- Here is a little Rose and Dimitri fluff for you all -

Chapter 26

I don't think I could have woken to a better sight than a shirtless Dimitri holding a cup of coffee and a plate of bacon and pancakes.

"If this is a dream, do not wake me up," I moaned, smiling brightly at the god before me. "Good morning."

He chuckled, placing the cup and plate beside me, now with his hands free, he helped me to sit up, adjusting the pillows behind me, "Good afternoon."

My eyes flicked to his clock. Sure enough, it was after lunch. I raised my eyebrows at him, "How did you get bacon and pancakes?"

"Guardian secret," He told me with a wink.

I bit my lip, my body flushing at just a wink from him. I really am head over heels for this man. Relief flooded my body; I had been so concerned that last night may have made things awkward between us, that was not the case.

I shifted so that I was sitting cross-legged, pulling on the hem of Dimitri's shirt to keep myself covered. It was a grey shirt; despite the worn look, it was soft against my skin. There were a couple of spots that appeared to have been mended; it was a well-loved shirt. The writing on the front was in Russian. I had no hope of understanding it.

"It was a gift from Ivan. He gave it to me as a joke," Dimitri explained, passing me my plate. There was a strain to his voice, as there always was when he brought up Ivan.

I took a slice of bacon, quickly devouring it. I glanced down at the writing, "A joke, huh? What does it say?" This made Dimitri flush which perked my curiosity even more. "If you don't tell me, I'll just google translate it," I told him with a grin.

"Fine," He rolled his eyes. Returning to his side of the bed, coffee mug in hand, "It says lady killer," he grumbled, avoiding my eyes.

I laughed out loud, just imagining the look on Dimitri's face when he received it. "Please tell me he made you wear it in public," The idea of the stoic Dimitri guarding Ivan while wearing this shirt made me laugh more.

Dimitri glared at me for a second before focusing on his coffee, "I told him I burned it."

It was such a Dimitri thing to do, pretending to hate the shirt but actually treasuring it.

After I had eaten, I was made to sit still so that Dimitri could check my injuries. The painkiller from the night before had worn off; I was still sore, though mending well. By tomorrow I doubted I would even need to take anything for the pain. Still wasn't allowed to return to training until next week; Dimitri wasn't relenting on that.

I allowed him to poke and prod my side and move my wrist, testing the range of motion. "So what do you think doc, am I going to live?"

The corner of his mouth twitched, "If you keep getting into those situations, I think I'm going to end up in an early grave from a heart attack," He muttered, giving me a weary look.

I ran my fingers through his hair, brushing it back. I paused, widening my eyes in surprise.

"What?"

"I think I found a grey hair," I told him. A smirk breaking at the affronted expression on his face.

With an evil glint in his eye, leaning forward, he whispered in a low voice, "When your training starts again, I will make you pay for that." The scheming grin he gave me as he pulled away both excited and scared me.

Closing my mouth, realising it was hanging open, I swallowed, training to regain my composure, "So what's the plan for today, comrade?"

He glanced around the room, gesturing with his hand, "Staying here. You are on bed rest, so you will lay down and rest."

"Something tells me I'm going to be very bored."

I was beyond bored.

I had tried watching TV, but there was nothing good on. Even Dimitri's movie collection left a lot to be desired unless all you desired were westerns and Russian films. His book selection wasn't much better.

I eventually gave in and started to read one that he had suggested, a story of a female gunslinger traversing across the wild desert planes of Arizona. It just sounded like a lot of dirt. Flat, neverending dirt. There weren't even any steaming scenes in the book, which I suspected Dimitri chose this book for that purpose more than anything else.

With another sigh, I closed the book, sliding in a bookmark; despite how bored I was, I did want to finish the book. I turned to my side. Dimitri lounged beside me, a book of his own, only he was immensely enjoying his time. I continued to stare at him until he finally pulled his eyes away from the page.

"Yes?"

"I'm bored," I whined, earning a twitch of his lips.

"Really? I couldn't tell."

I nudged him with my hand, huffing in frustration when his eyes returned to his book. "Dimitri."

"Yes, Rose?"

The corner of his lips turned up in a barely contained smirk. I narrowed my eyes at him. "Entertain me."

He relented, placing his bookmark between the pages and placing it beside him. He rolled his body to be facing me, bending his elbow to rest his head on his palm. "What should I do to entertain you?" He asked, amusement colouring his voice.

I thought for a second before my eyes lit up, opening my mouth only to be turned down by Dimitri.

"Not that."

I pouted. Another idea popped into my head.

"Not that either."

"You don't even know what I'm going to say."

His eyes held mine, "I know exactly what you are going to say."

I blushed. Deciding to come up with a more family-friendly suggestion. "Fine, do you want to talk?"

His eyebrow raised, unease in his expression, "What did you want to talk about?"

"How about the fact that everyone knows about us." We hadn't had time to discuss that bombshell of the previous night. "Did you know they knew?"

He shrugged his shoulder, "I suspected it. I wasn't exactly hiding my reaction very well after the caves."

Dimitri got a distant look in his eyes, his expression becoming distraught. I covered his hand with mine pulling him from those memories. "It's okay. It's good they know." He nodded, threading his fingers through mine.

"I know how much you wanted to tell your friends."

I smiled. It was a relief them knowing and accepting it. It weighed on me the fear of their reactions, so much so that it felt so anti-climatic once it was revealed. "Now, the only person that I have to actually tell is my mom."

The colour drained from Dimitri's face. I cocked my head. "Don't tell me you are scared of my mother."

His eyebrows furrowed, "Your mother is a force to be reckoned with. With her connections in the guardian world, she could easily make me disappear."

I giggled, "Don't worry, comrade, I'll protect you." I pressed my lips against his cheek, pulling back to see a happy smile on his face. "What do you think your family will say?" I asked, suddenly feeling nervous. Dimitri's family was very important to him, and he would take their opinion seriously. What if they never accepted me? Not just based on the fact I was Strigoi, but because I was his student, I could destroy his career and his good name.

"They already know about you."

I looked at him, surprised, "They know?"

"After you were taken, I needed someone to talk to about it," A sorrowful expression on his face.

I felt my stomach drop. "Do they know what happened… after?"

"I told them everything."

I angled my head down. There was no way they would ever accept me.

Dimitri's hand tenderly lifted my chin, "My mother said she can't wait to meet you." He told me, affection shining through at me.

I blinked at him, unsure, "Really?"

Shuffling closer to me so that his arm could wrap around my waist, "When I told her that you had died, she mourned with me. The fact that she would never get to meet the woman I had fallen in love with upset her. Then when I told her that you were alive, she was overjoyed."

He kissed my hair, warmth to his voice, "I told them all about you. How brave you are, how strong." He chuckled, "How wild you can be." I pinched him, pulling another laugh from him. "I can't wait to introduce you to them. They will all love you, Roza."

I gazed up at him, my lip trembling. I haven't even met these people yet, but I could already feel myself growing attached to them. "I would like that."

I pressed my cheek to his chest, the position similar to how we had fallen asleep last night. I felt such delight knowing that regardless of everything, his family wanted to meet me. I had never experienced the caring family dynamic other than Lissa's family, and it intrigued me.

"Dimitri?" He hummed in response. "Will you tell me about them? About your family?"

He released a content sigh, holding me closer. I could hear the smile in his voice, the joy as he told me about his mother, grandmother, and sisters. About what it was liking growing up with them. I let myself relax and enjoy the deep sounds of his voice.

Waking from a nap, I blinked groggily up at Dimitri. He was leaning against the headboard, one hand holding a book, the other playing with my hair.

His smile made my stomach flutter, "Sleeping beauty is awake."

I yawned, cringing at my breath. "Sleeping beauty needs to brush her teeth."

His laughter followed me as I made my way to the bathroom. Dimitri had unpacked my bag at some point; my toiletries were set out on the counter. There was just something so right about us sharing a space like this.

After brushing my teeth, I decided it was time to tame my hair; as I tried to work out the tangles, I brushed it back from my neck. My eyes widened, a gasp falling from my lips.

Dimitri appeared in the doorframe in an instant, eyes frantic. "What happened? What's wrong?"

I kept my eyes on my reflection, shaking my head. "Nothing, I just saw…." I touched my neck. The mark that Dimitri had sucked onto my skin stood out against my skin, a deep red and purple hickey.

His eyes followed mine in the mirror, realising what I was talking about. He blushed. "I didn't mean to make it that big." He was avoiding my eyes.

I spun to face him, "I like it." I told him with a shy smile. A small thrill went through me, seeing me claimed as his. I turned back to the mirror to stare at it.

"I like it too." His voice was rough and deep. Eyes ablaze. His gaze made my knees go weak.

Releasing a shaky breath, I finished brushing my hair, arranging it to be swept to the side, keeping the hickey in view. When I faced him again, his eyes were trained on it. "How do I look?"

Dimitri dragged his knuckles down the collum on my neck, making me shiver. "Perfect Roza."

The two days with Dimitri were over too soon.

Alberta had called to inform him that I would be placed back in the guest quarters. It would be easier to monitor who was entering the building due to the lack of guests currently staying. Students were only to enter the guest quarters if they had family visiting. Dimitri would continue to stay with me during the day, and then at night, another guardian would be stationed nearby to watch for anyone that may come searching for me.

Being placed in a separate building would make it challenging for Dimitri to stay with me at night without others noticing. I couldn't conceal the sadness I felt, knowing that this happy bubble we had been in was about to pop.

Our last night together, we held onto each other tightly, hands caressing and exploring.

In the morning, I packed my stuff and walked with Dimitri to my new room. I was glad to know that it would not be the same room I had spent the first couple of weeks in. To make it so I was not completely alone at night if anything did happen, I was placed in the room right next to Adrian, so my room was big and fancy.

My eyes surveyed the room; it was larger than Dimitri's room, even having a small kitchenette. A double bed in the middle, couch and desk against the wall, and of course my own bathroom.

"Not going to lie, I could get used to this."

Lissa nodded in agreement. She had greeted us when we arrived, waiting with Adrian in the lobby. "I think it's bigger than my room, and that's for two people."

Adrian was already lounged on the couch, making himself comfortable, "Only the best for you, little dhampir."

I snorted. I doubt this room was ever meant for a dhampir to stay in; this room was for royal Moroi only. A glance at Dimitri told me he was thinking the same time.

He was uncomfortable that Adrian would be next door to me. I told him there was nothing to worry about, but he still did not trust him. Dimitri carried my bag over to the bed, setting it on top, turning back to me, "We should head back if you want to eat before class."

Knowing we were around people that are aware of our relationship, we didn't have to keep up the strictly professional act anymore. Though we weren't going to start being openly loving in front of them, there was an ease. He wasn't as guarded as he spoke to me, affection showing on his face.

I pouted. Once we left this room, we would be back to hiding from everyone else. "If I must," I grumbled out. The sullen look in his eyes told me he didn't want to go back to that either.

His eyes shifted to Lissa, a look passing between them. She spun to face Adrian on the couch, "What does your room look like?" She asked.

Caught off guard by the question, Adrian cocked his head to the side, "Like this."

"Show me," She pulled him up by his arm, dragging him out of the room before he could protest, closing the door behind them.

I laughed, she wasn't subtle, but she got the job done. I turned back to Dimitri. "Nice."

"I wanted to be alone with you just a bit longer," He told me, crossing the room with long strides to be inches away from me. I reached for him, arms snaking up to be around his neck.

"I'm going to miss you."

He kissed my forehead, "I'll still be with you all day." Kissing down the side of my face.

"But it's not the same," I breathed out, head tilting to the side, allowing him room. I sighed as he pushed my hair back from my neck, revealing the hickey. It had faded, but Dimitri took time this morning to replace it with a new one.

"If you miss me, just think of this," Brushing his lips against the mark. He drew back sooner than I would have liked, pulling my hair back into place, smirking at the effect he had on me.

I glared half-heartedly, "You are just lucky I don't have to take part in my exercise classes. Otherwise, everyone would see it."

His eyes darkened, "Then everyone will know that you are spoken for."

I laughed, not used to this side of Dimitri, but I did not mind it, "How very caveman of you." I grinned, so he knew I wasn't mad about it. I pulled him down with a hand on his neck, pressing our lips together.

All too soon, we separated, knowing we were out of time. With one last kiss, we exited the room.

"Oh, finally," Adrian groaned. He stood in the hallway with Lissa, "So that you know. The walls are thin. Try to keep it down." He teased, his smirk growing at the blush I felt creep onto my face.

"Adrian!" Lissa scolded him, also sporting a blush.

Only Dimitri was unaffected, a stern gaze on Adrian, a warning. Adrian tried to hold the stare but relented, strutting down the hallway, muttering about no one taking a joke.

Amusement filling his eyes, Dimitri turning to me, "Shall we?"

"Wow," Lissa whispered to me.

We entered the cafeteria. Dimitri hung back from us, back in guardian mode. Lissa had hooked her arm through mine, pulling me close enough to hear her without others being able to listen in.

"What?"

"I know that Dimitri has always been intense. But seeing him with you, it's like a whole other kind of intense."

I nodded. She had no idea.

She glanced back at him before leaning in close to me again, "The sex must be insane."

"Lissa!" I was so surprised that I yelled, drawing the attention of those around us. I hurried us away from them. Being sure to whisper this time, "Not really the place to talk about that."

She had the decency to look embarrassed. Through the bond, she pushed her thoughts. We are so going to talk about this later.

I internally groaned.

The bedsheets underneath my hand were smooth, expensive. But they didn't feel right; I missed my bed. I missed Dimitri's bed.

It was the end of the day; after dinner, Dimitri had walked me back here. We couldn't have a proper goodbye because the guardian for the night was already here, Daniel. I liked him, until that moment at least.

With a quick goodbye, Dimitri left for his room, and I had been staring at the ceiling since. I know I was here for my protection, but I felt safer with Dimitri next to me; now, I just felt uneasy.

A knock made me sit up with only a small wince from the movement. I felt panic build. No one should be knocking at my door.

"Rose?" A male voice called through the door.

I crossed the room and opened the door to reveal Daniel. I raised my eyebrows in question.

"Sorry, I just wanted to return this," Pulling from his jacket, he held out my silver stake.

I looked back up at him in shock. When I woke up without it in the infirmary, I assumed I had lost it for good. "How?"

He handed it over to me, "I picked it up that night before we left, thinking it was one of the spares. But then I realised that it was personal."

I grasped the cool metal. Dimitri had never asked about it, so I guessed he also thought I was using a spare that night as well. I cocked my head to the side, "I'm surprised you are giving it back. Students aren't meant to have stakes."

Daniel waved me off, "After seeing you use one, I can see you know how to use it properly. Just don't tell anyone I gave it back to you."

I nodded my head eagerly, "Thanks."

"Sure, well, I better get back downstairs." With that, Daniel left.

I returned to my bed, placing the stake on the side table. I would have to swing by my room tomorrow to get the box for it. With it close by, I felt some of my nervous energy leave me.

I should have known it would never have worked. It would have been too easy that simply moving rooms would make it stop. I had hoped, but that hope was crushed.

There, on the floor in front of the door, was a folded piece of paper.

It took a long time to convince myself to pick it up, unfolding it to reveal the message inside.

He won't be able to protect you bitch!

I'm coming to kill you, and I won't stop until you have paid for what you have done!