Enjoy!~

You had managed to lose track of the days. Time just didn't seem to matter to you anymore, even though every day had settled into a routine. Every day you would wake up and make breakfast for Nikolai, then clean and make lunch for later. Then Nikolai would leave for reasons that he never told you and you would busy yourself with exploring his house. You hadn't found anything interesting, though in one room you did find a lot of books. It surprised you; you never would have pegged Nikolai as one that liked to read.

Without looking at the clock, you knew it was about time for Nikolai to get home. You started to go downstairs to prepare dinner (one time you hadn't and he attempted to cook, well let's just say that he was almost as bad as Arthur). Just when you reached the top of the stairs you heard the door open. You stopped dead in your tracks; there was someone else with Nikolai, a woman.

"It's good to see you again, brother." That was Anya.

You were frozen in your spot, entirely unsure of what to do. Do you go down and make yourself known? Do you stay and listen? You were still debating with yourself when they continued.

"It's good to see you to, big sister. So, why did you want to visit?" Nikolai's voice responded back, you were still frozen in place.

"Well things have been changing lately. (Name) is still missing, the economy is still bad, but maybe the most different, you are acting so differently."

Wait, wait, wait. Of all the things that are bad my disappearance is the least of her worries? I thought we were friends. You thought.

"What do you mean differently?" Nikolai's voice snapped you out of your mini rant at Anya.

"(Name) is still missing?" He said it so calmly, like he had no idea that you were just right upstairs. Anya must have nodded because you didn't hear her before Nikolai's voice came to your ears again. "How long has it been now?"

"Almost a month now." Your thought froze again as you realized just how much time had passed. You wondered how your family and other friends were doing without you.

"Do you think that they will find her?" Nikolai asked Anya.

"No, everyone stopped searching a while ago. She isn't missed." You had to cover your mouth so that Anya didn't hear your chocked sob.

I thought people cared about me. You thought to yourself.

"I thought you two were, what's the word, friends?"

"No, maybe she thought so, but really I was just going to use her." The words cut right into you, stabbing your heart.

"I see." Nikolai said, he sounded sad but that could have just been your imagination.

"So tell me brother, why have you been acting differently?" Anya spoke up again after a bit of silence. You were still standing at the top of the stairs, listening in.

"I don't understand."

"You have been less threatening to other people, you're nicer to Yuri, and it's been a month since you asked me to marry you." You never realized how blunt Anya could be before.

"I thought you didn't like me asking you to marry you." He simply said.

"It's not like you though. Plus my boss was thinking, with how hard the economy is and everything, that it wouldn't be such a bad thing if we got married." Your jaw dropped. Even from the top of the stairs you could feel the sudden tension in the room.

"I'm not going to marry you, big sister." You flinched at his tone. It was the same tone that your dream Nikolai would have right before he would kill you.

"Wha-" Nikolai cut her off.

"I think you should leave now Anya."

You heard footsteps head towards the front door. This was your last chance for who knows how long to make yourself known. You could take two steps and have Anya see you and get away from this place you had been trapped for almost a month now. Yet you couldn't move an inch.

You listened as Nikolai shut the front door. As soon as you heard it shut it was like the spell had lifted and you could move again. You headed down the stairs, trying to act as if you hadn't heard a word of what just happened. Nikolai was leaning against the front door, a look of discontent on his face.

"Welcome home, Nikolai. I'll start dinner." You smiled at him, despite how on the inside you were still upset over your lost opportunity and over what you had heard.

As you got things out of the cupboards, and food out of the fridge, you felt arms wrap around your waist and you felt yourself being pulled against Nikolai's strong chest. He buried his face into your (color) hair, taking a deep breath. He gently kissed your neck, making shivers go down your spine.

"я табе кахаю." Your brows knit together in confusion, and slowly you turned around in his arms until you were face to face with him.

"What?"

"I love you."