"So the debtor was the man who took you in after your accident?" Emil said halfway through, raising his cup before taking a slow sip. "Wow… what a coincidence."
He pushed himself off the wall he'd been leaning against, the cup still in hand. Turning to face Ash, he continued, "So what's your plan? You didn't exactly tell them the whole truth, did you?"
Ash let out a faint breath "Do you really think that if I told them the reason I'm doing this is to pay a debt that isn't even mine, they'd still accept my help?"
Emil paused, then nodded lightly. "You've got a point," he said, bringing his cup to his lips again. The silence that followed was comfortable — just the sound of the wind brushing through the quiet alley.
"Hey, Ash," Emil finally said.
Ash turned his head slightly. Emil was facing forward, turning his coffee cup slowly in his hand.
"You could always accept the boss's offer," Emil said. "Be his bodyguard. He did say he'd pay you."
Ash rubbing the back of his neck, his voice low.
"Yeah, I've thought about it. Maybe I could ask him to clear their debt in exchange for me being his bodyguard." He gave a quiet, humorless laugh. "But it's a huge amount. I doubt he'd agree to let it go because of me. It's not like I'm that valuable."
Emil watched him quietly, finishing his coffee, he tossed the empty cup into a nearby bin and looked back at Ash with a faint smirk.
"I don't think so," he said simply. "He seems… pretty interested in you. More than someone who just wants a bodyguard."
Ash blinked, unsure of how to respond, and Emil's smirk deepened before he turned away, hands sliding into his pockets as he walked off.
***************
The sun had already set, and the bright moon hung high in the sky, casting a soft glow over the streets.
When Ash entered his room, it felt unusually peaceful — almost too quiet. It didn't take long for him to realize why.
Maddox isn't around.
That simple thought instantly lifted his mood. At least tonight, I won't have to listen to those annoying moans he thought with a sigh of relief.
He headed straight for the bathroom. The water ran over his skin, washing away the exhaustion of the day. For a while, the only sound was the steady rhythm of the water and his own slow breathing.
After his shower, Ash stepped out, his blonde hair dripping down the back of his neck. He grabbed a towel and started tying it around his waist when a knock came at the door.
"Great…" he muttered under his breath, assuming it was Maddox.
He walked toward the door and pulled it open—
Only to freeze.
"Hi, Ashley" Dmitri said, standing there with his usual small, knowin smile plastered across his face.
Ash's eyes went wide. "Damn it," he muttered and immediately slammed the door shut right in front of him.
From outside came Dmitri's faint chuckle. "Well… that's one way to greet," he said, amusement lacing his tone.
A few minutes later...
Dmitri was still at the door, now looking at Ash — who stood fully dressed before him.
"You could've just told me you wanted to change," Dmitri said with a faint smirk.
Ash, still holding the doorknob, avoided his gaze. "Sorry, Boss," he muttered, rubbing the back of his neck awkwardly. "I was just… surprised to see you."
Dmitri leaned in slightly, his smile soft but unreadable. "Okay," he said simply. With one hand slipping into his pocket, he walked past Ash and entered the room.
Ash sighed and shut the door behind him before turning around.
"Honestly, Ashley," Dmitri began, sounding half-frustrated, half-playful, "can't you drop the formalities for once? You always address me as Boss—"
"We don't have any particular relationship," Ash interrupted, his voice calm . "So why should I call you by your name?"
Dmitri rolled his eyes dramatically.
"You know what? You're really not funny."
He walked over to the bed beside him and let himself fall onto it with a quiet thud. For a moment, he lay there, staring at the ceiling, then closed his eyes. Yeah… definitely his bed, Dmitri thought. It smells just like him.
Ash folded his arms, watching him.
"So why did you come here?" he finally asked.
Without opening his eyes, Dmitri replied lazily, "Do I need a reason to visit a building I own?"
Ash's tone dropped, irritation lacing his voice. "And this is the only room you decided to come to?"
Dmitri sat up, catching the annoyed look on Ash's face, and suddenly burst into laughter. He jumped off the bed, walking closer.
"Actually," he said, his grin widening, "I came to see you."
Ash blinked.
"I missed you," Dmitri admitted smoothly "So, I asked your friend for your room number."
"Damn, Emil," Ash muttered under his breath.
Dmitri let out a low chuckle as he flopped back onto the bed. "Don't be mad at him. He didn't really have a choice."
"Of course he didn't," Ash said, a little smirk playing on his lips. "You're the boss, after all. By the way, you've seen me, so it should be fine then, right?"
"You don't sound too pleased to see me," Dmitri said as he sat up again, cocking his head to the side to get a better view of Ash.
"Me? Is that how I sounded?" Ash folded his arms, a slight cock to his brow. "I'm just a lowly debt collector. I can't really choose my guests, now can I?"
"Oh, Ash—" Dmitri sighed and stood, approaching him once more. "You're so lucky I find your little sarcasm cute."
When he was just a few inches away, he grabbed Ash's shoulders, turning him and pushing him onto the bed. Before Ash could comprehend anything, Dmitri was on top of him—his hands planted on either side of Ash's head, his face a few inches away.
"By the way, I just came. I can't leave now," he said, flashing his ever-charming smile.
"Don't you have boss duties?" Ash tried to sit up from the uncompromising position, feeling heat creeping up his neck.
"One of the advantages of being the boss, like you're so good at pointing out,is avoiding those duties," Dmitri replied with a smirk, gently placing a hand on Ash's shoulder to keep him in place. "And it's much more fun being with you instead," he added.
"If you knew me, then you would know I'm anything but fun.So don't forgo your precious boss duties for me."."
"That's why I'm here now—to know you. Your likes and dislikes," Dmitri responded, ignoring the second part of his statement.
"I dislike being in this place, and I'd like to get the hell out of here." Ash said flatly.
"Your dad's debt is in eight figures, and he placed you as collateral long before you even became an adult. Unfortunately, getting out of here would be somewhat impossible, but—" Dmitri paused, inching closer to Ash's face, then whispered into his ear, "—it could be better. Your life here could be so much better, Ash." He caressed Ash's hair, his fingers drifting down to his cheek.
"Better?" Ash scoffed, trying to feign ignorance to what Dmitri was doing. "Yeah, right! Me being here is pretty unfair already. I wonder if the term 'better' could be any good, Boss."
"You keep me wondering if this mouth of yours is good at anything else apart from voicing out rejections and formalities," Dmitri said, a little frown forming between his brows as he stared intently at Ash's lips. As if giving in to the voice in his head, he placed his thumb on Ash's lips, softly caressing them, and slowly closed the gap between them.
Before he could fully give in, a ring cut through the silence. Dmitri paused and looked toward the noise.He didn't need to pick up the phone to know who was calling—Alexei, probably calling to say the time for avoiding his boss duties was over. As much as he wanted to ignore it, he knew it was important. Annoyance and irritation flashed through him.
"Don't you think it's sad how someone always seems to interrupt our very precious moments?" Dmitri said with a sigh.
But Ash didn't know what to say. His whole body was heating up, his mind a mess trying to make sense of what was about to happen.
"Oh well. This will have to do for now," Dmitri said. He placed a soft kiss on Ash's forehead, then on his nose, down to his neck, and finally lingered a little too long beside his mouth. "Until next time, Ashley," he whispered, his lips just above Ash's before he pulled away.
Dmitri was already at the door, about to exit, when Ash snapped back to his senses and quickly got off the bed to meet him. Ash held the door open, but before Dmitri could completely exit, a thought came to mind.
"By the way, don't forget—the offer of being my bodyguard still stands. And I already know what you're going to s—"
"Yes," Ash replied.
"Wait! What?" Dmitri asked, shock clearly written on his face.
"I said yes. I'm going to be your bodyguard." How to pay Victor's debt had been haunting Ash since the last time they met, and with the next payment day drawing nearer, Emil's advice seemed the only plausible solution. He decided to go for it.
"Really?" Dmitri was still in disbelief that Ash had just accepted. He thought it would take much longer to convince him.
"But I have a condition," Ash said.
"I knew that was too easy, coming from the master of rejection," Dmitri replied with a smirk.
"I'll be your bodyguard if you clear a debt for me." Ash shifted his gaze from Dmitri to the floor as uncertainty crept in. The sum was enormous. "I mean, you did say you'd pay me. So, rather than doing that, I'd like you to clear a d—"
"Okay," Dmitri replied before Ash could finish.
Ash's head snapped back up, taken aback by how quickly Dmitri had agreed. He'd expected hesitation, questions about the amount. "You didn't even ask me how much. I mean, it's quite a sum."
"I'll pay any amount to have you by my side, Ashley," Dmitri replied, moving closer, his emerald eyes never leaving Ash's blue ones. "What's the name of the debtor?"
"Victor—Victor Chernov," Ash replied, almost breathlessly. Dmitri's words, coupled with his proximity, were doing things to him he didn't want to acknowledge. He could feel his cheeks heating up.
"Consider it cleared," Dmitri replied with a flirty smile. He knew damn well that, despite Ash's numerous rejections, he had an effect on him. And he liked that. "See you very soon, Ashley." He placed a quick peck on Ash's cheek before exiting fully, leaving him in a bit of a daze.
***************
📝Author's Note💌
Sorry for the late update😫🤧. We've been a bit busy lately 😔.
Xoxo,
Quillqueens ✍️ 💕