Why do teachers call time off from school a 'holiday' when what they really mean is 'time in which we expect you to maintain your usual working hours and a high level of productivity from the comfort of your own home'? Just say it like it is, guys. You're not fooling anyone.
To reviewer Shleprock- I love the comparison of the Tournament as the 'Quidditch World Cup for dhampirs'! Thanks to everyone else who reviewed too, and to everyone who stays with me even when I go MIA for a little while. You're all great :)
Disclaimer: If I owned VA, I'd currently be spending my time travelling the country to sign copies of The Ruby Circle. I would not be dying slowly inside trying to decode cryptic tweets and spoilers and fearing for the lives of my fictional friends whilst waiting for the book to come out.
1st June- Days until wedding- 20
It seemed I was the only one who was excited.
Hans appeared from the inside the tent holding a standard-issue green duffel bag that was overflowing with silver objects. "Everyone take a bowl and fill it with hot water from the pan over the fire. The food isn't exciting, but it's the best we can do."
A collective groan travelled around the circle like a game of Chinese whispers, the metal bowls following in its wake as people took one from the stack before passing it on. I moved to go and fill it up, but Dimitri's hand on my arm stopped me. There was amusement in his eyes, along with wariness.
"Alright," I conceded, passing him my bowl. Going near fire and measuring our boiling water wasn't the best idea. Third degree burns might affect my performance tomorrow.
Hans threw us each a ration pack. Shane's cousin dropped his, earning him jibes from those around him. Eddie accepted his packet with barely a grimace, trying to emulate Dimitri's calm acceptance. I, on the other hand, had no love lost for the on-the-go meals. I tipped the dried food into the boiling water in my bowl after ripping the packet open with my teeth, stirring impatiently as I waited for the pasta to absorb the water and be ready to eat.
Most of my colleagues were still staring woefully at the ingredients on the foil bag, as though waiting for them to magically change to something gourmet. Hans melted away like a ghost with ninja training, leaving us to our own devices. I wasn't sure if anyone else even noticed- they were too busy being depressed and all.
After a long three minutes, my dinner was finally edible. I dug in with my spork to find that aside from being a little bland, the food really wasn't that bad after all. Dimitri, too, seemed to be getting on and eating, whilst most other Guardians stared incredulously at us, or sadly at their still-sealed packets. People said I was the immature one.
Rolling my eyes, I put down my spork. "If you don't want your ration pack food, give it to me and I'll trade you a granola bar."
Four silver packets flew across the circle to land in my lap as I pulled a the granola out of my bag. I passed it to the first empty-handed guy on my left before leaning closer to the fire to pick up the big pan of boiling water. Since it was only half full now, I figured it was safe.
"How can you stomach that stuff?" asked a Guardian I didn't know. Clearly, if he had to ask that question, then he didn't know me either.
"Hey, it's food and it's hot. And as long as the meat isn't roadkill, I'm good."
Dimitri laughed beside me as he helped me empty the new packets into the water.
"It was never roadkill, Rose. The bacon just wasn't processed. It was... organic."
Making a face, I stirred the pot. Our time with the Keepers still seemed surreal to me. "How do you know? Did you watch the pig get slaughtered whilst I was away somewhere?"
A devious spark glinted in his eyes. "No, but you did miss a lot of interesting facts when you were off cave-hiking with-"
I pointed at him as threateningly as my spork would allow. "Speak another word, and I will flay you alive with this very blunt plastic utensil."
By now, the others had stopped eating to watch our banter. Dimitri didn't say anything, but I could tell he wanted to; probably something along the lines of a joke about me breaking off a second engagement.
"I feel like we're missing some background info that would make slaughtered pigs and eating roadkill make a lot more sense," Tamara said with smirk.
"Oh, right. This was whilst we were on the run and kind of low on food." I didn't have to explain what we were running from. "We didn't have to eat roadkill, thankfully, though the bacon was pretty suspect. The bread wasn't much better. It tasted like it had been kept in the pocket of someone's overalls for a week before they gave it to us."
"One person with overalls," Dimitri reiterated for the hundredth time. "One person out of about 50, and that's what sticks in your mind about that visit?"
"His name was Billy-Bob, and he played a banjo. Of course he sticks in my mind."
"As much as other people?"
I could scarcely believe that he was still teasing me about this in front of all these Guardians. It must have been the campfire- it seemed to burn away his reservations a little. Normally, I would love that. Tonight though, this particular topic and the hunger pangs that one ration of boring pasta hadn't been able to lessen made me slightly less excited than I would usually be.
"I think I prefer how you were back then- all silent and broody." I meant it as a joke, but Dimitri seemed to realise that I wasn't in the mood for this continued banter relating to our time with the Keepers, and one Keeper in particular.
His expression softened, his small smile acting like a caress he wouldn't give publicly with all the onlookers.
"I still took you out for ice cream, though."
My own face cracked into a smile. "You took me to a library, and we happened to find ice cream on the way back. But yeah, you did buy me ice cream."
We'd only been acting as friends then (friends with truckloads of unresolved feelings, of course) but our connection to each other had been undeniable. Whenever we were together, something about us just worked.
Our little moment ended when Eddie pointed out that my giant vat of pasta was probably done by now. The three of us shared it whilst the others either ate their own rations or granola, hurrying to be finished by the time Hans came back to herd us into the tent. I wondered where he had been, and imagined him in some great fabric dining hall with upholstered chairs and a mahogany table, eating freshly roasted meat. I couldn't decide who I hated more in that moment- Hans for invading my imagination and making me envy the spectral version of himself, or myself, for allowing my brain to come up with the image in the first place.
He didn't come back yet, though, and Guardians in the mini camps around us were getting into the spirit of the great outdoors. As though our conversation had summoned one, somebody had brought a stringed instrument that sounded suspiciously like a banjo and was playing it whilst his colleagues sang along in a language I didn't understand. A neighbouring camp joined in, drowning out the music a bit. It wasn't too bad, really, until the next group along from us started singing in yet another language. I looked around our circle suspiciously. I was certain that it wouldn't be long before a couple of our guys joined in as well.
"As much as I'd love to earn my Eagle Scout Camping badge, I don't want to waste energy by singing. I'm going to hit the showers before they get too congested."
Dimitri moved forward a fraction of an inch as I got up - an instinctive reaction that would usually have resulted in a kiss, or even following me. He remembered protocol a split second later, though, and I knew nobody else would have even noticed the momentary lapse.
Tamara stood up too. "Not a bad idea, though I think it'll be more of a problem for the men."
Jake Reyes waved a hand dismissively. "That's what deodorant's made for. I showered already this morning."
"That's disgusting, and probably why you don't have a girlfriend," I said in a conspiratorial false whisper. He'd been running around in this heat, and judging by the dark patches I'd seen on his clothes earlier, he'd been sweating so much that pigs would take offence at being compared to him.
He shrugged my comment off. "Nah, they just can't handle the thought of the next morning. It's too painful."
"Yeah, because they think you've died in the night and begun to decay. " The assembled Guardians all cracked a smile. "I found a pair of your shoes when I had to clean out lost property at school one time. Hell, it almost killed me."
Jake frowned. "I don't remember getting them back."
I smirked. "That's because I gave them to Andre Dragomir for his birthday. It was great. You could smell them through the wrapping paper."
Recognising the name, one of the other Guardians looked confused. "Why would you do that?"
"No idea. But there was probably a good reason for it at the time."
I left then, not because I had nothing else to say, but because I'd remembered what Andre had said that had pissed me off. He'd taken a picture of me playing dolls with Lissa despite us being way too old, and was going to show it to his friends. I'd deleted all evidence, then one-upped him with both the sneakers and a candid photo of my own.
After grabbing my washbag from the tent, Tamara and I walked back to the shower block. Fortunately it wasn't too far from our pitch, even if we did have to weave our way through other Guardian groups. There was no method to the spaces we had been allocated. If only the Tournament organisers were as OCD as Hans when it came to telling people where to go.
When we got the bathroom block, there was one other female Guardian by the sink, and one of the five shower cubicles was in use. Tamara and each took an unoccupied one, mine the furthest from the door. There was a rack by the open window that I could throw my clothes onto so they could dry before morning. Washing them with soap wasn't the best thing in the world, but there was no way I was wearing them for another day as they were.
The temperature of the shower water wasn't quite as hot as I liked it, but it still felt amazing as it hammered against my skin. As I stood under the spray, I catalogued any parts of my body that felt a little worse for wear than they had this morning. My left shoulder twinged when I rotated it, but it was nothing that shouldn't be healed by tomorrow. I also had a killer bruise on my shin, which I couldn't remember injuring. The worst were my hands, which were sore across the palms from all the grabbing ropes and supporting my weight on what were essentially just thick cables. My knuckles and fingers were tough enough that they didn't get so damaged anymore, but today I'd put strain on those parts not usually under stress. I'd have to wear gloves tomorrow, however hot it may be.
The shower next to me was shut off, reminding me that I couldn't just stand there being vacant all night. I scrubbed my clothes quickly before shampooing my hair. I'd thought the warm water felt good, but it was nothing compared to freeing my slightly overgrown tresses and massaging away the headache that had started to form as a result of having the hairband too tight. I made a mental note to go and get it trimmed before the wedding. I was sure one side was a little longer than the other.
Feeling more like myself again, I turned off the faucet just in time to hear a couple more women walk into the shower block.
"Don't take too long in here," one said. "There's a very attractive man waiting for me over on the Eastern treeline, and I don't want to be late."
Her companion scoffed. "Sure; I'll rush just so that you can meet your new 'friend'."
"Maybe we'll find one for you too. There are plenty of men here."
"Alright. I'll come with you, and steal your man if necessary."
Their voices faded away as they went through into the adjoining area where the toilets were. I smiled to myself as I wrapped a towel around my body. The Eastern treeline, huh? If lots of people were hooking up over there, then maybe Dimitri and I could sneak away too. Not to have sex, obviously, since anyone could walk in on us. But a quick make out session would be nice.
When I got out the shower, Tamara asked if I minded her going back to camp without me. I told her it was fine and began the long process of slathering my skin with intensive moisturising cream. Though my skin didn't ever really burn, my body was put through enough stress on a daily basis that I had worn spf this morning and was giving it some extra TLC tonight. It might be vain, but I still really didn't want to end up looking as weathered and prematurely aged as my mom and Alberta. Sue me.
I left the shower block 20 minutes later, dressed in casual sweats and a hoodie with my hair mostly dry. It was more than I wanted to wear to bed, but sacrifices had to be made when sharing a tent with lots of random guys.
Darkness was falling between the tents, permeated only by the campfires and small lanterns people had set up to stop others tripping into them. No Strigoi would be stupid enough to come here and try to take on a crowd of the world's best Guardians, but I felt on edge all the same. I felt as though someone was watching me. Scanning the expanse of grey, I saw a dark silhouette outlines against the plastic of a tent that was illuminated from within. Our eyes met as I walked past, and suddenly the man fell into step beside me.
"It was a beautiful sunset, was it not?" He had an accent- Spanish or Italian maybe. His dark hair also hinted as to his origin. "Although it seems as though we should be waking up rather than going to our beds."
"Um, yeah." This guy had completely caught me off guard. What the hell was he up to?
"You don't have to go to sleep now if you don't want to. There's a place we could go, over the Eastern treeline..."
I stopped dead in my tracks. "Whoa there. Are you seriously coming onto me right now?"
The man frowned. "I... well, I was told that my attention would be well received by the girl with the long, dark hair and pretty eyes. A Guardian by the name of Reyes informed me of your intentions."
I realised that this was his idea of revenge for stealing his sneakers all those years ago. This meant war.
"I'm sorry," I told the guy who was now looking quite worried. "I think this is Guardian Reyes' idea of a joke. He knows I'm in a relationship and that I have absolutely no intention of hooking up in the woods tonight. I'm not that kind of girl."
I made to push past him, but he reached out and caught my arm. The muscles of my right arm readied themselves to punch him in the face. It wouldn't be the first time, and probably not the last either.
"Please, forgive me." The genuine apology stopped my fist from reshaping his nose. "I did not mean to insult you. Please accept my apology."
I glared until he let go of my arm, then sighed in defeat. He couldn't help being tricked by Jake.
"Fine. Just next time, don't be such a creep. Or so trusting of other guys- if Guardian Reyes really thought I had such 'pretty eyes', then why wouldn't he be chasing me himself?"
He cracked a smile. "You are right. Sometimes a man doesn't think straight when it comes to certain matters."
At least he admitted it. That was more than most men would do. "I'm Guardian Hathaway," I told him. "Just so you know who to bet on when I kick Reyes' ass tomorrow."
"Guardian Guerrero," he said with a grin. "I must say that it is a pleasure to meet you, and an honour to still be standing considering the circumstances. News of your deeds has reached even me, and I am very isolated."
I hadn't been planning on getting into a conversation with this guy, but he seemed alright. Plus, my ego informed me that it would like to hear about my fame.
"Really? Where would that be?"
"I am originally from Spain, but I live with my charge in Northern Italy. He is the nephew of Lady Ekaterina Zeklos."
"Wow." My statement was less because I was impressed (after all, I was the current Queen's Guardian) and more because I couldn't imagine being the Guardian of the successive Queen's nephew. I hoped for Guerrero's sake that his charge was nothing like Nathan Ivashkov.
"He is a good man," Guerrero said. Obviously my meaning had been clearer than I thought. "And his wife is kind. But my colleagues are not the best of company. I was brought in to replace one of their number who was killed three years ago, and they seem to... resent me for it. I've tried to prove myself, and have never taken a day off since I arrived. Until this Tournament. They dislike me even more now, but my charge insisted he would fire me if I didn't come."
What was it about me that made people feel the need to share their life stories? I'd make a better therapist than Deirdre ever did.
"Well, at least your charge is nice. He's the one that pays you, after all."
Guerrero laughed. "That is true."
Off to my left, a flare of light caught my peripheral vision. I turned to see the source- the door to the shower block had opened and two women stepped out. They were talking, and I recognised their voices. It was the two that had been discussing the Eastern treeline earlier- the one who had someone waiting for her, and the one that was sad she didn't. That one was trailing behind, dragging her feet as she followed her friend in hopes of finding someone to spend the night with.
I looked back at the Guardian in front of me, also looking for someone. To me, the idea of a one night stand with a stranger was just sad. I'd been heading in that direction at one point, making out with random guys in dark corners of parties nobody had really wanted me to attend. Thankfully, I'd found something better. I had someone to shared my life with, not just my bed.
But these Guardians who hadn't been off duty in three years? Their chances of finding love were slim to none. Such was the sad reality of our society. If they found comfort and pleasure by spending a few hours in the arms of a stranger, then who was I to judge?
"See those women over there?" I said quietly. Guerrero turned to where I was pointing, and I noticed that his profile was quite attractive. Bonus. I crossed my arms over my chest."You might find what you're looking for with the one walking behind. Just don't be a creep about it. And if she has any complaints, I'll break your face."
Guerrero smiled. "Understood. Thank you for not doing so earlier." He nodded once in a parting gesture, and struck out into the night.
I glanced up at the stars as I continued back to the tent, wondering if our fates were really written up there somewhere. If so, what did they say about Dimitri and I? Had they been on our side from the beginning, bringing us back together every time we were torn apart, or had our own free will and determination overwritten a starcrossed prophecy that had been responsible for the anguish in the first place?
I didn't care, I decided. Either way, we were together now, and nothing would be able to tear us apart, regardless of any celestial decree.
By the time I reached the tent, I realised that my philosophical ramblings were probably due to fatigue. Getting revenge on Jake would have to wait until tomorrow.
Nobody was sitting around the campfire anymore, so were either at the shower blocks, inside the tent, or by the eastern tree line. Since I couldn't see Dimitri anywhere right now, and liked to think he was entirely committed to our relationship, I figured it was the former.
Jake, however, was inside. He smirked when he saw me, making a hand gesture that was probably meant to be obscene but was actually just obscure. I flipped him off and continued to my bed. On the way, I saw that Dimitri and Eddie's bags were placed on beds next to each other. They'd got lucky in the surname alphabet lottery.
It wouldn't even have made a different if Dimitri and I were already married. I'd remain Hathaway in professional settings since I already had a reputation built on that name, and also, there was no facility for a Guardian to change the name associated with their title. Guardians didn't get married often enough for it to be a problem- if you did get married, you were probably a guy anyway, or just put up with the name you already had.
This, in turn, meant that I pretty much had to keep Hathaway in my official, legal name. It would be weird to be Guardian Hathaway at work, but Mrs Belikova on personal documents like my passport. So, I was going to hyphenate. I didn't mind keeping the Hathaway, but it did mean that I'd still be six letters apart when Dimitri and I were organised alphabetically. Belikova-Hathaway sounded stupid, so Hathaway-Belikova it would be.
I dropped onto the thin foam mat that would serve as my bed and stared up at the arched ceiling of the tent, contemplating everything that had to be done before Dimitri and I left for Russia. There was a shit ton of forms and stuff associated with getting married that I'd never really thought about before, and it was even worse for Moroi and Dhampirs than it was for humans. Instead of being married under State law, it was under Court law. The relevant documentation then had to be sent to the Alchemists where they worked their magic to make the marriage legal in the human world too. It made turning Lead into Gold look easy.
Thinking about Court law reminded me that Lissa would be awake by now, and I needed to call and check that she was okay. I'd seen cell charging sockets by the changing rooms in the shower blocks, so it didn't matter if the battery went down a little.
I dialled the number, and Lissa picked up on the second ring.
"Rose! I didn't think you'd get a signal way out there in your secret training land."
"Liss, if there wasn't cell service here, then I'd have commandeered a vehicle and driven to the nearest town. I have to make sure that you hadn't been kidnapped by Strigoi or vengeful political maniacs. Otherwise I'd be a crap Guardian and they'd kick me out of this Tournament anyway."
I could practically feel her rolling her eyes over the phone. "You're off duty, Rose. You have to trust my other 20 Guardians to protect me whilst you're not here."
"Never going to happen, Your Majesty. It's less to do with trust issues and more that they're just not as good as me. My awesomeness is irreplaceable."
She ignored the use of her title. "I don't know why I'm putting so much effort into your honeymoon when you'll be worrying about me the whole time anyway."
"Occupational hazard. Anyway, Eddie will be there. He may not be quite as great as me, but he's close enough that I won't drive myself insane with panic. Also, I hope to be distracted."
"Is that not working there then?" I could hear the smile in her voice.
"Not a chance. It's like being back at school, but with less privacy." I had to keep my answers ambiguous, since a couple of the out-of-Court Guardians were clearly eavesdropping on my conversation with the Queen.
Suddenly, there was a noise that sounded like a Strigoi tearing apart a steel door. "Lissa? What's that sound?"
"Calm down, Rose," she laughed. "Christian's making breakfast but he can't get the toaster to work."
"It wasn't me," I said immediately. "It was working perfectly fine when I left. In fact, I think Dimitri used it last."
There was another crash followed by a string of swearwords that gave me a new respect for Christian.
I heard Lissa sigh. "I better go and help him before he sets fire to something. Say hi to Eddie and Dimitri for me."
"I will. Stay safe, and remember that there's a spare stake under my bed if you need it."
"Seriously, no Strigoi are going to get me."
"I meant for you to use it on Christian."
She put the phone down on me, but I knew it was all just part of the joke. She was way too used to my fake-hate for Christian to be bothered by it anymore.
"You have got to be more careful with your staking jokes." I looked up to see Eddie just entering the tent, grinning widely. "Remember what happened last time?"
"Okay. Firstly; last time wasn't a joke- it was an idle threat that I had no intention of carrying out. Second; this was about Christian, which means I can say whatever I like. He's my pain in the ass, remember?"
Eddie just rolled his eyes. "Dimitri's outside."
He didn't need to say any more than that. I threw my cell back onto my pathetic excuse for a pillow and headed for the outside as fast as I could without tripping over one of the Guardians already bedded down for the night.
Sure enough, Dimitri was stood just to the side of the tent's opening; a tall, strong silhouette against the last rays of the setting sun that painted the sky a burnt pink colour.
After a quick scan of the area to make sure nobody was looking, I stepped into his waiting embrace.
"All this sneaking around and keeping secrets is stupid," I grumbled. "There's only like three people in our group that don't know about us, so I don't know why Hans is being so precious about it."
Dimitri's hands caressed my back, sending shivers down my spine in their wake. "The problem is that the ones who already know are used to the idea. Others that find out may be more shocked, and therefore more likely to mention it to others outside of our party."
"So much secrecy. Are people ever going to stop caring about us?"
I felt his laugh rumble through his chest. "Probably not."
"I thought that when Sydney and Adrian came along, their scandal would eclipse ours. But no, people just talk about all of us in the same breath."
"That's what Hans is trying to avoid by keeping our relationship a secret here." He kissed me, and because of the possibility of being caught, it was over far too soon.
"You know, I think this is worse than being at St Vladimir's," I sighed. "Because back then, I didn't know what I was missing out on."
"Hmm." Dimitri stroked my arm as he contemplated what I'd said. "I don't know. It's more frustrating now, pretending like we're not together, but at least we know the truth. It doesn't hurt like it did then; having to keep our secrets from each other."
I thought back to how I'd felt then- keeping my love for him hidden away, denying not only to him but to myself, keeping secrets from Lissa too. I'd felt that love tearing my chest apart as I lay awake at night. Even though I'd miss his arms around me tonight, it was nothing in comparison to the times I'd missed him believing he was lost forever.
"Alright," I conceded. "You're far more philosophical than me."
Dimitri smiled, amusement dancing in his eyes. Come morning, and he'd be all business again. "Think of this as part of the teambuilding exercise."
"A teambuilding trip down memory lane," I agreed, before leaning in to kiss him again.
Despite my earlier resolve to make the best of the situation, I was still almost crying as I lay alone in bed that night. Not because the love of my life was dead or worse, or even because he was on the other side of the tent.
No, I was close to tears because I was so damn tired, but I still couldn't sleep. That, and I wanted to punch somebody.
Thirteen people sharing one tent was not something I ever wanted to be a part of again; especially when eleven of those people were men. There was snoring, heavy breathing, noisy turnovers that caused the plastic flooring to crackle, incoherent murmuring, and a few other noises I didn't want to investigate any further. The thin bedroll wasn't doing much to smooth out the rocky ground that the tent had been pitched on top of. Come morning, I'd probably have more bruises caused by stones than by the Tournament itself. Add all this to the confusion of having switched to a human schedule, and you had a very unhappy Rose.
The Guardian in the spot next to mine lay facing me, mouth hanging open as he snored loudly. In the dim light from the lanterns hung at either end of the open tent, I could see drool pooling onto the plastic sheeting. I wondered when the last time had been that these men shared sleeping quarters with anyone else. Ten years, perhaps?
I rolled over to avoid drowning in the ever-growing spit puddle. At least the guy on the other side was quiet, and slept with his mouth closed. He was quite cute, really, snuggled up in the uncomfortable standard-issue blankets.
He rolled over, and one arm flopped across the gap between us to land on my waist. I froze. The Guardian, whom I knew only as Gates, hummed contentedly. His hand slipped lower.
Fuck this.
I pushed the offending limb away from my body, not caring if the guy woke up as I shimmied out of my blanket. Part of me desperately wanted to place a bowl of warm water under his questing fingers to see if it was true that it would make him wet the bed. But then, I'd still have to share a tent with him.
Screw Hans. Screw him and his stupid 'equality promoting' sleeping plan. I didn't much care that I'd probably have still been groped even if I was a guy. There was only one person here allowed access to my body whilst in bed, and one other that would be able to get away with doing it as a joke. The two of them would make much nicer bed neighbours.
Picking up my pillow and the itchy blanket, I tiptoed up the alphabet towards the Bs and Cs. As I passed Hans, I resisted the urge to do something like draw on his face, but only because I didn't have a permanent marker on me. I could use an ordinary pen, but it would wash off too easily to be worth the trouble I'd get into for it.
Like sensible people, Eddie and Dimitri had left a good sized gap between them and those on either side. A good-sized gap that would be more than wide enough to accommodate a smallish teenage girl.
Crouching down, I took Dimitri's hand in mine. It was the best way to wake him up gradually and without his first conscious action to be reaching for his stake.
He stirred, and I slipped down to stretch out beside him. He was frowning even before his eyes opened.
"You're not supposed to be here," he whispered.
"Since when do I ever do what I'm told?"
Dimitri smiled softly, and without another word, lifted an arm. I shuffled in close and rearranged the blankets to cover me as well. Resting my head on his chest, I hid my phone under the covers and set it to vibrate an hour before we were supposed to wake up. Then I put it under Dimitri's pillow, before sealing the plan with a wink.
Shaking his head affectionately, Dimitri pressed a kiss to my forehead and pulled me closer.
From my new spot near the edge of the tent, it was a little less noisy than being in the middle, but not by much. I could still hear the snoring of the Guardians around me, and there was still the distinct smell of sweaty gym socks.
Regardless, as I felt Dimitri's breathing even out again, I felt myself drifting off. His chest was a more comfortable pillow than the understuffed foamy pieces of crap we had been issued, and even the ground felt softer here. Laying there, I didn't care if there really were less stones under this part of the tent, or if it was just an illusion. It was an illusion I was more than happy to believe.
*Rocks back and forth in a huddled ball, chanting 'Ruby Circle, Ruby Circle, Ruby Circle'.*
Review and break the rules to do naughty things with Dimitri ;)