A/N: Thank you to everyone who has read this! I just wanted to let readers know, this chapter was originally like 8k plus words long so I decided to break it up some. Also the next chapter will more than likely change the rating to mature and I have never done that on here before so I hope it doesn't get deleted lol if so, I do cross post on AO3 under the same name and title! I hope everyone enjoys!
After Christine managed to get at least a little cleaned up, she came out of the bathroom, joining the others in the living area.
"It's about damn time," Jim said to her as he walked by to use the restroom.
"I don't want to hear it," she said with an attitude towards him. "You should spend some time in there to clean up as well, nasty." He only glared at her as she turned away from him as he shut the door. She saw Joyce sitting on one of the couches, across from Murray, Alexei sitting at the head of the coffee table between everyone. But once Christine joined them, Joyce stood saying she was going to call and check on the boys.
Christine came over and sat on the couch next to Murray, knowing that when Jim and Joyce came back they would sit together, both wanting to talk to Alexei about what was happening.
"Спросите ее, все ли с ней в порядке," Alexei said to Murray. Murray huffed, but turned to Christine anyway.
"He wants to know if you are alright," he said, annoyed.
"He's the one handcuffed, shouldn't I be the one asking him that?" she chuckled. Once again, Murray sighed.
"Она говорит, это ты в наручниках, ты в порядке?" he says. Alexei turned to her, a smile on his face as he nodded his head.
"Actually, I am a nurse, can you ask him if I can look at his wrist?" she asked Murray and shifted in her seat.
"One couple in denial under my roof is enough, I don't need another," Murray said.
"We aren't a couple," she said, standing and making Murray switch seats with her.
"Oh, please, I can read people like a book," Murray huffed but gave in anyways, "Она медсестра, она хотела бы посмотреть на ваши запястья. Убедитесь, что они в порядке."
"Was that so hard?" she asked as she sat in between Murray and Alexei. Murray's only answer was a roll of his eyes as he waved his hand at her. She giggled at him before turning to Alexei who had scooted to the end of his chair. He held out his hands to her as she gently took hold of them. His hands were warm in hers, slightly calloused as she ran her fingers over his palms. He had a few scrapes and scratches but nothing serious. She was more worried if her brother had put the cuffs on too tight, but thankfully they were loose enough she was able to move them around slightly. She ran her thumb over a spot on one of his wrists that looked like it was going to bruise.
"Спасибо," Alexei said quietly. Looking up at his face, Christine hadn't realized how close they were leaning towards each other, "за то, что ты хороший." She stared at him for a moment, lost in her own thoughts, forgetting about how she still held his hands in hers.
"He said thank you," Murray interrupted, "For being nice." But before she could even respond, Jim came out of the bathroom.
"Hey!" he yelled across the room, "Tell Smirnoff here that my sister is off limits." That seemed to ruin whatever moment Christine and Alexei seemed to be having as she let go of his hands and sat back into the couch she was sitting on. Alexei did the same, sitting back in his chair.
"Обезьяна говорит, что с его сестрой нельзя флиртовать," Murray relayed.
"I am an adult Jim," Christine argued. However, Jim only mocked her as he sat opposite her.
"Also, tell him that we need that information, everything he knows about what is going on," Jim said to Murray. Murray once again rolled his eyes, already fed up with having to do this for them.
"Он говорит, что ему нужна информация о том, что вы делаете," Murray says. However, Alexei looks over at Jim.
"Я не буду говорить, пока не получу кое-что," he says with a smirk on his face. Christine looks from Alexei to Jim, wondering what he said.
"He says he has a few demands," Murray says. The look on Jim's face would have made Christine laugh if it had been under different circumstances.
"And what could those possibly be?" Jim asked quietly but Christine knew his blood was absolutely boiling.
"Он хочет знать, чего ты хочешь," Murray says turning to Alexei now as he grinned.
"Бургер Кинг. Два воппера, дополнительный кетчуп, крупная картошка. Пачка Marlboro Reds и большой Slurpee," he said with a glance to Christine before turning to Jim.
"Let me make you a list," Murray said with a sarcastic smile as he grabbed a pen and paper.
…
Once Jim was finally convinced to go get what Alexei wanted Joyce offered to go with him to make it a little easier. He reluctantly agreed to let her go as long as Alexei promised to give the information that we needed. Which he agreed to do as long as he got what he wanted.
"Just go, it will be okay, I'll keep an eye on him," Christine told Jim as he was walking out the door.
"That's what worries me," he said.
"Look, I know you are just the concerned big brother but it will be okay. I was only making sure you didn't cut off circulation to his hands," she told him.
"I'll cut off circulation to his brain if he tries something," Jim said as he turned to walk away.
"Goodbye!" Christine yelled as she shut the door, heading back to join Murray and Alexei. Walking into the living area she saw Alexei flipping through the TV stations. Murray had left to go to the bathroom. She took her spot back on the couch, sitting to Alexei's left. He glanced up at her as she came into his view, but quickly turned back to the TV when she glanced back at him.
"Wait, go back," she said as he passed an old Woody Woodpecker episode. She had seen it a million times but it was something she always loved watching when she needed a good laugh.
"Что?" he said as he stopped, holding up his hands in defense.
"Go back," she said, turning to look at him then remembered he had no idea what she was saying. "Give," she said as she held out her hand, waiting for him to place the remote in it. But he still had no idea what she wanted. She reached out, trying to grasp the remote but from her seat on the couch she couldn't reach. "Give, that," she said, pointing at the remote this time. Luckily, now it seemed to click what she was asking for and placed the remote in her hand.
She quietly thanked him and pushed the back button until she found the channel she was looking for. She turned and looked at him as he stared at the screen.
"Woody Woodpecker," she said with a smile.
"Вуди Вудпекер," he said slowly. It was hard to understand but if she listened close she could tell what he was saying. She quickly nodded her head, getting comfortable as she stretched her legs out on the couch, leaning on the arm rest. Alexei seemed to follow her lead, leaning back in his chair and propping his legs up on the table.
For the most part, Murray seemed to leave them alone, saying he was working on his security. Christine could only roll her eyes at him but then again, there was a Russian Scientist currently sitting in the middle of his living room. However, that same threatening Russian was laughing with her at an old episode of a cartoon. How evil could he really be?
She had been about to fall asleep when suddenly the door opened, Jim yelling that he was back. Everyone filed back into the living room again, Murray and Christine to Alexei's left, Joyce and Jim on his right.
"Okay, two whoppers, extra ketchup, large fry," Jim said as he dropped everything on the table. However, Alexei seemed to ignore him for the most part, just watching the TV. Christine couldn't help but laugh at his blatant defiance. "Pack of Marlboro Reds and one extra-large Slurpee." That however seemed to get his attention as he moved his feet off the table and sat up.
"You didn't get me chicken nuggets?" Christine asked, looking in the bag to see if he forgot them.
"No," he said, shaking his head. However, her annoyance was short-lived when there was suddenly a Whopper handed to her. She looked over at Alexei as he offered his fries to her as well. Christine gladly accepted a few, glaring at Jim the whole time as she opened the burger and took a bite.
"Anyway," Jim said, his blood pressure already rising, "Let's try this again, Joyce."
"Alexei," she said calmly, getting his attention away from the TV, "Those generators, what are they powering?"
"And tell him that we know it's not the Starcourt mall, so he can stop selling us that crap," Jim said, harshly as he took a bite of his burger.
"Те генераторы, над которыми вы работали, что вы питаете?" Murray asked. "Мы знаем, что это не торговый центр." However, before Murray was even able to finish what he was saying, Alexei spit out his Slurpee. Christine gasped, jumping back in her seat so she didn't get sprayed with Slurpee.
"На вкус как дерьмовая клубника," he said as he wiped his mouth off. Christine was too shocked to say anything, holding back laughing at the look on her brother's face.
"What did he say?" Jim asked, surprisingly calm.
"It's strawberry," Murray says, shrugging his shoulders.
"I'm sorry?" Jim asked, somehow seeming even more shocked than before. Christine couldn't think of the last time she had seen Jim react with such a calm demeanor. And it honestly scared her for what was about to come.
"The Slurpee," Murray said, pointing at the table with a smile on his face. Christine was momentarily pulled from the moment when she felt something on her leg. She looked down, Alexei wiping off her knee that got caught in the spray. He looked up at her apologetically, cleaning her knee off.
"So, what?" Jim asked, his brain still processing how any of it is relevant.
"He did ask for cherry," Christine said, pulling Jim's attention to her. She could see his nostrils flare, and the vein in his neck popping out as he got more and more agitated. Only worsened by Alexei touching her leg, even if he was just wiping off his Slurpee.
"Well," he said, turning away, towards Joyce, "They didn't have it. And it doesn't matter, because it all tastes the same, okay? It is sugar on ice. You tell him that."
"Tell him what?" Murray asked, trying to clarify. At this point, Alexei had tossed his dish cloth on the table, leaning back again, watching the TV. As Christine looked around at everyone, she noticed he would every once in a while steal a glance at her.
"You tell him that it all tastes the goddamn same!" Jim nearly yelled through gritted teeth, pointing at Alexei.
"Все то же самое. Сахар на льду. Нет разницы," Murray says, leaning forward on his knees slightly now. Alexei doesn't move, only looking at Murray from the corner of his eye.
"Скажи этому глупому человеку, что это совсем не то же самое, я хотел бы вишню, которую я просил," Alexei says. Once again, Christine was taken aback by how much he said. She had no idea what he was saying but she wasn't going to lie, she enjoyed listening to him. But Christine tore her eyes away from him to turn to Murray, wanting to know what he said.
"He respectfully disagrees," he said to Jim, "It's not the same at all, and he would like cherry." Just then something funny happened on the TV, making him chuckle as he tapped Christine's arm, pointing at the TV. She turns to him, laughing at his reaction to the show.
"Oh yeah? You can tell him," Jim started, almost visibly shaking now that he was getting so angry, "He can forget it." Murray simply stares at him for a moment, annoyed but does so anyway.
"Он говорит забудь. Нет вишни," Murray says, getting Alexei's attention. His mood seemed to change, turning from Murray to Jim, shrugging his shoulders and getting comfortable in his chair. He turns back to the TV before answering.
"Нет вишни, нет сделки," he says before laughing at something on the tv again. Christine could feel the tension in the room rise as she looked from Alexei to Jim. For a brief moment her eyes met with Joyce, both of them worried about what was about to happen. They knew what Jim's temper was like and Alexei seemed to like to push his buttons. However, Jim seemed surprisingly calm as he leaned forward, staring hard at Christine. She was getting scared now. He had never taken his temper out on her but she had seen the aftermath of a few ex boyfriends that he deemed less than perfect for her. She watched as he turned to Alexei now, a smirk on his face as he started nodding his head. She too looked at Alexei who stared at Jim as well. He nodded his head at Jim, almost like he thought he had won their argument. But she knew better. She was about to say something, or even tell Alexei to run away when suddenly Jim jumped up from his seat, turning straight to Alexei.
"Jim!" Christine yelled, following everyone's lead as they all jumped up, yelling. Murray jumped over the couch behind her, Joyce trying to get Jim's attention. But it was no use, he had grabbed the front of Alexei's shirt, causing him to scream as well before Jim jerked him up. "Oh my god, Jim, STOP!" She hit Jim's shoulder as he slammed Alexei down onto the coffee table, everything that had been sitting on it was now on the floor.
"I'm not going to hurt him!" Jim yelled, turning to her but she didn't believe him and continued to hit his arm.
"Then let him go!" she yelled but it fell on deaf ears as Jim picked him up again, this time slamming him back into the chair he had been sitting in. Christine yelled again as the chair instantly fell back, running over to him. But before she could try anything he picked him up, spinning him around.
"I'm just giving him an opportunity," Jim said as he dragged him towards the door, "To get his own damn cherry Slurpee!" He opened the door now, pushing Alexei outside.
"Jim!" Christine yelled as she finally made it to the door, watching as Jim pushed him to the ground. "You are going to hurt him!" She tried to run out but was held back. She turned, seeing Murray holding onto her, shaking his head. She knew better than to get in the middle of a fight with Jim but something had come over her. She watched as Alexei pushed his glasses back on after they had flown off. Then was surprised when Jim tossed a pair of keys at him. They hit the ground a little above Alexei's head, then a second pair hit him in the leg. Christine was about to run out there and make sure Alexei was alright when Jim turned, rushing back in and slamming the door shut.
"Jim!" she yelled, trying to push past him but being nearly twice her size he easily pushed her out of the way.
"That man is an enemy of the state," Murray yelled. But Christine turned, smacking him in the gut. He flinched, looking down at her.
"No, he isn't," she defended. Murray opened his mouth to argue with her but before he could, Jim interrupted.
"He has been jerking us around for a full day!" he said, guarding the door. " I get him his cherry Slurpee, then what? He wants a helicopter to charter him to his own private island. I have dealt with assholes like this my whole life."
"Then what are you expecting him to do then, Jim?" Christine asked, crossing her arms and glaring up at him.
"Yesterday in the woods, he could have ran but he didn't," Jim explained, "He stuck with us. Why do you think that is? It's because he's scared. Not of us, of them. He's scared of that seven-foot-tall Russian freak who could've killed him just as easily as us. Smirnoff knows," Christine couldn't help but roll her eyes at the nickname Jim gave him, "That if he runs back to his comrades without a scratch on him, they're gonna think that he spilled his guts. So, whether he likes it or not, we," Jim clapped his hands together, causing Christine to jump, "Are the best chance he's got." Christine looked at Joyce and Murray behind her, wondering if either of them believed this crazy man in front of her. Luckily, they didn't seem to, "I give him 30 seconds before he comes knocking on that door, right back into our arms, with a new sense of humility." However, they were all drawn away from what Jim was saying when they suddenly heard a car start, the radio blaring.
"Jim," Christine said, a new sense of urgency was coursing through her.
"I, uh, believe he had started the car," Murray said behind her, confirming her thoughts.
"Hopper," Joyce pleaded on the other side of Christine.
"You know, testing us," Jim said, shrugging his shoulders, "He's just calling my bluff." However, when they all heard an engine rev, and music not stopping, Christine was starting to think Jim was wrong.
"I believe he is now driving away," Murray said but Jim wasn't having it. He still stood guard at the door. But luckily Joyce had had enough, pushing Jim out of the way. He had tried to keep her from opening the door but she managed to get him out of the way. Once the door was finally opened, they all piled out, Jim bringing up the end of the line as they all realized what had happened. While Alexei had managed to get his handcuffs undone and did in fact start the car, he had stopped. Sitting at the fence opening and not moving. Christine had let out a shaking breath, glad that he hadn't actually ran. But she could only imagine the turmoil that was going through his head. He only had two options, go back to his kidnappers or go back to the Russians and risk being killed. She didn't bother hiding the smile that spread across her face when he suddenly put the car in reverse, coming back to them.
She watched as he finally put the car in park, getting out and refusing to look at them. He silently walks his way over to the group, looking at the ground the whole time before handing the keys back to Jim. He mutters something under his breath as he walks by.
"I'm sorry, what did he say?" Jim asked, sarcastically.
"He says he likes strawberry too," Murray says just as Alexei stops in front of Christine.
"Вы убедитесь, что я в порядке?" he asks as he looks down at her. She looks up at his face, several emotions washing over him all at once. "Радовать?" Suddenly Murray was standing next to them.
"He's asking if you will look over him and make sure he's okay." he whispered to her. She glanced from him, back to Alexei as she gently grabbed his arm, the both of them turning back towards Murray's home.
"Of course," she says as she gives him a smile. This time, wrapping her hand around his bicep as they walked back inside.
…
Once they walked in, Christine led Alexei over to the couch she had been sitting on earlier. She sits him in the middle and tells him to stay there for a moment. He seems to understand her as she runs to the bathroom, to get some washcloths and a bowl of water. When she came back, he had turned on the TV again, laughing at something in the show. She smiled down at him as she sat on his left, allowing him to watch the TV over her shoulder if he wanted to. However, the only thing he seemed to watch was her as she moved around. She sat cross legged, fully facing him as she dipped a clean rag into the warm water. She holds out her hand, hoping that even with their language barrier he would know what she wanted. He seemed to pick it up, placing his arm in her hand. She gently looks his arm over, only a few scrapes from Jim tossing him on the ground and some dried mud. She starts cleaning off the mud and dirt, having to scrub a little harder than she meant to. He winces, muttering something under his breath and he jerks back a little.
"Sorry," she says, with a smile, looking up at him. She didn't realize how close they had gotten again. He had leaned towards her slightly so she could reach his arm, not realizing she had done the same. He gave her a small smile as his eyes roamed her face, seeming like he was trying to memorize everything as fast as he could. Once she was satisfied with what she had cleaned up, she rested his hand in her lap. His large hand came to rest on her thigh, his arm resting across her lap. She reaches for his other hand, reaching for the handcuff keys that had been tossed on the table. She softly took his other hand, uncuffing him completely and tossed them onto the table. They made a loud clunk, louder than she was expecting. He looked at her, a small smile on his face. She gave him a smile as well, looking down as he turned his hand over in hers. She continued wiping the dirt off his hand, cleaning a few small scrapes. Once she was done, she ran her thumb over his knuckles, looking at a few of the scrapes he had. However, she was surprised when suddenly he ripped his hand from hers. She was shocked for a moment, thinking she offended him when unexpectedly his hand was cupping her cheek. He gently pulled her face towards his, facing him.
"Красивый," he said. Christine immediately felt her cheeks blush. She had no idea what he said but she knew whatever it was she wanted to hear him say it again. She leaned into his hand, resting hers on his forearm. She could feel him rubbing small circles on her thigh with his thumb, watching as his eyes flashed down to her lips for a moment. She had to admit, she hadn't known Alexei for more than a day or two but she undoubtedly felt something for him. She had always joked that whoever she was fated to be with didn't live in Hawkins, but she didn't expect him to be a scientist from Russia. She could feel him lightly pulling her forward, his hand on her thigh gripping her a little tighter like he's afraid she will disappear.
However, their moment was once again interrupted when a book fell into the small space between them. Christine gasped, honestly forgetting other people were there when she looked up, Murray looking down at both of them.
"If you two are going to canoodle you need to at least understand him," Murray said as he motioned towards the book. She looked down at her lap, picking it up. It was a small paperback dictionary that had both English and Russian translations.
"Look," Jim said as he finally came back into the living room, Joyce not far behind him. "It's getting late, tensions are high, we can get some rest tonight and pick this up tomorrow."
"Are you sure?" Joyce asked as she looked up at Jim.
"Yes. Tomorrow is the festival," he said, sitting on the couch and running a hand over his face. "Everyone in town will be there, we will be able to get around the mall without people knowing."
"Makes sense," Christine says as she turns away from Alexei slightly. Jim just seems to eye her, obviously not liking how close she has gotten to the Russian scientist.
