The school was in an odd state of silence. Maybe serenity, but silence. The rescue mission was a success with only a few casualties, and I was grateful that Eddie recovered quickly. From what he was able to tell us, there was a lot more Strigoi involved than we anticipated. We took out roughly half of them, the rest fleeing after we were safely behind the renewed wards.
We all suffered some sort of injury from the rescue. I needed stitches from a nasty cut on my shoulder, Dimitri needed some on his forehead from being knocked down by a Strigoi, and Janine had a concussion. Eddie needed a blood transfusion because of being fed on, but was otherwise unharmed.
But I also had a slight concussion, so I wasn't allowed back in my combat classes until I got the all-clear. Four weeks seems like a lifetime, but with classes being out for a bit while the school settled back into a schedule, I was in the gym even when I wasn't supposed to be. So my concussion wasn't healing because I was sparing with Eddie when he didn't know, but I couldn't stand still.
That was until Dimitri busted us and practically banned me from the gym and weight room. And then marched me down to the clinic to get checked on, and then practically guarded my door for three days.
"You're good, Rose. You can return to your classes," Dr. Olendzki said the day after Dimitri stopped guarding my door. I smiled at her and then pointedly raised my bros at Dimitri who lingered by the door.
"It seems pointless for classes to start right now," I said swinging my leg off the edge of the table, "Half the school isn't here, and Easter is next week. Why not wait?"
"Because the school board has dictated that Kirova must start classes up and try to return to normalcy. But I agree, there won't be enough students, there will just be disruption when the rest of the students return," Dr. Olendzki said as she filled out my slip for Alberta and handed it to me.
I hopped off the table and took the slip, tucking it carefully into my pocket. "Too bad we didn't get another week, I could have used it to sleep. I'm exhausted!"
Dr. Olendzki chuckled under her breath. "We all are!"
I smirked and walked out of the clinic, Dimitri trailing just behind me. When we got out I looked at him with a smirk and waved the slip at him.
"Can't keep me out of the gym now! Now you get to have me for three uninterrupted hours a day!" I said with a grin. I knew I was looking forward to having those three hours with him.
"That's fine," he said with a smile, "But I'm not sparring with you until this weekend."
"What?! Why not!?"
"I have something else planned," he said, opening the door that led to the section of the building where Alberta's office was in. We rounded the corner and we saw Alberta standing just outside of her office with two men. Dimitri and I hung back at the end of the hall, Dimitri turning to face me and leaning against the wall.
"How are you feeling? You did hit your head hard," I asked quietly. Any time I asked how he was feeling he gave me vague answers.
"I'm fine," he said softly, "Really. I'm fine, Roza. I'm just glad that you got the all-clear."
I playfully punched my fist against his chest, leaving it there for a minute before dropping my hand.
"I'm really glad that you're okay," I said looking up at him, "When I turned around and you were on the ground...my head went there..."
Dimitri frowned and nodded, his hand coming up towards me but it changed course and he rubbed the back of his neck.
"I know. Mine did too for a moment," he said, "But we're both okay. Thanks to you."
I blushed under the slight praise and I shifted on my feet when my eyes moved to look around him when raised voices floated down the hall.
"Regardless, I cannot give out student information, Mr. Mazur. We have to protect our students' safety," Alberta said firmly and I looked around Dimitri's frame. Dimitri made it easier and turned too, looking down the hall to see Alberta standing with a Moroi man. The man looked like a walking fashion crisis but screamed money and power at the same time. The man looked irritated and looked in our direction. His eyes landed on Dimitri and me, his eyes scrutinizing us intently. Dimitri moved to block me from view.
"She's an adult now."
"It doesn't matter. She is still a student. I'm not going to ask you to leave again, or I will have you removed," Alberta said firmly. I didn't hear what else was said because Dimitri had moved us around the corner.
"What was that about?"
"It happens sometimes. Moroi parents come in wanting to know about their Dhampir children. It usually happens if the Dhampir parent didn't put the other parents' name on their emergency contact, or they have been told to stay away. Because students are signed over to the academy, we are required to keep information private. Even if the students have turned eighteen," Dimitri explained, "But I'm more concerned about how irritated he is."
"Maybe he thinks he's entitled?" I asked offhandedly, "I mean, did you see what he was wearing? He looked like a disco pirate."
Dimitri chuckled and let his fingers brush against the back of my neck as he pulled his hand from my shoulder. I shivered a little and smiled up at him, meeting his soft look.
"What are the chances we could do practice outside this evening? Out by the lake? We could do some running?" I asked, asking one thing but meaning another. Dimitri gave me an amused look.
"If the weather is still nice, I don't see why we can't do our practice in the sun," he said with a smile. I nodded and smiled back up at him, forcing myself not to reach out to him. Dimitri stepped around me to go to his shift while I headed toward my class. I went back around the corner to bring Alberta my slip, coming face to face with the Moroi she was speaking with. Well, not face to face, almost crashing into him.
"Oh! Sorry," I said going to step around him but he held his arm out, stopping me.
"I'm looking for someone."
"Okay?"
"I'm looking for Novice Hathaway," he said and I frowned with a shrug.
"No idea," I said before slipping under his arm and walking towards Alberta's office, looking over my shoulder to make sure he didn't follow. Why was he looking for me? I made it to Alberta's office and knocked on the door a little harder than necessary.
I heard Alberta call me in and I opened the door to be met with Alberta's confused stare.
"Why is that guy looking for me?" I asked as I dropped my slip onto Alberta's desk. Alberta's head snapped up as I stood over her.
"What?"
"That Moroi that you were talking to? He stopped me in the hall and said he was looking for Novice Hathaway. I told him I didn't know who that was. Why is he looking for me?"
Alberta nodded and licked her lips. "He was looking for you because he wanted to recruit you as a Guardian," Alberta said looking back at her notes on her desk. I raised my brows at her because I felt that she was keeping something from me.
"I would advise you to stay away from Mazur," Alberta said stacking her papers together.
"Fine," I said after a moment, "But I want to know why."
"Rose, please, not now."
I shrugged and let it go. "Whatever. I'm going back to class now. I'll see you later," I said leaving, not noticing the worried look on her face.
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Dimitri had sent word that he was going to meet me by the lake for our lesson today so I walked slowly to enjoy the sun. It was starting to warm up and the trees were budding, making everything look happier. It was nice to replace my memory of being out here with something cheerier.
I could see the clearing ahead and I quickened my pace as I saw Dimitri's back. I dropped my bag where it was and crept forward, taking careful steps so I didn't give myself away. I got close enough that he should have noticed me but didn't. So I did something I had done months ago.
I run and jumped at him, letting out a battle cry. Dimitri turned at the last second and I slammed into him, knocking both of us done. I heard the wind fly out of his chest and we landed, but it didn't stop him from rolling us so I was underneath him, my hands pinned beside my head.
I laughed when I got my breath back and so did he, straightening his arms so he towered over me.
"I got you this time," I chuckled. Dimitri rolled his eyes at me but smiled regardless.
"You did," he said with amusement, the smile on his face pure.
"Anything other moves you wanna show me?" I asked with a coy look when he didn't move. Dimitri shrugged and adjusted his hold on my hands.
"I do, but I don't think I can show you out here," he said dipping his head down. I stretched my neck up to meet him, while simultaneously wrapping my leg around his and pushing up against him, flipping us over. I settled onto his hips with my hands down on his chest with a smirk.
"You think you could show me anything in this position?" I asked with a wag of my brows. Dimitri gave me a smouldering look, resting his hand on my hips.
"Definitely," he said before gripping onto me and lifting me up while he got up, setting me on my feet. "But I think we should start our session before I drag you off to a very conveniently located cabin," he said with a wink, swooping down to drop a kiss on my mouth and pulling away.
Dimitri went from being a flirting boyfriend into my mentor in a breath, starting with how he wanted to do things today. He wanted to work on mental relaxation, stating that with all the fighting that's been happening that nobody was coming down properly from fight or flight mode. I teased him a little about knowing tai chi, but when he showed me the moves and we started doing the sequence, it was actually relaxing.
"You know, I did have ulterior motives for coming out here," I said with a smile as we did a light stretch afterwards, soaking the sun. Dimitri smile at me and took a sip from his water bottle, wiping the side of his mouth with his hand.
"Really? I had no idea. Tell me, what is it that you could possibly have in mind?" Dimitri asked with a smirk. I smiled and crawled across the grass towards him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders. Dimitri hummed in the back of his throat and wrapped his arms around my waist, pulling me into his lap.
I rested my cheek against him and closed my eyes, cuddling into him. Things had been so crazy since the ambush that I hadn't had a chance to just be close to him. The first night after the ambush I had panicked so hard that I snuck into his room and waited for him to finish his shift. He was startled when he saw me but understood when he saw my face. I slept next to him and I had the best sleep ever. It was tricky sneaking out of his room, but I made it work.
But I hadn't had a moment truly alone since.
"Are you sleeping?"
I lifted my head up and shrugged. "Yeah. I'm still having the dreams, but they aren't as bad. But even when I sleep, I'm still tired."
Dimitri nodded at me and brushed his thumbs over my cheeks. "It's understandable. That was a lot for you to take in. I would be surprised if it didn't affect you."
I nodded and sighed, pulling the tie from my hair and rubbing my fingers against my scalp. The tension from my hair being tied up all day was causing havoc on my head.
"There is no chance I can get you in there, is there?" I asked with a sigh, tipping my head to the side. Dimitri chuckled and shook his head and then tipped it down. I met his lips with mine and leaned into him, enjoying the feeling and the warmth. I would take what I can get. I smiled to myself when his fingers wrapped into my face just before he pulled away.
"I love you," I said quietly, looking him in the eyes.
"I love you, Roza," he said resting his forehead against mine for a moment. "We should be heading back soon."
I nodded and pressed a kiss to his lips again quickly before climbing out of his lap and standing up.
"Come, oh Master Guardian. We should get back so that you go to sleep thinking about me," I said with a giggle as I extended my hand to him. Dimitri shook his head and stood up, squeezing my hand before letting go. I poked my tongue out at him playfully and walked with him back to campus.
"Easter is coming up. Are you going to be able to call your family? You mentioned it was kind of a big deal for them?" I asked, bumping his arm with my shoulder. Lissa was already planning a trip to Missoula for us to get dressed for the party that was being thrown. It was only a week away from Good Friday.
"Yeah. I'm going to do a video chat with them. Maybe if we can make it work, you could join me?"
I nodded and smirked at him. "You want me to be there? I'd be meeting your family."
Dimitri smiled at me and rested his hand on my back. "Of course. If I can take you to meet them, I would. I'd love for you to meet them," he said sincerely, kissing the top of my head.
"Then I'd love to meet them," I said looking up at him, but I already felt nervous about it.
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I woke up feeling like someone had flipped a switch on me. I felt tired like usual, but I felt a little sick too. My stomach felt queasy and jumbled and I lay in bed for a minute before getting out of bed. I still felt off but I got ready for class anyways. I made my way slowly to the gym and was glad that as I went the feeling went away a bit. Maybe it was because I hadn't eaten yet and I had an early dinner last night?
I walked into the gym and found Dimitri there, sitting on the bench in jeans and boots. I frowned and walked closer to him, dumping my bag beside him. His eyes moved up to me and I didn't get the smile I was expecting.
"Hey. What's wrong?"
"Sit down," he said quietly, his chin still resting on his hands.
I moved my bag to the floor and sat next to him, turning my body so I was angled toward him. Dimitri seemed a little distressed and sat up straighter, turning towards me. He had that impassive mask on but it didn't hide what was in his eyes.
"We can't continue this anymore," he said quietly.
"Our training sessions?" I asked with furrowed brows.
He shook his head. "No. Us. Seeing each other."
"What?" I asked, not sure if I actually heard what he said.
Dimitri reached out and took my hand that was in my lap. "We were caught yesterday. Someone saw us," Dimitri said with a deep breath.
"Who saw us?"
"Someone visiting the school. They approached me after you left for your dorm."
"Did they say that they would tell the school?" I asked, panic rising in my chest.
"No," he said, "But they did threaten me. My family."
"What do you mean they threatened your family?" I exclaimed.
"The person that threatened me is influential in all parts of the Moroi world. He didn't go into detail, but he made it clear. I end things with you or they hurt my family," Dimitri said thickly, and I could hear just how upset this was making him.
I slipped my other hand over his and squeezed it, holding them in my lap. "Then we just cool things out until after graduation. Pretend that nothing is happening – stay away from each other outside of our sessions."
Dimitri shook his head. "They said permanently. No more training, no socializing outside of training, not even after you graduate. They said that they'd be watching."
I let the words sink in and I deflated, my shoulders sinking and my chest starting to ache.
"You're saying for good. Just split up and what? Not even be friends?"
Dimitri pulled his hand from mine, and he cupped my face instead. "Roza. I love you, but I can't put my family in that kind of danger. This person would hurt them."
I blinked and felt hot tears spill, falling onto his hands as I nodded between them. I couldn't ask him to choose me over them, but it hurt. It hurt so much.
"Forever?"
Dimitri let go of my face and pulled me against him, tucking his face into my hair. I pressed my face into his chest and wrapped my arms around him, holding onto him in a vice grip.
"Why is the universe so against us?" I mumbled against his shirt. Dimitri shook his head.
"I don't know," he whispered. I pulled back and looked up at him.
"I can't ask you to choose between me and your family. I love you too much for that," I said quietly while fighting the tremble in my lip. Dimitri let out a sighed breath and pushed some stray strands away from my face, delicately tracing the side of my face. My hand wrapped around his wrist and I held his hand there, just wanting to feel it there.
"I love you, please don't ever forget that," he said and I nodded with a sniff and heavy breath.
Dimitri gave me a weak smile and ever so gently pressed his lips to mine. It didn't last long enough but I took what I could get.
"What happens with Lissa?" I asked quietly. How far did this person want Dimitri to take this?
"I can remain her Guardian, but it'll be hard," he said refereeing to us both being her Guardian. I nodded and stretched up, pressing my lips against his quickly.
"We'll make that work, somehow."
Dimitri nodded and I felt the impending dread build in my chest. "I don't want this to be goodbye."
"I don't either, but it has to happen," Dimitri said dejectedly. I licked my lips and pulled away, standing up. I looked down at Dimitri and cleared my throat.
"Well, um, I need to do my workout anyways, so..." I said trailing off and looking at him again before turning to go to the storeroom and get out some equipment. When I got into the room I shut the door behind me and bent over, resting my hands on my knees as I took a deep breath. I knew that it was a difficult decision and I didn't want to make him feel worse by seeing me cry over it. I hated this just as much as he did, and I hated knowing that I was losing the man I loved, but I was also losing someone I cherished.
I bolted upright when the door to the storeroom opened and I wiped my face hastily, turning to see who it was. Finding that it was Dimitri I gave him a weak smile. Dimitri could see through it though because he knew me too well.
Dimitri stepped in and closed the door, twisting the deadbolt on the door behind him. I knitted my brows together when he turned back as he slipped his duster off and draped it over a stack of dummies beside him. I rubbed my hand under my eye as I watched him and straightened up as he approached, his hands slipping around my waist and pulling me to him.
He held me close and he leaned down to kiss me, a lot more urgently than he did a few minutes ago. I moved robotically and wrapped my arms around his neck, stretching up on my toes to be closer to him. If this was the last time I was going to kiss him or be close to him, I wanted it to be memorable. I sighed against his lips as he moved us further into the storeroom, bumping into this as we went.
Desperation was clear in both of our actions and I think he thought the same thing I did. I shivered when the pads of his fingers caressed the slope in my back and my hands moved to his shirt too, lifting it. Dimitri pulled back enough for me to pull it over his head and I tossed it towards the door.
Dimitri pulled me back to him and ran his thumb over my cheek, coming down to my lip. They were a little puffy from how hard we kissed, and my breath was just as laboured as his was. I kissed the pad of his thumb and tipped my head back up to his as his hands wandered back down to my waist, lifting my shirt too.
Nobody could see us here, locked in the storeroom, so I let my fingers run down his chest to rest on his belt. I hesitated for a moment, not sure if I should push it, but Dimitri's hand moved to the tie at my pants and my decision was made too.
If it was the last time I could be his, so be it. Even if it was in the back of a storage closet.
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This is *another* idea I've had kicking around for months. There are a few chapters drafted. Love it, hate it, want more of it, let me know! The plot line can be a little sad and angsty at times, but it's one I come back to often.
Let me know what you think!