10-27-2019, 07:24 PM
Ivan gritted his teeth, oblivious to the display around him, the laughter and frolicking, fireworks and smells of food and the music. He felt the invisible iron collar around his neck.
Things had been going well. In the beginning, he'd show up at Danya'a flat and help her get Zara ready. Get her breakfast. Then he took her to school.
Funny. Those late nights at the bar had stopped over night. Just like that. He wanted to be up early and fresh so that he could enjoy his time with his daughter. The wallowing and flirting and casualness of the bar seemed...empty, in comparison This was real life.
And Danya'a face showed she appreciated it, the help. The support. More and more he showed up earlier, when Zara was still asleep, coffees in hand. And they'd sit and talk, just the two of them. Reconnecting.
The woman before him now was the one he remembered. But more settled. Mature. No longer the butterfly to flit from one flower to the next. And he realized he was changing. He felt the responsibility of fatherhood settle on his shoulders and it was a natural fit. It didn't chafe or bother him. Not a weight. No. On the contrary. He fell in love with his daughter. And with being a dad. Like he had been born to it. That it was what he'd always been.
And he was falling in love with Danya, too. This time, more deeply and more real. And she felt the same. That first night they slept together, they were shy and respectful and hesitant. More careful. He knew the woman he was with and cherished his time with her. Made sure she knew it, too. Waking up next to her was a joy.
It was like he had come home.
Eventually, he spent most nights at Danya's. Things were going well. The threat of Yun Kao still hung over him, but each day, he thought of it less and less.
Idiot.
And so here he was. Plain clothes duty as she shmoozed the Yakuza, extending her influence. Consul DuBois was too busy to see him. Fucking asshole. He had saved the guy. Well almost. Could at least give him five minutes, tho. At least.
And Dorian was a fat lot of help. As in none.
Ivan was desperate. He needed someone who was dirty. Could help him. Because he knew breaking away wouldn't be clean.
So it was Ryker he called. Yeah, he knew. Trust me, he knew. The last time he was with Ryker he'd jumped into the pit at the Almaz and gotten his face torn up. Danya had not been happy with him, showing up like that. He'd worked hard since then to show her that he could be a responsible father.
But Ivan needed to be free. And that meant working outside the system. Ryker was someone he could trust
So here he was, walking around, rage choking him, glaring at anyone who looked at him. He was a tiger in a cage. He had to be careful. For Danya and Zara's sake.
He messaged Ryker, telling him where he was at. He needed to talk.
Things had been going well. In the beginning, he'd show up at Danya'a flat and help her get Zara ready. Get her breakfast. Then he took her to school.
Funny. Those late nights at the bar had stopped over night. Just like that. He wanted to be up early and fresh so that he could enjoy his time with his daughter. The wallowing and flirting and casualness of the bar seemed...empty, in comparison This was real life.
And Danya'a face showed she appreciated it, the help. The support. More and more he showed up earlier, when Zara was still asleep, coffees in hand. And they'd sit and talk, just the two of them. Reconnecting.
The woman before him now was the one he remembered. But more settled. Mature. No longer the butterfly to flit from one flower to the next. And he realized he was changing. He felt the responsibility of fatherhood settle on his shoulders and it was a natural fit. It didn't chafe or bother him. Not a weight. No. On the contrary. He fell in love with his daughter. And with being a dad. Like he had been born to it. That it was what he'd always been.
And he was falling in love with Danya, too. This time, more deeply and more real. And she felt the same. That first night they slept together, they were shy and respectful and hesitant. More careful. He knew the woman he was with and cherished his time with her. Made sure she knew it, too. Waking up next to her was a joy.
It was like he had come home.
Eventually, he spent most nights at Danya's. Things were going well. The threat of Yun Kao still hung over him, but each day, he thought of it less and less.
Idiot.
And so here he was. Plain clothes duty as she shmoozed the Yakuza, extending her influence. Consul DuBois was too busy to see him. Fucking asshole. He had saved the guy. Well almost. Could at least give him five minutes, tho. At least.
And Dorian was a fat lot of help. As in none.
Ivan was desperate. He needed someone who was dirty. Could help him. Because he knew breaking away wouldn't be clean.
So it was Ryker he called. Yeah, he knew. Trust me, he knew. The last time he was with Ryker he'd jumped into the pit at the Almaz and gotten his face torn up. Danya had not been happy with him, showing up like that. He'd worked hard since then to show her that he could be a responsible father.
But Ivan needed to be free. And that meant working outside the system. Ryker was someone he could trust
So here he was, walking around, rage choking him, glaring at anyone who looked at him. He was a tiger in a cage. He had to be careful. For Danya and Zara's sake.
He messaged Ryker, telling him where he was at. He needed to talk.