I don’t write that often anymore, but how could I not write about this adorable man? He deserves the world and he deserved a fun night at the fair. Of course, I’m rusty at this, but I hope you guys like it anyway. The Russian is in italics, cause I don’t trust Google translate.
“Stay put all of you, stay put!” Hopper yelled at us while they ran into the bright fun fair.
Now it was just you, Murray, and Alexei sitting in the cramped backseat of your convertible.
You were having a quiet night in when Hopper and Joyce had banged on your door asking to borrow your car so they could take the sweet looking Russian scientist that they kidnapped? To someone, Hopper knew that could translate for them and Joyce kept saying something about magnets?
You weren’t exactly for sure what you had gotten yourself into or why you let them take your car and involve you in a Russian conspiracy but that didn’t matter now, you were apart of this and were more than emotionally invested by the fact you had grown close to the scientist, Alexei, he was very kind and you couldn’t imagine who would ever want to kill him.
“Who said you had to be an American to join in the fun?” Snapping out of your daydream you looked up to see Murray and Alexei getting out of your car. “Hey, wait didn’t you hear Hopper he told us to stay put!”
“Oh come on Y/N, he’s never seen a fair before, we’re going and you can come if you want” Murray was already walking towards the entrance as you looked at Alexei his excited smile was too hard to resist, you could tell he was waiting on you to get out of the car as he stood impatiently in place “Oh, fine” unable to resist you climbed out of the backseat and grabbed Alexei's hand leading you both into the fair, if you were going to be dangerous about this, the least you could do was have a good time.
You met up with Murray at the entrance, he gave each of you tickets "Those games are rigged, yes?" Alexei pointed at the carnival stall games "Yes" Murray said and went back to looking over the food stalls "They're not that rigged, you can still win stuff" you added, your Russian classes from college proving to actually be useful and not just something to put on your resume.
You left Murray behind to get food and led Alexei over to a game he liked, you being fully willing to forfeit your tickets up if he lost just to make him happy but he was surprisingly good at it, the kids high fived and cheered him on even though Alexei couldn't understand them, the smile that had broken across his face was a clear sign he was enjoying himself, this is the happiest you've seen him in the short time you've known each other.
Everyone was excited when Alexei hit the last balloon, even the guy running the stall was excited to give him his prize. You weren't surprised when he chose his favorite character on Looney Toons but you were surprised when he gave it to you. "Alexei, you won this at your first game, I can't take this"
"No, no It's for you, keep it" His face still bright after winning as you smile back you couldn't help but notice the Ferris wheel behind him an idea pops into your head. "Alexei, follow me"
You take his hand once again and lead him towards the towering wheel in the center of the fair, pushing pass laughing families and kids running past you with cotton candy; holding the soft hand of Alexei you can almost forget about the people after him, but right now all you hoped was that Alexei wasn't scared of heights.
.
Stuffed animal held tightly to you as the teen working the Ferris wheel strapped you both in, the seat jerking back and forth as the wheel slowly started up, hearing laughter come from the man next to you, laughing along with him as you look over the beautiful view of the fair at night, feeling your skin heat up at being this close to Alexei.
"Y/N?" Turning towards him to see that even in the night breeze his cheeks have heated up "When this is over, can I stay with you?"
"Well, my apartments a bit small, but sure you can stay with me" The Ferris wheel stops, you both swinging over the fair now, from the top of the wheel people look quite small.
“No, I mean I will need a place to stay, but that’s not uh-” Alexei gets flustered at you not getting what he’s trying to say “We haven’t known each other for long, but I like you and I want to stay with you, I want to stay and become an American” He pushes his glasses back up and looks to you for an answer.
“I want to stay with you too, Alexei” Realizing what he was trying to say now, You lay your head on his shoulder as the Ferris wheel begins moving you both back down to the fair. You feel Alexei turn and lay a soft kiss on your head as he pulls you closer, you realize that you would do anything to keep this man safe.
.
“We should probably meet back up with Murray now” Alexei nodded mouth full of cotton candy, after the Ferris wheel you learned that Alexei was amazing at fair games, both of you carrying arms full of stuffed animals and various prizes he won.
Not ready for this evening to end, but knowing that Murray would be looking for you both and still having a busy night ahead of you, you knew it was time to find Murray and get back to your car knowing all too well how pissed Hopper was going to be.
Alexei spotted Murray by a corn dog stand before you did, startling you when he yelled towards him “Murray! Look it’s not rigged, it’s not rigged!”
You smile and do your best to wave at Murray with your arms full of prizes, until you notice a man who looks out of place in this fair, he looks far more wall than man and he’s covered in head to toe black, you think for a second he kind of looks like the terminator, by the time you realize who that man actually is he's pulling out a silenced pistol and pointing it at Alexei, your Alexei.
You don't even have a second to think about it, you want to yell but nothing comes out all you can think is 'not him, anything but him'.
You drop the stuffed animals and throw yourself at Alexei he loses balance and you both fall to the ground, you don’t even hear the gunshot, too wrapped up in the adrenaline pumping through your veins, drumming in your ears.
The moment you collapse onto him your surroundings come back to you in a flood, Murray yelling, the assassin nowhere to be seen, a sharp pain in your side that's just starting to hurt, the carnival music and people walking around the both of you on the ground, too caught up in festivities to be aware that an assassination almost took place.
"Alexei, Y/N! Are you okay?" Murray runs over, corn dogs forgotten and thrown somewhere with the stuffed animals, you look down at Alexei, happy that he's okay and replacing his glasses that he must have lost when you tackled him, the look on his face changes from shock to concern “Y/N, you’re bleeding!”
You look down at the now burning area on your side, red staining your polyester blouse as Alexei pulls you towards him putting pressure on your wound to help stop the bleeding. You see Joyce and Hopper running through the crowd.
“I thought I told you all to stay in the car!” Hopper yell as Joyce helps Alexei with your wound “Hopper! Stop yelling, Y/N’s hurt” a look of concern appears on the Chiefs face as he looks at you clutching to Alexei with one arm around his shoulders and your hand over his pressing into your wounded side.
“I swear I just took my sight off of them for a second” Murray leaving out the fact you and Alexei have been all over the fair without him. “Doesn't matter, let’s get her back to the car”
Joyce and Alexei help you get out of the fairgrounds without calling too much attention to the blood staining your clothes.
Alexei lays you down in the back of your car, head on his lap as Joyce pulls your shirt up to examine your wound “It’s bleeding bad, but it’s just a deep gash” The bullet just grazed the side of your abdomen, but you try not to think of what it would have done to Alexei.
Joyce cleans your wound with water and dresses it with rippings of fabric that Alexei tore off his shirt, it's makeshift at best but at least you can sit up and give Murray enough room to get into the car.
Alexei takes your hand in his and you turn to look up at him, tears forming in the corners of his eyes “You saved my life, I’ll never be able to thank you enough”
You place your other hand on his face and wipe away a stray tear “You being safe is thanks enough” you pull his face closer as his soft lips meet yours, you meant for it to be quick but as you go to pull away from him he deepens the kiss and you both get lost in your own world, the pain in your side completely forgotten, as Alexei moves closer to you, his arm moving to hold you tenderly closer to him in the cramped backseat of your car.
Murray clears his throat next to you snapping you both back to reality as you break apart, both flushed and unable to look at each other, an embarrassed smile on both your faces.
“Cool it love birds,” Hopper says giving you both a look from the rearview mirror, Joyce slaps him on the shoulder.
“Well, at least they know how to express their sexual feelings for each other, unlike some people in this car” Murray gives a pointed glance at the two in the front seat.
You bury your face in your hands and Alexei just laughs along with Murray as another argument starts in the front seat.
You feel Alexei gently take your hand in his, looking up to him giving you the sweetest smile.
Yes, you would definitely do anything for this man.
.
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After watching Alexei at the Fun Fair, I felt compelled to write something where he gets to have fun and nOT DIE. Alexei deserves the world and you cannot tell me otherwise. Anyway, let me know if you guys liked this comments and DMs always appreciated.
