This story got such a good response, I was kind of shocked, but I'm glad so many of you loved it and wanted more :D
I am going to continue it, not sure how many chapters, but I have a story planned.

I'm going to cover the previous bit from Dimitri's POV and then it will continue from there.
I don't know what my update schedule will be like so be sure to like and follow to get updates :)

Dimitri POV

The coffee machine beeped, the light flashing to show it was ready. It was my third cup, but I needed it to make it through the next four hours of class. I bounced Zoya in one arm and prepped my cup with the other. I kept glancing at the clock, calculating how long I had left before I would be late.

Light footsteps sounded behind me, making me turn to look over my shoulder as my mother entered the kitchen. She gave me a tight smile as she placed the grocery bags on the counter, "Sorry, Dimka."

I waved her off and leaned down to kiss her cheek, "It's okay." Zoya made some small noises, head dropping to my shoulder. A smile pulled at my lips despite how exhausted I was because of her.

Karo and Paul were both sick with the flu, and to help ease some of the stress, we were looking after Zoya. Of course, she wanted to be with her mother and made it known. After working the night shift and then looking after Zoya while my mother worked, I was ready to relax.

I might have considered skipping the class if I didn't care about my attendance. Also, if I did, I wouldn't be able to see her—Rose Hathaway.

We didn't speak often, but each time left me more intrigued by her. She never reacted to me the same others did, the ones that preferred to listen to rumours rather than make their opinion.

All I cared about was finishing my degree and maintaining my grades to keep my scholarship. And that was exactly why I never bothered to pursue a relationship with her. There was an air about Rose that made her seem untouchable—always out of my reach—so I never tried.

"Will you make it on time?" my mother asked, taking Zoya from my arm. I glanced at the clock again and then downed my coffee, wincing at how it burned a little.

"I'll be fine. Do you need anything before I go?"

"No, no. You go; we'll be okay," she promised with a warm smile and waved me off as I left. I grabbed my shoulder bag and helmet, and my duster thrown over to prevent the bite from the air. My mother was never keen on the idea of me riding a motorbike, fretting over me possibly having an accident, even worrying when Ivan and I were working on it just to get it running.

It was cheaper than a car and worked well enough for me to get around. I only ever let Viktoria ride with me when our mother wasn't aware otherwise, I would never hear the end of it.

Thankfully, traffic was minimal, and I was in the elevator up to the lecture hall with enough time to not be late by Stan's standards. As the doors were closing, I heard the scuffle of boots on the tiles, and then a person rushed in with me, barely avoiding catching the door.

I blinked in surprise, the corner of my mouth tilted up in a smirk when I realised who it was. "Running late again?" I couldn't help teasing her. The way Rose reacted, straightening in shock with a slight blush on her cheeks, made me smirk.

Rose tried to tame her hair, smoothing it back into the ponytail she wore. I much preferred it when she wore it down. She schooled her expression, "Yep," she replied as her eyes swept over me. I couldn't help but do the same.

Anyone would be lucky to have a woman like Rose; intelligent, fierce, and full of life. With her striking beauty, I was sure she could have any man she wanted on his knees.

"Aren't you normally in there by now? Sitting at the front with your pencils all lined up?"

I brought my eyes back to hers, a small burst of warmth in my chest. "Small family emergency."

Her face dropped, "Oh. I hope everything's okay."

I couldn't resist my response, my voice dropping in tone as I leaned down a little, "It's fine, Roza." I watched her reaction, how her blush deepened.

The elevator door opened. I threw a hand out to hold it open for her and waved her forward with the other. It was only a short conversation, but it improved my mood. As interesting as I found Stan's class, I would come in every day just to feel the weight of Rose's eyes on me.

She never approached me, so I knew there was no real chance, and I didn't have the spare time to chase a woman that didn't want me. Finishing my degree was my main focus, and then I could get a well-paying job and be able to take care of my family.

Rose was the breath of fresh air I allowed myself even if it was all fleeting.

I rubbed my forehead, fingers pressed against my eyes in hopes of making them focus. It was late Wednesday night, another late shift that felt like it was dragging after Stan's class.

Of course, it didn't help that I kept thinking of Rose.

Though we hadn't spoken before class, she had walked straight up to me, only to spin on her heel and walk away as soon as our eyes met. When I tried to catch her attention afterwards, she avoided looking up at me from her seat. I had no idea what to make of it and couldn't stop thinking about it.

"Dimitri," Ivan's hand landed on my shoulder with a loud clap that echoed in the near-empty gym. After midnight, it was always dead. "Are you ignoring me again?"

I shrugged him off and moved away from my textbook. If it was slow enough, our manager didn't care if I was studying while working. "I've been ignoring you since I was seventeen, and yet you're still here."

Ivan just smirked, "I've been calling your name. What's up?"

I side-eyed him. "Nothing," I lied, my expression blank. "What did you want?" There was no use explaining that my thoughts were on Rose. Ever since Ivan had married and discovered she was his soulmate, he was on the search for mine.

In his mind, my thoughts always straying to Rose meant we were meant to be.

I wasn't against soulmates—looked forward to the day I would find mine even—but I wasn't in a rush. And I doubted it was Rose.

"I was asking if you wanted to go to the place on campus for a late lunch tomorrow. I heard from a little bird that your favourite waitress will be working," he waggled his eyebrows at me.

"You didn't bribe her manager for that information did you?"

"No," he scowled, "Luce got a job there on Tuesday and looked at the schedule." Ivan grinned then leaned to rest his elbows on the front desk, his chin balanced on top of his hands, "Just think, I can stare at my wife, and you can stare at your future wife."

I clipped the back of his head with my hand, "Stop that. Rose is just a classmate, nothing more." I turned on my heel and went about cleaning the equipment rather than being stuck with him and his fantasies.

When my sisters were planning their future weddings, Ivan was always right there with them planning his. Since he had married, all of that focus shifted to mine. Ivan and my family all believed I worked too hard and didn't give enough time for myself, and I tended to agree with them, which was exactly why I didn't search for a soulmate.

I didn't have the time to give someone else when taking care of my family was my main concern, and then there was my past and reputation. It hadn't taken long for the rumours to spread; one person recognised my name, and it grew from there. What happened at the party only solidified that reputation.

No one deserved to be pulled into that, no matter what the truth of it was—everyone would just make their own assumptions.

Though there were times I did wonder, what if Rose was my soulmate?

I'd waited for a couple of minutes, and she still stood in the doorway. A couple of times, Rose looked ready to walk through the door, but she hesitated and continued to stand there. I had no idea what she was doing, but it was endearing to watch and brought a smile to my face.

I was a foot away when I spoke, "You're early today."

Rose jumped, spinning with wide eyes that instantly locked on mine. I couldn't tell if she was happy to see me or not.

"Are you going in?"

She gave me an anxious smile, tilting her head in a way that made her curls drape over her shoulders. I wondered if they were as soft to the touch as they looked. I reached for the door; my mother's rules of how to treat women drilled into me. Yet, instead of simply opening the door for her, I ended up only inches away from her.

I never noticed how much shorter Rose was compared to me, having never stood this close to her. I could see the flecks of green in her brown eyes.

The start of a smile pulled at my lips. "After you."

A blush rose on her cheeks, the colouring making her eyes shine. It made me want to do it again.

Rose finally turned and entered the classroom, her back stiff as she walked towards the front, it wasn't her usual route, but I didn't mention it. I was confused when she took the seat beside mine, a burst of excitement I quickly pushed down and took my seat.

She didn't say anything, and I didn't know how to start the conversation. When we spoke, it was in passing, simple greetings to each other; I never felt the need to actively lead a conversation before.

Her hands wrapped around the strap of her bag, eyes darting from me to the clock and then back. I wondered if her nervous disposition had anything to do with the day before. For a woman that was so confident when she spoke, she appeared lost now.

"Something on your mind?" I finally asked, the curiosity too much for me to ignore.

Wide eyes locked on mine again, her tongue darting out to lick her lips. "What? Why—Why would you think that?" she fretted, hands shifting and finding new positions. "I'm not thinking about anything."

"You look nervous. Is there something you wanted to ask me?"

She pulled back a little, and I instantly missed being closer.

"What makes you think that?" she asked shyly.

Something about this side of her enticed me, allowing myself to indulge in my crush on her; I leaned in closer and smirked. "Well, the fact you sat next to me, and you keep looking at me like I'm going to bite." I laughed and promised softly, "I don't bite."

The way her lips parted and she leaned towards me again had me mesmerised, and dangerously close to considering what kissing her would be like.

I drew back, forcing that thought from my mind, and pulled out my supplies for class. "So, what's on your mind, Rose?" I asked. I waited for her to respond, not pushing for more.

"Okay, there is something I want to ask you," she started. I shifted in my seat to face her. "Are you busy on Saturday? This Saturday."

I tilted my head, "Saturday? As in tomorrow?"

"Yeah, I know it's late notice. It's just—There's a party that I have to go to and well…" Rose paused, a look of indecision on her face before she continued quickly, "I may have lied and said that you were coming with me. And you can say no. I just wanted to ask. You know, in case you wanted to go with me. But you can say no."

I blinked a few times, wondering if she breathed once while speaking, and then I comprehended what she was asking. Did Rose use me as her fake date? A part of me was elated that I was the name that came to mind and not some other guy.

I was still processing when Rose stood up, "I'm sorry, this was weird. I shouldn't have—"

My hand reached for her wrist, making her stop. I encouraged her to sit back down and smiled in reassurance, "It's not how I'm usually asked on a date, but it's not the strangest." There had been more than one occasion I'd had a woman ask me out in unconventional ways; it had always made Ivan jealous when I had first attended university with him.

"So, you already said I was going?" I confirmed after a moment. Rose's expression shifted to surprise.

"Yeah," she answered, "I was being pushed about it, and I panicked and said that you were my date and that we were dating,"

"I'm your fake boyfriend?" Why did saying that make me feel sad? A part of me that had hoped that Rose was asking me out.

She groaned and covered her face with her hand, "I know, it's crazy. I just panicked. It was either lie or go with that asshole Nathan that always tries to feel me up. I was going to say we broke up or something, but now everyone knows and they are expecting me to show up with a date and I–"

A burst of protectiveness and anger pulsed through me, my fist clenching in response. "I'll go." The words were out of my mouth before I realised what I was saying, but I didn't regret them. A fake date with Rose was appealing, even more so if I could protect her from being around someone that didn't respect her.

"–thought I would give it a try, cause what's th—Wait." She stopped and blinked at me, "Did you just say you'll come?"

The corner of my lips quirked up at the awe in her voice. "Yes, Rose."

Her jaw dropped in shock, and then she spoke, "I haven't even said what kind of party it is."

I shrugged, "Okay. What kind of party is it?"

"A Soulmate Ceremony,"

That caught me off-guard. "Those are–" I paused, licking my lips nervously. "You have that as a party?"

I had only seen a couple, but there were always treated sacred, only between those that loved each other and were surrounded by close friends and family. A party for one sounded bizarre.

She waved her hand. "I'm not looking for a soulmate or expecting you to be mine," she explained, "We might have to take part in it, but it's not like the candle would light."

There was a hint of doubt, wondering if it was a bad idea; being part of a soulmate ceremony for show felt wrong. But it was the other part that my mind locked on—Rose wasn't looking for a soulmate.

I eyed her carefully, "You aren't looking for a soulmate?"

When she nodded in agreement, I felt dejected.

"I couldn't care less about that stuff," she scoffed.

It was for the best in the end—I didn't want a soulmate currently either. What harm could there be? It wasn't like our candle would light. I nodded at her. "Alright. I'll go with you tomorrow to the party."

Rose's body sagged in relief, and a large smile spread across her face, "Are you sure?"

A smile broke on my face, "Sure, Rose. It could be fun."

A blush dusted her cheeks again, and I committed it to memory. When her eyes dropped to her arm, I followed and realised I was still holding her wrist. "Sorry," I whispered, pulling back and telling myself I didn't miss touching her.

"It's okay," she replied, shifting in her seat to look towards the front. After a minute, she leaned over again, "Don't suppose you have a suit?"

Writing Dimitri's POV was weird, and I realised it was because he's pretty happy in this one and I'm used to writing him angsty lol

I hope you enjoyed :D