Hey, I'm a week early!
This goes out to Ilovesos9467 and BethisMyName.
Ilovesos9467 wanted to Dimitri to know more about Rose and her new life.
BethIsMyName had the cutest idea regarding doughnuts!
I love them both.
Disclaimer: I own the plot and idea. I do not own Vampire Academy. All rights go to Richelle Mead.
Rose Mazur
"How was your day, Dimitri?" I asked as I took a sip of my water.
Forty minutes later and one largely silent subway ride later, Dimitri and I sat at my favorite little meze place in Little Istanbul.
"Rather interesting to say the least. How about you, Roza?" Dimitri smiled heart-meltingly back at me.
"Trained, sims, paperwork," I shrugged, "the usual."
Dimitri smiled.
I smiled.
"What did Ben do to you?"
Dimitri raised an eyebrow, amused. "Ben was perfectly fine. I just wanted to have a talk with him."
"And?" I hedged.
"Well, we did indeed have a conversation, a nice, completely civil conversation. I just wanted to clarify some issues and he completely understood. "
"And did he...do anything stupid?"
"Well that depends on your definition of stupidity," Dimitri smirked.
I breathed out harshly and narrowed my eyes at the man sitting before me.
He simply took a sip of his raki. "This is good."
I had to smile a little bit at that. "Glad you think so," I said before taking a sip of my own.
"If you're wondering if he threatened me or anything like that, he didn't."
"He didn't?" I raised an eyebrow, or attempted too. I think my eyebrow just twitched, causing Dimitri's eyes to flicker up there and a small chuckle to escape him.
"No, in fact it was mostly me talking. He simply listened and gave me some advice. He didn't tell you this?"
"No, he refused." I pouted, causing another chuckle from Dimitri.
"Tell me!"
"No."
"Tell me!"
"Hmm, no I don't think so."
"Ben!" My tone regressing to a whine.
"Rose!" My partner laughed.
"I hate you so much right now!" I huffed, sinking further into my seat, pouting.
Yes I know I'm no better than a petulant five year old right now. So sue me.
"Love," Ben chuckled, "I'm telling you nothing happened. The man just came to me to talk about you."
"But what did you say? What did you do?" I cried, throwing my hands up.
"I said nothing. He did most of the talking. And for the last bleeding time! I did nothing to harm the man!"
"Fine then, what did he say?"
"I think that's between us, don't you say?" Ben smirked. "If you want to know what happened, why don't you ask Belikov?"
"Maybe I will," I huffed. "I'm sure I can find his number around here somewhere…Aha!"
I triumphantly grinned as I found the number and saved it into my phone.
"Are you asking the man out on a date?" Ben raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms.
"Not a date, just to dinner so I can figure out what you two were talking about –"
I stopped short and narrowed my eyes at my partner.
"What?" Ben blinked innocently.
"You set me up," I said accusingly. "You're purposely withholding information to get me and him together!"
"Oh Love, do you really think I am capable that degree of trickery?" Ben laughed, leaning back into his chair.
"Yes," I hissed.
And with that, my partner burst into maniacal laughter.
"He wouldn't tell me anything. Good for nothing foreigner," I grumbled.
Dimitri laughed, then took another sip from his raki, amused. I mimicked his motions, pouting slightly.
"How did you find this place?" Dimitri suddenly changed the direction of the conversation.
"I like to explore," I said simply. "Actually, didn't even know Caelum had a Little Istanbul for a while. One day I just had a craving for Lahmacun and I kept whining to Aiden about it so he took me here, a little bit of Turkey in Caelum."
"Like Little Russia," Dimitri nodded thoughtfully.
"Yes, just like Little Russia," I laughed.
"So…what is Lahmacun?" Dimitri asked after a small beat of silence.
"Oh!" I could almost hit myself of course Dimitri wouldn't know what it was, "it's like this flatbread with a spicy meat spread on it. And you top it with lemon juice and a little salad, it's amazing! You have to try it sometime, Comrade. I'll take you, there's a neat little place that does them, just around the corner –" I stopped short, realizing what I had just done.
Judging by the hope in Dimitri's eyes and the small grin on his face, he knew what just happened as well.
I had just extended the invitation for another date.
Holy crap.
"I'd love to get some with you, Roza," Dimitri replied sweetly.
I think I just blushed a little. Damn him.
"Next time," I promised.
"I'll hold you to that," Dimitri smiled, and then we both laughed, but we both felt the weight of his promise.
Luckily, I was saved from having to reply by the arrival of our waiter, baring a tray full of tiny plates full of deliciousness and a basket of bread.
"Teşekkür ederim," I thanked the waiter, who nodded kindly before walking off.
"Okay, so we have haydari, that's yogurt, dill, and garlic, next to it is Antep ezmei, which is kinda like Turish salsa. Oh, and of course there's hummus and calamari. And also Patlican Salatasi, cooked and mashed eggplant with olive oil. That one closest to you is Sigara Borek, it's a little pastry stuffed with cheese. Then there's fava, mashed beans with olive oil and herbs and then some smoked sea bass. If you want more we can always call the waiter back!"
I looked up to see Dimitri staring wide eyed at the spread before us before he looked up at me.
"Wow," he breathed out.
"Oh Comrade," I laughed before placing a scoop of the Antep ezmei on his plate along with a piece of bread and refilling his raki, "try this one first, it's a favorite here. Take your time, mezes are meant to be shared slowly."
"Alright," Dimitri chuckled before taking a bite. I watched happily as his eyes brightened at the flavors and he began to nod approvingly.
"You like?" I asked as I speared a piece of the sea bass.
"Very nice," Dimitri said, taking another bite.
"I'm glad," I smiled warmly before letting a short silence take over. As with Dimitri and I, it wasn't an awkward silence. We simply slowly took in the scenery, took sips from our drinks, and continued to eat.
"Roza?" Dimitri broke me out of my musings.
"Yeah?" I looked up into his eyes.
"Can I ask you how you know Turkish?" He raised an eyebrow inquiringly.
I giggled at his almost schoolboy shyness. "I spent six months in Istanbul as part of a study abroad program."
"Wow. That's amazing Roza," Dimitri said with genuine surprise. "That must have been an incredible experience for you."
"It was. It was nice to get out of the States for a bit, travel, learn a bit more about myself and Turkish culture." I smiled, remembering those life-changing six months.
And all the amazing food. So good.
"Are you fluent in Turkish now?"
"More like conversational. I can understand and keep up with most conversations, but I can't write and I can really only read a few things."
"That's still incredible, Roza." Dimitri praised.
"Thanks. I loved Istanbul, it was an amazing experience."
"I can imagine. Have you gone back ever since?"
"Aiden and I spent two weeks there a couple years back, a little mini vacation."
"That's good. I'm glad you got to have that experience. You're very lucky." Dimitri smiled genuinely.
"Thanks Comrade, but tell me about yourself. Have you done any travelling the past few years? And I mean for fun, not for work." I added, knowing Dimitri.
He chuckled." Yeah, I've been back to Baia to visit my family a few times during the holidays."
"But not as much as you would like…or they would like."
Dimitri shrugged but I could see the sadness and slight shame in his eyes. "They understand."
"You really should visit more though, or at least try to call more often. Your mother worries." I frowned.
Dimitri looked taken aback. "You've spoken to my mama?"
"Aw, look at you, still calling her mama," I giggled as Dimitri rolled his eyes. "And yes, I have spoken to her, many times. In fact, I think I've gone to visit your family more than you have."
He looked startled by my admission. "What? How?"
"Well," I smeared some hummus on my bread, "every year for the holidays we, my team and I, we spend Christmas and New Years with our families before heading to Baia to celebrate the Russian Christmas with Lev and Artur and Denis and their families."
"And you take time to go and visit my family?" Dimitri asked, slightly awed.
"Well, initially I wanted to stay away, but then one day Vika bumped into me at the farmer's market and she dragged me to your house and then the next thing I know I'm shoving your mom's amazing black bread down my throat and promising to come back next year." I shrugged. "I think it was the power of the black bread."
"Okay, so keep a look out for cabbage." Lev muttered at he and I strolled through the farmer's market. We had been sent on an important mission by Mama Markov to run out and get special spices and cabbage for a dish she was preparing for dinner tonight.
And by 'we' I mean me and Lev. The rest of the team was back at Lev's house, no doubt being shown numerous embarrassing baby pictures of Lev. I think the only reason Lev's mom made me go with him is so we could spend time together…you know, special alone time.
Look, I love Lev, I really do. But like a brother. Anything else is gross.
So here we were, out in the cold, crowded market, looking for the elusive cabbage.
"I like this," I gestured around, "it's cute."
"Eye on the prize, Mazur. Cabbage."
"Fine, fine. I was only trying to give your hometown a compliment." I grumbled, looking more closely for the green vegetable.
"Hey!" I stepped closer to a stall, "I think I've found it – oh, wait, nevermind. It's lettuce."
However when I turned back around it wasn't Lev's face that I was greeted by.
It was Viktoria Belikova.
She was still as I remembered. Her golden brown hair tucked into her knit beanie, her trademark Belikov eyes as brown and expressive as ever as they met mine.
"Oh…hi," I awkwardly offered. I mean, I didn't have much else to say, not being sure how we stood considering the last time I saw her she was screaming at me.
"I was just here with a friend," I continued, "just…buying cabbage, you know."
She simply continued to regard me with wide eyes.
"Well, I should go find-woah!" I gasped through the bear hug that Viktoria enveloped me in.
"Oh Roza! I was so worried! You just up and left us and we didn't know where you were or what happened to you and oh my gosh I was such a horrible friend! I went to Sonya and she told me everything! I'm so sorry I said those awful, awful things to you Rose! I realize I was stupid now, can you ever forgive me! And speaking of forgiveness, can you ever forgive my idiot brother? I mean, I know what he did to you was terrible, but you haven't seen him! Oh, he looks so lost and heartbroken and –"
"Okay, hold on a second now. Viktoria, breathe in and breathe out a couple times for me now," I encouraged gently, patting the girl on the back. Mostly I wanted to make sure she didn't pass out from talking so fast, but I also wanted her to stop talking about Dimitri. I hurt too much to hear him brought up with I was already in his hometown.
"Oh Roza!" Viktoria started up again, "You have to come home with me! Everyone will be thrilled to see you, even Yeva! And Mama can make you more bread and it'll be like the old times and –"
"Uh, I'm actually buying cabbage…"
However, it was no use as Viktoria was already dragging me out of the market. I looked around helplessly for Lev, spotting him near a meat stall, laughing at me.
I shot him a glare and a silent plea for help.
He simply waved goodbye.
Bastard.
After a fifteen minute walk where Viktoria chattered on and on about the family in between unnecessary apologies, we reached the familiar Belikova house. An ache began to form in my chest as I looked up at the place I once wanted to call home. The warmth and people in that house, making me feel so loved, more than I ever had, was astonishing. But, in the end, it wasn't meant to be…
Viktoria dragged me up the steps and banged the door open, stepping excitedly across the threshold.
"Mama, I'm back! And you'll never guess who I found at the market!" She shouted excitedly in English, probably mostly for my benefit.
"Viktoria, inside voice!" A familiar, maternal voice admonished as she came into the living room where we were standing. "And what took you so long to –" Olena stopped and gasped as she took notice of me, her eyes widening and her hands shakily covering her mouth.
There was an awkward silence in the air as Olena continued to gape at me while Vikotoria practically bounced with excitement. I, on the other hand, was really uncomfortable with the situation and was about to apologize for bothering them and head out when suddenly…I was enveloped in Olena Belikova's arms.
"Oh Roza," she whispered, "you've finally come home."
"Yeah," Dimitri smiled, a faraway look in his eye, "Mama's black bread can have that affect."
I blinked, and had to smile at the irony. Here I was, having dinner with the man I had dreaded seeing for so long back then, both of our feelings having completely changed.
"How often do you go back home?"
"Whenever I can get time off," Dimitri admitted sheepishly.
"And I guess that's not often?"
"No."
"Dimitri…that's so sad," I scowled.
"Roza, don't get mad for what I'm about to say," Dimitri cautioned.
I simply twitched my eyebrow in response.
"But your parents really missed you-"
"Wow Comrade, that's a low blow," I smirked.
"-and they love you. Despite what you may think."
"Dimitri, the Old Man sent out a search team to scour the world for me and, according to Eddie, my mom tried all of her Guardian contacts to try to find me. I know they cared…despite their…extremely detached parenting style."
Dimitri and I both had to laugh at that, because, come on, it's totally true.
"You know, I never forgot about my parents while I was here."
"Your father is a rather hard man to forget," Dimitri chuckled.
I laughed and then carried on. "After about two years, after I started getting paychecks, every year for their birthdays, Christmas and Father's and Mother's day I sent gifts."
"Really?" Dimitri sat back in shock.
"Yeah, I guess I just wanted to show them that, though I wasn't there physically, I was still thinking about them. And I wanted them to stop worrying too."
"They never stopped worrying, you know. For five years, I saw how tired they looked. That look only went away when you re-appeared with a rather large bang." Dimitri smirked, referring to nearly three and a half months ago, back at the Academy.
"Good times," I nodded happily.
At the point the waiter interrupted us with an offer for water, which we gladly accepted. After he had set our glasses down and left, I picked up the conversation.
"You know, even though I couldn't physically spend time with my parents, I learned a lot about them."
"How so?"
"Well I found out I have an aunt in Glasgow, she's my mom's little sister," I smiled as Dimitri raised his eyebrows in surprise. "She's a professor at the Elite High up there, and so is her husband. Oh, I have three cousins!" I pulled out my phone to show him a picture. "There's Marcus, he's twenty, two years younger than me; then Keira, she's seventeen; and then Katie, she's twelve."
"Wow, Roza…that's incredible," Dimitri smiled as he gazed down at the picture of my cousins and I that I took last summer.
"Yeah, it's just a little sad. She told me, she used to be so close with my mom when they were little girls. But then the year my mom officially became a Guardian, she left Glasgow and never looked back, leaving behind my aunt," I frowned as I remembered Aunt Meria's sadness as she tearfully recounted the day my mom got on that plane with her charge and didn't look back. Seems like my mom's always been good at leaving people she loves.
I shook myself out of it and focused on the man in front of me, who was also looking rather sad.
"I feel the urge to call my sisters now," Dimitri laughed, a bit ruefully.
"Yes, please do. I'm sure they miss you. Or at least making fun of you."
"Hmmm…seems that urge is fading now…"
"Dimitri!"
"I'm kidding, I'll call them soon."
"Promise?" I held out my pinky, jokingly.
"Oh, Roza." Dimitri rolled his eyes, but nonetheless clasped his pinkie with mine.
I beamed at the contact.
"Did you find out much about your father?" Dimitri changed the topic.
"Not much, you know Zmey…mysterious as always. It was a sad day too, I was looking forward to finding out why he chooses to dress like that," I pouted as Dimitri let out a hearty laugh.
"Roza, sometimes things are better left unknown, especially concerning your father."
"True. The only really juicy thing I learned was about the existence of my brother," I shrugged as I took a sip of my raki.
"Roza, I think that's a rather big discovery, you know, there's another person out there…who's half related to you…" Dimitri said drily.
"That's not as big as other stuff that I could've found out about Abe! I had to find out most things about him from reading my mom's journals that I got from my aunt." I smirked a bit here, ready to make Dimitri a tad bit uncomfortable. " You know she kept several ever since she was a little girl? She stopped the day after she dropped me off at St. Vlads, but holy shit, Comrade! The stuff I found out about my mom!"
"Roza, I don't think I need to hear –"
"She'd never admit this, but she found my dad so hot the moment she met him, she just hated his arrogance."
"Please don't tell me this."
"She went on into great detail about their first meeting –"
"I don't need to know your parent's love story."
"Oh, and you know I was conceived in Greece?"
"Oh my God…" Dimitri looked slightly sick.
Good. That was my reaction too.
"Yeah, it was on a beach. My mom freaking dedicated like twenty pages in that damn journal just about that one night. Sand must've gotten everywhere-"
"Roza!"
"Dimitri?"
"Hmm?"
"I think it's time to say goodnight," I smiled as a frown took over Dimitri's features.
"But it's only…11:43!"
After Dimitri and I had finished our dinner, and I was finished disturbing him with tales of my parents' love, we slowly took a walk around Little Istanbul.
Then we slowly strolled to the subway and waited.
And now we were slowly walking in circles around my apartment block, neither of us wanting to part.
Yes, we're ridiculous.
"Maybe so," I laughed, "but we've walked around my apartment block three times already, saying goodnight."
"Really?" Dimitri looked genuinely startled, and saddened, by this fact. "Wow this block is small."
"Comrade…"
The use of his old nickname pushed him over.
"Okay," he practically pouted as he let go of my hand and stepped back. "Goodnight Roza."
I had to smile at his schoolboy like demeanor. It was so cute.
"Do you want to hang out this weekend?" I asked, smiling.
Judging by the look on Dimitri's face, I had just made his week.
"I would love to Roza," And then he smiled that smile I loved so much, and I really, really wanted to kiss him and hold him and leap into his arms so he could support me because I became goo the moment O saw that smile.
But I didn't. It was too soon.
Damnit.
"Okay, let's meet back here at this very spot. Saturday afternoon, 12ish?"
"Sounds like a plan."
"Great."
"Okay."
"Yeah, okay."
"Goodnight Dimitri."
"Goodnight Roza."
I watched him walk away until I couldn't see him anymore, still standing in front of my apartment like a lovesick fool.
Which I totally was.
I stepped into my office, opening the blinds to let the morning sun shine in. I had come into work early today to get some forms ready for the day. Plus I needed the time to make myself look normal, and less like a girl who just spent an amazing evening with the most amazing Russian God.
I did not need to deal with teasing this early from my team.
I just needed to print some paperwork and was about to do just that, when I noticed the box and note on my desk. Of course, I walked over to my desk, setting my bag and laptop down, and picked up the card, to see a familiar scrawl.
I had fun last night, we should do it more often. Can't wait for the weekend.- D
Opening the familiar box, I found – yep- dear God this man knew me.
A chocolate glazed doughnut from my favorite spot in the city.
I bit my lip to hold back a shit-eating grin.
I already loved today.
Today was my birthday! Some reviews from you all would make the best gift! ;) (Plus, they help me write faster!)
And I think you'll want the next chapter sooner than later...we get a phone call from a certain mama...
Until next time guys! I love you all so much for reading and hope to hear your thoughts!
XOXO