For Knc2013. Hope you will like it...So sorry if it's a mess, I am a bit rusty in imagines writing. Let me know if you wish another one and I hope it will be better.
It was in April 2015 when your boyfriend, Artemi Panarin, was leaving Russia, his grandparents he was raised by and you behind to try his luck overseas. It was a bit tough for you when he played in Russia, but now, as you are saying goodbyes at the airport...your breathing becomes shallow. The thought of your boyfriend being on the other continent... it suffocates you.
After hugging his grandparents, he turns to you. You notice his eyes are already slightly puffy and that breaks you even more.
"Arti..."
With no words, he hugs you and buries his nose in crook of your neck. His breath tickles your skin as he mumbles: "Я буду скучать по тебе, красивая." (Ya budu skuchat' po tebe, krasivaya./ I will miss you, beautiful.)
"я тоже буду по тебе скучать." (Ya tozhe budu po tebe skuchat'/ I will miss you too.).
"Я обещаю, что позвоню. Обещаю." (Ya obeshchaysu, chto pozvonyu. Obeshchayu./ I promise I will call. I promise.).
You put hand on his cheek and look at his eyes before whispering: "Не пообещай мне то, что ты не сможешь выполнить." (Ne poobeshchay mne to, chto ty ne smozhesh' vypolnit'./ Don't promise me things you won't be able to fulfill.)
He looks at you, shock and sadness filling his eyes. Your words hurt him and you know it. But you know how it goes, your best friend dated a hockey player, who left Russia to play hockey. He kept his promise for six months, but then the number of Skype conversations and received emails slowly started decreasing. You know no matter how hard you will try to make things work, something will eventually go wrong. One day, sooner or later.
"Не говори так, пожалуйста."(Ne govori tak, pozhaluysta./ Don't say that, please.)The softness of his whispered plead breaks your heart even more. As you open your mouth to say something, cold female voice cuts through the air: "Последний звонок для пассажиров на рейс 4855 в Париж." (Posledniy zvonok dlya passazihirov na reys 4855v Parizh./ The last call for passengers on flight 4855 to Paris).The last thing he does before he boards on the plane is touching his necklace with a cross and kissing his grandma's wrinkly cheek goodbye. Only when he is out of sight, you let your emotions out, leaning on his grandpa and sob loudly in older man's sweater. Two years later you land at O'Hare Airport. After working hard to get your athletic scholarship for soccer at Loyola University, you finally land in the States. It has been two long years since Artemi left home and as expected, he kept his promise for a bit longer than six months. In last email he wrote "I am sorry for lack of messages, hockey is insane. Miss you, hope we will meet in Chicago."If you said you weren't hurt, that would be a lie. But at least you expected something like that to happen. So you decided it was time for you to take your life in your hands - you started learning English, worked hard in school, had a few jobs and started working harder at soccer. Somehow, the Loyola University scouts discovered you and you soon received an offer. Already having one diploma, you were hesitant at first, but then it was Artemi's grandparents who persuaded you to study in the States. "Y/N?" you hear someone call your name as soon as you exit the airport with your luggage. "Vasilisa!" you almost drop your bags when you see your cousin standing not far away. She has moved here a long time ago and was the first person you called when you found out Loyola was recruiting you. She is not much older than you, but she already has a family. And she still offered you to stay with her for a bit. To get used to the American lifestyle.
