All By Design: A Nikolai Lantsov Series

Chapter Thirteen: they say the end is coming

In truth, Nikolai Lantsov was not entirely sure that the plan was going to work. He'd never admit that, of course. This was his last chance of having both his career and his love. Most people have to pick one or the other, but Nikolai was trying to rob Fate and have the best of both worlds. It wouldn't have been surprising if it hadn't worked out.

Nikolai waits, and to his surprise, he is alright. The world is not supposed to be kind to him, it never has been, but even as the days roll by, nothing stops this grand scheme of theirs. It occurs to Nikolai that maybe this is what it feels like to finally win the war. He never thought he'd taste a victory this sweet, and so he lets the saccharine delight of it burn his tongue over and over again.

Nikolai, used to disappointment, piercingly familiar with how it feels to risk something you love and lose it anyway, grows to know the sensation of contentment like it was the back of his hand. Nikolai Lantsov, who could convince the world that he has never come up short in his entire life, doesn't have to fake his happiness anymore. Some small voice inside tells him that he's going to have to get used to that. The voice itself grows louder by the hour.

He comes back to his apartment, to their apartment, their home, and no one tries to stop him. There was the brief fear that, seeing as Nikolai has now irrevocably tied himself to Y/N, he'd be caught in a mess that wasn't truly his, but he just came back from interviews for two different potential movies. Maybe the directors like the fact that he's this loyal to his girl because it gives them even more fame in turn. Or maybe they just entertain a hope that Nikolai would serve them even half as well as he does Y/N.

They'll have to wait for a solid answer on that front. Right now, Nikolai's biggest priority is making sure that he and Y/N have the life they deserve. He's been afraid to look this entire time, certain that he'll focus on his happiness just to watch it burst in his hand, but no; it's true. Somehow, they won. Somehow, they came out on top.

The rest of the world is still muddling about in the hubbub they produced, but Nikolai and Y/N have left the trouble of drama to the press. There will always be people in this world who can't wait to sink their teeth into the latest gossip, who'll tear well known facts to shreds in the hopes of coming up with some new angle, but for once Nikolai doesn't trouble himself with trying to keep up with the whispers. Most words said about them are positive. In a world like this, that's pretty much a blessing.

So, even when there's pushing and shoving outside their door, fights breaking out over the airwaves over Y/N wearing Nikolai's least favorite color or Nikolai daring to look at the actress who might play a romance costar in a future project, he ignores it all. The rest of the world is blocked out by memories played in loop; her hand in his, Y/N humming in their kitchen on late nights when they both refuse to go to sleep. Some dreams are best when you've living them in real life.

That, in the end, is the part of this that Nikolai loves the best. It is all blissfully, wonderfully real. He's tried pinching himself to see if he'll wake up, but even when his arms are littered blue and black, he still delights in every prick of pain. Nikolai opens his eyes and sees his girl right there by his side, he goes to sleep with her in his arms. No one in the world could possibly touch them.

That doesn't stop the naysayers from trying. The Aleksander mess took some time to sort out, but Nikolai would say that it ended up alright for them, at least. The new record label created by Alina, Y/N, and Zoya took the world by storm. They had an initial wave of support due to the thrill of it all, but once the rumors started spreading that the label actually protected its stars and lifted them up instead of constantly tearing them down, the requests for sponsorship started flooding their way in record time.

Y/N's more than happy to stay with their pet project, to be sure. Zoya, too, although her initial role wasn't what the fiery PR officer expected. True to her dream, Alina started the record label with Mal Oretsev right by her side, but as the stress and pressure stacked up, Alina decided that she wouldn't mind a little time out of the spotlight. Alina can handle far more responsibility than most people her age, she just hated how millions of people were always watching her.