Due to some requests I have decided to write another Anya/Dimitri story. Why? Because website needs them! This takes place after the battle with Rasputin. I'm planning to write a huge story involving our favorite love birds. Rating may go up a tad in the future! I hope you enjoy!
Anya clung to Dimitri's body as he laid there on the ground unconscious. She buried her face in his shirt, not wanting to let go of him as Rasputin was finally getting the justice he deserved. He screamed as loud as he could and finally there was silence. Rasputin was destroyed and out of Anya's life forever. When it felt safe Anya looked up and saw no sign of Rasputin. She sighed of relief. He could never harm her and Dimitri again. She glanced over at Dimitri to see if he was alright. But he laid there and wasn't moving. Anya immediately thought he was dead. She whispered to him, "Dimitri?" But no response. She touched his hand and it felt so cold against her skin, when it used to be so warm when he touched her. He could never hold her or look at her again. Anya began to weep and laid her head on her knee and faced away from him. She could never tell him how much she loved him and how much she wanted to be with him the rest of her life. He was everything she could have ever wanted and now it was never meant to be. She lost him.
But then she heard a groan. A groan so familiar, that it restored all hope that seemed to be lost before. She quickly spun around just to be sure. And there he was! He was alive and sitting up. And clutching his jaw after accidently hitting him with her arms after she spun around.
"Dimitri!" she cried and flung her arms around him. Dimitri was also happy to see her and was quite surprised with her sudden embrace. As much as he wanted to feel himself in her arms he had to, reluctantly, pull away because he was still in pain.
"Ow...ow! Let go, let go..."
"Oh, sorry." she said as she pulled away. The poor thing, she thought. He was in a lot of pain and she felt silly for not thinking. But mainly she was so happy that he was alive. And was so glad to have him here after saving her life for the umpth time.
"I know, I know, ALL men are babies." he scoffed and rolled his eyes as he tried to get up. Anya smiled and was glad to know he still had his sarcastic humor. She loved that about him. She helped him get up and both of them stood in front of each other in their tattered clothes.
"I thought you were going to St. Peters.."
"I was." Anya then had to ask him a very important question, to see if he truly cared for her.
"You didn't take the...?"
"I..I couldn't." He smirked and looked at her lovingly. Anya felt a queasy feeling in her stomach and she wanted to say a million things at the moment, but all she could ask was a simple, "Why?" It was now or never for both of them it seemed like.
"Because...I.." He didn't have to say it. Anya for some reason knew that he did care for her. She could see it his beautiful brown eyes. Eyes that she wanted to look at for the rest of her life. She put her fingers close to his mouth before he could finish his sentence. Their lips got closer to each other. But then they stopped after hearing Pooka's bark. That damn dog, Dimitri thought. They both saw Pooka with Anya's crown. And then he suddenly remembered what Anya had to do. She was to become Grand Duchess and that was it. He felt pretty dumb for almost confessing his love for her. He realized how impossible it was. She couldn't love him. He took the crown from Pooka and held the crown for Anya and said, "They're waiting for you." He handed her the crown and they looked at each other for a moment. Dimitri quickly turned around and headed in the other direction. He had to get out of her life and this time for good. He especially wanted to leave before she could see him cry.
"Dimitri...Dimitri...wait! Please!" He heard her footsteps running behind him and he slowly turned around.
"What... Your Highness?" he said softly.
"Please ...don't call me that, Dimitri. I can't stand it." she admitted.
"Why, isn't that what you wanted?"
"Wanted what? To be a princess? No! Dimitri, all I've ever wanted in my life is to know who I am and to be loved and cared for. To know if I had a real family..."
"And you do with your grandmother. Who I'm sure is missing you terribly right now."
"Will you please just hear me out, for once?" She began to feel a little irritated with his stubbornness. But then again, she was stubborn as well. But she knew she could make him listen. Dimitri pursed his lips and sighed. Anya took a deep breath and said,
"I took this journey with you and Vlad because it was a chance to discover who I was before my years at the orphanage. But little did I know what finding love and happiness truly meant. Sure I found my grandmother and I am so grateful to know that I do have someone in my family alive. I can never repay you for what you did Dimitri. Even though it was a con..."
"But Anya, you have to understand that's how it started out to be. When I got to know you more I realized you were the real Anastasia and..."
"I know and understand. I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you that night at the opera when you were trying to tell me. I was just so angry at you...I felt hurt because I thought it was all an act. I can't tell you how much that hurt me."
"I know...I'm so sorry Anya." he said as he gently put her wrist in his hand. She knew he meant it by the look in his eyes. She couldn't help but smile.
"And I'm sorry that I didn't listen to you that night...and of course slapping you." she grinned and Dimitri couldn't help but chuckle a bit.
"Hah! Don't worry about it. It didn't hurt...too bad." Actually it really did hurt him a lot he remembered. He knew now not to ever get on Anya's bad side. He figured she probably learned a thing or two about defense at the orphanage growing up.
"Oh, well glad to hear that then." she smiled and then an uncomfortable silence came. Both of them seemed lost and unsure what was going to happen next. He wanted to be with her so bad but he couldn't tell if she felt the same. But Anya suddenly remembered what she was trying to say earlier.
"Anyways, even though it started off as a con, and after the beginning of the trip when you and I were...well it didn't started off to well before did it?"
"Hah! Well...I mean." He had to be frank. "Yeah, I couldn't stand being near you."
"Me neither. No offense but I thought you were a bossy, sissy little child."
"Well if it's all the same, I thought you were a bratty little tom boy who talked too much." Both of them, almost teasingly, glared at each other for a moment and then began to laugh. This wasn't going so bad... but where was she getting at?
"Anya, I don't mean to be rude but is there a point to all of this?"
"Well...I guess I can come straight to the point. Dimitri, I...I don't wanna be Grand Duchess Anastasia."
"What...but why?" He never felt so confused in his life.
"Because I don't need a title to be happy. The only home, love and family I ever wanted was with me all along." she smiled as she looked at him and got closer.
"I don't understand Anya..."
"I think you do Dimitri." With that said she placed her hands on his face, pulled him close and placed her lips on his. Dimitri felt a little shocked at first but quickly kissed back. He couldn't believe this was happening. He had every intention of confessing that night and there she was beating him to it. That was Anya. And that's why he loved her so much. The kiss ended and she looked in his eyes and said the sweetest words he had ever heard.
"I love you, Dimitri. You are the only home, love and family I had ever longed for." She looked at him and wanted to hear if he felt the same. She placed her hand on his cheek again and asked, "Please tell me you feel the same." Dimitri didn't know how to say it at first but he was so ready to say how he felt.
"Anya...I...I love you too." He smiled and quickly kissed her. He loved how her lips felt against his. It was the most wonderful feeling in the world. This kiss felt more passionate than the last one and she wrapped her arms around his neck as their kiss deepened more. He placed his arms around her lower back and pulled her closer to him. Anya then ran her fingers through his soft, sweet hair. The kiss lasted for what seemed an eternity and when finally ended, their foreheads rested on each others and they looked deeply into each other's eyes for a moment. He was so sweet and wonderful. And he loved her back. She knew he did, but she had to hear it for herself. Dimitri pulled back a little but was still close to Anya.
"Are you sure you don't want the crown?" he asked seriously but it made Anya laugh for some reason.
"I am definitely sure." she smiled as she played with his hair.
"This is too crazy. I..I can't believe this is happening." He smiled and kissed her again and picked her up as he kissed her more. It made her squeal a little and she placed her hands on the back of his neck as he lifted her in the air and twirled her a bit. He felt so silly for once in his life. And it never felt so right either. When the kiss ended they looked at each other and smiled and he lowered her back on the ground. He held her hands tightly in his and he kinda swung them with his like a little child. She thought how adorable he was and felt like he could really open up to her.
Dimitri was curious. "When did you realized you loved me?"
"I don't know really. It seems like most of the trip I did. Even when we fought... I loved you as crazy as that sounds. But I guess it was definite when you held me and kept me close on the boat when I had that...awful nightmare."
"Yeah... I remember. I thought I almost lost you. You almost walked off of that boat and out of my life forever." Anya smiled sincerely and placed her hand on his cheek.
"I know..it was so peculiar. But it all makes sense now after seeing Rasputin tonight and remembering the Romanav curse. He must have concocted that nightmare to... kill me. But when you held me...I felt so safe...like nothing was ever going to harm me." She looked at him so lovingly and she kissed him lightly. It was so sweet and nice. Then she asked.
"What about you? When did you love me?"
"Well I don't know how to say this...but it had to be when I first laid eyes on you."
"You mean at the Catherine Palace 2 weeks ago?"
"Well it was at the palace...but it was more like 10 years ago." Anya looked at him confused and Dimitri couldn't help but grin.
"I don't understand." she said.
"I worked at the palace when I was a boy. When I first arrived there and saw and I instantly fell in love with you. Even though I was 10, as crazy as that sounds!" He chuckeled and continued. "I saw you with your other siblings, and you really stood out to me. I guess it was your spunky, lively spirit you've seem to maintain to this day. After the siege, I just assumed you didn't survive and I just kept thinking about you, whether you were alive or not. I guess later on as I got older, when I started working as a con man, I selfishly thought about you as a scheme to get rich. Forgetting all my feelings I had and began to loose my innocence. Finally, after seeing you again, I admit I didn't think you were really Anastasia, but I began could sense the same feelings I had for you, as Anastasia, 10 years before. I was just to blind to tell until later. But then I was certain you were really the princess and..."
"Hold up, let me get something straight. Was it you that helped me and Grandmama escape that night during the siege? You were that little boy...and the wall?" Her smile couldn't have been wider.
"It sure was." He smiled and brushed his hand along her cheek.
"I can't believe this! Wow...I...I remember you then. You always seemed so lonely and sad. Do you remember when I asked you if you wanted to play with me? I think I was angry at my older sisters for picking on me so I felt kinda lonely that day and I wanted to get to know you."
"Yeah! But then the snotty butler had to take me away. He was so angry that I talked to you because you were a princess and all. But you would say hi to me every now and then. As corny as this sounds, it really made my day because it seemed like you noticed that I was there more than anyone else." He said as he ran his hand down her arm.
"Yeah...I...I can't believe you've been protecting me all this time! And as corny as this sounds...you really must be the man I'm supposed to be with." With that she pulled him into another kiss. It was full of passion and love. Their lips caressed each other as Dimitri pulled her tight against him and Anya the same. Their love felt so real. Anya pulled away and said, "I love you so, so much Dimitri."
"I love you too." He kissed her softly and then he realized he needed to ask her a very important question.
Hah! I wonder what that question will be? Hehe! There are many more chapters to come. I'm really excited about doing this! Please stay alert and I will update this shortly! Please review and let me know how sucky or how well I'm doing. Hehe! Take care!