Dream Frostbite

Chapter 1

Rose's Pov

"Get you butt over here, Comrade!" I yelled from the gym doorway. It was extremely early in the Moroi morning, and I was just starting my training with Dimitri. Dimitri... My mentor, my lover, my comrade. The sun was slowly creeping below the horizon and I was just heading out to do my training laps whilst Dimitri sat on a mat reading one of his stupid western cowboy books.

"Roza!" Dimitri chastised, though laughing as he set his book down and jogged over to stand beside me.

"Run with me?" I pouted, pulling the biggest puppy dog eyes I could, boring them into Dimitri's. I could physically see the inner battle he was waging in as he tried to return to his books.

"Please, my cowboy-wannabe?" At that he raised is eyebrow at me - damn him!

"Dimitri! No fair. You know I hate it when you do that." All he did was smirk and switch eyebrows, though he did come join me. With him as my competition, I shaved a good 2 minutes off my personal best.

"Brilliant, my Roza." He grinned, and not one of his usual ones, but his man eater smile which melted my insides and turned me into jello. God, did I love him. I loved him more than I could ever fathom. It killed me how I was risking his godly reputation and job every time he showed any kind of affection to me despite us being alone. PDA was completely out of the question. However, it didn't stop the clench of my stomach and the shiver of love that fluttered inside of me when he kissed my forehead and squeezed my hand before leaving the gym.

How could I have ended up with a guardian as my soul mate? Why my mentor at that - not that I didn't want Dimitri as my soul mate, actually far from it, but couldn't we have been placed in a slightly easier position? Like, both novices? Hmm, why did I even try... Of course I'D end up with the impossible situation - I'm Rose Hathaway, I have a reputation to uphold. Not that keeping it makes me remain this way, I'm purely acting on who I am.

"Hey!" A voice snapped me out of my thoughts, alongside my body smashing into somebody else's.

"Oi, watch where your- oh Mase! Hi, where you going?" I greeted my best friend Mason. As much as my relation with Mase was strictly familial, he wanted it to extend to something more.

"Just going to have a quick run before first period. You just finished your session with the Russian-Jailer?" Oh Mase, if only you knew...

"Yeah, going to go get changed and then eat. See you in Stan's later!" I said, calling over my shoulder the last part, departing after the thought of food came to the front of my mind. I was so craving a chocolate doughnut.

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"Rose! Over here!" I heard as I exited the cue with a chocolate doughnut and French toast.

"Hi Liss," I said, voice muffled through the mouthful of toast I was eating as I sat.

"Hungry much." Eddie laughed. Eddie is my brother, a fellow best friend and novice. I just shot a glare in his direction and took another bite. As Lissa tried to stifle a laugh with her hand, I snapped my head in her direction and protectively growled,

"What?! A girl novice has got to eat you know."

As joking as I was, Lissa took it literally and instantly sobered. Washing over with guilt, I sent her an apologetic glance, and she smiled at me in response. Through the bond, I felt her relax again. As first period came, I shoved the remaining half of my doughnut in my mouth and dashed off to class.

Dimitri's Pov

After school ended, I sat in the gym reading as I waited for Roza to come for after school mentoring. I couldn't help but let out a laugh as Rose came dashing through the door, ten minutes late, with half a doughnut in her hand, half in her mouth.

"Rose," I laughed, as she tried to raise an eyebrow in objection to my amusement. However, her attempt did the opposite of sobering me up. Sighing, she shoved the rest of the doughnut in her mouth, and plonked herself next to me on the floor.

"Another doughnut?" I couldn't help but question her, she never put her appetite above training, and that's something considering how vast it is.

"I was hungry!" She exclaimed, raising her arms in exasperation, almost smacking me in the face in the process.

"Sorry," She added, sheepishly side glancing at me, after averting her gaze from the floor. After eyeing the door and re-affirming to myself that it was shut and locked, I turned back in her direction and opened up my arms to her. Despite Rose very much so living up to her Badass reputation, she still, alike everyone, sometimes had a vulnerable moment. However, as much as I wanted to ditch the plans for todays session, I had to do it. Working towards accomplishing Rose's goal of being Vasilisa's guardian was something I was greatly working for, and Rose needed to train to get there.

She was doing really well on the tracks, keeping up with my pace which I had increased since this morning. At this rate she would shave up to another minute off her best. Then I heard a scream and halted. As I spun on my heels, I saw Rose plummeting to the ground, and though her hands prevented from smacking her head, her leg smashed into the ground twisting it at an unnatural angle, fractures of bone sticking out.

"Roza!" I screamed, dashing down, kneeling beside her on the ground. "Rose, stay awake please. Don't close your eyes." As I scooped her up, I muttered a stream of Russian to her, which I knew comforted her.

"Stay awake milaya. I love you." I mumbled to her, and I saw a small, weak smile play across her lips as I kicked the door open with my foot.

"Help! Help please! Its Rose!" The already rushing over Dr. Olendzki, quickened her pace even more as Rose's name slipped from my mouth. She was used to the extent to which Rose's condition upon entering could imply. I stood, half frozen, as Rose was taken from my arms and into a room to be treated.

Some time later, I recovered from my statue stance in the clinic hallway and dragged myself to my room. Once I had put my blood stained clothes in the wash and found new ones, I dashed back to the clinic to be with my Roza. I hoped that they would have finished treating her and I would be able to go in.

Rose's Pov

My whole body ached. My head was pounding and I couldn't pinpoint the main source of the agony. My thoughts were jumbled, my brain swimming. I dragged my eyes open, and was greeted with the sight of white wash walls, mushing together in my blurry eyes and a light so white it was blue. Blinking, I went to sit up when two hands pushed me gently back down onto the lumpy pillows. Dimitri.

"Hi," I croaked, my voice weaker and scratchier than I had expected.

"Your awake," He told no one in particular. It was a good job no one was around, his voice was drowned in love and relief. "Roza. How do you feel?" The classic question. Now I had adjusted to where I was, I could centre the pounding agony pouring off my left leg. Wincing as a ripple of pain surged through my body, I looked guiltily at Dimitri.

"Why do you look so guilty milaya? I'm presuming you didn't mean to break your leg." His teasing voice calmed me, and I responded with a typical Rose Hathaway response.

"Why would you think that, Comrade. Of course I did it on purpose. Why wouldn't I want to hinder my training and possibility of being Lissa's guardian?" Rolling his eyes, he called in Dr. Olendzki for my medical assessment.

"Rose. Nice to see you awake." I nodded I response as Dr. Olendzki bustled around the room, checking my vitals and whatnots. "Well Rose, with the fall Guardian Belikov described, your lucky your head dodged any damage. You saved yourself from any mental problems etc. However, you did cause serious trauma in your leg. You will be out of training for around 4 weeks minimum. Guardian Belikov?"

"Of course, Dr. Olendzki. I will assure Miss Hathaway does no physical activity during her recovery."

Gaping, I glared at Dimitri. How could he give his consent?! Surely he could understand I couldn't be out of training for so long. This couldn't be happening!