Sorry there wasn't an update yesterday – I was gone all day and didn't get a chance to write :/
So I was thinking, this story is getting pretty long, so I might end this one soon and then make a sequel, but the sequel will be more like a Part 2 of Hook, Line and Sinker. What do ye think? Let me know your thoughts :)
And a special surprise!
An Ivan POV! Thanks to Kaity for suggestion! :P
Chapter 37
Ivan POV
He broke my bed.
The bastard broke my bed.
Don't get me wrong, I'm happy my best friend was finally getting some regular action, I just never expected him to break my furniture.
I had made a big deal about it to Dimitri, knowing that he'd feel the slightest bit guilty and get me a new one – a good one too – not like the piece of shit that he broke.
At the moment, I was just driving out of my parking lot in front of my building. Dimitri and Rose were gone to the furniture store to pick out a new (and hopefully expensive, but I had a feeling Dimitri knew just how much the original cost and would probably not spend much more than that) bed.
Dimitri had offered to go on his own, but Rose had insisted on going with him, insisting that it had "been her fault too."
I knew that wasn't the only reason though. Olena Belikov, his mother, had rang me last week and asked me to help her organise a small surprise birthday for her Dimka. I agreed, so I was automatically put in charge of booze – not a problem, and distracting Dimitri – a task which Rose was currently taking care of.
I left my neighbourhood to drive to Dimitri's family's house, but had to make a quick stop on the way. Rose had told me what she was getting him, but she couldn't pick it up when she was with him, for obvious reasons. So I was picking it up for her.
I pulled into the curb and quickly ran inside the store. I gave the guy at the counter Rose's name and he gave me the present.
Rushing back to my car, I drove fast across town; I had already slept in late and was supposed to be at the Belikov's an hour ago to help set up.
When I arrived, I parked my car around the car so that Dimitri wouldn't see it when they pulled up. Rose had told me that she was going to tell him that Abe had asked her to give something to Viktoria, Dimitri's little sis, who was starting work with them next month. It was a pretty believable lie, and I had no doubt that Dimitri's 'Roza' would pull it off – that girl was something special, I tell ya.
I grabbed the case of beer that was in my back seat and walked as quickly as I could with the load down the street and to the front door. I had only brought a case as they told me it was only a small gathering, rather than I party.
I could turn any 'gathering' into a real party. I would probably end up drinking most of the beer I brought anyway. I knew for a fact that Olena didn't drink, nor did Dimitri's old, and quite frankly, scary grandmother. Karolina wasn't drinking at the moment because she had only recently had Zoya four months ago and Vika wasn't of age just yet…not that that stopped her before…which I had nothing to do with. Sonya was more careful, and if she did drink, it would only be a glass of wine, so that left me, Dimitri and Rose, and Rose was obviously out of the picture…so I guess it was up to me and my bud again.
"Ivan, there you are!" Karolina said, after opening the door. "You need a hand with that?" She asked, gesturing to the beer.
"No that's ok, I got it." I answered…it was starting to get a little heavy actually.
"You can leave it in the dining area, that's where all the food is going to be." She said. Just then, Zoya starting crying somewhere upstairs.
"Oh god, she's awake again…all this commotion has got her worked up." She mumbled, more to herself than to me.
I made my way through the house, which was currently getting decorated by Sonya and a very grumpy looking Viktoria.
"Working hard, Vik?" I teased as I passed by where she stood on a small step ladder, hanging up streamers and a 'Happy Birthday' sign.
"Shut it Zeklos." She growled back. Grumpy indeed. I chuckled.
I set the beers down and walked into the kitchen, where Olena was currently rushing around the place like it was the busiest restaurant in town.
"Ivan, how lovely to see you." She said sweetly, patting my cheek and sending a shower of flour down onto my shirt.
I laughed inwardly. There wasn't one time where I had come to the Belikov's
house and Olena Belikov wasn't in the kitchen.
"Need a hand?" I asked her.
"Could you just carry these dishes out and leave them on the table in the
dining room." She asked me in a rush, already busying herself with
something else.
"Sure, no problem." I carried the dishes out and put them where she had instructed, before returning to Viktoria to piss her off some more.
"Ivan what the hell happened your face?" She demanded, more than likely talking about the flour-hand print on my left cheek. "You can hardly expect us to let you look like that when they arrive?"
"Sir, no, sir!" I said, making a mock salute and earning myself a glare from the current she-devil herself.
I walked to the bathroom and splashed my face with water and then patted my shirt, getting the most part of the flour out.
I took my time returning to the scene, deciding I might live a little longer if I wasn't in the thick of the Belikov commotion.
Just as I was walking back into the room and Viktoria was climbing down from the step ladder, we heard a car pull up outside.
"They're early!" Viktoria yelled, causing Olena to come rushing out of the kitchen.
"What?!" She said, looking panicked. "Karo, Sonya, Paul get down here! They've arrived!"
Karolina returned with Paul by her side and a sniffling Zoya in her eyes. Yeva had remained upstairs. I had long since learned not to bother, or even talk to the woman, unless she initiated it first.
We gathered in the hallway by the front door and Sonya switched off the lights, causing Paul to squeal in excitement.
"Sshh!" Viktoria whispered to him. He immediately quietened but was still visibly shaking with excitement.
The door knob turned and in walked the dark silhouettes of two people. As soon as they were in the door, Sonya switched the lights back on.
"SURPRISE!" Everyone yelled.
Dimitri looked convincingly surprised. I could see through his façade though. He knew.
I really should have known he's figure it out; it was hard to keep anything from Dimitri after all.
Dimitri POV
I was pretty sure I knew what to expect when I was turning the doorway to my mother's house. Everyone had been a bit obvious. Roza had tried hard, I knew that, but I also had figured out halfway during the day that someone must have told her it was my birthday as she kept asking me to bring her places and trying to distract me.
I swung the door open and walked inside, Roza by my side.
"SURPRISE!" The lights turned on, and my family and Ivan were all there, grinning broadly at me. I pretended to be surprise for my mother's and Paul's benefit. I could see the kid was fit to burst.
I turned to look at my Roza who was grinning brightly at me.
She was so beautiful when she smiled.
I picked her up and kissed her nose, before setting her down and hugging her tightly.
"You knew, didn't you?" She whispered quietly so only I could hear.
I chuckled. "Maybe," I whispered back.
"I knew it." She pulled back from the hug and discreetly stuck her tongue out at me. I chucked again at her and then turned to my family, hugging and thanking them.
Ivan POV
While Dimitri was thanking his mother and other family members, I walked over to Rose and discreetly slipped Dimitri's present into her pocket.
"Thank you"! She grinned at me. Truthfully, I could see what had attracted Dimitri to her in the first place. She was outgoing, funny and on the hotness scale, definitely more than 10. Everything I wanted for my best friend.
Dimitri POV
I had a wonderful evening, celebrating my twenty-seventh birthday with my family and friends – the people I loved most in the world. Even Yeva had appeared for a short while to wish me a happy birthday. Ivan had told me he brought beer but I stayed away from it. I decided I wanted to actually remember my birthday this year.
When we arrived back at Ivan's apartment, Roza went to her bedroom and I half-helped, half-dragged Ivan into his.
I'm pretty sure he drank a full case of beer by himself. Not that he wasn't used to it.
I shut the bedroom door behind me, seeing my Roza already snuggled in under the covers.
"Have a good evening?" She asked me as I stripped down to my boxers and climbed in next to her.
"Amazing. Best birthday ever." I replied and kissed her temple. She moved her lips to mine and they moulded together.
After a couple of minutes of passionate kissing she pulled away.
"You want your present?" She grinned at me.
"Roza, you didn't hav-" I started, only to be cut off.
"Yeah, well,I did. Do you want it or not?"
I chucked softly at her impatience. "Sure."
She reached over into the drawer of the bedside table and pulled out a rectangular box. I admit, my curiosity spiked a little. She handed it to me with a sweet smile.
I took it from her and opened the small lid.
There, sitting on velvet cushion, was a key.
"It's a key for my apartment, Dimitri. I want you to move in with me." She smiled sweetly at me again. Within a few seconds after she had spoken, her smile dropped and apprehension filled her facial features.
"I mean, only if you want to of course, if you don't, then I'll just-" I cut off her rambling with a passionate kiss.
"I love you Roza, and I would love to move in with you." I grinned brightly at her and saw her face light up. She kissed me back.
She pulled back again and pushed me onto my back so that she could straddle my waist.
"You want the rest of your present?" She gave me her man-eater smile, making me harden instantly.
She grinned at me again and we christened Ivan's new bed.
Happy? Not? Let me know! :P