This is a little random, but I just thought of it and had to write it! It's not reallly a songfic, but sort of, if that makes any sense...

So enjoy!

I don't own VA or the song "Jesse's Girl" by Rick Springfield.

Jessie is a friend,
Yeah, I know he's been
A good friend of mine
But lately something's changed
That ain't hard to define
Jessie's got himself a girl
And I want to make her mine
And she's watching him with those eyes
And she's lovin' him with that body,
I just know it
Yeah 'n' he's holding her in his arms late,
Late at night

You know, I wish that I had Jessie's girl,
I wish that I had Jessie's girl
Where can I find a woman like that

I play along with the charade,
There doesn't seem to be a reason to change
You know, I feel so dirty
When they start talking cute
I wanna tell her that I love her,
But the point is probably moot
'Cos she's watching him with those eyes
And she's lovin' him with that body,
I just know it
And he's holding her in his arms late, late at night

Like Jessie's girl,
I wish that I had Jessie's girl
Where can I find a woman,
Where can I find a woman like that

And I'm lookin' in the mirror all the time,
Wondering what she don't see in me
I've been funny,
I've been cool with the lines
Ain't that the way
Love supposed to be
Tell me, where can I find a woman like that

You know, I wish that I had Jessie's girl,
I wish that I had Jessie's girl
I want Jessie's girl,
Where can I find a woman like that, like
Jessie's girl,
I wish that I had Jessie's girl,
I want,
I want Jessie's girl

Dimitri's POV

A disaster.

That's really the only way to describe my tangled life at this point in time. A disaster.

I suppose it started when he met her. But if you want to get technical, I'll admit it was my own fault for agreeing to my current charge.

Now normally, I was satisfied with my existance, a dedicated guardian. I was luckier than most, able to guard a decent Royal Moroi. And Jesse Zeklos was decent, except when it came to women.

I had never seen so many tears than in my year of guarding him, and I lived with three sisters. Heartbreak after heartbreak, I got to watch the endless parade of broken girls, after Jesse had grown bored with them.

He was a good leader, a strong advocate for magic users, but when it came to women, he was clueless. He went through them like he spends money, a new, breathtakingly beautiful woman under his arm every night. And I stood in the shadows like any good Guardian, guarding the door, keeping the man who had hurt so many out of harm's way.

But he was a good acquaintance, was respectful of dhampirs... male dhampirs... and treated me as a human being, and I was grateful. We had somewhat developed a friendship, after all, we were roommates. He had grown out of his ignorant, arrogant teenage years, and was currently building a quite powerful group, supporters of Tasha Ozera's movement.

Normally I could easily live with him, and things weren't awkward and tense. We would drink coffee, eat breakfast in the morning. He was a good roommate, and I could stand sharing his condo.

Until, that is, he met Rose Hathaway.

...

I sat lazily on the stool, absorbed in my novel. Jesse was at the bars, and, as he always did, told me he preferred me not to come. But he burst in the door in the ungodly hours of the night. He was obviously drunk, a girl on his lips.

They don't seem to notice me as they stumble towards the couch, and I slip out of the kitchen trying not to look at the two, and quickly move towards my bedroom, changing into my nightclothes. But even the closed space of my bedroom is unable to hide the sounds that they produce, and I groan loudly, pulling the pillow over my head.

When my eyes open, I have obviously dozed off, because when I wake, the house is silent.

I crawl out of bed and back into the kitchen. The lights are gone, swallowed by darkness, a deep, choking darkness. I creep across the carpet, the hem of my flannel pajama bottoms grazing the floor as I walk.

As I walk around the corner, I run right into a small object, and have to grab for her to keep her from falling over. She squeaks, and grabs onto me as I support her. Even in the dark, I can see her blush, I can feel the heat of her skin against my bare chest.

She is nothing different than Jesse's ordinary girl. Stunningly gorgeous, with long dark hair and deep eyes. She is clad in one of Jesse's blue, pinstripe button-ups, the bottom barely grazing her thighs.

"My apologies," I whisper, and her blush deepens.

"No, that was my fault. I'm sorry, I didn't know Jesse had a roommate."

I smile stiffly. "A guardian. I'm paid to be invisible."

The girl smiles. "True enough, but even when you get home? I hate being invisible, why do you think I go to the bars after work?"

"You're a guardian?" I blurt stupidly, immediately biting my tongue.

She smirks. "What, I can't be a guardian and a slut?"

I groan, humiliated. "No, I didn't mean-"

She smiles, a glowing smile. "Really, it's fine, it's not like..." she holds up the sleeves of the too-large shirt that hangs over her hands. "It's not like I do this a lot."

I nod, still embarrassed. She smiles again, and it warms me. "Do you want a cup of coffee?" she asks sweetly, and I nod, smiling back.

...

"At St. Vladimirs? That's where Lord Zeklos attended," I say, gripping my warm cup of coffee.

She nods, leaning back against the stool. "Yes, I knew him when we went there. Of course, he's grown up quite a bit since then..."

I laugh. "Really? Three years isn't a long time."

She snorts. "Not really. You should know that, though. What are you, like thirty-five?"

"Twenty-eight," I declare defensively. "As of last month."

She grins openly. "Happy Birthday."

I hear a moan, and Jesse appears, helplessly hungover. Rose smiles at him.

"Good morning," she chirps, and I can't help but let the corners of my mouth turn up as well. Her beautiful smile is contagious.

"What are you doing up at this hour?" I question, shocked.

"It's almost eight o'clock," he groans.

I quickly glance at the clock that hangs on the kitchen wall. We've have been talking for hours.

Jesse groans again and drags her hips towards him, her back against his chest, holding her against him as he steals her mug and sips the rich coffee. She laughs and struggles playfully against him, an exchange that makes me frown.

"Mmm," he hums. "This is great. Did you make this?"

Rose nods, glowing at his praise. I frown again. "Yeah, I did!"

I smile, "Best I've ever had," I tell her, and she smiles back, although not as wide as his compliment.

"I'm going to get dressed," she informs us, and walks out of the kitchen. We both stare after her, hearing the water turn on in the bathroom.

"Damn," Jesse whistles, pouring himself a cup.

I repress another frown. An itch deep in my gut fluctuates. What was with me? I had never been bothered by any of Jesse's girlfriends before. We had talked for hours, right into the morning, and I learned a lot about her. Not that there was probably much point. She'd be gone by the end of the week.

"Definately going to see her again," he smirks, sipping his drink. "Not that I can actually remember last night. But it looks like it was hot." I refrain from rolling my eyes.

He turns towards the couch, and I follow his eyes, seeing her jeans draped from the lamp. The twinge of annoyance grows again.

"Hey," he calls to her, then seems to blank, his eyes emptying.

"Rose," I growl quietly. "Her name is Rose."

"Hey, Rose! You forgot your jeans!"

After several seconds, she appears, draped in a white towel, her long, toned legs once again visible. "Thanks."

Good Lord.

...

And he did see her again. For a month. A month! That's the longest he's ever been with a woman, I swear.

A month.

And ever time I saw them, it drove me crazy. I had spent one night with her, and already knew more about her than he did. Of course, we would talk now, but it was for only minutes while Jesse had gone on some meaningless task to find something in the house.

Rose had similiar interests, interests that we could talk about for hours. But Jesse would always return, smiling brightly and wrapping his arm greedily around her waist, whisking her away from me. And I couldn't stand it.

But just because I knew her birthday, her parents' names, and her childhood homesteads didn't by any means call for a relationship between us. Rose would talk to me, slug me in the arm, run her thin fingers over my head, only to shake her hand and muss my hair.

But those same fingers would clutch Jesse's. She would stare at him like he was the sun. She revolved around him like such, her gaze never leaving his body unless he was gone from the room. Then she decided it was okay to look at me, treating me like a brother.

A brother.

I already was a brother. Three times over. I didn't need another. Besides, Rose was anything but a sister. I was beginning to develop feelings. Feelings for Rose. I didn't understand them.

I had never felt this way. Especially about Jesse's girlfriends. Hell, I had even been seduced by one of them, waking up after falling asleep on the armchair to a woman sitting on my lap, a woman who smelled like liquor and other men. I had practically tripped over myself trying to distance myself from the girl who still had my charge's sweat drying on her skin. Believe me, being a guardian had caused the supression of some strong human needs, but with Rose, this was something else. Something powerful.

And tonight was worse than usual.

Rose and I were getting into a deep discussion. I had never been able to talk about guarding with anyone, but, being guardians, we managed an intelligent conversation, one that thrilled me to no end. But Jesse comes back into the room, handing her a drink, and settles onto the sofa. Our conversation is lost. Rose was lying in his arms, Jesse stretched out on the couch, calling each other disgustingly sweet nicknames and saying cute, meaningless crap to each other. It was making me nauseous. Incredibly nauseous.

She was rubbing his thigh, small circles that radiated upwards, and I tried not to notice. But I could almost feel it on my own leg, and the soft brushes of fingertips willed me to lose my barriers. All I wanted to do was rip her out of his arms, to settle down on the couch with her, to have her stare at me the same way that Jesse was in her eyes.

Jesse shifts his hips against her, and I have to look away. When they start to make out, I immediately stand, rushing out of the room, and into my bedroom, trying not to picture her.

Thankfully, Rose is gone when I wake up in the morning. Jesse sits at the table, eating a piece of cold pizza that Rose made for dinner last night.

I flop down beside him, and see his hardened expression.

"What's wrong?" I ask, sickly hoping that they've had a fight, and immediately feeling guilty.

He shakes his head and downs the glass of water before quickly grabbing his briefcase and shoving his papers into it. Silently, I follow him, quickly dressing for the day, and catching him right before he stomps out the door.

Of course, as soon as he steps out of the door, he is back to normal, the respectful, composed man I know him to be. But I wonder if anyone else sees the tension in his body.

When he is done for the day, I begin to follow him out the door, towards our house, but he shakes his head.

"I'm going out."

He shoves his hands in his pockets and walks towards the Court's nightclubs, to my horror. "You have a girlfriend," I inform him, calling after him, but he doesn't turn around, he just keeps walking.

"You have a girlfriend!"

...

I pace, waiting for Jesse. It's three in the morning. And he has a girlfriend. But he doesn't seem to have noticed either, and continues to stay out.

I can't help but think of Rose. Poor Roza.

Jesse stumbles through the door, along with a girl, who looks about eighteen. She already shirtless, and sporting freakishly tight jeans. The kind Rose didn't like. She said they were uncomfortable, and she already had one layer of skin, thank you.

But the pair crash onto the couch and begin to strip.

"Jesse!" I yell angrily, and his head jerks upwards, just noticing me. He hops off of her and walks over to me.

"What?" he hisses, his eyes glazed over.

I growl. "What about Rose? She's crazy about you. And you're cheating on her!"

He narrows his eyes. "Yeah, well she's not putting out. I've been waiting for months. She told me that nothing happened that first night! She just borrowed my shirt because she spilled a drink on her jeans. But nothing. I've got needs, and if she's not going to do something about it, then I have every right-"

"Right? You think she's going to satisfy you?" I spit, motioning to the girl on the couch. "Maybe now, for short term, but Rose is wonderful, and dedicated, faithful. If you just want a different girl every night, you'll die alone and without anyone to care for you. Unloved." My voice is harsh, and oddly authoritative.

Jesse snorts. "And what about you? When's the last time you shacked up? I haven't even seen you bring a girl here the whole time we've lived here. The whole time I've known you. So guess we're both dying alone. But at least I'll get layed a few times along the way."

"I'll tell her," I hiss. "She deserves to know."

"I'll fire you," he spits cockily. "Your career will be ruined." His drunken voice causing him to slur. I fist my hands so tightly that my nails dig into my palms. I turn on my heel, rushing into my room and slamming the door shut, trying to keep myself from blackening his eye.

Poor Roza.

...

The morning light streamed through the slits in the blinds. I can hear the girl in the other room, giggling loudly, Jesse probably trying to grope her.

But when the door slams open, and "Jesse?" comes from a third voice, the house goes silent.

And then all hell breaks loose.

I jump off of the bed, dashing down the staircase. Rose stands in the doorway, a murderous look on her face.

"You. Son. Of A -!"

"Roza!" I yell, grabbing onto her hand before she could hit him. She struggles against me, tears running down her face. "Rose..."

She turns on me, dark, deep eyes blazing. "You. You knew! How could you not tell me? How could you!"

She runs out of the door, and my heart aches, guilt washing through my veins. "Roza!"

I follow.

...

"Roza, please let me in," I beg, leaning against her door. "I'm so sorry. I wanted to tell you. He... It was only for one night. This is the first time, I swear. He's never done-"

She opens the door, her face no longer tear-stained, but incredibly red.

"I'm not getting back with him," she states coldly. "Don't even try to defend him."

"Defend him? Oh, Rose, I would have never had you going out with him in the first place. You were always too good for him."

She nods sadly, wiping her eyes. "I was just another girl for him, wasn't I? I knew he'd lose interest, especially when I refused to-"

I sigh. "Sleep with him?" She looks as if she's about to cry again, and I wrap her in my arms. "Roza, you deserve so much better."

I can feel her begin to cry again. "I'm so sorry, Rose. I'm so sorry."

She shakes her head against my chest.

But quietly, she takes my hand and leads me into her room, shutting the door behind her.

...

I lay awake all night. She cried on my chest, falling asleep in my arms, heartbroken. I just wanted to kiss her, so badly, my body ached. But there was no point.

I think I'm in love with her.

But she doesn't feel the same way. She never would.

She stirs, and I decide to savour the moment. "Good morning."

"You stayed here all night?"

I nod. "Of course."

She checks her alarm clock. "Dimitri, you have to be at work in twenty minutes." I instinctively jump out of bed, but turn to her, an aplogetic look on my face.

"Go. I'll survive. Come back tonight?"

I kiss her forehead, feeling the ache in my very core and jog out of the room, regretting every step.

As soon as I walk in the door, Jesse snaps at me to get ready, his normal hangover twined with anger.

It's going to be a long day.

...

Torture. Jesse absolutely hates me now, and continues to make my life miserable. I want desperately to leave the house, but he always comes up with a horrid reason to keep me. As if he knows that I promised to meet Rose.

It is nearly midnight by the time I get to Rose's place, and I thank the Lord that she has left her door unlocked.

I kick off my shoes and climb into bed with her sleeping figure.

"Dimitri?" she moans, still half-asleep, poor girl.

"I'm sorry, Rose. He wouldn't let me leave."

She nods, and cuddles into my chest. It takes everything I can do not to kiss her, not to roll over her, not to-"

Her soft breathing breaks me from my thoughts. I stroke her hair from her face, and settle down beside her.

When I wake, Rose is no longer in bed. I panic, for some stupid reason, and quickly rise, but calm when I hear the shower running.

She steps out, looking as beautiful as ever, but her skin is hot and red, looking like she's bathed in boiling water.

"Roza," I whisper, but she shakes her head.

"I'm fine, now. Don't worry." When she sees my concerned eyes, she seems to melt and leans in.

This is it, I think, and my whole body seems to vibrate with anticipation. When was the last time I had kissed a woman? But my aching dies when she kisses my cheek.

"You're such an amazing friend, Dimitri. I'm sorry I flipped out on you."

I shake my head, biting back rejection. "Don't worry about it," I say, and watch as she gathers clothing and disappears back into the bathroom.

...

I wait patiently for a month, letting her heal, all the while, my body burns from the inside out, just waiting for her. I loved her. I knew that now, but I was her friend. Her trusted confidant. I was nothing but a friend. And it killed me.

We ate together every night, as I hardly felt welcome near my charge, and all the while, Rose and I grew closer and closer.

But it wasn't until one night that Rose texted me, begging me to come over. Like the obedient friend I was, I was instantly there, with a can of hot chocolate mix under my arm.

She sat me down on the couch, nursing her mug. Her legs are bare except for a pair of flannel pajama shorts, her feet clad in slippers. "Jesse came over today. When you were at the Guardian's meeting."

I nod slowly, a sinking feeling in my gut. "And...?"

She sighs. "He apologized. Told me he always loved me, and that he was stupid to ever let me go."

I squeeze my eyes shut, feeling my heart flame. "What are you going to do?" I ask, hoping that her answer would stay strong.

She shakes her head, sliding down the couch. "I don't know. I cared so much about him. I wanted things to work out. I was so bitter, but now I don't know if I overreated. It's not like we were dating for a long time. But he still cheated. What should I do?" I couldn't sabatoge their relationship. I wanted what's best for her. But I thought that meant me. I sigh.

"I don't know."

"You have to!" she groans. "Tell me what to do! I want him, but I don't want to get hurt again. Do you think he'll cheat again?"

Yes. I shake my head, refusing to answer, holding back tears, and she rises, going to fill up her mug.

I had to tell her, I had to, or I would lose her forever.

"I love you," I blurt desperately. She freezes on the spot, a bad sign. "Roza, I love you. Ever since the night we met I've had feelings for you. It killed me to see him with you, touching you, and hurting you. I can't tell you what to do because I want you to be happy, and I don't want to ruin your relationship, but I love you Rose, and I'll never hurt you, if you'll just... I need to tell you, just to know, or I'll regret it forever. I know more about you than he ever did, but you've just seen me as a friend. Roza, I couldn't tell you then, but I need to know now. Please, please say something."

My words roll, building and twisting into a dangerous ball, one that could easily crush me. It sits on my lungs; my breathing becomes ragged.

"Roza-"

She turns. "Dimitri-"

We both freeze, and I can't take it. I stand, mumbling an apology. I slip past her into the hall, and I run.

...

Sitting on the couch, head buried into my hands, I realize that I've ruined everything. And I'd lost her completely. The heartbreak was unbearable. I had locked the door, Jesse was out, most likely drunked to a stupor, and I just wanted to be alone. The moron could finish off his girl in the hallway for all I cared.

And, just as the though passes my head, there is a knock on the door. I ignore it, and fall back against the couch cushion. But the door cracks open, and to my surprise, I hear one set of footsteps.

"Leave me alone, Zeklos," I snap, ignoring what I assume is snort and close my eyes, rubbing my jaw. But when I hear her voice in my ears, I crack my eyes open.

"Dimitri..."

I gulp in air, trying to calm myself.

"The door was locked," is all I can manage to say.

"You left your key on your mad dash out of my apartment. I'm returning it."

I nod. "Thanks."

She huffs, obviously frustrated at the distance that I am using to shield myself. "Dimitri-"

"No, Rose. It doesn't matter."

"How does it not matter?"

I growl in my own annoyance. "I'm your friend, Roza. You treat me like your brother. You'll never feel that way about me. You'll never-"

Rose climbs onto my lap, her smooth legs sinking into the couch, her knees on either side of me. She leans strokes my jaw, brushes my hair out of my face.

"Don't tell me what I will and won't do."

I groan as she presses her lips against my jaw. "Rose, what are you doing?"

She smiles again. "Dimiti, why didn't you tell me before? That you felt that way..."

"You were Jesse's," I whisper, my heart rising. "You were never mine."

Her lips press against my lips this time, a slow, passionate kiss. "I wasn't. Then..."

"Roza-"

She smiles, but immediately frowns when I push her off of me.

"Jesse'll be home soon," I warn her as she rises up to kiss my jaw.

"I locked the door on my way in, don't worry."

I smile broadly, and bring her back towards me, mumbling my own string of endearments. When I can hear him pounding at the door, I groan loudly.

"You know, he once so kindly pointed out that I never had a girl. Now he's ruining it for me."

Rose climbs off of me, kissing me once. "Dimitri, I don't really want to see him..."

I nod, and open the door when she hides in the kitchen. The pair quickly make their way into his room, shutting the door.

I smile so broadly, my face stings.

"He's gone, Roza. He's gone."


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