Chapter Text
Beneath a moonlit sky, a loud mob surged towards the figure standing at the very center of it, their numbers crowding around the entrance to one of the many multistory buildings within the city. Despite the shoving and pushing occurring, none of them seemed to care so long as they managed any form of physical contact with the coveted person drowning among them. Even just a brush against the tips of their fingers would be enough to warrant never washing their hand ever again!
But who on earth could possibly be worth such ridiculous enthusiasm? Well, none other than Mitya, of course! He was an idol — a celebrity — who’d taken the nation by storm and charmed his way into their hearts not long after debuting. As such, he had a large following that somehow always managed to pinpoint when and where he’d be — as evident by their current presence after word had rapidly spread online about his schedule here tonight.
After all, why would someone settle for merely seeing his face from afar on billboards, commercials, and even products when you could see the man himself in the flesh instead?
“Mitya! Mitya, over here!”
FLASH!
“Mitya, please sign this.”
“I love you so much, Mitya!”
“Mitya, how do you feel about the latest rumor going around?”
FLASH! FLASH! FLASH!
“Eek! I touched his hand!”
Amidst the rising chaos and growing flashes, what seemed like a husky simply plowing through to get to the other side of the mob actually turned out to be a well-executed escape plan that allowed the idol to escape while their attention had momentarily shifted as they split apart to make way.
“He’s gone!” someone exclaimed in a panic after coalescing.
All at once, the crowd whose frenzy had been growing mere seconds ago came to a stop, allowing them to see for themselves that he had, in fact, disappeared. Where the figure of a young man with pale blue hair had once stood was now an empty space that was quickly crowded over as people began searching around for him, refusing to believe he’d vanished just like that.
Little did they know Mitya had not only made himself scarce, but had also created quite a fair amount of distance as he turned a corner into a secluded alleyway before finally coming to a stop with his hands against his knees as he panted the adrenaline away and breathed a long sigh of relief.
It wasn’t unusual for this sort of thing to occur, but that didn’t mean he’d be getting used to it any time soon. The constant prodding aside, the flashing of cameras always left him blinded and unable to see where he was going. There’d even been times where he’d tripped or smacked his head into a wall because of his obscured vision! This noggin of his was much too precious for it to be getting all scrambled up!
Woof!
The husky from earlier turned the corner after successfully fulfilling his role and padded over to Mitya, who crouched down even lower to ruffle at his fluffy black fur and scratch at the back of his ears. At the sight of his thumping, wagging tail, his lavender eyes crinkled as he smiled.
“You are truly amazing, Tugarin! Who’s a good boy?”
Woof! Woof!
“Yes you are~ Don’t worry, I’ll repay you with a good meal.”
Woof!
“Speaking of meals,” someone else spoke from behind. “Vodyanitsa said she’ll have the restaurant emptied out before you get there,” they said as they took a step forward to make themselves visible to Mitya, their yellow eyes glimmering in the moonlight even while hidden beneath a hood. “Though I forgot to warn her about your… ah, interesting garments.”
“Not to worry,” Mitya responded, happily straightening back up to reach for the pair of sunglasses and white clip-on beard in the other’s hands. “My disguise is highly effective, but I’m sure good friends would recognize me in a heartbeat! By the way, Alyosha, I secured two tickets for Miss Odette’s next performance — care to join?”
Alyosha shook his head, his hood slipping down to reveal his light, mint-green hair.
“I have work that day, so I’ll have to pass. Perhaps Tugarin can join you in my stead.”
Woof!
“Haha, I’m afraid you know better than I do that dogs wouldn’t be permitted inside, no matter how cute they are.” Mitya responded, patting the husky’s dejectedly drooping head as consolation for not being able to consider him an option. “What a pity… seems I’ll have to find someone else to go with.”
“How about Mr. Pierro?”
“You jest, yes?”
The corners of Alyosha’s lips curved slightly upwards, confirming Mitya's suspicion that he was only messing with him. He wagged his index finger and dismissed his idea.
“His mere presence in the theater would probably be enough to put the people in the surrounding seats so on edge they’d be unable to enjoy her spectacular performance. We can’t have that.”
“You didn’t accept the VIP seats Vodyanitsa offered?”
Mitya shook his head. “You know I’m not fond of using my status to gain benefits like that. It’s much more thrilling and satisfying when I plan accordingly and obtain them through my own efforts.”
Alyosha hummed in response, understanding — and appreciating — Mitya’s reasoning. His humble nature was one of the biggest reasons they were able to get along despite their vastly different lifestyles. In fact, the whole reason they’d ever met was because Mitya had once rushed to the theater Alyosha works at, hoping to secure the last ticket before collapsing to his knees at the news of having just barely missed it.
“I’m sure the crew will be okay with making an exception for you, Mr. Mitya,” Alyosha had told him.
“No, no. It’s my fault for taking too long to find the right time to run here. I’ll be back through my own means, fair and square!”
“Respect earned.”
Thinking back on their first encounter, Mitya smiled to himself, wanting to reminisce with Alyosha until the sound of his grumbling stomach brought his attention back to the main reason he’d requested their help in getting away.
He was hungry — terribly so — and wanted a bite to eat before he inevitably had to return to his company’s building for yet another meeting.
“Hear that? Sounds like Tugarin when he growls, doesn’t it?” Mitya joked.
Woof…
“Heh, just kidding,” he placated with another pat of the husky’s head. “But thank you so much for your assistance yet again, my good friends. I’ll be taking my leave now, so I’ll see you around!”
Alyosha responded with a casual wave of his hand as Mitya began walking off, pulling his hood back on before rushing the opposite way with Tugarin at his side.
Similarly, Mitya made sure to secure the white beard he’d been holding by strapping the strings on either end of it around the backs of his ears. Once that was done, he slipped the sunglasses on and stepped out into the light, waltzing past the mob that was still frantically searching for him. When not a single person spared him a second glance, if one at all, he smiled.
Hehe, works every time.
Then, with light, cheery steps, he walked all the way to Vodyanitsa’s restaurant and stepped through the unlocked door. When the bell above him chimed to alert her of a customer, a young girl with dark teal hair stepped around the counter, only to shriek at the sight of Mitya.
“Oh, it’s you,” she said after confirming he wasn’t some lunatic breaking into a supposed-to-be closed establishment. “I’m going to need a warning the next time you decide to walk in here looking like… that.”
“Miss Vodyanitsa, you wound me,” Mitya replied dramatically as he pressed both hands against his chest where his heart sat. “Mere minutes ago I told Alyosha that friends would always recognize each other.”
Vodyanitsa rolled her eyes at his theatrics, not moved in the slightest. Rather than entertaining him any further, she grabbed the two platefuls of food she’d prepared for him and set them down at one of the tables.
“Make sure the door is locked and come sit,” she said. “And take that gear off… It's bad enough that I have to look into the crowd during my performances and see your disguises standing out like a sore thumb. I’d prefer not having to see them here too.”
Mitya did as told, setting the sunglasses and beard down before taking a seat and examining the food in front of him.
“By any chance… you didn’t happen to prepare these yourself, did you?” he asked, sweat beading at his temple at the thought of being the test dummy for another one of her… interesting combinations and recipes.
“And if I did?” Vodyanitsa challenged with her hands at her hips. She stood beside the table, waiting for him to take his first bite. “Would that be an issue?”
“Of… Of course not! I’m sure they’d be absolutely delicious because I’d expect nothing less from the Great Vodyanitsa… haha… hah.”
“Good,” Vodyanitsa said with a satisfied nod. “If you need anything else, I’ll be in the kitchen finishing my tasks for the night.”
Mitya hummed and waited for her to be out of sight before nervously digging in, but fortunately for him, it appeared that the meals hadn’t been left in her care after all! Knowing this, he scarfed through everything and left not a single crumb, happily filling his stomach until the plates were wiped clean.
As he sat back with a satisfied sigh, his phone buzzed.
Took a bit longer than I thought they would…
He fished the device out and answered without checking the caller ID, bringing it up to his ear.
“Mr. Pierro!” he greeted joyously. “To what do I owe this honor?”
“Mitya,” the low, deep voice on the other end of the line said with much less enthusiasm. “Where have you run off to this time?”
“I was hungry,” Mitya confessed honestly. “If I’d gone back to the building now, I wouldn’t have gotten a chance to eat until well after midnight.”
“You know as well as I do that you are expected back after each schedule.”
“I’ll meet with the head manager tomorrow, how about that?” Mitya suggested, attempting to wriggle himself out of needing to go back.
“It has to be now. They’re assigning you another bodyguard.”
Hearing this, Mitya hummed in surprise before saying, “Again? Hm… I wonder what fun we’ll have this time.”
Pierro sighed at his words as if he could hear the smile in Mitya’s voice, immediately understanding the type of mischievous thoughts running through his head right now. While the thought of being followed around would seem dreadful to most people, Mitya was… a special case.
“Just finish up and head back as soon as possible, alright?”
“Alright, alright,” Mitya acquiesced, not wanting to cause the man any trouble. Although he had a complicated relationship with his managers — especially the head of them — Pierro was one of the few who treated him well, so Mitya was willing to play along and behave for his sake.
“Want me to bring anything back from Restaurant Zorya?”
A pause.
“...No need,” he finally declined. “Miss Vodyanitsa needn’t trouble herself.”
Once he’d hung up, Mitya jumped to his feet and brought his used plates and utensils to the back kitchen, offering to help Vodyanitsa with her remaining chores since she’d gone through the trouble of sending the other staff members home early for his sake.
“Will you also be performing at the next show?” he asked as he set the sponge down after he’d finished rinsing the final plate.
“Obviously!” Vodyanitsa responded, eyes lighting up at the mention of her next performance. “Keep this under wraps for now, but Odette even suggested we perform together~ Our combined talents are bound to be a show to remember.”
With a clap of his soapy hands, Mitya praised, “Of course, of course. Your captivating voice will pair nicely with Miss Odette’s elegance as she dances across the stage. The entire town will be singing you praises!”
Vodyanitsa puffed out her chest with pride, gleefully deciding to give him a sneak peek before eventually parting ways and leaving Mitya with no other choice than to hop into the waiting van outside the restaurant to head back to the company building.
After arriving, he was escorted to the head manager’s office, where a man with graying hair sat behind a desk, impatience written all over his face. Once Mitya had taken a seat in front of him, he gestured to the tall, brooding presence who’d been standing upright to the side so still and quietly that Mitya hadn’t even noticed him at first. As such, he’d unintentionally startled at the sight of him.
“Mitya, this is Valeriy — your new bodyguard.”
Valeriy. Even his name was intimidating.
As Mitya scanned his figure from bottom to top, he came to the conclusion that this man certainly lived up to a name like that with his imposing figure and icy cold demeanor. Even without having said or done anything besides stand still, he exuded the type of aloof and menacing vibe that previous bodyguards often attempted but failed to replicate. When his gaze finally reached his face, goosebumps rose on Mitya’s skin when he found himself looking directly into Valeriy’s deep violet eyes. His stare was steady and stern, as if they could pierce through his soul and devour him from the inside out.
“I see…” Mitya finally said, quickly looking away. “I suppose I should thank you for having me under your care from now on, Mister Valeriy.”
Silence followed his words — not even a single sound of acknowledgement was made. How awkward.
Thankfully, the head manager revived the dying conversation as he nodded in Mitya’s direction with his chin and looked at Valeriy.
“He’s a cunning little one. You look away for one second and suddenly it’s like he was never even there.”
“Hehe, I try my best,” Mitya said, scratching at the back of his head. “It’s no easy feat.”
“That wasn’t a compliment.”
“...”
“I can assure you now, sir,” Valeriy said, looking directly at Mitya. “He will not be leaving my sight.”
A shiver ran down his spine at his practically threatening words. On their own, they didn’t sound too bad, but when paired with the intensity in his eyes and the surprisingly deep baritone of his voice, they were bound to instill some fear into him.
But unlike the trembling idol in front of them, the head manager seemed pleased at Valeriy’s words — overjoyed, even! He clapped his hands and smiled brightly at the taller man.
“I’ve heard nothing but praise for you, Valeriy. Don’t disappoint me.”
“Understood.”
“And Mitya,” his manager continued, his smile fading as he turned to look at him. “Do behave. These guys are expensive to hire, you know?”
Flashing a cheeky smile, Mitya suggested, “Perhaps it’s a sign to be done with them?”
“Not a chance. You’re dismissed. Shoo shoo,” his manager responded, waving him away dismissively.
Thinking that would be the end of it, Mitya stood and exited the office room while Valeriy followed directly behind him — this much was expected. He made his way down the elevator until he reached the first floor, still sensing the man behind him.
Still here…
When at last he made it to the parking lot and got into the van, he could no longer remain silent when Valeriy entered after him and took a seat beside him. He clicked his tongue and looked at the other man somewhat astonished.
“You’re very dedicated… most bodyguards stop following me after the elevator.”
Valeriy finished adjusting his own seatbelt before casually responding.
“Well, I’ll be living with you from now on. It’s only natural that I tag along.”
…
…
…
“What?!” Mitya blurted out louder than intended. How could this be? The company only provided him with a small one bedroom apartment, so how could two grown men possibly fit? And what about the sleeping arrangements?! He glanced at Valeriy again amidst his disbelief —- contemplating whether he’d be the little spoon or the big spoon if they had to share a bed — before shaking his head in denial. Surely he was only messing with him?
“Lower your voice,” he said, his face grim. “But this shouldn’t come as a surprise considering that I am to keep an eye on you at all times.”
“You know there’s only one bedroom, yes?”
“I’ll sleep in the living room,” Valeriy responded. “It’ll be much easier to hear any attempts at sneaking out, anyway.”
His words painted an image in Mitya’s head. One that many would consider reminiscent of a parent waiting for their child to tiptoe their way to the front door under the assumption that they were asleep and unsuspecting, only for said child to be caught in the act and punished for attempting to break their curfew.
With such helicoptering behavior, he wouldn’t be surprised if this man decided to even go as far as to follow Mitya into the bathroom!
“Ahem… cough… I hope I at least get to maintain my privacy while handling… business.”
Valeriy glanced at him and arched his brow suspiciously. “Business?”
“Well, you know, when duty calls, one must attend to it.”
Understanding dawned on the taller man, and Valeriy turned and raised a hand to stop him. “I have no interest in following you into such a place unless you truly believe you could squeeze yourself out through the drain hole.”
“What if there happens to be a window?”
“Are you attempting to give me reason to join you inside?”
MItya zipped his mouth shut. He wanted the complete opposite, actually.
Not wanting to provoke him any further, he remained silent the whole way back and mentally bid his freedom a tearful goodbye.
Mr. Valeriy… look what you’ve done…!
1 year later
“Ahhh! Valeriy, please,” Mitya pleaded despite already having been lifted up and slung over the other man’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes. “Just 5 more minutes! The puppet show is almost over,” he added, watching as the busker he’d been watching shrunk in size the further away Valeriy carried him. What a shame! It was just getting interesting… The golden haired boy was moments away from marrying the beautiful fae before a new character had descended upon the stage to put a stop to their ceremony. Now Mitya would never get to know what happened next.
He blew a puff of air, causing the pale blue hair framing his face to gently sway, but did nothing else. There was no point in struggling when he’d already been caught. Besides, Valeriy had taken a little longer than usual to find him this time around.
“Your makeup artist is waiting for you,” Valeriy said as he approached the familiar black van awaiting them. Adjusting his grip, he used one hand to open the rear door and gently place him down before strapping the belt across his body. “So please remove those accessories before we get there, Mr. Dmitri.”
He was, of course, referring to yet another one of Mitya’s fantastic disguises!
“I thought my photoshoot was in 5 hours?”
“You have a new meeting before that,” Valeriy responded as he entered from the opposite side and shut the door before signaling to the driver that they were ready. “They wanted to be certain you’d be ready to go in case it goes on for too long.”
At the mention of another meeting, Mitya melted into his seat and silently wished it could swallow him so that he could get out of it. However, he supposed it would be a lie to say he hadn’t seen this coming… this wasn’t the first time additions had been sporadically made to his already packed schedule, nor would it be the last.
“I suppose there’s no avoiding it,” he said before perking up and turning to Valeriy. “But after I finish with everything today, let’s head out for some ice cream. My treat.”
“Didn’t you have ice cream last night?”
Smiling, Mitya raised a finger as he spoke. “A sweet treat is always well deserved after a long day and does wonders for the human soul. Besides, I know you loved those chocolate vanilla swirl rolls. I saw the way your eyes lit up.”
“...You must have been seeing things.”
An amused breath escaped Mitya at his words as he sensed his subtle embarrassment. If you’d told him a year ago that the new bodyguard he’d initially feared would turn out to be such a fun guy, he wouldn’t have believed it. Although Valeriy was competent at his job — terribly so, even — both he and Mitya had grown quite close despite the little dynamic they had going on. Or… at least Mitya believed so… but perhaps he’d simply been lonely up until now and appreciated the other man’s presence in his life. After all, Alyosha and Vodyanitsa were often busy themselves and couldn’t always make time for him and his chaotic schedules.
But considering that Valeriy hadn’t outright turned his suggestion down, Mitya took his silence as acceptance and allowed their conversation to end there. For the rest of the ride, he decided to rest his head against the window and watch the snowy scenery outside rapidly pass in a blur.
It’s been a while since I’ve enjoyed a day off… he thought, catching sight of his reflection and the dark circles beneath his eyes that had grown even more prominent as of late.
Glancing at Valeriy through his peripheral vision, he spotted him busying himself on his phone, likely informing the head manager about yet another successful capture.
Are you tired too, I wonder?
But just as he’d begun to carefully study the other’s face, the van made a sudden aggressive swerve, snapping Mitya out of his thoughts. Within mere seconds, the situation escalated before he even had time to process what was happening, and before he knew it, the vehicle crashed and knocked his body forward, roughly slamming him into the backside of the front seat.
A loud ringing filled his ears as he slowly fell into unconsciousness. The last thing Mitya heard was Valeriy’s loud, uncharacteristically panicked voice calling his name, sounding far away despite having just been next to him.
“Mitya… Mitya!”
Mitya released a shaky breath in a final attempt at a laugh.
Ah… I’ve never heard you call me anything but ‘Mr. Dmitri,’ Valeriy…
Then darkness enveloped him fully, leaving him unresponsive.