It only took me a moment to realize what had happened when I returned back into myself. Somebody had, unsurprisingly, broken a lamp. It was anticlimactic, but that kind of thing was to be expected when you had a bunch of drunk teenagers running around. I stood up from the couch, feeling a little bit dazed, and scanned the room. I found Jill immediately, sitting on a couch on the far side of the room. Surprisingly, Jesse was still with her, and they sat together. Neither of them appeared to be drinking, for which I was glad. Christian still wasn't around, so I went over to where Jill and Jesse sat together, standing opposite them. I recalled suddenly how Jesse had tortured Lissa when he wanted her to join in with the mana. That had been the night I had been with Dimitri. While I hated Jesse for hurting Lissa, he had in some perverse way brought Dimitri and I together.
"He's still guessing." Jill informed me happily. I couldn't contain my laugh at that.
"You're not a royal." Jesse said. "There's no way you could be."
"I never said I was." Jill replied honestly. I was surprised that Jesse was still there. He was fairly certain she wasn't from a royal family, and yet he was still talking to her, even when he could walk through the party and pick up almost any girl to take to his bedroom. And yet, he sat on the couch, close to Jill, but not inappropriately so.
"Are you going to tell him?" I asked her, grinning. Jesse looked between us, as if he thought he might be able to pick up on some kind of signal.
Jill turned to look at him. She watched him a moment, her eyes roving over his face. "Nope." She stood up.
"Where are you going?"
Jill looked around. "Your party kind of died." Jesse looked around him. It was true. There were still people around, curled up on the couches, or laying passed out on the floor. Some people still stood in the kitchen, but for the most part, the life of the party seemed to be between Jill and Jesse, and so he couldn't argue with that.
"I don't want you to leave yet." Jesse said quickly, and I laughed, unable to deny it. Jesse was acting like a lovesick puppy. It was entirely beyond me, because I'd never known him to care about anybody.
"Sorry, Zeklos, but Cinderella's got to get home before the fairy godmother gets upset." I said. Jesse shot me an irritated look, and Jill giggled.
"Maybe if you can figure out who I am by the next time I see you, we can do this again." Jill suggested. Jesse looked hopeful.
"When will I see you again?" He asked.
Jill shrugged. "Whenever you find me next, I guess. Night." We turned and left Jesse sitting there. I figured Christian must have gone back to his own room, because he was nowhere to be found. I thought it odd that he should be the one to suggest we crash the party, and then he had ditched us there without even telling me. I would have to punch him later on when he wasn't expecting it. But Jill was on cloud nine. I could see how happy she was, and it made me happy for her. After her tumultuous day, she deserved to feel like that.
"So, was it a good birthday?"
Jill smiled. "It was perfect."
"Are you going to tell Jesse?"
"Probably not. I really just figured he'd ask around. My last name is Mastrano. That's what I was looking for, but he didn't know any better."
"You're deceitful." I muttered, proud of her. "You know, I was really surprised how you handled Jesse. He can be a creep, but you handled yourself really well."
Jill's smile lightened up just a little bit. "What do you mean, he can be a creep?"
I didn't want to shatter Jill's hopes, but at the same time I didn't want her getting caught up in Jesse's web. I sighed. "A couple years ago, I had a thing for him. Dimitri scared him off, and he ended up spreading rumors about me because Mia had sex with him. Apart from that, he kind of likes trouble. And picking on people." I still really wanted to hurt him, even though so much time had passed since he'd tried to force Lissa into joining his cult. The drinks, and my desire to stay out of trouble with the court, is what kept me from lashing out on Jesse tonight. That, and the fact that Jill had gotten his attention.
Jill stopped walking and looked at me in surprise. "That's disgusting." I nodded my agreement. Jill opened her mouth to speak, and then hesitated.
"What?" I asked her, frowning.
"Well, is he… off limits? I mean, since you had a thing with him and all?"
I laughed again, noticing just how loud my laugh was. "Off limits isn't the right way to put it. But he is eighteen."
"And?" Jill prompted.
"And you're not. He's a little old for you, don't you think?" To my surprise, Jill actually laughed.
"Oh, come on. How old is Dimitri, anyways, like twenty five? And Adrian's up there too."
I didn't have a quick response for that. She had a point. The age difference between Dimitri and I had always been part of the reason we had a sort of forbidden love thing going on. That, and the fact that I was his student before. While it was publicly scorned, and not really permissible, it was at least legal, seeing as I was above the age of sixteen. Of course, Jesse and Jill could be together so long as they didn't do anything of a sexual nature, but knowing Jesse, that wasn't going to happen. And I really didn't want that to be an option anyways.
"Ok. Just don't start planning your wedding, Jill. He just likes to play games."
Jill was quiet as we walked back to Lissa's room. I was feeling pretty low, like I'd just told her Jesse would never want her. It was only a matter of me trying to protect her, but I don't think she wanted to hear that from me. Luckily for her, she didn't have to, because right before I was about to open my mouth and try to justify my worry, I noticed Dimitri standing in front of Lissa's door. Or rather, Jill noticed Dimitri. He turned to look at us when he heard us coming down the corridor.
"I'll just go in and make myself comfortable." Jill said, giving me a smug smile. I handed her the key to Lissa's room, and she timidly waved to Dimitri before letting herself in. I stopped a few feet away from him, leaning against the wall.
"I'm sorry I didn't find you sooner." I had been avoiding looking at him, but just then I found myself looking up into his eyes. I felt weightless under his smooth stare.
"Where have you been?" He demanded. Immediately, my mind told me to take two steps back.
"What are you talking about? Don't take that tone with me." I scolded, shaking my finger at him. Surprisingly, Dimitri laughed. I blinked, confused. "Are you bipolar?" I asked him, genuinely concerned.
"No. Are you drunk?"
I frowned. "Of course I'm not." I really didn't want for him to think I was drunk. I really wasn't, to be honest. Three drinks, even three large ones, could not have gotten me drunk. I had learned before Lissa and I left the academy that I wasn't really a lightweight. I was small, sure, but I could hold my own pretty well. Besides, when I'd been in Russia, at Dimitri's memorial, people had been refilling my cup all night and I hadn't been…My mind cut itself off, as if I had been speaking out loud and then interrupted myself. I recalled Dimitri's memorial, and the drinks I'd been drinking. The Russian Vodka. Now I knew why that burn had seemed familiar. But that hadn't been pure Russian Vodka I'd been drinking, surely, because there was another taste. Damn Jesse had been mixing alcohol. "Bastard." I said out loud.
"Rose!" Dimitri said, aghast. I looked up at him, confused, and then I could feel my eyes widen as I realized what he thought.
"Not you! Jesse. He's lucky I didn't throw up on him."
Dimitri looked, dare I say it, amused. It was so different from what I'd been accustomed to since he came back that I realized I must actually be drunk. There is no way Dimitri would approve of my drinking.
"Let's go sober you up." He said, wrapping an arm around me. My feet didn't move at first. I was caught off guard by the show of affection. He had said he loved me still, but I'd thought it too good to be true. I didn't think, even if he still loved me, that it would ever be this easy. I never thought he would touch me or speak softly to me, or even be seen in public in my presence without yelling at me. And yet, his arm was around me, our bodies close, electricity between us. I was barely even aware that we were headed to his room until he opened the door and let me in.
The room was bare, with few furnishings compared to Lissa's. There was a bed and a dresser. Needless to say, he led me to the bed and I sat down on the edge of it, knowing that with a couple of different boozes floating around in my stomach, laying down would probably make me ill. I watched Dimitri take a glass from the nightstand and walk to the bathroom. I heard the sound of the faucet, and a few moments later he came back to hand me a glass of water. I drank it gratefully, and he filled the cup again, placing it on the stand in case I wanted it.
"I saw your family tonight." I told him, looking at him. His face was smooth and impassive, but his eyes danced in amusement. I ran a hand along the bed post absently.
"You went to Russia and back?" He said, playing into my game.
"Yes. I went into Lissa's head. You know, the bond."
"Ah, right." Dimitri nodded. "What's new with my family?"
"Sonya had her baby."
Dimitri stopped moving. "I forgot about that."
"I told you when you were strigoi." I said, my voice more defensive then I had intended it to be.
"I know. It just went out of my head, I guess."
"They named her Rozalia."
Dimitri smiled. "Sounds Italian."
"But they're going to call her Rose for short." I wasn't sure whether I sounded proud. I hadn't meant to.
"If the name makes the person, then I hope she's as good a guardian as you." Dimitri said quietly. I snorted, most unattractively.
"Yeah, right. Cause I'm such a good guardian."
"You are." Dimitri insisted.
I laughed again. "My charge is in Russia!" I stressed the word Russia. "And the other Dragomir and I were off getting drunk tonight. I don't think that makes me good at all. I'm bad."
"The other Dragomir?" He asked. I looked at him, confused.
"What?"
"You said the other Dragomir."
"No I didn't." I insisted. I wanted to tell him about Jill. I could confide in Dimitri, I was sure. But this hardly seemed like the time or place. "I'm drunk. I don't know what I'm saying."
Dimitri cracked a smile over that. "We should get you back to Lissa's room, then."
"What?" I asked, alarmed. "No!"
And then, I felt like the Gods had given me a gift, because Dimitri genuinely laughed. It was one of those rare things that I had sought after so much before. I knew it was a treasure when I got one, and it always made me feel like it was Christmas morning.
I recovered, clearing my throat. "I don't have a key." I said. It was true. I had given my key to Jill. Of course, Jill could let me in, but I wasn't looking for any ways to get around that. Right now, this was my hope of staying with Dimitri a while longer.
"You can stay here tonight, if you'd like. I'll sleep on the floor." I scowled at him.
"You can't sleep on the floor! It's dirty."
"The maid was here earlier, Roza. It's clean."
"I can't let you sleep on the floor. Sleep with me."
Dimitri seemed to be having an internal struggle between good and evil. I tried to wait it out patiently, but I was patient on very rare occasion. I grabbed his hand and moved over on the bed. He understood that it was his cue to sit down. I leaned my head against his shoulder.
"I told you I would never abandon you." I said, practically whispering into his ear.
"I remember. I'm glad you didn't." Dimitri said; his voice soft. I turned to look at him, and he looked a little uncomfortable. I think that was because he had also promised not to abandon me.
"Do you regret it?" I asked, before I could stop myself. I didn't specify what I was referring to, but Dimitri understood me so perfectly that I didn't need to. Any further information was unnecessary.
"The only thing I regret between us is lying to you."
"You said it was for my own good." I reminded him, unnecessarily. Dimitri nodded.
"Even then, it hurt you. You know how much it hurts me to do that to you?" I didn't have an answer for that. "I think that day you came to me in the church was the worst day of my life. The hardest thing I have ever done is tell you I didn't love you, even if I thought it was in your best interest."
I felt overwhelmed, and I almost wanted to cry. Whether it would be tears of joy or not, I didn't know, but I didn't want to cry. I moved closer to Dimitri and pulled him into my arms. I held him like that for a long moment, neither of us moving. I felt more whole in that moment then I had in what seemed like ages.
I pulled away from him just a bit, even though I really didn't want to. I needed to see his face. But he didn't allow me much of a chance, because he placed a gentle hand under my chin and guided my mouth to his. There was no hesitation on either of our parts, but it was not the crazy, insistent kissing we had experienced the other day. This was gentle, and loving. This was real. I allowed myself to be pulled into him, and I shut off all thoughts of what lay behind us. Living for the moment, I kissed him back, until suddenly our kissing was turning into more. And still, it was nothing rushed or intense. It was only love, and passion, and commitment. There was a peace between us, and I didn't know the exact moment that we had established it, but I didn't allow myself to question it. Living only for that moment, we fell back onto the bed together, our bodies tangled up so tightly we could have been a single entity.
I lay under him, happy just to have him there. I was still confused by the sudden turn of events. My mind still didn't want to let go of the fact that only a few days ago, he had denied he had anything left in his heart for me. Now, he claimed he loved me. I believed him, of course. Dimitri was hardly the type of man that would do anything of this sort with somebody who he did not care for. His body covered mine perfectly, and I marveled at the fit of us. Being there with him, skin touching skin, was a bliss that I had forgotten about. I was so enamored with him, I found myself unable to breathe. But when I pulled away, it was worse, like I was drowning, and so I moved back into him and we moved together in perfect union. Our clothes fell away slowly and steadily, and though we were both very much into the moment, there was no means of intensity or frenzy. It was love, pure and simple.
I lost myself to the moment. I was so aware of every little detail that was going on, carried up on a cloud of ecstasy, and at the same time I was not bound by anything in this world or the next. Nothing could hold me down. Until it was over.
I lay next to Dimitri, our bodies curled into each other. The look he gave me was one of such love and compassion, I wanted to do it all over again. But I was tired, both from the physical activity and from the cocktail of drinks I'd had at Jesse's party. The whole day lay behind me: going to Detroit and back, finding Jill, seeing the queen's ghost. Though the past week had been compiled of the longest days and nights of my life, this had been the longest, and at the same time it was the best. I allowed myself to fall into a sleep, feeling safe in the haven that Dimitri's arms represented.
He was awake when I fell asleep; The last thing I saw before sinking into the comfort of the moment was his heavenly eyes watching me in adoration. I fell asleep, into my own dreams, which were peaceful and filled with Dimitri. I had felt so whole and complete just before I'd fallen asleep, but now that I was asleep, I felt a little like part of me was missing. I couldn't figure out exactly what it was, but when I woke up, I realized why I'd felt so desolate. Adrian hadn't visited.
a/n: Just as promised. Ok, I'm soooo nervous about this chapter. Normally, I kind of know what to expect. Like if it's something with Dimitri, I think...Cariness will be pleased. And if it's with ADrian I think .x should be happy, and Combustion will be ecstatic. But I have no idea what you guys are going to think, and so I think this chapter is the one I really need to know what your thoughts are! By the way, let me just say, your work is not unappreciated. All of you make my day. Those of you who are steady, faithful reviewers are what I look froward to when I turn the computer on, and I love hearing from everybody else too, new or old! You guys can't do me any wrong! I was ecstatic somebody thought this was worth translating into another language using google, because we all know translators are faulty and it seems in my opinion, more trouble than it's worth! So please, keep it up! And tell me what you think for my mental health! =) Love, BelleC
