XII · DIMITRI

Dimitri Delacroix's point of view

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I HAD A NIGHTMARE OF MY SIBLINGS dying, together with my parents, and I woke painting, anxious, with my heart on my throat.

Feeling suddenly hungry, I got up.

It's past midnight, no one must be awake at such a time. So, it wouldn't be troublesome for me to go to the kitchen and eat something, right? After all, they wouldn't let their honorable guests stay hungry.

Especially when I'm the Duke's godson. I'm sure they won't mind.

I didn't bother putting a pair of slippers on, I went barefoot not to make any noise. It would be annoying if I accidentally awoke any of them. So, I got out of my temporary chambers, and my eyes went directly to Isabelle's doors that were in front of my own, but as I guessed, her chambers were closed, probably locked from the inside.

Getting down the stairs without making any noise was kind of annoying, but worked just fine. And it took me just some minutes to find the kitchen, but when I did, I froze.

There she was.

Isabelle Baudelaire, again.

I must be the unluckiest man alive in this world. There's no other explanation for my bad luck. Gods, why aren't you helping me out on this?

She was sitting above the table, with her legs crossed, and surrounded by plates of food, while eating a spoon of ice cream from a big bowl of it. By the color, I could tell it was mint-flavored, my favorite. Damn it.

What is she doing here? Shouldn't she be sleeping?

And to my dismay, she seemed to be talking to herself. She really lost it, didn't she? "What am I going to do? Damn it," she exclaimed eating another spoonful with her good hand, while the wounded one was bandaged and resting on her left knee. "The fucker gave me 7 months. How am I supposed to do it in 7 months? Gods help me!"

What the hell is she talking about? Is someone threatening her? Do they have a death wish?

"But I have no choice. If I don't do it by then, I'll probably be killed, together with my siblings and my dad!" A shiver went down my spine and I remembered of my nightmare right away.

Is someone really threatening her? What the fuck? Why would they do such a thing? For money? Don't they have a care for their own life? Do they even know from which House she's part of?

She seemed to be almost crying of frustration, which made me feel really odd. "Fuck. How am I supposed to do it, when dad made sure I couldn't do shit unless I get married?" Oh, is that why she said that before?

I felt suddenly annoyed.

"And I can't ask for their help, or they will lose their mind and expose everything!" So, it's that serious?

"What kind of trouble did you get yourself into this time, Isabelle Delannoy Baudelaire?" I exclaimed, and she got so startled that she almost fell from the table.

Glaring at me with daggers in her hypnotizing beautiful navy blue eyes, she growled, "What are you doing here? Damn it, why are you everywhere?" I should be the one asking that. "And don't you know that is rude to eavesdrop one's personal conversation?"

I mocked. "Conversation? You were just talking to yourself, insane girl. That isn't a conversation!"

"It is, for me. Asshole."

"Can you stop cursing me?"

"Will you stop giving me reasons to curse you?" What?

"Pardon me?"

"Will you?"

"Of course, not!" I exclaimed stubbornly.

"Then you have your answer," she got down from the table, with a really annoyed gleam in her beautiful face. "I can't wait until you leave, damn. The Gods seem to be punishing me for something I did in my past life by making you pop up every-fucking-where," she muttered to herself, cursing me again.

When she tried to get away, for some reason I can't really point out, I put myself in front of her, making her head hit my chest. And as expected, she glared at me. Taking advantage of our positions, I held her by the shoulders. "I hate you, Isabelle, you know that, right?" So, why do I find myself attracted to such a savage person?

She scoffed. "The feeling is mutual, Dimitri!"

"And it's because I hate you, that I don't find it amusing the idea of you dying by someone else's hands, and not by mine!" She gasped, and I found myself hypnotized by her eyes again. "So, I am here to help you if it's a situation where you find yourself with the risk of losing your life, and can't count on your family's help to get out of it!"

I don't know what was the expression I saw flashing in her eyes, but I felt like it was something between surprise and anger.

"Before you bark at me," I smirked, "I know you don't need saving. And I do not want to save you. Whereas I don't want to let another person kill you, when that's what I want to do."

With a mischievous grin playing in her beautiful lips, she came dangerously closer, stared at my lips, then at my eyes, "Are you attracted to me, even though you hate me, Your Grace?"

Her straightforward question caught me totally of guard and when I tried to back away, she put me closer by holding me by my waist. "Don't overestimate yourself, Isabelle Baudelaire!"

She chuckled softly, and I felt goosebumps spreading down my spine. Why did I find myself loving that sound? How dreadful! "I'm not overestimating myself, Dimitri," her calm tone of voice made me wary. "It's just that, while you say that through your mouth, that special part of you located around your hips is telling me otherwise."

I felt my face burn, and when I realized, I was indeed turned on. What the hell is she doing to me? "Back off!" My voice came out demanding, and she seemed amused.

"Why? You are the one who put me closer," she's right. Her eyes went to my lips again and I felt breathless. "You're unlucky that it's so easy to read a man's emotions..." She brushed her thumb on my bottom lip, "I don't doubt your hatred towards me, Your Grace. It's just that I find it amusing how you are attracted towards someone you despise!"

Angry, I held her by her waist, and put her body over the table again, fitting myself between her legs, as she gasped in pure shock, and her face turned bright red. Her breathing, unsteady. "Who's turned on now?" I whispered in her ear and bite it lightly, making her stop breathing, and gasp softly. "I'll warn you one last time, Isabelle," my voice came out a whisper, as I tightened my grip around her tiny waist. "Do not play with fire, or you will get burned!"

When I put some steps between us, she seemed shaken, redder than ever, and avoided looking in my eyes. And seeing her like that, made me even more attracted. Damned woman.

"I fucking hate you!" She growled through greeted teeth.

"I hate you even more," I whispered, smirking and she glared at me, probably planning how to kill me in a very gruesome way. "Don't forget my offer!"

Then, ignoring her existence, I turned to the table, took the big bowl of mint ice cream, not bothering to change the spoon she was just using instants ago, and headed back to my chambers. Trying not to think of the mistake I had just made. Now we won't even be able to look at each other's faces for a while.

But I don't regret it!

I find it more and more amusing the idea of teasing her. Especially now that I probably made her hate me more than ever. Nevertheless, she brought this to herself.

"Now, she'll have to deal with it." I exclaimed, smirking to myself in the mirror.