Run Away
Cypress A. Posthumus
Summary: Dimitri hadn't realized there was a lust spell on Rose's necklace that night. Seven years afterward, the bond was quiet and had been for a painful amount of time. Rose and Dimitri had searched Russia for Lissa to no avail and returned to the academy. Now, Rose is determined to find her best friend, at any cost to herself.
Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or any of its characters. All characters, places, and things - unless otherwise stated – are that of Richelle Mead.
P R O L O G U E
Since neither guardian had watch for the human day, they sat in their room. Rose sat on the edge of her and Dimitri's bed, staring out the window. Dimitri was sitting in the middle of the bed, leaned against the headboard whilst reading a Western novel. He was about eighty pages from the end when he looked up and realized Rose was lost, maybe not in her own head. Dimitri had only hoped that she had been sucked into Lissa's head, something that used to happen all the time, but ceased after Lissa had been missing for a week. The school sent out guardians, but they returned without Lissa and Rose's heart broke even more. After Rose graduated, she and Dimitri took off to Russia to search for Lissa. After searching for two years in Russia, Turkey, and Hungary, they looked all over the United States, especially Chicago and Portland. After three more years of pain and heartbreak, Rose allowed Dimitri to return to St. Vladimir's Academy to be a school guardian and joined him when Kirova offered her a position. Since then, two years had passed, without any news about Lissa. Rose dreamed, hoped, and prayed for the day that she would reunite with Lissa. She expected the Moroi girl would be ill in health because their bond had faded quickly. The last thing Lissa told Rose was something about helping Victor Dashkov and how nauseous she felt. Days turned into months, months into years and Rose waited for the day the bond would return, but once again, she was losing faith. Rose frowned and her bottom lip threatened to quiver, but she bit it to keep it still. Dimitri closed his book after turning the corner down to mark his place, he leaned toward Rose and touched her side. Rose didn't acknowledge him; instead, she let her head fall to the side as she gazed through the window.
"Roza," Dimitri called out to her. She looked lost and upset, yet her face was rid of all emotion. "Look at me." She sighed inwardly and turned to face the man she had once described as being a bad ass Russian God. His face had grown older, matured from the young guardian he had been those seven years ago. Rose had since graduated and matured, as well. She and Dimitri formed a then-secret romantic relationship while she was still waiting for the announcement for whom her new Moroi would be. Rose had lost Lissa that night of the dance, the night her uncle, Victor Dashkov, had kidnapped her. Dimitri could still see her pain after all this time, it was evident if one could get close enough to her to see her brown eyes that had aged and seen many kills. Many Strigoi.
Dimitri's soft hands caressed her cheek, he ran his thumb softly over her eyelid and lashes. It tickled and she could feel a small, pained smile and her heart swell with care and love within her ribcage. "I miss her, Dimitri," she mumbled into his wrist, brushing her lips against it momentarily. "Why doesn't the bond work anymore?" It was not meant to be answered and Rose hated it when she had questions that no one but Lissa could have come up with an answer for. Rose missed the small Moroi girl, her best friend. Rose felt her heart rattle uncontrollably in her chest as she held her breath, her nostrils flared and her brows furrowed as the tears swelled in her eyes.
Dimitri pulled her close and whispered sweet, dainty praises of appreciation and love in Russian into her silk hair. Rose crushed her face into his sternum, she tried not to cry, but she started to. Rose hated crying, hated feeling weak. Dimitri hated that he couldn't properly help his lover face the fears and bring her best friend back. Sometimes, Dimitri found himself thinking about Lissa, as well. He asked himself where she could be and why hadn't she called out to Rose that night? He beat himself up for letting it happen, even after all these years. Even after he and Rose had been together for so long, he felt helpless and insignificant. He thought, Roza, we will find Lissa. She'll be alive and welcome you back with open arms. He looked into his lap upon hearing Rose choke on one of her silent sobs. She sucked the cold air of their room in through her mouth and tried to gather her hysterics.
"We have to leave again!" Rose's hoarse voice came as she sprang up from his lap. Her hair was matted to her face from sweat and tears, Dimitri's shirt had a dark spot that was moist from where her tears fell. "We have to find Lissa, Dimitri. We have to find her right now!" As a determined woman, she crawled over the bed and somersaulted off, landing herself on her back, she pulled out a large suitcase and flung it open. She slammed it on the bed, it bounced, and she opened drawers hastily, flinging clothes for the both of them out of the drawers and near the bed. Dimitri sat, unknowing of what to do. They had just gotten back from searching for the Moroi girl, just two years ago. The academy accepted them as school guardians and mentors to the novices. Dimitri remembered the drive Rose had been in, the adrenaline rush when she found out that Vasilisa had been kidnapped. The hysterics that followed.
"We just came back from searching, Rose." his voice said quietly, pained. "We can't just up and leave, again. It's half way through the school year. There are still duties for us to do, novices to train." He knew it wouldn't help. His pleas and truthful words only hurt her more. She now stood in the closet, with both doors pulled back, eying the long coats and other travel items that might be found in such a place. She flung Dimitri's duster onto the floor behind her and he sighed, walking over to mid-room and began tapping his fingers on the top half-way marker, the dresser. She flung out a long, black wool coat that Dimitri had gotten her during their visit to Russia.
"I can't sit here and let this happen anymore, Dimitri," she went deeper into the closet and began rummaging for hats, scarves, and gloves. "Who knows where Lissa is? I have to find her. I was supposed to protect her in the first place! I didn't, I let a spell distract me from her for one night." The way she spat out the word "spell" made Dimitri's feelings crush a little. He knew she regretted not being "sober" enough to tell him and he sometimes thought that she regretted that night entirely.
Rose made her way over to their bed, kicking up the coats and other items of clothing that had been flung on the floor and on the other furniture. She smashed the large heap of clothing into the suitcase and Dimitri couldn't help but let a small smile pry at his lips. "Folding the clothes makes them fit into the suitcase better, love." Rose sighed and stood there, lazily throwing odds and ends into the suitcase like a child. Dimitri made his way over to her, slung his arm around her waist, and sat on the bed, knocking her into his lap. She tried to glare at him, but he remarked that she just looked tired. She was tired, but she wouldn't admit what was already known. Dimitri leaned forward, catching the edge of the suitcase and began taking things out and setting them on the pillow next to them. As he leaned forward again, he nipped at Rose's neck. His teeth made a click sound as the skin released.
"Dimka, not now." Rose whispered as she looked back at him, desire was evident in her voice, but her eyes were puffy and red. Dimitri, as best he could, leaned over her shoulder and pressed his lips to hers. Warmth filled both of them. Dimitri broke their soft-lipped kiss because her shoulder was uncomfortably gouging into his neck, but gave her a real smile and hoped that his eyes showed how much he wanted them to find Lissa. She responded by giving a toothy grin, but he had a feeling it was mostly faked. He thanked her in his thoughts for trying to be strong.
It was silent for the rest of the time that they spent folding their clothes and neatly setting them into the suitcase, even though it was hard for Rose to stay calm and not run off, bust the door down as she made her way out or stand on the other side of the room and dramatically run and jump through the window. Rose tapped her foot anxiously, bit at her lip, sighed, glanced at the clock every few minutes, and cursed under her breath about how much time it took to fold clothes. She had been making sure they had everything they would need and either forgetting something or exasperated with the entire thing, probably the latter, leaned back quickly and slammed into Dimitri's chest, knocking him into the headboard.
Rose turned around, kneeling in front of him on the bed, "Are you okay? I'm so sorry, Dimitri!" She cupped his face in her hands, frantically looking for any sign of pain in his expression. She found none, instead he was chuckling. His hands moved to hers and he took them away from his face, he held onto them tightly. Rose let him control her arms, he held them in front of his mouth. Dimitri's hot breath and the warmth from the tiny kisses he planted warmed her hands. Rose's muscles relaxed, her head tipped to the right as she watched. She could tell Dimitri's breath would waver, she listened closely, he was speaking Russian again. Probably telling her how much she meant to him or trying to conjure faith and ask a God to watch over them on their journey. He kissed her hands after every sentence, sometimes parting his lips, sometimes letting them linger. Most of the time, they were quick, barely noticeable. Rose began to inch her way forward, she dropped Dimitri's hands, and laced her arms around his torso. She hunched over, resting her head on his muscular shoulder. Dimitri clasped his hands onto her sides, bringing her closer and laid his cheek on top of her head. Rose's breathing had calmed, sleep began to tug at her sore eyelids.
"Dimitri," Rose whispered, half consumed by sleep now. He hummed in response, she felt his entire upper body vibrate. "Tell Kirova I love you and that she's leaving tomorrow."
Dimitri suppressed a laugh, his chest heaved in an unexpected hiccup. Although there was a pain in his chest and throat from the hiccup, but he managed to whisper "Ya tebya lyublyu, Roza." Dimitri moved their packed suitcase with his right leg, pushing it to the foot of the opposing bedside. He gently traded places with now-asleep Rose, covered her and changed into a pair of flannel pajama bottoms, moved the suitcase to the floor, and got into bed. He laid on his back, staring up at the ceiling, searching its crevices like it knew the answers to the universe and the problems they faced. Dimitri let his mind wander and eventually dozed off.
Rose's dreams were everything, except happy. She dreamed of the car crash, the raven that Lissa had healed, how Ms. Karp had gone mad... she tossed and turned in her sleep, unable to wake up from the past horrors. Eventually, she found safe haven in Lissa's old dorm room. They chatted, laughing. Lissa was brushing Rose's long brown hair. Though, in real life, she had tucked herself under Dimitri's frame. He slept on his side, facing her, and out of instinct, wrapped her up in his arms.
"Lissa," Rose sighed and smiled as she slept.