After Evan left his room, Nik quickly fixed his appearance—straightening his shirt and running his fingers through his hair, trying to look composed. He made his way down to the yard.
Alexei was already there, standing tall and serious beside the sleek helicopter. The machine's blades were still, gleaming faintly under the dim lights.
"Where's Dmitri?" Nik asked, his voice carrying over the faint hum of the engines warming up.
"He's inside," Alexei replied calmly, giving a small tilt of his head toward the open cabin door.
Nik only nodded, pulling himself up into the helicopter.
Inside, he immediately noticed the shift. Dmitri was seated by the window, his posture rigid, his face turned completely away, as if the world outside the glass mattered more than Nik's arrival. He didn't even flinch, didn't even blink at his presence.
The door shut behind them with a metallic thud, and moments later, the helicopter lifted into the air with a low roar. The vibration filled the cabin, but still Dmitri said nothing.
Nik frowned.
Don't tell me he's angry just because I refused to stay in bed, Nik thought, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Dmitri.
With a small sigh, he leaned forward. "Hey," he called gently.
No answer.
"Dmitri." His voice carried a bit louder now, trying to crack the wall of silence.
Still nothing.
Nik's patience thinned. "Come on, say something—"
Finally, Dmitri turned his head. His eyes locked on Nik's with a sharp, pissed-off glare.
"Can you please," Dmitri said, his voice low but edged with steel, "just leave me alone?"
**************
Since they got out of the helicopter, Nik hasn't stopped bombarding Dmitri with questions.
"At least tell me why you're angry instead of just ignoring me" Nik's voice trailed behind him, quiet but persistent.
Dmitri rolled his eyes, sighing as he pushed open the heavy door of the mansion. He didn't want to answer—not now. I need to clear my mind… a shower will—
His thoughts cut off when he felt a gentle tug on his hand. He stopped mid-step and turned sharply, only to see Nik's fingers wrapped around his own. For a moment, he wanted to pull away, to ignore him.
But then—
"Sorry."
The single word made Dmitri freeze. His eyes closing as if bracing himself. Don't give in. Don't let him off so easily, Dmitri thought.
"Can you… please listen to me?" Nik added, his voice softer now, almost pleading.
With a heavy sigh, Dmitri's shoulders slumped slowly, almost reluctantly, he turned to face him.
"I'm sorry for taking the drugs… and for acting like shit with you back in the room " Nik said, his voice tight with guilt.
Dmitri pushed his hair back with his fingers and shook his head.
"That's the problem, Nik. You keep saying sorry, but you never change – you just keep taking them."
Nik pressed his face into his palms, slidding them up and over his head as if trying to push the weight of it all away.
Dmitri let out a slow sigh, the tension easing from his face as he stepped forward and gathered Nik into his arms.
"After all,brothers are meant to be there for each other," Dmitri said softly, tightening his embrace.
Nik melted into the hug, letting himself be held."But Nik, you seriously have to stop taking those drugs," Dmitri said,his voice low but firm.
***************
Drops of water echoed softly against the marble floor. Dmitri leaned back in the warm bath, the heat seeping into his tense muscles. After the conversation with Nik, both quietly retreated to their rooms each heading for a shower to wash off the day's weight.
After some time, Dmitri stepped out of the bathroom, the soft fabric of his bathrobe clinging to him as he rubbed his damp hair with a towel. That's when his eyes landed on a small object glinting on the floor—a USB key. A smirk slowly curved his lips.
"Ah, I'm sure this fell out of my trousers while I was undressing," he murmured to himself, moving forward to pick it up. He held the device carefully, tilting it in the light as if weighing its importance, every detail of it taking his full attention.
Thoughts raced through his mind. Should I show him? he wondered, recalling Nik and Ash. A flash of amusement crossed his face, and he let out a quiet, almost indulgent chuckle. Smiling brightly now, Dmitri tucked the USB key into the cupboard near his bed.
Finally, he sank onto the bed, letting himself fall back against the soft mattress. His eyes traced the ceiling, and he took a long, deliberate breath.
Dmitri sighed, letting the events of the day weigh on him. With all that's happened… I couldn't even see Ash, he thought.
His phone buzzed beside him, breaking the silence. He picked it up and glanced at the caller ID: Evan.
"Dmitri, I just realized I forgot to prescribe Nik's medicine. I'll message them to you," Evan's voice said through the line.
"Okay," Dmitri replied, pausing for a moment before adding, "Thank you for coming."
"You can show me your sincerity by offering me a drink," Evan teased, his tone light. "It's been a while since we've crashed out together."
"Seriously… it's just a month ago we went to the club," Dmitri said, a small smirk tugging at his lips.
Evan chuckled on the other end, the sound drifting through the call. Before Dmitri could respond, a faint noise came from Evan's side, and he added , "I need to hang up...bye"
"Yeah," Dmitri replied, and the call ended.
He set the phone down and leaned back on his pillow, staring at the ceiling. His thoughts drifted inevitably to Ash. The quiet room was filled only with the soft hum of the air conditioning and the steady beat of his own heart, as he wondered when he would get the chance to see him again.
*************
💌 Author's Note 📝
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