I'm so bad. I'm going back on my word again. It's starting to piss even me off! That's frickin hard to do! I keep telling myself: do NOT start a new story. But I couldn't resist. I was sitting in a café with my mom and grandma, listening to my aunt's friend sing with her husband for the music night. Ugh. But anyway, I was really bored and I saw someone who came in who, in my mind, looked a lot like Dimitri. I was all depressed, not wanting to be there and I looked up at the moment he did and we stared at each other for a while before he went to go sit down. It's needless to say that he was absolutely gorgeous. But instead of being all depressed, I decided to come up with story ideas. And I came up with this. And my favorite part of the story is that Dimitri had a better sense of humor. Well, Tasha has to good for something.
I'm really sorry about making you wait further still for Blood Promise, It's Not Our Fault, and Blissful Sleep. I swear to you, if each of those stories and this one do not come out with another chapter in the next month, I will give you my name and address and you can hunt me down and kill me slowly.
Thank you for being so awesome! I really wish I was kinder to you guys. And do any of my readers know how to play an acoustic guitar or piano? I wrote a song without a clue about how to write the actual music. So I need your help!
Love, Zoë.
Bring Me To Life, Evanescence
How can you see into my eyes life open doors?
Leading you down into my core
Where I've become so numb
Without a soul
My spirit's sleeping somewhere cold
Until you find it there and lead it back home
(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside
(Can't wake up)
Wake me up inside
(Save me)
Call my name and save me from the dark
(Wake me up)
Bid my blood to run
(Can't wake up)
Before I come undone
(Save me)
Save me from the nothing I've become
Now that I know what I'm without
You can't just leave me
Breathe into me and make me real
Bring me to life
(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside
(Can't wake up)
Wake me up inside
(Save me)
Call my name and save me from the dark
(Wake me up)
Bid my blood to run
(Can't wake up)
Before I come undone
(Save me)
Save me from the nothing I've become
Bring me to life
I've been living a lie
There is nothing inside
Bring me to life
Frozen inside without your touch
Without your love darling
Only you are the life among the dead
All this time I can't believe I couldn't see
Kept in the dark but you were there in front of me
I've been sleeping a thousand years it seems
Got to open my eyes to everything
Without a thought
Without a voice
Without a soul
Don't let me die here
There must be something more
Bring me to life
(Wake me up)
Wake me up inside
(Can't wake up)
Wake me up inside
(Save me)
Call my name and save me from the dark
(Wake me up)
Bid my blood to run
(Can't wake up)
Before I come undone
(Save me)
Save me from the nothing I've become
Bring me to life
I've been living a lie
There is nothing inside
Bring me to life
Dimitri's Point Of View
It sucks when you realize that your still in love with the girl you left five years ago for another woman. It really sucks.
Really.
So when I saw Rose sitting there in the café, her head down and tears falling from her face, it was only natural that I worried. She had been my student for over half a year and my almost lover from the lust spell of Viktor Dashkov. I had kissed her when I told her I was leaving. I had kissed her at the Easter visit Tasha had dragged me to. I wanted to kiss her now.
In the restaurant next door, I saw Christian and Princess Vasilisa, each with an instrument in hand with Vasilisa singing, ending a song just as I walked through the door. She was bowing, her hair flipping over her back. I imagined that every time the door opened, she would have to step back a foot to avoid being hit in the face. I carefully slipped through, not opening it that wide, and turned to both of them.
Vasilisa's eyes widened considerably and Christian raised an eyebrow. The princess threw her eyes around me and kissed each cheek. I shook Christian's hand quickly before we actually said any words.
"Guardian Belikov! How are you? Where've you and Tasha been?" The princess asked.
My heart sank instantly. I didn't want to talk about Tasha, but Christian deserved an explanation. I took and deep breath and closed my eyes. I cracked my index finger of my left hand, an annoying habit I had run into every time Tasha had tried to convince me to sleep with her.
"Tasha was killed. She had gotten another guardian since she told me to go on vacation for a while. I went to my family in Russia and three days later, I got a call telling me that the guardian who she had hired had murdered her. They think it was because he didn't believe the moroi should fight; he hasn't been found."
Christian stared at me with wide eyes and Vasilisa started sobbing into his chest.
"Are you okay?" Christian asked me.
I nodded. "Understand that she was my friend as well as my charge. I will mourn for her as well, and I hope that you find everything okay," I said slowly, watching wetness form in his eyes. He shook it away.
"Thank you, Belikov. We have to go now, though, I think." He sighed and looked at the princess attached to his chest. "I think Rose will manage getting home. She's on a date next door at Café Mozart, so I think you should stop by to say hello; she would like that."
I raised an eyebrow. Rose had definitely not been with anybody. Stood up? Who would want to stand her up? She's beautiful and smart and strong and…
I was snapped back to the present when Christian banged his guitar on my knee.
"Oh, sorry man. We'll see you soon, okay?" He managed with Vasilisa attacking him. I nodded. A dhampir I vaguely recognized from the academy followed them and took Vasilisa's instrument on the way.
I followed them out but they headed across the street while I went to the left, hesitantly going into the café. Rose was sitting by a window with her head leaned up against the glass and tears streaming down her face. I passed the 'Please wait to be seated' sign and to her table. I silently pulled out a chair and sat down, waiting for her to look up. After about five minutes, I couldn't take it anymore.
"Tell me the name of the guy who stood you up and I swear that I will put his nose in his brain," I said seriously.
She snapped her head up to look at me and burst into tears yet again, biting her lip so hard that it bled. A couple people from other tables looked at her but I tried to ignore them, for her sake.
"Dimitri…" She whispered. "Dimitri, what are you doing here?"
I smiled sheepishly. "I have nowhere else to go."
She stayed absolutely still besides the tears rolling down her cheeks for at least a minute.
"What do you mean?" She asked.
"Tasha was killed. Murdered. I no longer have a charge, so I thought I would come home to see… you."
She snorted. "Yeah, I'm your last resort. Your girlfriend dies so you come running to me to see if can find at least one forth of the pleasure she gave you. Real mature."
"Rose, I was never in a relationship with Tasha," I explained, getting more frustrated with every word she said.
She looked up at me with a thoughtful face. "Then why did you leave with her?"
"Because I thought it would be for the best… apparently, I was wrong. But I never left to be her boyfriend, lover or husband. I never wanted a child with her, never wanted anything with her other than to be her friend. The only person who I have had those feelings for… well, she's perfect."
She glared at me from under her tear coated eyelashes. "Who is this chick? Did you meet her while you were with Tasha?"
I chuckled. She didn't get it. "Well, she's a lot shorter than me. About your height, actually. She's got dark brown hair, a dangerous personality and an even more dangerous sense of humor."
"Where did you meet her?"
"Oregon. We got into a fight when we first met."
"What's her name?"
"Rosemarie Hathaway."
She stared at me for a second longer, her glare turning into a small grimace.
"Do you love this girl?"
"Always. From the moment I saw her first, being so willing to help her friend, I knew I would love her eventually. That time has come," I said, feeling slightly embarrassed, though, I would never admit that.
"I think she loves you to," she said, biting her lip again. "No, I know she loves you." I grabbed her hand that was lying on the table and squeezed it lightly, wanting to kiss her.
"Now, tell me who stood you up," I demanded.
She shook her head. "Like you said, you'll push his nose up into his brain. We can't have that, can we?" She bit her index finger lightly. "Besides, this isn't the first time this has happened."
"Than why were you crying?"
She hesitated before answering. "Every time this happens, I feel a little more unwanted. Lissa has become so independent lately, bent on becoming a singer, and Eddie and Christian have become great friends. I don't have a lot of other people besides them. Mia still lives at court, but we're not great friends and she's going out with Eddie. Mason was my only real friend beside him and… yeah."
I nodded slowly, frowning. Another tear fell from her face and I reached up to wipe it away. Her skin was so soft, just as I'd remembered it.
"It's okay, Roza. Did you ever get your molnija marks?" Or did you refuse them?"
She captured her mangled lip in her teeth again; I had to break her out of that. "In the end, I thought it was best that I got them. Since you last saw me, I got two of the stars from the battle, and two other marks from random strigoi," she said quietly.
I smiled widely, proud of how I had influenced her. "So that's four regular marks and two battle marks? That's really good for a guardian your age. I only have seven." I shrugged.
She whispered something under her breath. I tried to pick up on it but I couldn't.
"And what about Christian? Did they let him get anything?" I asked, not really curious but wanting to hear her voice.
She smiled. "They wouldn't let him get any marks so they gave him a certificate instead. It's quite hilarious. He hung it on the wall in their living room. Every time someone comes over, he talk about it even if they've heard the story. It's irritating. Even Liss get's annoyed by it. Did you know they got married?"
Dimitri raised his eyebrows. "Really? Why weren't Tasha and I invited?"
"You both were and only she came. She said you were sick and needed to rest." I frowned. "Was she lying?"
I bit my tongue in frustration. "Yes, yes she was. The only time she went away without me, she told me she was visiting her dying grandmother and didn't want me there to see her suffer."
She snarled. "She was trying to keep you away from me!"
"I think so, yes," I confirmed. It angered me too, but I kept it better concealed than she did.
Just then, a guy came bursting through the door, running to our table. He looked at me for a moment before turning to Rose.
"I'm so sorry I'm late, Rose!"
"It's an hour after you were supposed to be here," she growled. "You could have called, or at least sent a text."
"Well, I'm here now," he affirmed. He looked at me and gave me a glare that clearly said, 'You're in my seat, so get out now before I kick your ass.'
I laughed out loud. "You think that changes anything? You're late, you asshole. Never be late for a date. If you are, they'll never go out with you again. Not that I would let her go out with you, anyway."
I looked the guy over. He was obviously human, to clumsy to be a dhampir and too tan to be a moroi. He was tall and lanky with dark hair and eyes. He looked like he wanted to stab me slowly. I didn't blame him.
I laughed again and stood. It was then that he realized that he was talking to a really tall, really ripped, and really pissed off Russian guy. I towered over him by at least a head. I noticed his Adam's apple bob with a swallow and he quickly glanced at Rose.
"Can you tell your big muscled friend to calm down a little and be reasonable? I am her date after all," he said, smirking.
He must have actually thought this date would carry on.
Rose laughed too. "Get out of here, Andrew. If you want to live, I'd seriously consider moving out-of-state."
"Who's forcing me?"
"Nobody. I'm just making a suggestion," she chuckled, standing up and grabbing onto my biceps that were barely covered by my black t-shirt. I put an arm around her waist, loving the feel of it there, realizing that I had never before had a chance to do this with her. Be with her. Not terrorize humans. You know.
"Get out of here, Andrew," I said slowly.
He nodded slowly, quickly backing up and running out the door. I laughed loudly and Rose leaned against my shoulder, chuckling.
"Come on, Roza. Let's go take a walk."
She nodded, inhaling deeply.
We left the café and started walking along, headed to the only landmark I knew in the state; the Mamaroneck Harbor.
We didn't talk but she sighed every once in a while. I tightened my grip on her waist and leaned my head on hers. The Harbor eventually came into sight, high tide, with the boats floating on the top. The baseball park was busy, the fall fair going off with a bang. There was a Ferris wheel and everything. Rose smiled and sighed again.
"I wish I could have done that type of stuff when I was younger. I always read about kids having their first kisses at fairs and stuff. After my first kiss, the guy threw up on my shirt and I had to give him a ride home."
I laughed. "My first kiss… Let's see. I think my first kiss was after Homecoming. The girl had asked me to go, and as a gentleman, I said yes. So, basically, my first kiss was forced."
She broke out in hysterical laughter. She had to release me to clutch her stomach and fell to the ground laughing. It really wasn't that funny, or so I thought.
But the sight of her laughing made me laugh. I doubled over with her, landing in the grass. I slid my arm under her waist and dragged her closer to me.
"Roza," I whispered once she calmed down a little. "I love you."
"I love you, too, Dimitri." I leaned in, my forehead touching hers. Her nose was pressed against mine, sending electric shocks through me. I twisted a little to the right, tilting her lips toward mine. We were centimeters apart and her breathing became erratic and ragged. I finally leaned in that last little bit and brushed my lips against hers. She deepened the kiss, skimming her tongue against my lower lip and I made my tongue meet her there. She froze for a minute before wrapping her arms around my neck and I tightened my hold on her waist. Our tongues danced together gracefully as I pressed myself closer to her.
When I finally broke away to let her breathe, she gasped uncontrollably and curled into my chest. My arousal was prominent through my jeans but she didn't seem to notice. I smiled. I was with my Roza again.
"Get a room, you fucking teenagers!" Somebody called from a little while off. I smiled again.
"We're not teenagers," I muttered. "I'm twenty-nine."
"And I'm twenty-two."
I stared at her in shock. "Really?"
She nodded.
I shook my head. "In my head, I still think of you as the seventeen year old I brought home from Portland all those years ago," I confessed.
She laughed. "I'm not a little kid anymore."
"I know," I whispered. "You're not a little girl. You're my big girl."
"Yours?" She questioned.
"Always."
Did you like it? Please be honest when you review!
And don't forget my request about the music! I could send you a tune and lyrics and you could put it to music if you wanted to. Thanks for your cooperation and I'm really sorry about my ongoing obsession with starting new stories. I promise (I will make a Blood Promise if I have to) that I will actually work on this one and I'll try to work on the other's too.
Love, Zoë.