Brothers Romanoff [MMF]

2

Xiomara sat at the bar waiting for her boyfriend. It wasn't like him to be late. In fact he usually 15 minutes early.

"Waiting on someone?"

Xiomara glanced over at the man beside her. He reminded her of the common depiction of an Angel. Short, stunning blonde hair, blue, piercing eyes. He wore all white, adding to the effect a small, sly smile on his face.

"My boyfriend," she smiled back.

"Boyfriend? Oh...I'm disappointed. I thought I could buy you a drink?"

The woman just smiled and shook her head. "I appreciate the offer but no thanks."

He nodded and cleared his throat. "I've got a special little skill, actually."

She rolled her eyes at his insistence on talking to her. "God, are you gonna pull out your dick?"

"No, that's a gift. No, my skill is reading people. Would you like me to read you?"

She scoffed and rolled her eyes, but he continued without her permission.

"I think you have such a desperate need for the approval of your mother that you keep your posture uncomfortably straight even when she isn't around because you feel her breathing down your neck, her cruel voice in your head overlapping your own."

Xiomara froze, something cold and liquid sluicing down her spine.

The Angel just smiled, gently, as if he were doing a kindness with his sharp words.

"I think that your father tried but wasn't able to compete with her your mother's ruthlessness, cowering under her will like a monster that he hid from. I think you're paid well, but grew up in poverty. You're in designer but you didn't take the extra expense to get it tailored. You didn't opt for the large, which is only a dollar cheaper but I'm sure you debated, quality vs quantity vs cost before settling on keeping yourself thin and keeping yourself fed."

Xiomara took a sip from her drink wincing at the bitter taste as the man rambled on about his theories about her.

"I think your boyfriend's name is Mikhail and you have a sneaking suspicion that he's called you here to break up with you, because he said he had something to tell you and he sounded somber not that he ever sounds particularly cheery."

He waved for his drink to be refilled before continuing. "You've decided to take it in stride, after all, your father was useless and you have never trusted a man to be reliable since. How close am I?"

Xiomara set down her drink, turning around in her chair to face him. "You stalking me?"

He raised his hands in surrender, his blue eyes twinkling. "No. We have a mutual friend. Mikhail. He's not coming to break up with you, actually. In fact, he's not coming at all."

Xiomara's eyes darted to the exits.

"Relax. It's nothing...that odd. I'm not here to traffic or you, or kidnap you. He wanted us to meet. I'm his...brother."

Xiomara narrowed her eyes, pulling out her phone, dialing Mikhail. Lev just sipped his drink silently, remarking that it was good, complimenting the bartender.

"There's a guy at the bar claiming to be your brother," she whispered in a hushed tone. "He's freaking me out—"

"Put him on the phone."

Xiomara paused. Every instinct in her body was telling her this was too weird. It was time to go.

"Xiomara. Put him on the phone."

Lev extended his hand as if he could hear the conversation. "I told him I'd be nice. I suspect I didn't reach his expectations."

Xiomara swallowed, putting the phone on speaker. She refused to hand this man her phone. If this was a set up, she'd need it.

"Da?" Lev drawled.

"You said you'd be nice. Not bitchy nice. Enough with your fucked psychology talk. Be...nice. You piece of shit." Mikhail demanded.

"You talk to me like that again, and see if I don't take a knife to you and cut your tongue out," Lev remarked evenly with a smile, sipping his drink.

Xiomara frowned at the interaction. A playful venom. But brother didn't seem a correct word to describe this interaction. It was a little too...flirty.

"Lev..." Mikhail trailed. "Please."

"Hm..." Lev hummed putting his straw in his mouth, his eyes on Xiomara. "Since you begged."

Xiomara hesitantly put the phone to her ear. "Mikhail? This is your brother? Why didn't you just tell me? Where are you—"

"I'm sorry sweetheart. It's my fault. I was going to come but I got...caught up at work. Lev is just an asshole but he's harmless I swear."

Lev chuckled, murmuring something in another language.

"Okay..." she whispered, ending the call, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

"Xiomara,"

She sat up straight at the sound of her name. Had she even told him her name? She supposed Mikhail had.

He extended his hand. "I seem to have made you uncomfortable. My deepest apologies. I did not mean to. I have trouble regulating my mouth for people who do not share my...unique disposition."

She glanced his hand and up at him. "Want me to read you?"

Lev raised an inquisitive brow, a smirk on his face. He nodded his permission.

"I think that's bullshit. You watched me squirm. You enjoy your brother's begging. You don't have a unique disposition. You're just a sadist. And an asshole."

Lev grinned widely. "It seems we both have a talent, Xiomara."

She scoffed. "Fuck off."

"I'm afraid Mikhail and I are very close. You'll have to get used to me if you intend to stay with him. I'm the oldest you see, and he knows better than to defy me."

Xiomara narrowed her eyes. "Like you said. I have no faith in men. If you get too much I'll just drop you both."

Lev grinned offering his drink. "Cheers to that?"

She just scoffed, clinking his drink. "Cheers to that."