the forbidden romance of the norm

They shared a long, passionate kiss, the world fading away as they surrendered to the intensity of their emotions. When they finally broke apart, breathless and flushed, Dimitri, his eyes twinkling with mischief, said with feigned seriousness, "Well, I was supposed to be released from the hospital in a few months. But thanks to you and your… enthusiastic kissing, I'm clearly not fit for discharge just yet."

A laugh escaped Anya's lips, a sound as light and carefree as the feeling in her heart. She playfully nudged him. "Oh, Dimitri," she teased, "if you can't handle a few kisses, how are you going to handle the pressure of carrying an entire football club's reputation on your shoulders?"

Dimitri grinned, the playful banter easing any lingering tension. "Good point," he conceded, "I suppose I need all the strength I can get."Back at Dimitri's mansion, Anya playfully teased him, "I've taken such good care of you, you owe me something."

Dimitri, slightly baffled, chuckled. "What could I possibly give you, Anya? Money?"

Anya shook her head, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "No, you have something far more valuable. You're an excellent kisser. Another one, please. And before that… another song."

Dimitri, his heart melting at her words, retrieved his guitar. He began to play, filling the room with a beautiful melody that deepened the romantic atmosphere. Anya rested her head on his shoulder, savoring each note, each moment.

After the song, Anya leaned up, her eyes sparkling. "You're a good singer too," she whispered, before leaning in to kiss him. It was a long, tender kiss, full of unspoken affection.

Pulling back, slightly breathless, Anya posed a question that shifted the mood. "So… the World Cup's coming up. You get to choose your national team. Which country will you represent, Dimitri?"

Dimitri, taken aback for a moment by the sudden shift in topic, gathered himself before answering with unwavering confidence. "I'll choose Bangladesh," he declared. "The underdog. My father failed to bring them the World Cup; I won't. I'll win it for them."Reporters, as always, swarmed Dimitri after the match, but this time their questions were different. They wanted to know if he was "the same kind of person" as his father, Ronald Dimitri.

Dimitri, taken aback, asked for clarification. "What do you mean, 'the same kind of person'?"

"The same talent, the same sharp focus, the same intensity," one reporter explained. "Are you the same as your father?"

Dimitri considered his response carefully. "Yes," he said finally, "I am the same in terms of skill and determination. But my purpose is different. My father's battles were his own; mine are my own."

Later, back at the mansion, Anya brought up the interview. "Why did you say that, Dimitri? What was your father like? He helped me a lot, but I never really knew him."

Dimitri sat quietly for a moment, lost in thought. His father's legacy was a complex tapestry woven from both heroism and controversy. He would need to find a way to share that story with Anya."My father," Dimitri began, a thoughtful expression on his face, "was… technically an antihero. He wasn't afraid to deliver justice himself if the system failed. He had a strong moral compass, but his methods were… unconventional. He believed in taking action, even if it meant using brute force. He was a man who seldom stepped back from a fight. In his younger days, before he met my mother, he was a chaotic force of nature.""To the government, he was a criminal. To the people, he was a hero. The government didn't like him because he didn't trust anyone with power. He believed that if a system failed to provide justice, then that system was inherently corrupt and didn't deserve to exist. My father believed that if the government wouldn't provide justice, then someone had to. He would be that someone. This led to many clashes with my grandfather, a high-ranking lieutenant general in the Bangladesh military. My grandfather completely disagreed with my father's methods and actions."Anya, contemplating the complexities of Dimitri's family history, asked, "Is your grandfather still alive?"

Dimitri's response was a quiet, thoughtful one. "I don't know," he said, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "If he were, he wouldn't have left me to fend for myself like this. He cared about me deeply."Anya, considering Dimitri's words, offered a comforting response. "It's possible something happened to your grandfather, Dimitri," she said gently. "Something difficult, something unexpected. You just can't predict these things. We can only hope for the best. Perhaps he's alive but ill, unable to find you. We're going to Bangladesh, remember? Perhaps you'll find him there. We can try to find out more about your family's identity. It might be a good time to do that."

Dimitri chuckled. "Maybe I am being too pessimistic," he admitted. "Maybe I will find something. We should get going. We need to get back to Madrid to pack, then it's off to Bangladesh to represent my country and—hopefully—find my grandfather. Anya, get ready."

They packed their bags, picked up their car, and drove to the airport. At the airport, Anya looked at their tickets. "Business class?" she asked, surprised.

As they settled into their seats, a romantic atmosphere enveloped them, the comfortable surroundings contributing to the intimacy of the moment.

"Isn't this romantic?" Anya whispered, a smile playing on her lips.

Dimitri grinned. "Let's play truth or dare," he suggested. "It'll help us get to know each other better."

Anya, initially hesitant, eventually agreed. "Okay," she said, "but you chose wrong, Dimitri. I'll show you why."

"Okay," Anya conceded, "tell me your biggest fear." She anticipated a revealing answer, perhaps a hidden secret.

Dimitri chuckled. "You chose the wrong question," he said, a playful glint in his eyes. "I chose truth, but I'll answer anyway. My biggest fear… is losing someone I love, the fear of abandonment. Losing my father at a young age left a deep scar." He seemed slightly uncomfortable sharing such a personal detail.

Anya, sensing his discomfort, gently brushed it off. "Don't worry," she reassured him. "Everything will be alright. I'm sure of it."

With a forced cheerfulness, Dimitri changed the subject. "Now you can ask me anything," he said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Dare," Anya responded promptly.

Dimitri's face lit up. "A dare? You've given me twenty secrets! Now I get ten more embarrassing moments from you!"

Anya's eyes widened in surprise. "That's not fair!" she protested.

Dimitri shrugged. "Life isn't fair. You chose dare; now you pay the price. But I'll make it easy—I'll only need one kiss."