Not In Siberia Anymore [Intro; Open to everyone at the Institute]

[kid_from_chukotka]

Ilya stood in the lobby of the mansion, attempting not to panic. While his SHIELD handler worked out the final paperwork, she'd benignly told him to stay there. The thing of it was, though, he was pretty sure that an entire apartment complex from home could fit in here. He tried not to fidget as it continued to hit home just how far away from, well, home that he was. The world seemed suddenly much too big, leaving him motionless as he tried to figure out what to do. He looked at his bags and wondered if he should take them up to his room... except he had no idea where his room was. And despite SHIELD having taught him fluent English, the Russian was loathe to call out for help and say something stupid and grammatically incorrect. He didn't want to look like an idiot right after he'd walked through the door.

So the fifteen year old stood there, glancing around awkwardly, silent as a mouse.

Comments

[kid_from_chukotka]

The way that Ilya's leaning in, and the way their hands are touching, is probably more intimate than is really appropriate - but Ilya is just basing what's okay on Dolemeck's reaction, having had no real interactions like this with people his own age. Even other people who worked in the mine were older than him by at least ten years.

"I don't know anything about any of this. It isn't fair and if it's this frustrating for me I can't imagine what it's like being you. You really deserve better than this." He looked at Dolemeck, the person who flippantly threw aside race, education and the obvious financial gulf between them, the guy who made him cake and treated him like he was a real person, and felt a sense of protectiveness that had little to do with the fact Dolemeck was in a wheelchair. "I know nothing will happen to you. Because I'll teach you all that I know so nothing like that can ever happen to you again. If I can stop a broken mine cart full of ore, I could stop other things, and if I can teach you, then you can, too." He lightens up enough to add cheekily, "Besides, you're already teaching me a growing list of things, I need to do something so I'm not mooching off of you."

[dolemeck]

Dolemeck found himself leaning in a bit more himself. His forehead gently pressed against Ilya's, and his eyes closed. It was quite intimate the way their hands were, it made his heart race.

"You are not mooching off of me." His voice was a bit quiet, now. "I am offering to help you, because you are a good, kind person, Ilya. Even if I just met you... I can tell. And you have been through things you never deserved. I want to make up for all of that, by having you happy at this school, and smiling... and less nervous."

He could not stop smiling for some reason, or blushing.

"I do not know how I can explain it, but I want to protect you, too, Ilya."

[kid_from_chukotka]

His heart was beating faster, and his breath caught when Dolemeck pressed their heads together. The concept this is romantic is as terrifying as it is amazing. He'd never thought about his orientation because he'd given up hope on that front so long ago he couldn't even remember when it happened. Maybe he's reading too much into it. But he hopes he isn't, or if he is, he'll at least get to pretend that's what this might be for a few more seconds.

"I'm not any kinder than anyone else is. Or any more good." He's kind of proud he got the grammar right, there. "I'm just some kid from Chukotka who somehow ended up here. And I am happy. I have you now." They're so close Dolemack can probably see that Ilya's eyes are a dark blue instead of brown as they appear from a distance. Other people might find it repulsive, the trademark blue of the Chukchi, but he doubts Dolemeck cares.

"The only reason I'm nervous is because I just got here, but I already don't want to leave this school. Or you." His cheeks must be on fire at this point, with how warm they feel. Did he really just say that? He's not sure what's worse, that it's so unromantic or that it's so painfully true. What's wrong with him? He didn't bond to his SHIELD handlers at all, so why is Dolemeck so easy to care about?

[dolemeck]

He wanted to share his first kiss with Ilya. he wanted to be impulsive about it and just do it. But he worried, he worried if Ilya thought he was just being kind to use him. His past was so painful, and he did not want to add to that.

But on the other hand, he wanted to share such an experience with him. He wanted to show that he cared about him, and that he made his heart race and his face turn red. So many questions flooded his head, and he finally opened his green eyes to look into Ilya's blue ones.

"It is weird. I... I feel the same way about you. That I do not wish to leave you, either. That I feel so happy right now."

He had thought about his own orientation, before. he found himself attracted to other men, but it made me somewhat uncomfortable. Only Rose knew about this, and maybe Topher as he failed to flirt with him in the most awkward of ways. But something about Ilya just felt right and natural.

Dolemeck hoped he made the right decision, as he leaned in more, and gently placed his lips on Ilya's.

[kid_from_chukotka]

He knew Catholics were as against homosexuality as Orthodox people. Ilya would have pined without ever making a move for that reason alone, for the fear of crossing the line of whatever it was Dolemeck believed about it. He wasn't as nervous as he seemed, but he'd always been reserved, at a distance from almost everyone.

So the kiss is surprising for all the above reasons, but it's not unwelcome, and Ilya shuts his eyes and presses against him. He's never kissed anyone before so it's a far cry from the most passionate or sexy kiss. What is it, what Ilya is, is completely sincere. He doesn't want the moment to end so the kiss lingers before he slowly pulls back, shyly looking at Dolemeck.

"...if that was bad, I'm sorry. I've never done that before," he admitted softly, adding, "That doesn't mean I didn't like it."

[dolemeck]

"Well... that was my first kiss as well." He admitted, his voice just as soft as Ilya's. "I... I liked it as well."

Dolemeck was a bit shocked as well. It was frightening, given how he grew up. Yes, his parents were in the music industry and a bit out there, but his older brother was the grounded one and the one to take him to church in order to instill some values. He was going against one of those values, but it was one he never agreed with. So why did this make him feel nervous?

He was now at a loss of words. His hands still holding Ilya's, and his eyes still looking into his.

[kid_from_chukotka]

For a moment, Ilya's quiet. He wants to make Dolemeck happy. He likes seeing him be so open. Topher was too confident, too comfortable with the world. There's something that's more easy to connect with when he's around Dolemeck, especially alone. Ilya hasn't ever spoken so freely and easily with someone in his life. He didn't know it could be easy. Most of his life had been spent thinking if only he could lie about his powers and his race he'd have it made, and then along came Dolemeck and the opposite was true. He had nothing to hide. It was such a powerful feeling his eyes watered.

"I think," he whispered, "I could get used to this. Whatever 'this' is - whatever you want us to be, I want that, too."

It's scary. The thought leaves him breathless after the years of isolation. But all the pieces fall into place too well for him to want to walk away from what just happened. They fit together, at least from Ilya's perspective, and that means the world to him.

[dolemeck]

"I could get used to this, as well." He gave that gentle smile once more, his own voice a whisper.

Dolemeck was starting to ease up. He could be himself with Ilya. he did not have to put up a front of always being silly or happy. he could share his personal feelings, he could talk about his disability without fear of sounding like he whined.

He had someone that made his heart race out of his chest, yet made him feel comfortable at the same time. Someone he wanted to protect and make up for how he was treated. To have someone to make smile... for real.

"What would you like this to be, Ilya? I... I do not want to tell you what to do. That would be wrong." His heart felt like a jack rabbit in his chest, just trying to escape and run through the entire mansion. "And, if you would allow me... may I kiss you again?"

[kid_from_chukotka]

"I don't know if there's a word for what I want. 'Boyfriend' sounds shallow and that's not right, it's more like I want to be with you. I want to talk to you, know all about you. You make things make sense. And... I want to kiss you, too." This all seemed less confusing when it was a straight couple on a radio drama or a soap opera. They never had to have these conversations where everything was new and hard to pin down.

"Of course you can kiss me." He blushes and looks down. "I can't believe I just said that. I can't believe this is happening. I..." he's trailing off again, something Dolemeck seems to make happen regularly, but it's in a good way, because he can't help smiling, and he fails to blink back happy tears. "Zvezda moya..."

[dolemeck]

"Well, then we can do that." He smiled his hand letting go of Ilya's to gently brush away his tears. He knew they were happy tears, but it was an act to show he cared about him.

"I would be more than happy to share everything about me, and I would love to hear everything about you. This may sound silly, but I would love nothing more than to just talk with and hold hands with you... it just feels like it is something that is supposed to be."

He was all smiles himself, as he looked at Ilya before moving in to kiss him, again. This time, he tried to make the kiss last a little longer, but still remained a bit chaste about his kiss. He was unsure how to really kiss, and this was as much as he knew for now.

[kid_from_chukotka]

"It's not silly. That sounds perfect to me." He means it, too, smiling even as their lips met, trying experimentally to move his lips in something closer to a real kiss, the romantic kind he'd heard girls in Ayon gush about. He's fairly sure he's not doing it right, but he'll try until he figures it out. He can get used to anything for Dolemeck with time simply because he knows that for once, he doesn't have to. For once, his opinion and what he feels matters to someone on a real level.

They're clueless. And that's perfectly fine because they're clueless together.