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sydnikov · 8 months

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Sunkissed (pt. 3)

Link to Part 1, Link to Part 2

Pairing: Andrei Svechnikov/female!Reader

Word Count: 6.3k

Summary: Thanks to a few meddling friends, your anger and hurt towards Andrei begins to dissipate when you realize that not much about him had actually changed, and was still the same guy you used to remember. A playful day spent in the sun and a close conversation under the moon only brings the two of you closer, revealing the feelings Andrei had been dying to say since the moment he saw you again.

Warnings: Cursing, hinting of body dysphoria, vague hinting of sex in the end maybe?, angst, tooth-rotting fluff (y’know, the usual)

A/N: Don’t ask me why this was posted a month later than I said it would be 😶... Anywaysss, alas, the long-awaited part 3 is here!! If you’ve stuck around this long, I applaud you because I know it’s taken me forever to post this LOL please comment and reblog, ily all

Translations:

¹Солнышко - Little sun

The morning after the boys arrived was a hard one to wake up from. You weren’t able to sleep in, for instead you spent the night staring at your ceiling as the faint sounds of gentle breaths and soft words disrupted the silence you were used to.

When the beginning of sunrise finally appeared over the horizon, you just decided to get out of bed since you knew you wouldn’t be sleeping with the sun shining in your eyes. Heaving a sigh, you slid out of bed and threw on an old hoodie to keep the morning chill from nipping at your skin before quietly walking downstairs to the kitchen.

Lucky for you, the room was entirely empty as you were the first one awake. It wouldn’t be for long though, because rarely ever were hockey players able to sleep in due to their rigorous traveling schedules.

At least you had a few moments of silence, you breathed out a gentle sigh as you poured your coffee, the warmth from the mug welcome to your chilly palms as you propped a hip against the kitchen counter, staring at the ocean waves as they reflected the beginnings of early sunlight.

As the sun steadily climbed over the horizon, you took your time to think over what it was exactly you were feeling.

Or, rather, what you were feeling about Andrei.

Sad? No, but there was definitely a bittersweet taste on your tongue at being reunited with him.

Angry? Oh, most definitely, but really only at yourself.

Excited? You couldn’t really tell if you were being honest. The nervous butterflies in your stomach were something you were used to when around him, but your heart racing at the long looks he was giving you was something that definitely wasn’t there before.

And the way your breath hitched at the slow, heavy footsteps you recognized coming down the stairs wasn’t helping you figure out how to feel about said-Russian, either.

You didn’t turn as you heard him enter the kitchen, his footsteps coming to an abrupt stop as he most likely saw you standing by the window. You felt rather than heard the way his mouth opened as if he was looking to speak, but in not wanting to disturb the peaceful atmosphere he luckily kept whatever he wanted to say to himself.

Though as he went to grab a bottle of water from the fridge, you couldn’t help but take a small peek. His hair was messy, and he was wearing a loose t-shirt that still managed to cling to every muscle on his body. Damn it.

“Good morning,” You quietly murmured in an attempt to ease the tension, hoping the sight of your tired eyes and messy bedhead wouldn’t suddenly deter him.

But Andrei still smiled, a small one full of endearment as he looked over your sleepy form and really, he couldn’t help but wonder how it took him so long to finally see what was right in front of him.

The meaning behind his look was lost on you—watching him watching you, you were slightly skeptical as to what he was thinking but simultaneously felt too tired to really care.

It didn’t matter what he thought of you anyway, right?

Right?

Andrei took a small sip of water, relishing in the way it soothed his throat. “What are you doing up so early?” He asked, having never remembered you to be much of a morning person.

Then again, as you pleasantly reminded him that night so long ago, he didn’t know everything about you, either.

You shrugged because even you didn’t really know the answer. “Couldn’t sleep much. Besides, I’ve already made a habit of waking up when the sun rises, so why stop now?” Your smile was lighthearted and honest, wanting nothing more than to fall back into playful banter like you used to.

“You? A morning person?” He tilted his head with a small grin. “The world has gone crazy.”

You scoffed playfully, rolling your eyes. “Shut up. You still don’t like coffee so I’d say we’re even.”

“Milkshakes are better.”

“That’s…” You shook your head, actually laughing, your mouth agape in disbelief. “That’s debatable.”

And the two of you stood there in the kitchen, giggling quietly and staring at each other as if you couldn’t believe the other was right there in front of you. Eventually, you both fell quiet, the comforting silence welcome as you reveled in being in each other’s presence again.

As you sipped your coffee, lost in thought and the serene beauty of the beach outside the window, you failed to notice Andrei’s longing gaze as he watched the morning light kiss your cheeks, wanting nothing more than to be able to hold you close under the warmth of the sun.

“Is the beach nice at this time of the year?” The Russian soon spoke up, and you turned to him with a glowing smile at the prospect of describing your new home to him, and with that Andrei could already tell how much this small strip of land along North Carolina’s coast meant to you.

“It’s amazing,” You gushed, and immediately you had his rapt attention. “The weather has just started to cool off so it isn’t unbearably hot anymore, and the water still feels amazing so it’s okay to go swimming.”

“Is it not hot all year long?” He asked with a slight tilt of his head, genuinely curious.

“We’re in North Carolina, ‘Drei, not the Bahamas.” The nickname slipped from your lips without a second thought, and once you realized what you said you almost wanted to take it back, but the way his face lit up had you returning his small grin.

You forgot how easy it was with him, and the amount of unresolved issues between you just... Didn’t matter at that moment. You had your best friend back, and you convinced yourself for now that that’s what was most important.

Andrei bit back his grin as he took another sip of water, feeling his heartbeat pick up at the sound of his old nickname falling from your lips. He’d missed you so much. It made his heart beat so fast that, in the heat of the moment, he tried sitting up, just about to open his mouth and—

“Good morning!”

Martin bounded down the staircase resembling an overexcited puppy, his hair the epitome of a rat’s nest, and the delicate moment shared between you and Andrei was gone.

The two of you shared a glance, him looking back at you with a slight raise of his eyebrow that let you know the two of you were thinking the exact same thing.

Martin, you little shit.

“Morning. Did you sleep well?” You asked your friend, biting back a yawn as you watched him pour his coffee.

“More or less,” The Czech player shrugged. “I never sleep well in different places, and the sun woke me up.”

You winced, smiling softly. You’d forgotten to warn them to keep their blinds closed as no matter where you were at the beach, if you didn’t have them shut then you had no chance of sleeping through it. “Yeah... Sorry about that, I forgot to warn you.”

Martin shrugged, an easy smile on his face as he finally turned to face you. “Sepe and Turbo are already up, I heard their voices from their rooms. They’ll probably be down in a bit.”

You couldn’t help the slight disappointment you felt at the news, because that meant the moment you shared with Andrei was now definitely gone.

It’s fine, though. Just friends. Remember?

Sure enough, a few minutes after Martin delivered the news, the three of you in the kitchen turned your heads as a sleepy Sebastian and Teuvo made their way down the stairs, looking like they just rolled out of bed even though they’d already been heard talking.

“Did the sun get you guys too?” Martin asked with a shit-eating grin, cheekily dodging the arm Sebastian swung to punch him in the side.

You snorted into your mug of coffee, watching Andrei step in to keep the grumpy Finns from jumping poor Martin. “Yes, yes, the sun is a bitch, now finish drinking your coffee so we can go to the beach.” Wisely, he ignored the disgruntled looks they sent him.

“What’s got you in a chipper mood?” Sebastian asked his teammate as he settled down beside Teuvo, narrowing his eyes at Andrei.

The centerman was perceptive enough to catch the quick look his Russian friend sent you at the counter, and he couldn’t help but roll his eyes fondly because of course. Andrei went to open his mouth, but Sebastian just shook his head.

He already knew, anyway.

The group remained in the kitchen for a good several minutes after that, and once they all finished their coffee and breakfast they agreed to get ready to spend the day at the beach, with Teuvo even suggesting that they even grill outside.

You then proceeded to protest, saying that you didn’t have enough food to grill out… But then Teuvo opened the freezer to reveal several pounds of meat they had snuck in the night before.

And so here you were now, adjusting the straps of your swimsuit and trying to convince yourself that you looked fine. Maybe not model fine, but you looked okay, not as good as her but—

You stopped yourself quickly. No. You weren’t letting yourself go there. Not with Andrei here.

Casting yourself one last glance in the mirror, you released an anxious sigh before exiting your room, biting nervously at your lip as you heard numerous voices downstairs. But luckily, they all seemed preoccupied with packing water and snacks, leaving you to slowly battle your anxiety because these were your friends. They had never judged you before, so why would they now?

Sebastian asking for your help without even spending more than a second looking at you reminded you of this fact, and you were able to reluctantly calm your nerves as you helped him stuff a cooler full of ice.

Only, the anxious flips and somersaults your stomach had been doing earlier came back tenfold when you heard Andrei coming down the stairs, and you hoped your stumble as you tried lifting a box wasn’t noticeable.

Except these were your best friends, and they noticed everything.

“Hey, you okay?" Sebastian asked quietly, peeking his head around the counter to get a better look. He’d heard the rather loud fumble of the box in your arms and when he looked over, he saw you anxiously wringing your hands together with a troubled look on your face.

You opened your mouth, attempting to respond but words just wouldn’t come. You couldn’t stop your eyes from looking over at Andrei where, unsurprisingly, he looked mouthwatering in his swim trunks.

Sebastian saw your eyes drop to your body, and it clicked almost immediately. “Hey, hey, look at me,” He quickly approached you, gently tilting your face up with his hands when you wouldn’t meet his eyes. “You’re beautiful, okay? And amazing and thoughtful and everything a bunch of idiots like us could ever want.”

You couldn’t help but crack a smile, your eyes watery as you shook your head so he would stop his sweet ramblings. Your face was on fire from his rigorous complimenting, but your thoughts were silenced and you were reminded once more of how thankful you were to have your best friends here with you. “Rosa’s a really lucky girl, you know that?”

Sepe shook his head, a small grin on his face.

“Thank you, Sepe.” Sebastian needn’t respond with words, for the bright smile he sent you was enough.

Breaking free from the bubble of insecurity that held you captive before, you cast a quick glance around you to find that nobody else had seen the delicate moment you and Sebastian shared.

Not that it would have mattered, but… You looked towards Andrei again, but instead of your stomach churning with nerves and self-consciousness, you only felt tingles of excitement and anticipation.

Feeling better with Sebastian’s words running through your head, you finished packing for the day with the rest of the boys and finally began to make your way out through the convenient back entrance of the house, adding yet another reason to relentlessly thank your friend later on for letting you stay.

The sun was harsh as you made your way toward the water, but luckily the breeze did its job in cooling you down. It also helped that it was early September, leaving the weather more bearable.

This didn’t stop the sand from heating up to unbearable temperatures, though, as early September was still hot.

Practically all four boys let out various sounds of pain as their feet came in contact with the sand, for while Europe got scorching hot in the summer, too, it was nothing compared to living in the southern United States.

Andrei cursed in Russian, Sebastian made some weird strangled noise of distress, and Teuvo and Martin just sprinted toward the water.

You couldn’t decide if you wanted to laugh or ask them if they were okay.

“How do you stand it?” Andrei asked, out of breath as he hurriedly stepped onto the towel you set down for him.

You shrugged, biting back a smile. “You get used to it after a while.” You spread out your own towel over the sand. “And it helps that I didn’t grow up in Russia.” You raised an eyebrow at Andrei, your smile mischievous.

“Russia still gets hot, you know,” He said, watching as you began scrounging around in your bag.

“And yet you still act like you’ve never walked on a beach before,” You retorted, not even bothering to hide your smile at his scoff. “Hey, have you seen the sunscreen? I could have sworn I brought it,”

“Is this it?” He asked after reaching into one of the bags, and sure enough he was holding the bottle of sunscreen. Right as you thanked him and went to grab it, Andrei suddenly yanked his hand back and held the sun protection just out of your reach.

“Andrei,” You warned, narrowing your eyes.

“Take it back first,” He grinned, watching you scrunch your nose in confusion. “About me having never walked on a beach.”

You crossed your arms. “Why would I take something back that’s true?” Your tone was serious, but your expression was lighthearted and playful as you watched your friend narrow his eyes in challenge.

Andrei shrugged, a faux innocent expression on his face. “Come get it, then.” He waved his arm with the sunscreen out of your reach, watching you scowl with a shit-eating grin.

You both knew he was practically double your size and thus made trying to beat him in, well, anything physical was bound to end up in failure.

But, damn it, you wanted your sunscreen, and maybe you didn’t particularly have a problem with tackling him to get it, either.

You stared at him for several moments, and when Andrei’s eyes darted away for a mere second, that’s when you lunged. With an evil grin, you fell face-first onto his chest and sent the two of you flying into the sand. Andrei let out a girlish scream as you climbed up his chest, your bodies shaking with unrestrained giggles as even with your hand on his face, he still managed to keep the sunscreen just out of your reach. “Damn it, Andrei!” You screeched as suddenly you lost your balance, conveniently landing on the sand right next to him, and not one to waste an opportunity Andrei quickly took advantage of your momentary distraction to trap you beneath him.

“I’m sorry,” he said, panting with exertion as he leaned over you with a mischievous smile while you scowled at him from below. “Did you want this?” He waved the sunscreen above your head, and when you tried to make a grab for it he quickly pinned your arms to the ground.

You opened your mouth to protest, a meager insult on the very tip of your tongue as you stared up at his eyes, and that’s when you suddenly realized how… Close you were. With his face merely inches from yours and his body pressing down into your every nook and cranny, you had a hard time reminding yourself of all the reasons why being in this position was a bad, bad idea.

But you were always weak when it came to Andrei, even after all this time away… Your face heated up as your eyes remained locked, and before you did something stupid (like kiss him) you kneed him in the stomach, delighting in the pained grunt he let out before you quickly took back the sunscreen and retreated to a safe distance away.

You grinned triumphantly as the Russian sat back down with a frown. “Thank you!” You said, ignoring his defeated muttering as you turned around to finally relax in peace.

Though with Andrei settling down beside you on his own towel, it was practically impossible to ignore his presence and the lingering tension between you. That moment you shared before… It was close, almost too close.

You felt like you’d finally reached an equilibrium with him, and you didn’t want to mess it up with any more close calls like these. The last thing you needed was more ammo to start a fight.

You pretended that you couldn’t feel his eyes burning into the side of your face as you readjusted your sunglasses and laid on your towel. You weren’t sure what was running through his mind and weren’t sure if you wanted to find out, either.

A couple of hours passed quietly, with nothing but the sounds of passing seagulls and the rising and crashing of the waves creating a serene atmosphere that lulled you to sleep. It was that stage of REM where you were just at the cusp of consciousness to be aware of your surroundings—aware enough to hear the sounds of footsteps walking through the sand.

But you were so comfortable… There was a nice breeze going that contrasted nicely with the heat, and you really just didn’t feel like moving even when you recognized a voice to be Sebastian’s.

“You coming, ’Drei?” he said, and from what you could gather without opening your eyes was gulping down fresh water.

A colony of seagulls passed overhead and their cries stole your attention for a moment, long enough for you to realize the two men beside you were still talking when you finally tuned back in.

“—asleep?”

“No—actually, wait, yes, I think so,”

It was Andrei’s voice, speaking from somewhere beside you.

“What?” you said, your voice nothing more than a mutter as you gathered the energy to awaken. “‘M not asleep,”

Squinting against the harsh glare of the sun, you honed in on Andrei’s face which currently had a smirk on it. “You have sand on your cheek.”

Sebastian snorted, and you hurriedly rubbed the sand off your face.

“Ass,” you mumbled with little mirth, turning away when you felt the beginnings of a smile break through your faux irritation.

The Finnish centerman settled down on the towel on Andrei’s right just as the Russian leaned over to poke you in your most ticklish spot. “But I’m your ass,” he replied cheekily, avoiding the arm you swung to hit him with.

Teuvo and Martin soon approached, the latter stomping through the sand and Teuvo, to no one’s surprise, sneaking around the back. “Stop flirting with each other and go back to sleep, Jesus,” Martin said, plopping down right in between you and Andrei.

Several chuckles came from the others, and then, “Pass me the chips, yeah?”

The five of you continued relaxing and reveling in the atmosphere of the beach, with you eventually laying back to read a book as Sebastian and Teuvo floated in the water while Martin and Andrei played volleyball. It was comical because you couldn’t decide between watching the two Finns get pummeled by the waves or Martin and Andrei hitting the volleyball as hard as they possibly could at each other.

Holding back your laugh when Martin launched the volleyball right past Andrei’s head, you looked up from the book you’d barely read a page of and saw the sunset, which had turned the horizon a brilliant shade of pink with fiery streaks of orange and golden yellow painting the sky.

You’d lived on the Outer Banks for many months now, and yet the sight never failed to take your breath away. There was something special about sharing the wonders of your home with the people closest to you that made the moment that much more memorable, you thought.

As you stood there, eyes lit with the glow of the sun, Andrei happened to look up from retrieving the volleyball Martin had blasted across the beach and had the breath practically stolen from him.

Because there you stood, hair blowing with the wind and your body outlined by the fading sunset in the horizon, and he was struck with yet another regretful thought of wondering how and why he had let you go.

Martin shouted an offensive name his way, and Andrei watched as you turned towards the duo, a bright shade of pink dusting your cheeks when you realized you’d caught the Russian staring. He opened his mouth to speak, but yet again was interrupted by his teammates.

“What the fuck is taking you so long—” Martin complained.

Sebastian had a smirk on his face as he exited the water. “He’s occupied, Neci,”

“Who’s occupied by what?” Teuvo, following Sebastian and as clueless as ever, asked.

Andrei threw the volleyball at Martin’s head. “I hate all of you.”

If the saying, ‘boys will be boys’, had a definition, you had a feeling it looked something like this.

Ducking your head to hide the flush of your face, you quickly changed the topic. “Ready to head back? The sun is setting now so it’s going to get pretty chilly.”

They agreed, and after packing up all of the beach equipment you had brought down – not without interruptions, of course, as biteless insults followed by playful punches kept the group distracted – you trudged back to the beach house.

Teuvo disappeared somewhere inside, and Andrei and Sebastian headed to the backyard to start up the grill with all of the frozen meat they’d smuggled in the night they arrived. You and Martin, meanwhile, were enjoying being back in an air-conditioned room and were content to watch the two hockey players outside argue over what to grill first.

“Sebastian has probably already said this already, but you’re different,” The right-winger said, looking at you curiously.

You took another sip of water. “You mean a good different, right? I would hate for all this self-healing to go to waste…”

Martin laughed. “No, definitely a good different. After… Everything that happened back in Raleigh, it’s good to see you so happy.”

You smiled appreciatively at your friend, and it was silent between the two of you for a moment. Then, you couldn’t help the way your eyes shifted back outside to the main reason ‘everything’ made you move away in the first place.

“He seems different, too. In a good way.”

“He wasn’t the same after you left,” Martin stated, boldly. “Julia was good to him, do not get me wrong, but…” he trailed off, looking at you as if he wasn’t sure he was supposed to be explaining this to you in the first place.

You stopped pretending Andrei didn’t occupy at least ninety percent of your thoughts, though, so you couldn’t help but pry for more information about him. “But what?”

The Czech player grinned, then, as if he had a secret he wasn’t going to let you be privy to.

“She wasn’t you.”

There was a triumphant shout from outside that interrupted the moment, and the two of you turned to find Andrei gleefully placing steak on the grill while Sebastian was crossing his arms with a scowl.

“Looks like Fishy lost to Svech,” Teuvo suddenly appeared, and you squeaked as you jumped around to find him standing next to Martin as if he’d been there the entire time.

The left-winger looked at you innocently, sipping from the glass of water he’d taken from the counter. His introvertedness was something that had drawn you to him in the first place, why you got along so well—and it was also the reason you had mini heart attacks every time he snuck up on you.

“What?” the Finn asked, looking between you and his teammate curiously. Martin grinned, exchanging silent words with him. “Nothing. Should we go join Sepe and Svechy before they actually start hitting each other?”

You nodded immediately, Martin’s words still playing on repeat in your mind. She wasn’t you. What did he mean by that?

The next thing you knew you were sitting outside on the patio, five chairs surrounding the fire pit crackling at a steady pace. The steak the boys had cooked was delicious, and the conversation easily kept your mind off of what happened inside earlier.

“You totally have blisters on your feet,”

“Do not!”

“The bottoms of your feet are red, Martin,”

You and the other three boys dissolved into laughter at the look of disgruntlement on the Czech player’s face, but even he couldn’t resist the hilarity of the situation and let out a few chuckles, too.

The wind had slowed down by this point, leaving the fire to crackle and spread its warmth all around. Sunburns by fire were, in fact, a thing, so while everyone else was absorbed in conversation you quietly slipped away to give your overheated skin a break.

Your absence, however, did not go unnoticed.

As you quietly snuck past the gate that led to the beach, Andrei’s eyes immediately locked onto you as you ventured down the beach and watched until your figure was no longer visible.

Mildly concerned but most of all curious, he too slipped away while Martin, Sebastian, and Teuvo were in a heated debate over who got the best tan.

Sinking his feet into the cool sand, Andrei took a moment to let his eyes adjust to the dark before searching for you, eventually locating your figure standing at the water’s edge.

Silently, he approached from behind before moving to stand next to you. He didn’t offer any words, content to merely be in your presence, and you only shot him a quick glance before turning back to the ocean.

If you were being honest, you weren’t surprised at all to find Andrei joining you. You kind of expected it, was hoping for it, almost.

The rate at which you were falling for your best friend all over again scared you like nothing else before, but here, in your home, surrounded by peace and love and friends who supported you?

It almost made you forget what brought you back here in the first place, why Andrei and feelings just didn’t mix.

So, you said nothing. You stared straight ahead, at the stars’ reflection over the dark water, the lulling sound of the waves filling what would have been an awkward silence.

But, Andrei, ever the extrovert between the two of you… The silence was killing him, your silence was killing him. Even after months he still knew you like the back of his hand and knew you were deliberately holding back.

He just had to find a way to convince you that he was worth it—even if he hadn’t been, before.

“I’m sorry,” he finally said, his voice just barely loud enough to be heard over the waves.

You looked at him in confusion. “For what? You haven’t done anything.” And, truly, he hadn’t. Andrei was clean in your book; you’d finally started to forgive and forget, willing to leave it all in the past. The determined look on his face, however, said he had every intention of visiting that torturous night you tried so hard to forget all over again.

“Not now. I haven’t done anything now. But back then, the night of my engagement,” Andrei grumbled out that last word. “I was terrible. There was no excuse, is no excuse. You mean everything to me and yet I treated you like nothing.”

You stared at him as a torrent of emotion crashed through your body like the ocean waves. And yet, with the wind making a disastrous mess of your hair with the moonlight outlining the soft lines of your face, Andrei had never been more in love.

How dare he get engaged to another woman when you had been right here in front of him all along?

“What?” you managed to squeak, mind racing to process the words that just left his mouth. “What are you saying?” you said, softer, almost afraid to hear his answer.

You were taking a chance as you stepped closer to him, trying to get a better look at his face. He was opening up to you, for real, this time, and you wanted to make sure you understood every word that left his mouth.

“I didn’t realize then how my words damaged you. How what I said only pushed you away when I meant to do the opposite,” his volume was only a touch above the roar of the waves, and yet you were still drowning.

“And I didn’t realize how much you meant to me—mean to me, because every time I stared into Julia’s eyes I only saw yours. I guess that wasn’t enough for me to connect the dots.

“When you left that day,” he took your hands in his own, tangling them together. “You took a piece of me with you. You own my heart, ¹Солнышко, and I am so sorry it has taken me this long to realize it.”

There it was again, that name. Solnishko. Little sun. You hadn’t heard that nickname since the night of your big fight, and it lit something back up inside your heart you hadn’t even realized had gone dark.

Your eyes welled with tears, and still, Andrei had never seen a more beautiful sight. He moved closer, slowly bringing his arms up so you could move away if you wanted, and when you didn’t—he did the one thing he’d wanted to do the moment he first saw you again.

Andrei pulled you into his chest, one hand cradling the back of your head and the other wrapped around your waist for the contact he’d been yearning for. He took in a shaky breath, kissed the top of your hair, and whispered sweet nothings to you as you cried.

And your body shook, hands gripping the soft fabric of his shirt because you were never letting him go again.

“I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I’m here now.”

“Don’t leave me again. I can’t take it. Not now—”

“I’m not going anywhere. Never again, I promise.”

As your voice cracked on another sob, Andrei moved his hands to cradle your cheeks, bringing your foreheads together. “You are so beautiful,” he murmured.

If you were Andrei’s sun, then he was your moon. He was your calm, your safety, your anchor as the deep blue did its hardest to rattle you.

Your laugh was wet as you cracked open your puffy eyes, moving your hands atop his and clutching them like they were your lifeline. “You’re just trying to butter me up so you don’t have to kidnap me to take me back home.”

Andrei didn’t deny it. He shrugged, biting his lip to hide a smile as he brushed the hair out of your face. “Hopefully I won’t have to go that far. I’ll go wherever you are, even if I have to drive two hours every day to see you.”

You pulled back at that, pretty sure your hair was tangled from the wind but not really caring how you looked at the moment. “You’re sure?” you asked.

Andrei nodded. Yet, your insecurity persisted.“But what about—”

He interrupted you by slamming your lips together, rendering you speechless. Happily picking up on your slack, his lips soon turned gentle rather than demanding, loving, and then slowly pulled back with only a sliver of air left between you.

“Don’t say her name when I’m with you,” he breathed, eyes lit with a passionate blaze. “She’s gone. It’s only you, it’s only ever been you.”

You huffed, feeling another onslaught of tears coming. “How did you know what I was going to say?”

“Because I know you. I love you.” The Russian stepped closer.

“‘Drei,” you said, voice bordering on a whine. “I don’t think—”

“Please don’t shut me out. Not now, when I just got you back,” Andrei interrupted desperately, seeing right through the apprehension on your face.

You laughed wetly, rubbing the tear tracks from your cheeks. “And here I was, finally moving on, and now is when you decide to throw me for a loop.”

The Russian looked a little confused, unsure of what to make the smile on your face paired with the perceived harshness of your words. “Do you remember our fight?” you then asked, not giving him a chance to even think through your last sentence.

He nodded his head warily, again taking your hands in his own. “I try not to,” he admitted. “I hate thinking of how much I hurt you.”

“Do you remember what I said to you that started it?”

“You said you loved me,” he replied almost immediately, and you watched the way his eyes seemed to fall quickly after.

He thought you were going to say you didn’t love him, not anymore.

“I still do,” You knew you made the right decision the moment his head shot up, surprise and adoration coloring his face at your confession. “I don’t think I ever stopped, even though—”

Andrei, yet again, interrupted you with a toe-curling kiss that left you dizzy, flustered, and ecstatic all at once. “You just made me the happiest man in the world.”

You laughed, finally letting yourself lean into his body and let him support your weight. He was comforting, and he kept you warm in the unrelenting wind.

A round of obnoxious cheering came from the beach house, the sound breaking the bubble you and Andrei were in. You tensed up again at the reminder that you weren’t alone, not really, and you were going to have to face the world again, only this time with Andrei by your side.

The forward said your name and your eyes fluttered back to him nervously to find him watching you with concern. “You’re tense,” he said, rubbing one of your shoulders as he towered over you.

You let out an anxious breath, trying to relax your shoulders at Andrei’s touch. “Sorry. I’m just… What does this mean, now? For us?”

“Well,” he said, gently tugging your right hand so you’d intertwine it with his. “We’re going to let the boys settle their bet once they see us together—”

“They were betting on us?” You balked. Of course they were.

Andrei merely shot you a grin before continuing. “Then we’re going to enjoy the rest of this break, and then I will take you back to Raleigh with me so I can show everyone that you’re mine now.” Upon seeing the look on your face, he quickly clarified. “If you want to come back, that is,”

You merely raised an eyebrow.

“I won’t make you, if that’s what you want. I know you love it here, and—”

It was your turn to interrupt him as you reached up to drag him down by the collar of his shirt and reassure him of your desire. He let you lead the kiss, groaning at the slow, teasing drag of your lips before you abruptly pulled back.

“I have to get things settled here, say goodbye to my mom again, but… I want to come back,” You bit your lip at the heat in his eyes, knowing what your words were doing to him. “I miss the guys. I miss Raleigh, and I miss being there with you.”

“Okay,” Was the only word he seemed to be capable of speaking, looking at you as if he still couldn’t quite believe you were in front of him. “Okay,” he repeated, more confident as he laced his fingers with yours.

The two of you shared a smile with hope and excitement for the future, knowing that this was only the beginning of your story together. How stupid of you to think how you thought it ended oh-so-long ago…

You made your way back to the beach house slowly, reveling in the long, meaningful glances and soft smiles witnessed by no one but the stars. Your bubble of privacy was strong until you both became visible and then it was broken by one of the guys yelling, “Fucking finally!”

Rolling your eyes, you merely scoffed as you opened the gate and met them back at the pit. “Oh, shut up,”

Andrei’s eyes sparkled with the firelight, skin flushed pink with the onslaught of teasing he was receiving from his teammates. As you settled into the same chair, they said he was whipped and already looked lovesick, and the hooting and hollering only picked up as he placed a kiss on the top of your head.

Most of all they were ecstatic; their two best friends had finally found their way back to each other after months of hopeless pining.

Andrei too looked happy, as if all worries had left his mind in the short time he’d been here. It warmed your face just thinking about when you'd have the night alone, knowing he was going to make it up to you with more than just his words alone.

And there was a distinct glow on his cheeks, too, you thought, visible despite the lack of natural lighting.

Andrei asked if he was sunburnt, having felt the unrelenting heat in his skin. “No,” you said, brushing away a strand of hair that had fallen in his eyes. “I think you’re just sunkissed.”

A/N 2: I think this is the first time I’ve felt happy with how I’ve ended a fic. Now y’all see why I changed the title though 😏 I think I managed to wrap it up pretty well, and with how many asks I got on if I was gonna finish this series y’all better blow this tf up 🔫 (kidding!! But not really)

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