Dimitri

Vladimir

Dimitri looked across the table at Lia. The light outside was fading as they sat in his room. It was still humid though and it must have been unbearable for the people who were still on buses returning to their compounds. This annual summer gathering of the captains was a necessity he knew, but it also happened at a time when tempers were short. In the next few weeks Dimitri knew that tensions would rise and he and his men would be frequently out of the compound as they tried to maintain order. Six captains controlled what was left of the earth. Each had their own compound and followers, organised in very different ways.  Sergey, Lia's former captain was a strong leader but not a military one. His compound was run more as a commune with shared labour in the field.

Across the table, Lia stood up and moved across to the basin they used for washing. The movement dragged Dimitri back to his ongoing worry. Lia. She had settled into a routine fairly easily. Three times a day she trained on the mats with his recruits. Vlad had taken on the role of her trainer, most probably to keep an eye on her. He said that she was making good progress and had shown a talent  with the crossbow. Her eye was steady and she consistently hit the middle of the target. Dimitri knew that his council and most particularly Alexi still didn't trust Lia, but as the days passed and Lia had made no attempt on his life, he had a sense that they were slowly relaxing about her presence in his room.

Dimitri looked at Lia in the fading light. Although she was still on the small side, he noticed the muscle developing in her legs and arms as she trained regularly. Her dark hair was in a plait and as she turned towards him and smiled, he was struck again by that constant feeling that he knew her.

'Can I bring you something  while I am up?' Lia asked Dimitri. In the weeks that she had been with him in the compound, they had settled into a comfortable routine. Lia tidied his space and made sure there was food and drink for them in the alcove. She cleared away the dishes and made sure that their shared space was organised. Dimitri looked fondly at her. He enjoyed the comfort of another person. She still slept on his bed and when he was in the room at night, he slept on the couch. This way the distance between them stayed in place and he respected her boundaries. Even so, Dimitri was aware of a growing attraction to her. Some evenings when he came in after she was asleep, he sat and stared at her. In sleep her face looked younger. One evening he had come in earlier than  usual and he had seen her washing at the basin. The memory of her pale shoulders and the curve of her breasts had stayed with him for the rest of the night and he had struggled to sleep.

'No thanks,' Dimitri replied. 'Come and sit with me while we have some time. The days ahead will be busy as the summer meetings start'.

Lia moved across to sit down. She smiled at across the table at him. Her growing feelings for Dimitri were confusing to her. She hardly knew him but there was this intimacy between them that she didn't understand. It was as if she knew already what his body looked like. She could recognise the scars without seeing them and know how to touch him in a way to pleasure him.

'Lia'. Dimitri said softly. Startled she felt the heat rushing to her face. This was not the time to fantasise about Dimitri. Definitely not while he was in the room with her! 'Come and sit next to me'.

Lia hesitated and then moved across to the other side of the table to sit next to Dimitri. He lifted his arm and she moved into the curve of his body and rested her head on his shoulder. Gently he kissed the top of her head. Lia lifted her face up so that he could kiss her on the lips. Dimitri shifted his body and the kiss deepened. Lia was aware of a growing heat in her. She moved her hands down and touched his shirt. Dimitri mirrored her movements, but he was bolder than her and his hands moved into her shirt towards her breasts.

'Dimitri!'

The sound interrupted Lia and Dimitri and they moved away from each other quickly. Vladimir knocked at the door and shouted again. 

'Dimitri!'

'Come in,' Dimitri said as Lia hastily adjusted her top. He caught a glimpse of her flushed cheeks and wondered if Vladimir would notice them. Vladimir rushed in.

'We have an emergency downstairs,' he said urgently to Dimitri. 'There is a fight in the city and we need to help Sergey to restore order.'

Dimitri stood up reluctantly.

'Don't wait up for me,' he told Lia. 'It's going to be a long night ahead'

Vladimir and Dimitri left the room abruptly. Lia stood up and walked across to the window. It was now completely dark outside but the heat of the day remained oppressive. She could see the lights of the city now in the distance. Lia thought about Dimitri and the way she had felt when he had kissed her and touched her. She sighed as she thought of the complication this growing tension between them brought. Perhaps it was just as well Vladimir had disturbed them. She certainly hadn't wanted to stop and she didn't think Dimitri did either. It was probably better for both of them that they had though. Life in the compound was complicated enough already.