GREY, azrael dmitri

TEN
times when Callen and Baylee were one problem
the puppy

Dmitri wasn't sure how, but he knew why Callen had gotten the idea of a puppy into Baylee's head. The two had both approached him at once, slowly getting into their puppy proposal. Dmitri however wouldn't have any of it. He had told Baylee time and time again that they couldn't get a dog. The poor thing would eat the flowers and wind up sick, and then how would they pay for the medical bills? Or the food. Who would walk him, play with him? Besides, Dmitri pointed out that they already had a dog; Callen. When the two kept it up over the next week, he would always mutter how he felt like he had two children.

the swings

It had been one of those mornings that Baylee managed to get both Dmitri and Callen awake at seven or eight in the morning. That day she dragged them both to a nearby park, and upon the sight of the swings, she and Callen took off like sugar-hyped kids. After celebrating the result of their race, they both took a swing and started calling over to Dmitri to come push them both. Baylee didn't even give him a chance to make or grab coffee, so he was still half asleep and unwilling to deal with the two at the moment. After some remark about how they both had working legs, he settled with pushing his sister, while Callen sat pouting at him. That was until Dmitri pointed out that just because he was a Leprechaun didn't mean he had shorter legs; then Callen swung on his own.

Toys R' Us

About three years ago, close to Baylee's birthday, Dmitri decided to take her to Toys R' Us to pick out her gift. However he made the mistake of bringing Callen with them. The two basically spent the whole time running around the store, picking things up, looking at them and then throwing them aside. Dmitri spent most of it putting things back. When he found the two in an aisle bouncing a rather large ball back and forth, he could only shake his head and let them continue on. Eventually Baylee found what she wanted, despite Callen's suggestions of trucks and talking dolls, and Dmitri was able to get them out of there before they were kicked out.

grocery shopping

It was pretty common that Dmitri took either Baylee or Callen with him when he needed to pick up a few things for their apartments or the shop. The first time he brought both of them grocery shopping was likely to be the last. Not only did they stray from the list Dmitri had to keep close to the budget, but they kept butting heads on what to get. For the cereal choice, as an example, Baylee insisted on Fruit Loops, while Callen shouted the second he saw Cocoa Puffs. Callen spoke up again when he noticed that Capri Sun was on sale, and bothered Dmitri about it for two aisles. Baylee though pixie sticks would be a fantastic idea, but her brother muttered something about already having sugar-wired kids and he didn't need to make them any worse. Dmitri also vowed to do this shopping on his own from now on.

shop cleaning

Saturdays were usually the day that Dmitri would spend at least half of fast asleep either in his bed or on the shop's couch in the back room. This Saturday hasn't been any different. He passed out in Flower Bay's back room, and was woken some hours later by singing and laughter. That wasn't too out of the ordinary either, since Baylee usually cleaned the shop while he slept. This felt different though, sounded different. He stumbled into the shop and the sight that greeted him made him wonder if he was still dreaming. Over half the shop was soaked in soapy water including the culprits; Baylee and Callen. They didn't notice him at first, and kept laughing while splashing each other as the radio played in the background. Then they both froze in place when they noticed him staring, to which Dmitri looked down and rubbed his forehead. “I'm going to get a few more hours of sleep upstairs, because clearly this is a dream. Hopefully when I come back down, it'll be as if this never happened.” Was all Dmitri said before he went upstairs to his apartment.

piggyback

Callen and Dmitri were well known for always being at Baylee's performances. Some of the kids knew them by face or name, and some parents would save them a spot on the off chance they were running late. One performance had run pretty late a couple years back. As the three were making their way home, Callen decided to give Baylee a piggyback. Some nights of them would end up carrying her when she got sleepy, but this night was different. Callen started almost running, bouncing Baylee on his back. She started laughing, and kept on laughing until she was practically shrieking. Dmitri could only shake his head, but while he seemed mildly annoyed, he would probably never forget that moment.

the kitten

As if Dmitri hadn't felt bad enough, and had a hard enough time saying no to Baylee and Callen about getting a puppy. One night he came home late to find the two of them nursing an injured kitten. The poor thing even had its paw already wrapped. He didn't have the heart to leave the kitten out on its own, so he made them a deal. Dmitri let them keep the kitten long enough to be sure that it was up to full health. Then he asked each customer that came in if they wanted to adopt a cat, free of charge. Since there had been 'Found' posters put up while the cat was recovering, and no one had claimed it, he promised Baylee and Callen that he would find a good home. Which he did find within a couple weeks. The sad faces he had to deal with afterwards however, slowly made him just as sad.

homework

Baylee knew that she could rely on Callen and Dmitri whenever she needed help. One night she was working on geography homework, and called Callen over to help her. Dmitri was out at the time, otherwise geography and Callen wouldn't have been said in the same sentence. Dmitri ended up coming home to over hear Callen speaking about he he thought Cuba was in Europe. His mind jumped to Ex business, and within a minute he was at the table asking what they were up to. After Baylee explained that she needed homework help, Dmitri had sighed and sat down at the table. He spent the next couple hours not only teaching Baylee about geography, but Callen as well.

haircut

It's pretty common for girls that are Baylee's age to follow fads and celebrity examples. However when Baylee suddenly wanted to cut her hair short, Dmitri wasn't exactly happy about it. At first Baylee argued that all the well-known celebrities were sporting short hairstyles, as well as her friends. Dmitri said that she should want to be herself, and not follow a crowd. He thought the issue was dismissed, but a couple days later Baylee and Callen sat him down to give him a presentation. Apparently Baylee had gone to Callen to help her put together good, logical reasons as to why she should be allowed to cut her hair. Dmitri didn't even have to say anything though, since when Baylee presented the photo-shopped picture of her short hair, Callen decided he liked it better long and swapped sides. No more problem for Dmitri.

the vase

There were a few things of their mother's that Dmitri kept around. A white vase with pale purple flowers painted on the top half of it was placed on a table in the living room of their apartment. One day, Baylee had this brilliant idea to attempt to teach Callen how to dance. It was apparently a simple four step dance that anyone could have picked up, but Callen was a special sort of person. During an attempt, Callen messed up the steps so badly that he stumbled and ended up knocking the vase over. Dmitri arrived later to see Baylee and Callen at the kitchen table super-gluing the piece back together. He couldn't help but laugh when they were nervous to even look at him. Not even bothering to keep up the pissed act, he told them that he didn't keep the real thing out because of things like this.

NINE
times that Callen was a complete and utter dick
Halloween

It was pretty common for Callen to have his insensitive, or just flat our rude moments. It was just the kind of person he was, and once you got to know him you realized that he really never meant any of it. Dmitri had a habit of calling him a dick whenever these would occur, but one Halloween solidified this. Normally Callen came up with the most interesting or hilarious costume for this holiday, and this year had been no exception. When the man came down to help Dmitri hand out candy, Dmitri nearly died from laughter. Callen had dressed himself up as nothing other than a dick. He had to go up and change immediately, but he wore it to the party later that night. Pictures, of course, were taken, and to this day they're still used as a last resort for blackmail.

first time Dmitri met Jace

It had been a pretty average day at work, when someone suddenly burst into their shop. Dmitri hadn't thought anything of the fact that it seemed like the man came in to duck out on someone, since he knew the feeling all too well, and treated him like any other customer. At least he attempted to, but the man's eyes were one hell of a distraction. Whether it was because of this distraction, or because Dmitri became blind to a certain kind of attention over the years, he hadn't seen anything out of the normal about the other man's actions. Baylee however, pointed it out after he had left. She made a remark about how his eyes had been all over a certain someone. It wasn't until Callen made his addition of 'or rather a certain area' that Dmitri snapped back to attention, and Callen knew he was in trouble.

that cooking incident

Callen wasn't exactly the cooking type, in fact, usually Baylee and Dmitri tried to avoid this at all cost. So the one night Callen managed to get away with cooking – while multitasking, it was no surprise that it nearly ended it complete disaster. Whatever it was that he had attempted to cook burnt, and the smoke set off the fire alarm. The alarm startled the first couple floors, causing people to evacuate to the streets. Luckily Dmitri was getting home just about now, and asked Callen what happened. Once he heard the explanation, Dmitri sighed and made his way into the apartment. Turned out there was no actual fire, just a burnt sandwich that Dmitri dumped and used cold water on the pan. Then he fanned the alarm until it silenced, and went back out to let everyone know it was perfectly fine and they could go back in. Callen made a comment about how Dmitri should sign himself up for the firefighter calendar, and he got stared down until he went back inside.

Aaron/Erin

It wasn't that often that Callen was capable of outsmarting Dmitri, but he seemed to always find a way when it dealt with his protectiveness of Baylee. The day Baylee had a friend over with a name that could be both genders, Callen saw his chance. When Dmitri walked into the shop later, and asked Callen what everyone was up to, Callen casually answered that Baylee was upstairs with some 'Aaron' kid, and that they were supposedly working on homework. He merely shrugged, but the way Callen had said Aaron let Dmitri's brain to think of the masculine form of it, and he immediately jumped into defense mode. The man raced up the stairs and burst into their apartment to find Baylee and her friend Erin in the living room with their homework. If Dmitri stumbling for an explanation that he thought Callen had meant Aaron hadn't been bad enough, Dmitri already knew this Erin, and pretty well at that. He apologized to the two and started to head back downstairs. Once he neared the ground floor he could already hear Callen's laughter, and he knew for a fact that it wouldn't last too long.

water pistol

Every so often, when Dmitri wasn't around, Callen would switch objects and see how long it would take for Dmitri to notice. Once, he went as far as to switch the pistol they sometimes kept under the counter with a water pistol, filled up. When Dmitri was on cash later that day, Callen began to annoy Dmitri. He was attempting to anger him to the point where he would jokingly threaten Callen with the pistol under the counter. He made some sort of remark about Dmitri's love life, or Baylee's, and before he knew it the pistol was in his hands and aimed right at Callen. It took a second, but he noticed the weight difference before he arched an eyebrow. He questioned if Callen had replaced it with a water pistol, to which Callen nodded with a grin. Then his plan back fired, because for the next ten minutes Dmitri chased him around firing water at him the whole time.

bad timing

Normally Dmitri and Callen left together to go to Baylee's performance. Every so often though, they were in different places for most of the day, and met up there instead. This was one of those times, except Callen got the time wrong. Dmitri found his spot saved by one of the other lovely parents, and watched the performance as well as the door for Callen. In the end, Dmitri nor Baylee saw Callen until they were exiting the building. Callen asked where they were going, and while Baylee flat out ignored him, Dmitri simply answered that the performance had started an hour ago and that he missed the whole thing. He also added that he should wait a bit before coming home. When Callen did make it home, Dmitri didn't let him into their apartment, and spoke with him outside in the hallway. He understood that Callen had just gotten the time wrong, but he warned him that Baylee was still very upset about this, and that Callen should give her a few days to cool off.

football tape

Since Baylee was really busy with school, and her afternoon activities, she didn't get to see her shows air. It was because of this that Dmitri invested in one of those recording devices. Baylee usually ended up filling up all the space with her weekly shows, so Dmitri also got one for his room as well. One week, Callen had come over to watch a football game because he wasn't able to get cable. Dmitri thought nothing of it until Baylee came home to realize that a couple of her shows were gone, and there was a football game in their place. Callen said that he thought they had been the episodes from last week, and could have sworn she didn't need them anymore. Right before Baylee was about to rip Callen a new one, he told her that her shows were still on his device, since he always recorded her shows too, just in case.

Squishy the goldfish

Since Dmitri wouldn't allow a dog or a cat, Baylee settled with a goldfish. She even named him Squishy, after Finding Nemo. She adored this fish, and it was clear to both Dmitri and Callen. One day, the tank really needed to be cleaned, but both of the Grey siblings were too busy to it. They reluctantly trusted Callen to do so. Callen was careful while taking Squishy out of the tank and into a mug, and he was careful at keeping all of the plants and such in the same spot. However, when he was pouring water back into the tank, his elbow knocked the mug into the sink, and since the water was running, poor Squishy went swimming right down the drain. Callen had no idea how he was going to break it to Baylee, and instead went out and bought another fish. He tried his best to find one that looked exactly like Squishy, but Baylee saw him entering the elevator with it, and he had to confess. Needlessly to say, she wasn't exactly happy, but appreciated his effort in replacing the fish.

that 'one hot chick'

It was pretty common for Dmitri to hear Callen go on and on about the attractive ladies he had seen that day. Especially in the summer, and when he was working cash for the shop. One time was different, though, because to Dmitri the way he was speaking sounded deeper than just the odd comment. It almost sounded like Callen actually cared for this girl. Since it was pretty uncommon, Dmitri actually showed interest. He listened to what Callen had to say, how he really admires how this girl was, and how she dressed. He liked her sense of humor, and her smile. He went on and on, before Dmitri finally asked if he even knew this girls name. Callen laughed, and then said 'of course, Baylee' like it was a completely casual thing. Then it hit him, and his eyes widened before he looked towards Dmitri. If looks could kill, the look Dmitri was giving this man would have killed him, allowed him to be born into another life and then have killed him in that life as well.

EIGHT
times Dmitri had to cover the Exes from Baylee
Dmitri's nightstand drawer

The nightstand next to Dmitri's bed only has one drawer, but this drawer has a false bottom. This is usually where he keeps important paperwork that not everyone is permitted to see. One day he was working out back when the water line stopped working. He asked Baylee to get the flashlight he had in his nightstand so he could venture into the basement to see what was wrong. When Baylee came back, she had the flashlight, but she was also looking confused over some papers she held. Apparently she managed to find the false bottom easily enough. She was about to ask what they were when Dmitri quickly snatched them out of her hands, saying that they were the apartment tenants' personal information. Only he was allowed to see them since he was the building manager. Baylee apologized, which Dmitri accepted since he knew she was curious, and felt relieved when she thought nothing more of it.

bathroom pistol

Dmitri always bought the taller bottles of shaving cream and the like. Not because he needed a lot of the stuff, but because the the taller they were, the easier they hid the pistol behind them in the medicine cabinet. It was his personal favorite, and he always took it with him on jobs and such. The day Baylee found it, Dmitri could have sworn his heart nearly stopped. Baylee had let out a startled sound and rushed out to find him with the gun in her hand. His eyes had widened as he took it from her, and attempted to calm her down. He promised that it was just security; in case someone even dared to break into their apartment. It was purely for their safety.

dinner fight

Every so often, Dmitri didn't feel like cooking and took Baylee out to eat instead. Each time was different; sometimes a fast food place, sometimes a fancy restaurant. One night he decided to take her out to a fancy place he knew she really liked. While they were eating, a man approached the table and leaned down to whisper something into Dmitri's ear. 'Azrael, if you could kindly meet me outside for a word.' Dmitri excused himself, told Baylee this wouldn't take too long, and met up with the man outside. Turns out it was a Fordham man pissed off with him because of an important job that Dmitri screwed up. They ended up in a fist fight, and by the time Dmitri arrived back at the table he was sporting a split lip, slightly swollen eye and a bloody nose. He told Baylee they had to leave now, and when she asked, he casually said that the man had made a crude comment about her, and he needed to take care of him.

cop disguise

It wasn't that rare that Dmitri didn't come home until the early hours of the morning. Though it was rare when Baylee stayed up to wait for him. This time around, his late nights had been happening in a row, and Baylee had grown suspicious as well as concerned. So naturally, when Dmitri walks into the apartment in a cop outfit, she has questions for him. Dmitri told her – hesitantly – that he ended up having to work some nights as a stripper to earn a bit of extra money for them. Once Baylee was done laughing at his situation, he made her swear that Callen wouldn't hear a word of this. She promised, as long as he would stop worrying so much about their money situation.

bloody laundry

Getting blood on his clothes was a common occurrence for Dmitri. Baylee finding out about it though, was never supposed to happen unless she was there. He guessed he had accidentally thrown a bloody shirt into the laundry that either one of them did, instead of the pile he did himself, because Baylee came to find him one day looking concerned. When he told her that he had fallen into a rose bush, she got upset. Dmitri gives in and tells her that he was making a flower delivery, when he tripped and fell down stairs and ended up landing face first on the pavement. Then when he was getting up, he was so disoriented that he fell into the bushes. Baylee said that it was too crazy to be a lie, and then began to wonder how he of all people managed to pull that one off.

broken arm

Injuries sort of came with the job, and usually Dmitri was quick enough on his feet to cover when it came to his sister. Though the day he came home with his broken arm in a sling was a different story. The painkillers he had taken hadn't kicked in yet, and that left him miserable, and irritated because of the pain. Baylee of course, asked what happened because she's concerned, and when Dmitri can't think of anything but a crap excuse, she gets pissed at him. She started yelling at him, saying that he never tells her anything and that they're supposed to be awesome, trusting siblings. Dmitri yelled for Callen to get over here and intervene before he ends up snapping on Baylee just because the meds haven't kicked in yet. Callen did just that, and Dmitri went off to his room to pass out.

eavesdropping

When Baylee really wanted to, she could pick up on the littlest things that would help support her suspicion. Like the week Dmitri seemed very tense, and stressed. He wasn't focusing as well as he usually was, nor was he as upbeat with the customers. Even his tolerance for Callen seemed to be cut in half. So when he dropped out early on a weekend shift and headed upstairs, Baylee followed him. She heard him on the phone with someone, and grabbed a glass to attempt to listen in. Dmitri, aware of this, opened his bedroom door which caused Baylee to fall over, and into his room. He simply looked at her in a curious way, and she explained her concern. Dmitri laughed and said that he just had a stress headache that he was having a hard time getting rid of.

paperwork

It wasn't too often that the Exes got a new member, but when they did, it meant the apartment building got a new tenant, and they had to be taught how things worked around here. Such as not going to Baylee with Ex business. Unfortunately, sometimes the rules don't stick. Once, a new tenant went to Baylee, asking if her brother had obtained their paperwork yet. When Baylee seemed confused, the tenant immediately backed off, saying they were sorry and leaving. Baylee went to Dmitri, jumping straight to the conclusions. When she suspected him of being part of a Mexican drug cartel, he could only stare at her until she stopped speaking. Then he told her to lay off the NCIS, and that the tenant was just talking about the lease form.

SEVEN
things Dmitri adores
flowers

If there was one thing he admired about flowers, it was that they grew in so many different shapes, sizes and colors because that's what they did. It didn't matter to them if someone didn't like roses, or if someone hated tulips. They still grew the same way, over and over again. Maybe it was a bit stupid to think things like this about plants, that couldn't really take in human opinions, but he liked them for this reason all the same. As well as the fact that if you could keep one alive for longer than a week, it meant you were capable of doing at least something right. Since Dmitri could grow flowers from a seed, and keep them blooming year after year, it was something he could feel pretty accomplished about. Even if some people thought it was lame; his business staying alive and growing in popularity only meant that they were doing something that people liked.

Jace's face

It's a general area, sure, but Dmitri could be here all day going over things separately. Jace's eyes were most likely his favorite, or at least what caught his attention most often. The shade of blue he had was just so attention-drawing, and Dmitri knew it due to how many people would just shoot him a glance out in public. Not to mention the couple times Callen had referred to Jace as 'blue-eyes' in a bitter tone. Dmitri adored the way Jace's eyes would sparkle moments before a smile broke out on his lips. Or how they almost seemed to darken when something was bothering him. One of the only times the blue would disappear was when he was closing his eyes to laugh; but then again, Jace's laugh made up for it alone. To Dmitri, it could sound so light-hearted and easy going that it would just catch, and Dmitri would find himself laughing too. Just hearing his laugh was a sort of comfort for the man, and so he always tried his best to keep a smile on Jace's face, with a laugh not too far behind.

days that threaten to storm

There was something about the threat of bad weather that made Dmitri oddly feel alive. He loved the way the dark sky could contrast with the sun if it was still out. He also adored the wind and how it seemed to make things come alive. Though he always had to take special precautions with the garden out back when it stormed, he didn't mind. Things felt calm to him during times like this, which could be a bit weird since most people dislike storms and get worked up when one is one its way. Perhaps it was also the fact that he appreciated that a storm could easily command such control, just but threatening its prescience.

the color purple

It wasn't because it was a special color, or because it became the national 'gay color'. Dmitri loved purple for so many other reasons. Some of the most beautiful flowers could grow in this color. Purple seemed to be the color that didn't really sway emotions. Supposedly blue made people feel calm, red represented anger, and pink was supposed to be love. Purple was just... purple. He hadn't met anyone that could outright say they hated purple. Sure some people didn't enjoy it too much, while others needed it on everything. There was also a part of him that was swayed because their mother had the most beautiful purple blouse that she wore when the wind would cool down the temperature. Whenever he remembered her, she was always wearing that blouse. Maybe that was why he was unwilling to let go of the color.

playing guitar

Dmitri couldn't exactly remember when he picked this skill up. He remembered being unable to play, and then he remembered being able to. It was something he throughly enjoyed though. Not only because everyone seemed to appreciate a guitar player, but because he used it often when Baylee was a kid. If she ever got so worked up over something that he couldn't calm her down normally, he would break out his guitar and play her a soft melody. When Callen found this out, he joined in with his voice. He saw this as just another thing that brought them together, and a way to calm all three of them down. They all appreciated it, and it was something Dmitri would be sure to keep up with.

annaleigh

Annaleigh was the one that made what Callen and Dmitri had a trio. She was Dmitri's left hand girl, since Dmitri could trust her and Callen with everything, and she helped them create the Ex group. Not only that, but whenever he just needed an hour or two away from Callen, or the shop, she was always there ready to waste an hour doing whatever. They were the best of friends, and always had a blast whenever they hung out. Of course, they had their serious moments too, but they were shortly followed by jokes and absolute nonsense. When they were around each other they didn't like dwelling on topics that might bring them down. That was another reason that Dmitri adored her so. She was another friend that he hoped to hold onto for a long time.

their mother

Whenever Dmitri thinks back about their mother, he hardly remembers anything even remotely bad. The most vivid image was her standing by an open window, with the breeze slightly blowing her long hair around. She had this soft smile on her face, but it was almost sad. He remembers always trying to do the silliest stuff just to get a smile from her. Whenever she managed to be around, she was the kindest to him and Baylee. Always used a soft voice, and would sing them a lullaby if she was home at night. He didn't understand why the world took away people like their mother, and he kept making sure that Baylee would never truly realize how cruel the world could be. Not just because she was a mirror image of their mother, or because it's what a girl like Baylee deserved; because it's what their mother would have wanted.

SIX
things Dmitri can't stand in any capacity
Baylee growing up

It's always a difficult thing for a father to watch their daughter or son grow up. It's also hard for a big brother to watch their baby sister grow up. For Dmitri, who plays a bit of both roles, it's doubly difficult for him to watch Baylee reach young adulthood. He could still recall the days when she was no higher than his waist, and running at him asking for him to braid her hair. Or when she would come crying to him about a skinned knee, or that she did really bad on a test and didn't want him to be mad. He never was, funnily enough, he just promised that next time he would help her study twice as hard. Dmitri remembers when she discovered her love of dance, and how for months straight she would dance anywhere she went instead of walking. Just for the extra practice she would say. The first time she performed will also be something he'll never forget. Then came the boy trouble days. When some girl would steal the guy she liked just because she could. Maybe her boyfriend had been a jerk and Dmitri had to advise her that maybe breaking up was the best thing to do. He also remembers the nights they stayed up and ate ice cream and watched girly movies to cheer her up; Callen would have stayed, but the movies eventually annoyed him too much. Now she was getting ready to apply to colleges, and while Dmitri would help in whatever way he could, part of him didn't want her to go. He didn't want to lose his Bayleef, and it would become too quiet around the apartment. Though despite how much he would miss her the day she leaves for college, he knows that it's best for her, and besides, they were only a phone call away.

'flowers are girly'

There was something about the statement that just bothered Dmitri in all the wrong ways. He hated that people automatically assumed that anything that dealt with flowers was girly. Honestly Dmitri thought it was a great thing to be able to grow something from a seed, and take care of it and make sure it lives up to it's full potential. Especially if that's what someone did to care for their family. He remembers once overhearing some girls from Baylee's school saying how good Dmitri looked, but the whole flower thing was a major turn off. Then they proceeded to fawn over these characters named Edward and Jacob, which if he recalled right, one of them was a sparkling stalker. If that's what girls wanted in a guy now a days, the human race was going to die out pretty damn quick.

the CIA

When he was younger, he was foolish enough to believe that the CIA was a decent group. Though the fact that they reimbursed his family when his mother passed away, and again when his father was assumed dead, only swayed his young mind. When Callen and himself got roped into their kids program, his opinion was quick to change. Since they were sixteen, their trainers figured they didn't need coddling and that they could handle just being thrown into the life. They didn't go easy on them in hand-to-hand combat training. Either they picked it up quick or they dealt with bruises and cuts. The only trainer that took a shining to Dmitri and gave him more of a break than the others. This was Agent Xander, who over time became a father figure to Dmitri. At the time it was good for him to have someone to look up to, and aspire to be. Despite this though, Dmitri still didn't get a day or two off after his first kill. The CIA told the kids that you should remember each kill, or forget them completely, because it will either make or break you. As he got older, Dmitri noticed that there were less and less kids his age. It wasn't until after he was kicked out that he realized the CIA would rather have their kid agents die on the field then take the chance of having them cause problems later on. It was such a shame that they didn't plan on Dmitri surviving this long. The man knew how to kill, he knew many different ways. However it was a last resort, since he also knew ways to get someone out of the way without ending their life. The CIA would go nuts if they ever found out their new opposition was being run by none other than Azrael; the angel of death.

betrayl

This was something that Dmitri could not stand, no matter the circumstances. He had witnessed too much of it in his life, and to this day could not understand why some people do this to others. To build up the trust of someone, only to use them for their selfish purposes and cut them off when their use was done. Or even worse, purposely put them in the line of danger so the other person could get away. The one Dmitri will probably never forget would be what Agent Xander did to him. He built up a relationship with Dmitri, acting like a father almost to him. He even cared for him when he got injured, and encouraged him to keep trying. Then the day Dmitri turned twenty, Xander simply told him to pack his stuff up because he was being let go. Dmitri remembers the way he spoke to him, with no emotion in his voice whatsoever. He was simply kicking him out as if he was just a face in the crowd. He almost wanted to grab his gear and take on the whole building, but that was the moment he started to formulate a better plan in his mind; the Ex-CIA.

small spaces

Dmitri used to be fine with any space. He would go crawling or climbing into any place that he could find. However, one CIA job changed everything. He and Callen were supposed to trade money for important documents, but when the exchange was supposed to happen, a fight broke out instead. Before he could really tell was was going on, two guys managed to grab a hold of him and slam his head against something, he didn't know what. Once he was disoriented enough, they shoved him into the trunk of their car and drove away with him. Dmitri wasn't exactly sure how long he spent in the trunk, but with his head injury, and possibly a broken finger, the small space kept wavering in and out. It would grow, and then contract until he thought he could hardly breathe. He was pretty damn sure that was where he was going to die, until CIA back up finally found him and got him out of there. Ever since, he can't go into small spaces without getting bad flash backs and having difficulty breathing. Dmitri doesn't even take the elevator in his apartment building; he walks up all five flights of stairs.

snipers

He started out a fan of these guys, honest. Especially when they accompanied Dmitri on a job, to know that you have support that the enemy can't see made him feel that much more confident. Though one day, one moment, changed everything. Dmitri, Callen, and a few others were waiting around for the rest of the guys to meet up before heading out on a charge. Dmitri had been sitting on a bench at the time, with Callen standing across from him. In one of his best moments, Callen noticed something in the distance and shouted at Dmitri to move. He didn't second guess his friend from the tone of his voice, and immediately got to his feet. That's when he felt pain shoot up his spine, and then he felt nothing at all as he fell forward, passed out. Apparently there had been snipers watching them, and if Callen hadn't warned him in time, that bullet would have landed in his head instead of his lower back. For a while the doctors the CIA had were worried that Dmitri might end up paralyzed from the waist down. The bullet had pierced his lower back right next to his spine. They had patched up all the internal damage, and over the next few months he had to go through physical therapy. It was the only time the CIA gave Dmitri a break, but he was soon back on his feet and in action. It took him a long while to feel comfortable going out into the city by himself, and still to this day he can't help but feel a bit uneasy when he walks around tall buildings.

FIVE
knives hidden in Flower Bay, and
when Dmitri had to use each one
beneath the counter

It was one of his smaller knives that had a bolted sheath underneath the counter. It was small enough that Baylee wouldn't think anything of it, but Callen and Dmitri knew where to find it. One day a UPS delivery man entered the store, and Dmitri didn't recognize him. He always made a habit of getting to know the delivery guys from all companies, just in case he needed a certain something or other shipped and discreetly. This guy however, he didn't know. The work stumbled with Dmitri's name, and that's when his hand hovered around the blade. He asked who it was from, and the worker took a big pause and looked almost frightened. That's when he pulled the knife and asked who the guy was working for. The poor worker became completely freaked and started yelling UPS, and that he was new. Dmitri immediately put the blade back and quickly apologized, explaining that he recognizes all of his co -workers. They introduced themselves, and Dmitri promised not to pull anything like this on the man again.

in a model bouquet

There was a model bouquet of hyacinths, that all the employees of Flower Bay knew not to touch. Dug into the center of the pot was a sheathed knife, tall enough so that the handle tip peeked up above the dirt. The day that someone walked into the store and Dmitri recognized him from a job gone wrong, was the day he knew this knife was going to come in handy. At first he kept it professional, asking the man what he was looking for. When he stated he was looking for something nice to send to an old friend, Dmitri hid his smirk in an all-knowing smile. He led the man over to the hyacinth example, and when he temporarily distracted him by saying that they carried all sorts of flowers, he quickly slipped the knife out of the sheath and dirt. In a second the blade was against the man's neck, but in a way that made it look to bystanders that Dmitri had his hand on the man's shoulder. In a hushed voice Dmitri warned the man that he should leave, and if he ever came back he would surely regret it. The man quickly, yet calmly took his leave, and Dmitri has yet to see him again.

behind the wall phone

Flower Bay had two phones; one by the register, and the other just outside the hallway leading to the elevator. The wall phone stuck out a bit more than normal, because of the empty wall stand that contained a hidden knife. It was in the early hours of a school night, so Dmitri was the last one down in the shop, catching up on order forms and other paperwork. He stopped what he was doing when he thought he heard the quiet sound of a doorknob being turned. Carefully, and as quietly as possible, he crept down the hallway towards the main room of the store. Sure enough, some idiot was attempting to rob a flower store. Sneaking his hand around the corner to the wall phone, he retrieved the knife from the base, and when the burglar got close enough Dmitri was on him. He warned the man that he was attempting to rob the wrong neighborhood, and he better not stick around. It was clear that he had been caught off guard by the owner being awake, let alone armed, and scrambled his way back out the front door.

in the register

A tiny dagger sat at the edge of the register, next to the fifties. Dmitri had Baylee believe that it was used to open any letters they got at the front counter, things like that. That wasn't what he ended up using it for, though. It had been a normal day, and Callen was complaining about the heat. Though when Dmitri reminded him that it meant the girls wore less – because that usually put a stop to his complaining, Callen was quick to agree. Especially shortly after Baylee had just left to go hang out with friends. Callen made a comment about how Dmitri had been correct, the heat was very much a good thing. It was only a few seconds later that Callen saw the handle of the dagger in front of his face, the blade buried into the wall. Callen was still getting into the habit of not complimenting Baylee in certain ways around her brother.

in the back delivery room

This one was a normal sized blade, and it never stayed in one place for too long. It was supposed to be sitting on the table by the door in the delivery room where they allowed trucks to drop products off, or pick things up. However, due to its use it constantly moved, and each day meant a new hunt for the box opening blade. That's all it was used for, up until now; to open boxes or bags. No serious danger had ever been around the delivery room that called for a weapon, and there for it was just a simple, normal knife.

FOUR
secrets Dmitri is carrying around
that he runs the Ex-CIA

It's obvious that any member of the exes knows that Dmitri is in charge of the group. However, anyone outside of the group has no one who is leading this group. The CIA is aware that Dmitri is a part of the group, and Fordham suspects something of Flower Bay, but no one has any clue about the leader. Baylee, and any other civilian, doesn't even know that the Exes exist. Baylee believes that the people he meets up with on the odd day are just the tenants of the building, which is partially true. Dmitri built up his cover well, and as only been at risk of it falling through a couple times. Callen assists in the cover control at times, but most others he's partly at fault for why Dmitri needs to do damage control in the first place. Perhaps when Baylee reaches an appropriate age, he might tell her about it. Though at the same time, he likes her living in a peaceful ignorance, where she doesn't know of the big sources of danger the world has to offer.

he wanted to go to college

College had always been in his future plans, but despite the fact that Baylee thinks he attended, he never did. While Baylee thinks he went to college for two or so years, he was actually in his final years with the CIA. Dmitri always wanted to get a further education, but life got in the way like it always seems to, and he ended up following in their parents' footsteps and got involved in the CIA. However, he doesn't plan on getting killed on the job, like their mother, or getting crazily obsessed and making a bad mistake, like their father. In fact, he will do everything in his power to make sure that Baylee goes to whichever college she chooses. No matter what it takes, he just wants her to go farther than he was able to.

he's gay

That's right; he finds men attractive, and not women. Not too many people outside of himself, Baylee, and Callen know of this fact either. It was something he was pretty sure of since he started high school. While he started out as being open about it, the first semester of this changed his mind about it quickly. It's funny how someone can get treated just because they're different than the majority; because they're a certain way that most people just don't understand, or don't want to. He had his days of being shoved, stuffed into lockers, and called a lovely variety of names. He didn't exactly have a good group of friends either, besides Callen, so he burdened this on his own. He started exercising more, working out; he even joined the football team despite the crap he got. By the beginning of his eleventh grade, he didn't get pushed around anymore, but it wasn't because he was accepted. It was because he was simply too built for them to do anything. He was taller than the lockers, and he could shove someone farther than they could hit him. Though half way through this semester, he and Callen were picked out by the CIA, and immediately left the school. Dmitri was fine with that, really, he was sick of all their faces by that point. He kept this fact to himself ever since.

terrified that he won't be good enough

Despite the success record Dmitri had with the CIA, and how well he's managed to lead the Exes this far, Dmitri still has this fear. He never speaks of it, never even hints about it; it only attacks him when he dreams, or when he drifts off in thought. What if; that's the main problem. All it takes is for him to have a bad moment. For him to not think fast enough, or not even be smart enough at the time. He might not even be able to react properly, or they might get into his head, find his emotional weak spot. There's so many ways he's thought of that lands him in trouble, and worst of all – alone. This is why when it comes to protecting those that are close to him, it is no laughing matter to him.

THREE
times Dmitri's face turned completely red
Baylee's friend

Whenever she had free time, it was pretty common to see Baylee with a friend or two over. Dmitri didn't even mind it anymore, as long as she double checked with him as to who was going to be here for meals, and that they cleaned up after themselves. A while back there was a certain friend of Baylee's that seemed to always be over. Whenever Dmitri came up to the apartment, her attention seemed to drop from Baylee and she would focus on Dmitri instead. She always had something to say too, whether it be a minor question, or a complement. Though the day she told Dmitri that she admired the way he took care of Baylee and the shop all at once, he suspected something was up. He confronted her the next time she was over, and all she did was smirk. When he was done speaking, she made a comment that sounded like complete and utter flirting. As she walked by him to leave, he felt her hand pat his behind once or twice, and heard her mutter 'damn.' Callen found him standing there, red-faced and looking quite stunned. Needless to say, after explaining to Callen and Baylee, that friend wasn't around too much.

Callen's antics

Since Dmitri was the one responsible for Baylee, and Callen helped out whenever he could, the two took it upon themselves to both attend the parent-teacher conference nights. It was the first time they were meeting with a new teacher, and when they sat down with her, she looked a bit surprised. The teacher then made a remark that she wasn't aware Baylee had two fathers. Callen took this opportunity with great stride, and quickly intertwined his hand with Dmitri's. He continued on to tell the teacher that of course she does, and add little flirtations with Dmitri while he spoke. Dmitri's face slowly turned red before he muttered for Callen to leave. He then quickly explained to Baylee's teacher that he was her brother, and Callen was a family friend. Once the confusion was cleared, the meeting went on. However, when they got home, Dmitri's face was still a light shade of red.

Jace's introduction

It wasn't everyday that someone suddenly ran into Flower Bay, and then proceeded to act completely casual about it. It wasn't everyday they got away with it, either. Since Dmitri hadn't recognized the man that had done this, he was on his toes ready to attack since he assumed that the man was either with CIA or Fordham. The suspicious started to fade when he realized he could have just been dodging someone he didn't want to see. All suspicion faded completely when the man's bright blue eyes landed on Dmitri. When he asked the usual 'can I help you?', the man introduced himself as Jacinto, and for a second Dmitri thought he was nervous. Jacinto doubled for 'hyacinth', which was Dmitri's favorite flower. When Jace took one of Dmitri's business cards from the counter, wrote his number on the back of it, and leaned over to simply tuck the card into Dmitri's shirt pocket, he could already feel his cheeks burning. It wasn't until Jace left that he could even properly communicate with his brain again, and of course, Baylee and Callen hardly let him live it down.

TWO
people Dmitri will always protect
Callen

The two met early on in elementary school, and became quick friends. They did practically everything together, especially since no one else seemed to bother with them. They got into trouble, and when their friendship traveled to high school, it was Callen getting in trouble and Dmitri saving his butt. Then they even got recruited into the CIA together, and that was were their friendship proved it would last. The two went through a lot together. Callen was there for him and Baylee when their mother died, and then again when their dad was declared dead. Dmitri always did his best to be there for Callen whenever he needed it, no matter what the issue was. Within their time with the CIA, Dmitri learned that he could easily trust Callen with his life. Even after Dmitri had to go through with his first kill, and refused to be called Azrael because of the 'angel of death' meaning, Callen was the one that listened. Any other CIA member still called him Azrael, if not Grey, because that was protocol. Callen though, successfully switched over to his middle name; Dmitri. When the CIA kicked them out, and Dmitri's trainer – who had become a father figure to him – showed no remorse or regret whatsoever, Callen still stuck by Dmitri's side. He was the first to volunteer to help Dmitri out with starting the Ex-CIA group, and their fellow friend Annaleigh helped out as well. To this day they are still just as good of friends as they were the first day they met. Despite the fights, the annoyances, and anything else that may happen, Dmitri knows that Callen will always be there, and is forever his friend. That's just something he will always protect.

Baylee

Of course Dmitri would always protect his dear sister, Baylee. However, while she is his responsibility, and he did basically raise her, there is so much more behind his reasoning. Over the years, since the day she was brought home from the hospital, the two formed a sibling bond that only grew stronger in time. In all honesty, Dmitri could easily call her one of his best friends, as well as his sister. Due to their parents being with the CIA – though Baylee didn't know – it fell to Dmitri to take care of her. He did just that, and so much more. Eventually their mother took a desk job so she could be home more often, but by then it was too late. Baylee was already relying on Dmitri for whatever she needed. He didn't mind either, even when he hit his teen years. He would easily pick hanging out with his baby sister than going out for a 'night on the town.' Then when he was fourteen, and Baylee only eight, they tragically lost their mother, Cecelia. Dmitri didn't know at the time, and only found out when he joined up with the CIA, but their parents were on a field job when Fordham screwed things up and ended up killing their mother. While Dmitri was doing his best to comfort Baylee, to make sure that this didn't scar her too badly and she would bounce back to her usual self, his resentment towards their father grew. The man, Benjamin, was around even less than he had been before. Whenever he did make an appearance, he was muttering about Fordham, about how he could possibly take them down. A year later, when their father finally snapped and went into Fordham's base alone, he ended up getting himself killed. This hardly even bothered Dmitri, and it barely made a difference in their lives, since Benjamin was hardly there to begin with. Ever since it was the two on their own, with Dmitri struggling between how he was being treated in high school, and trying to get food for Baylee. It wasn't until the CIA picked him and Callen up at sixteen, did he even feel remotely relaxed about Baylee. The CIA looked into his situation, and financed the two enough to get their own place, and their own store. Dmitri also worked out a proper schedule with them, so that Baylee would know nothing about the CIA, and she would just think he was in school. At the end of it all, Baylee represented what was good in the world, and they had been through too much together, it would just about kill him to see anything happen to her.

ONE
favorite flower
hyacinth

These flowers had always been a favorite of his since the first day his mother brought them into the kitchen on a May afternoon. They had been her favorite as well, and the only difference between their favorite had been that she preferred the purple shade, and Dmitri liked the blue shade better. But after he got over the fact that he and Cecelia shared a favorite flower, he began to study it like no tomorrow. He really liked how the buds became almost bell shaped, and then bloomed outward, fighting with the other bulbs to get the room to stretch their petals out. He often called them a tower of blue bells, until his mother pointed out that bluebells were in fact a different type of flower. Then Dmitri memorized their proper name, but still called them the tower of blue every so often. After she passed, and his father a year later, he decided to get a small tattoo of a hyacinth in her honor. It ended up being a small blue bud, placed right around his hip bone. Wise enough place that could be easily covered, and private enough so that he didn't always have to talk about it. However, he thought that that would be the end of the hyacinth significance, and really it was all he needed. He was wrong though, and figured this out when a man came into his shop and introduced himself as Jacinto. By now, Dmitri had pretty much given up on ever finding love, or being in it for that matter. With him being gay, and being constantly busy with the shop, Baylee, Callen and the Exes, he didn't see himself somehow managing any sort of relationship. The secrets alone would break it in two before it could go anywhere. Then Jace came along, with a name that meant hyacinth; his favorite flower. If that wasn't life smacked a sign right in his face he wasn't too sure what was. Though it still took ages for Dmitri to even recognize it, since he hadn't been looking for it. But at the end of the day he found himself willing to chance it. If hyacinths brought smiles to his and his mother's face way back when, then why couldn't this certain hyacinth bring back the same smile?