Chapter Eight

The sun was barely up when Mischka opened his sister's bedroom door the following morning, calling loudly for Wheeler before shutting it again with a bang.

The American groaned and snuggled his girlfriend closer, "What'd he want?"

Linka sighed, "You told him you would join him for football practice, da?"

"You're kidding me, it's still night time!" He pulled the blankets over their heads shutting out the light.

Chuckling, the lovely blond pressed feathery kisses up his neck and along his jaw. "He will get impatient with you if you do not get up."

Wheeler had automatically begun responding but asked, "Are you trying to convince me to get up or to stay here?"

"Mmm," was her only response as she entwined their limbs closer together, pressing her soft warm body against his firmer one, playing her fingers over the muscles of his shoulders and arms.

He'd never imagined her to be so affectionate. No matter how many times a similar scenario had played out in his head, it had always been him taking the lead, challenging her and carefully guiding her to new discoveries, but this… this was so much better!

Wheeler's lips suddenly devoured hers with a passion that took her breath away, his hands sliding under her pyjama top in quest of bare skin, though he kept them respectfully on her back. Linka kissed him back without hesitation or apparent concern for where it was going and when he began to work his way down her neck, nipping and sucking in a way that made her squirm beneath him, the expression on her face was blissful excitement.

He'd just nuzzled his way along the line of her top, managing to slip a hand round to loosen a few buttons without disturbing her, and was beginning to explore the shapely mounds beneath when Mischka's voice once more disturbed them, though he was shouting this time.

"Wheeler! You will not have time for breakfast!"

The American groaned and let his head rest for a moment against his girlfriend's supple skin. "He's not going to let this go is he?"

"Nyet," Linka laughed, "And he will come back to get you so you had better go and get ready."

"You wanna come and watch?" he asked, pushing himself up on his knees astride her, letting the light in between them and making her blush as he took in the scene he'd uncovered.

Linka fought the urge to cover herself, "Watch you? In the bathroom? I do not think we are there yet Yankee."

He laughed loudly at that and tenderly brushed the backs of his fingers over one heated cheek, and then down the centre of her chest, not quite touching her more sensitive areas but setting her senses on fire anyway. "I meant watch me play soccer but hey, if you wanna share, I'm game."

She caught his hand, smiling up at him in a way that let him know she'd understood all along. "Nyet, stop teasing me and go play with my brother."

"I don't think it's me doing the teasing," He leant down to claim one last lingering kiss and then climbed out of bed and began gathering his clothes. "You just gonna stay there?"

"Da." She stretched her arms above her head, letting her top fall open completely.

"You're a wicked woman." He told her, grinning appreciatively as he walked back to the bed and pulled the covers up over her chest. "You know that?"

Linka gazed up into his smiling eyes. "Only for you."

He gave her a light kiss on the tip of her nose. "Walking out of here right now is possibly the hardest thing I've ever done."

"That was the general idea," She teased.

"You are up late darling," Grandmuska told her granddaughter, "Are you feeling alright?"

"Da," she grinned, "Just torturing my Yankee, he hated having to get out of bed before me, I am always the first one up."

Linka had waited for Wheeler and Mischka to leave the house before rising and checking that the bathroom was free. Now fully dressed and ready for the day she made herself a coffee and then sat beside her relative at the kitchen table.

"I thought you said you did not usually share a bed?" the older woman laughed, clearly not having believed it in the first place.

"We do not," Linka blushed, "I did not say we got out of the same bed, and I meant I was up before everyone, I do not usually see Jason before mid-morning unless I wake him up."

Grandmuska patted her hand, "Do not worry I have a feeling that is going to change, or at least he will find a way to keep you there with him."

Linka choked on her coffee, making the older woman laugh "Grandmuska!"

Her grandmother left her to her embarrassment as she started breakfast.

"Did Svetlana go with them?" The Planeteer ventured after a while.

"Nyet, she is not an early riser… which is not surprising considering how much sleep she gets." There was a hint of annoyance in the old Russian's voice.

Linka snorted, "Da, we heard."

Grandmuska waved that away, "I mean that she stays out late, I do not like having the doors unlocked at that time of night."

"Where does she go?" Linka asked with a frown.

"Who knows? Mischka says she just visits friends but he does not go with her."

Rising to help bring the plates to the table Linka said thoughtfully, "I thought she said all the friends she had here were bad influences that she wanted to get away from?"

Her grandmother's lips tightened into a straight line, "It's Mischka's business and he has made it clear that I should keep out of it."

Linka on the other hand had no intention of keeping out of it and would have continued the conversation if Svetlana hadn't walked in just then.

She was looking tired and rumpled in one of her fiancé's old t-shirts that didn't attempt to cover the small lacy underwear she had on her bottom half. "Just coffee."

The Planeteer rolled her eyes, not really surprised by the other girl's appearance but she was annoyed by the request which was practically an order. Apparently she wasn't quite as friendly when Mischka wasn't around. Of course she had just woken up, Linka chided herself, remembering that she'd promised Wheeler that she would give her a chance.

The resolve didn't last five minutes because as soon Svetlana's eyes were open properly she began giving instructions about what she wanted for her engagement party, it was only when she saw Linka's expression that she seemed to give herself a mental shake. "It's so wonderful to have other women around to plan it with, you don't know how much I've missed that."

"I am sure it's going to be a great evening," Linka replied, giving her a weak smile.

Mischka ran through some of the game rules as he guided Wheeler along the narrow streets into a part of town that the American hadn't seen before.

"Rough neighbourhood?" he asked during a lull in the conversation, nodding at the graffiti which had been getting more frequent the further they went. There was more litter there too and signs of disrepair.

Mischka hesitated, looking around as if seeing it properly for the first time, "Nyet," he said slowly, "Just poor. Many of us have to travel to other towns for work now that the mine is closed, we do not have the time or the energy to worry about such things."

Wheeler wanted to argue. He wanted to explain how little effort it really took when people got together to help, he wanted to warn him of the dangers of letting an area decay through apathy, and if it had been anyone other than his girlfriend's big brother or even if he'd known him better, he would have done. The Russian had seemed somewhat defensive however so he just resolved to speak to Linka about it later.

A few moments later they reached the edge of town and the buildings gave way to fields, the closest of which was a sickly, muddy green with a football pitch marked out on it in white and an old shed to one side that a couple of young men were retrieving supplies from.

There were others already warming up, and one of them, a handsome well-built young man with short dark hair and darker eyes, broke away from the group to greet them. Mischka answered him in Russian but then switched to English as he introduced Wheeler, "This is Anatoly, he and I have been friends since we were babies."

"Pleased to meet you." Wheeler shook the other man's hand but was already wondering if he was the friend that had asked Linka out, he had a feeling from the way he was sizing him up, that he was.

Anatoly nodded in acknowledgement, "You can play on Vasily's team, he is a man down. Leonid had a run in with Krupin and Vakhrov."

Mischka stiffened beside the American but before he could ask any questions, led him out onto the pitch to start their exercises.

Rather than having a full football kit, the two sides pulled on old t-shirts over their own, and made do with their jeans and trainers.

Vasily had welcomed Wheeler rather more warmly than the other man, as had his team, and as he proved to be a quick learner when it came to game play they were soon fast friends. As he was inexperienced they put him in centre midfield but he soon showed he didn't need any help when he successfully tackled one of Mischka's men and passed the ball to their striker at some distance, with ease.

They were winning two – nil when Anatoly collided with him at speed, sending him crashing to the ground with a cry. The game was halted and Mischka ran over to see if he was alright.

"It's fine, it's fine," Wheeler waved them off, not wanting to show any weakness even though he felt bruised in multiple places and when he stood he winced from a pain in his leg.

"You are bleeding," Mischka said, noting a gash in his shirt and when they looked at the ground they saw a sharp shard of glass that looked like it came from a broken bottle.

Wheeler opened the gap in his top to find a fine line carved over his chest, it wasn't deep but it was seeping blood. "Just a scratch."

The others agreed to call time however, wanting Wheeler to get his wound seen to in case it got infected, as well as deciding to check the ground for anything more dangerous.

"This should not have happened." Mischka's best friend said guiltily, "It was not my intention, the pitch should have been safe…"

The American gave him an amused look – sure that he knew what was behind that remark – though he took his words as an apology all the same, "It was an accident man, don't worry about it."

"Oh Yankee, what happened!" Linka rushed forward to put Wheeler's free arm around her shoulder as he limped into the house.

"Just an accident, nothing serious, I don't need help." He kissed her temple however and didn't release her. "I'm going to get a shower if that's ok. I don't want to mess your furniture up with mud. I won't be long."

Linka hesitated but her brother sent her after him by telling her about the cut. "Yankee, Mischka said that you are bleeding?"

Wheeler sighed and pulled his top off so that she could inspect the wound, "It's nothing, he shouldn't have worried you."

She glared, "It is not nothing. Have your shower, I will be waiting for you in the bedroom."

"Oh yeah?" He said hopefully, his eyes dancing with mischief, making her roll hers.

"With a first aid kit. Do not take too long and if the bleeding increases stop and come out." She sighed, "You can leave your things in the bathroom, I will see to them later."

He pressed a soft kiss to her lips, "Thanks for caring."

It wasn't long before he joined her, wearing nothing but a towel, his hair still wet. Linka blushed but told him to sit beside her on the bed so that she could inspect his wound. He'd done a good job of cleaning it already and the blood flow had been stopped by the water but she went over it anyway and then attached a dressing.

"Do you need any help dressing?" She asked, her fingers still playing over his bare stomach as if trying to soothe his wound with her touch. "You are limping badly."

Hearing the worry in her voice Wheeler laughed and pulled her closer, his arms wrapping neatly around her waist, "Babe, I'm fine. I've done worse running with you on the beach, I just need to rest it for a couple of hours."

She stroked his hair away from his face, "I do not like to see you hurting."

"I know," He kissed her, "We could always go back to bed, you could keep a very close eye on me there."

"I have things to do for the party tonight," She said regretfully.

He tilted his head in the general direction of the kitchen, "How are 'things'?"

Linka shook her head, "It is not good Yankee, Svetlana goes from demanding one minute to impatient and controlling the next, only she pretends that it is all meant well and in fun. Poor Grandmuska feels like she is in the way in her own house, she does not say it but I can see how much it hurts her."

Wheeler hugged her close, letting her find her own strength in his embrace.

"I am glad that you are here," she told him, snuggling her face into his shoulder, and then with a gentle squeeze, "Not just because of Svetlana."

He chuckled and kissed the nearest patch of skin, which happened to be a sensitive spot on her neck that made her shiver. "I'm glad I'm here too Beautiful."

Letting him up to get dressed, Linka turned her back and picked up her book, trying to ignore the temptation to watch. Then when he gave the all clear, tucked herself back under his arm offering support as they made their way into the lounge.

She was just insisting that he put his feet up when Mischka joined them.

"All this fuss over a minor injury," Mischka tried to joke her out of it, but not very well, "He is too used to all that armour, at least now he has played a man's game."

Linka shot him a filthy look, as Wheeler pulled her down to sit at his side, "He plays basketball, that is quite manly enough! Besides, Football is supposed to be a non-contact sport."

"It was an accident," Mischka told her, "They happen sometimes, Wheeler is not bothered by it, do not blow it out of proportion."

"He's right," Her boyfriend said softly as he felt her bristle, "I was having fun, I'm just sorry it stopped the match, I'd have carried on if they'd let me."

The older man nodded in approval and though she clearly didn't like it, Linka let the matter drop.

To be continued…