Don't Touch Me. [ON HOLD]

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ꜱɪx - ʟɪɢʜᴛᴇʀ

WELL, I GOT to the hallway that Nick talked about. I had followed his directions, going up the stairs and walking straight, before ending up at the left hallway. I now stared down that very hallway, which he forgot to mention had not one, but four doors.

"Dimitri's room is right there! It's so easy!" I muttered mockingly, rolling my eyes. What if he wasn't in his room right now? Would I have to go into each one and look for a lighter? That would totally make me look like a thief.

I stopped next to the closest door, the first one on the left. I knocked. Nothing. I quickly moved onto the next one, the second door on the left. I knocked. Nothing, again. I sighed. I turned around and made my way to the first door on the right. I raised my fist and knocked, but before I could even touch the door, a tall brown-haired man swung it open.

"What?" Dimitri asked harshly. He definitely didn't want to see me right now. Before I could respond, a smokey scent caught my attention. I sniffed the air and looked back into his room, ignoring his angry glare. I couldn't really see much, but not because of Dimitri blocking the way. It was dark, the windows' curtains shut. Candles lit up shelves, nightstands, and a desk.

How... how many candles did this guy have?

"What the fuck..?" I muttered, squinting my eyes to get a better look. I could faintly hear calm music play.

"Anastasia, what do you want?" My eyes slowly made their way back to him.

Oh.

He was shirtless, in a pair of black joggers. My eyes widened as I stared at his left arm. A sleeve of tattoos, starting from his wrist, climbed up to his shoulder and left pec. Or man titty.

They were flowers, done in a realistic black-gray style. They wound around each other; peonies, roses, snapdragons, along with other unrecognizable flowers covered his arm. It was a delicate, yet striking sleeve.

"Ana. What. Do. You. Want." Dimitri seethed, looking like he was about to shut the door on me altogether.

"Oh, uh, lighter?" I stammered, still staring at his tattoos.

"Finally." He muttered, leaving the door. He stepped into the darkness for a couple of moments before returning, lighter in hand. I reached for it, but he drew his hand away.

"What now?" I whined, withdrawing my hand.

"Why do you need it?" Dimitri demanded. Ugh, why did all of them have to be so suspicious of me?

"I have a scented candle." I lied, staring up at him. He didn't budge.

"Fine, it's incense. It won't smell too much, I promise." I lied again. I began to fidget as he attacked me with his gaze. I gave up and groaned.

"Okay, I smoke. Can I have the lighter now?" I begged, Dimitri sighing and shaking his head.

"No." He answered, beginning to shut the door.

"Waitwaitwait, please? I really need to right now. I haven't smoked since, like, two days ago. I'm begging you." He paused, the door now half open.

"How long have you been smoking?"

"Only since last year. I've never been that into it, my friends kept bugging me. I just want to right now." Dimitri frowned as I explained. He sighed again.

"Fine. I'm coming with you." He said, opening the door fully before retreating into the darkness that was his room. There was some shuffling before I faintly saw him blowing out all of the candles. The soothing music was shut off as well.

"Okay. Let's go." Dimitri walked back to the door, handing me the lighter before stepping out into the hallway. He was now wearing a gray hoodie.

"We're like opposites." I commented as we walked, pointing at my clothes and his. My joggers were light gray like his hoodie, while his joggers were black like my hoodie. He scoffed. We then walked in silence, making our way down the stairs and to the front door, putting our shoes on. I opened the door and stepped outside, Dimitri just behind. I began walking to the right, hoping to smoke somewhere at the side of the building.

"This way." Dimitri corrected, pointing to the left. I paused, confused. Who was he to tell me where the best smoking spot was? Regardless, I had to follow him, since he'd already started walking in that direction.

"Why this way?" I asked as I caught up, now walking just behind him after we'd gone down the front steps.

"It's where I used to smoke." He responded gruffly, turning into a corner at the edge of the building. So that's why.

He stopped and turned to face me, waiting. I began to sit down, wanting to rest, before remembering these were Anastasius's clothes. He'd probably hate it if I sat on the ground right now. Although, his clothes were probably going to smell anyway after I finished smoking. Still, I got up and stood like Dimitri. Grabbing my pack and taking a cigarette, I placed it back in my hoodie pocket before lighting the cigarette. I took a deep breath and then began coughing, tears pricking at my eyes. Dimitri laughed a bit.

"You don't do this often, do you?" He leaned against the wall and stared down at me, watching me take another huff from the cigarette.

"Yeah, well, they said cigarettes would calm me down."

"Who's 'they'?"

"My friends from my old place."

"Do you miss them?" Dimitri asked after a moment. I shook my head.

"They really weren't even friends, just people who'd stick around me at parties."

"I thought you said they made you start smoking?"

"No, well, it just got annoying after a while. Anytime I'd be around they'd have a smoke, and ask me to join. It got repetitive so I just said sure." It got quiet after that. Yeah, maybe not the best reason to start smoking, but whatever. They really were annoying, constantly asking me about this and that. I started hoping they'd shut up, but I ended up smoking every now and then of my own accord. I wasn't addicted or anything, I just tended to like to smoke when I got stressed.

"What was life like before moving in with us?" Dimitri broke the silence with an unexpected question. I made a face and dropped my now finished cigarette, rubbing it into the concrete with my heel.

"It was fine. I had a mom, some friends, went to parties and stuff. I had a part-time job. Passed my classes with okay grades. Didn't really do extracurriculars like clubs or sports though." I bent down and picked up the crushed cigarette, cupping it in my hands. They probably wouldn't like it if I left cigarettes everywhere. I began to reach for another one before Dimitri spoke up.

"What was Mom like?" He continued. I flinched, looking up at him. Oh, right. This guy had the same mom as me. For the first time, it really sunk in that we were... related. He met my gaze. He looked kind of sad.

"Why?"

"Just curious. She left, so I wanted to know." Oh. Right. Why did she do that? Why did she take me, and not Anastasius? Why not both of us? Or any of us at all? I clenched my jaw. What expectations did Dimitri have for Mom?

"She was okay. She ended up leaving me and fucking our lives up, though, so I don't know." I spat. My words, which I had hoped hurt my mother beyond the grave, stung me instead. I felt hurt by my own words. What a thing. Dimitri twitched.

"I didn't know she left you too. But you shouldn't be resentful, it doesn't help." My eyes widened at his words, before narrowing angrily. This guy had no idea what he was talking about. How could I not hate her?

"Yeah, no." My voice felt lower than usual. Dimitri pushed himself off the wall, looking confused despite his normally angry expression. He opened his mouth to say something, but I was faster.

"Alright, well, I'm done. It looks like the cigarettes didn't calm me down after all." I felt my eyes begin to burn. I spun around, taking large strides up to the front door as I wiped my eyes with my sleeve. Stuff about Mom was really making me emotional. Did she have to bother me even after death, too?

AGRIMONY