Work Text:
Disclaimer: Tom Rob Smith wrote “Child 44”. Just using this as inspiration, along with the song “Tell Me Your Name” by Christian Bautista.
Tell Me Your Name
She stood out among the crowd of train passengers quite beautifully. He instantly saw her in the midst of it all, and felt a smile forming on his dry lips. For the next few minutes, he never took his eyes off her as she struggled to hold on to the railing while the train sped off.
He just had to know her name.
This thought preoccupied the bothered mind of Leo Demidov, MGB officer.
-Once I get off this train, I'll follow her and ask for her name.
It sure sounded lovely. He tried to recall the last time he looked at a woman in this way. His weak memory didn't served him well. Heck, he can't even remember how it was like to admire a woman from a distance. He knew that he wasn't much of an expert with matters of the heart, but now, he felt a ray of light piercing within him, like a sunbeam after a stormy winter night. Maybe he could give this thing within him another shot in his bleak and troubled life.
He never took his eyes off her, until he realized that she was now staring back at him. When she caught his gaze, she glared at him, Leo felt taken aback and shifted his sights out the train window. It was then he realized that he was already far from his usual metro stop.
Nevertheless, he was still determined to get hold of her. Soon enough, the train pulled off at another metro stop, and the young woman went along with the other passengers who got off from the train. Leo secretly trailed after her until they arrived at a main street. There were few people walking around them, but now, the distance between him and the woman was quite clear. If she turned around, she'll surely know that he was trailing after her.
And turn around she did. She looked over her shoulder and saw the uniformed Leo a few paces away from her. She stopped in her tracks and raised an eyebrow at him. Leo cursed himself for being so obvious, but he soon got over it when he approached the young woman, who was about to walk away.
-Excuse me, I think you have dirt on your face.
The woman frowned, and patted her cheeks with her fingertips.
-No, my face is perfectly clean all the time, Sir.
Leo cringed from within, thinking that it was a pathetic way of getting this woman's attention.
The woman spoke to him again:
-If you have any concerns with me, might as well tell me straight. Did I committed any violations of sort?
Leo was about to say, "No, your only violation is that you're so beautiful, and I'm so taken with you." But he thought it was inappropriate. Instead, he asked a question:
-What is your name?
The woman looked like as if someone splashed a bucket of cold water on her. She replied snootily:
-My name? It's none of your business.
She walked fast away from Leo, who continued to trail after her. When she felt his presence still hovering behind her, she turned around and said,
-Do you really have to know?
Leo blushed and looked away from her. He wasn't good at hiding his instant infatuation for this woman, and she sensed this well. She sighed and said,
-My name's Lena.
Leo stuttered, but was able to reply to her:
-I'm Leo. Leo Demidov.
She shot an irritated glance at him.
-Pleased to meet you, Officer Demidov.
That was all she said. Leo watched her walk away from him, glued to the spot on where he stood. The name Lena kept on ringing in his mind.
For a week, it was all Lena that he thought about. It was all he ever talked about. His few close friends knew that he was so smitten with this Lena woman, and they would tease him about it. One of them encouraged him to ask her out for real.
But then, Leo didn’t saw her lately in his train rides. He then made a decision that if he saw her again, he must never let go of her anymore.
The next week, Leo was fortunate enough to see her riding the same train coach as he did. During the ride, he approached her and greeted her casually. He flashed a tiny smile at her, and got a tilt of her head and a curl of her lip in return. Leo thought she looked prettier when she's trying so hard to hide her smile.
-No, I don't think she's hiding her smile at you, Leo,
said a voice in his head.
He asked if he can walk with her, and to his surprise, she agreed.
They both got off at her metro stop, and walked quietly beside each other. Leo tried to start a conversation, but he was at a lost for words to say. He couldn't believe that Lena allowed him to be with her, walking beside her. He silently took in more of her beauty. He liked the fact that she didn't tried so hard to be beautiful, unlike other women he met before. Her honey blonde hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, her face simply made up with a touch of lipstick and rogue on her cheeks. She was garbed in a navy blue dress and black pumps, and she carried a handbag with her. To describe her in one word, she was simply exquisite.
They both reached a street corner. The woman stopped and turned to face him.
-I'm near my home now, you can drop me off here.
Leo could only nod his head and smile at her. Just as she was about to depart, he called out.
-Lena!
He was soon near her. He reached out to touch her arm and slowly inched his face closer to her. But she turned away, knowing she was about to get kissed. Leo stood dumbly in front of her, wondering if he did the wrong thing.
The woman was the first to break their uneasy silence.
-It's Raisa.
"What?" was all Leo could utter. He didn't understand why Lena suddenly said another name.
He got the most pleasant surprise of his life when the woman pulled him closer to her and kissed him fully on the lips. Leo was paralyzed all over as he savored the elation of this woman who kissed him first.
The woman pulled away from Leo. All she ever said was,
-I'm Raisa.
She smiled mischievously and went on her merry way.
Leo now understood what she meant.
-So, she's really Raisa.
His heart pounded wildly. He laughed at himself. For the first time, he felt alive.
That was her name. But it doesn't matter now.
All he could ever think of now was that he is deeply in love.
In love with this woman named Raisa.