A/N: Hey everyone! This is my first EVER fanfiction, and it's the first piece of writing that I've let anyone read since high school, so I'm a bit nervous. It's actually a scene from a much larger AU that I'm writing at the moment and plan to publish here at some point in the future, but I wanted to get some constructive feedback (and hopefully some encouragement) on a shorter story first. Also, I had to change a couple of things here and there so that I didn't spoil anything from my other story, but hopefully it still flows properly.

Anyway, this is a one shot that falls somewhere between the short story 'Hello, My Name is Rose Hathaway' and 'Frostbite', and is told from Dimitri's POV. And of course, I do not own Vampire Academy or its characters, and all creative rights go to the wonderful Richelle Mead... So on that note, ENJOY!

My days at the Academy fell into an easy rhythm in the weeks following Victor Dashkov's arrest. And despite its significance to me, I didn't expect today to be any different from the others.

Twenty-five years old. I had stared down death and danger countless times in my quarter of a century on this earth - yet here I was, alive to celebrate another birthday.

Not that I actually planned on celebrating it. I'd outgrown that desire the day I left behind my childhood and became the man of the house. Mama and my sisters had tried to keep up with birthday traditions for my sake and I had kept up a pretence of joviality for theirs, but I never allowed myself to enjoy them as freely as I had in my earlier years. Parties and gifts just seemed trivial after throwing my father out of our house and out of our lives.

Ivan had even taken it upon himself to force me into celebrations after graduation, with slightly more success. After much pestering and several 'royal orders' I had conceded to share a single drink of vodka with him after the relief guardian had taken over for the night, though only if we were inside the safety of wards. He'd continue to drink the night away on my behalf, and I'd enjoy spending time with him as he did, but despite his pestering I never compromised on my limit of one drink.

After his death I'd planned on simply treating it like any other day (which it was, for all intents and purposes), and it was for that reason that I hadn't disclosed that bit of personal information to any of my colleagues at the Academy. What I hadn't accounted for - though probably should have - was Rose, walking into the gym on the 3rd of December with a bounce in her step and a mischievous grin fighting to make itself know.

"Good morning, comrade," she said, attempting to look innocent and failing dismally. Of all the words I could use to describe Rose, 'innocent' was about as relevant as 'weak' and 'unattractive'. Her trying to convince me otherwise did not bode well. Combining that with the fact that she was barely five minutes late to our morning training session - rather than her usual fifteen - put me instantly on edge.

"That's it?" I asked, looking up from my novel and raising an eyebrow. "Just 'good morning'? Nothing else to add?"

"Why, should there be?" she replied, attempting - and failing - to raise her own eyebrow in response.

"No," I said with equally feigned innocence, trying not to smile at her obvious annoyance over the limits of her facial movements. "It's just that you're usually a little more vocal and a little less …" I searched for the right word, "courteous … at this time of the morning."

"Is that so?" My slight hesitation seemed to amuse her, as did my more than generous word choice. That impish smile grew as she cocked her hip, placed a hand on it and look me squarely in the eyes, challenging me. "And what exactly were you expecting me to be so uncourteous about?"

It took all my years of training not to burst out laughing at her invented word. As it was, I couldn't help the slight curling of my lips as I straightened up and squared my shoulders, accepting her challenge.

"Oh, I don't know. What about how no one sane would voluntarily get up at this ungodly hour? Or that it's cruel and unusual torture to subject you to my music and make you do weights. Or how you got here only five minutes late, which is practically early according to Rose Hathaway Standard Time and therefore I should let you go to breakfast ten minutes early as a reward." I paused for a moment, looking her squarely in the eye as I raised my eyebrow again. "Does that sound about right to you?"

A scowl appeared on her face as I threw some of her many excuses and complaints back at her, but I could see the amusement in her dark eyes. She enjoyed this banter as much as I did, and I knew she couldn't resist a chance to tease me just as I couldn't resist a chance to call her out on her Rose-ness.

"Good morning, comrade," she repeated curtly, and with a final fierce look - only slightly marred by her barely contained mirth - she turned and stalked over to the gym's change rooms, her ponytail swishing behind her. When she reached the door, she paused and turned to face me, and this time her mischievous grin was back in full force. "And happy birthday."

My complete shock must have shown on my face because Rose threw her head back and roared with laughter before ripping the door open and practically skipping into the change rooms. I was left staring after her, stunned, listening as the echoes of the door slamming shut faded long before the sounds of her laughter did.

That was the last thing I had expected from her when she walked into the gym. Sure I knew something was amiss from her strangely cheerful behaviour, but I had assumed it was because she'd gotten away with some late-night rule breaking and was feeling smug about it. Or perhaps there was some new move that she'd learnt in her own time and she was eager to surprise me with it when we sparred. But wishing me a happy birthday? No, I certainly hadn't expected that.

Now that we were officially into Montana's icy winter, I'd consented - after much pestering from Rose - to allow her to change out of her snow-covered winter clothes and into her thinner workout gear once she reached the gym in the morning, though only if she was quick. By the time she returned, now dressed in leggings, a tank top and a sports jacket, my surprise had been contained and was replaced by curiosity.

"How do you know it's my birthday?" I asked as she began her stretches. "I never told you when it was." Or anyone else for that matter, I added mentally.

"I have my ways," she said mysteriously as she stretched out her hamstrings.

"Rose." It was only her name, but she clearly understood the message behind it; answer my question.

"Well…" she began sheepishly, lower her head to avoid my insistent gaze. "I may have convinced a certain red-headed novice to distract Alberta while I broke into her office and looked at your official guardian record."

Perhaps my earlier guess about the cause of her good mood hadn't been so far off.

"Rose!" Once again, my message came through loud and clear; you had better be joking, because if you're not then you are in big trouble.

"I'm kidding!" she exclaimed with a laugh, and there was a gleam of joyful satisfaction in her eyes as she met my glare. "Oh, you should see your face right now. It's hilarious!"

"Rose…" Translation; tell me the truth right now, because this is not something you want to mess with me about.

"Alright, alright," she said, raising her hands in surrender. "I just asked Alberta. I told her I wanted to surprise you on your birthday as a thank you for all the time and effort you've put into training me. She thought it was a nice idea, so she looked up the date for me."

I narrowed my eyes at her, studying her carefully.

"It's true! Ask Alberta if you don't believe me," she said, seeming exasperated and perhaps a little hurt by my distrust. As she returned to her stretches I heard her grumble under her breathe, "The other story was way cooler though."

Our morning training session progressed as usually after that, with Rose running laps outside on the cold - though relatively snow-free - track before returning to the gym's warmth for some strength and condition training, followed by sparring (she still wasn't able to beat me, but I knew it was only a matter of time) and finally some cool down stretches. We were professional during that time, falling easily into our mentor/student roles as I corrected her technique or acknowledged her improvement. But as the session drew to a close I could feel her earlier excitement returning, and this time I couldn't help but share in her good humour.

"Got any big plans for the rest of the day?" she asked as she returned from the change rooms dressed in jeans and a thermal shirt, her gym bag on her shoulder and her coat draped over her arm. Despite my earlier sarcastic remarks, I did in fact let her finish up ten minutes early. I had given some feeble excuse about needing to catch up with Alberta about official guardian business, but really, I just wanted to make Rose happy. If sacrificing a few minutes of training was what it took to earn an extra smile from her, then so be it - it was my birthday, after all. And while I suspected that Rose had seen through my ruse, she was too excited about her early freedom to question it. "Wait, let me guess - working all day, then treating yourself to a John Wayne movie and going to bed early, right?"

"Something like that," I said vaguely, trying not to smile. She really wasn't far off. I had shifts guarding classes most of the day and wouldn't have much time to myself until after our evening training session. I didn't have anything specific planned for after that, but watching a John Wayne movie suddenly sounded like the perfect way to spend my night.

Not as perfect as spending the night with her, an unbidden part of my mind replied, and I quickly shushed it before my imagination got carried away.

"Oh, come on, you've got to do something for your birthday!" she exclaimed, clearly disappointed by my lack of enthusiasm. "You only turn twenty-five once, and you shouldn't waste it being all boring and antisocial."

"Well technically I haven't turned twenty-five yet," I retorted, ignoring her dig at my reclusive nature. Due to our nocturnal timetable my birthday didn't actually start until the middle of the vampire 'day', but most people living on this schedule had taken to beginning their celebrations several hours early for the sake of continuity.

"Yeah, but it seems stupid to just ignore it all morning. Speaking of which…" She gave me a conspiratorial look as she reached into her bag and pulled something out, quickly hiding it behind her back as she dropped her coat and bag on a nearby bench and bounced over to me. Standing before me with her hands behind her back and a giddy smile on her face as she stared up at me, anyone would have thought it was her birthday and not mine.

"Happy birthday!" she exclaimed as she whipped out the mystery object and brandished it proudly before me.

It was about the size of an A5 piece of paper, mostly flat but for a slight bulge in its centre, and messily wrapped in plain brown paper.

I took it from her with a smile and an amused shake of my head, genuinely curious about what she had gotten me. I knew she hadn't had a chance to go shopping since the trip we'd taken to Missoula with Lissa and the Dashkovs, and nothing she'd bought then remotely resembled a gift for me. Whatever the present in my hands was, she'd gotten it at the Academy, and I was intrigued.

Turning the gift over I slid my finger under the tape, gently unwrapping and lifting the paper so as not to rip it. I paused as I looked inside, letting the contents sink in.

And then I burst out laughing.

Inside were two pieces of paper (A5, as I had guessed). Both were laminated and featured a plain black boarder surrounding large black text, the first of which stated:

This coupon is redeemable for 1 Free Victory in a sparring match of your choosing

While the second read:

This coupon is redeemable for 1 Full Day Free of Teasing and Insults (including, but not limited to, comments about Russia, your bad taste in music and your weird obsession with cowboys)

In small writing at the bottom of both was typed:

This coupon cannot be exchanged or refunded

Still chuckling, I lifted the coupons and laughed anew at what was hidden beneath them.

It was a silver Sheriff's badge in the shape of a star, the plastic type that you'd find on a child's Halloween costume. Inspecting it closely, I discovered that Rose had scrawled an addition onto its front in black marker, with the badge now proudly displaying the words 'Birthday Sheriff'.

"Sorry they're not very exciting, but my options for birthday shopping were kind of limited," Rose said with a shrug. She was trying to be her usual cool and confident self, but looking at her closely I could see that beneath her smile she was genuinely worried that I wouldn't like her homemade gifts.

Noticing my scrutiny, Rose attempted to mask her moment of vulnerability with her default sarcasm and humour. "Not that I didn't go to a lot of effort with this. I mean, I even laminated those coupons for you. Or, well, Lissa did - that machine really doesn't like me…," she said in an undertone, and for a moment she had a far off, haunted look in her eyes, like a soldier reliving the horrors of battle. I desperately wanted to hear the story behind that look, but she shook it off and gave me a teasing smirk before I could ask any questions. "Plus, I bet John Wayne never had a badge as awesome as that one," she finished with a sly wink.

"No, I'm sure he didn't," I replied, grinning down at the silver star in my hand.

Looking back up at her, I felt my smile change from one of amusement to one of fondness and gratitude. I was truly touched by her gift. I had always preferred thoughtful presents over expensive ones, and I couldn't imagine a better one than this. It was just so … Rose. And the fact that I hadn't expected to receive anything today only made this surprise that much more special.

"So you really like it then?" she asked hopefully, a trace of her earlier uncertainty returning.

"I do. I love it. Thank you, Roza." And then I did something I probably shouldn't have done - I hugged her.

We so rarely allowed ourselves to give in to our feelings that any moment of affection, no matter how small, seemed to be amplified by all the times we had denied ourselves that closeness. Holding Rose in my arms now and feeling her return my embrace without hesitation, I couldn't help but think how right it felt. Like we had somehow been made to fit together perfectly in each other's arms and in each other's lives. No matter what others might think if they ever found out, I knew that my feelings for Rose were pure and genuine. Nothing felt more natural to me than having my Roza wrapped tightly in my arms.

I held onto that moment for as long as I dared, basking in her warmth as she rested her head on my chest, savouring the feeling of her arms wrapped firmly around my waist. My face was nestled in her hair and I breathed in deeply, the smell of her shampoo overwhelming my senses. Exhaling, I felt all of my tension leaving my body as I relaxed into her, and I knew that I would have given anything just to stay like that forever.

But it couldn't last. Eventually my arms seemed to tighten around her shoulders of their own accord, as if my body itself was fighting what my mind already knew - it was time to let her go.

With great reluctance I extracted myself from her hold, knowing full well that the longer we shared that embrace the more difficult it would be to end it. But I knew that we couldn't take the risk of it escalating into something less chaste, as much as I wished it could. And I certainly didn't want to tempt fate now that people would be awake and making their way across campus to begin their day.

Rose seemed just as unwilling to let me go as I was her. I allowed that knowledge and her lingering scent to be my consolation for the sudden absence of her warmth as I released her from my arms and took a half step backwards.

We were no longer touching, but the foot that separated us was charged with electricity. I could see so many emotions dancing across those dark eyes of hers - longing, desire, hope, sadness, regret - and I was sure my own eyes were a mirror. The depth and intensity of her gaze was making my heart race and my breathing shallow. And based on the sharp rise and fall of her chest and the blush in her cheeks, Rose was equally affected in return.

Searching for some way to distract us both before I tried to hug her again (or worse), I held up one of the coupons. "Are you sure I can't exchange this one?" My voice was gruff, and I cleared my throat before continuing in what I hoped was a casual tone. "I don't really have much need for it, and going two whole days without you making fun of me would be a nice change."

"You may not need it yet, but you'll be grateful of that freebie once all this training pays off and I start knocking you on your ass every other day," she said, her face breaking into a teasing grin as the spell between us broke. "Just be glad that's the present I decided to go with in the end. I was originally going to bake you a cake, but I didn't think you'd appreciate me getting expelled for accidentally burning down the school."

I laughed. Based on what I knew of Roza's culinary skills - or lack thereof - and her ability to attract trouble in the most benign of situations, I would not have been at all surprised by the outcome she described.

"You're probably right. Even I couldn't convince Headmistress Kirova to let you stay after something like that." Though I would do everything in my power to try to, I thought. Pushing the unpleasant idea of Rose's expulsion from my head, I held up the sheriff's badge and returned her teasing smile. "Besides, I think I prefer this present anyway. Once you eat a cake it's gone, but something like this can last a lifetime."

"You know you have to wear it, right?" Rose said seriously, and then laughed as my expression turned incredulous. It would be one thing to simply tell my colleagues that it was my birthday, but to announce it like that… I'd never live it down. "Come on, comrade, I know you secretly wish you lived in the Old West. This is your chance to look the part - more than usual, that is." I knew she would have rolled her eyes at my duster had I been wearing it. "Besides, how else will I know that you appreciate my gift? In fact," a spark suddenly lit up her eyes. "You should be wearing it right now."

"Rose, I do appreciate your gift, but I'm not going to-" My protest was cut short by her arm whipping forward and snatching the badge out of my hand faster than I was prepared for. Before I could even try to take it back - or complement her on her speed - she had stepped forward, closing the short distance between us, and grasped my T-shirt a few inches below my left clavicle, right where she'd once thought the heart was.

"Don't I get a say in this? It is my birthday, after all." As hard as I tried to sound annoyed, I couldn't help the slight breathlessness in my voice that her sudden proximity caused.

Besides, I knew it was pointless fighting her. Rose was an unyielding force of nature once she set her mind to something. I opted instead to stay as still as possible as she threaded the badge's pin through the material, the tip of her tongue peeking out the side of her mouth in concentration. I trusted her completely, but I wasn't going to make things more difficult for her when she was holding a sharp object that close to my skin.

"Well technically it's not your birthday yet," she retorted, throwing my earlier words back at me as she finished fastening the pin. She stepped back, admiring her work for a moment before meeting my eyes with a dangerous look that I knew all too well. "But if it means that much to you, you could always use your free victory coupon."

"I thought that was only for sparring," I argued, waving the laminated page in my hand as evidence.

"'A sparring match of your choosing' - verbal sparring counts too. Which means either you wear the badge and save the coupon for a rainy day, or you take it off and cash in the coupon now. Either way, we both get a win out of this," she replied victoriously, knowing that she had trapped me with her Rose-logic.

I rolled my eyes and shook my head, caught somewhere between exasperation and amusement (a very common combination of emotions when I was around Rose), but she and I both knew she'd won. Even if I'd wanted to, I was powerless to fight against that twisted logic of hers.

"Fine, you win this one. But I'm taking it off as soon as you walk out that door." She opened her mouth to protest and I quickly cut her off. "Speaking of which, you can probably still get some chocolate-glazed donuts from the cafeteria if you hurry." She closed her mouth and glanced up at the clock above the gym door. I could see her indecision as she chewed on her bottom lip, deliberating, and I fought to keep the triumphant grin off my face. She may know how to use her Rose-logic against me, but I knew how to use her love of food against her.

"Alright, you can take it off once I leave." Rather than conceding defeat, she made it sound as though she was offering me a generous deal, one that I'd be a fool not to take. "But it better be back on in our next training session. And the one after that, since it'll still technically be your birthday."

"Fine, fine," I said with a dismissive wave of my hand. "Now go before you miss out on all the good food, I'm late for my meeting with Guardian Petrov."

She gave me another grin as she turned and picked up her belongings before heading to the door. I wasn't sure if the smile was because I'd agreed to her demands, because she was about to get food or because she'd picked up on my lie about my meeting, or perhaps it was a combination of all three. Whatever the reason, I didn't care - I just loved seeing her smile.

She paused when she reached the door and turned her head to look at me over her shoulder. "See you later, Birthday Boy. Enjoy your 'meeting'," she said, a knowing glint in her dark eyes. And with a swish of her hair she pushed the door open and disappeared outside.

Standing alone in the gym, her gifts still in my hands and the sound of the closing door echoing in my ears, I couldn't help but feel a warm fluttering in my chest. I loved moments like this. So often our time together was bittersweet. If we stuck to our mentor/student roles, then I felt both proud of our efforts and saddened by the necessity of them. If we let our feelings for one another show, then I'd feel happy at the time but guilty later on. And when I had to put a stop to things before they went too far, I was left feeling both relieved that they hadn't and frustrated that they could never go further.

But there were no downsides to sweet, uncomplicated moments like this. It was just easy and natural, and, perhaps with the exception of that hug that lasted a little too long (yet not long enough), it had all been innocent. We were simply two people who respected and cared for one another, who understood each other and cherished the closeness a connection like that could provide. It was moments like this that I lived for, when we were free to just be ourselves and enjoy our time together without rules or roles or duty getting in the way. When I could simply watch a smile light up my Roza's face and delight in the knowledge that I had been the one to put it there.

As much as I wanted to stay there and bask in that wonderful moment for as long as I could, I knew it was time to get moving. With a sign I turned and walked to the training centre's office to retrieve my gym bag (where it was kept safe from the prying hands of mischievous students), setting down the coupons as I did so, before heading to the locker room.

After a quick shower I towelled off and got dressed, ready to have breakfast before starting my first shift of the day in Rose's second period Bodyguard Theory class. But as I packed my workout clothes into my gym bag I paused, the slight glint of silver having caught my eye. Picking up the slightly sweaty workout shirt, I carefully unfastened the badge and was about to place it in the pocket of my gym bag when a sudden idea struck me.

Grabbing my duster, I walked over to one of the several full-length mirrors affixed to the locker room wall. I met my own eye in the mirror with a questioning look, perhaps asking myself if I was serious about this. After a moment I saw my reflection shrug, and without further delay I pinned the badge to my shirt.

I placed it a little to the left of where Rose had done, and I was just as careful not to prick myself as she had been. Studying my reflection once it was in place, I couldn't help but smile at the little adornment. I'd always loved cowboys and the escape that stories of the Wild West had given me, and I wasn't ashamed to admit that I'd often daydreamed of being a cowboy or a sheriff as a child (and even occasionally as an adult). And while it was a far cry from the getup I'd worn to the St. Varvara's Day festival, the origin of this trinket made it far more precious to me.

With a final, lingering look at the little silver star, I shrugged on my duster and watched it disappear beneath the familiar leather. I gave a quick test of my movements, turning this way and that and raising my arms to make sure the badge wouldn't be visible when I moved around. Satisfied that I couldn't see any metallic flashes, I gave a quick nod to my reflection before turning back to my gym bag and shoving in the remainder of my belongings. After returning it to its usual spot in the office I walked out of the gym, my guardian mask replacing my smile as I headed towards the guardian break room.

I had a feeling today was going to be a great day.

Thanks for reading :). Please review so that I can hear any thoughts and/or constructive criticism you have, I appreciate any advice and encouragement I can get.