Shelter.

Chapter Four.

Lizzie’s snores filled her house, and she slept in an empty bed, she began to feel around and move around because Flynn or Poppy wasn’t next to her. She instantly popped up, she stumbled out of her bed and she ran out of the room. Her heartbeat seemed to get louder and louder. She ran into their room and they were empty; she paced down the stairs, and she walked into the living room then let out a scream as she sees Saveli sitting on her couch. He jumps up out of his sleep. Saveli held out his hands and he let out a shrill. “Calm down, it’s just me… it’s just me. Your kids are at Paisley’s house, I brought you home because you got so drunk last night and I told Paisley that I would take you home. She was very hard to persuade, but I told her we’re neighbors and you said that it was fine and I brought you home. You asked me to stay because you didn’t feel comfortable with the whole Christopher thing which I don’t see why I had to stay but I did and now my back hurts.” He explained, and Lizzie stared at Saveli still in a state of shock.

“Oh.. sorry, um thank you.” Lizzie smiles a little and Saveli rolls his eyes as he gets up.

“Next time, be careful.” Saveli huffed.

Lizzie's eyes furrowed, and she crossed her arms. “I liked you better last night.” Lizzie mumbled and Saveli rubs his hair, he yawns and he looks at Lizzie. “You were ten times more annoying last night.” He replied and Lizzie huffed as she turned away from him, she walked into the kitchen. “Big meanie, would you like some coffee?” She asked him and there was a brief pause for a moment while Lizzie prepared the coffee. “I guess.” He utters, and he walks into the kitchen. Lizzie makes him a cup of coffee and she gives him some sugar and milk. Saveli just grabs the cup and starts drinking it. Lizzie grimaced, and she sat down at the island.

Saveli sits the cup down and he looks at his watch, he sighed and he looks at Lizzie. “Since you’re not equipped for the storm tonight and I’m not a heartless piece of s**t, you can stay at my house. You don’t have to and that’s up to you.” Saveli shrugged and Lizzie smiles as she tilts her head. ”Okay, you’re such a sweetheart.” Lizzie teased and Saveli glared at her, he cut his eyes from her and he grumbled something in Russian as he went back to drinking his coffee. He finishes his coffee and clears his throat. “Come on.” He says, and Lizzie looks at him. “C-Come where?” Lizzie questioned, and Saveli sighed. “Don’t you have to pick your kids up, you don’t have a car and I can just leave and let you-”

“Okay, let me go fix myself up and I will be down in five.” Lizzie rushed and she dashed out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

About fifteen minutes later, Lizzie had her children, and it puzzled them as to why they were in Saveli’s truck. They sat in the middle, between the couple and the children, stared at Saveli as he drove them back home. Rain was pounding against the window and they sat in a little traffic. Saveli looked over at Poppy who was staring, he knitted his eyebrow together and she copied him. Saveli scrunched up his nose and Poppy followed with her little button nose. Saveli crossed his eyes and Poppy followed, she let out a giggle making Poppy look over at her daughter, Saveli was smiling a little as Poppy giggled. 

Lizzie knew that Saveli didn’t smile a lot, but it was unmistakable that children made him smile, Lizzie didn’t think Saveli was a guy who liked children. “Have you ever wanted children?” Lizzie asked Saveli, his eyes darted towards Lizzie, immediately shot daggers at her. “I don’t like people enough to make more people.” Saveli huffed and Lizzie hummed as she looked at her kids. “Children are the best.” Lizzie struggled and Saveli shrugged, he didn’t care for them much but Lizzie’s kids were special, they were smart and kind children.

Poppy looks at the road ahead of them and she looks at Saveli. “Can I drive?” She asked him, and Lizzie looked at the child as if she was crazy. “Poppy Allison Davis, I know you did not-”

“It’s fine, she can drive, we’re not necessarily moving.” Saveli says, and Poppy pops her lip as she looks over at Lizzie. Lizzie’s face softened because Warren would have said no immediately, no matter how many times the baby girl asked. Poppy climbed into Saveli’s lap, he tensed up but she rested on his knee and she put her hand on the steering wheel. Poppy giddly smiles, and she squeals with excitement. “This is so cool.” Poppy says, and she starts making driving noises with her mouth as she skimmed her hands around the steering wheel as if she’s turning the wheel. 

Flynn points ahead of her and he gasps as he looks at his little sister. “Watch out, it’s a giant ugly ogre!” Flynn says and Poppy turns the wheel. “Don’t you be scared, I’m gonna save all of us.” Poppy says and Lizzie always enjoyed watching their make-believe games. Saveli was concerned, but then he realized it was a simple make-believe game. “Saveli, do you see any more ogres around?” Poppy asked him, that’s when Flynn and Lizzie looked at the man, waiting for him to answer.

Saveli looks behind him and he lets out a gasp, he looks at Poppy and Flynn. “There’s a big one behind us.” Saveli exclaimed and the kids screamed, Poppy turned the wheel and Saveli chuckled, his chest puffing and he threw his head back a little. Lizzie watched them play make-believe while they sat in traffic and she wondered, why was he so mean to her but not her children? Did he have a soft spot for them? Does he hate women? She doubted that, but she wondered.

They get to his house and it was raining and thundering that the ten-second walk had the four drenched from head to two. Lizzie let's out a groan because her hair was drenched, she turns around and Saveli shuts the door. “You can’t go back out there, it’s raining and the wind might just sweep you up.” Saveli huffed and Lizzie looked at him. “I need to get some clothes, my shampoo, I need my bonnet and it’s just down the street. I’ll be fast.” Lizzie huffed and Saveli let out a grumble, he was agitated now and he looked at Lizzie. “Fine, I’ll go get it, just go sit and stay with your kids.” He ordered and Lizzie pouted as she knitted her eyebrows together. “Okay, fine.” Lizzie says, and she reaches into her jacket pocket and gets her keys out, she gives them to him.

Saveli leaves out his house and Lizzie sighs and she looks around, she crouches down and she takes the kids’s jackets off. Saveli had an exquisite house, it was spotless and minimal furniture, but he seemed to have a love for art with pieces of landscapes and animals. “Woah, Mr. Saveli has a nice house.” Flynn says as he walks around and Lizzie picks up Poppy, she looks around as well and the only light that lit the house was the lighting that barricaded through the sky. Poppy shivered and Lizzie held the child close so he could get warm. “Flynn, come back, we have to wait for Saveli to come-”

Saveli comes back, and he lets out a sigh as he carries a bag, he is soaked and he lets out a grumble as he gives her the bag. “Here, I just grabbed whatever I saw and each of your rooms.” Saveli says, and Lizzie smiles as she takes the bag and her keys from him. “Thank you, you forgot my-” Saveli gives her a glare and she quiets instantly. “Thank you, Saveli, you’re such a sweetie pie.” Lizzie says, giving him a wide smile, he scoffs as he shakes his head as he mutters something in Russian. 

Saveli gives them some warm clothes to change into, which comprised his shirts that were humongous on Poppy and Flynn. Lizzie changed into his large shirt and some sweats he had, she brushed her hair out quickly, plaited her hair then put her bonnet on. They all went down to his basement, and the kids played with their toys that he brought back from Lizzie’s house. They listened to the radio while candles were lit in the room to prevent using any power. Lizzie looks at Saveli who had his eyes closed, the basement only had a couch then some boxes also random things placed against the wall. “Are storms usually this bad?” Lizzie asked Saveli, and he sighed as he opened his eyes. “Yes, and no. We get a lot of rain but since we live around a large body of water and our houses are close to the beaches.. We’re likely to get damage and floods. That’s why a lot of houses are cheap in this area because they are not durable and your house isn’t durable…” Saveli says and Lizzie jumps up, she looks at Saveli. “You knew, and you didn’t tell me anything!” Lizzie exclaimed and Saveli rolled his eyes. “I told you and you didn’t listen because you’re very stubborn.”

Lizzie slips on her shoes and Saveli finally opens his eyes, he shakes his head. "What the hell are you doing?” Saveli questions and Lizzie slips on her jacket. “To see if my house is still up and not f****d up like you said it would be.” Lizzie huffed and she looked at her kids. “I will be right back, Momma will be right back.” Lizzie assured them and their kids both nodded because she always came back. 

Lizzie walks up the stairs, and she leaves the basement, Saveli sighs as he rubs his face because now he has to go get her. “She is such an idiot.” Saveli thought, he slips on his jacket, and he looks at the children. “I will be right back.” He assured them, and he left the basement. Saveli walked but the front door and immediately was swooped into the rough winds, Saveli grunted as he struggled to shut the door and he finally managed to shut the door behind him. Loud whooshes, thunder, and lightning rattled through his body.

It was dark everywhere and trees had fallen, water was getting near to flooding and car alarms were going off. Saveli shields his hands over his eyes as he looks for Lizzie, he sees her further up the sidewalk and she was leaving forward, walking the direction the wind was pushing against her body and she had her hands crossed in front of her. Saveli looked to her house and the exterior of the house was peeling as they stood there, a tree had fallen onto it and her years as impossible to get into.

Saveli looks back at Lizzie, he wipes his face. “Lizzie!” Saveli yelled her name, and she turned her head but right when she did, the wind knocked her off balance and she stumbled back to the ground. Saveli's heart almost split out of his chest and he ran off his porch, the wind and the rain made it harder for him to run. He runs to her, and he helps her up, but she pushes his hands off of her. “I’m fine, I need to get inside my house.. I need to get—”

Saveli picks her up, she drapes over his shoulder and Lizzie lets out a scream as she hits back. “I need to go in there, I need to get something!” Lizzie yelled, and he finally got to his porch, it was harder with her hitting and kicking at him. He walks into the house, and he finally puts her down. “I hate you, why-why did you bring me back? I was fine!” Lizzie yelled at him as she repeatedly hit him. Saveli grabs her hands and she head butts him, he hisses as he let's go of her hands and he reaches for his nose that is now bleeding. Saveli let out a growl, and he grabbed her arms once again but this time it was so tight that her arms would be bruised, Lizzie didn’t look as strong but he was very wrong. 

“Shut up!” Saveli's voice boomed through the hallway and Lizzie went quiet fast, now she was scared and he can see it in her eyes. “I went out there to get you because you wouldn’t make it back you i***t, you dumb ass… that house would cave with you inside it. You saw how it looked and you rather put your life at risk and leave your kids to get whatever the hell is so important. God, you’re so stupid and-and you…” Saveli let's go of her and he began to pace in front of her. Lizzie watched him as she rubbed her wrist and his large hands still lingered on her wrist. 

Saveli began to mumble in Russian and he finally looked at her, his nose was dripping. “Saveli-”

“What?!” Saveli exclaimed.

Lizzie jumps, and she wipes her eyes. “Your nose is bleeding, it's dripping on your clothes. I’m-I’m sorry, if you’re going to hit me then do it.” Lizzie says, and she closes her eyes, waiting for him to hit her. Saveli looked at her with shock because never in his life would he ever hit a woman, he may hate people but he still respected people even though he despised them. “I-I would never hit, why would you think I would hit you?” Saveli questioned her, and Lizzie opened her eyes slowly. “My ex-husband would hit me all the time… I just thought you-I don’t know, and it doesn’t matter. I’m sorry for head butting you. It was a reflex because I used to do it to my-um, I’m just going to go back downstairs.” Lizzie rushed out and Saveli stepped in front of her. 

Lizzie looked up at him and her hair was drenched, droplets of water lingered onto her and she stared at him, his nose still bleeding. Saveli swallowed hard, but there were two words that he hated saying and were always hard for him to say. “I’m sorry.” Saveli stated and Lizzie stared at him, she shook her head. “No, I was.. Being the i***t, I’m sorry.” Lizzie says and Saveli's demeanor changed, his face grew back to that cold state and he glared at her. “No, I’m sorry.. Just take my apology.” Saveli hissed and Lizzie smiles, she clicks her tongue. “Well. I’m even more... um sorry.” She replied and Saveli stared at her, she sure pissed him off and he hated her even more but something in him just wanted her but was he going to admit it? No.

Saveli’s eyes drifted to her lips then back at her eyes and on cue, Lizzie’s eyes went wide a little because she knew that look.

Lizzie leaned forward and she pressed her lips against his.