on your brow.
"But you were - you said you didn't," You bit your tongue before something nasty slipped past your lips. After a moment of collecting your composure you flicked your gaze towards the staring man with cold blue eyes. "Do you like hot chocolate?"
Nikolai remained silent as he left your vision and seated himself on the sofa once more, picking up the photos of you and others that your friend had on display. It seemed he preferred to ignore more often than not. A minute or two passed with silence while he studied the numerous photos. His eyes showcased sadness and regret while he wallowed in self-hatred.
"Of course you like hot chocolate. Who doesn't?" By now you were conversing with yourself and just dragged yourself into the kitchen to prepare the cocoa. He seemed rather depressed, not to mention slightly unstable and periodically annoying, so you took it upon yourself to mash as many marshmallows and as much whip cream into the mug as possible. That could make someone with even the coldest of hearts smile and spread joy!
When you reentered the living room, Nikolai was still frozen on the sofa gazing at a photo of you with several other friends. You shoved the mug in front of the picture so he couldn't look at it anymore and stop sulking. He jumped slightly at the sudden action and carefully set the picture down while keeping an eye on the mug completely stocked with nothing but sugar. He hesitantly reached for the steaming confection with a wary gaze as if some sugar monster would attack should he bring it much too close.
You rolled your eyes and sipped on your own warm drink. He glanced at you for a moment as if asking if it was truly safe to consume. He slowly brought the ceramic piece to his lips with great circumspect and sipped. When he pulled it away, there was a noticeable amount of whipped cream along his top lip, although he didn't notice it.
Nikolai's face flushed as he saw you burst out into a fit of laughter when he pulled the cup away. Since she met him he had always been so dark and intimidation, but now he was currently sipping hot cocoa from a mug decorated with kittens and sporting a whipped cream mustache. She attempted to stifle the laughter, but she couldn't help it as she pealed into another fit of giggles.
"Why are you laughing," He demanded with a narrowed eyebrows. You leaned forward and wiped the cream from his upper lip. His face burned with embarrassment as he scrubbed at his face with his wrist to remove anything that may have been left over. He bloomed darker when you licked the whipped cream from your finger. When you realized what you did, you adorned yourself in a lovely tint of pink as well. Does that count as an indirect kiss? You shot a small, embarrassed smile his way before he threw his scowl back on.
His dark exterior aura took over from then on as he sipped the sweet, warm liquid in silence. You sighed as you wondered just how long he planned on staying tonight. You chanced a swift glance and felt your eyes nearly bulge from your head.
"Wow - it sure is late, huh?" You hinted with a shrug. He nodded sinking farther into the plush sofa. Your shoulders fell slack in disappointment as he stayed seated and gave no intention to move any time soon.
"I sure am tired." You yawned to emphasize your point.
"Yes, you seem very sleepy." He responded while you grumbled something into your mug as you finished off your drink. Was he really this dense? Perhaps he required another person for company, but he had to have family who was worrying right now. You decided to try one more time and if he was intent on staying, you'd leave him on the sofa to do as he wished.
"You know, I'm not actually supposed to have guests here." You mused turning the mug in your hand. His eyes flicked upwards and studied your exasperated expression for a moment.
"It's a good thing I'm not a guest." He shrugged as you cast him a fearful gaze.
"N-no? Then what - what are you?" Trepidation crept into you as he glanced around nonchalantly and finished his hot cocoa.
Nikolai was absolutely fascinated by your character and why you acted so kindly towards him. His brother and sister had often dealt with him because he was family and although he tried with all his might to ignore it, he knew they hated him. He was a burden creating nothing but an imposition for them. They've often hinted on this and just recently splayed it blatantly before him.
He never wanted to leave them alone with the mindset that he was there to protect them - to protect his beautiful sister, Anya. She had always acted so kindly towards him and welcomed him with open arms until he began to show an interest in his big sister. Was it so unexpected that he should fall for the first individual who showed even the slightest sliver of respect towards him with a smile, no less? When she had snapped, his perspective shifted in a crashing devastation. She was afraid of him and wanted nothing more than for him to go away - and so did Dmitri. He could see clearly now - more than he ever had in his entire life.
After the incident with his brother and sister, Nikolai fled the scene with a fire burning within him. His entire purpose had vanished - slipped between his fingers and he had run away. After submerging himself within the murky waters of intoxication, he decided to fulfill his family's wish. That was when you sparked the same feeling he had felt with Anya when she opened her arms to comfort the floundering Belorussian.
You cared! He didn't need to know your name to know he wasn't going to let you slip away. No - now he had a new purpose and you weren't going to abandon him like his siblings had and vice versa. If you left him - he'd crumble and meet a demise of eternal solitude.
"A resident." He murmured as his thoughts cleared from his cloudy mind. He wasn't going to return home anytime soon, so it was only natural to find another home especially on such a cold night. Why not with you?
"Ah," Your voice betrayed you as Nikolai stared at you expectantly awaiting a response. "I suppose - for a night. We did walk - well you walked here and carried me."
Nikolai sunk farther into the couch with a slightly satisfied expression, although it barely seeped through his cold, stoic façade. He could sense the uneasiness within your voice coming from the slight fear of him, but you still acted kindly towards him. And to top it all off, you were a stranger who knew nothing of him.
You stood and dragged yourself from the room only to hear heavy footsteps trailing behind you. You turned back to see Nikolai standing merely an arm’s length from your current position. Your face flushed as he continued to step closer.
"You probably just want some clothes, huh?" You quickly stammered bounding towards your friend's, though temporarily your, room, but when Nikolai failed to follow, you stepped out of it and beckoned him to do so.
"She has to have plenty of his stuff here." You reasoned as you dug through her closet in pursuit of clothing that wasn't made for the female body. He seated himself on the soft, lush bed decorated in dozens of superfluous pillows and removed his boots, winter coat, and other outdoor necessities. They were all eventually piled up in a heap of soaking wet fabric upon the floor. You sighed and handed him only a pair of flannel pajama bottoms as you were unable to find a shirt. It seemed he had several thermals on, however, so you didn't worry.
"Change into this while I - wash - these." You lifted the drenched ball of dirty garments when a few knives fell to the floor. You turned to confront Nikolai when - oh. He was shirtless and presently removing his pants.
"Don't change now!" You exclaimed with a flushed face. You tossed one of the pillows at his predominantly bare body when he sported a perplexed expression. He slipped on the pants and sat himself back onto the bed when you released a defeated sigh and slipped from the room ignoring the weapons laying on the floor. He'd take care of them anyway.
After placing Nikolai's belongings into the washer, you prepared the sofa for either you or him to sleep on. You slipped into nightwear and began your trek back to your room where Nikolai had settled himself into the covers and gazed blankly at the ceiling. Deciding it was probably going to stay this cold all night, you retrieved a few extra blankets and placed them at the foot of the bed.
"Well, if you need anything I'll be sleeping on the sofa. Goodnight." You offered striding from the room and flicking the switch. Before you completely exited, two warm arms snaked their way around your waist with an eerie presence. You reached one of your hands back and touched his torso.
Yup. Still shirtless.
"No. You will be staying," He demanded in a soft whisper against your ear. A long stream of blabbering nonsense spewed from your mouth in an attempt to comprehend his actions. "You'll catch a cold on the sofa."
You were much too dizzy to even respond at this point, so Nikolai lifted you into his arms for the second time that day. He gently laid you on the bed and climbed beside you, crushing you to his firm torso and running his fingers through your hair while you remained tensed. And to think he had attempted to whisk you away at first.
"Nikolai Arlofsky." He murmured as you finally relaxed against his body. You turned so that you could look into his face, but were met instead with his pale scar covered chest. You traced a finger along a few of the ugly marks before realizing what you were doing. You jumped and angled your head upwards. He gazed at you expectantly while it seemed he completely ignored your previous action.
"What?" You replied lamely.
"Nikolai Arlofsky. My name." He repeated. Your eyes widened when you remembered how everything that day had unfolded and denied a proper moment to introduce yourself to him. You whispered your name with a quivering voice, but it only became worse when you noticed him frown when you stated your surname. What was that supposed to mean?
His eyes searched your face for something while an unfamiliar expression flashed briefly through his eyes and then - he smiled! Well - through his eyes he did while his mask kept firmly in place, but from the proximity you were, you could see the bright gleam sparkle swiftly through his deep orbs. You quickly spun around and tried to ignore his persistent gaze.
"Thank you - good night." He mumbled just loud enough to understand before the weight of his eyes lifted immediately from the back of your head. His soft snores resonated quietly throughout the room as you forced his grip to lessen slightly. You glanced back to witness his innocent sleeping face void of his constant scowl.
He seemed peaceful and less strange - well, when you ignore the fact he was cuddling a stranger in her bed, that is. You turned to face him and brushed the platinum blonde hair from his eyes before whispering a soft, "Good night."
What a strange day…