Chapter 2

Thank you so much for the reviews. They made my day! As promised, here is chapter two.


Sasha woke up to the delicious aroma of bacon. Already his mouth started to water from the imaginary smell. He couldn't figure out why he was smelling bacon until he was awoken from his delusional state by a loud clang!

He shot up in bed to see what had made the sound, his eyes wide in shock. Standing there before him with a sheepish smile on her face stood his star gymnast, Payson Keeler, with a pan in her hand and bacon scattered around her feet.

She looked down at the bacon on the ground. "So much for surprising you…" she said as she bent over to pick up the fallen bacon and tossed them in his trashcan. She stood back up and placed the pan back on the stove before looking intensely at the side of her hand.

"You alright?" he asked, a hint of concern in his voice. She nodded her head and started running her hand under the sink faucet. He rolled his eyes, knowing very well that Payson would never tell him how much pain she was really in.

He climbed out of bed and walked over to where she stood. He could smell her shampoo by just standing next to her, a unique mixture of vanilla and mint that was very familiar to him.

Sasha reached out his hand and gently placed it under hers in the cool water. He pulled it out from underneath the water and saw her wince. It was clear to him that it was a second degree burn about an inch long. "Keep it under the water, Pay," he said, calling her his affectionate nickname for her. "I'm going get some gauze for that burn."

Payson shook her head but continued holding her hand under the water. "I don't need any gauze, Sasha. I'm fine, really. It's just a little burn," she said, trying to make it less of a big deal than it already was. Sasha could tell that she was embarrassed just by looking at her flushed cheeks and the way that she wouldn't make eye contact with him.

"Payson," he said slowly but full of authority. It was his very own coaching voice and it made her look him in the eyes in compliance. "It's a second-degree burn. You need to have it wrapped up to make sure that it doesn't get infected. You can't afford anything happening to your hand," he told her and her expression softened as she understood that he was right.

He went into his medicine cabinet and found some gauze, tape, and ibuprofen for her. He then walked over to his closet and pulled on a black t-shirt, knowing that it wouldn't be very professional for him to be around her for such a long time without a shirt on.

He walked back over to the stove to see that she had also made eggs and took bread out for what he presumed would be for toast. He turned the stove off and directed his attention back to her.

"So, what's with the unexpected treat this morning?" he asked, eying the food. It wasn't unusual for them to eat together now. She started cooking for him frequently last year after she found out about his poor eating habits. He wasn't used to her coming before he was awake though.

She shrugged, "No reason, really. I guess I just didn't want to be alone the morning of my birthday…" she trailed off and Sasha mentally smacked himself. That should have been the first thing he said to her upon seeing her.

"Happy Birthday, Payson," he said, a small smile on his face as he softly gazed upon her. She looked up at him with a loving smile on her face and pulled her hand out of the water. Before he knew what was happening, she wrapped him in a large hug which he returned before she quickly let go and stuck her hand back under the water. Sasha could feel the dampness of his shirt where her hand was just a second ago.

Although Sasha secretly wished that the hug had lasted longer, he had a feeling that Payson was afraid of initiating any physical contact that was anything but friendly. He figured that she thought she had stepped over the line once and didn't want to risk doing it again. Despite this, she didn't mind when he touched her in any way. Not that he was ever unprofessional with her. He was known to squeeze her shoulder and hug her after she gave an amazing performance, which often meant a lot of hugs. The media thought they were seeing a softer side to Coach Belov when really, he just cared about Payson more than anyone else in the world and couldn't help but want to embrace her.

He could only remember one time when he actually gave into his desire to hold her. It was the same night she won at Worlds…


Sasha couldn't remember the last time he was so ecstatic. He couldn't believe how beautifully and perfectly Payson had preformed. She never ceased to amaze him. The judges clearly noticed it too as they awarded her All-Around gold. He was so proud of her. So undeniably proud.

After a hectic day filled with interviews and being hounded by reporters, they had finally gone back to their hotel where they were assured a quiet reminder of the night with no media. They could finally relax and take time to reflect on the day.

After telling Payson once more how he couldn't be more proud of her, even though he assumed that she was probably tired of hearing it at that point, they went their separate ways for the night.

Sasha went back to his hotel room and pulled the key out from his pocket. He entered the dark room and turned the lights on. His room was very large with a king sized bed covered in comfortable looking tan blankets and pillows that matched nicely with the carpet of a lighter shade. His dresser was pressed up against the cream walls and had a huge mirror hanging above it. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and saw that he looked tired but his eyes were alive with excitement.

Sasha walked into his large bathroom entirely composed of white marble and turned the shower on. He quickly stripped off his clothes and stepped into the hot water. It was so hot that it almost burned his skin, but it was just what he needed to relax his muscles.

He couldn't get her routines out her of his mind. He went over every flip, twist, vault, cartwheel, and dismount until he could see her doing it right in front of him again. Even in his mind, he was amazed by what he saw. Payson was the gymnast he always dreamed about coaching. She was his pride and everything he ever wanted…

He shook his head, trying not to think about her that way. He was her coach and she was his gymnast. No matter what, he had to restrain himself for her sake…at least until the Olympics were over.

Sasha quickly finished washing his hair and body. He stepped out of the shower and dried off with a towel. He wrapped the towel around his waist and went back into his bedroom.

He walked over to where he left his suitcase at the foot of his bed and took out some boxers and dark red pajama pants which he pulled on. Sasha then climbed into bed and turned the lights out.

After three hours of doing nothing but laying in bed, Sasha Belov came to the conclusion that he probably wouldn't be able to get any sleep tonight.

He got out of bed, walked over to the large windows of his room, and pulled the heavy curtains open. The brilliant lights of Tokyo cast shadows throughout his room. Sasha stood in front of his window for a moment, admiring the view, when there was a knock on his door followed by his cell phone vibrating over on his bedside table.

He walked over and grabbed the phone, flipping it open to see a message illuminated in white text.

I can't sleep.

Sasha tossed the phone on his bed and walked over to the door to answer it. He twisted the knob and pulled it open to see Payson standing there in front of him in purple pajama pants with a matching purple tank top. He gulped slightly as he couldn't help but notice that she wasn't wearing a bra under the thin material of her top. Her long blond hair was down and wavy, cascading over her exposed shoulders.

He motioned for her to come in and shut the door behind her. He turned around to see her standing in the middle of his room with the lights of Tokyo behind her. The image of her standing there, staring back at him with absolutely no expression on her face, and the city lights behind her would forever be engraved in his memory.

"Payson…what's wrong?" he asked, moving closer to her. Payson shook her head and smiled at him.

"Nothing is wrong. Everything is perfect. I just won All-Around at Worlds. It's just…I can't believe that this is actually happening," she admitted, disbelief written all over her face. "I feel like if I go to sleep, I'll wake up and it'll all be over," she told him, and Sasha saw a single tear roll down her cheek. He took a few steps forward until their bodies were only a few inches apart. He could feel her warm breath on his chest. He reached up, cupped the side of her face in his hand, and slowly brushed her tear away with his thumb.

"It's okay, Payson. It's only natural to feel that way. What you have achieved today is something you've been dreaming about your whole life. It'll even be more surreal when you win the Olympics. It's going to be alright. We're going to get through this together, just like we always have," he promised her and looked her straight in her beautiful eyes.

They gazed at each other for a moment, the sexual tension between them escalating by the second. He wrapped his arms around her and held her as close as he possibly could. He deeply inhaled and breathed in the comforting sent of her shampoo.

Sasha felt her wrap her arms around him and rest her head against his chest. He tried to ignore the feeling of her breast pressed against him but couldn't help but take notice.

He didn't know how long they remained holding each other in the dark. He held onto her like life depended on it and she dug her nails into his skin, desperately wanting to be even closer . He wasn't sure when he picked her up and carried her to the couch. He had no idea when he fell asleep with her wrapped tightly and securely in his arms. All he knew was that he didn't want it to end.


Sasha was brought back to reality as Payson let out a small sigh. He looked over at her holding her hand under the water, clearly starting to get bored. He chuckled and she shot him a glare.

"I'm glad you're amused by this," she said and flicked some water at him.

He laughed at her and wiped the water off of his face. "It pains me that you're hurt. It was just greatly amusing to see such a bored expression on your face. You wore the same look when Summer gave her infamous abstinence speech."

Payson shook her head in shame as she recalled the event. "It was pretty bad," she said with a light laugh that warmed Sasha's heart. "I don't remember half of it. All I remember was how awkward everyone felt. I think it should be up to the person to decide when to have sex. They should have it when they feel it's right," she said as she took her hand out of the water and turned the faucet off.

Sasha took her hand and sat down on his sofa with her. He gently dried her hand off with a towel and was extra careful to avoid the burn. He looked up at Payson and saw that she looked completely relaxed and not afraid of him hurting her. He was so used to bandaging her up at this point that it no longer phased her.

He wrapped the gauze loosely around her hand but tightly enough that it wouldn't fall off. He secured it with some tape and went over to the sink to get her a glass of water so she could take the medicine.

"That's what I think as well. I wish I had waited till I was ready but I was young and a bit of a rebel-"

"A bit?" Payson cut in, a mocking smile on her face. Sasha handed her a glass of water and the ibuprofen.

"Shut it and drink your water," he said with a small laugh. "But anyway, sex aside, you don't have to worry about it since you won't be having any until after the Olympics."

Payson made a choking sound on her water as she laughed at him. He couldn't figure out what was exactly so funny, as he was being serious. He wasn't about to let his start athlete go around having intimate relationships with other men. "Other men, Sasha?" What do you mean by, "Other men?" Does that mean it would be okay if she had one with you? No, of course it wouldn't be. Although, he couldn't imagine the thought of Payson with anyone else…

"You've got to be kidding me, Sasha. You should know very well that you're the only man I'm ever really around aside from the guys at the gym, and with the no dating rule, you don't have to worry about that," Payson told him as she took another sip of water, finishing the glass entirely.

"No one really follows that rule, do they now?"

Payson shook her head. "No, not really," she admitted with a small smile. "Doesn't really matter to me though. I'm not into any of the boys who train there anyway," she said and a small feeling of relief swept through Sasha at hearing that from her.

Payson stood up and walked over to the stove. She pulled out two plates, silverware, and glasses for them from the cupboard and set them on his counter.

"Should we eat outside? It's really nice out," she suggested, nodding to the window. Sasha looked outside to see that it was gorgeous out. It was sunny without a cloud in the sky and a slight breeze played with the leaves of the trees surrounding The Rock.

"Yeah, that's a good idea. Let me get those," Sasha said to her, stacking the table settings on top of one another, and carried them outside to the very table he wrote his letters to her just last night.

He set the table and Payson came out a second later with toast and butter that she must of brought with her. Sasha ran back in and grabbed the pan that contained the eggs. They were thankfully kept warm by staying on the stove. He spooned half of the eggs on his plate and half on hers before putting the pan back on the stove. He took the carton of orange juice she brought and shook it up as he went back outside to see Payson sitting at the table waiting for him.

"How did you burn yourself, exactly?" he asked as he sat beside her and filled her glass with orange juice.

"Well…I taking the bacon off the burner and I lost my grip on the pan. As I tried to catch it, I grazed my hand against the burner," she explained, looking at her wrapped hand. "Thanks for taking care of it for me."

Sasha nodded and took a bite of his egg. "Of course," he said after he finished chewing. "These are delicious," he told her and took another bite. "I always love your cooking. Oh, and why were you going to be all alone this morning? I know your mother has a conference with other gym managers in the state, but where's Becca and your dad?"

Payson took a bite into her toast. "Becca slept over at one of her friend's house and my father wasn't able to come today because of a meeting he has but is coming on Wednesday," she explained after she finished chewing. Sasha nodded in understanding and continued with his meal.

They sat together and ate in a comfortable silence after that. They didn't have to worry about people showing up since it was a Sunday and The Rock was closed except for Payson who would often force Sasha to let her practice.

It didn't take them long to finish the delicious meal. Sasha was extremely satisfied after having such a good breakfast. He quickly gathered their plates and brought them back into the trailer. He dropped them off in the skin to wash later.

Sasha felt a tap on his shoulder and he turned around to see Payson standing behind him with a mischievous smile on her face.

Sasha raised an eyebrow at her. "What is it?" he asked, not exactly sure what she was up to.

"Am I going to be allowed to train today?"

"No," Sasha answered bluntly and Payson laughed, knowing fully well that that would be his answer.

"I had a feeling," she said with a smile. "I've got to get going. I'm going shopping for an outfit with the girls for when they take me out to dinner tonight."

"What time are you going?"

"We'll be leaving at eight. Why do you ask?" she asked him, eying him curiously.

"No reason in particular. Just curious," he said with a shrug, but he could tell that she didn't completely believe him. "Thanks for breakfast this morning. Have fun with the girls," he told her and took a step closer to her. He wrapped his arms around her in a friendly hug which she returned. "Happy Birthday, Payson," he said before letting go. "I expect to see you bright and early on Monday. It's only your birthday once a year, then it's back to training," he said with a teasing smile.

"I wouldn't dream of anything else, Belov," Payson mocked as she left his trailer. She waved to him when she got to her car and drove off, expecting to see him tomorrow morning. What she didn't know is that Sasha planned to see her quite a few hours sooner.


Val's End Note: I decided to stay in Sasha's POV because I felt that it would be better to stay in his head for a bit longer since it would of make more sense for it to be from his perspective.

This chapter went really well for me, actually. I had planned most of it while I was eating lunch today and cleaning my dorm room. Although a lot of it did come to me as I wrote and once I started I couldn't stop. Their little sex conversation was totally spur of the moment, as was the flashback. No idea where either came from, but it amused me. Also, there will probably be errors galore! Especially with this being so long. I tired to be more careful while I was writing it but sometimes my hands don't like to do what my brain tells them to.

Reviews are appreciated as always!