the sea & the rhythm [OPEN]

[Forte!]

Twilight embraced the world. The day birds had gone to bed, and those who sang in the night were not quite awake. An eerie sort of quiet had descended upon the land, and the sky was a twist of purple-blue and the fading orange that tinted the bottoms of the few scattered clouds that broke the horizon. Gradually the light crept away, and the darkness of night broke through the top of the top of the great curving skyline. A single human silhouette broke the lifeless magic of the fast-fading dusk, standing alone on the sand with his breaths timed to the rhythm of the waves as they fell across the beach. Dmitri raised his dark eyes across the great black body of water, the crests of each wave rimmed with the ruddy orange color, overcome by the beauty and the power and the endless dark expanse of water that stretched out on and on across the land.

He had never before seen the ocean, and the sheer... infinity... of the whole thing blew him away. He had forgotten that he had come here out of some inner sorrow that gnawed silently at him, that he couldn't bear to stay at home. Home. He had never thought that about anywhere, really. Everything had always seemed... temporary, unstable. Like it could break in the softest of winds. He couldn't bear to face himself in the mirror and think that he was happy. Against all odds. Against everything that he knew and had known and had forgotten. And at the same time, he was bitterly sad and missing home and wanting to go back. He didn't understand his own thoughts anymore. But now the waves drowned out the endless buzz of thought and confusion, and allowed him to just breathe for a moment. To stop thinking and abandon himself to the beauty and power and the abyss that swallowed his own petty little problems.

He had left his shoes and socks back by the rocks, lying lonely among a scattering of shells and sand. The tugging tide danced across his toes, cold and drowning out everything except the hypnotic motion of water. A little sigh escaped his lips as he looked back across the wet sand, at his own small, crooked footsteps across the great canopy of white. He felt insignificant, swallowed by some great perhaps and pushed along by a current that he could not fight against. It was a sad feeling. He'd lost control of his life long ago, probably before he was even born, but at the same time he didn't like to be so aware of that fact. Especially not when he was beginning to think that he acrually had a choice. With another sigh, he sank to the ground, not caring that his pants were going to be covered with sand and completely unaware of the amount of itching the stuff did once it had dried out. Not that he cared much at this point.

[Frenzi™]

;; The brilliant colors of the painted sky announced the ending of yet another day. The bright light of the moon washed out the colors from the rest of the world as the colors hit the peak of their hues, releasing anyone from their work to marvel as they stretched across the heavens. They blended until nothing was left over the city except a thick dark blue that blanketed everything, the moon's ghostly glow turning all colors into black, white, and grey. The tides lapped at the sodden sand, rocks and shells tinkling as they fell back towards the water. A chill hung in the air, whether it was imagined or real, not one person could tell, for it was different for each. Twilight fell, and a figure, looking as pale as the moon, walked softly on the wet sand, following a set of footprints that were so close to being washed away. They were deep, and set apart, almost as if someone had painted them into the sand while crouching and then springing forward. They could only belong to a single person.

;; The pale figure continued to move forward, walking parallel to the fading tracks, feeling a tickle from the twilight. There couldn't be a more difficult time to try and pick out the pieces that all blended together. Yet Ana always tried, forcing her eyes to see the larger picture. The shadows, the outlines, and not the small details that would leave one dazed and confused, as if they were pixels that were being stared at from the computer screen. Ana listened to the soft waves, and the way the sand yielded to her light footsteps, almost soaking up the sound. She had spent the most of the day sleeping, for yesterday, or two days ago, she had been in Europe. The ache that had managed to grow deep in her heart was so close to being filled, and it lay where the footprints ended. Dmitri, and none other.

;; A box was tucked under one arm, a red zebra-striped shirt and black basketball shorts were her apparell, pretty much the only things that were clean. Three weeks of clothes sat at the ranch in the laundry bin, waiting for tomorrow to be cleaned. Her green-blue eyes twinkled in the moonlight as she strode forward, her breath catching in excitement. Oh how she had missed Dmitri! The outline of the person she wanted so desperately to see barely made itself out on the horizon, and she sprang forward, clutching the box of chocolates. Still her footsteps could barely be heard over the soft waves that broke along the shore as Ana raced forward. It had taken her at least three hours to find out where Dmitri had been, no one at the ranch had seen him, so she had tried searching across the town, no wanting to wait until the dawn broke to see him. "D-mit-ri!" she called out, her voice not shattering, but brushing the stillness away.

[Forte!]

Dmitri didn't notice the figure advancing along the shore, he was so absorbed in his own thoughts. Ana had gotten home from Europe a few days ago, but he still hadn't seen her, much to his disappointment. He had missed her terribly, but, still, he couldn't blame her for leaving. For leaving him here alone. He knew she'd probably needed a break from all that was happening right now. Just like he'd needed a break, sitting here and watching the ocean with a tiny smile tracing his lips. He missed every bit of her, every random proclaimation that she tended to make in conversation, every little laugh at something that he said. Without her, it had seemed empty. He'd taken care of both her ranch and Ivan's, but only in a dutiful way, with no real joy in the work. It was all lackluster and monotone, the way it had been before she'd arrived. The way it would be after she left. But he hastily brushed that thought away.

Her voice broke his reverie, startling him. He hardly dared to believe that she was here, until he turned around and saw her, dressed in strange clothes and running down the beach. A slow grin dawned across his features, and he struggled to stand, slipping even more awkwardly than usual on the sand. "Ana!" he replied, unburying his feet from the sand and making his way towards her as fast as humanly possible. It was his turn to hug her this time, his eyes dancing with glee, overwhelmingly glad to see her. Pulling away slightly, he planted a kiss on her forehead, grinning broadly. "I missed you," he said, as if it weren't already obvious, "how was Europe?" He was just about bursting with glee, which was plainly shown in his grin and the way he was staring at her, again memorizing every part of her and holding on to her as if she might fly away again. Realizing that he was probably squeezing her to death, and that the box under her arm was jabbing him rather uncomfortably, he loosed his grip and took a step back.

"How'd you find me out here?" he asked, thinking about it. He hadn't told anyone where he was going, after all. And the beach wasn't a place he went very often, obviously, since this was the first time he'd been. He hadn't expected to see Ana until the next day, and the suspense had been torturing him. He hadn't wanted to wake her up from her jetlagged sleep, even though he knew she probably wouldn't have cared too much. He hoped that she had missed him as much as he'd missed her. "Anyway, I bet it was amazing. I lived next door almost my entire life, but I never saw any of it. What was it like?" He was feeling a little nosy, but still. He wanted to hear about what she'd done and seen and how she'd liked it.

[Frenzi™]

;; The still figure seemed to jerk to life as the sound of Ana's voice flew across the small distance left, and she just barely kept from laughing as he struggled to get up. To her it didn't seem like a struggle, just more like a statue awaking, just stiff from sitting still in a place for a monotonous amount of time. She was ready to give him a giant hug, but he beat her to it, much to Ana's surprise. He wasn't normally the one to initiate the hug, but she grinned and hugged him back. She felt the kiss just lightly on her forehead, and she reached up to kiss him back on the cheek. "I missed you too!" It wasn't really a necessity that either of them say it, but they did. That was the last of her breath, "Mitri. can't. breathe!" she laughed, grinning happily. Oh to see the smile that lit up his face again; by now it should be scientifically proven that no one had a better smile than he did."There we go." she winked, smiling radiantly, referring to being able to breathe.

;; Ana sat down on the sand as Dmitri started asking questions, and she listened for a moment before smiling, giving a short yawn, and patting the ground next to her. "Looks like you've been sitting a while, so it's fine if you stand, don't mind me. I'll answer your second question first, if that's okay." She sat the chocolates on the side opposite her, waiting until she was ready to stand back up again to give them to him. "I woke up, checked around the ranch, or on the doors for a note. Nothing. Then I practically ran around town, walking some and riding some, trying to find you." she smiled sheepishly, looking down and running a finger through the sand. "I know it's a bit compulsive, but I couldn't wait to see you... I guess that's just me. Anyway, it sort of took me four hours until I randomly thought of the beach at nighttime. Sorry to say I had no clue where you would be, though I knew I could rule out one place." She waved a hand through the air, watching as the moonlight danced around it. "So I found you here. Long boring story short."

;; "You don't even know how much I missed you... being with my aunt for three weeks after not seeing her for a while was... interesting to say the least." Ana laughed, remembering how her aunt had wanted to know everything. Every horse, what the horses looked like, what the ranch looked like, and of course, Dmitri. Talking about Dmitri was probably the worst of all, not because she was embaressed about him, just it made her miss him even more, if that was even possible throughout the whole trip. He made a comment and questioned, and Ana was more than glad to answer. "Maybe I'll take you there sometime, or somewhere else, who knows!" she thought out loud, then remembered his questions. "Oh! Yes, it was quite amazing, although France is not what everyone says it is. The air is clogged up with smoke and other disgusting stuff, and definitely wasn't my favorite place. But Ireland! You would love it there! Green all around, everywhere, along the lakes, on the hills, down by houses. Wonderful place. I left my camera back in the ranch-house, so I'll show them to you sometime."

;; The camera was still plugged into her computer. It felt wonderful to be home. Europe was wonderful while she was there, but when it came time to come back, she was more than ready to. "How was it back here? Anything new? Oh, I almost forgot." she turned around and grabbed the box that was sitting on the sand, and brushed off a few of the clinging grains. "Real Belgian chocolates! I wasn't sure if you would like them or not, because we both know how very picky you are about chocolate, but if you don't that's fine." The second half of her statement was mostly sarcasm, except for the part about if he didn't like it, it would be fine. "My aunt liked them, and I also asked the people at the counter if they tasted like the chocolate you like. Who knows if I can trust them though? But you were definitely right. This makes Hershey's taste like a bar of cardboard!" She was mostly just rambling on, hoping her words made some sense, and hoping they weren't all slurred together. Ana was just beyond happy to be back, and with no plans to go anywhere, anytime soon.

Notes: Oh my... that was WAY too much talking. xD SORRY! o.e...

[Forte!]

He chuckled sheepishly as he loosened his grip. "Sorry," he said, with a little grin. His embrace had been a little over-enthusiastic, now that he thought about it. He normally wasn't the sort to be so enthusiastic about something. He'd learned not to get excited about anything, because getting excited meant getting his hopes up, and that hadn't ever really turned out well for him. When she sat down, he sat down beside her, looking out at the waves for a moment before turning to her. "It's odd, isn't it? The time change?" he said. He remembered how awful it had been to stay up for 48 hours (Ivan hadn't let him take a nap at the time) just to get on American time. He was used to it by now, of course. But jet lag frankly sucked. "You really did that?" he asked, amazed that she had literally run all over town looking at him, "Gosh. I'm sorry. I didn't think you'd wake up in time for me to see you until tomorrow." He felt bad for making her run all over town, honestly. He could tell that she was still exhausted.

"Four hours?" he asked. Well, that didn't help him feel any better about this mess. A tiny frown appeared on his face, but it disappeared when she started talking about Europe. "I do too know how much you missed me. Besides, it can't be half as bad as me missing you. After all, you had plenty to do." He joked, before shutting up and listening. "It sounds wonderful," he said, dreamily almost, "I bet you had tons of fun." He wasn't jealous of her trip in the least. Dmitri was only just getting used to America, after all. He hadn't really been 'immersed' in culture at any point in his life, and all he'd ever known seemed stark and grim compared to the rest of the world. Although he was curious as to what was out there, he was already struggling to catch onto the thought that there were, in fact, other ways of living then that which he had known. As much as he'd loved Russia, and as close as it was to his heart, he was beginning to realize, in a depressing way, that where he was brought up was not a great place according to the standards of the world.

He chuckled at her next question. "Nothing interesting, no. I've still been going from Phoenix to Bar None every day, but that's about it." He laughed when she handed him the chocolates, remembering their previous conversation. He hadn't been feeling very good that day. "I'm sure I'll love it," he said with a grin, "thank you." He wasn't about to mention the fact that it would probably take him a million years to eat it. Dmitri hadn't had a whole lot of chocolate in his lifetime, except maybe at Christmas, and even then it took him forever to get through even a chocolate bar. Such as a Hershey's, which, of course, he didn't like in the first place. "And I do believe I told you that American chocolate tasted like plastic. I guess now you finally see what I mean." This was said with sarcasm, as he put and arm around her shoulder, shifting the box of chocolates to the other side of his body. He was just glad that she was back again, and that he was here with her. He hadn't ever imagined that he could miss someone so much.

With a grin, he turned back to the ocean, the great wall of black water. "You know, I'd never seen it before. The ocean, I mean," he said, quietly, "which is strange when you think that most of Russia's cities are sea ports." He sighed, looking back over at Ana. He hoped that chasing him around the city hadn't been too exhausting for her. "It's beautiful, but I never knew that it would be so... loud. I mean, we flew over it on the way over from Russia, but I was sitting in them middle of an airplane with Ivan to one side and some snoring fat lady to the other. I really couldn't see too much." He grew quiet, just sitting there and staring at her in the glow of the newly-risen moon. It was almost miraculous to see her again, it had certainly done a lot to improve his mood. He hadn't been in a great mood since the trial, in which Ivan had gotten much less jail time than he deserved. After a long moment, Dmitri finally broke the peaceful quiet that had descended upon them. "I love you," he murmured quietly, a little smile tracing his lips as he said it.

[Frenzi™]

;; Ana grinned back at him, "Don't worry about it, whenever you decide to give a hug, it's a cherished moment. One for the scrapbook; even though I don't think I will ever make one," she added quietly. She pulled her legs to her chest, sitting quietly and staring out over the black waves. Things had started to pick up their shadowed colors again, but everything still seemed so pristine and silent. There was absolutely no way that Ana could be out of it at the moment, for Dmitri was sitting right next to her, as real as the world around her, even though sleep tugged at the edge of her conscience. When he spoke the words just barely registered, and she resisted saying 'hmm?'. "Yes, very weird. Like right now, I have no clue what time it is, but it's dark, so I'm tired; but then, I'm also kind of hungry. Must be lunch time over there." The sound of his voice was better than the peaceful waves, the night birds quietly singing in the background, and anything else. A smile tugged at her lips. "Don't worry about it 'Mitri."

;; Ana could hear the frown in his voice, blinking as her vision blurred slightly. "Yep, four hours, but this time the quest wasn't as great as the prize. Whim is my only master, don't feel bad about it at all. If I didn't want to come out here and find you, I wouldn't have. But I did, and I am extremely glad that I did. It's so wonderful to see you again." she said, sighing happily. Ana nodded her head slowly, trying to mask a yawn, hoping Dmitri wouldn't notice. What time was it now? Barely past eight? Or earlier? "It was wonderful, but honestly, not as good as being here right now, with you." The thought occured to her that maybe Dmitri was happy just being here in America. He sure didn't seem to want to go rushing off to other places, but who was she to judge? Anyway, it would be a while before she went anywhere else. Jet lag was a terrible implication. Ana had been told by her aunt not to fall asleep on the flight back, otherwise it would be difficult to get back on normal time. But ten hours with not much to do, and her aunt asleep beside her, that didn't work out.

;; As the chocolates were handed over and the not-so-new-news was presented, Ana smiled yet again. "You're very welcome, and you're right, not very exciting news, but I'm sorry to leave so much stuff to you. I have no plans to go anywhere for a very long time. Oh, the chocolates are extremely rich, even I can't eat more than one at a time." It was so nice to be back, and when Dmitri put his arm aorund her shoulder, everything felt perfect. Ana laid her head lightly on his shoulder, "And yes, I do see what you mean. Never again shall I eat Hershey's. Wonder if they'd close to business down after tasting the real stuff... probably not." she mused, her mind being more shallow at the moment than a kiddie pool. As Dmitri's voice reached her ears again, she raised an eyebrow. "You've never seen the ocean? Wow, that's really hard to believe, but I do believe you. I'd assume you've never been swimming in it then, huh? Or tasted it." Her face scrunched slightly, rembemering all the times the blasted salt-water had rushed into her mouth, nasty stuff.

;; A small giggle escaped past her lips as she straightened back up, rolling her shoulders slightly. "Loud? That's a very interesting way to describe it, you need to go on a boat sometime, then you'll see the true meaning of the ocean, and all it's glory. This is a kitty cat compared to the lion out there," Ana said, gesturing to the ocean that lay far beyond the horizon-line. She had tuned Ivan's name out as Dmitri said it, but now it came back, tracing a slight frown on the edges of her lips. "Ivan and a fat snoring lady, not sure which one's better," she said, a hint of bitterness in her voice. She grumbled to herself for spoiling the light and happy mood, hoping above hope that her comment was somehow pulled away on the wind or something. Ivan... that name was less like a dagger to the heart, and more like an ant bite, but the trial didn't make his name any less grating to the ear. Dmitri's last words wiped all unpleasant thoughts from her mind, and in an instant she replied, whole-heartedly, "I love you too."

Notes: Well, that worked well. A tired-post for a tired person, posted by a tired person. xD Enjoy. ;]

[/blockquote]

[Forte!]

"You don't seem like the scrapbooking type to me," he said, looking at her in the shadowy light. The last tint of orange had crept out of the sky, but it hadn't gone completely dark yet. Her words were sweet, and a little smile played across his lips as he held onto them. He knew, he wasn't sure if he'd just figured it out, but he knew, that she loved him as much as he loved her. And it was nice to know that. She looked exhausted, though, and he was worried about her. He wasn't sure if he could carry her all the way to her car, in the dark, if she fell asleep. "You look sleepy," he murmured, his brow creased slightly with worry. Then he chuckled a little bit, "you can have a chocolate, if you'd like." he said, in response to her comment about being hungry. He remembered that, too. It would probably be a few days before Ana settled into the rountine of things back home, he thought. "Alright. I guess it was your crazy adventure after all, so I can stop worrying so much." He was worried, of course, but the fact that she was here was so nice that he let it go.

A little smile crossed his face at her next words. "I agree. It is wonderful. I wanted to see you from the moment you got home, but it didn't really work out." He should have gone to get her at the airport, he mused, but, of course, he'd been busy. Having two separate stables to maintain wore him down, frankly. He was almost glad that he'd only have to do so for a few more months, but at the same time he'd rather keep his distance from Ivan. He knew that the horses weren't looking forward to his return, and, as a consequence, Dmitri's departure. Dmitri doubted he'd be allowed to go back to Bar None at any point in his life. Her next words broke this line of thought, and he looked back over at her, grinning quietly. "Nothing compares to just being here with you," he said, more because it was true then because it was just the right thing to say, "but I'm glad you had fun, all the same. You deserved a break."

He shrugged at her apology, "It's no trouble, really. I'm a little tired and I've been thinking too much, but there's no permanent harm," he said. He could feel his heart attempting to beat out of his chest as she laid her head on he shoulder, and he drew just al ittle bit close, looking out at the ocean with a serene expression on his face. The turmultuous stream of thought and fancy had left him, and he abandoned himself to the sheer feeling of infinity that had swallowed him up. This was among the happiest moments of his life, if not the foremost among them. He chuckled at her next comment. "Soon you'll be just as picky as I am," he said, grinning. He shook his head at her next comment. "Nope. Never swam in it, never tasted it. I don't think I'd even felt sand between my toes until just now." Even when he said it it sounded ridiculous. He'd spend his whole life in a country that was rimmed by the Arctic Ocean and connected to the rest of the world through seaports through the seas. He'd lived inland, of course, but it seemed strange still that he'd never seen it.

To be honest, he probably would have gone for a swim. But right now he didn't want to move in the slightest. Right now everything seemed perfect, and he didn't want to break that. "Well, I knew that it was salty. And I knew that it was big. But nobody ever told me how it sounds when the waves crash on the rocks or on the sand... And I would like that, going out on a boat. It must be amazing to be completely surrounded by the waves." Her reaction when she mentioned Ivan surprised him, and he hastily dropped the subject, not wanting to spoil the mood. He knew that she'd never understand that Ivan was not, in fact, a terrible man. He had done terrible things, but in Dmitri's eyes that did not make him a terrible man. Dmitri had long ago realized that, had he continued living like he had in Russia, he would have ultimately ended up like Ivan. The man had nothing left to live for, no joy, no light to look forward to. Only the endless vicious cycle of attempting to survive and thrive in a world that seemed to want to put you out. Shaking away the thought, Dmitri turned his eyes back to Ana. "Yes, I know," he said quietly.

[Frenzi™]

;; A smile crossed her lips, "Nope, not a scrapbooker at all. My mind is just being tired, please excuse it." Ana tilted her head up to look at the sky. It was so weird, and even though she had thought it was completely dark, some rare streaks of color shot through the night. Then, just as she saw them, they faded back into the dark blues. She could not completely grasp the happiness that she felt at the moment, it wasn't exactly a foreign concept, there had been many times where she was happy, but this was different. It was something so unexpainable, but even still Ana was trying to put a name to it. Love wouldn't cover it, not happy, not joyful, either. Dmitri's words reached her ears, and she responded softly, "Hm? Oh, I guess, but it would be more of a... drowsy. Don't worry; I won't make you carry me." she laughed, stifling a yawn with her words. Ana marveled at how wonderful his chuckle sounded, after not hearing it for a while, she just let the sound resound in her head for a second before speaking back. "Nyah, those are for you, besides, I had a piece from the little box I have, still chocolated-out."

;; Ana nodded again, a frown tracing the outside of her lips. "It's my fault, I should've told the Laney's to do more, I am definitely not the best ranch-runner out there. Though you have been running TWO for three weeks."' She realized she was babbling and shut her mouth softly, reaching up to stop a strand of hair from falling in front of her eye. Ana hadn't once even thought about anyone coming to meet her at the airport, although the taxi drivers still creeper her out. After parting from her aunt back in Arizona, she flew straight back home, called a cab, walked inside, and promptly fell asleep. She was still surprised she made it to her room. Dmitri's next comment made her sit up straight and raise an eyebrow. A smile crept onto her face, "I feel the exact same way..." The smile faded, and raising a hand she gently poked his cheek, breathing a sigh of relief when he didn't dissapear. Feeling the need to explain herself, Ana giggled quietly, "Just making sure you were real, seems too good to be true, doesn't it? But it is true."

;; Ana quietly laid her head back on his shoulder, knowing she wouldn't fall asleep. As he talked she heard the thrumming of his voice, and then, it really was music. "Well, thank you very much then," she responded to his 'no trouble'. She was the sort of person that was grateful for the smallest helpful thing someone would do, and doesn't mind expressing her gratitude. Whether it be in words, or something like a raise in their pay. She let out a disbelieving laugh at Dmitri. "Picky? But you're so easy going! Or maybe you're picky, but polite..." she mused, wondering if he would care to elaborate or not. It didn't really matter if he did or not, Ana was just teasing him. She listened quietly as he 'confessed', and the thought of not having seen the ocean, or swam in it, or even felt sand, it was slightly difficult to grasp, mind-bending, if you will. "You lived in Russia though? How did you never go to the beach, or even drive by it? Not to be rude, of course." She added as an after-thought.

;; Once again Ana sat quietly and listened, letting the waves answer after his voice, silently planning. She was thinking of giving him a large bonus for keeping up the ranch for the long time she had been gone, but now she was thinking in a different direction. She was thinking of maybe a day deep-sea-fishing on the ocean, plus a bonus, just not as large as originally planned. "I think the boat can be arranged then," she said softly. A grin stretched across her face as Dmitri quietly talked. "Oh you do?" Ana questioned teasingly, asking more of a rhetorical question than a real one. She noticed quite clearly how he lapsed into a different subject, or silence after the mention of Ivan. A sigh came between her lips, and then a question. "Do you think that Ivan is a monster?" Ana cringed slightly, not from the name, but in regret of bringing up the subject once again after it was dropped, for her own sake, nonetheless.

[/blockquote]

[Forte!]

He chuckled again, quietly. "You know, you're adorable when you're tired," he murmured, grinning as he looked back over at her. Then added, hastily, "of course, you're adorable most of the time." He let that feeling of sheer invincibility and infinite realization wash over him, a peaceful, joyful, uncontainable emotion that manifested itself in every tone of his voice, every glance towards her, every movement and every breath. Dmitri knew, better than he'd like to admit, that everything must have an end. That nothing could go on forever, and that, if it were to, it would lose some fundamental joy that came with it. Yet, here, now, he could not bring himself to think that they would not always be sitting here on this beach. That they would not always feel so in tune with the other's emotions and thoughts. He shot her a quiet smile as she spoke. "Good," he said, shrugging as she refused the chocolate. He hadn't really expected her to take one in the first place - it wasn't in her nature to do so. "Seriously, Ana, don't worry about it. It wasn't as if you were making me run a marathon or anything."

A soft smile creased his lips, as he realized that she'd been rambling on a little bit. Contrary to being annoyed by the fact that she tended to do so, he liked it. He shifted a little bit when she sat up, since the motion surprised him, and then chuckled when she spoke, and even more when she poked him. "Trust me, Ana. It's really me, and you're really here," he said, laughter sparkling in his gaze as he beamed at her. To be honest, though, he understood. It did seem dream-like. The way the light hit the sand. The way the waves curled endlessly into oblivion. The way the first stars seemed to battle against the dark sky and the fading of the sunlight. The way that her hair felt against his shoulder and the side of the face, and the way that the warmth radiated from her body to his. He grinned at her next words, his smile not fading. "You're welcome." He meant it. Anything she needed he'd be happy to give, no matter how stupid or insignificant. No matter how grand a request, he would always give her all he had.

He chuckled at her protest. "Only about chocolate, Ana. I'm not a picky person, except when it comes to that," he said. He always seemed to lose these things in translation. Not that he was translating any more. When he'd first come to America, he'd taken every English statement and put it in terms of Russian and vice-versa. But now he didn't have to, and it was freeing. He'd thought English was an ugly language, not soft on the mouth or the ear, and definately not easy on the brain. But he'd come to like speaking it, even in the presense of Ivan, who was the only other person who spoke Russian here. He nodded at her next statement. "I know. I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. I lived my whole life inland, by the river. The most booming industry where I come from is textiles. We didn't own a car, all of us walked or biked to work. My driver's license from Russia only authorizes me to drive tractors and the like. And I've never been on a vacation, honest."

He wasn't complaining. He had, in fact, loved where he'd lived. But he was so much happier here. There were so many more possibilities, and the sheer amount of them stunned him. Shaking off the thought, he looked at her in disbelief at her next words. "Really?" he asked, not quizzically, but surprised. He honestly didn't expect any recompensation for running the barn for three weeks, he considered it his duty, which didn't need to be rewarded. He grinned slightly and nodded at her next question, but the smile faded at her next. He sighed, his brow furrowing. "It's complicated," he murmured, "but, no. I don't think that he's a monster. He's done monstrous things. And sometimes I can hardly bear to think about it... but..." he paused for a moment, thinking, "but he's not all bad. He saved my life, probably. More than once. Ana, when I lived in Russia I knew how my life was going to end. I was going to die. Alone, in pain, and probably young. Here I don't have to. Ivan is not without compassion. He's trying to survive. And the only way he knows how is through force and corruption."

[Frenzi™]

;; Ana grinned at him as he complimented her, and giggled when he hastily added the second part. "Adorable... hmm. Well, that's too bad, I was trying for the 'devious' look, for the most of the time part." she teased, winking slightly. "However, I'm satisfied with adorable," she beamed. Ana looked up through the eye on the side of her face that wasn't resting on her shoulder to see his face. There was something there, something new, something changed. She tried to place it, and the best thing she could come up with was sort of tranquil; the sort of feeling, or in this case, look depicting, that many things have turned out right. She couldn't help but feel that way herself, wondering if he really was thinking that, or the moonlight was messing up her vision. She thought it couldn't hurt to think that's what his face depicted, and if it was wrong, tranquil would go over just as well. Ana had a brief flashback of his face when they first met, so full of worry, and pain, now, it was just so much different. She let out a soft laugh at his statement, "I don't think you would run a marathon, I'm sure there's some stubborness in there somewhere."

;; She continued to gaze up at his face, loving how the moonlight paled it out, almost matching the moon's color. Yet she realized that the moon was just killing it's own reputation, for Dmitri looked far better in that color, and he held the beauty like the sun, when it lost it's blinding rays. The smile still played across Ana's lips, even as she spoke, "Arise, fair sun, and kill the envious moon, Who is already sick and pale with grief." It was a comment slightly innapropriate, seeing as it was completely backwards, but she thought about it, and had to say it. Ana mumbled a soft sorry after she poked him, and he also assured her this was all really true. It just felt too much like a dream, and too good to be true. There was just absolutely nothing wrong with this moment. It wasn't too cold, nor too hot, the set was gorgeous, and everything else seemed to fall into place. The thought of a couple, sitting and looking out towards the moon as it rose and the black waves, it just wasn't realistic. Yet that's exaclty what was happening, and it made the cheesy puzzles, and pictures with the scene on it, completely true.

;; As Dmitri explained she laughed quietly, "Ooooh, now that makes sense. It's kind of funny though, when you think about it. One, a guy is picky about chocolate. Two, you're not a picky person, and it really is a random topic to be picky about." Ana pointed out casually, not making fun of him at all. At least she could joke, not to mention use sarcasm, now that English seemed to be growing on him, and he still managed to keep the lovely accent. "Oh!" she said suddenly, reaching into the pocket of her basketball shorts and pulling out a small figurine. It was a cat with it's head in one of it's paws, standing on the two back ones. On the head was the normal cat features, with a huge literal ear-to-ear grin. "This, Sir Dmitri, is the one and only, Cheschire Cat!" She handed it to him delicately, watching his face for the reaction. "There was a Disney store on one of the streets we walked down, I also got the movie." she explained, feeling quite proud of herself.

;; She listened carefully as he explained the 'never seen the ocean' ordeal, marveling at a few of the things he said, although not really remembering what a textile was, if she ever knew. "Never been on a vacation... wow. You really need that boat trip. And yes, really." Ana mused, and then out of the corner of her eye she noticed his smile fading, followed by a weary sigh. She listened to him, biting his lip quietly and wondering why she even brought the subject up. She was silent for a moment after he finished, grasping all of what he had said. "I guess I should thank him sometime, maybe before he gets out of jail... if he didn't save you, you wouldn't be here with me now..." she pondered. Ana let a few seconds pass before throwing out another question, one that was straight-forward, but seemed to be skewed. "If that's how he's always been... is it impossible for him to be changed?" She bit her lip again, wondering why in the world she kept bringing the topic up.

[/blockquote]

[Forte!]

Dmitri leaned back slightly, listening to her giggle. It was a wonderful, melodious noise, ripe with bird song and dnacing. He had almost forgotten how beautiful her accent was, different than that of an American. He chuckled. "Oh, you're plenty devious. But you can be both at the same time," he conceeded, grinning at her. How funny, he thought, suddenly. How funny to be sitting here, in the sand, next to someone he loved, when before he hadn't ever thought he'd have either. Life sometimes just worked out on accident, without prompting and without control. Fate had driven him a kindly course for once. Dmitri hadn't smiled so much in his entire life. Or talked so much. He was a normally stoic person, but he was more at ease with Ana. With people in general, actually. Before, meeting and chatting and actually having a meaningful relationship with anyone had been nigh impossible, and, besides, he was more introverted than extroverted by nature. He hardly ever spoke or made his own plans with anyone, he was perfectly content alone and unfettered. Loneliness had never been an issue for him. "Ana, I would run a marathon for you."

Funny, too, how he really meant it. He'd never missed anyone half so much as he'd missed her, and was glad that she wasn't going anywhere soon. When she quoted Romeo and Juliet, his brow furrowed for a second. He'd only ever seen the quote in Russian, and it took him a while to realize what it was. A grin crossed his face. "How silver-sweet sound lover's tongues by night, like softest music to attending ears," he said in response, grinning. He remembered well reading the play, a long time ago, perhaps, but he'd remembered. Ha hadn't actually taken place in the production, he'd never had much of a talent for the stage (or anything else remotely like it, as a matter of fact), but he loved the words and the sonnets and the beauty depicted within. He wasn't much of a Romeo himself, he was not half so rash or bold or half so sure of himself and his own thoughts, but the sheer eloquence of tragedy had always deeply affected him. The thought that love could endure under such circumstances and against such odds was an idea that was close to his heart.

"I guess it is pretty random," he said with a chuckle, "I think I'm entitled to it, though." He rose an eyebrow when she spoke again, looking over. And then burst out laughing, not a chuckle, but a full-bodied, hearty laugh. He took the figurine with a childish grin on his face, running his index finger across the broad grin emblazoned on the animal's face. Then he burst out laughing again, and didn't stop for quite a while, before it finally faded out into the occasional chuckle and he wiped the moisture from his eyes. "Too much, Ana, too much," he said, grinning as he placed the cat on top of the box of chocolates. He looked back over at her, holding back another burst of laughter. He didn't exactly know why it was so funny, it just was. The fact that she even remembered the whole Cheshire Cat thing was funny. He'd almost forgotten, despite how utterly confused he'd been at the time. "We'll have to watch it some time, then." he said, still unable to wipe the grin off of his face. "Thank you. Again."

"You don't have to, you know," he said, looking at her as she talked about the boat trip. He knew that she was just trying to pay him back for his work, and he knew that he wouldn't refuse. In fact, he loved the idea. He liked water. He liked the ocean, and from what she'd said, it would be amazing. He shook his head quietly at her next comment, frowning. "No. You shouldn't. Whatever he's done for me. Whatever happened because of him, I have repaid any debt that I owed. I have thanked him enough. And, in the end, I'm glad to be away from him," he said, quietly. He didn't mind talking about it, to be honest. There wasn't much that he would refuse to talk about, except maybe his family. His brow furrowed at her next question, and he had to think about it for a long moment. Finally, he shrugged and sighed again. "I don't know, Ana. To be honest. I'd like to think that it's not impossible, but... He was hurt. Very badly, I think. I don't know when. Or how. But he wasn't always this way. He used to smile."