Tough Ice

Tough Ice: Chapter 39 - Katerina

I finish my drink and follow my friends to the dance floor and start dancing with Nat.
"You're getting married in a month Nat! What the fuck."
"I know! I'm so nervous though."
"Don't worry, if my brother does anything wrong I'll whack him over the head with my shoe."
"Thanks babe." I smile and wrap my right arm around her and grab her right hand on her shoulder. "Valery's staring at you."
"When isn't he?" Nat laughs loudly as we make our way back over to our groups booth, and we sit down next to each other, and Valery eyes me from the opposite side of the table. I smile at him softly and his gaze immediately softens and he smiles slightly.

My phone buzzes and I look down at the notification: Valery.
'You have no idea what you're doing to me wearing that dress.' I laugh softly and heart the text.
'And about 20 other guys who've hit on me.' I look up and watch as his eyes darken as he reads the text.
'Who?'
'Why?'
'So I can snap their necks for talking to you.'
'Chill out baby. It's fine, I can handle it.' I look back up and him and he looks me up and down and nods, and I go back to listening to my friends weird conversation, but I feel Valery's eyes still attached to me.

"Stella and I are going to head home, I'm meeting her parents tomorrow," Eli says quickly. I giggle and hug them bye.
"We'll catch up soon!" I kiss Stella on the cheek quickly and move down in the booth, and now I'm sitting next to Valery.
"Hi princess." He kisses my shoulder and places his hand on my thigh. "I missed you."
"I've been sitting less than a metre away from you the whole time."
"No." He kisses me softly. "I miss sitting next to you, touching you, listening to you." He gives my thigh a quick squeeze before turning to Ares and starting to talk about something random, so I turn to Nat.
"Stella is 100% about to get laid- Did you see the way Eli was practically eye-fucking her?" I laugh loudly and rest my head on my hand.
"I know, anyway I'm so glad Ollie finally asked Aaliyah out, you know they owe each of us $50 bucks now cause he did ask her out on graduation." Natasha squeals excitedly and looks at Ares weirdly. "What?" I turn my head to my brother who's looking behind his shoulder confusedly, and Valery is glaring at someone at the bar, who's staring at me. "Valery," I whisper into his ear. "Just chill, he's not going to do anything as long as you stay next to me, don't beat him up for just finding me attractive."
"No. He's another one of my dad's guys," He whispers into my right ear, making shivers roll through my body.
"Already? It's been like 7 hours."
"I think he's hesitant to do anything because I'm sitting next to you."
"Don't leave my side."
"I wouldn't dream of it." His eyes meet mine and his gaze flits between my right and left eye. "You okay princess?"
"Yeah." I flash a smile and pull out my phone. "Nat! Valery! Ares! Pose!" I take a 0.5 of all of us and smile down at the photo, then I take a sneaky pic of Aaliyah and Ollie flirting at the bar.

Valery is resting his head on his arms and glaring up at me.
"Can I help you?"
"Stop ogling me! I have a very pretty girlfriend already, and I love her very much." Oh god he's so drunk. "Can I talk to you about her? Pleaseeee?"
"Sure." I turn my head to Natasha and giggle, then I look back at Valery.
"My girl is so pretty- like so pretty, you actually kind of look like her, anyway. I love her pretty little smile when she's challenging me and I love her cute laugh at my jokes- that is when she actually finds them funny, although I think she always does, she doesn't laugh but I can see it in her eyes- HER EYES! Oh my god she has the most beautiful captivating eyes ever, like whenever I look into them I get lost in them, it's a wonder she hasn't murdered me because all she would have to do is make eye contact with me and I'm hypnotised."
"Good to know."
"Why?"
"I am your girlfriend dumbass."
"Oh! That's why you're so pretty. In that case- hi darling, kiss?" He moves his head toward mine and pushes his lips out.
"I think it's time to head home baby."
"Just one kiss? Pretty please?" He pouts his lips and I laugh and kiss him softly. "I'm so in love with you- I can't wait until I propose to you!" I laugh and help him stand up out of the booth.
"That's a long time away Valery."
"That's what you think." I furrow my brows and sling his arm around my shoulder as I walk out of the bar behind Natasha and my very drunk brother.

I turn my head around for a second and I see the guy who was staring at me before following us out of the bar, and I curse under my breath.
"No swearing princess."
"The guy is following us Valery." His eyes darken as he turns around.
"Fuck off, or I'll punch the fuck out of you until your body turns to pulp before you can lay a finger on her. My guys are just one call away." The man's eyes widen as he stalks off and Valery looks into my eyes, and I can smell the alcohol on his breath.
"You are going to have such a bad hangover tomorrow."
"I am not drunk darling, just a little tipsy." I laugh and shake my head, and I push him down into the car and close the door, then I go over to Nat.
"I'll come over tomorrow night, movie night?"
"Sure Kat, good luck with Valery, Ares is drunk but Valery is done for."
"I know, love you babe, see you tomorrow." She kisses my cheek quickly and shoves my brother down into their car, then I hop into the driver's side of my car.
"Sweetheart! You're back! I missed you." He pouts.
"I was gone for a minute baby."
"One minute too long, and why are you driving? This is my car."
"Because I'm not completely and utterly wasted, now put your seatbelt on, or no kisses for the next week." He screams like a little girl and clicks his seatbelt in quickly, while I crack up with laughter.
"Don't laugh! That's a serious threat!" I smile softly and drive out of the car park, and I drive back to our apartment.

I walk back into our bedroom after getting Valery a glass of water, and I find him flexing his arm muscles in the mirror.
"What the fuck-"
"Look at these muscles! I'm like a bodybuilder."
"You are not a bodybuilder, you're nowhere near it, yes you are strong though." He sighs and I watch his back muscles flex as I set down the glass of water on the bed side table and walk over to him. "You okay Val?"
"Can I kiss you?"
"Sure... why are you asking?"
"Consent? That's one of the few things that matters most to me." I smile and step infront of him, and he grabs my face and kisses me passionately. I pull away after a couple of seconds and shake my head.
"Not while you're drunk baby, I'm sorry."
"Don't apologise, if you don't want to I'm not going to make you, but why do you say not when I'm drunk?"
"Cause then I have no way of knowing if you're actually consenting, and that's not okay." He smiles softly and kisses my forehead.
"Do you want to use the shower first?"
"You're not gonna come in?"
"It always leads to sex princess, and you're not comfortable with it right now, that's not fair on you." I smile widely and hug him.
"I love you baby."

I wrap a towel around my self and blow-dry my hair, then do my skincare and I change into my pyjamas, then I walk out of the bathroom to find Valery passed out in grey sweatpants on top of the covers. I smile and slowly move them out from under him, and then I lay them on top of him carefully, and I turn off the light.
"Sleep well my love." I kiss his cheek and let my eyes close as I cuddle up into his chest.

I wake up to the smell of bacon and my boyfriend not in bed next to me. I push my feet into my uggs and walk out into the kitchen, and I watch Valery as his muscles flex while he cooks.
"Morning, how's your head?" He turns around and smiles, then goes back to cooking.
"Fine, I don't really get bad hangovers, how are you feeling love?"
"I'm good!" I walk over to him and sit on the counter top near the stove, and I watch as the pink bacon slowly turns a deep shade of maroon. "What do we do now?"
"What do you mean?"
"We've graduated, and it's summer, so it's not like we have any training to be doing."
"About that..." He lifts me off the counter and point to the couch. "Go sit, I have something for you." I lift a brow and then walk over to the couch and sit down.
"Well?"
"Just a second love." I drum my fingers against my bare thigh, and then I hear a soft pad of footsteps moving towards me, so I start to turn my head. "No, close your eyes." I close my eyes hesitantly, and then I feel his presence in front of me.
"Can I open yet?"
"Yeah." I open my eyes and Valery is holding a small envelope as his gaze flits between my eyes nervously. "So you know how you've always wanted to go to Hawaii?"
"Yeah?"
"Open." I take the envelope slowly and open it, and two plane tickets fall out. I pick one up and read it.
"We're going to Hawaii!" He smiles as I jump up off the couch and wrap my arms around his neck. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" His arms slither around my waist as he kisses the side of my head.
"You're welcome princess."

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They'll be flying out next chapter, also sorry these chapters have been really slow, even though I'm on school holidays, I've been working a lot, and today's my last day of holidays, but I'll try to upload faster :)