DRAGO'S STORY

Drago's Fix

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: 2018

Time× 6:52 am

"You're late." Is the first thing Viktor heard once he walked through the gym's locker room. Sofia stood up against his locker, with her arms crossed. She looked at him closely, as he slowly walked towards her.

"I know," Viktor said, annoyance laced in his tone. "You're in my way."

Sofia moved to the side, somewhat thrown off about how angry he sounded. And even though she could tell he wasn't his normal self, she still wanted to push him... only to see how far he'd go... anger wise. "Showing up late to practice is unacceptable Viktor. Especially when you're this far into the season."

Viktor ignored what she said, and opened up his locker. He could care less about practice. The only thing that was on his mind right now was Natalie.

She was all that mattered and if she'd pick up her phone when he called, it would've made him feel good to know that she was safe.

"Look Viktor, I don't wanna overstep. But if your girlfriend is the reason why you're late to practice, then that's a red flag to a toxic relationship. I get it. You think you're in love and as your girlfriend, she is your top priority. But you gotta see that she's holding you back. Especially if she's letting you come into practice this late. It's very selfish and inconsiderate of her if you ask me."

Viktor got what he needed from his locker and slammed it shut, causing Sofia to jump back. He glared at her, pointing his pointer finger in her direction. "I didn't fucking ask you!" He snapped. "And you're right, you did overstep. Stay out my relationship and keep your opinion to yourself, it isn't that fucking hard to do so. If I hear you ever speak badly about Nat again or even mention her name in a fucking sentence, I'll make sure to ruin your fucking career! Do your job and coach me. That's it! That's your only priority!"

Sofia gaped at him, her eyes wide and her body slightly turned on. She liked how commanding he sounded and even made a mental note, to try getting under his skin as often as she could. She also liked how, even though he was mad at her, he didn't call her out her name. "I'm sorry." She uttered, trying to sound innocent but Viktor saw right through her shit.

"Yeah, I'm sure you are." He scoffed.

"Viktor!" Ivan shouted, coming into the locker room. The sound of his voice made Viktor want to punch a hole in the wall. "Is this shit fucking true?!" He asked, storming up to him.

Viktor sighed at the phone that was pushed against his line of vision. He didn't even have to look at the phone to know what this was about. "Would you please calm down, Ivan. I can explain."

Sofia's eyebrows knitted together, as she took the phone away from Ivan to see what all the fuss was about. Her eyes nearly budged out of their socket as she read the news article. "Qué carajo?" (What the fuck?) She cursed in Spanish. "She's pregnant?!" She screeched.

Ivar didn't even acknowledge her presence, his eyes stayed trained on his son. "Is it true?!" He asked again, this time more calmly.

This caused Viktor to frown. For the first time in a very long time, his dad displayed an emotion that wasn't exactly anger or disappointment... it was worry. "She's not pregnant." Said Viktor, and both Ivan and Sofia let out a breath in relief. "Nat wasn't feeling well during our run, so I carried her the rest of the way. That's it, that's all that is. She isn't pregnant."

"Thank goodness," Sofia mumbled, under her breath.

Ivan continued to look at his son, his worry demeanor slowly disappearing. "Okay." He responded, nodding his head and scratching the back of his head. Ivan backed up a little. Viktor was confused by his dad's reaction. With a thing like this, he was expecting Ivan to yell at him, call him stupid, throw something at him... call Natalie out her name. But it was the complete opposite... it was almost as though he was stuck. "Go start practice... since you were late, Sofia will give you your punishment." And with that, Ivan walked away.