Viktor was sitting on the bed, his top three buttons undone. He looked sinful, and perfect, but I was hostile and I knew it. He looked up at me, and I looked away from him, digging through the bags until I found the bottle of wine. 

“Just what are your plans here, Nikita?”

“I’m going to have a bath, and I’m taking this with me so that when I get out, I can get dressed and go to bed. Aren’t you busy with work? Don’t waste time with me.”

He sighed and pulled a hand through his hair. “Nikita, don’t be like this.”

“This all was a damn mistake. I should have just stayed the fuck away from you. Just what the hell was I thinking? Why did I even think this could fucking work out? I don’t know what one of us is more fucking stupid at this point.” 

“Nikita, please.”

“Please what, Viktor! I don’t fucking understand. You didn’t mind fucking me senseless and shamelessly before, but now that we are actually married, you won’t even fucking touch me. I don’t fucking get you. I just don’t fucking understand.”

“Nikita, can we talk this out like adults?” 

“Talk this out? Did you fall and bump your fucking head? Talk. We don’t just talk, we never have just talked.” I hissed. 

“This time I would like to. If we are to make this work, we need to do some talking, like never before.” Viktor said, and I pulled a hand through my hair. I gave my head a shake and couldn’t stop the words on the tip of my tongue. 

“This you, I dont know it, and I’m fucking terrified.” I hissed.

Viktor looked up at me. And for once, those eyes held actual emotions. “You’re terrified?”

“Yes. Of course I am! The Viktor that I’ve known is not this one that you’re playing or acting like, and I don’t understand this game, but I don’t like it.”

“You could trust me.”

“Blindly? Not fucking likely. I did that once before, remember?” I snapped and turned away from him. “I’m going to have a bath.”

“Do you need the wine for your bath?” Viktor asked, and I almost laughed. 

“No, not really. But it will make me feel better.”

“I don’t like that you drink like this when you’re uncomfortable. You rely too much on alcohol for things.” Viktor hummed. 

“I’m going to be polite with the last bone in my body here and not swear at you, but mind your own business, Viktor.”

“You are my business, Nikita.”

Ignoring him, I walked back into the bathroom, leaving the wine bottle on the top of the dresser as I passed by it. Viktor was seriously frustrating me, and I didn’t know what to do, but talking about it would not help. I didn’t want to communicate with him. I just wanted him to rail me sideways until I passed out and made up for all the sleep I was lacking. 

I was exhausted, and I just wanted to get some decent sleep. I closed the door and leaned against it, panting. I could feel my body trembling with anger. It wasn’t his fault it was mine, and I knew that. Turning off the tub, I stepped into the hot water, and Viktor knocked on the door.

“Now is not a good time, Viktor,” I breathed.

“Just listen to me then. I won’t sleep with you because I refuse to allow sex to be the only time we are close. If this doesn’t work, I am out of options. I want more than just sex from you, Kita. I want an actual connection and I want to be close. I don’t want to just be a business transaction for you.”

“You want this to be more than what it is? I thought I was just the stupid one, but I guess we’re both just fucking stupid.” I laughed, relaxing back into the water. “If you want to continue this conversation, you can come in. I don’t want to talk through a door.”

He opened the door slowly, and I understood why. I told him it wasn’t a good time, but also just invited him into the bathroom. Viktor closed the door behind him as he came into the bathroom. I watched the way he moved and calculated a plan. 

He sat down on the toilet, and we met eyes. He looked away from me, and I sighed. 

“To be honest, I didn’t expect this when I agreed to marry you, Viktor. What I expected was your normal and nasty behaviour, the one I am already accustomed to. I didn’t expect you to be like this.” 

He looked at me. I saw it from the corner of my eye. I knew he understood my words. The softness on his face, a rare sight, told me as much. 

“I am trying to show you a side that isn’t me, and I am struggling. I’ll admit it. But me, the way I am, it doesn’t work.” Viktor said, his eyes darkening to his normal coldness. Not the fake mask he put on, even in front of Ilya, and his parents. 

“All you’re doing is showing me the mask that you show everyone else. I don’t care to be roped into the group of people who see that side of you. I’ve seen the regular you. The ‘unfiltered’ you. While you could soften a bit for me, I don’t hate you or that side of you. I hate some of the bullshit you’ve done. Drugging me, locking me up, lying to me. That is the shit I hate, and can’t stand. That is why I didn’t love you, Viktor, no matter how you tried to impress me. Diamond chokers, fur coats, and gold don’t subtract from the shitty things you did to me. The angry sex, the office sex, the dinners, that shit was alright, some of it was far better than alright.”

“The final straw was when I drugged you and held you here,” he said, relaxing on the toilet. 

“You bet. Also, strip. You can join me here.” I groaned.

“Nikita,” he hissed lowly. 

“I will not force you into anything, Viktor. I just thought you could do with joining me in the relaxing warm water.”

He stood up and kicked his shoes off. His socks and pants were next, and he was slow and meticulous with maintaining the crisp look of the suit he had on. The deep navy dress shirt was the second to last thing he took off. His tanned skin was soft looking from the tub, and the light brown hair trailing towards his cock. He tossed his shirt aside and his boxers were the last thing to come off. He turned to set them with the rest of his things, and I frowned. He added more details to his back piece. 

“When did you get more things added?”

“To my back piece?”

“Yes, this is the first time I’ve noticed it’s different.” I hummed. 

“Just after you disappeared.”

“It looks nice.” I said, and he turned around, showing me the entire thing before getting into the tub and sitting on the other side. He turned the jets on and relaxed back, and I watched him. 

“Come here, let me help you wash,” Viktor said, and that soft gentle tone he had before disappeared. This tone was the one I was used to from him, but seemingly less harsh. “I’m still asking nicely, Nikita. But that can change. After all, you wanted me to touch you. I’m trying to do that.”

Easing towards him so I didn’t slop the water onto the floor, I sat beside him. He took the soap, and put some in his hands, and spread his legs. Without him having to ask, I moved between them, and he rubbed his hands on my back. The soap suds made his hands slide over my skin smoothly. His touch was firm, but gentle and comforting, and I felt the muscles in my body relax. I closed my eyes, enjoying the sensation.

For once, this felt ok. Not foreign, but not familiar either. This was already miles better than the gentle, caring bullshit he played with me. It wasn’t as insulting. He knew better than anyone I could handle being roughed up. He was in control, and I was ok with that. I could simply let go and be in the moment.

“I will try to be aware of your feelings, Nikita,” he said, and his hand stopped on the back of my neck. “But I won’t try to be gentle with you, since you’ve clarified that you don’t care for it.”

“Don’t lock me up again, don’t lie to me, don’t drug me and things will go smoothly.” I muttered, and I felt his fingers flex on the back of my neck.

“I’m still not going to rush into sleeping with you, Nikita. As I said, I want to be more than a business transaction,” he said firmly, his hands moving to wash my hair now. 

As he scrubbed his fingers against my scalp, I couldn’t help but think this is what Stockholm syndrome was, and it was too late for me. Keeping that thought to myself, I focused on what he was doing.

“Why did you suggest this?” he asked.

“Suggest what? Having you join me in the bath?”

“Yes, Kita, that’s what I’m asking.”

“I figured you would give in and touch me, in some shape or form.” I admitted.

“That sounds about right, knowing you.” Viktor said and reached for the shower head. “Close your eyes. I’m going to rinse your hair.”

I closed my eyes, and he tilted my head back and washed the soap out of it. He got all the soap out and rung out my hair, before he grabbed something else and rubbed it through my damp, not quite soaked hair.

“We should get out soon.”

“Let me help you?” I asked, feeling like I should because he helped me.

“I’m just going to grab a quick shower. I have another few things I need to tend to before I can come join you in bed,” he said, helping me stand up in the bathtub safely, before he began draining it. He tossed a towel at me and went to the shower.

I watched him shower as I dried off, and before leaving the towel where he could reach it. Walking back into the bedroom, I smirked. Viktor had cleaned the bed off and the wine that was on the dresser was gone. The new pillows had pillow cases on them and were resting on the chair. The rest of the stuff was folded up and set on the small table. The condoms and the lube resting on the very top.

I couldn’t help but wonder what his reaction was to seeing those.

Getting in the bed, I didn’t bother to get dressed. I didn’t want to. Instead, I wanted to test how committed Viktor was to his words, about not wanting to rush into having sex. Surely we would find out.