16

Alicia's POV

The air was cold tonight and I ran my fingers over my shoulders through my coat. Thank god for these gloves.

"You're freezing. Take my coat." Ivan said lowly, and I looked up at him stunned. He began to shed his coat and I shook my head.

"No. You will be cold. Can't have your son thinking I am trying to make you ill." I said stopping him by placing a hand on his much larger one. Our walking had slowed and he looked down at me for a moment before shaking his head. "This is all wrong. This should not have been our future." I closed my eyes some looking down in thought.

"We cannot change the past. You have chosen your path and I have chosen mine." I said looking back up and continuing to move on the dark pavement. I felt his hand suddenly curl around mine. He hasn't moved so my body stopped once again. I feel the warmth of his hand moving up my body and I tense a bit, remembering the feelings he gave me with the lightest of touches. But I was not a young girl anymore.

"If we could do it all over again would you?" he asked, his tone almost desperate. I turned to him slowly and looked up at him. To ask that meant if I could watch my brother die in the ring all those years ago, could I do it.

"I would… like some things to be different." I replied and he nodded.

"Of course." he replied already knowing my thoughts. He pulls me in to him and I let him. With his other hand he opens his jacket and just embraces me inside and I sighed softly as I feel my head curl under his chin. His question still played in my head some. To do it all over again and be with him could mean I may not have met Astrid or Adonis. I would have Alexander, but I couldn't picture my life without all three of them.

"I could not picture my life without those kids… or our son. And you cannot picture your life without Viktor." I replied looking up at him slowly. He shifted just a bit so he could look down at me. His eyes are tired and old. He's still fighting. Fighting a war to be the greatest. But I could tell he agreed with me.

"Will we ever be able to… be together?" he asked. And that was a question I truly did not know how to answer. I had moved on from him and even though I never dated or married after him, I had still decided to continue my photography and live the best life I could with Alexander. Even after the twins, I was still fulfilled and had purpose. I shook my head slowly.

"I do not know." I replied honestly. He deserved at least that much. He nodded slowly and I sighed some and thought of Astrid. I felt she would start to worry if I did not come back around soon. I hesitantly pulled back from Ivan and looked him over. "You can keep the letters if you want. The pictures inside were meant for you." He gave a small tired smirk.

"I was never planning to give them back." he replied and I nodded slowly.

"Good." I replied and he raised his hand to me and without much thought, I took it and we continued our walk on the dark sidewalk around the hospital.

"Your nephew… okay?" he asked. I nodded slowly.

"He will live." I replied. I was sure Bianca needed me in there and when I let Ivan know he agreed. He motioned to a door that would lead us back inside. I pulled out my phone and messaged Astrid letting her know I was heading back inside. She told me she had went home to rest and that she had told Bianca the same and that I went to clear my head a bit. Good girl. As we moved down the hall of the first floor, I noticed how many people were staring at us. I looked up at Ivan and realized our hands were still locked together. I slowly removed my hand from him and looked up at him.

"You don't have to stay Ivan." I replied. Before he could speak his head lifted and he frowned slightly above me.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I heard the angry voice of Rocky boom. Well somewhat for a guy his age. I turned to see him moving up to us swiftly. Already his body became a wall separating Ivan and I who frowned at this.

"I come to pay respects." he said.

"Hey Adonis isn't dead! You got no right to be here!" Rocky said pointing his finger at Ivan's face. Ivan frowned more.

"Get out of my face Balboa." he said lowly.

"I ain't scared of you! You may have gotten Apollo killed, but you ain't taking his son from us! I knocked you out once I will do it again!" he shouted. My face fell at his words and Ivan replied with a shove. Rocky stumbled back before throwing a swing at Ivan and now the two were throwing punches.

"Stop it!" I screamed as they were knocking over medical supplies. Nurses were hurrying out of the way and I stepped back as these two older men duked it out.

Astrid's POV

Viktor and I took a cab back to my place. He felt if he left his dad's truck he wouldn't be so mad for ditching him at the hospital. He was sure with my aunt there, what's the worst that could happen. We hurried back to my room, his hand guiding us there. I unlocked the door and we moved inside quickly. Viktor raised me over his shoulders and carried me to my room. I shouldn't be so happy right? I mean this monster of a man put my brother in the hospital. But he would live. His father killed my father, but my aunt lived. There was so much animosity when the names Creed and Drago were tossed around. So much animosity for over thirty years. Maybe it was time to end all that.

Viktor lied me on my bed and just grabbed the sides of my pants and attempted to yank them down, but I was in jeans. My entire body slid down the bed with his movements causing him to blush with embarrassment at his failed attempted. I leaned up and kissed him quickly before reaching down to his sweats and pulling them down. He reached down for the buttons on my pants and snapped them off. Once both our pants were off, Viktor reached down to take my shoes off, as he kicked his own shoes off. I smiled as we were naked in a matter of seconds.

Viktor crawled into me, using his forehead against mine to gently push me back onto the bed. His lips found mine immediately, our mouths opened and we let out tongues slide across one another. I feel one of his hands cupping my breasts as our groins rub against one another. Our families can be out there causing war… but right here in this room, in this bed, there is only love. But suddenly, Viktor pulls back and looked at me with nervous eyes as he pulls back. I looked him over sitting up with him.

"What's wrong?" I asked letting my hand slide over his shoulder lightly. He looked at his knees for a second before getting up and moving over to his pile of clothes. Was he leaving? Why wasn't he saying anything. He lifts up his hoody and starts to look through it. "What are you doing?"

"I can't wait any longer. I have to do this." he said quickly, and I looked him over.

"Do what?" I asked and he reaches into one of the pockets and pulls something out. His hand is covering it so I can't see it. But he gets back on the bed and looks at me.

"Do you love me?" he asked suddenly and I stared into his eyes intently and nodded.

"Of course, I do." I said and he nodded quickly taking uneven breaths. What was going on.

"I love you and I know our families have been feuding for quite a long time. But I have never felt I even had a true family until I met you. I can't live on this earth without you in it. I cannot love anything else if something were to happen to you. I was ready to kill Ricky Conlan, a fighter I had only dreamed of meeting one day, for you, a Creed." he said, and he finally raised his hand to me and revealed a black box. He opened it though and my attention was brought to what was inside. It was a petite diamond halo and split band, with an oval diamond. Even in this dim lit room it was beautiful. My mouth dropped and I looked up at Viktor. This wasn't happening.

"Let's end this feud between us for good." he said. "Will you marry me?" I stared at his face for the longest time feeling my body frozen and my voice taken from me. I leaned in to him and kissed him hard, wrapping my arms around his neck. I feel his arms wrap around me and I pull back a few inches from him.

"Yes." I replied. Once the word left my lips, I thought about the anger that I would receive from my brother and Rocky, and the disappointment from Bianca and my aunt. How could I marry the enemy? Simple. By just saying yes.