A/N: This is actually one of the one-shots I wrote for Dmitri a while ago (with some small edits), but I felt that it was important to share for everyone new to Dmitri, so enjoy! Including another chapter so we keep the story moving forward :)

⧗ CHAPTER FIVE ⧗

Plok!

The buzzer went off. Missed again.

Dmitri cursed under his breath.

He had one last dart. He hoped to make it count.

"One to go!" The booth vendor called out, clearly enjoying the show. Maybe he liked watching people suffer. At this point, Dmitri wouldn't be surprised.

"You got this," Mia said, standing just behind him.

Her voice echoed, sweet and cold, close and distant.

Hiding photos did nothing to protect Dmitri from the dreams.

The colorful balloons on the wall of the carnival booth seemed to mock him. Bright, cheerful colors, frustratingly difficult to pop. The leering vendor certainly didn't help.

The weather was unseasonably warm on that January day — a brisk forty-two degrees Fahreinheit and perfect for a wintry fair day. The place was bustling with people this early in the evening. The air was filled with the scent of sweet fried dough, cotton candy, and some kind of grilled meat. The amount of people made the place feel just a few degrees warmer, which didn't hurt. Not that the cold bothered him too much, anyways.

Eyeing one of the larger ones — the easy targets — Dmitri sized up the distance, and slung his final dart.

And watched it bounce off the surface of the balloon. The dart clattered uselessly to the floor, out of sight.

"Oh, nice try!" The vendor called. "Next customer!"

Dmitri couldn't hide his disappointment, a sigh leaving his lips. He'd never been particularly good at throwing; aiming wasn't exactly a strong suit. Maybe he should've picked baseball, or football, instead of ballet.

More importantly, Dmitri had failed in his attempt to impress Mia. Stupid and sophomoric, entirely predictable for a boy his age? Absolutely. Dmitri would never admit to being a victim to the same tropes as so many other teenagers. He had hoped himself better than that, and considered this result just deserts for his arrogance.

Mia had invited him to the Coney Island fair; Her, her cousin Peter, and a small group of their friends, few of which Dmitri knew. But it was alright; it was just Dmitri and Mia, now, exploring the fairground on their own. He wanted to tell her she looked stunning — even though he'd seen her wear that red peacoat before, with the frilly white scarf, it looked different under the darkening sky, the flashing carnival lights. The color brought out the pink in her cheeks and the slight gold touches in her hair.

But Dmitri felt such a complement, as honest as it might be, was too forward. So he said nothing aside from a smile. Just standing there with her made Dmitri feel several degrees warmer. His cheeks flushed, and it had nothing to do with the cold air.

And to think he almost denied the invite. Dmitri wasn't sure why, some combination of shyness and anxiety. He'd never been to Coney Island, wasn't sure what to expect. Or why Mia invited him. But with his stay in New York drawing to a close, Dmitri decided to accept on a whim, had withstood an hour of his mother's lecturing just to go. She'd been okay with the idea, up until Dmitri made the mistake of telling her who'd invited him.

Eventually, however, she came around. Just one night of fun, before his flight home to St. Petersburg. For the first time in… years, perhaps, Dmitri was dreading the trip, didn't want to leave. For the first time, he wanted to stay in New York.

Just to see Mia again.

It was Dmitri's last day in America. He intended to make the most of it.

...His plan was already dead in the water before it even had a chance to take off, though. This was not a good start to the evening. Dmitri almost expected Mia to make fun of him, or perhaps tease him slightly.

But Dmitri knew she wouldn't. She wasn't that type of person. It was one of the reasons he felt completely comfortable around her (if a little nervous).

"Alright, let me try," Mia said, handing the vendor a dollar bill, and getting three darts in return. She was also the type of person to find challenges where there were none, Dmitri realized belatedly.

The vendor chuckled at the trade, glancing between the two of them in unveiled glee. "Ah! Let's see if the lady's luck is any better than the gentleman's!"

He immediately recognized the look in her gray eyes. One of murder. "Uh, wait, you don't have to do that —"

"And be defeated by his smug grin?" Mia threw him a single raised eyebrow, cocking her head towards the vendor, just out of earshot. "I don't think so."

Dmitri wanted to argue a little, personally more worried that she'd aim for the vendor and not the balloons — but decided to drop it, as Mia was already readying herself into a proper throwing stance. She eyed the wall of balloons with narrowed eyes. Picking her target. The smallest ones, higher up, were the hardest to hit; yet the direction her eyes were looking said this was exactly what she was going for.

About to warn her, Dmitri had only just opened his mouth when Mia's arm shot forward. With a loud pop! The closest yellow balloon burst.

Dmitri jolted in surprise; he didn't even see the dart, Mia had thrown it so fast. He immediately reordered his thoughts, and was thinking of a compliment when Mia launched her next two in quick succession. The same as the first time, mere blurs in the air, followed by two loud pops.

A few whoops rose up around them, onlookers clearly impressed. The vendor, too, looked somewhat taken aback, but just shrugged and happily handed over one of the stuffed animals hanging from the ceiling when Mia pointed at one.

A giant stuffed wolf. It was almost as big as her, and Mia grinned around giant fluffs of black fur as they walked away with their prize. Dmitri was even more surprised when she offered it to him. "Here, it's yours."

Dmitri flushed, holding up his hands in bewilderment. It was her prize, she earned it. "What? No, I couldn't —"

"I can win a thousand more of these if I wanted to," Mia said with a shrug, and more or less pushed the toy into Dmitri's arms. He had no choice but to take it. She just shrugged, as if this victory was of no great cost. "Just, er, think of it as a 'going away' gift."

"First you invite me here," Dmitri said, finally accepting with a laugh and a shake of his head. He couldn't deny that he was touched by the gesture. "And now you're winning prizes for me. I can't tell if you like me, or just pity me and my poor aim."

"What? I don't pity you," Mia snorted, hooking her arm through his as they went along. She leaned in with an undertone and added, "Although your aim is pretty bad."

"Ah, and the other shoe drops."

"Hey, I'm glad you came," Mia said, casting him a rare smile. "I was afraid I wouldn't get to see you again before you left."

"Of course. I'd never say no to you." Dmitri said. A shameless, bald-faced lie, considering how close he'd been to just staying home. Only too late did Dmitri realize his lie was even worse than the truth.

...Mostly because it wasn't a lie, either.

"O-oh?" Mia's eyebrows shot up, clearly not expecting this answer. Her smile pressed flat, her gaze shooting forward. At the drop of a hat, her expression turned quietly, pleasantly, infuriatingly neutral once more. Dmitri couldn't even think of a way to backpedal before she said, "Well, I'll keep that in mind, then."

Please don't. Too late. Dmitri just had to live with it now. And hoped it didn't come back to bite him in the ass.

Eventually, they reconnoitered with the rest of Mia's friend group, who corralled the two into a mass exodus upon the Ferris Wheel. Peter, whom Dmitri already knew, along with Ned, a stout, jovial boy who chatted endlessly to anyone who would listen. A girl who introduced herself as Liz smiled prettily at Dmitri, and they made small talk about his dance career. The others, a blonde girl named Betty, and a boy who went by Flash who unsuccessfully tried to pose against a railing and slipped, had also joined the group.

They split into couples, Mia and Dmitri making a natural pair. Ned looked like he was about to fly to the moon when Liz took him by the arm for a ride. Others were not so lucky. Peter had the misfortune of getting a chair with a sour-faced girl with curly hair and paint on her jeans (who Mia called 'MJ', but no one else did). Peter shot Mia a desperate look, but Mia just waved him off, no mercy in her eyes.

"Is he alright?" Dmitri asked as they watched Peter and Michelle get on the Ferris Wheel ahead of them.

"Oh, he'll be fine," Mia said with a decidedly evil chuckle. "Peter's a little afraid of MJ, but she likes him more than most people."

"She doesn't seem to like anyone." Of the entire group, Michelle was the only one who looked like she didn't want to be there.

"Exactly."

Then the line cleared, and it was their turn. For some inexplicable reason, Dmitri's anxiety skyrocketed as soon as the carnival attendant brought down the bar over their heads. Dmitri couldn't remember if he was afraid of heights or not.

Well, too late now.

The Ferris Wheel began to move again, pulling the seat backwards, the long way around to the top. Mia looked up, watching in mild interest as Betty and Flash argued in the seat above them. They were too far away for Dmitri to make out their conversation, but judging by the smirk on Mia's face, she seemed amused by it.

"Hey, Goose!" A voice called up from above. "Say cheese!"

Both of them looked up in time to see a Polaroid camera aimed at them. Dmitri didn't even have time to think — his first instinct at the sight was to smile, and was immediately blinded by the flash for his trouble.

"Peter!" Amelia called as soon as the camera disappeared. "I told you, no ambush pictures!"

"I couldn't help it, it was a good shot!" Peter called, leaning over the back of his seat to grin and wave at the two below. He gestured to the air next to him. "Besides, it was her idea!"

Michelle peeked her head over and smiled, making an elaborate gesture of cranking her finger up to flip them off.

Mia gasped in mock betrayal. "Traitor!"

From much further up, Flash's voice echoed, "What the hell are you losers doing down there?"

Peter and Michelle laughed. When she saw Dmitri was laughing too, Mia smacked his arm. "Hey, don't encourage them!"

The torment, thankfully, would end soon. The Ferris Wheel creaked to a gentle stop at the top of its cycle; the seat swung idly beneath them, and Mia turned her head to face the sunset. It cast a brilliant orange-gold hue across the Atlantic — the entire city. Skyscrapers were turned into giant beacons as their heavy glass sides reflected the light. Above, the sky faded from red to pink to blue to black. Shadows were cast long and deep, a vibrant purple. Looking down, the Ferris Wheel became a network of web-like shadows, stretching out across the fairgrounds until it was rendered virtually unrecognizable by the shape of the land.

Although Dmitri could feel the temperature dropping as the sun began to fade, he didn't mind. The beauty of the moment lied right before him. He didn't see the sunset, or the multi-colored clouds, or the fantastic skyline. Dmitri, instead, found himself staring at Mia.

Her face was turned away from him, and backlit by the sun she was little more than a silhouette; the dying light reflected off the loose blonde hair around her head, individual strands lit up like fire. The sunset had given her a halo, and Dmitri couldn't tear his eyes away.

And her hand, resting right next to his. Dmitri was highly aware of how close it was for the past minute; he'd been working up the will this entire time, trying to find the courage to reach out and hold her hand.

Right there. Right there. He could do it. Surely it'd be fine. Mia wouldn't react badly to it. Dmitri was pretty sure, at least. Hopefully she wouldn't find it too weird. She wasn't wearing gloves. Neither was he. Hopefully that wouldn't be a problem.

Dmitri shifted his hand, fingers reaching for hers.

The Ferris Wheel groaned, and shifted forward. At the same time, Mia turned back to look at him again. Dmitri took one look at her brilliant smile and lost his nerve. Trying to make it look natural, his hand overshot hers, and caught around the handlebar in front of them.

The moment, lost.

"What did you think of that view?" Mia asked, fidgeting slightly in her seat. Something about the height, the scenery, had energized her. Dmitri couldn't recall the last time he'd seen her so… happy.

"Stunning," was all Dmitri could think to say. He was too busy mentally kicking himself.

It was, at least, the right thing to say. Mia laughed a little. "Not so bad for your last day in New York, right?"

To emphasize her point, she nudged him slightly with her shoulder, just a light bump. But Dmitri felt like a leaf in the wind. If the handlebar hadn't been there, the force of her touch surely would've sent him plummeting right off the Ferris Wheel.

Despite his failure, Dmitri was glad when they reached the bottom and were able to disembark the ride.

Dmitri supposed it would be easier to just tell her, but he wasn't sure he could be so bold.

But when else would he have the chance? Dmitri knew he'd probably see Mia again, whenever he returned — but he didn't know when that would be. And whose to say she hadn't already moved on by then. He didn't want to wait. He didn't want to have regrets.

This was very serious talk for a sixteen-year-old boy.

Maybe that's the problem, Dmitri told himself, as he and Mia got ice-cream after the Ferris Wheel. I'm taking this too seriously.

They'd split from the rest of the group, who'd gone to a local pizza shop for a large pie or two. Dmitri wasn't that hungry, and it had been Mia's choice to hang back while the rest went on ahead. The ice-cream had been his treat, a thanks for the stuffed wolf.

"How come you didn't want to go with them?" Dmitri had asked out of mild curiosity.

"Dunno," Mia murmured, almost to herself. They were side-by-side, leaning against a railing that overlooked the boardwalk, the beach beyond. Night had settled over the city now, pale green light pollution fading into a deep velvet black on the flat horizon of the sea. Her gaze was focused somewhere out there, cone clasped between her two hands. "I'm not a fan of big groups, makes me antsy. And Flash was pissing me off."

"You did look a little homicidal at the end, there."

That made her laugh. A throaty, ringing sound — brief, but strong and hearty. The sound of it made Dmitri feel tremors in his chest; He knew it was genuine because it sounded so unlike her usual sotto voce. "That obvious? Yeah, I can only listen to so much talk about Italian race cars and the quality of room service at the Ritz before I start to lose it."

Flash had indeed talked at length about his affluent lifestyle; he and Ned competed on that score, although Ned had a decidedly different choice of topic (Dmitri didn't understand what a Mandalorian was, though). It had only become grating when Flash ended up dominating the conversation, and kept changing the topic to himself whenever it strayed.

"By the way, let me see that picture," Mia added, holding out her hand. "The one that Peter took on the Ferris Wheel."

Dmitri pulled it from his pocket. He'd wondered why Peter had given it to him and not to her. "I thought it was a nice photo. Ambush and all. You looked good in it."

Oh, daring. Dmitri had only meant it to reassure her, but he feared it came out as an explicit complement.

"Debatable," Mia said, until she studied the photo for herself. It was a high angle shot of the two of them in their seat. It was remarkably well-lit, both their faces easy to see, with pleasant smiles. Mia included, Dmitri had been surprised to find. A genuine one, it seemed, the way her eyes crinkled. "Hmm. Okay, so I stand… corrected. It's not that bad."

"You just don't want to admit that Peter was right about it being a good shot," Dmitri said with a wry smile. He was starting to grow wise to some of Mia's behaviors.

Mia cast him a sidelong glance, but she seemed to be fighting a grin. "Absolutely not. The only reason he gave that to you was because he was worried I'd rip it up."

Dmitri took the photo back and examined it a little closer, angling it better under the streetlamp. Peter was an excellent photographer, he decided upon realizing how perfectly it was taken, the scaffolding of the Ferris Wheel framing them in the shot, the hazy lights of the carnival blow adding a kind of fairytale atmosphere to it all. He glanced up at Mia. "Would you?"

Mia pursed her lips, but didn't hesitate: "No. I'd never ruin his art."

"And it doesn't hurt to be a little intimidating," Dmitri added.

"No, it doesn't," Mia said with a knowing look, mollified. She nodded towards the photo, "And Poloroid film is expensive. It'd be a waste of money."

"Your concern for his financial expenses is touching." Dmitri couldn't help a sarcastic remark, and Mia bumped his shoulder again to reciprocate. He laughed and raised the photo, asking, "Do you mind if I keep this, then?"

"Oh, it's all yours," Mia replied with a shake of her head. "Besides, if Peter or May found out that I kept that, I'd never live it down."

"What, you don't keep pictures of me in your room?" Dmitri asked, pretending to be offended.

Mia threw him a funny look. "Do you keep pictures of me?"

"No," Dmitri said, and quickly tucked the photo away before Mia could change her mind. He couldn't hide a mischievous grin. "But I never had one until now."

"I — oh," Mia blinked once, and immediately averted her gaze, suddenly fascinated with her ice cream. She stumbled over her words in an uncharacteristically clumsy manner. "Well, that's — that's nice of you. Evil. Of course. But I… you know. Nice, too."

The shift was a little bizarre and Dmitri didn't quite know what to make of it. If he didn't know any better, he'd say she was embarrassed. A state he'd only seen a few times, tops. He wasn't sure what to say, but it did make him laugh a little.

"What?" She asked, frowning at him.

"It's nothing, you just…" Dmitri reached out, and with his forefinger gently brushed a bit of ice cream off the tip of her nose. "... have something on your face."

Mia jumped, ever so slightly. More out of surprise than anything. Eyes widening, a sort of strange pallor drawing her face. For a split second, she appeared like a deer in the headlights, still, unmoving. Thinking.

Before Dmitri could ask her what was wrong, her hand shot up, cone in hand. And bapped him right on the nose.

Dmitri recoiled in surprise. "Wha —"

Without pause, Mia said, "So do you."

She was right. The blow hadn't been hard — not even a blow at all, just a light graze, enough to leave some of her own ice cream behind. Dmitri, caught completely off guard, wiped his hand across his face and stared at her. Mia jolted slightly, horror dawning across her face, as if just now realizing what she had done.

They stared at each other in mutual shock.

Then started to laugh.

It began small, a strange, instinctive snort. First Dmitri, and then Mia, trying and failing to smother a giggle. From there, it was all over. Infectious, exponential, rising fast and sudden until they were both keeled over the railing, laughing so hard it was difficult to speak.

"I'm sorry," Mia wheezed, and when she looked up, she raised a hand to his face, "Wait, you missed a bit —"

Mia never got to finish because as soon as she brushed Dmitri's face with her sleeve, they both started to break down again.

"You — you gotta hold still — oh my god —" In her attempt to clean his face mid-laugh, Mia dropped her ice cream, and instead of being a defeat, it started another round of hysterics.

A few times, it looked like things were finally calming down again, before the two made the mistake of looking at each other, which immediately incited more laughter. Dmitri didn't think of how loud they were until he caught movement out of the corner of his eye, and realized an adult couple was staring at them. Well, more like glaring.

Mia, noticing Dmitri had just swallowed his next laugh, looked over and spotted the couple. Not wasting a second, she lifted her hand up to them.

Dmitri, recognizing the gesture she was about to make, acted fast. He caught her hand with his, pulling it down before she could give them the bird. "No, no, let's not do that."

And then just… didn't let go of her hand.

Mia glanced at him in surprise, and for a moment Dmitri thought she'd just use her other limb. But she didn't. Mia just glanced down at their hands together, then back at the group who'd given them the stink eye.

"Killjoys," Mia muttered, casting one last sharp look at the passerby before they left.

She didn't let go, either.

They both fell against the railing again, red-faced and exhausted. It seemed, at last, that the hysterics had finished. Until they glanced at each other again and shared a secret smile. Dmitri had to duck his head, shoulders shaking as he smothered another laugh. His face and stomach hurt, and he was quite out of breath. His ice cream, too, had fallen to the ground — initially an act of solidarity, but had only made things worse.

"Let's not tell anyone that happened," Mia said, eyeing the pair of cones, now food for ants. Or rats.

"I don't think they'd believe me anyways," Dmitri replied, running a hand over his mouth and his aching cheeks. "The real Mia Fletcher would never laugh that hard."

"Hmmm," She cut him a suspicious look, considering it. "Fair. But you can't kill an idea once it's out there. First the rumors will start, and then who knows what will happen next. Better they don't know."

"That's very paranoid of you." Dmitri snorted. "The Conspiracy of the Girl Who Never Laughed."

"I do like a good conspiracy," Mia nodded in satisfaction. Then she sighed, earning a questioning look from Dmitri. Seeing it, she seemed to grow self-conscious, glancing away and shrugging her shoulders. "It's nothing."

Dmitri mimicked her and shrugged, too. "Doesn't seem like nothing."

"It's…" Mia frowned, a slight pinch in her brow. She looked at him for a long moment, not saying anything. At first Dmitri thought she was angry or upset for some reason, until she took a deep breath and said, "I'm glad you're here."

He tilted his head. "You said that already."

"Well, that's because I mean it," She replied, in a somewhat stern tone. Then Mia looked down. At their hands, perhaps, but Dmitri was too busy studying her face, trying to read it. It had reverted to its usual impassiveness, although the way her brow worked, she seemed to be deep in thought. "I'm just going to miss you, that's all."

Her hand was cold in his.

"Oh," Dmitri said, blinking in surprise. That was not what he imagined her to say, in any lifetime. He struggled for a moment, trying to collect his thoughts, to find the right words, but found everything very scattered in his head. "I — well, I'm — I'm going to miss you, too."

Saying that felt like a punch to the gut. Suddenly, leaving felt very, very real, and far too soon. Eventually, this night would end and he'd say good-bye and it'd be the last they'd see of each other. Not forever, but for a while.

Perhaps sensing this, Mia's hand tightened around his. A gentle squeeze.

It helped Dmitri forge on. "But it'll be alright. I'll be back eventually, and we can still call, or write, or —"

"What, like pen pals?"

Dmitri laughed. "Yes, sure, pen pals, why not."

His fingers interlocked with hers.

Mia smiled again, the genuine kind just like in the photo. "I'd like that. Get ready to not understand a thing I write, though."

"It's not so bad. You just have to get the trick of it."

Slowly, or perhaps all too quickly, they had been drawing closer together. Dmitri didn't even realize it until how big those gray eyes had gotten, freckles like stars, felt her soft breath on his face.

Inches away.

Closed eyes. Leaning in.

Almost...

"Hey Mia!" A voice cut through the air. Rushing footsteps. "Dmitri! Guys!"

Like two magnets of the same polarity, they yanked apart. Hands flying away, faces flushed, looking at anything but each other. Specifically, at Ned, who'd just run up to them, panting.

"There you guys are!" He came to a stop in front of them, leaning on his knees to catch his breath. "We'd been looking all over for you. The bumper car arena just opened up, you in or what?"

"I — what?" Mia grimaced slightly, pinching the bridge of her nose as if she had a headache, hiding her face from view. "Uh, yeah, sure."

Ned looked to Dmitri, and it took him a long moment that he was expected to answer, too. He didn't want to. Not really. A mix of emotions were swirling through his head and it was hard to think through it all. But he didn't know what else to say. So he said, "Sure. Love to."

He sounded decidedly unenthusiastic, but if Ned noticed, he gave no heed. Just gave them a big grin and whooped, "Awesome, full team! Let's go!"

Both watched Ned take off without following. Not immediately, anyways. Dmitri glanced at Mia, but looked away before she could return it. For a split second, he thought they might've kissed. That she would let him. But now he'd never know.

Mia was the first to move, taking a deep breath and following Ned's receding form. Dmitri stared at the back of her head, hand flexing, cold where hers had been, working over a thought in his head.

But took it back.

And followed her. It was already too late.

The moment, lost.

Never to be found again.

~ o ~

Dmitri woke with a start, heart pounding, eyes blinded by the sudden rays of light filtering into the dormitory. High ceilings, tall windows, rows of beds. Not at all like the streets of Coney Island, he couldn't remember where he was for a moment.

A sentry had come through and already unlocked their handcuffs, but Dmitri remained where he sat, on his bed, while the girls went off to the bathrooms. His head still rang with the memory. That had only been half a year ago. Yet so far away, so long ago. Dmitri could still feel Mia's cold breath against her lips.

That scent of hers. Honey and gunpowder.

The click of the trigger.

A cold shiver ran down his spine, and Dmitri finally willed himself to his feet. Time to put the past behind him.