Chapter 6

Did I really just agree to go on a date with Ivan Drago? And not just a date, my first date. I've never went out with a men bevore. „You're a dangerouse women, who weakens mens legs" Mickys words echo through my mind. I've never understood what exactly he meant by that.

Ivan and I grabbed ourselfs a pizza on the way, as we walk around town. Soon I realize that we were at the love park. I've never been here before, but I've heard plently stories. Adrian used to tell me a few times how special this place was. „Once you're with the right person, it'll find you" she once said to me. Can this really be a sign?

Ivan and I sit on a bench near the fontain. Surpisingly enough there weren't many people around so it was nice and quite. My hands rest on my thights as I feel his hand slipping into mine.

„How old are you?", he ask causuly with his thick accent.

„I´m 18. How old are you?"

„23."

„You- you were in the army?" I ask trying to start a conversation, my minde refusing to coparate and I feel like there are butterlfies in my stomach.

„Da. Infantry Captain for the Soviet Army." He explains.

„Captain Ivan Drago" I let those words that hold so much meaning to him roll over my toung and he nods.

„How long where you in the army?"

„4 years." He answers as he's looking in my eyes and continuing on telling me more about himself. „When I was little my father was how you say..." he takes a moment. „Drunk. He was also in army and then after he just drink. Here and there he would yell and hit my mother, not often but did happen. He would kick me and I fly across the room into book shelf, because I walked infront of TV. When I was old enough I made sure he would never hit her again."

I lift my head up and just look at him with sadness in my heart, not really expacting him to open up to me that way. What real men would lay a hand on a women, let alone a women he suposendly loves and his child at that, but now everything with Ivan starts to make sense. Why he boxes, why he wants „to bring honor to his country".

„I went into army at 18, right after graduation." He goes on. „That's were I started boxing. Nicolai and Sergei were looking at worthy fighters and saw me fight fellow soldier Alexei Baluk." He starts to tell me. „Final fight in the USSR was on the deck of a warship, were I defaded the „best boxer in the Red Navy" Yurri Denisov."

„So you won every fight?" I ask currious. Having him sit next to me, so close that I can clearly feel his strength.

„Da. My amateur record is 100 wins and 100 knockouts." Impressve I think to myself.

Ivan starts caressing my hand and I definatly start getting butterflies in my stomach. This men is portated as this unstoppable, dangerous monster, but at this moment I feel the safest that I have felt in a long time.

„You are close with Balboa and Creed?" he asks slowly.

I give him a nod. He was so honest to me and showed my his vulnable side that I decide to let my guard down for one and open up to him. It scares me, because i've never really opend up like that to anyone, but something in my gut just tells me that I can trust him.

„I never knew my dad and my mother had her own demons to fight, so that left me to look after my self. At sixteen I dropped out of school and ran away from home. I was extremly lucky and got a job at a gym." I look at him. "The same gym where Rocky trained" I slowly ad. „Mickey, the guy who owned the gym, took me in and gave me a job. He always yelled at me for how stupid I was for droping out of school, but I needed the money. I had to promise him to at least get out of that gym and get a somewhat decent job that payed enough so I didn't have to depend on anybody." I let my head sink a little as I feel the tears start to form in my eyes at the memories, that are starting to come back.

„He died recently. Rocky and Apollo offered to help me out, but I never wanted to take advantage of the wealth they had. I wanted to earn it myself." I never told anybody my whole story. Rocky and Apollo knew a lot of that because they were involved, but telling Ivan that and him just listening to me and ever so slightly he would give my hand a slight squeeze to reasure me that he was here now.

Ivans finger carefully grab my chin making me look up at him. „I'm sorry for your loss." his voice is low and I place my head against his hard muscular cheast, enjoying his presence wishing that this moment would never end.

I lift my head from his shoulder and notice how his eyes search mine. My heart beats faster and faster and I am firmly convinced that he hears it too. My stomach tightens into a huge knot.

My head is screaming at me. That this should be wrong because, after all, I just met this man a few hours ago and he would be fighting Apollo in a few weeks, but I realize that I don't care at that moment. This moment just feels right with me in Ivan's strong, muscular arms, his sea blue eyes and his plumpy lips. He is looking for my permission and I grant it to him by moving my head closer towards him. We do not stress ourselves but simply enjoy it. His hand strokes my cheek as he lowers his head and I finally feel his lips on mine.