From Russia With Love

Dominika bounded up the staircase of the Way manor happily, her bag bouncing against her back as she went. The house was quiet and empty around her and she assumed Donald had returned to work. As she passed Donna’s home office, she noticed the door was closed, and she knew Donna was behind it, working away. Gerard’s mother was usually in and out of the house all day every day, but since he’d returned she’d put most of her projects on hold and spent the days at home instead, taking time out to work when she could.

The door to Gerard’s room was slightly ajar, and she knocked on the solid frame lightly before poking her head around the door. He turned to face the door at the sound, seated in his wheelchair in front of the wide bay window, the bare trees thrashing about in the chilly wind outside.

“Hey” he said softly, a warm smile spreading over his face as he looked her up and down, taking in the rumpled track suit she wore. “Are you wearing sweats?”

She looked down at her clothes and back to him quizzically.

“I guess, this is the first thing I could find this morning, I was in a rush…”

“Hey I wasn’t complaining” he interrupted, smirking “I’ve just never seen you in pants. Only you could look that good in sweats, kid”

Dominika shook her head, laughing before she walked over to him and knelt down beside the chair, kissing his cheek. His hand shot up to the side of her face suddenly and pulled her in closer for a moment, his lips moving to linger on hers.

“Feeling better?” she said softly, her large blue eyes flicking up to meet his, emerald green in contrast.

“Yes” Gerard murmured softly, brushing his large white hand over her cheek and into her hair. She closed her eyes and sighed appreciatively as his lips moved to the edge of her jaw, migrating along to the base of her neck. Dominika pulled back and looked at him for a long moment, the longing she found burning in his eyes whipping the butterflies in her stomach into a frenzy.

“You’re hurt” she breathed “I’ll give you a heart attack, remember?”

Gerard’s face tugged up into a sly smile and he pushed the hair out of his face, just starting to grow out long enough now that it reminded Dominika of a younger version of him, when their lives had been care-free, viewed through the rose-colored glasses of childhood. Everything was so different now, and she wondered for a brief moment if things would have ended up this way if there had been no invasion, no war. But before she could even consider it, she knew the answer was yes. Somehow, it was always meant to be this way, and she wouldn’t have changed it for anything. It was late in the afternoon, the sky turning to shades of orange and pink when Gerard and Dominika were alone in the bathroom. She bustled about the room busily as she gathered her materials, Gerard watching her with amusement.

“Are you a nurse or a dancer?” he leered. She turned to shoot him a scornful glance and went back to her work, filling a large plastic tub in the basin of the marbled vanity.

“Do you need help taking your pants off?” she asked, meeting his eyes in the mirror. Gerard was seated in a plastic chair specially designed for the purpose of assisted bathing. Dominika was doing her best to act nonchalant and professional but she knew he wasn’t falling for it, her nervous demeanor easily betraying her. She added a little bubble bath to the water and tested it with her hand before dropping a white washcloth into it, the material quickly absorbing the soapy water and sinking beneath the foam of bubbles on the surface.

“Whoa there, baby, aren’t we going a little fast here? I mean I haven’t even bought you dinner yet” he joked. Dominika rolled her eyes.

“I’ll take that as a no. I’m going to step out for a second and give you some privacy. And for the love of God keep your boxers on, I don’t want any rude surprises”

“Yeah, yeah, kid” he chuckled, waving her off as she left the room, closing the door quietly behind her.

In the coolness of the hallway, Dominika pressed her back against the wall and closed her eyes, trying to refocus her thoughts. How was it he got her so flustered with things that shouldn’t have affected her? Sure, he was handsome, and flirtatious, and now her boyfriend, but they were supposed to be taking it slow during his recovery, and she was supposed to be his carer. A tiny voice in the back of her head reminded her that he wouldn’t be here with her in America forever. Someday, and she wasn’t sure whether it would be in weeks or months, but someday he’d be deemed well enough and shipped back off to her homeland without her, and she wouldn’t have a clue as to when she would see him again.

When Dominika returned to the bathroom, Gerard was still seated in the chair, but this time wearing nothing but a pair of black cotton boxes, his skin appearing even paler in contrast to the dark material. Dominika’s cheeks burned furiously and she struggled to hide her face behind her long corn silk hair as she stalked over to the vanity. Her eyes flicked up to see Gerard watching her in the mirror as she wrung out the cloth.

“Domi” he said softly. She ignored him, expecting more joshing, and instead pressed the damp cloth gently against his shoulder, working downwards to his muscled forearm.

“Domi” he repeated. She stopped and met his gaze, balling the cloth in her hand.

“You know I’m just teasing, right? We can go as fast or as slow with all that stuff as you want. I just like making you blush”

Internally she melted, how was it he could be so sweet but so irresistible at the same time? Externally she composed herself but instead gripped his hand with her free one, drawing it to her lips to kiss.

“I know” she said.

And with that there was nothing but comfortable silence as Dominika continued her task, Gerard falling deeper, and deeper in love with her as each moment passed.

Notes