[Extra Story] Heavy Package

Hi Hi ✨

Still catching up with the content, but here's an amazing image and short story I really enjoyed writing. Hope you like it too!

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Heavy Package

Fmg-35 universe

Set in 2028

"Bozhe moy! Coming, coming!" Dmitry shouted, stumbling out of bed and nearly tripping over his tangled bedsheets. The insistent knocking at his apartment door had torn him from a deep sleep, leaving him disoriented and groggy.

He glanced at his phone. 10:47 AM. Dmitry groaned, realising he'd overslept again. Working late nights on his latest coding project had thrown his sleep schedule into chaos.

Rubbing his eyes, he shuffled to the door, his bare feet padding across the cool wooden floor. He opened it, squinting against the harsh hallway light.

"Dobroye utro! Package for Dmitry Volkov?" a cheerful voice chirped.

Dmitry's eyes slowly focused on the delivery girl standing before him. She was tall – most women were compared to his 5'8" frame – but not as towering as he was used to. Her long blonde hair was pulled back in a messy ponytail, and her green eyes sparkled with an infectious energy that seemed at odds with the early hour.

"Uh, da. That's me," Dmitry mumbled, still not fully awake.

The delivery girl grinned, holding out a clipboard. "Great! Sign here, please."

As Dmitry scrawled his signature, his brain finally caught up with the situation. The laptop. His new gaming laptop had finally arrived.

"Spasibo," he said, handing back the clipboard. The girl hefted a large box from the dolly beside her.

"Here you go! One laptop, as ordered. Careful, it's heavier than it looks," she warned, passing him the package.

Dmitry took it, surprised by the weight. "Thanks, um...?" He trailed off, realising he didn't know her name.

"Anastasia," she supplied, her smile widening. "But my friends call me Nastya."

"Nastya," Dmitry repeated, feeling a strange flutter in his chest. There was something about her – her easy smile, her warm demeanour – that made him want to keep talking to her.

"So, excited about your new laptop?" Nastya asked, gesturing to the box in his arms.

Dmitry nodded eagerly, his shyness momentarily forgotten as he launched into an explanation. "Oh yes, it's a custom build. I7 processor, 64 gigs of RAM, 2 terabyte SSD..." He trailed off, noticing Nastya's bemused expression. "Sorry, I'm probably boring you with all this tech talk."

Nastya laughed, a light, musical sound that made Dmitry's heart skip a beat. "Not at all! I may not understand all the details, but I love seeing people passionate about their interests. You must be a programmer or something, right?"

Dmitry blinked in surprise. "How did you know?"

"Lucky guess," Nastya winked. "That, and the 'Eat, Sleep, Code, Repeat' t-shirt you're wearing."

Dmitry glanced down, his face flushing as he realised he was still in his pajamas. "Oh, uh, right. Yeah, I'm a software developer. Just finished a big project, actually."

"That's awesome!" Nastya said, sounding genuinely interested. She glanced at her watch and sighed. "I wish I could hear more about it, but I've got more deliveries to make. It was nice meeting you, Dmitry!"

She turned towards the elevator, and Dmitry felt a sudden panic. He wanted to keep talking to her, to learn more about her. But what could he say? Asking her out seemed too forward, too scary.

As the elevator doors began to open, Dmitry blurted out, "Wait!"

Nastya paused, looking back at him curiously.

Dmitry's mind raced. What now? He hadn't thought this far ahead. "I, uh... do you like coffee?"

Nastya's eyebrows rose in surprise, but her smile never faltered. "I love coffee. Why do you ask?"

"There's this great little café down the street. Kofe i Knigi. They make amazing lattes and have a huge book collection. I thought maybe... if you're free sometime... we could grab a coffee? And talk more about... stuff?" Dmitry held his breath, waiting for her response.

Nastya's smile softened. "That sounds lovely, Dmitry. I'd like that."

Relief and excitement washed over Dmitry. "Great! Um, how about this Saturday? Around 2?"

"It's a date," Nastya agreed, stepping into the elevator. "See you then, Dmitry!"

As the doors closed, Dmitry stood there, clutching his laptop box and grinning like an idiot. He couldn't believe he'd actually done it. He'd asked her out!

Still smiling, he turned to go back into his apartment – and promptly tripped over the threshold, nearly dropping his precious new laptop.

"Smooth, Volkov," he muttered to himself, but not even his clumsiness could dampen his spirits. He had a date with Nastya, and suddenly, the summer in this small Russian town seemed full of possibilities.