It was completely impossible to blame Dane, who was incredibly patient, kind, and understanding, agreeing to postpone their date not once, not twice, but seven times for totally absurd reasons.
I'm not sure he would have taken the excuse "The guy I've loved for years, who hasn't spoken to me since he ran away, has decided to ask me for all sorts of favors, and I'm incapable of refusing."
Unfortunately for Y/N, and probably better for him, there came a point where he apologized, saying he didn't think things could work out between them if she was so often busy, and wishing her all the best for the future.
She sobbed like a fool in front of Bridget Jones while eating ice cream, wrapped in a blanket and not responding to anyone.
Absurd, because she wasn't in love with Dane. They hadn't even had the chance to meet. But it was the idea of not being able to meet anyone, of missing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
All because of Sergei Kravinoff.
If she couldn't blame her date, and if she could blame herself for being too weak to say no to those blue eyes, Sergei was the one most at fault.
Y/N could understand him asking her to keep an eye on Dmitri, since they had been friends for a long time and it was therefore obvious that he could trust her regarding his little brother, but what about the other times ?
The other six times, he had needed a partner to approach a target undetected, while appearing preoccupied with his wife.
It was awful to be stuck with him on what felt far too much like romantic dates, where he held her arm, kissed her cheek, and whispered sweet nothings in her ear.
"Why not ask an escort ?" she had asked the third time, as he helped her sit down in the restaurant, one hand desperately resting on her back.
"Not reliable enough. Not natural. It has to be someone trustworthy, Зайчик."
"Don't you have any female friends ? Or could you bring a buddy, a colleague, a brother ? A husband ?"
"Good idea to avoid drawing attention."
"Excuse me, but I think so. It's not my fault if people are stupid these days."
That made him smile slightly, making her poor little heart race. He wasn't allowed to be this handsome. It was far too difficult to ignore his messages and calls. But his mission accomplished, she heard nothing from him for months, as usual.
The eighth service request came later, after she agreed to meet another acquaintance of her colleagues, a certain J.B.
Honestly, after a few exchanges consisting mostly of otter photos, Y/N knew he wasn't her type, but it couldn't hurt to see him once in a pub.
She had barely agreed to the time when Sergei's name appeared on her screen.
For once, Y/N hesitated for a few seconds before answering. She took a deep breath, summoning the strength to stand up to him.
"Hi Sergei, how are you ?"
"… I'm calling at the wrong time."
"No, why are you saying that ?" she asked, already beginning to lose what little confidence she'd managed to muster in her voice.
"I can feel it. I… I was going to ask you if you were available for a new job, Зайчик."
"Oh. I see. It's… Uh… Actually, I…"
"Wait... That's a lie. I don't have a job, just like the other times. Dima told me you had a date and I panicked."
Y/N stared at her phone, wondering if it was really Sergei talking to her, if he was joking, or if she was dreaming. What he was saying made absolutely no sense. Especially the part where he said he panicked. Sergei Kravinoff, the great Kraven the Hunter, never panicked.
"Зайчик ? Моя единственная ? Are you still there ?"
"What did you just call me ?"
"I know it was very selfish of me. I could never give you the life you deserve, I wouldn't come to live with you, I would be absent, sometimes unreachable, but… I needed time to see if these men were good enough for you. Which is silly, because no man will ever be good enough."
"I don't understand anything at all."
"I want you to be mine, Дорогой. I know it's not possible, but it's my dearest wish."
Having had a bit too much to drink, Dmitri confided in his friend that his brother was a big, tender, nervous cat who overthought things. He had abandoned him with their father, and at the same time, he kept his distance because he considered himself just as dangerous, between his personality and his activities, which attracted many enemies.
Once, Sergei had told him that he didn't hate people. He didn't need anyone, but that didn't mean he was not capable of love. He cared about Dima, making him happy by coming at least for his birthday.
And clearly, he loved Y/N. He had for a long time. But after changing, after deciding to become the hunter, he couldn't afford any weakness.
Besides, he lived in the forest, in the cold, surrounded by wild animals, when he wasn't on the other side of the world hunting prey.
This life didn't really allow him to have a romantic relationship. But he had kept an eye on her, like on his little brother, from afar.
And that overprotective, and undoubtedly somewhat possessive fool hadn't been able to stay out of it when other men started showing interest in her.
"… It's not fair, you know that ?" Y/N murmured, rubbing her forehead, unsure of what else to say. She, too, had wanted to be with him for years, but hadn't dared to believe it was possible. He had no right to do this to her.
"I know. You deserve the best."
"I don't want to hurt you. You'll worry. You'll want to see me more often. I'll want to see you too. I'll always wonder if you're safe."
"But we could try." Y/N looked at her phone again when she got only a long silence, to check that he hadn't hung up. It was clear that Sergei was hesitating, but she couldn't tell if it was because he was tempted to agree, or because he didn't know how to refuse without making her cry. She held her breath.
"… Are you sure ?" he asked finally.
"I'd rather live with remorse than regret, глупый лев."
"Careful, Зайчик, you're playing with fire."
"Oh, I'm scared. And what are you going to do from your Siberian dome ?"
"Who says I'm in Siberia ?" he sneered, both in her ear and behind her, making her jump.
He laughed even harder as he lifted her off the sofa, ignoring her screams or the reflex kicks she gave him, spinning her around the living room.
The "punishment" only ended when a neighbor banged on the wall—or perhaps it was because Y/N was begging him to put her down, but Sergei gently placed her back in her spot, slumping down beside her.
His blue eyes never left hers for a second. It was truly impossible to think straight while being watched by eyes like those. They took on a golden hue for a split second, which unsettled her even more.
"Are you really sure ?" he repeated, his head resting on his hand, becoming very serious again despite a slight smile. "I'm not easy to deal with every day."
"You're not telling me anything I don't already know. I'm taking the risk."
"I don't want to put you at any risk."
"в твоем распоряжении, мой Зайчик." the hunter purred, pressing himself against her, his lips first on her neck, then her cheek, moving up to her lips as he held her in his arms.
It would be hard to blame Sergei when things got tough in their relationship, not only because he was handsome, but also because he had warned her. He had avoided her for a very long time because of it.
But simply to feel the immense joy of being in his arms again when he finally came back to her, Y/N thought it was all worth it.
