Waking up with Rose in his bed a few days later was a pleasant, albeit unexpected surprise.

She pounced on him just as sunrise was cresting and the whole room was bathed in peachy light. Her skin glowed, deliciously bared in only her underwear and a thin t-shirt.

"Hey," she said with a throat laugh, as he started awake.

"Dreams do come true," he slurred, drunk with sleep, snuggling her in his big arms.

"Wake up," she said, pushing at his shoulders.

"Mmm, why?"

"I wanna play," she said in a soft, dangerous voice, wrestling his arms to his side.

"Mhmm," he countered, pushing his upper body off the bed.

They began to wrestle, both with tired limbs and sleepy smiles on their faces, their holds slow and deliberate, skin brushing sheets and soft jersey t-shirts.

Every once in a while he felt her laugh whoosh out against his skin, gently, or a little sigh when he trapped her under him once again.

With a determined grunt, she rolled him onto his back, pinning his arms under her shins and holding his legs with her hands.

Underestimating the advantage she had given him, she froze when his hand brushed along her inner thigh.

His mouth pressed closely to her clothed sex, purring against her core in a way that made all her muscles un-flex.

She nearly fell forward when, without a word, he pulled an arm free and slid her underwear aside. His tongue slid up and down her slit, making her quickly wet with want for him.

"Dimitri," she purred, gripping his legs tightly.

"Shh," he said softly.

He felt so groggy and sleepy, the only thing that made sense to was put his mouth on her and make her arch and moan helplessly in his hands. She cried out when his tongue slipped inside her with slow, lazy thrusts, his constant, pleased growl vibrating in all the right places.

"Please," she whispered softly, as if she was afraid of the moment ending.

He held her hips steady, running his thumbs along her inner thighs.

"I could keep you like this," he said suddenly, sliding a finger into her tight heat, "Just writhing and begging me. I could keep you like this for hours, until you can't stand it. I like you like this. So docile and sweet."

She would have countered but his finger left her, replacing the sensation with his lips wrapped around her clit. She cried out, falling against him, her chest pressed to his legs as he lapped at her swollen bud.

"I need it," she whimpered, her hips trying desperately to gain some friction, which he didn't allow her.

"Oh Roza," he murmured knowingly, chidingly, and that small phrase said everything, how much he owned her at this second, how her desperation gave him life, that he belonged to her just as she did him.

She then felt the full force of his revenge. Why deny her pleasure when instead her could use it as a much more refined weapon, leaving her thoughtless and wordless as she stretched out before him. He had complete control. She was in agony, yet so overwhelmingly sated.

He sucked her clit, not as intensely as he did in the shower, but at a steady rhythm that didn't let up. She felt tortured on the brink of her orgasm, she'd felt ready for it the moment his mouth was on her but the teasing just made her feel farther and farther away.

Mercifully, his lips brought her to relief when her struggling became rougher. He had to hold her pelvis up so it didn't collapse onto his chest. Her orgasm was the steadiest one she felt with him, it didn't burn her so much as it rolled through her in waves, ebbing after a few seconds, but intense because it felt thorough.

"Fuck," she whispered, her face pressed against his leg.

He lowered her to his side, her hip settled against his pillow. He rubbed her lower back as she tried to regain control of her limp body.

"I love you," he said quietly.

"You just showed me." She answered, lifting herself onto her knees.

He smoothed her hair back, but she wasn't paying attention to his eyes on her.

"I'm ready for this," she said in a rushed whisper, pulling at his pants.

"Rose," he grabbed her hands when she didn't slow, "Roza. I trust you to know you're ready. But not like this. Let me be a bit less of a bastard and give us something better than this."

"What could be better than this?" she whispered, lowering her lips to his.

The kiss was hot and sweet, but even when he gave into it and kissed back, he returned no more intensity that would lead to anything like that.

"I want to give you a little more than this. Can you be patient?"

"It's not about the place, it's about us."

"Then at least can we do this off of Academy grounds. For me?"

She bit her lip, considering his face. He didn't flinch away from her scrutiny; she knew he wasn't trying to get out of things.

"Fine. You have twenty-four hours to arrange better plans before I'm jumping you in your sleep."

He laughed softly, but stopped as she rose from the bed.

"Wait," he grabbed her arm, "stay."

She bit back her smile, crawling back into his arms. He held her close, curled around her body. Her feet brushing his legs, her chest pressed to his, her head under his chin.

They fell asleep like that, both with small smiles on their faces.

The next twenty-fours hours were exhausting, but the next morning Rose waited in the parking lot, where a guardian had told her she had to be. Dreading another creative training exercise, she awaited an organized surprise attack or some kind of drill, glancing over her shoulders for other novices. She was the only one there.

A car drove up after a few minutes, almost aimed directly at her. It stopped a few feet from her.

The car's window lowered, revealing Dimitri with an unusual look in his eyes.

"Kirova permitted you for an overnight solo in the woods. Pack some essentials and get in."

"How is this a good thing?" Rose asked flatly, eying the car as one would a guided missile.

"The plan is I walk you to your location and camp out to monitor. So I'm meant to be close by."

"…Uh...huh…?"

"I'll be staying in a cabin a mile away from your campsite. Other than that, there'll be no one else out there."

"Oh. Uh huh."

He smirked, a beautiful, happy aura radiating his features. In his own way, he looked as thrilled as she felt.

"Pack your things and get in. I don't want to waste any time that could be spent…on a few lessons."