Chapter Text
Fyodor and Dre have been great friends since Dre joined the DOA three months ago. Despite having little in common, they bonded over a shared love of fashion. Occasionally, Fyodor would accompany Dre to their local café for a cup of tea. Most days, they talked about the plans for the DOA, but today that was not the case.
“ Are you free from June 7 to June 14?” Dre asked Fyodor, taking a sip of his drink.
Fyodor stared at him for a moment, trying to recall if he had any plans before responding, “I don’t believe I do. Why do you ask?”
“Well, I was wondering if you’d like to go to Florida with me as a kind of break from all the madness happening,” Dre said, pausing to suppress the smile creeping onto his face. He knew that Fyodor had a knack for reading people's emotions. If he showed too much joy, Fyodor might think it was weird and decline. “It would be at a small hotel near the ocean, nothing too fancy.”
“June 7 is only 4 days, so it will be best if I consult Fukuchi about the upcoming events before I agree to anything. I will contact you later with an answer.”
Fyodor slowly stood, preparing to leave the café. Dre also stood thanking their server. They walked back to the DOA’s building, discussing random topics. The two men said their goodbyes and went their separate ways to their respective areas.
11:30 P.M.
Later, as I lay in bed about to fall asleep, my phone buzzed, jolting me awake. Ah. Fyodor must have spoken to Fukuchi.
< It appears I can go on your little vacation>
< Great, we will leave early on the 6th around 4 A.M. since it is a 16-hour flight. We should get there at about 8 P.M. so we can sleep and enjoy a full week of relaxation;
< That sounds wonderful. I should be heading off to bed. Goodnight.>
< Okay, goodnight. Also, remember to pack very light clothes. It is extremely hot.>
< I will.>
It took so much in me not to scream with happiness. Fyodor would be spending a whole week with me, without work or the other DOA members, just the two of us. I needed to play it cool so he wouldn’t suspect anything. I told him the hotel was nothing fancy, but in reality, I booked a $14,569 room; it’s Fyodor, so it is worth every penny.
Two days later
I sat on the floor, staring at my bag, double-checking that I had brought everything I needed. It was currently 9 P.M. I told myself I would sleep at 8, but excitement is preventing me from dozing off. I wonder if Fyodor is as excited as I am. I want to text him, but he’s probably asleep, but it wouldn’t hurt to check. Now, where in the world did I put my phone?
Fyodor pulls out the suitcase he had packed the day before in preparation for this trip. He knew this meant a lot to Dre; he could tell at the café, Dre isn’t the best when it comes to hiding his emotions. Fyodor has always valued their friendship, unlike the other members of the DOA. Fukuchi was always too busy with the Hunting Dogs to have a non-work conversation. Nikolai was interesting, but his antics quickly became annoying. Sigma was always managing his casino, and Bram was wherever Fukuchi went. Dre, on the other hand, was their main researcher, so he often stayed around Fyodor since Fyodor planned the attacks. Fyodor’s phone buzzed with a text from Dre, snapping him out of his trance.
< Hey, you up?>
< Yes, I’m checking if I packed all my stuff. Why are you still awake?>
< Can’t sleep. I haven’t had a break in a while, so I’m rightfully excited. Plus, it’s 16 hours on a plane. I'll probably sleep then.>
< As am I. It’s nice to have a break, considering our line of work. I’m going to try to get some sleep. Goodnight.>
< Goodnight, see you tomorrow.>
That night, neither man got over two hours of sleep.
The next morning
On their way to the car, Fyodor caught Nikolai attempting to break into his office. He left Dre to go deal with the clown, leaving Dre to pack all their items in the car. After a lot of packing and scolding, they finally began the drive to the airport. They discussed a variety of very random topics along the way to the airport and while heading to the plane terminal. Once they found their seats, Dre tried using his phone, but the connection was not working, leaving him with either a book or sleep. On the other hand, Fyodor completely forgot to take his books out of his luggage, leaving him with only sleep.
About one hour into the trip, Dre tensed as something heavy was suddenly on his shoulder. Glancing over, he realized the weight was Fyodor’s head. Dre felt his heart skip a beat: the man next to him looked gorgeous, even in his sleep. After staring at Fyodor for a considerable amount of time, he gradually fell asleep, head resting on top of Fyodor’s.
Fyodor slowly awoke, checking his phone, it was about 9 A.M., and they had about 11 hours left. When he woke up, he wasn’t surprised by the lack of sleep, he knew it was his anemia. What surprised him was the weight on his head. He quickly realized it was Dre sleeping, their heads had fallen on top of one another. Fyodor decided it would be best not to move, not out of enjoyment, but out of pity for the man who rarely sleeps. He instead takes the discarded book from Dre’s lap for the rest of the flight.
A long flight later
After what felt like an eternity, the two men finally landed. Collecting their bags, they took a taxi to their hotel. The majority of the ride was quiet as they enjoyed the view. The silence was interrupted by a loud gasp from Fyodor as they pulled into the parking lot of the Four Seasons Hotel.
“I thought you said the hotel was small and not fancy. Why did you lie?” Fyodor asked, unable to understand why Dre had done this.
Dre just shrugged. “I wanted to surprise you, and I knew that if I told you, there was a higher chance you’d say not to waste money.”
Fyodor had always been the type of person to turn down expensive things, claiming it was a waste. Lying was the only way Dre could make the surprise work.
“Oh, I didn’t realize you picked up on that. We just spent 16 hours on a plane, so I suppose I don’t have a choice but to accept. Even though I dislike expensive things, I appreciate you surprising me.”
“It’s nothing, I just wanted our first break in a while to be very enjoyable.”
Dre tried to play it off as if it was nothing, but as always, Fyodor saw right through him. If only he knew the reason this meant more to Dre than he let on.