Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters! All rights belong to Don Bluth. I figured I should go back through this and edit the errors out, hopefully it sounds better now than it did before! Enjoy and don't be afraid to leave a review!

Checkmate

Behind a lone ocean liner the sun was setting just beyond the horizon and it cast two male companions in a wash of red-orange light. It seemed as though the time did not matter to them as they were too absorbed in a particularly slow game of chess. Vlad, the larger of the two men, hardly put in any effort into it as he was too intrigued by his young ward's estranged behavior. Very recently, Dimitri had taken to an unnerved and anxious manner. For the past hour since they had started the game, he had been tapping his foot on the deck and sighing loudly. While it amused Vlad, it seemed that some of the other passengers were not so content and left early on, retiring to their quiet rooms. It was really quite a show. Dimitri feigned concentration, which might have resulted in a victory by now, but Vlad could see the distraction written all over his face. Besides, Dimitri displayed himself a jackass when he lost simple games of chess or checkers by yelling or having an overdramatic fit. This was not Dimitri and Vlad took note of that. The cool, calm, collected Dimitri who had devised this scam to bring fortune had now succumb to all that preys on men: a woman. Or at least, that was Vlad's personal suspicion.

"Dimitri?" Vlad asked as he began to refocus on the game.

"What?" He replied.

"Is there something wrong?" Vlad felt Dimitri's eyes on him, staring.

"No, why do you ask?" He huffed, fidgeting. Vlad looked up after moving another pawn on the board resulting in another loss of Dimitri's pieces.

"You seem…distracted."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Dimitri crossed his arms, still tapping his foot and fidgeting.

"I'm not talking about just today. It seems like you've been dazing off a lot lately."

"I'm just tired, that's all."

"Right, it has absolutely nothing to do with Anya." Vlad muttered to himself, very lowly and nearly inaudible.

"Huh?"

"Nothing."

Silence. Still, Vlad was beating him.

"Man! What is taking her?" Dimitri jumped up and ran his hands through his hair again, only to have it fall back in his face. Vlad watched him pace around the deck of the ocean liner. He really was as disturbed and nervous as he suspected. His normal, cool, and confident stride now hitched and buckled under the weight of his conviction. Vlad smiled to himself, laughing at Dimitri in his silent thoughts. There had been other women but none quite like Anya.

"Anya is a woman Dimitri. She is allowed to take her time."

"I've met plenty of women, okay? And not one of them took as long as she is."

Vlad sighed heavily, resting back on the wicker chair. He really had walked into this one.

"That's because all of those women already had their clothes off, my dear boy."

Dimitri looked back at him, his face flushed and his mouth agape in shock.

"How did you know about that?"

"I know everything." Vlad smiled. Dimitri bit down on his bottom lip and cracked his knuckles, coming back to sit down across from his companion.

"It was just for…fun." He emphasized.

"Of course." Vlad made no judgment. The boy had been lonely most of his life and it was only natural for him to seek out the comfort of a woman's flesh. From what Vlad gathered, he'd grown up in the Palace which was where they had first met. He chuckled inwardly, remembering as a young Dimitri had burst forth from the kitchen with a broom in hand. Those were dark days after the end of the Romanov reign. Home lost, wealth turned dry like an empty well, Vlad had gone in search of refuge from the cold and upon entering the abandoned Winter Palace, he'd run into the ruffian. But he was proud of his young companion. Dimitri had certainly come a long way since then. At least there was no more wielding a dirty broom, that much was certain.

"I can't take this anymore." Dimitri sighed, resting his head back on the chair and rubbing his temples.

"I told you, she's a woman, you have to be patient."

"No, not that. It's just…I don't like this feeling."

"Feeling?" Vlad asked curiously.

"Deep in my chest, like a knot almost."

Vlad thought for a moment, trying to remember what it had been like the first time he'd met Sophie. He knew exactly what that was; aching chest, butterflies, anxiety. All the ingredients for the recipe of love, something only a woman could cause a man to feel. Vlad chuckled deeply. Now he understood why Dimitri had changed, why there was a certain sparkle in his eye and an even stranger softness to his voice.

"What's so funny?" Dimitri snapped.

"You're falling in love." He stated. Dimitri stiffened and his eyes widened.

"Don't play around like that Vlad, it isn't funny." He returned to the chess game, hardly able to fool Vlad that he was actually putting forth the effort to play. It was as if he was attempting to avert Vlad's accusations.

"I'm not. That's the beauty of it." Dimitri did not reply. "Listen my boy, love isn't something that you should be pushing away. Embrace it!" Vlad placed a comforting hand on the shoulder of his young companion. A sentimental, yet seriousness to his voice. For a second, he felt a bit more fatherly than normal.

"Why, so I can go around calling the Grand Duchess my Great Chocolate Truffle?" Dimitri grinned, teasing. Vlad laughed, at least he was being humorous and not cynical.

"Pet names are part falling in love."

"I am not falling in love, Vlad."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are."

"Dammit Vlad!" Dimitri punched his arm. Vlad continued laugh and he nearly fell out of his seat because of it.

"Let me ask you this, did it hurt?"

"Did what hurt?"

"When cupid's arrow stuck you in the bottom?" Vlad busted out again and the red on Dimitri's face turned a pure red, like that of an apple.

"SHUT-UP!" Dimitri yelled, throwing a seat cushion at the bulky clown. He was practically rolling around on the ground with Pooka bouncing around, yapping.

"I'm only having fun." Vlad raised his arms in defeat, picking the rambunctious mutt up, who had appeared out of nowhere; he figured the pooch had curled up under the seat he was sitting in.

"You're acting five is what you're doing." Dimitri huffed angrily.

"You are absolutely right…when is the wedding?" Vlad had climbed back up into his seat, holding back another loud guffaw. Dimitri didn't even do anything, he just stared at him, eyebrows pulled together angrily and an ugly grimace to voice his contempt.

"I am not falling in love with that skinny little brat."

"Whatever gets you through the night."

"VLAD!" Dimitri yelled, punching him in the arm again.

"Ow! That one may have actually hurt." Vlad rubbed his arm, yet still grinning. Dimitri breathed deeply, standing again and walking towards the edge of the ship. Leaning his elbows against the railing, he cast his eyes down to the water as if concentrating on something in the rolling waves.

"Is that really what it is?" He asked more seriously.

"It is possible."

"How do you get rid of it?"

"You don't. It's what your heart wants." Dimitri shook his head, a small smile forming on his lips.

"That's crazy."

"No one ever said love was sane."

Dimitri returned to his seat, resting his elbows on his knees and shaking his head.

"I'm no good for her."

"But-!"

"Just drop it Vlad, drop it." Dimitri put his hand up to stop him mid sentence, staring down at the chess board or his feet. Vlad couldn't tell. "Can we finish this game, please?"

Vlad huffed angrily, his chubby cheeks turning red and moved his next pawn across the board.

"Checkmate."