Dimitri's POV in Vampire Academy (Fanfic)

Chapter 7

For a week, life went on like normal. A routine developed with Rose and me. Seeing her around school was still a little difficult; I was so drawn to her I couldn't help following her every single movement with my greedy gaze. Ironically, it was only when she couldn't see that I allowed my attraction for her to burn through me. Thankfully, she seemed utterly oblivious to the internal battle I was suffering. In practice and in class she was her usual snarky, cocky self, but whenever I gave her an exercise to do, all the easiness evaporated from her, to be replaced by steely determination.

I fully and openly admired her dedication. I didn't often offer her compliments, and refrained from doing so lest I slip and say something that was unacceptable. But I would show my appreciation in discreet ways; nodding at her in approval when I felt she deserved it. It was wonderful to see how receptive she was to my approval; her eyes would light up and she'd give me one of those dazzling grins she'd offer only the luckiest of male victims.

Gradually, as her body began to grow accustomed to the heavy training, she started building more muscle, framed by a hardiness that allowed her to take much harder beatings than before. And thanks to the running I had her do every morning, her stamina increased to the point where our fights sometimes lasted for ages. It was delightful to fight her, because although I had experience and was far more skilful than she was – for now – she copied my movements effortlessly, which meant we were both predictable to the other. She'd anticipate my moves, which was good for me, because it forced me to stay agile and find new, surprising ways of attacking her. Still, she'd never give up, and more than once I'd feel my chest swell up with pride for her.

She was learning so fast. At this rate, she would surpass her classmates in no time.

This morning, she trudged into the gym with a peaceful expression on her face. She looked a little distant. I'd come to realise that whenever she had that distant look, it meant she was deeply attuned to Vasilisa's feelings and emotions. And more than once, she would space out completely, slipping into the princess' mind. Sometimes, her absence would last for so long that I'd grow worried, and at other times it would only last a minute. When that occurred, I had to battle for control to stop myself from comforting her in some way or another. She was so vulnerable when she was in that state – I felt I needed to be extra vigilant to protect her. Lately I'd grown more casual about it, not commenting when she'd return and continue on as if nothing had happened.

Rose gave me one, long look. She groaned. 'Please don't tell me I have to run laps again.'

I regarded her smugly. 'That is exactly what you'll be doing.'

'You know, for someone who's supposed to be a badass, your training methods aren't very badass.'

I blinked. A – badass? Had she really called me a badass? Puzzled, I cocked my head at her. 'Badass?'

To my utter astonishment, Rose blushed vigorously, not meeting my eyes. 'Uh,' she stammered. 'Nothing.'

Amused, I motioned for her to follow me into the stretching room. 'I know that, for now, your training isn't particularly "badass", as you call it. But it's necessary. You're still behind all your classmates; I've seen it. You first need to catch up to their level of fitness before I can further the training.'

Rose sighed loudly, rolling her eyes in the process. 'Yeah, yeah. I know what you're getting at. Being cautious, taking things one step at a time, and all that. You know, comrade, some of us like to run before we can walk.'

I stared at her, shocked by her unintentionally wise comment. I was so used to Rose's smartass comments that she could easily catch me by surprise. Rose's exterior may be that of a normal teenager, but she had hidden depths of wisdom inside of her. She had seen what many others hadn't seen, experienced that which many others wouldn't experience. Of course, that made her wise beyond her years.