I had a lot of fun writing this chapter, and I hope you all like it :D I probably won't get a chance to post another chapter before Christmas, so I want to wish you all happy holidays! Hoping to have the next chapter up by Dec 27th.
Enjoy their date :3
Part 27
It was almost midday when I left Dimitri's room to get dressed for our date. I didn't have to report to the Guardian Headquarters until 5 am to leave for Bethlehem, so we had a couple of hours to do as we pleased.
We hadn't discussed the bond since earlier that morning; I knew it weighed on Dimitri, just as it did on me. It hurt him that I didn't trust him, but there was nothing I could really say to try to make it better. In the end, it came down to the fact he hurt me, and I wasn't going to brush it off like it was nothing.
I needed to heal, and I was, slowly.
I could feel my heart stitching itself back together, a little at a time. Each time I am reminded of how much he loves me, how dedicated he was, a piece would mend itself.
Dimitri had kissed me goodbye, holding his door open for me, leaning against the doorframe. It wasn't as mindblowing as our earlier make-out session, but it still made my heart skip a beat from the sweetness of it.
Even after spending the night sleeping in the same bed as Dimitri and cuddling together this morning, I was excited by spending more time with him today. This would be our second official date, out together as a couple and not having to hide.
A giddy smile was on my face as I let myself into my room, leaning against the closed door to just relish in the feeling. I had told Dimitri the truth, and he still wanted me. He was going to wait for me for as long as it took.
Pushing away from the door, I strolled towards my bathroom, needing a shower first. I stopped, noticing a bag on my bed that wasn't there yesterday. It was a plain red gift bag with a piece of paper next to it. I furrowed my brows; the only person that had a key to my room other than me was Lissa.
Picking up the paper, I recognised her delicate script.
Couldn't let you go on your date without the perfect top.
Love, Lissa.
Sure enough, in the bag sat the purple top I had tried on at the store. After everything that had happened, I completely forgot about it and hadn't had a chance to go back to get it. I pulled out my phone and sent Lissa a quick thank you text. I was surprised I didn't notice her planning this through the bond; granted, my mind had been otherwise occupied recently.
After showering, I dressed in the top and a pair of dark skinny jeans and boots. It was both attractive for the date and then suitable to wear to the university tour today with Lissa. I applied a light layer of makeup and put my hair up into a half-up style so that it wasn't in my face but still out as Dimitri liked.
Thirty minutes after I had left Dimitri's room, I was back out in the hallway, clasping my hand in his with a shy smile.
The market was set up along the main street, a long line of stalls, one after another filled with something different. They were all brightly coloured and lit up. There were so many voices calling out among each other, instrumental music playing from the end of the street where a stage was set up with a band. Delicious smells of baked goods wafted towards us, the thought of food making me moan.
I hadn't seen this many people out in a while, Morois and dhampirs of all ages fluttering about the markets. Weaving around the crowds of people were entertainers, jugglers and dancers. They really went full out for it.
Dimitri watched me as I took everything in with child-like excitement, eyes drawn from one thing to the next. His hand gripped mine tighter, "I'm going to lose you in there if I let go," He teased with a knowing grin. "What do you want to look at first?"
A lot of the stalls had European goods—Italian Biscuits, French Soaps, Belgian Waffles, a stall overflowing with blankets that reminded me of the ones from Dimitri's home. Glancing around us again, I decided on one thing I wanted right now, "Food."
Dimitri chuckled, unsurprised. "What kind of food?"
"I don't know. Anything, especially if it's fried."
Using his considerable height advantage, Dimitri was able to look over the heads of others milling about and see the different stalls. He smiled, pulling on my hand, guiding me in the right direction. Stopping, he placed his hands on my shoulders and gave me a pointed look, "Stay here."
Before I could speak, he had joined a line of people; there were too many standing in front of the stall to tell what they had, but it smelt amazing, so I wasn't going to complain. A couple of minutes later, Dimitri returned with food in hand, and he didn't disappoint.
On two skewers were what looked like potatoes, sliced so that they spiralled down the skewer. Dimitri passed me one, "Tornado Potato Skewers. Deep-fried food, just like you asked."
I definitely moaned louder than I should have, taking my first bite. "Good choice, comrade." I nodded in approval.
We continued to wander around the stalls, taking time to look over each one. Dimitri would point something out to me and explain what it was and the memories tied to it. Each time it gave me a glimpse at Dimitri's life from when he was growing up and even when he was guarding Ivan. There was still a hint of grief when he mentioned him, but his eyes were warm as he told me of the good memories, laughing at things Ivan had done.
Dimitri definitely spoiled me, buying me different kinds of food to try, including Chocolate Salami. I hadn't seen any since being in Siberia, not feeling up to experimenting with the food when there. But now, with Dimitri here, I was more than happy to try the different food from his home country.
He took a bite from it before holding the piece out to me. I was dubious of it, but Dimitri was insistent.
"See, it's not that bad." He smirked after I ended up enjoying it.
"Maybe if the name were more enticing, I wouldn't be questioning it." I shot back, taking another bite from the piece in his hand. I noticed his eyes on me, focused on my lips, "What?"
Amusement danced in his eyes, "You have some on your face."
I wiped at my mouth with the back of my hand, "Where? Did I get it?"
Dimitri shook his head, "No. Let me," He quickly swooped down, pressing his lips against mine and then pulling back like nothing had happened, "Better."
I couldn't help but dart my eyes around us, but no one was paying us any attention. Then I remembered, no one cares, at least not anymore. We were just two adults on a date; we could kiss without fear of others finding out or Dimitri getting in trouble.
While I doubted Dimitri would be giving a lot of public displays of affection, none that was more than a kiss, at least. It filled me with excitement at the prospect; it also gave me more confidence. Giving him a devious smirk, I gripped the collar of his shirt and pulled him down as I leant up on my toes, bringing our faces together and giving him a more passionate kiss.
When I released him, his eyes were unfocused. I felt proud at managing to make Dimitri speechless. "There, that's much better." I winked.
I looped my arm through his again and dragged him through the crowd.
Bright coloured rocks caught my attention, leading Dimitri over to a stall with a selection of smooth stones and jewellery displayed on the tables.
The rocks glistened under the lights, all different colours like tiny flecks in them.
"They're opals." Dimitri supplied, thumbing at one of them.
My eyes were drawn to a necklace; it was simple, a gold chain with a white opal hanging from it, held in a gold casing. It shimmered, greens and blues in the white stone, seemingly endless.
An older lady sitting behind the table stood, gesturing at the mirror at the end of the table, "You can try it on, love."
Dimitri lifted the necklace, standing behind me as he draped it around my neck and clasped it. It was cool against my skin, sitting just below my clavicle. The colour of it stood out against my skin, the flecks changing colour as I shifted side to side.
"How much?" Dimitri asked, already pulling out his wallet. I spun around to face him.
"You don't have to buy it, comrade."
He smiled, eyeing the necklace, "Yes, I do."
I held the gem between my fingers, staring down at the necklace as Dimitri paid the woman for it. She gave me a sweet smile, "Got yourself a good one there."
I nodded, gazing up at Dimitri, "I do."
I crossed my arms, sticking out my hip as I watched Dimitri fiddle with the BB gun, "It's okay if you can't get it."
He glared at the target in front of him, watched the small metal duck moving back and forth along the track. "I will hit it," He replied stubbornly. Having already tried four times and failed to knock the duck over, Dimitri was becoming irritated.
He shot again, skimming the top of the duck. That was his last shot.
"The game is rigged," He grumbled under his breath, and he dropped the gun back onto the table.
I flipped my hair back over my shoulder, showing off my necklace, pulling out some dollar notes from my back pocket and passing it to the man, "Don't worry, I've got you, comrade."
The man at the store scoffed, happily taking my money and passing me a newly loaded gun. Staring down the sights, I could tell the barrel had been bent slightly to make shooting the target harder. I had five shots, and I intended to make them all count. I gave Dimitri my cockiest smile, then looked back at the moving ducks and pulled the trigger.
The look on the attendant's face was priceless. Each shot hit and knocked down a duck. I put down the gun, unable to keep my smug look off my face, glancing over at Dimitri again, his shock and pride coming through the bond.
"Which prize did you want?"
I walked beside Dimitri, licking my ice cream, catching it before it dripped down the cone; Dimitri would dip down his head to take a lick when I offered the ice cream to him. In his arms was the largest teddy bear they had at the shooting stall, bright purple in colouring. It looked comical in his arms.
"Are you having fun, Roza?"
I spun on my heel, so I was walking backwards. Leaving the markets, we were no longer surrounded by people. "I had a great time!"
I was sad that I had to leave in less than two hours, but we managed to make the most of our time together. I had eaten enough that I doubted I would be hungry again for a while. Dimitri had spent a good amount of money on the outing, not letting me pay for anything. When I mentioned it, he assured me he could afford it and that he wanted to.
He watched me fondly, pleased that I had enjoyed our date, "So, what do you want to do until you have to leave?"
"I could sleep. I ate a lot."
He laughed, "I think you shocked some people when you inhaled half the food."
"It's not my fault. It was so good and—hey!" A solid form knocked into my shoulder, sending me stumbling forward. Dimitri threw an arm out to catch me; unfortunately, my ice cream wasn't as lucky, landing on the ground with a splat.
I turned around, snarling, "What's your problem!"
All of my previous good mood was gone, Dimitri's own souring as his anger rose. Standing before us were the two guardians from the gym. The bearded one scowled at me, a menacing glint in his eye. I guess he never got over me taking him down and humiliating him in front of everyone.
"Watch where you're going, Strigoi lover," He sneered at me, looking back at his friend with a smirk.
I clenched my fists, "Wow. Fucking original. How long did it take you to come up with that?"
Dimitri's hand tugged at my waist, "Come on, Roza."
I didn't want to leave; I wanted to wipe that stupid smirk off the guardian's face. Dimitri pulled again, leading me away from the two men.
"Yeah, keep your bloodwhore in line!"
Dimitri was moving before I could stop him. I watched as his fist connected with the bearded man's face, sending him flying back onto the ground. He stood over him menacingly, growling out, "Don't ever talk about her that way."
"Are you crazy!" His friend yelled, trying to decide between attacking Dimitri or going to his friend.
"That is quite enough."
All three of us halted, eyes shifting to Sonya. She stood tall, Mikhail behind her, ready to interfere if needed. Her eyes moved from person to person, appraising the scene, coming to land on the bearded man as he struggled to his feet.
He whipped at the blood dripping from his mouth with his sleeve, "What do you want?"
"You owe them an apology."
He scoffed, spitting blood on the ground at Sonya's feet, "Fuck off, lady."
A sweet smile covered her face, taking a step forward, "Apologise to them."
I recognised the tone in her voice, having heard it used on me. She was compelling him. He looked confused at first, but then the compulsion took hold. Looking at both Dimitri and me, he apologised.
"I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have said that."
Sonya tilted her head, "And you will never do it again."
"And I'll never do it again." He promised.
His friend watched on, confused, "What the hell!" He was silenced by Sonya.
"You didn't see me and have no memory of me being here. You and your friend got into a fight and lost. You will leave Rose and Dimitri alone and won't cause any trouble with them again." Both men were quick to nod their heads; Sonya smiled again, though this time it was pleased. "Good. Now go."
I watched the two men run away from us, the added push in Sonya's compulsion making them rush. I still felt my rage burning through my veins, amped up more by the distress I could feel from Dimitri. Even though the men had started it, Dimitri threw the first punch and attacked another guardian. He was still haunted by the fact he had killed guardians the night he was restored and hated to injure another.
Sonya laid a hand on Dimitri's arm, squeezing, "Go to Rose, and take care of her."
I wasn't sure if she had used compulsion on him or not, but he dipped his head and walked back to me, picking the large bear off the ground where he had dropped it. He didn't look me in the eye, hand slipping into mine and tugging me after him. Glancing back at Sonya, she nodded at me encouragingly as she leaned into Mikhail's embrace.
Dimitri didn't speak the whole walk back to our rooms, staying close to me as I unlocked my door and let him in. His guilt fueled my anger, feeling it build inside me until I felt like I needed to scream.
I stalked into my room, instantly pacing, kicking my bed when I passed it.
"Roza."
"They're assholes!"
Dimitri sighed, slumping against my bed, watching me as I crossed back and forth, "I know. I'm sorry."
I shot him an incredulous look, "Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything wrong." The fact that they managed to make Dimitri feel guilty like this, blaming himself again, made me want to find them both and make them regret it.
"Roza, it's okay-"
"No, it isn't! They don't get to talk about my soulmate like that. They don't know shit. And don't you dare feel bad about punching him. He deserved it, and—why are you smiling at me?" I halted mid-stride, eyeing Dimitri as he looked up at me with a goofy smile.
"You called me your soulmate."
I paused. I had said it before, but I don't think I ever said it to his face. After so long of being undecided of what we were to each other and where to go next, I hadn't referred to him like that out loud. It wasn't until I had screamed what we were at Janine that I realised how good it was to admit it. Dimitri was my soulmate, and I loved him more than anything.
I crossed the room to him, slotting my body between his legs, hands coming up to cup his face as his settled on my waist. "I like saying it," I told him, dipping my head to press a kiss to his lips, "You're my soulmate, Dimitri. And I love you."
His smile grew, eyes lighting up with pure happiness as the bond filled with joy and affection. "I love you too, Roza. Моя родственная душа."
He pulled at my waist until I was straddling his lap, lips finding mine. It was so full of passion and love; somehow, it felt more intense than anytime before. Even the night in the cabin paled in comparison. Every touch was electrifying, feeling his pleasure coming through the bond as his hand travelled up my back to tangle in my hair, while the other pressed against the small of my back, so we were pressed impossibly closer. It was too much, but not enough.
I wanted more.
This time when my hands ventured, Dimitri didn't stop me. I slid His duster down his arms, and then his shirt was next to go, dragging it over his head before bringing our lips back together. As I explored his bare chest, his hand moved to the front of my top, nimbly fingers undoing each button until my black bra was exposed.
Dimitri's mouth moved from mine to latch onto the exposed skin pulling a moan from my lips. I had missed this, feeling him touching me. How gentle yet passionate he was, taking time to cover every inch as he worshipped my body. I dragged my nails down the tone muscles of his back, feeling them flex under my fingers. The deep groan I received in response encouraged me to keep going, fisting his hair to angle his face back to mine.
I wanted all of him. This wasn't like last night, where it was driven by desperation and a need to prove my mother wrong. No, this time, there was only love between us. Pure and unwavering love. It felt right—perfect.
I wanted to give Dimitri everything, trusting him completely, feeling a sense of resolution settle over me.
I broke from the kiss, pulling back just enough to see Dimitri's face. His eyes were unfocused, leaning forward as he tried to chase my lips.
Gazing into his eyes, I felt my confidence grow. "Dimitri," I whispered, brushing his hair back from his face, curling my fingers around the strands, "I want you."
His eyes focused, searching mine, "Roza," His voice was deep and husky, made breathless from our kisses, "are you sure?"
I reached between us and pulled my shirt off, watching how his eyes widened before they darkened with lust, "I'm sure. I love you, and I want you. I want all of you. I don't care that the bond is still blocked. I know that I want to be with you for the rest of my life. Will you tie yourself to me completely, Dimitri?"
"Yes."
Dimitri surged forward, reclaiming my mouth, using his hold on me to flip us around, so my back was on the bed. His large form covered mine, our bodies slotting together like they were two pieces of a puzzle. Made for each other.
He trailed kisses down across my jaw and then down to my shoulder, pausing to caress the necklace he bought me. I gasped as he ventured between my breast, his fingers featherlight as they moved down my sides to the top of my jeans.
Deep brown eyes met mine, seeking approval before going any further.
A loud ringing broke the silence between us, snapping us back to reality. I had to blink away the haze at first, taking a moment to realise it was my phone ringing. Panic rose. What time was it!
"Crap!" I felt around on the bed covers for my phone that had previously been in the back pocket of my pants. Locating it, I released a sigh of relief, seeing I still had time before I was expected at Headquarters, but was shocked to see Sydney calling. I shot Dimitri an apologetic look.
"Hey, Sydney," I answered the phone. A look of understanding crossed Dimitri's face at the mention of her name. "What's up?"
"Rose! I have a description of the person that stole the records!"
What was your favourite part? Mine was Rose winning the prize for Dimitri!
Just gonna put a disclaimer, there will be no sex scene in this fic, mainly because my sister and cousin read this and don't really want family to read that haha.
Моя родственная душа - My soulmate
