Chapter 47 - Marco
I was discharged.
Finally.
My body was healing but I could walk without the grinding ache that had lived in my bones for as long as I could remember.
I could climb stairs. I could carry my own bag.
The absence of pain felt almost suspicious, like the universe was waiting to snatch it back the second I got comfortable.
Still, I was upright, breathing on my own, and somehow back at the academy.
The second I stepped through the main doors, Sasha spotted me.
“Marco! You’re back—”
She launched herself forward, arms already open, ready to throw her entire body against mine.
She never made it.
A hand shot out, twisted hard into her hair, and yanked her backward with zero elegance. Ilya stood there looking deeply offended, Rei right beside him with an expression of pure disgust.
“Hands off, hag,” Ilya snapped. “Jesus Christ, do you ever not throw yourself at people?”
Sasha staggered, slapped his wrist, and glared. “It’s you again. Don’t you have someone else’s life to ruin?”
Ilya flashed a nasty little smile. “Yes, it’s me. Missed me? Don’t answer that, I already know the answer is yes.”
Rei’s lip curled like he’d just stepped in something dead. “God, the desperation is embarrassing. Go find another dick to climb. This one’s taken.”
I blinked. I knew Rei hated her - he’d never hidden it - but I had no idea Ilya had history with her too. The way they were looking at each other felt personal and filthy.
Sasha scoffed, straightening her uniform with angry movements. “Please. Like I’d waste my time on either of you.”
Ilya stepped closer, voice dropping into something mocking and crude. “That’s funny, because last I checked you were still scraping Kento’s ass for attention like a stray cat in heat. Go back to that. Don’t touch my Marco.”
Rei’s hand cracked across the back of Ilya’s head so hard the sound echoed.
“He is my Marco, you absolute menace.”
Ilya rubbed the spot, completely unrepentant. “Ow, rude.”
Sasha’s face twisted. “You’re both pathetic. Obsessed much?”
“Obsessed with keeping trash away from him, yeah,” Rei shot back. “Now fuck off before I make it a group effort.”
I noticed Rei was…different lately. He was mirroring Dimitri’s personality a bit.
I heard last week a boy tried to take Dimitri’s phone number and Rei nearly pulled all of his hair out after he jumped him.
Maybe it also had to do with the fact he was going to take over his father’s legacy soon and he seemed to be in a bad mood lately because of it.
I stood there, bag still over my shoulder, watching the three of them snipe like it was a competitive sport. My mouth opened, then closed again. I had no idea where to even begin.
Then a familiar voice slid in from behind me, unmistakably possessive.
“He’s actually mine.”
A strong arm wrapped around my waist and pulled me backward until my spine was flush against a solid chest. Alexei’s chin rested briefly against the side of my head.
Sasha looked between all of us, face alternating between fury and disbelief. “You’re all insane. Completely fucking insane.”
Alexei’s voice stayed soft, almost bored, but the arm around me tightened just enough to make the message clear.
“And yet you’re still standing here. Curious.”
Ilya grinned. “Yeah, hag. Run along. Go find Kento and ask him if he wants seconds. We’re busy.”
Rei made a dismissive shooing motion with his fingers.
Sasha muttered something vicious under her breath, shot one last glare at the three of them, and finally stormed off down the corridor.
I stood frozen in Alexei’s hold, blinking between Ilya’s smug face, Rei’s residual disgust, and the solid warmth at my back.
“…What the hell just happened?” I asked weakly.
Ilya slung an arm around Rei’s shoulders like nothing was wrong. “Teamwork, baby. You’re welcome.”
Rei shoved him off. “Don’t call me baby.”
Alexei pressed a slow kiss to the side of my neck, right there in the middle of the hallway, and murmured against my skin,
“Welcome back.”
I smiled and leaned up to kiss Alexei’s cheek.
Sasha was still hovering somewhere in the background, but I barely spared her a glance.
She hadn’t come to the hospital once. That told me everything I needed to know.
All I wanted was to stay near Alexei, so when he turned and headed toward the far side of the academy - the side I had somehow never set foot in - I followed without question.
We reached the boxing arena. Me and Rei claimed a spot close to the ring while Alexei and Dimitri climbed in. “Do they fight a lot?”
Rei leaned in, voice dry.
“Yeah, they do this all the time. Your man stupidly wins a bit too often.” He shot a pointed glare toward the ring.
I couldn’t help the small grin that tugged at my mouth. Hearing that Alexei mostly won made something warm and proud curl in my chest.
Rei poked my side. “Hey. Don’t look so smug. Dimitri is faster.”
I shrugged, still watching Alexei roll his shoulders. “But Alexei is stronger.”
Rei made a noise of pure offense and bumped his shoulder hard against mine.
“Traitor. Absolute traitor.” Then his voice dropped into a sly whisper. “Speaking of strong… have you and him… you know…”
My entire face went hot. “Rei!!”
“What?” He looked genuinely offended at my volume.
“I’m being supportive. Come on, spill. Has he fucked you?
Or wait—” he held up a finger like he’d just had a groundbreaking thought, “—do you fuck him? Because I’m not stereotypical, okay?
I fully believe you could pin that tall brute down and ruin him. You’ve got the energy for it.”
I buried my burning face in my hands. “I don’t - and I don’t want to—”
Rei’s eyebrow shot up so high it almost left his face. “Pillow princess?”
“Stop it,” I groaned into my palms.
He cackled, completely unrepentant, and reached over to ruffle my hair until it stuck up in every direction. “God, you’re too cute. Here—” He dug into his pocket and produced a crumpled bag of strawberry candies, tossing one into my lap. “You’re going to need sugar for this.”
I unwrapped the candy with still-pink cheeks just as the fight started.
Dimitri was lightning. Quick feet, always moving. Alexei was slower but heavier, every punch made the air itself seem to flinch. I watched, half-fascinated, half-anxious, strawberry sweetness melting on my tongue.
Then Dimitri’s fist cracked clean against Alexei’s jaw.
I gasped and was halfway out of my seat before Rei’s hand locked around my wrist and yanked me back down.
“Relax,” he said, still chewing. “It’s just how they are. They’ve been beating the shit out of each other since they were kids. It’s basically foreplay for them at this point.”
My bottom lip wobbled anyway. I hated it. I hated the red mark already blooming on Alexei’s skin. I hated that I couldn’t climb into the ring and make Dimitri stop.
Rei sighed and squeezed my wrist once.
I kept staring until Alexei finally overpowered Dimitri - one brutal sequence that ended with Dimitri flat on the mat, laughing even as he tapped out.
The second it was over I was moving.
I reached the edge of the ring just as Alexei wiped sweat from his brow with the back of his wrist.
“Are you hurt?” I asked, voice higher than I meant it to be.
He looked down at me, green eyes warm and far too amused, and the corner of his mouth curved.
“Baby… you’re worried about me?”
I nodded so hard my hair bounced. “Yes. Obviously. He hit your face.”
Alexei stepped out of the ring in one smooth motion, still a little breathless, and leaned down to press a lingering kiss to the top of my head.
“Adorable,” he murmured against my hair.
Heat flooded my cheeks all over again. I reached up on tiptoe and carefully traced the reddened spot on his jaw with my fingertips, frowning at it. Then I turned my head and fixed Dimitri with the most serious glare I could manage.
Dimitri, still sitting on the mat and drinking water, slowly raised one eyebrow.
From the corner, Ilya’s loud cackle exploded through the arena.
“HA! Dimitri, you just made yourself a brand-new enemy. Look at that tiny death stare. You’re so fucked.”
Rei appeared beside me, still eating candy, and patted my shoulder.
“There, there. Your man is fine, stop glaring at mine”
I kept glaring at Dimitri anyway.
Alexei’s arm slid around my waist, pulling me gently into his side, and I felt the vibration of his laugh against me.
“Easy, baby,” he said, low enough for only me. “I’m okay.”
I huffed, still not entirely convinced, and rested my head against his chest while Ilya continued cackling in the background and Rei started a new argument about who would actually win in a real fight while going to hug Dimitri and praise him.
***
The second the door of his apartment slammed shut behind us, Alexei was on me.
His mouth crashed against mine. The kiss was filthy, I moaned into it, arms looping around his neck as he hauled me up. My legs wrapped around his waist on instinct, ankles locking at the small of his back, and he growled approvingly against my lips.
He walked us forward without breaking the kiss and pinned me hard against the wall.
The impact knocked a breath out of me. His hips rolled forward, the thick line of his cock already half-hard and grinding against me through our clothes.
One of his hands shoved up under my shirt, palm dragging over my stomach, my ribs, pinching a nipple hard enough to make me whimper.
The other hand gripped my ass, squeezing, spreading me open even through the fabric.
“Alexei—”
He swallowed the rest of my words with another brutal kiss, biting my bottom lip until it stung, then soothing it with his tongue. I could feel how hard he was getting, how desperate.
He tore his mouth away only long enough to mutter against my jaw, voice wrecked,
“Been thinking about this every fucking night.”
Then he was kissing me deeper, dirtier, one hand sliding down the back of my pants to grab bare skin. I gasped and he took the opportunity to suck on my tongue.
Suddenly the wall was gone.
He carried me the short distance to the kitchen counter and spun me around so fast the world tilted.
One strong hand between my shoulder blades shoved me down until my chest was flat against the marble, cheek pressed to the surface.
My ass was pushed out toward him, completely presented.
I heard the clink of his belt and then his palm cracked across one cheek.
I groaned, loud and helpless, hands flying out to brace myself.
He didn’t let me.
Fingers tangled in one of the green ribbons still in my hair, yanking it free.
The silk slid loose until it was just a long string.
He grabbed both my wrists, pulled them behind my back, and started wrapping the ribbon around them in tight loops.
The material bit into my skin as he tied it off, forcing my arms to stay exactly where he wanted them.
I whined, the sound high and needy.
“Alexei—”
His body blanketed mine from behind, chest to my back, mouth hot against the shell of my ear. One hand stayed locked around the makeshift cuffs while the other slid down, squeezing the stinging cheek he’d just spanked.
“This time,” he growled, “I’ll fuck you properly, Malyshka.”