TO THE WORLD YOURE ONLY SOMEONE

BUT FOR SOMEONE YOURE THE WORLD

 

 

PART 1.1

 

*** Vienna Airport, 11.00 am ***

Elisa looked at her watch. Five minutes too early. And time seemed to stand still. She hasnt been so excited for a long time. She would see one of her best friends again whom she had not seen for almost 4 years now. Well, they had sent cards and letters, emails and were talking on the phone at least once a week exchanging latest news and gossip.

Since Alexei had become the famous skater he was now it got hard to keep up the contact. He was always busy with training and competitions. And with his fans. She smiled. The number of fans had increased without an end, to an uncountable point. It seems everybody knew him. And they loved him. She loved him, too. But in a different way.

If she was honest, she had mixed feelings about their meeting. Of course, she was more than happy to see him again. They had been separated far too long. On the other, if she thought back a few years ... well, there had been incidents in their past that made her feel uneasy now.

Oh, come on, stop this nonsense, she told herself. Dont let this day be disturbed by such thoughts. Anyway, there would be time enough to deal with it when he was there.

Her impatience grew with every minute. She had been more than punctual, but the plane was late, too. She could hardly stand it anymore. Come on, come on, hurry up.

And then she saw the doors opening. A huge crowd of people came through. How would she find him among all these strangers. But she soon knew it wont be problem. She recognized him between them without a doubt. He hadnt changed much. And there was something like an aura around him that differed him from the others.

Still cute, she thought. Just to shelter herself almost immediately. Girl, what are you thinking?! He has just arrived. Stop this thoughts. But still ... he had something ....

And then was there. Right in front of her. Smiling the brightest smile she had ever seen. Without saying a word he hugged her and kissed her on both cheeks. Still holding her, he looked deep into her eyes. "Ive missed you." He told her. She had to smile, too. "Ive missed you, too." She hadnt expected such a warm greeting. On the other hand, it was typical for him. "Youre looking good. Like always." He made a grimace when she told him. "Just like you" he replied "Come on, lets go. You know, I hate airports."

They quickly got his luggage and took a cab to the hotel.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

"Wow, thats huge ..." Elisa stated as she walked through his room. He had a huge bedroom, some smaller living room and an enormous bathroom. "Are you sure you wont get lost in here?" she joked. "Dont worry, I have a good orientation. Anyway, better too much than too little space" he replied.

She was standing in the living room, looking out of the window. His voice was coming from quite far away, somewhere in the bedroom. "You could help me pack out instead of doing ... whatever youre doing out there" he called and she could almost see the grin on his face.

"I thought youre old enough to do this on your own" she said, standing in the bedroom door. "But if you offer me to look through your wardrobe .... which girl could resist such an offer?!" she laughed. She took one of his shirts and watched it closely. "Wow, Armani, Im impressed. Did ya get stuck up a little bit or do you just have an important date I dunno about?" she mocked. "Oh, shut up!" he took away the shirt. "I just like the shirt no matter which label" he said. "it looks good." "As if you would look good in anything ..." she said, smiling at him provocating. "Oh, you .. you ... youre worth nothing" he called, throwing the shirt on her. "Youre just jealous because I look far more better" "You really think so? Well, keep on dreaming .... Besides, Im smarter !" she replied, laughing.

It was like theyve never been separated. They were fooling around like they did years ago. While putting some of his clothes into the wardrobe, he suddenly got more serious. "So, youre living here now?! For how long ... 2 years? 3?" he asked. "2 ½ to be exact. But its like Ive been here forever" she said, looking at him. "I miss home, though. But only sometimes ... how about you? Youre living in Newington now?" "Yeah. Its great over there. But I miss home, too. And my family ..." He was deep in thoughts for a few seconds, then he put on his smile again. "So, since youre living here youll have to show me the city" "Now?" she asked, surprised. "Not now, dumb-head" he told her, grinning. "Stop calling me like this ..." she complained "anyway, gotta go now. Ive promised a friend to help her with her studies!" "Aw, too bad. Actually Ive planned to let you do my unpacking and then get me out to dinner. Now youve destroyed all my plans ..." he made his voice sound more disappointed than he actually was. "Seems some people never grow up" she replied, not looking at him on purpose. "Ive got better things to do than waste my time with fools like you!" They were both laughing.

"Will you come to my training tomorrow?" he asked, opening the door for her. He was looking at her with such a curious face that she had to laugh again. "Ill see what I can do. Im not sure if I want to waste my Sunday on you ..." Small pause. "No, honestly. I guess I can manage to come!" She kissed him Goodbye on the cheek. "Bye Alexei. See ya tomorrow then."

"Bye" he said, confused. What did she say? She could manage to come. Did that mean she had to do something else that would take so much time? Oh, come on, he told himself, why does it bother you that much? Dou think she has no life besides meeting you? He took a last look at the empty floor, sighed and then quickly closed the door.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

While she took the underground to get back home, Elisa started thinking again. Those things she had postponed all the time. Beside her happiness about seeing Alexei again, there were also feelings she didnt really like to think about. Their re-union had been so joyful, so funny that she has almost forgotten about them.

Didnt she feel a bit uneasy on the airport? Even though she didnt want to admit it was the truth.

And now, as soon as Alexei was away the doubts came back. There were reasons why she had them ...

She still remembered the time when they were both living in Russia. They have been friends for how long now? She couldnt quite remember several years anyway. They went to school together, they even trained together sometimes. Yeah, she had to smile when she thought back on their training lessons. They were always fooling around, just like before. She had been doing Figure Skating, too. And she wasnt that bad. But after her knee injury and the move to Vienna she decided to give it up and started studying different things. Sometimes she missed it. Not often, though. Her life was filled up with school, various free time activities, friends and everything there wasnt really much time to worry about it.

But she missed those lessons and their close friendship. And thinking back about them she not only had to think of Alexei, but of Evgeny as well. Theyve good friends, all three of them. The two had the same coach, too.

That was what was nagging on her now. The fact that Alexei and Evgeny had become bitter rivals, yet they used to be pretty close once. And she wasnt free of guilt either ...

Her fathers new job in Vienna hadnt been the only reason why she had moved over there ...

It hurt to think about it. But it would hurt even more tomorrow ....

Alexei sure knew that Evgeny was also participating in the show. What he didnt know was that she was going to catch Evgeny from the airport the next day.

They thought of them together made her feel uneasy. Well, she would know soon enough ... The only thing she could do now was hoping and praying!

 

PART 1.2

Elisa joined Alexei at his training the next morning. She was sitting at the rink, with noone else in there except Alexei and his coach, Tatiana for 1 ½ hours. She watched him in silence, thinking of how much his skating had improved. Not that he not been a great skater back then but since she knew a bit about skating she soon realised how difficult and beautiful his programmes were.

She had followed his career through TV, not missing a single event he participated in. And now he was here. Olympic and 4 time World Champion, yet still the same old Alexei she used to know. Tatiana, for sure had done an amazing job with him. Elisa didnt personally know her but from what she saw and what Alexei told her all the time she knew that they had a real close relationship and Tatiana loved him as like her own son.

The time went by quickly. She suddenly looked at her watch and jumped to her feet. It was almost 12.00 am, and she had to be at the airport at 12.30! Actually it wasnt really that far away but with the usual traffic it was never sure how long it would take her to get there.

"Wow! Im impressed. Youre doing an amazing footwork ..." she called at him while he got out of the rink. A little bit out of breath he walked over to her, smiling brightly. "Sure. What did YOU think?" he teased her. "Hey, Im sorry but I have to go now. Id love to stay a bit longer but Im expected somewhere else." she told him. He looked slightly disappointed but soon got over it. "I wont force you to say if you dont want to" he explained. "Oh come on. Thats not fair, you know that. But I cant spend all my day with you even if I want to. Ive got some other things to do well. Life doesnt stop because youre here ..." "Too bad. I wish it would. Then you would have no excuse to leave me alone. Here, on a Sunday afternoon. In a foreign city, with nothing to do." He smiled again. "Youre a big boy. Youll manage that, Im sure" she replied. "But you will come tomorrow? And then were going out for dinner, ok?" he asked her. "Ok, I promise. Guess thats the only way to get out here before Im too late" she smiled "Bye." She took her bag and hurried out of the rink. "Bye. And dont get to bed too late!" he called after her. She was ready to turn round and shout back something but then she decided that she had no time left and quickly left the building.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

There it was again, the impatience. Though she felt a bit guilty for not telling Alexei the truth she couldnt deny the excitement she felt when she thought of seeing Evgeny in a few minutes.

Today, the airport was almost empty. She was waiting in the huge hall, with only two other persons in there. She didnt expect the plane to arrive in time so she shrieked out of her thoughts when suddenly the doors flung open. There were only a few people coming out. She tried to find him, and there he was. He was walking towards her, a warm smile on his face when he recognized her. It was a rare sight but he looked so cute when he smiled. She couldnt do anything but to smile back while she started walking in his direction. He seemed to hurry up and suddenly they stood face to face. There was a shy moment when none of them really knew what to do or say. Then he dropped his bag on the ground and hugged her, holding her for quite some time. She couldnt deny that she liked it feeling his cheek on hers, smelling his scent which hasnt changed in all this time, just feeling his body so close to hers.

They finally parted from each other, both smiling a bit shyly. "Its so great to see you again" he said and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. Wow, it had been almost an eternity since he last had done that ... "Yeah, Im also happy" she told him "Wheres Mishin? I supposed hed come along with you" "He arrived late that night. Ive spent some days with my mom so we decided to meet in the hotel. I didnt want to take the flight at 1.30 am" he explained. "Theres noone around" he suddenly mentioned, looking around in astonishment "Where are all my fans?" He made her laugh. "Got a little stuck up, huh?!" she replied. Just like Alexei, she wanted to add but fortunately swallowed the words. "Come on, lets go. This is not the place to spend a Sunday afternoon .." she took him by the hand and led him out.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

He has booked a room in another hotel than Alexei. Which wasnt so bad at all, at least they wouldnt see each other all the time.

After he had placed his luggage in his room, they went to the rink. The porter looked at her a bit confused after seeing her again, but he didnt say anything. Elisa wondered what he must be thinking, seeing her go in and out with different men all the time. Somehow she felt that this wouldnt be her only problem ...

Evgeny soon brought her to different thoughts by showing off on the ice a little bit. He should have been tired from the long flight at night but her presence kept him going on.

After about one hour he finally started feeling a bit exhausted. They sat down on a bench in silence. He was still breathing hard a little bit. "How are you, anyway?" he asked her. "Fine, thanks. Things are going well right now. Though my familys a bit stressy sometimes ... which reminds me of something: My brothers new girl-friend will come over to dinner tonight. And Ive promised to join them! Family dinner ... you know" she sighed. "Well, I dont wanna keep you from your responsibilities. Anyway, family dinner who could resist?" They were both laughing. "Will I see you tomorrow?" he asked. Alexei had asked her the same. Well, she knew that she had to face that sooner or later ... at least they had different training times. Which made things only slightly better ...

"Sure. Why not" she kissed him good-bye. "Wish me luck for tonight."

A last look at him, then she was out.

 

PART 1.3

As she arrived at home, noone was there. That was typical of Yuri, her older brother. Inviting his friends for dinner and then disappearing and leaving her with all the preparations. On the other hand, it gave her time to think a bit.

The fact that she still had those feelings for Evgeny scared her somehow. It was more than just friendship, if not totally clear yet. And she felt the same for Alexei ...

They had been good friends once, She didnt expect all those feelings to be gone, even after almost four years. But she had hoped they would have cooled down a bit ...

Well, the last two days had proved the opposite. She had no idea how to deal with it. This time, she couldnt just run away ... she would have to face it. She was just worried if she could stand it. And even more, what would Alexei and Evgeny think? They knew about it, too. They just had to. They couldnt deny it ... they must have felt it as well. She could tell from the way they behaved ...

Elisa, Elisa, how do you plan to get you out of this? She sighed.

"Hey. Im home. Anyone here?" Yuris voice brought her back to reality. "Hey dear. What are you doing?" He gave her hug and looked into the kitchen. "Thought you have started already." "Im not your personal slave" she replied "But you can help me since youre here already. Its your girlfriend, anyway." He made a grimace, then sighed. "Ok. Lets start the fun"

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Dinner itself was quite funny. They were three: Yuri, Katja, his girl-friend and Elisa. Elisa and Yuri had prepared a delicious meal - including Elisas famous Mousse au Chocolate for dessert.

They had been talking and joking throughout the whole meal. It was quite relaxed and everyone was enjoying it. It was Katjas first visit at their home. Karolina really liked her and she seemed to make her brother really happy. That was what counted.

She watched them closely. They were such a sweet couple. She suddenly felt jealousy something that happened very often. Even though she never told anyone she missed having someone to love, to care for. Her life was quite hectic especially now as she her Final Exams were pretty close and she had always pretended not to care but in fact she felt quite lonely sometimes.

If she thought about it now, two faces appeared on her mind. She could see them so clearly ...

It made her feel guilty ... she knew that she couldnt have both. But she couldnt have one of them, either. Because she knew that this would cause more trouble than any good. Why was it so hard? She should have known, 4 years ago when she left Russia that it was no solution for ever.

But thinking of Evgenys warm hug, of Alexeis soft kiss on her cheek ... she had to smile. They were so sweet, so gentle, so adorable both of them.

"Hey there! Why are you smiling that brightly? Dreaming of some hot guy?" Yuri teased her. Katja and their dad just smiled as Elisa blushed slightly. "There are no hot guys" was all she was able to reply, looking down on her plate. A shy smile appeared on her face. "Oh right, I forgot. No man on this planet could fulfil your expectations ..." he kept on teasing her.

It made all of them laugh, especially after the angry look Elisa threw at him.

"If you just know ..." she whispered. She was tired all of a sudden so she said good-night to them and went to her room.

Yeah, if he just knew ... how many girls were longing for a nice guy. And she had two of them. Yet she couldnt chose between them. This was nagging on her the whole night until she finally fell asleep.

 

PART 2.1

It was early next morning. Elisa had got up quite early to join Alexei on his training lessons even though she had the whole week off. She was watching him skate for almost two hours, trying to hide her yawning from him. Actually she was tired but since she had promised to come ...

They changed a few words afterwards but didnt really talk as Alexei was a bit in a hurry. Tatiana wasnt really satisfied with his programme and wanted to have a short talk about it after the training.

"Im sorry but Tatiana can get quite angry if I skip that meeting" he told Elisa. "But Id love take you out for lunch. Is this ok?"

"Sure. Ill wait for you at lets say 1.00 PM. Outside, ok?" she said.

"Ok, it wont last too long. Well just discuss a few things. See ya then." He smiled happily as he walked off the rink.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It was just about 10 minutes later that Evgeny walked in. He was slightly surprised to see her waiting for him already. "Ive been early" she told him. Which wasnt a lie.

His training went by pretty fast. He came over to her when he was finished. "Wanna go out for lunch?" he asked. "Im sorry. Ive already promised someone else to have lunch with." She smiled at him excitingly. He looked a bit hurt. "Well, ok then. Is there any possible chance to take you out tonight? We havent seen each other for so long ... theres so much to talk about."

"I think that will be ok" She got up, kissed him again and started heading to the door. "Bye, Zhenya" she called.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It was already 1.10 when she went outside. She knew of Alexeis impatience and hurried to get out. But there was no Alexei there. At least he was the one to be late.

She sat down on the stairs in the now warm sunshine and waited. Minutes passed by, one after another.

1.30pm. Still no Alexei. Maybe the meeting lasted longer than he had expected. But that was more than 3 hours ago ...

1.45pm. Her impatience grew. If he really needed to talk with his coach that long he could have sent her some message ...

2.00 PM. The stone of the stairs where she was sitting grew colder. She could feel it through the thin material of her clothes. She stood up, shaking her legs. Where the hell was he that long ???

2.15 PM. It was clear now that he wouldnt come. She felt angry, but even more she felt hurt out of a reason she didnt want to admit.

"Hey. You still here? Did you change your mind?" she turned around when she heard Evgenys voice from behind. "Yeah, kind of. My date couldnt make it. Looks like Im free for lunch if youre still interested." She forced a smile on her face. "Sure I am. How could I resist the chance of having lunch with the most beautiful girl in the world?" "Ah, stop it. You make me blush" she laughed. All of a sudden she felt much better now. "I know a lovely little place for lunch. Ive checked it out yesterday" he stated, with a promising smile. "Great. Lets go then."

 

PART 2.2

They had lunch in a lovely little Italian restaurant Evgeny had discovered the night before. Since he had had nothing better to do he had been walking around checking he area.

After they were finished they to stay a bit longer. Both of them wanted to talk. So much had happened. And this seemed to be the right place to do that. They had a nice place in the little wintergreen where the sun was shining through the glass front. Though the restaurant was full to the last table there was still a cosy and almost private atmosphere.

"We havent done that for a long time" Evgeny started.

"Yeah, too long maybe ...Look what has happened in the meantime. You became World Champion and won Silver at the Olympics. Would you ever have imagined that?"

"Not really. But its still wonderful ... though Id have loved to win gold"

Bam. That was it. The cosy atmosphere was gone. Of course, it had been Alexei who took the Gold. He had been the one who had won the battle.

She had felt so happy the last few hours, not thinking of Alexei or the rivalry between Evgeny and him at all. But now it was all back. It was like a punch into the stomach. It brought her back to the thoughts that were tottering her all night ...

It also brought back her anger on Alexei for not coming. Together with a strange feeling of being hurt ... but the anger was stronger.

He must been thinking about their fight at the Olympics, too as there was a long silence. Evgeny saw her kinda worried face and he felt slightly embarrassed. He knew that she still liked Alexei it must have been painful for her. But tonight she would be his ... he was the one to be at her side, even if it was just this one evening! The same strong feelings like years ago ...

He tried to change the topic to overcome the uncomfortable silence.

"By the way, what about your skating? Hows it going?" he asked. "Didnt I tell you? I stopped after I moved here ..." she replied, happy to get to other thoughts. "Well, yeah .... I think you did some time ago. But why? Youve certainly never explained" he claimed. "I dunno. It got too stressy. I had to study a lot. And skatings not so popular over here ... and quite expensive. There was no need in going on and paying so much when I wasnt ready to work really hard on it." She said "Anyway I thought I ...." she did not finish. "What?" he asked. "Ah, nothing ... it wasnt important." How could she tell him that she also stopped because it reminded her of them, a feeling so strong she felt unable to cope with it. He didnt need to know ... not now, at least. There would come a time when she had to tell them, both of them ... but she need to sort out her thoughts and feelings first.

"Too bad. You know, you had great talent. I saw you skating ..." he told her.

"Come on, thats the past. Lets get over that. Were here ... now." she didnt feel like discussing decisions she made a long time ago.

"OK, I dont mean to hurt you in any way." he said, with a worried look on his face.

It made her smile. "No, you dont hurt me. I just ... I dont wanna talk about it. Im tired of explaining why and how to everyone. I just wanna relax a bit."

It had got quite late, anyway. Theyve been sitting there all the afternoon, talking about so much. They had totally forgotten about time. It was already getting evening. The light outside had become some kind of grey, with the last single strands of sunshine fading away.

They decided to get back home. Evgeny paid for their lunch, several coffees, cakes and everything they had consumed ignoring Elisas protests.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It was a bit cold outside. Elisa shivered when she felt a cold wind through her thin coat. Evgeny put his arms around her shoulder. "Hey, are you freezing?" he asked concerned. "Just a little bit. But its ok ..." she quickly told him "Lets walk a little bit. That will help." She grinned at him and they slowly started walking.

The restaurant was placed on a little hill, with a beautiful view over city. There was a small terrace just a few steps away. They stopped there, looking at the lights of Vienna. "Its a beautiful city. You must love it" he admitted. Elisa looked at him quietly. He was still watching the scenery, with his hair moving in the slight wind that had come up. She was freezing a bit but watching him filled her with some kind of inner heat.

He felt her shiver again and pulled her closer. But her mind seemed to be far away. She was looking into the distance, with a serious expression on her face. "Are you worried about something?" he asked carefully. She turned to him "Its nothing ...."

"There are many nothings bothering you, huh?" he insisted.

The way he looked at her made her feel even worse. She couldnt tell him, even though she wished so hard. And she felt so safe in his arms. She didnt want to destroy that special moment, the short time of joy they had together. "Oh Zhenya ..." she sighed, pushing herself even closer in his arms. She placed her head on his shoulder, feeling so exhausted all of a sudden.

This time he was shivering. He hadnt heard anyone saying his nickname the way she did it. And the touch of her ... Her gesture was quite unexpected. But it was more than he had hoped to receive. He pulled his other arm around her holding her closely. She seemed so vulnerable now. He bent down to kiss her on the forehead, feeling overwhelmed with happiness now. Tonight she belonged to him, and noone could take that from him.

She suddenly pulled her arms around his neck, so tight as if she feared to lose him. "Everythings alright" he said. He didnt even know why he just felt he had to tell her. He never wanted to let her go, feeling her soft skin on his cheek, smelling the scent of her hair, shivering on the touch of her cold fingers on his neck.

She slightly parted from him, fixing his eyes with hers. There was a moment when everything else seemed to have stopped. He couldnt resist her beautiful eyes any longer. His lips touched hers, soft and gentle but with a desire stronger than anything else.

At first Elisa was startled. Her first thought was that this was wrong .... but she couldnt deny her own desire any longer. Nothing in the world could have convinced her to stop it now.

She was melting away in his kiss. Noone had ever kissed her so gently, so careful and yet so full of passion. All doubts had disappeared at once ...

Her glowing response surprised him at first. He had never felt this way before. He needed her ... he hadnt realised how much he had really missed her. He had been dreaming of a kiss like than for so long. A kiss that made him forget everything around him ... He wanted this moment to last forever.

It seems like an eternity had passed when they finally parted from each other. There was no need to say anything. They were looking into each others eyes, overwhelmed with emotions.

Evgeny gently took her hands that were still cold into his and kissed them. "Lets go back. Its gettin cold" he said. Eliza just nodded. He wrapped his arm around her again to warm her and they slowly walked back the way they had come. They didnt talk the whole way. Both were lost in their thoughts, just enjoying the presence of the other one.

After about 30 minutes that had just flown by the reached his hotel. They stopped at the entrance. "I guess its time to say good-night now" she said very low, trying to pull her hands from his. "It was a wonderful day ..." she began. But he didnt let off her hands. "Ssshh" he placed a finger on her lips before she could finish the sentence. Then he gently kissed her again. "Why dont you stay?" he asked, looking deep into her eyes.

 

PART 2.3

They took the elevator up to his room on the second floor. Elisa still felt like in a dream. When he had asked her to stay she couldnt do anything but nodding. She felt unable to say something or to resist.

Now she slowly started to realise what this meant but she had gone too far already. There was no way back now. And she didnt want to go back anymore. Never had she felt so save, so lively as she had felt in his arms.

It was all silent again when they got out of the lift and headed towards his room. He opened the door and when in. Elisa hesitated for a second. Suddenly there was little doubt again. Was this the right decision? And Alexei ... what about him ??? But it made her angry. He wasnt there. He was NOT there. He preferred to do ... whatever. The hell with you, she thought. He had no right to tell about her life. And her feelings were stronger, anyway.

She stepped in where he was waiting with an expectant expression. She had just closed when she felt his lips on hers again. His kiss was more demanding now, but still gentle. He suddenly pulled away. "Are you sure?" he asked. Alexei came across her mind again, but this time he had no chance. She was too angry on him. He had stood her up, he had hurt her. In a way she wanted to pay him back.

She didnt answer but kissed him again, so passionate this time that he thought hes go crazy. He lifted her up, carrying her over to the bedroom her longing kisses turning him on even further.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Elisa was lying in the huge bed, curled up in Evgenys arms. Her head was resting on his chest, hr hand playing with the beautiful of muscles on his arms. She felt tired and excited but she couldnt sleep now.

It had been like an explosion of emotions. It was like nothing she could have ever imagined ... He had been so gentle and careful yet so passionate and demanding. She could still feel his hot kisses on her chest ...

He suddenly fell on her back when he rolled over and looked at her. Then he lowered his head and kissed her again. He just couldnt get enough of her. It was like heaven and she was his angel. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down even more.

"I love ..." he started but she stopped him by kissing him again. "No, dont say it" she whispered. Dont say anything you might regret later, she added in thoughts. It was all she has ever dreamed of but she knew that there would be consequences ...

He seemed to understand and let himself fall back into bed, watching her with a bright and happy smile. "Youre so beautiful" he said with a voice full of love. "Youre such a flatterer" she smiled back, snuggling up to him. "No, Im just telling the truth" he replied honestly. "I dont deserve you" she said, her hand stroking over his face, pulling aside a strand of his blonde hair. "No, you deserve much more .." he whispered.

He was so careful, almost innocent but still strong. It was that she had always loved about him ... but right now it almost made her cry. She had every reason to be happy but still she was worried. She loved him even more now, so much that it almost hurt. But there was someone else ...

Exhausted she fell asleep in his arms.

 

PART 2.4

Evgeny was the first one to wake up in the morning. It took him a few seconds to remember what had happened the night before. He still could not believe it.

But looking to his left there was evidence enough.

Elisa was still asleep, curled in his arms and with a peaceful expression on her face. Her bronze shimmering hair covered her shoulders and her chest and his, too. She had turned to him in sleep, her left arm wrapped around his body.

He could hear her breathing, feeling the soft blow on his chest. Never had she looked more beautiful than now. He never got over her after she left Russia but he didnt know how strong his feeling were. He just realised it when he saw her on the airport. She had left him once, but he was ready to forget everything as long as she there. Well, left him ... that was not quite right. They had never been a couple, just close friends. But there had been more than that. Unfortunately he never got the chance to find out until yesterday.

He was lost in his thoughts when Elisa woke up and slowly moved her head. Her dark brown eyes fixed him immediately. A bright smile turned on her face, followed by a yawn. "Morning, sleepy head" he softly placed a kiss on her lips, holding her face with one hand. "Morning" she replied, sleepily. "What time is it?"

"I have no idea" he answered "And Im too lazy to get up and catch my watch" "Doesnt matter, anyway" she said, placing her head on his chest again. "I have all the time in the world." She gently drew little circles on his tummy with her finger, following the line of muscles. "Im in no hurry, either. I never want to get out of this bed, anyway" he whispered in her ear. She smiled. He knew it though he couldnt see her face.

He suddenly got more serious. "How do we handle this, by the way? I mean, what do you want to do now? We cant go on as simple friends anymore, huh?!" She stopped drawing and turned his face to him. "I know ... what do YOU want to do? At least youre the famous one here ..." He smiled at her statement "No, honestly. Theres nothing to regret though, or is there something?" His voice grew a bit anxious "No theres nothing. It was the most wonderful night ever" she told him. It was the truth. Even with Alexei spooking around somewhere in her mind she didnt regret anything she had done. To deny those feelings any longer was impossible. Even if she had them for both ...

But right now, Evgeny was here and she loved him more than ever. He must have felt the same by the way he looked at her. It was still a dream to both of them but they enjoyed every single minute.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

The loud ringing of the telephone disturbed the magical moment. Evgeny quickly jumped out of bed to answer it. "Yeah. Sure. Ill be there in one hour" Elisa heard him say.

"Im sorry. That was Mishin. Im supposed to have training in one hour" he told her when he came back. It was then that he realised that he still was wearing nothing. His cheeks blushed slightly when looked at her. "Im ... um, Ill go and dress then ... I guess ..." he mumbled, somehow confused. But Elisa caught his hand and pulled him close. "No need to hurry" she smiled at him. And then she kissed him, like it was their last kiss ever and she didnt want to let him go. It literally took his breath away. "Youre the best thing that has ever happened to me" he said, between kissing her lips and chest. Never ever would he let her go again. Even if he had to fight for her he was ready to do it. And there was just one name that crossed his mind when he thought about that ...

 

PART 2.5

While Evgeny headed off for training, Elisa took her time to get up and taking a shower. Thinking of how Mishin would react she had to smile. Of course, Evgeny was late. He would never make it up to the rink in time. Well, it was not just him to blame ...

She had promised to come over later on but first she needed to go home especially to change clothes and say a short hello to her family. They sure would be wondering where she had been. It wasnt typical for her to stay out the whole night without telling before ... not that it was a problem but there had been no reason to do it yet.

She quickly got dressed and left the room. Now, after he was gone some uncomfortable thoughts started coming back . She knew they couldnt go on like nothing had happened now. She handed the key to the young man at the reception and called for a cab.

Well, she would talk to him after training. This time she wanted things to be sorted out before they caused any greater damage ... She couldnt just run away this time, anyway! And there was still Alexei ...

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

When Elisa came home nobody was there, again. Well, at least she didnt have to answer questions she did not want to answer. Yuri had a great talent for getting her really mad with asking and teasing her whenever she mentioned any male person.

It took her only 20 minutes to change her clothes and write down a short note about her "absence" which she placed on the kitchen table where either Yuri or her father would find it at least when they got hungry. Wondering where her father was anyway, she took her cell phone. She hadnt seen him for 2 days now (since she had not spent the night at home) it was a bit strange that he didnt even called. Usually he was quite interested in her "night life"! looking on the display, she discovered several calls she had not answered. Maybe he had called ...

There were 4 calls. One from Yuri and 3 from Alexeis cell phone. It was like a shock that brought her back into reality. As long as he hasnt seen or heard anything of him it had been easy not to think of him. She sighed and thought what to do. Well, she couldnt ignore him for the rest of her life ... and she didn't want to, anyway! Arghh ... why was everything so complicated ?!

She finally decided to call her brother and tell him that she wouldnt be at home. They had a short talk just to exchange some news and their plans for the day. He didnt know more about their fathers mysterious disappearing but suggested that would have gone out with his colleagues. Elisa was happy he didnt ask where she had been last night and she wasnt sure he had spent the night at home, either.

When they were finished she left the flat and took the underground to get to the rink.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

When she arrived there Evgeny was already waiting for her. He softly kissed her but it was rather shy. No wonder, he was quite in a hurry and Mishin was waiting already. He was still a bit impatient since Evgeny had been late in the morning. "Im so sorry. I wish I could spend the day with you but I have to do some special training today." He explained, slightly nervous. He didnt really felt comfortable with Mishin staring at them angrily. "Hey, one has to do what he has to do. I dont expect you to stay 24/7 with me ... go train! And dont forget to smile ..." she replied. Well, no talk today then, she thought. But it was not that urgent. At least they could meet in the evening if he was free then. "Ok then. Gotta go. Ill call you" he promised and hurried away.

Elisa watched them walking away. So what was she up to now? There was just one thing she could think of ...

She spent some time in the little coffee-shop near the rink. She knew Alexeis training would end at 3 PM this day. She planned to talk to him then. Would be interesting what he had to say ...

There was still some time left so she took one of the newspapers and started reading. She read the whole thing from the beginning to the end but there wasnt much of interest in it. It still was too early so she just ordered another cup of coffee and leaned back relaxed in the comfortable chair. Her thoughts drifted away while she was staring out of the window. Back to last night, back to Evgenys hot kisses, his gentle touch ... she felt her cheeks getting hot with excitement again but she didnt care. She was totally lost in her pleasant memories that she shrieked when someone called her name.

She turned around in surprise and say Alexei coming towards her ....

 

PART 2.6

"Ive been looking for you. The porter told me youre here" he explained with a shy smile. For a short time none of them said anything. "Youre angry at me, right?" Were her feelings really shown so clearly on her face? "You have every right to be. Ive been very rude." He went on. "I know thats no excuse but I really wanted to come. It just took me longer than Ive expected." He still looked very anxious. "Ive been quite impatient throughout the whole meeting since I wanted to see you and Tatiana got really angry on me cuz of that. So we had some real bad argument ..." There was a little smile on his face. Yeah, Alexei and arguing ... that was story of its own!

Throughout his explanation Elisa tried hard to stay angry a little bit at least. He had hurt her and she didnt want to give up that easily. At least she had some pride ... But looking at him, in his ice-blue eyes made it almost impossible to be mad at him. She even had to smile a bit in the end.

Where were those ideas of not causing any trouble, of staying calm and objective, of not letting her heart get over her mind? They seemed to be blown away in his presence ... Only yesterday night she had felt such strong sympathies for another man and now she was standing there, melting away under his eyes.

She somehow managed to stay reasonable, though. What could she say now? This guy was blurting out his heart in front of her ... How could she resist him?

"Well, its ok I guess" she finally said "But I warn you: Never do that again!" she couldnt hide the provocating tone in her voice. He sighed in relief. "Youre an angel. I dont deserve being forgiven" he said, coming closer. He kissed her on the cheek, then suddenly took her hand and pulled her outside. "Wait! What are you doing? Where are we going?" she asked while following him through the huge entrance hall. "I dont want to risk losing you again. Youll have to stay with me" he told her "Anyway, Ill have prepared a little surprise for you. In order to apologise for yesterday. That was rude and Im not sure if I can fix up things that way but at least Ill try"

She had no idea what he was talking about but continued to follow him.

He lead her to the rink and then took a small box from one of the benches. "Whats this?" she asked but he didnt answer. Filled with curiosity she opened it and could hardly believe her eyes. "These are skating boots" she gasped. He gave her a expectant smile. "take them on" he ordered. She wanted to say something against it but he gently forced her to sit down and take off her shoes. "You know, I havent been on the ice for a long time" she tried but he wouldnt listen. "Youve learned it once and youve learned it well. One does not forget things like that. Youve been great just a bit out of practise maybe, thats all. Come on, itll be fun" He got really impatience and Elisa enjoyed teasing him by reacting extra slowly. "Oh come on. I know youre doing this on purpose. You want to punish me, right? Ill do anything but hurry up a bit." He was even more excited than she was.

There were no doubts anymore. She was just overwhelmed by his gesture.

He had always been full of ideas and surprises. He was the first to get into trouble but he always knew how to say sorry. More than once he had come up with such amazing surprises that she simply couldnt be angry on him. And he always knew perfectly well what she wanted. He could be so caring and thoughtful every woman would melt away. But at the same time he could be rather tactless and hurt other people by being stubborn ...

As for now, everything seemed to be forgotten. At first, she was a bit shaky on the ice but he hold her all the time and prevented her from falling. She soon found back to her former confidence. She had never known how much she enjoyed being on the ice. Somehow she had missed it but she never found the will to start over again ...

After all, she had other things to do now and she wasnt unhappy with her life.

They were skating around for what seemed to be hours, doing some little jumps but mostly fooling around and trying to catch each other. She hadnt had so much fun for a long time ... real fun without any thinking, just to enjoy the moment.

After 2 ½ hours Elisa finally decided to call it a day and left the rink. "I need a break" she told him, a bit out of breath. He skated over to her "You used to have better condition once" "Hmpf. That was when I did it every day. I havent skated since almost 4 years ... since Ive left Russia" she said.

She had told him that she stopped earlier, in her mails but they have never talked about it much. They used to talk about rather trivial things like what the other skaters did in their free time or how her day at school had been stuff like that. Somehow they had avoided any serious topics in their correspondence ... even on the phone they talked about daily life and rumours but never about those things that both of them were thinking about.

"Come here." He suddenly broke the silence. She took his hand and he lead her onto the ice. "I just want to try something. You remember that little step sequence we had back then?" he asked. "Gosh! Yeah ... I remember. How could I forget that one. I used to break down of laughing every time we tried it." "Great! Lets see if we can still do it" he was excited again. "Come on. Put on a smile and have some fun!" he tried to sound seriously but he had to laugh.

And so they tried it. It was a kind of mixture of fast steps and pirouettes ... and it ended up in a chaos. Like every time they had tried it when they were still in training. Both were giggling and laughing and trying to stay on their feet. Elisa suddenly lost her balance and fell backwards but Alexei quickly got her. "Youre my life saver" she joked while she tried to get back onto her feet.

They were really close now. She felt his breath on her face, could smell his scent. "How could I let my true love fell down on the floor" he replied and it sounded breathless and very serious. Once again, Elisa lost herself in his amazingly blue eyes. She felt him getting closer and closer. Her own breathing started to get irregular. "You know we shouldnt ...." she tried to say.

But it was too late. He kissed her with such demand that she couldnt get away from him. He pulled her closer and closer, wrapping his arms around her. She could his warm body pressed against hers but she didnt mind. Only 24 hours ago she had kissed Evgeny, believing that nothing else could be sweeter and more wonderful. And now she was lying in the arms of another man, feeling a terrible desire for his hot kisses.

He gently pulled back her head and started kissing down her chest, leaving a moisture trail on her skin. At this moment any rational thinking became impossible. The world around her had stopped. Once again.

She wasnt able to do anything. She just let it happen. And the little voice that told her this was going totally wrong had eventually disappeared ....

 

PART 2.7

Elisa didnt knew how they finally made it up to his hotel room. Her memories seemed very dreary but it didnt matter anyway.

His passion was almost more than she could take. He was demanding, convinced of what he was doing. Yet he could be so sweet and gently ...

Every thought of Evgeny had disappeared. At least for the moment ... There were just the two of them.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

When she woke up early in the morning she felt satisfied in a way she didnt even imagined as possible. He was so peacefully asleep beside her. Everything seemed so peaceful but her memories started coming back already.

She didnt regret what she had done neither this time nor the night before. And there was the problem. She suddenly realised that she couldnt choose between them. She loved them both with all her heart but she knew this was impossible. Shed break their hearts, Alexeis and Evgenys.

She knew she should feel ashamed but she just felt guilty towards them. She would have done it again but she knew that she kinda betrayed them. Making each of them believe he was the only one. How would she ever get out of this ??? She had to tell them ... But they hate each other so much. Was there any chance to find a solution without any great pain ?

She was still worrying about that when Alexei turned over to her and opened his eyes. "Morning sweetie" he said before he kissed her, still full of desire. "You can never get enough, huh?!" she smiled at him. "Not if its you. Youre all I need" he told her honestly. Ouch! That was like stabbing her. How would he know he might regret this soon? She loved him ... and she didnt want to hurt him. So how ...

"Hey what are worrying about all the time?" he forced her to face him. "Its not so important" she quickly replied. At least she wanted to give them both a peaceful morning. "Oh Elishka, youre the best thing in my life!" Just 24 hours before Evgeny had told her the same. In a way it was funny, even ironic. They didnt even know how similar they were from some of their character traits and opinions. Yet she knew very well why they had started to fight each other ...

She was the link between them, what they shared, what both of them wanted and at the same time she was the reason that made them fight against each other besides Figure Skating.

It made her think of their relationship again. It was clear that she couldnt go on dating both of them. What if they ever find out about it ?! She was sure they would kill each other ...

But she couldnt lie to them. They need to know the truth even if it hurts. Even if they never wanted to talk to her again she would have to tell them. Great! How did she get into this? It was like a greater power had controlled everything she said, she did, she felt ... Damn! It felt so good. She knew it was wrong but she had never felt so happy before. They had to know ... it even hurt now. Why is love so cruel, she thought.

She looked at Alexei. Gosh, how she loved him. The same way she felt when she thought of Evgeny. She remembered very well ... it wasnt the first time this happened. It was like everything happened again except that she could not get out so easily this time. This time, she had to tell them ...

She couldnt remember of anything she wanted that badly and at the same time it was the one thing she had always been afraid of more than anything else.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

They left the room around lunchtime. Again, Elisa was happy that they had rooms in different hotels. Though she was determined to talk to them she didnt felt ready to do it right now when her emotions were still so overwhelming. She needed some time to sort out her thoughts, to think how she could tell them without making them feel like fools.

"Will you come to training with me?" he asked, still excited. "Im sorry but Id better go home now. I havent been home much lately ... I guess theyre already wondering where I am. Anyway ... I still have to do some stuff for school."

"So you prefer school to a day with me?" he asked, pretending to be hurt.

"You know how I mean it ... you have to train to be a good skater and I have to study to get good grades. Believe me, if I wish I dont have to do it. But theres no way around it ..."

"Well, I dont want to cause any trouble. Besides, I wouldnt want your dad to be angry cuz you dont come home ..." He smiled. "But I wont let you go without a Goodbye kiss!"

And what a kiss. She had trouble to stay down-to-earth. She reluctantly pulled away from him ... otherwise she would never get away. "Bye." She whispered into his ear before she turned around and left the hotel.

 

PART 2.8

The next 2 days were like torture to her. She still hadnt told them since she had no idea how to. She joined them at their trainings but carefully tried not to get too deep into emotions again. There were no kisses, no nights together. She had to think hard to find excuses but they both accepted it. Of course they knew that was spending time with each of them ... but they didnt know more. Which made the situation slightly better ...

Both of them tried to get her attention and to outset their rival. And Elisa felt like in the middle of a storm ... Of course she knew what was going on. They were fighting for the slightest glimpse of smile from her like 2 five-year-olds. Their rivalry had a reached a point where one could really feel the coldness between them.

They didnt talk but threw looks of hatred and jealousy on each other like they had never done before.

It was then that Elisa decided it was time to tell them ... but fate had decided to let them find out before she could tell them herself.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

She just went out into the small hall next to the rink when she felt someone putting his arm around her waist. She turned round and stared into Alexeis blue eyes. "What are you doing here?" she started but he kissed her so desperately that she couldnt end. She didnt know how long he had kissed her but it seemed like an eternity. "What ..." "No, dont say anything. Ive missed you much. I want you more than anything else ... I cant go on like this any longer." He said, out of breath. He didnt even give her time to answer by kissing her again. It was impossible to get away from him ...

Just then Evgeny came around the corner. "What the hell ... Get away from her!" he yelled as he saw them.

Shocked by the sudden interruption the parted from each other to see Evgeny running towards them, his face red of hatred.

"Evgeny please ..." Elisa started but it was already too late ...

 

PART 2.9

Evgeny didnt waste any time. He pushed Elisa away and freeing all his anger and jealousy he hit Alexei right into the face.

There was a second when everything seemed to stand still. Then Alexei quickly found back his confidence. He quickly stepped forward, ready to fight back. "You ..." he shouted. But Elisa stepped between them. "Please, stop it. Listen to me. Its all my fault! Stop fighting .... please listen to me!" she yelled in despair. There was a pause.

Alexei and Evgeny were facing each other, ready to kill the other one on the slightest move. But they stopped and slowly turned to face her.

Elisa stood there, unable to sort out her mind. The worst of all had happened now ... and she couldnt get out of this without an explanation now.

"I think theres something you should know" she started. "I know I shouldnt have done this but I just couldnt ... I just couldnt resist it. Ive been betraying you, both of you. But please believe me, I never wanted to hurt anyone of you. It was the most wonderful thing that ever happened to me though I knew it wouldnt last for long."

They stared at her with great disbelief until they started realising what she was talking about.

Elisa looked from one to another helplessly. He silence was more than she could take. "Say something, please" she begged "I just cant stand this silence. I dont expect you to forgive me but say something .... anything. I ..."

"You little jerk!" Evgeny suddenly blurted out, facing Alexei again. "How could you do that? You knew she was mine ... why do you always take away everything from me?" he was ready to punch him again. "No, its not his fault. He couldnt know ..." Elisa said but he didnt pay any attention to her. "Youve heard her. Besides, how can you think she loves you? She loves me. She belongs to me ... and you have no right to take her away. Do you think I havent noticed you sneaking around her trying to steal her from me?!" Alexei shouted at him. There was such an evil look on his face that Elisa felt her blood freeze. And what was he telling here ? "I dont belong to anyone" she said "how could you say I am yours?" "or yours" she continued, turning to Evgeny. "You dont know anything ... noone stole me from noone! That was my decision! And Im not your property ..."

"No, its not you. Its his fault. He had always been jealous of me. Everytime I get something he tries to steal it from me!" Alexei shouted. "And now hell pay for it ..." "Jealous of you? Are you mad? And you know very well that she does not belong to you. She loves me. Anyway, I was first ..." Evgeny shouted back. They were almost back to their fight when suddenly Elisa slapped them both.

"Stop it! Right now. I know it was my fault but you make it even worse. You cant even talk for 5 minutes without fighting against each other. And I dont want to be in the middle. Im sick and tired of this ridiculous fight. Im not a prize for the winner. I really enjoyed the time being together with both of you. But I just cant stand this any longer ... Im sorry you had to find out this way! But as long as you cant act like grown-ups theres no sense in going on. I never wanted to hurt any of you but you make it really hard ... I can just tell you how sorry I am. I dont regret it ... but I dont want to be the reason of your fight. Good-bye!" Tears of anger and pain started filling her eyes. Her voice was breaking.

Without any further explanation or looking back she rushed out of the room. The tears were running down her cheeks now she could see clearly. So much was going in inside her. She couldnt get a single thought clearly in her mind. It still seemed so unreal. She had lost them, forever she was sure. They hate each other so much. And that hurt even more .... they had no idea how it felt to love 2 different men who hate each other from deep inside their heart. To always stand between them ...

She was so overwhelmed with pain that she didnt notice what was going on around her. Her tears were blinding her. But she didnt want to see anything. Never had she felt more miserable than now ...

When she walked out onto the parking space between two cars and started crossing the place she was so deep in thoughts that she didnt saw the car coming from her right until she heard its breaks squeezing on the ground. She turned to see what was causing the noise but it was too late to get away ...

 

PART 3.1

It was already evening. Alexei and Evgeny had training together. Not that they cared about it each ... it was hard to concentrate for them since both were full of hate for the other one. It was totally quiet in the rink only the scratching on the ice could be hard. They tried to stay as far away from each other as possible and the looks they threw at each other could have killed a man.

Yet, they didnt speak. After Elisa had left they had been called for training there had been no time to start another fight or to think about what had happened. She had left them, both of them that was the only certainty they had.

They were both deep in thoughts while training so it didnt went very well. How could they concentrate on something else after all ? Of course, they both did not want their coaches to know. In that case were quite similar always separate private life and business. It was something very personal and noone should know about it.

They had just finished when a young man came in.

"Yagudin? Plushenko?" he called.

They both looked up in surprise, stared at each other.

"Yes" they said.

"There was a call from the hospital. An accident ... a young girl called ..." But he couldnt finish.

"Elisa ..." Alexei yelled. His face had turned pale. Without thinking he took his jacket and ran out of the rink, immediately followed by Evgeny.

Outside Alexei jumped into the car he had rent. He didnt even care when Evgeny opened the passengers door and jumped in without saying anything. They drove in silence. Both were too worried to talk. Evgeny had asked for the name of the hospital before running out. It was the only thing he said during their 35 minutes ride.

When they arrived it was already dark. They rushed in like the world was breaking down. Alexei started asking the first nurse he could find in Russian but he didnt even realised it. Evgeny finally took him a side. It was hard to sort out his thoughts so far that he was able to calm down a bit and ask in English where they could find Elisa. It took the nurse some time until she knew what they wanted from her but then she asked: "Are you family?" "No ... I mean ... we are friends. How is she?" "I dont know yet. Please sit down and wait here. Ill tell you as soon as possible." With that she left.

"Wait ... please" Alexei yelled after her. But she couldnt hear him.

Evgeny broke down on the bench in the waiting room. He couldnt hold back his tears any longer ... A few days ago the world had been absolutely perfect and now ... he was so afraid to even think about what could have happened to her! The sight of Evgeny in such a bad state even touched Alexei. Forgotten was their rivalry for now. There were more important things now ... That uncertainty was killing him. Why didnt they tell them anything?

He sat down next to the younger one and gently put his arm around him. He didnt seem to realise what he was doing embracing his worst enemy. In that special moment it was just a gesture to prove that they were not alone ... He felt his own tears coming up. Evgeny hadnt noticed the strangeness of this sudden action either, he was so far away with his thoughts ...

"What if ....?" he suddenly turned to Alexei and his eyes were filled with terror.

"No, dont even think about that!" Alexei stopped him. He was horrified, too. He wanted to believe that everything turned out well in the end so badly ...

"I feel so stupid now. Its all my fault. I shouldnt have ... you know ..." Evgeny continued, his voice was very quiet now.

"No, its not only your fault. Im as guilty as you if anyone is to blame. You ... I ... we couldnt know that this would happen. I wish she had told me earlier ..."

Evgeny looked up at him as if he just had realised his presence. It was the first time ever that had that kind of private talk. Both looked at each other, unsure what to say or do. Only their fear for Elisa dominated their thoughts ...

"Im .... Im really sorry. I know I was overreacting ... but when I saw you with her ..." Evgenys voice broke and new tears filled his eyes. Alexei stared at him in disbelief. He had expected a lot but surely no confession like this.

"Listen, Zhenya, you dont have to ...." he started.

"No, please. I want to tell you. I think we should have done this long before. It always needs to take away to take away something or someone you love until you realise how much it means to you ... And I was so afraid that you would take her away from me. I wanted her to belong to me only. I didnt even care about her feelings ... I was so egoistic. And now ... maybe Ill never have the chance to tell her ..." He started crying again.

Alexei couldnt hold back his tears either. Evgeny had just mentioned what he was thinking about all the time since they had been told of the accident. He had hurt her much more than he wanted to admit. And now ... what if he never gets the chance to say sorry. What if ...

It must have been a strange picture to any stranger, those two young men sitting there, crying and holding each other like they were the closest friends in the world. At this time noone would believe how much they hated each other ... for one reason that has now brought them back to a feeling that they belonged together.

Hours passed by. Still there was no sign, no message noone to come an tell them how Elisa was. It almost killed them not to know anything ... Even though it was long after midnight none of them could sleep. From time to time one stood up to walk around a bit ...

And they talked. About things they had promised never to tell anyone. About their fears, about their hopes ... about why they had started to hate each other. They both knew why but it was the first time that they admitted it to the other one - and themselves.

They first strands of light were falling in through the small window when the door suddenly opened and Yuri walked in.

 

PART 3.2

They both jumped up and looked at him expectantly.

"Dont worry shes ok." Yuri said.

They both felt like someone had freed them from an unbearable burden.

"Actually she was more worried about you ..."

They looked at Yuri in astonishment. "Why ...?"

"You can ask her yourself. She was asking for you when she woke up ... but remember: she just had an accident. Dont worry her with anything ... No arguments, no trouble, no nothing. Ok ?!" Yuri sounded very strict.

"Of course" they promised quickly. They had no intention to argue, they just wanted to see her.

"Ok. She needs some rest be careful with her. And dont bother her with any confessions now ..." It seemed as if he could read their minds. Yuri knew very well what was going on. He didnt want them to continue their "fight" now he was worried about his sister and he wanted to protect her. She was hurt physically and mentally and he wouldnt allow anyone to confront her with any trouble in her current condition.

But he saw those two worried faces and he couldnt force them to stay away. He knew they were worried about her as well so he finally led them to Elisas room and quietly opened the door. "Remember what I told you" then he stepped aside and let them in.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Elisa was asleep when they entered the room. Quietly they both took a seat next to her. They didnt talk they just sat there and watched her. She didnt seem to have any greater injuries at least none that could be seen. She had a few bruises but nothing to serious except for a broken heart. And both knew it ...

After a few minutes she finally opened her eyes.

"Hey ..." her voice was little more than a whisper. The sound of her voice made them both jump up. She could see the relief and their past sorrows in their faces. But there was something else. Love. And how much they loved her, both. It almost made her cry.

"Im so sorry ..." she started.

"No, theres nothing you have to feel sorry for. It was my fault ..." Alexei interrupted her.

"Mine, too ..." Evgeny added. Both had tears in their eyes. Elisa put on a weak smile. "Im so happy youre here ..." she said.

"I was so afraid that you ... that you ..." Alexei blurted out but he was not able to finish it. He bent down and gently hugged her, trying not to cause any pain for her. Evgeny was standing on the other side, unable to say anything. "Im so glad youre ok ..." he sobbed and kissed her on the forehead. Elisa felt his tears dropping on her face.

"Hey! Its not that bad ... its just a little concussion. I guess I was lucky .." She took his hand and Alexeis with the other one. "Im so lucky. Because I have you two. Youre my angels ...." she whispered and now the tears started running down her face. "Im so sorry for everything that happened. I shouldnt ... I mean ... but I love you both of you. I cant decide between you two." Now she was really crying. She had hurt them yet they still cared so much about her, they still loved her.

"Dont worry about that now." Alexei answered quietly, stroking her cheeks.

"Just try to get better soon. Thats all that matters now ..." Evgeny told her as he kissed her hand which was still in his.

He was right. Nothing else mattered now. They were sitting on her bed, Alexei on her right, Evgeny on her left. And under their caring and loving eyes Elisa fell asleep again ....

 

PART 3.3

The next few days they spent almost all their time with her. Their daily visits cheered her up and helped her to handle the fact that she wasnt allowed to leave the hospital. She hated being there but the doctor told her that she had to stay a few more days.

Her father and her brother Yuri had been around daily, too. But she loved the visits of Alexei and Evgeny much more. She was waiting in impatience every morning for them. Of course, they couldnt neglect their skating too much. But they spent every free minute with her.

Their fight seemed to be forgotten. They never argued and they mentioned what had happened. Elisa knew that they would have to talk about it once more but she just felt so happy with both of them around her.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Finally Elisa was allowed to leave the hospital. But instead of going home immediately she decided to go for a short walk with Alexei and Evgeny. Yuri wasnt very pleased with that idea since he knew what his sister was up to but he didnt say anything and just wished her good luck. "Call me if you need me" he told her before he kissed her good-bye.

The three chose through the park near the hospital. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, it was warm and not too windy. There were only a few people around. They were walking in silence, everyone lost in his own thoughts.

Elisa still felt a bit shaky but she enjoyed being able to move around again. She hated staying in bed for so long. After some time she felt a bit tired so they decided to take a little break. They sat down in the grass. Elisa quietly looked from one to another. They both looked peaceful and happy but she knew that inside the were thinking the same like her: How would they go on now ? Too much had happened they couldnt simply forget it.

"I guess we should talk about ..." she began quietly but Evgeny quickly interrupted her.

"Wait. Before you go on, I want to tell you something. I think you should know ..." His voice became softer. "I dont regret anything. I still love you and Im not angry at you. That accident made me think about a lot of things. And I realised that I couldnt live without you ... I almost lost you and I felt terrible. Im sorry for everything I said ..." He turned to Alexei. "I want to apologise. I shouldnt have hit you ... I was kinda beside myself ... I know that I cant force her to hate you and I dont want it anymore. I think its time to forget that fight and become .... friends maybe ?!"

Alexei and Elisa both stared at him. It was Alexei who answered first.

"I know what you mean. I feel the same ..." He paused. "Elisa, you know I love you, too. And the thought of losing you nearly killed me. We ... I shouldnt have been so egoistic. But you mean so much to me ..."

Elisa looked at them and tears started to fill her eyes again. "Im so happy that you dont hate each other anymore. But you dont make it any easier for me ... how can I choose between you?" she sobbed. "I dont want to lose any of you I love you both ..."

"You dont have to choose and you wont lose any of us" Evgeny promised her. Alexei nodded in agreement. "Well find a way ..."

"How can you be so nice after all Ive done ?" she asked quietly.

"Because we love you ..." Alexei replied. It was the one thing that they had always agreed in even though it had also made them rivals.

"You know I dont deserve you." Elisa said "Do you really think we can be friends?"

"Why not ?! Youll always have a special place in my heart ..." Alexei looked deep in her eyes. "Same with me" Evgeny took her hand. "Maybe its not that easy but I dont ever wanna lose you again."

She looked at them. They were really willing to forgive her, to get over their past, to forget all the rivalry. Tears filled her eyes again.

"Please, dont cry again."

"Im just so happy" she said. "I love you two so much and I never want to lose one of you, either." She hugged them both. And she felt happy.

They were sitting like this for some minutes. Elisa in the middle, still crying but with a smile on her face. It was so good to have them back again, to feel them again. Both, Evgeny and Alexei felt her tears on their faces. They were happy, too. They didnt feel angry or jealous any longer. They had accepted that Elisa would never give up one of them. They had quietly decided that her needs were more important than their own wishes that they would try everything to make HER happy. And that she would always love them equally ...

Somehow everything would be ok ...

THE END.