[1936]
The lake is quite empty in this evening, even though the fishes are making ripples on the surface. No fishermen around, to catch those willing fishes. And apparently, this condition made Vitaly sighed in relief a bit.
He actually prefer to just walking around Moscow or watching some entertainment in the theatre. But when he opened the diary last morning, he realised Alexei has made promise to Dmitry to fishing together at one lake at north area. Even Alexei was the one who recommend this lake, based on what he heard between gossips between fish enthusiast in Leningrad. Vitaly facepalmed once again in secret, while slowly staring at Dmitry who preparing the mashed quail egg as the bait.
Meanwhile, Vitaly use the mashed potato as his bait. More likely, something that Alexei has kept inside the storage with label "potatoes for fishing". He admit he only interested with Alexei's additional hobby after he kept finding Alexei writing which bait that suitable for certain fish that Alexei liked. Then he throw the reel to the lake just like Dmitry did, and wait.
"So... do you like fishing?" Vitaly tried to open the conversation as he leaned to the tree bark.
Dmitry tilted his head to right, and he leered, "Normal. Not too hating because I like fish... but I only do this when my bread stock still full."
"Bread stock?" Vitaly's eyes looked more interested.
"I love baking more. Bread, cakes..."
"First time I see a man really interested with cake," commented Vitaly with smirk. Dmitry blushed a bit.
"I can't just rely on bakery, Lyosha. Sometimes the fruit cake I want was not available. So I try to seek the recipe, then bake that cake for myself," chuckled Dmitry.
"Can I try some-" asked Vitaly as he glanced at his fishing rod. It moves faster. Vitaly immediately pulled his rod and the reel. He managed to caught a large fish. Dmitry's jaw dropped and he clapped to Vitaly.
"AWESOME!!!" exclaimed Dmitry. Vitaly's upset about fishing instantly gone as he lift that fish on the hook, and heard Dmitry's compliment. The fish was very big, shiny, and definitely has lot of meat inside. Now he know why Alexei loves fishing, thought Vitaly.
Not long after that, Dmitry's rod also moving. Dmitry pulled his, and he get medium sized fish. Still smaller than Vitaly's. This made Vitaly's pride bigger.
"Well, Dima... let's fish again. We shall stock some for dinner and lunch tomorrow," invited Vitaly, who now completely forgot with his wish to be in theatre right now.
And innocent Dmitry answered, "Yeah!" as he prepared another quail egg for the bait.
===
[November 1938]
"Lyosha! Here's the annual winter gift for you, hehehe! As usual, don't tell Vasya and Vadim!" grinned Dmitry as he gave a wrapped box to Vitaly. Meanwhile, that curly-haired man smiled faintly.
"You never forget..." murmured Vitaly.
"Of course I won't! Not only by circling the calendar date each 21 November, but also looking at frosted window outside."
Vitaly know what's inside the box. It's the fruit cake that Dmitry ever mentioned two years ago. Which made Dmitry always sent it each May and November in secret. May - for celebrating Alexei's birthday, and November - for celebrating first winter in November. But the date for second cake... Vitaly always imagined it was birthday cake for him too. Even if he wasn't born from mother's womb, but from Alexei's mind and mother's broken bottle.
It was also a fun secret too from Vadim and Vasily. Those two only know Dmitry can only bake a normal rye bread. Only Alexei and Vitaly who knew this little secret...
Vitaly lifts his head, and he hugged Dmitry tightly before releasing that black-haired man again, "Thanks a lot, Dima. I always love fruit cake."
"Don't mention it! If you want another thing next year, I can make it for you! Now I can make honey cake and milk cake, too!"
"This one already good enough. Do you mind if I eat it right now?"
Dmitry shrugged with full grin, "Sure thing! Besides, we will have long day in this lake. Need to freshen our mind before another rehearsal."
Without waiting further, Vitaly opened the cake box and chipped the whole fruit cake. One bite, two bites, and another bites... as they waited for the fish to caught the bait. Though as usual, Vitaly gets the big fishes, while Dmitry gets another medium-sized fishes.
===
[March 1941]
For another thirteen time, Vitaly hold the small poison bottle he pocketed all of this time. It's a morphine. He got that from a drug dealer that he met several days ago in an alley. Thanks to Vasily's education about how to identify a drug dealer and avoid one... Vitaly used that knowledge to find one and buy the morphine from them.
It's a small dose. Less than ten grams. Vasily would probably still able to somersault after taking one. But one pour to Dmitry's glass? Vitaly would never see those opened green eyes anymore in the next hour.
The orange juice on Dmitry's glass still looked full. Dmitry just refilled it before he focused on fishing again. Just a quick pour, and throw the bottle to the river as Vitaly divert Dmitry's attention...
But such action never came. Vitaly stared at Dmitry's face for too long. To remember it's the same face who gifted him fruit cake for Alexei's birthday in May... and later additional fruit cake to celebrate first winter in November. It's still unknown why Dmitry must bake twice, but back then Vitaly was so happy that his 'birthday' celebrated indirectly.
No wonder why Darya loves this man, thought Vitaly. Dmitry's struggle was only to be an orphan and ever struck with famine. The famine that made this man with green eyes always secretly eat soldiers' leftovers in cafeteria shamelessly. Then he never talk down about family. Even it seems Dmitry still keeping in touch with a neighbor who taking care Dmitry after his parents' death.
Vitaly shook his head again. Why did he mesmerised about Dmitry? He should have focus on removing someone that Darya loved! If he can't have Darya, then she must cannot have anyone either!
The cork of bottle slowly twisted. Vitaly's hand almost reaching Dmitry's glass. But then he was shocked that Dmitry jumped from the ground to get the hooked fish. Vitaly quickly close the cork and pocketed the bottle to his jacket again.
And so, Dmitry doesn't see anything wrong with Vitaly when he showed the medium-sized fish with slight disappointment, "Ah, Lyosha, it seems like I was always getting medium fish whenever I fished here!"