#cherny

IC92.||igor chernyshov.

fluff.

igor is sad that he has to leave you behind.

-part 2. https://www.tumblr.com/scelebrini/817793048977309696/ic92-igor-chernyshov

“I can’t go,” Igor cried from the passenger seat, his voice cracking the second I pulled into a parking spot at the airport.

“Why, baby? Don’t cry,” I said softly, putting the car in park and turning off the ignition.

“I don’t want to go.” His Russian accent was thick, heavily laced with his tears, making the words sound even heavier.

I leaned over, gently wiping under his eyes with the pad of my thumb. “Why not, my love? You’re going to see all your family and friends. You have nobody here right now.” Wanting to be closer to him, I unbuckled my seatbelt and carefully climbed over the center console, settling into his lap. I wrapped my arms around his neck and pressed a tender kiss to his lips. “You have them waiting for you over there.”

“You’re here,” he whispered. His lower lip quivered violently before he dropped his head onto my shoulder, his entire body shaking with heavy, ragged sobs.

“Oh, my baby…” I murmured, rubbing his back in slow, soothing circles. I reached up and gently pulled his hoodie off his head, running my fingers through his hair to scratch at his scalp, knowing it always calmed him down. “I’ll be waiting right here for you the whole month you’re gone. And I promise I’ll make sure to be early to pick you up the exact second you come back.” I kept my voice as calm and steady as possible, trying to be the anchor he needed.

He sniffled and whimpered against my neck, the cries ripping through his throat so violently and sadly that it physically ached in my chest.

“You’re okay, I promise. And you can call me the very second you get there. Even if I’m sleeping, just call me. If you need me, I’m answering.” I kissed the curve of his shoulder through his sweater, holding him tight.

Finally, he picked his head up. His eyes were painfully puffy, and the tip of his nose was bright red. I wiped his face again, kissing his lips once more, trying to force a reassuring warmth into the gesture. “You get to see your mom and your dad,” I smiled at him, keeping my tone bright. “They miss you so much. Think about how happy they’re going to be when you walk through the door.”

I was doing everything I could to distract his mind from the reality of the situation: I wouldn’t be going to Russia with him.

In all honesty, this was the first time we were ever going to be away from each other for a long period of time, and he was not taking it well at all. Ever since Igor came to America from Russia, I had always been by his side. We actually met during his very first week after landing. He was at a local grocery store, having a terribly hard time trying to ask the clerk for something. Luckily, I had been taking lessons on how to speak Russian at the time, so I was able to step in and translate for him. We had been completely inseparable and dating ever since.

“Don’t you miss Russia, baby?” I asked gently, looking at his pouting lips.

“I miss you,” he mumbled, his head dropping again.

I lifted his chin immediately so he had to look at me. “Why they can’t come here?” he asked, his tear-filled eyes searching mine with a look of pure desperation, as if this was a permanent breakup and he’d never see me again.

“They can come here eventually, sweetie. But you’re the one who told them you’d go back to visit this time,” I said, rubbing his cheek before he pulled his hoodie back up over his head, trying to hide away from the world.

I sighed, glancing down at the dashboard clock. If he didn't get inside the terminal soon, he was going to miss his flight. I carefully climbed off his lap, got out of the car, and walked around to the trunk. I pulled his heavy suitcase out onto the pavement and noticed he hadn’t even made a move to open his door. Walking back to the passenger side, I opened the door for him. He refused to look at me, staring blankly at the glove compartment.

“Come on, let’s go, baby,” I said gently, leaning in to unbuckle his seatbelt for him.

His chest rose and fell rapidly as the reality set in. He finally stepped out into the cool morning air, fresh tears dropping straight onto his grey tracksuit. I locked the car doors, grabbed his hand with one of mine, and used the other to wheel his suitcase toward the sliding glass doors of the airport.

When we got to the check-in counter, the terminal was already crowded with families hugging and saying their goodbyes, which brought a small smile to my face. But as we walked toward the seating area near security, people started noticing us. A few travelers gave Igor sympathetic, sad looks as he continued to openly weep. We sat down in the plastic chairs, and he immediately buried his face into my chest. I wrapped my arms around him, rubbing his back as he trembled.

As the boarding time crept closer, his crying intensified. He started hiccuping, gasping for air in a mild panic.

“Is he okay?” an older lady sitting across from us asked softly, her eyes full of concern.

I nodded, giving her a reassuring smile. “Yes, he’s okay. Just a tough goodbye.” I turned my attention back to him. “Baby, look at me.”

He sat up, his face entirely wet and his eyes bloodshot.

“Please, no more crying, okay? We aren’t breaking up. You aren’t moving away permanently. You’re just going to visit your family for a month.” I pulled my hands into my sleeves and used the soft fabric to gently dry his cheeks.

“I–I know,” he nodded, his voice small as he rubbed at his eyes with the cuffs of his hoodie.

“Okay, let’s breathe. Because I am absolutely not sending you onto that plane hyperventilating like this,” I told him, pressing a firm, loving kiss to his lips.

He took a few slow, deep breaths, keeping his eyes locked onto mine while his hands gripped my fingers like a lifeline.

“Good job. All better, okay?” I said.

He nodded slowly. “When you get to your mom’s house, call me. I’ll be awake, I promise. And we can sleep on the phone together if you want, or whatever else you need to feel better.”

Hearing that, he laid his head back down on my chest, letting me hold him for the final few remaining minutes.

“I love you,” his raspy voice whispered against my shirt, completely worn out from all the crying.

“I love you so much,” I replied, squeezing him tight.

A moment later, his flight zone was called over the loudspeaker, and the crowd around us started getting up to queue at the gate. Igor pulled away reluctantly, taking his suitcase from my hand. As he walked toward the line, he kept turning back to look at me. I blew him a kiss goodbye, and he literally reached out to catch it in his hand, pressing it firmly against his chest before finally disappearing down the jetway.

I let out a long, heavy sigh, turning around to walk back out to the parking lot. By the time I reached my car, the sun was finally rising over the horizon, painting the sky in bright pinks and oranges.

*My poor baby,* I thought, starting the engine and heading home to an empty apartment.

he’s such a cutie i imagine him as such a softie.