6

Astrid's pov

I walked through the door stepping aside so Viktor could follow, a small stream of light could be seen from my lamp on the glass end table beside my couch. I never liked coming home to complete darkness if I could help it. I held the door open and watched as he looked around the place quizzically, as if walking through a maze himself. I closed the door and turned to see him already staring at one of my paintings called The Silver Night. Silver waves danced across the top of the page devoured by darkness at the bottom.

"I had a dream that I had been floating in darkness with silver above my head. I was walking on dirt that was so hot, my brain told me I was in Africa." I explained standing beside him, with a few inches of space between our bodies. Viktor looked down at me. He was like a giant.

"You have been to Africa?" he asked, and I just shook my head.

"No." I replied. The mind is a mysterious thing when you're asleep. I gave him a quick tour of my place, his eyes darting from numerous photos and paintings that were organized neatly on my walls. It seemed pointless hanging paintings up in places I wasn't permanently living in. But I liked Kiev, so I would always pay the rent here even if I was staying in America or somewhere. I would have led him out onto the balcony, but I could see the snow dancing in the wind. It was beautiful, but icy cold.

My tour ended with the kitchen.

"Want anything to eat?" I asked. "I have tons of stuff I could make." But he shook his head.

"Thank you, but I am fine… did you like my fight?" he asked instead, and I gave a polite smile.

"It was quick." I replied honestly. He nodded, giving the same look of disappointment to the space beside my head.

"Yes it was." he answered, and I leaned against my counter top.

"But you did great." I replied, and he gave half a smirk and nodded.

"Thank you for showing up." he said with a genuine tone, and I nodded back.

"Thank you for inviting me." I replied, finally peeling off my coat and walking around him and back to my room. "I'm going to get out of these clothes. Feel free to channel surf or raid my pantry."

"Da… thank you." he called. I didn't know why I was so nervous. Maybe it was because someone new was in here. Not my family, not Billy, someone completely new. I pulled on an ocean blue sweater and black sweats. I hung the rest of my clothes back up and moved back into the living room. I expected Viktor to have taken up my offers on food and entertainment, but he didn't. He was looking at my largest portrait on the wall beside the couch. The Giver, it's called.

It was the silhouette of a woman large from pregnancy. She was looking down, her arms caressing her stomach as if the baby was in her arms. Her hair was vibrant and swaying around her like water and her arms were covered in stretch marks and scars from her youth. She has endured much, and she has given so much in return. She has changed to bring her child into the world. I noticed Viktor's hoodie was off and hanging off the arm rest of my couch. He was in a black Under Armour shirt and pants.

I stood beside him. His eyes looked mesmerized by the art.

"Who is this woman?" he asked softly, and I looked at it.

"She's the giver, the woman who sacrifices, who gives her love unconditionally. She's everyone's mother." I commented lowly.

"You make this?" he asked as if not believing it, and I nodded softly.

"Yes." I replied almost childlike, and he just stared up at it some more.

"Beautiful." he said with a nod of approval. "Like you." I glanced up at him, noticing how dark and deep his eyes looked in the dim light. My chest tightened, and I cleared my throat and looked away.

"Thanks." I replied gently. Oh what was I thinking, bringing him here when I knew I wouldn't know what to do with him, what we could do here together.

"Will you draw me?" he asked, and I glanced up at him again and tilted my head.

"What, like right now?" I asked, and he nodded like an excited kid. His eyes knew just how to project the emotions he was feeling. That honestly sounded like a good idea and would definitely quell the warm feelings growing between my legs. I nodded slowly.

"Okay." I replied and motioned toward the couch and he nodded, and we separated. I moved to the room to grab my sketch book out of my close, and he sat on the couch. He was so large, his form quickly dipped into the cushion. I came back out with my large line-less book and sat across from him. I stared at him for a moment before getting the image in my head of how I would draw him. He seemed to match my gaze, his eyes tracing every inch of my face. He also straightened up as if posing for me. I began sketching soft lines at the top of my book.

"So, tell me about your father?" I asked. He looked stunned now.

"You don't need me to be still?" he asked. I shook my head.

"Movement doesn't hinder me." I replied. He blinked in surprise before nodding.

"My father is… tough man. He was a soldier, a boxer." he said. I nodded and continued my sketch.

"Do you have siblings?" I asked.

"No. Only child." he replied. "What about you, artist who paints beautiful picture. You have brother, but you not speak of him. Why?"

His question didn't make me pause for dramatic effect or cause me to frown.

"At the moment he and I are not speaking. We got into a fight." I replied.

"What you fight about?" he asked with a tilt of his head, but he quickly straightened back up again as if not wanting to mess me up.

"He has trouble accepting the fact that I am a grown woman and can be with whoever I want." I replied, and he tilted his head, eyes curious.

"Like women?" he asked, and now I had to pause my sketching, so I didn't mess up on his sensual eyes. I laughed hard shaking my head. He looked away somewhat bashfully and I calmed myself a bit.

"No." I replied before continuing my drawing.

"So you like men then?" he asked, almost sounding hopeful and I nodded.

"Yes." I replied and kept sketching him. He scratched the side of his head laughing with embarrassment. "So you want to be a champion huh?" He nodded, his eyes bright now.

"Yes. I WILL be champion." he stated, and I tilted my head as I kept sketching his jaw.

"Why do you want to be a champion?" I asked.

"Because it is what I have always wanted." he said. Really? Is it really what you always wanted? Or is someone controlling your shadow and living through you? "I want to be known. Seen. I want the world to know my name forever." I simply nodded. The great and powerful Viktor blank. I felt I should ask his last name, but I wanted to stay in the dark. I liked not knowing. It still made us strangers to only know so little.

"I understand." I replied. Now we sat in silence and I continued my sketch smiling some at how good the picture was turning out. His eyes in the picture matched his eyes completely: curious and unknowing.

"What is it?" he asked, and I smiled.

"Nothing. I just think you'll like the picture is all." I said. He nodded with a light smile.

"I don't have many pictures of myself." he said suddenly, and I looked at him a bit saddened by this.

"Well everyone should have a picture of them in their home." I said.

"You've never seen my home." he pointed out.

I focused more on drawing him then the couch and the furniture in the back ground. They were all light and almost white and he himself was focused and sharp. Once I felt done enough, I gently tore the page out of the book making sure not to ruin it. Viktor leaned forward almost immediately once he saw what I was doing. I sat up on my knees and leaned forward a bit toward him and handed him the paper. He followed my actions, sitting up and leaning in to me a bit as he took the paper. He looked almost amazed and this made me happy. I didn't think I had drawn his beard too dark, or his eyebrows too long, or his nose too big. His black clothes were lightly sketched and filled in, but I managed to get the Under Armour logo just right at the bottom hem of his shirt. If anything, I wanted to focus on his face and body which I think I nailed.

"You are really talented." he said looking down at me, and I smiled.

"Thanks. It's yours if you want. Or I can throw it away." I said casually, but he shook his head.

"No. I don't think I will." he said. It sounded like a promise and I smiled leaning toward him to look at my work.

"Well good. I am glad you like it." I replied.

"Astrid?" he asked lightly.

"Hm?" I asked not really hearing him now.

"May I kiss you?" he asked, his voice soft and curious. I looked up at him slowly, his eyes now glazed over with dark hues that immediately brought that feeling back into my body. I wasn't expecting him to ask. Ricky would just lean in for the kiss, devouring me, destroying my lips like he was destroying one of his opponents in the ring. I didn't want to be someone's opponent. I wondered if Viktor wanted an opponent. There was only one way to find out.

We looked at each other's lips before immediately leaning in to each other and kissing each other. It wasn't hard, and his mustache tickled me. Immediately, a sharp jolt of electricity shot through my body from my chest to my toes. I hear something sliding onto the ground. It's his self-portrait. His large arms are wrapping around me, embracing me possessively and pulling me into his hard chest. Together our lips parted, and we both took advantage of this, letting our tongues meet. I feel our bodies slowly tilting in my direction. My back is meeting the cushion and he's going with the flow.

Why not? Why not enjoy the flesh of someone and have fun? Like my aunt said, he wasn't fighting my brother. He's just a man and I am just a woman. Tonight, he was all mine, to do with as I pleased.