[724 words]
it stung like hell and she nearly- she did- scream out in pain. the culprit tried to sit her down and dry it up with some paper towels. she was wearing a skirt so her legs had been exposed to the coffee. that would leave a burn. multiple.
i shouldn't have changed from the leggings. dammit.
her eyes were clenched shut until the immediate feeling of something very hot on her skin had faded away. the stinging after it was much worse.
she limped over to the seat she was sat at earlier contemplating life while the man followed her like a puppy, streaming apologies.
'if it helps, i have some aloe vera.'
she nodded quickly as he reached into the bags and quickly got something out. 'thanks,' she said as she took it applied it to the burns on her legs. just her luck that she wore a skirt today that was shorter than what she usually went for.
she noticed that was the first thing he said something to her that wasn't 'oh my god i'm so sorry' and it was the first of many things she accepted from the stranger.
'why do you have aloe vera on you?' she questioned a little odd. she started rubbing it a little and hissed at the pain.
'don't ask, especially now that it's helping you.' he stared for a second before continuing in an insecure voice, 'or i hope it's helping.' he was feeling guilty.
dima was too busy with her burns to notice the look of guilt on his face.
'i feel terrible.' he blurted out after a while of silence at the busiest airport in finland.
she blinked surprised at the abrupt admission. she had only just met him.
'it's only coffee, don't be feeling too bad about it. it's not like you did it intentionally.' she reasoned and then with a playful voice continued, 'unless of course, it was intentional?
valtteri laughed a little in response.
'it's my way of flirting with beautiful women of course!' dima looked away for a second, a warmth rushing to her cheeks slightly. 'they won't mix me up with all the other blondes in the damn country if i give them a unique experience.' he joked but then felt a little stupid. what was he doing.
dima blinked in surprise for a moment before laughing. her mind was off the slight sting in her legs now and more focused on the blonde in front of her.
'what's your name?' she asked, feeling a little happier. this man could've been a complete and total asshole and just left her to deal with it but no, he kept shifting his weight from one foot to another awkwardly as he tried to fix his mistake.
'viktor.' he smiled a little. 'i feel like my tactic is working here.'
dima smiled genuinely, this man was smooth even if it was a joke. something about him was very familiar to her, especially now that she knew his name.
'i don't know. i feel like you've pulled this tactic on me before, you look weirdly familiar.' she laughed as she suggested. his eyes fluttered in surprise a little, the inkling thought that he knew her somehow bothering him slightly.
she extended her clean hand now that she was done rubbing the gel on her leg. 'elia.'
feeling an overwhelming sense of déjà vù, both of them recoiled from where their hands met.
'i've only met one finnish woman with such dark hair.' valtteri didn't have it figured out from the moment that he actually knew this woman. he thought she looked familiar but the possibility was too far away.
'that's an exaggeration. what if i'm not finnish?' she quizzed him a little, wondering.
'no you are. i can tell.' he moved his cap a little as the sun was starting to glare into his eyes. it was almost mid afternoon and the sun in finland was showing up. 'no i'm not lying. there was a girl who i was close friends with when we were younger. i don't remember her much now, but i remember her hair. it was almost black!' he trailed off a little.
she knew from that exact moment.
there was no way.
—
how is it?
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