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Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy.

CHAPTER 13

RPOV

I walked off to the spot Christian and I'd meet before he'd leave for the holidays. When I arrived, I saw he was already there. And he wasn't alone.

I smiled to myself as I saw him hugging Lissa. They pulled away after a few moments and then he leaned in to kiss her. They'd been dating for a couple of weeks now and things were going well for them. Christian had been whining to me the last couple of days that he didn't want to go home to his parents because then he'd miss Lissa too much. I guess they were saying their goodbyes now.

I slowed down to give them some time, but after a few minutes, I felt like I had to break them apart before things got out of hand.

"Hey! This is a public place," I called out.

Christian pulled away from Lissa to look at me and grinned. "Hey Rose."

Lissa smiled at me and then turned back to Christian. "I should go now. I'll see you after winter break, okay?" She pecked his lips and then said to me, "Happy holidays, Rose."

I smiled. "You too."

Christian stared after Lissa as she walked away and let out a wistful sigh.

I playfully punched his arm. "Come on, it's only for a few weeks. It'll go by in no time."

"I hope so," he murmured sadly.

"Don't mope, Christian," I groaned. "You can still call her every day."

He smiled a little. "Yeah, that's true."

"See? It'll all be alright."

Christian looked at me. "What about you? Are you sure you want to stay on campus?"

"Uh yeah. I'm not going to spend the holidays with my mom," I said. "She wouldn't want to have me home anyway. I don't even know if she will be home at all – since she's always traveling with her boyfriend."

"But it's Christmas. You can't stay here all on your own then," he said frowning.

"I don't mind," I said shrugging. I hadn't told him I was going to Dimitri's. I don't know why, though. Maybe it was because he'd ask questions I couldn't answer – or better, I didn't want to answer. "It'll be nice to have the room all to myself."

"I guess it's one good thing that Avery won't be there, yeah," he admitted. He still looked a little doubtful, though. "Why don't you come with me? My parents won't mind."

"No, I don't think that's a good idea. I don't want to disturb you and your family," I said. "Thanks for the offer, though."

He sighed. "Well, if you change your mind… Just call me and I'll come and get you."

I laughed. "That's sweet of you, Chris, but I'm not going to let you drive all the way back here just for me."

"But-"

"I'll be fine, Christian," I assured him, smiling.

"Alright then." He glanced down at his watch and let out another sigh. "I should leave. Merry Christmas, Rose," he said, hugging me.

I hugged him back. "Merry Christmas, Christian."

He smiled and let go of me. I watched him walk to the parking lot. With a sigh, I turned around and walked back to my room. Avery had already left, which I was glad for. I spent the rest of the day in my room, watching TV, and the following day was much of the same.

When evening came, I got up to get ready for the Christmas dinner at Dimitri's house. I was feeling a little nervous about it, to be honest. I'd grown close to Dimitri and his family in the few months I'd been there to babysit – maybe a little too close. I'd gotten so comfortable with it all, spending time with the kids and with Dimitri… They treated me as if I was a part of their family and I liked it. I loved them all dearly, but the person that meant the most to me was Dimitri – which was a problem.

I'd never meant to fall for Dimitri. But it happened and there was nothing I could do about it now. I'd told myself over and over again that I shouldn't like him, but every time I saw him my heart skipped a beat. It didn't help matters that he was always so kind and sweet.

Sometimes I thought he liked me too. The way he looked at me sometimes, the way he'd cared for me when I'd been sick… I could be imagining it – and I probably was – but it made me feel special that he worried over me, that I was important enough to him to worry over.

Or it could just be for the sake of his kids. Maybe he was always inviting me to family stuff because the kids liked me having around. Maybe he was just doing it for them. I think it was the latter.

When I finished getting dressed – I'd chosen to wear a knee-length red dress with a sweetheart neckline – I put on a little bit of makeup and did my hair into a simple but elegant bun.

When I looked into the mirror to examine myself, I had to admit I looked pretty. Suddenly, I wondered what Dimitri would think. Does it matter? You're not dressing up for him, I chastised myself. You're doing it for yourself.

I let out a sigh, put on my coat and retrieved the bag of gifts from under my bed. I'd bought the gifts about a week ago. I'd figured that if I was going to spend Christmas with Dimitri and his kids, I'd better buy them something nice as a thank you for letting me come over and, well, because it was Christmas.

When I arrived at Dimitri's place twenty minutes later, I took a deep, calming breath before ringing the doorbell. I silently counted the seconds in my head until the door opened and Dimitri appeared, smiling.

"Hey," I said, offering him a smile of my own.

"Hey Roza," he said. He stepped aside and I entered. "The kids were already starting to wonder if you'd show up."

"Sorry," I said, looking at him apologetically. "I didn't realize I was late."

"You aren't. They're just impatient," he said, the smile still on his face. I shrugged off my coat and he took it from me. "You look beautiful."

I blushed. "Thank you."

I then took in what he was wearing. It wasn't anything fancy, but he still looked very gorgeous in his dark jeans and white button-down shirt. The sleeves were rolled up to his elbows.

"You don't look so bad yourself," I teased, showing some of my Rose Hathaway bravado.

Dimitri grinned. "Thanks."

I held up my bag. "I brought presents."

"Oh, you shouldn't have," he said.

"Yes, it's Christmas!" I protested.

"Well, the kids will be ecstatic. They've been driving me crazy all day, begging me if they could open their presents."

I grinned. "I used to be like that too when I was a kid."

"Why does that not surprise me?" he said in a teasing voice.

I nudged him. "Don't tell me you weren't impatient to open your presents when you were a kid. That would be the biggest lie ever."

"I've always been patient," he said grinning. "Well, most of the time."

"Dad!" called a voice from the living room. It was Liam. "What's taking you so long?"

"Coming!" Dimitri called back. He smiled at me and, taking my free hand, he led me into the living room. "Look who's finally arrived," he said when we entered.

"Rose!" Liam exclaimed, jumping up to hug me.

"Hey, Liam! How are you doing?" I asked, ruffling his hair. I looked up and smiled at Inna and Alisa. "Merry Christmas, guys."

"What's in the bag?" Alisa asked curiously.

I grinned. "Santa dropped something off for you guys at my place…"

She started grinning too. "Presents?!"

"Of course!"

"Can we open them now?" Liam asked eagerly.

I was about to answer, but Dimitri cut me off before I could. "No, first dinner," he said. "Afterwards, you can open your presents."

Liam pouted, but didn't protest. Alisa started tugging me to the kitchen, telling me how she'd helped her father make dinner. Inna quickly joined the conversation, saying she'd been helping too.

And I had to admit that it all looked a lot more delicious than what I had planned to eat if I'd been on my own. The steak tasted divine and the croquettes were pretty amazing, too. The vegetables were…well, it were vegetables. I'd never been a big fan of them.

Dessert was even better than the main course: chocolate mousse. I actually moaned when I tasted it, which made the kids giggle like crazy.

"Are you coming with us tomorrow, Rose?" Inna asked, licking her spoon clean.

I frowned. Tomorrow? "Where to?"

"We're going to visit grandmother for Christmas," Alisa said smiling. "There'll be more delicious food there and lots of desserts. She always has lots of desserts!"

I smiled. "Well, aren't you lucky with a grandmother like that!"

"So, are you coming tomorrow?" Inna asked again.

I glanced at Dimitri briefly. "I don't know, Inna. I'm not family so I don't think-"

"My mother won't mind if you come," Dimitri interrupted gently. He smiled. "In fact, she'd love it if you'd come. And it's not just family that's coming. Ivan's coming too."

"Oh. Well…" I said awkwardly. "Are you sure? I don't want to disturb…"

"Please Rose! Please come with us!" Liam said excitedly.

"It's fine, Rose. Really," Dimitri said, still smiling. "We'd all be very happy if you'd join us."

I had to admit it sounded better than sitting alone in my room all day. Anything sounded better than that, really.

"Okay," I said at last. "I'll come."

The kids cheered and Dimitri grinned.

"Great. But we'll have to leave early in the morning," he added. "It's a long drive."

"That's fine," I said.

"Can we open our presents now?" Liam asked impatiently. "Everyone's done eating."

"Alright," Dimitri said.

After clearing the table, we all went to sit around the big Christmas tree – which was decorated very beautifully. I watched the kids unpack their presents with a smile. They were all so eager and happy.

"I also got something for you," I said to Dimitri. He glanced away from his kids, a surprised look on his face. I took the gift out of my purse and handed it to him. "Something to add to your western collection."

Dimitri smiled as he unwrapped the gift. "Thank you, Roza," he said as he looked at the book's cover.

"I hope you don't have it already," I said quickly, suddenly a little shy.

His smile widened. "No, it's perfect. Thank you."

Suddenly, he got up and left the room. I wondered where he was going. The kids hadn't noticed a thing; they were still busy with all the presents they'd gotten. Liam was currently building some kind of fort with his new Lego's and Alisa was playing with her doll while Inna stared in awe at her new ballet shoes.

I glanced away from them when Dimitri entered. He sat back down beside me on the couch and I noticed he was holding a small, velvet box in his hand.

"This is for you," he said, handing it to me.

I gasped as I opened the box. Inside, there was a silver rose necklace. Normally, I didn't like rose stuff, but this…this was absolutely gorgeous.

"Wow, Dimitri…" I said, not knowing what else to say. I looked up at him. "This is too much. You shouldn't have-"

"I wanted to," he interrupted gently, giving me a small smile.

I smiled back. "Thank you. It's really beautiful."

"You want me to put it on for you?" he asked.

I nodded, giving him the necklace. I turned around in my seat and held my breath, my heart hammering in my chest, as he leaned closer and put the necklace around me. I closed my eyes when his warm hands rested on my shoulders briefly. He pulled away and I opened my eyes, turning back around to face him.

Dimitri smiled. "Perfect."

I blushed and looked down at the necklace. "Thank you."

The kids wanted to play a game so that's what we did for the rest of the night. We played all kinds of games the kids came up with. It was fun. I don't think I've ever laughed so much as tonight. When Liam started yawning, Dimitri glanced at the clock.

"I think it's time for you guys to go to bed," he said, getting up from the couch.

"But Dad," Inna said in a whiny voice. "It's Christmas."

"It's already past your bedtime," Dimitri said. "And we have to get up early in the morning."

They only protested a little bit before getting up reluctantly. I kissed them all good night and promised them again I'd come with them tomorrow before they went upstairs.

"I'll be right back," Dimitri said to me as he followed them.

I let out a sigh and sat back down on the couch. With a smile, I looked at my necklace. I couldn't believe Dimitri had bought me something so expensive. I kind of felt bad I hadn't bought him something more expensive. The book I'd bought him was cheap compared to this. I knew he wouldn't have wanted me to buy something expensive for him, though.

I snapped out of my reverie when I heard the door open and close again. I stood and looked at Dimitri. He looked back, but didn't say anything.

"I guess I should go home," I said at last, clearing my throat.

Dimitri nodded and glanced away. I reached for my purse and was about to walk to the hallway when he said, "Unless…"

I turned around, giving him a questioning look. To my surprise, he looked a little nervous.

"Would you like to watch a movie or something?" he asked.

"Umm…" I glanced down at my watch. It was just past ten. I guess I could stay a little longer and watch a movie with Dimitri. Looking up at him, I smiled. "Sure."

He smiled, too. "Okay. How about you choose the movie while I get some more drinks?"

I nodded and watched him walk to the kitchen. As I heard him open the fridge, I rummaged through his DVD collection. There was so much and, to be honest, the last thing I was thinking about was which DVD I wanted to watch. All I could think about was that I was here with Dimitri, all alone, without anyone to interrupt.

At last, I just picked a movie at random. It's not like I was going to pay attention anyway. I mean, I couldn't. Not with Dimitri sitting so close next to me. I barely dared to breathe and I kept glancing at him from the corner of my eye. One time, he noticed me looking at him – which made me blush in embarrassment. I quickly glanced back at the TV, but not before seeing a smile creep onto his face.

"Thank you for coming over tonight," Dimitri said when the movie had finished. We were in the hallway and he helped me into my coat. "You still want to join us tomorrow?"

"Sure. If it's not a problem."

"The kids would love it if you'd come with us." His hand brushed against mine as he let go of my coat. "I'd love it too," he added softly. I stared at him, unable to respond. Clearing his throat, he said, "You know, you could stay here tonight if you want to. You shouldn't walk home alone at this time of night. You could sleep in my room and I'll sleep on the couch."

I smiled. "That's really kind of you, Dimitri, but I'll be fine."

He frowned a little. "You know I hate it when you have to walk back home all alone in the dark – and it's my fault. I asked you to stay."

I shrugged. "It's okay. I wanted to stay."

"It's a wonder you haven't gotten tired of us yet," he joked.

I grinned. "I could never get tired of you guys," I teased.

His gaze softened. "Oh, Roza," he sighed, tucking a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. "You're too good to be true."

I felt butterflies in my stomach as I looked at him. Blushing, I glanced away. A few moments passed, neither of us speaking. At last, I looked back up at him and said softly, "Thank you for convincing me to come over. I had a great time." He smiled that beautiful smile of his and before I could stop myself I leaned in and kissed his cheek, murmuring, "Good night, Dimitri."

I wanted to step back, but he grabbed my wrist and pulled me to a stop.

"Roza, wait," he said, his voice soft.

I glanced up at him in surprise. I was even more surprised when he leaned in and pressed his lips against mine. I was too shocked to do something – like kiss him back.

Before I could respond to the kiss, he pulled away and gazed at me. I opened my mouth to say something, but I couldn't. I was rendered speechless. Did he really just kiss me?

Hesitantly, I looked up at him. Our eyes met and then Dimitri leaned in again and kissed me softly. This time, I kissed him back. He cupped my cheek while his other hand rested on the small of my back and pulled me closer.

I wrapped my arms around his neck as we continued to kiss. His lips were soft and gentle against mine. His tongue slid against my bottom lip and I opened my mouth, granting him entrance. He pulled me even closer to him as his tongue explored my mouth. His arms wrapped around my waist tightly and I tangled my fingers in his hair.

At last, we pulled away from each other, gasping for air. Dimitri rested his forehead against mine and smiled. I felt myself smiling back automatically.

"I should really go now," I said at last, my voice a little hoarse.

He nodded and pressed another soft kiss against my lips and then, slowly, almost reluctantly, pulled away.

"Good night, Roza," he whispered.

Unable to say something, I turned around and walked out of the door, the smile never leaving my face as I walked home.

Aww, they finally kissed! What do you think is going to happen now? Will they talk about it or pretend like nothing happened? I hope you liked this chapter :)

And... Happy Easter! ^^