"What is this?", Rose asked, holding up the note she was reading. Dimitri took the note and the package it was attached to, and flipped it over a few times. The couple had packed up their separate belongings and dragged them over to their apartment that very day. They'd been unpacking some boxes containing Dimitri's books, DVDs and other stuffs in the den, when Rose came across a brown parcel with a note attached. Curious, she had read it, only to be left more mystified by it.
'This CD is a gift for you sweetheart, whoever you are, that has captured my buddy's heart. This is, I promise, primetime leverage against Dimka! So use it wisely- you know you love me, Ivan.'
After perusing the message, Dimitri shrugged, and replied, "Ivan gave it to me about….4/5 years ago, and made me promise to give it to my girl. It probably was his idea of a joke. I won't be surprised if it's a rerun of Spongebob Squarepants or Scoobydoo."
"Your girl?", Rose teased, closing the box that she had been unpacking. She stretched her limbs, sighing happily when her joints popped. They'd been working for a good 8 hours, stopping only for food and exchanging little stories.
"Ivan's words. But you do make the cut", Dimitri winked at her, and closed his box too. "Here, let's watch. We've unpacked enough for a day."
They stood up and made their way over to the couch. Dimitri carefully peeled a CD out of the package and then folded the paper, placing it on the table. Rose didn't tease him, knowing that it was for sentimental reasons. A memento of Ivan. After sliding the disc into the DVD player, Dimitri flopped on to the couch and pulled her to his side. The video came to life, focusing on the face of a handsome young moroi with bright sapphire eyes. "Ivan", Dimitri breathed, causing Rose to squeeze his hand.
"Right now, we're at the club, Speakeasy, partying up D's 21st. And D here is drunk.", Ivan commented, a huge grin on his face. The camera swung to show a broadly smiling Dimitri waving a vodka bottle happily, then refocused back on Ivan. "It took me three hours to get him to drink, and 3 and a half bottles of absinthe to get him to loosen up. Its open mic night here, and he's up next!", Ivan shouted to be heard over the announcement of the emcee. "They just announced him. Go on, buddy. Woo-hoo! Without further ado, I present to you Dimitri-the drunk- Belikov. Oh, man this is gonna be epic!". Behind him, someone sniggered.
The camera swung again to Dimitri who was making his way up to the stage. His hair was loose and he was in jeans and a white T-shirt that showed off his impressive body. Rose flicked her eyes over to her Dimitri, who was sitting by her side, pale-faced and wide-eyed. It was quite apparent that he had no recollection of the incident, but now probably realized that Ivan could only have saved it for humiliating him. And boy, was he mortified!
Back on the screen, the younger (and happier) Dimitri was drunkenly gushing in what was probably Russian. Almost nobody understood what he was saying, but the many girls looking up at him had the same I-wanna-jump-your-bones-right-now look on their faces. Ivan continued his commentary in English in a hushed voice, as if sharing a secret. "Right now, D is thanking me for being the awesomest friend ever! Ok, fine he didn't say awesomest, but whatever. He's talking about his birthday and how awesome his friends are." A chorus of 'hear-hear' resounded behind Ivan. "Now….oh God!", Ivan chuckled before continuing. "He's saying how much he misses his mama. Mama! And her food. Black bread. Sauerkraut. And blini. Butter-smothered, jam-covered blini with syrup. You heard me, D said that. Not that I blame him, coz Olena cooks awesome" Ivan commented, then paused to listen again, and Rose again glanced at her Dimitri, whose cheeks were tinted now. Bless his soul, Dimitri was blushing!
"Holy crap!", Ivan said dramatically. "He just announced he's a virgin! And how he's saving himself for the right girl. Damn! If he'd only said it in English, half the club would jump his bones in an instant. Oh boy, is he gonna regret this someday!", Ivan concluded gleefully. Beside Rose, Dimitri buried his face in his hands, muttering to himself. Rose chuckled lightly, rubbing her hands over his shoulder soothingly, but kept her focus on the screen.
Video Dimitri chugged from a bottle and again, started speaking. Ivan muttered oh-shit and then there was a lot of scrambling and weird noises as he raced towards the stage and dragged Dimitri off, much to the disappointment of his many fans. The camera shook, not focusing on anything, as the two men, followed by a some others made their way out and got into a car. When the camera refocused, Dimitri was leaning on Ivan's shoulder, crooning some slow song under his breath, and Ivan spoke again, quite excitedly. "In case you're wondering, he had started to list guardian duties and the hardships of dhampirs in the human club, so I thought it was time to….how do you say it?" From behind him a masculine voice hazarded a guess. "Right, it was time to get the hell out of dodge. But the night's still young, and I'm sure we're gonna have a lot more fun. Right, D?". Beside Ivan, Dimitri whooped in glee, causing the entourage to chuckle.
Beside Rose, Dimitri moaned and facepalmed himself. Over the next hour and half, the couple was treated to a video of the younger Dimitri getting even more drunk and pole dancing in another club to Britney's Hit Me Baby One More Time, then confessing his deep fear of Teletubbies to Ivan while giggling. Yep! You heard right, Dimitri giggled. That was followed by Dimitri doing a couple cartwheels, then pretending to be a flopping dolphin on a pavement, then climbing a tree and from there impersonating Al Capone, followed by jumping down and trying to kiss a struggling Ivan, and then running and unceremoniously passing out outside a strip club. This was accompanied by Ivan slipping in innuendos and comments, accompanied by the laughter of their friends. Once Ivan and the others managed to lift Dimitri in the car, Ivan refocused the camera on his dimpled face and bright eyes again.
"So, that was drunk-Dimitri, brought to you by Ivan. Man, was it fun! But, Good Lord, is he heavy!" Around Ivan, voices sniggered, and Ivan swung the camera to focus on their friends, 2 dhampirs and a moroi, all of similar age, and all sporting T-shirts, before continuing. "I'm pretty sure all D will carry on from tonight will be a killer-headache. And, I'm not gonna sic this on him….yet. Let's keep it a secret, ok guys?". Cheerful 'Yeahs' were heard. "Oh, by the way, D?", Ivan focused on the camera. "You're the bestest friend I could ask for too, and I trust you with my life, buddy boy. But try to kiss me again and I'll show you why you shouldn't mess with an air user. Adios, amigo!" After that announcement, Ivan refocused the camera on Dimitri, who was sleeping peacefully, sprawled across two car seats. The last sound the dhampir couple heard before the screen went blank was the chiming sound of Ivan's carefree laughter.
Rose and Dimitri sat, staring at the now-blank screen for a few minutes. Then, Rose got up and switched off the TV screen, and turned around to face her boyfriend, who had his face planted on a pillow on their couch. "Well, that was enlightening", she teased him lightly, brushing one hand through his silky hair.
"Oh God, Roza", Dimitri moaned, voice muffled against the pillow. "I remember nothing of that night. Every time I asked the guys, they'd all collapse into laughter. This makes so much sense. And to think…..so that's why Sergei and Liam were snickering when they invited me to a boy's night out the other day!".
"Sergei and Liam?", Rose asked quizzically.
"Sergei Zeklos and his guardian, Liam", Dimitri clarified, sitting up. "You met them the other day, remember?"
"Yeah", Rose mumbled, recognizing the younger versions of the two from the video. "I didn't know you guys were such good friends."
"Well, now you know", Dimitri replied dryly. "Serge and Ivan grew up together. The other guy was Gordon, V's other guardian". The other guardian on duty when Ivan was killed, Rose realized.
"So", Rose began slowly, trying to cheer him up.. "Teletubbies?"
Dimitri moaned once, muttering about traitor best friends taking advantage of their naive buddies, which caused Rose to laugh.
"Ok, I kinda get the Teletubbies, they're creepy", Rose teased once she regained her breath. "But stripping to Britney? My, my Comrade, you've been holding out on me"
"Please Roza, no more", Dimitri begged, burying his head in her hair.
"Fine, fine", Rose conceded. "No more…..now. But I kid you not, start one meaningless fight with me, and you're screwed. I'll show this to Christian, and take it over to Guardian Central for movie night."
"Deal", Dimitri agreed hastily, pulling her closer. After some time, Rose spoke again. "But seriously, stripping? Didn't know you had it in you"
Dimitri groaned again, muttering Damn-you-Ivan under his breath. "Let it go, Roza, please", he pleaded again.
"On one condition", Rose announced.
"Which is?", Dimitri ventured cautiously.
"You'll let me make a video", Rose smiled wickedly. "Of us"
"Roza, there's no way I'm getting drunk and letting you-"
"Not that kind of video.", Rose purred. Dimitri stared at her uncomprehendingly and then, his eyes widened, catching her drift. "You want a-a- sex tape?", Dimitri choked out.
"Yep, do that and this never sees the light of day", Rose offered, holding up Ivan's gift.
"But what if anyone else sees that?", Dimitri asked, still a but wide-eyed.
"I'm willing to take my chances", Rose said flippantly, fanning herself with the CD. "Besides, you're hot, I'm hot, so why not? Take your pick, Comrade".
Dimitri chewed on his lip, mulling over his options, and then sighed in defeat. "I swear you'll be the death of me, Roza"
"I love you too!", Rose chuckled, getting to her feet. "And Comrade? Invite Sergei and Liam over for dinner someday, okay? We need to get better acquainted."
Dimitri groaned and murmured something that sounded suspiciously like 'of all the fucking luck'. But, he obediently followed Rose to their bedroom. What? Their new bed needed to be broken in!
Later that night, way later that night, the two guardians cuddled in front of the TV again, watching another tape, one they had made only hours ago, and Dimitri muttered thank you V under his breath. Dead or alive, Ivan knew how to make Dimitri's life interesting. But of course, like Ivan had always insisted, it was for D's own good. And his gift? Let's just say, Dimitri and Rose had a lot of fun after they had a fight. Rose would threaten to publicize the incriminating CD, and Dimitri would then have to 'persuade' her not to. All thanks to Ivan's ingenious thinking.
Review! Review! Let me know what you think :p
Hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.
PS-I love Ivan! I wish he was still alive during the VA series, and for those of you not in the know, D and V are how Dimitri and Ivan address each other, at least in my stories. Another example of the use of D and V can be seen in Drabble 29 of my Moments series. Cheers!