Hello everyone! Thank you very much for your amazing reviews. They make my day!

Shout out to lovesmesomedanilalol for being an amazing reader!

On with the chapter now, but no kiss for Romitri here! (Sorry). But I have another surprise for you. Hope you like it!

ENJOY!

*one month later*

Rose was lying on her bed staring at the ceiling of her dorm room. It was Sunday, a free day, but she didn't feel like going out and socializing. She wanted some silence. There were very few moments in her day to day life that she was completely alone. But now, in her room, with nothing else to do, she felt at peace.

She sighed heavily knowing that just in a few months time; this peace would be taken away from her. She would be a guardian and a guardian was always supposed to be on alert. Someone's life would be her responsibility. Just in a few months, her life will change completely. It will be no more about homework, dances and parties; it would be about life and death.

Thinking about death seemed so surreal. She wasn't a fool. She knew that most of the guardians never made through their first Strigoi encounter. She just wished that she wouldn't be one of them. There wasn't much to do in her life, none of the guardians had, but she wanted to live. She wanted to be with her friends and enjoy what little of life she had with them. Partying, going on crazy plans, college, job, marriage, kids may be off limits for her but she wanted to live her life through Lissa and Christian's. She wanted to find love like them.

Love. What a foreign term for the people who are slated to kill and protect by putting someone else's life before yours! The Guardians knew only one code – The Moroi come first. For them, love was just a wishful thinking!

But she couldn't help when her mind came up with the picture of Dimitri as soon as she thought of love. Had she already found love and didn't know?

For every moment for the last month or so, Dimitri was the sole thing that occupied her conscious and unconscious mind. It didn't help that he was spending most of his time with her and dear god those times were bliss!

Rose had come to know what an amazing man he was underneath the cover of a hard ass playboy. Among themselves, she never felt him being the larger than life hero he was made out to be. He was just Dimitri. He was a normal person hanging out with his friends, enjoying his senior year. He gossiped, joked, laughed, gave stupid nick names and all the other things a perfect student in his senior year did.

Especially with her, he was considerate and kind, always taking care of the smallest of the things about her. Like bringing her a chocolate donut every morning for breakfast, pulling the chair for her every time – be it in the classroom or the cafeteria, complementing her truthfully. He was perhaps the only one who could point her out on what a brat she's being and tell her to get her shit together. (He made her apologize to Christian once!) He looked at her in such a way that made her feel that she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. He had told her once so.

His flirting seemed never ending. He always found a way to make her blush and he felt so damn proud about the fact that he could elicit such a reaction from her. He would find ways to touch her, holding hands when they were alone, touching her cheeks, dropping an innocent kiss here and there but he never pushed her in any sort of compromising position. He may or may not have tried to kiss her a few times, but she'd be lying if she didn't want that, but they had not had their first kiss up till now, and he seemed cool about that.

But Jesus! She wanted to jump his bones every time she saw him! Come on, who wouldn't? The man was a God! Several times in a day, she found herself halting to admire this fair creation of the heavens.

She would imagine running her fingers through his dark hair. She would imagine him pulling her into a passionate kiss, running his big hands all over her body while he would murmur sweet loving endearments softly in her ears. She just imagined….

She shivered just thinking about their nonexistent interludes which were likely to remain nonexistent. She sighed again. He was the man any girl could possibly ask for. He could make her laugh on her shittiest days and then flirt till he embarrassed her. He listened to all of her nonsense ramblings with a smile on his face. He was as sarcastic and arrogant as her and so their banters were the highlights of her day (among other things of course!).

He was the perfect match for her albeit he was no match for her. He was a royal moroi, in line to become the prince of the Belikov clan in the next few years and she was just some lowly Guardian – a livestock of some sort! There was no way they could be together, ever.

Suddenly she felt very tight, like a lump was forming in her throat. Just when she was in the prospects of finding love in her life, it would be snatched from her. She would go on to guard Lissa and…

Lissa.

She hadn't thought about her in a long time now. Coming to think of it, she hadn't even talked to her properly for the last few weeks. She groaned.

Ugh! What a bad best friend I've been! She felt extremely guilty. They were best friends, sisters. How could she just forget about her? She sighed. Seems like nothing was going right in her life!

A life bound by duty to kill and protect, a distanced friend, a man whom she's in love with but can't be together with him, her life was a mess!

Her alarm clock dinged from the nightstand. She was supposed to meet Dimitri today to continue with their calculus lesson. Not feeling excited no more; she got up to get ready and head to the library.

"And then you differentiate it here with this and then integrate the result using linear method… Rose? Rose? Roza?" Dimitri shook her elbow to get her attention. She looked lost in her own world, staring into the void in the air.

She snapped back, noticing Dimitri's hands on her elbows. "Yeah, what?" she said fixing her attention to the notebook on the table, trying to see what she had missed.

Dimitri sighed and closed the book, pushing it aside. This was for the second time she had blacked out. Normally, she would hang to each and every word he said, but not today.

"Rose, what's wrong? You keep blacking out there." He asked in his no – nonsense voice, staring at her directly for good measure. Rose stammered an apology and tried to open the book but he slapped her hand away.

"Roza? Tell me."

"Nothing Comrade, It's just I'm a bit tired," she said waving away his concerns.

"Truth?"

"It is the truth!" she said, irritated now.

"Not the complete truth," he said taking her small hands in his big ones. "You can trust me, Roza."

Rose sighed. She did trust him. Composing herself a bit, she started and told her what was in her mind (except the part which included his involvement). He listened, like he always did, rubbing circles on the back of her hand, sometimes bringing them up to kiss her knuckles.

By the time, her explanation ended, she was safely nestled in his arms, hiding her face in his chest.

From all that Dimitri heard, he deciphered that she was having her doubts to be a guardian just yet. It was normal. An eighteen year old, who had just begun her life, was being told to leave it and jump in front of someone else to protect them from danger. He himself had never understood the policy of 'They come first' let alone they expected the dhampir to give up their life at such a tender age. He held her close, not knowing how to comfort her when an idea struck him. He pulled away, still holding her, he said,

"Come. We're going for a different lesson now,"

Rose was confused. Different lesson? What lesson? "What are you talking about?"

"Just come with me!" he said smiling, pulling her up and dragging her out.

"Comrade….why are we here?"

Rose said noticing the familiar walls of the gym, which was currently empty right now, save for them both. Dimitri grinned.

"Go get changed." he ordered softly.

"What? Why?" Rose asked bewildered.

"We're going to spar," he said simply giving her a knowing look.

"Spar? Like you and me?"

'You and me' sounded better in her head when they would be engaged in other activities. Activities which involved a lot of exercise, an empty room, a bed and no clothes!

Seeing Dimitri's expression, she came to know he was being serious. "Are you sure?" she asked uncertainly. Sure Dimitri had started taking novice programmed combat classes that year, but he wasn't trained to fight from the age of six. And he was definitely no match for her.

"Damn sure," he said and turned around to walk to his own locker, no doubt to change in his own workout clothes. Rose contemplated on following him, just to get a peak, but slapped her mind as soon as the thought entered in her head. She didn't want to act like some desperate girl who had never seen a naked male! Shaking her head, she moved towards her own locker to honor Dimitri's wish.

Ten minutes later, she emerged from the wash room, dressed in her usual black and grey attire and halted dead in her tracks to see a half naked Dimitri leaning against the wall. His dark blue shorts rode low on his hips and his bare chest, completely hairless and sporting a six pack was on display for her eyes to feast upon. She started doubting on his motives to bring her in the deserted gym alone, to spar. He looked like he was ready for another action – one in which she would gladly participate!

"Com...Comrade?" she asked tentatively.

"Ah! You're here. Come on," he said pulling her in the middle of the gym, where some sparring mats had already been laid. So he still wanted to spar! She sighed.

"Comrade, I don't think this is a good idea." Rose said, hands on her hips.

"And why not?" he asked mimicking her posture.

"Be…Because this is madness! I don't want to hurt you. No offence, but you're no match for me!" She said throwing her hands up in the air. Dimitri just grinned.

"Maybe. But you have to fight me to prove yourself correct. Come on, you'll not hurt me. Now get your ass up here!" he said taking the defensive posture. Rose sighed. She wasn't going to remove this idea from his mind. When it came to getting their way, Dimitri was even more stubborn than her.

She took the defensive stance and they started to circle each other. A few moments passed but no one made a move. Rose had enough of it and threw a light punch which Dimitri dodged very easily. She threw a punch again; still a light one which he swatted away her fists like it was some fly.

"Come on Rose, you can do better than that!" he taunted.

Anger spiked inside her and she threw a combination of punch and kicks. Punch. Punch. Kick. Punch. Each was dodged with ease, her last punch countered by a move of his own. It took Rose so much by surprise that she almost lost her balance but she composed herself before throwing a disbelieving look at him. In return, she just got a face splitting grin.

She sprang on action, wanting to take him by surprise (which she did up to some extent), but damn his superior reflexes! Dimitri was hard to catch by surprise. And he was fast. Rose was beyond annoyed now. She started giving her best, imagining it was Eddie before her and not Dimitri Belikov. Dimitri too, went offensive throwing kicks and fists in a calculated but lightning fast manner. He halted her attack with a glancing blow to the side of her head, which she knew would hurt later, but her adrenaline was running too strong for her to pay attention to it.

With Eddie, she had the advantage of knowing his moves, but with Dimitri, there was nothing predictable! As soon as she realized this, the fight went a little tricky. Unlike her, Dimitri was aware of her moves. He had watched her spar a hundred times, and he had paid attention. Though he was only checking her out at that time, but hey! It was coming handy now. Heat flew between them as sweat coated their body. His chest glistened in the light that illuminated the gym. He pushed her hand away, only to pull her back against his hard chest, running his hands on her sides, squeezing her breasts a little, making her gasp in surprise. It only lasted a second as he pushed her again throwing another punch. Thoroughly embarrassed and shocked, Rose took the blow and staggered to the side, completely losing her balance.

A growl left her lips as she stood up the next moment, throwing a round house kick at him which made him fall back on the mat. He groaned but got up, with no intention of giving up. Their fight resumed and this time it was Dimitri who had to work through Rose's offensive moves. But he finally got through, He moved in for an attack, coming at her with full force of his body. Rose blocked the worst of it, but stumble from the impact. Without wasting another opportunity, he dragged her into the ground, trying to pin her. Being trapped like that by a strigoi would likely result in the neck being bitten or broken, but Rose couldn't let that happen.

She managed to shove her elbow and nail him in the face. He flinched, and that was all she needed. She rolled him over and held him down. He fought to push her off, and she pushed right back while also trying to maneuver her hand to thrust him in his chest and declare her win. He fought tooth and nail but Rose straddled his hips, holding his legs down effectively, pushing his hands away with her full force, thrusting her right hand right into his chest where the heart lied.

"Dead."

Their gazes locked. She was still straddling him, hands pressed against his chest. Both of them sweaty and breathing heavily. His eyes looked at her with lust and hunger. He was so close, and her whole body yearned for him, forgetting all the problems that would lie before them if they initiated something. The air between them seemed warm and heady, and all she wanted in that moment to lie down with him and have his arms wrapped around her. His expression showed that he was thinking the same thing – and so much more. The fight was finished, but remnants of adrenaline and animal intensity remained. She bent down at the same time he leaned up; wanting to capture her lips and kiss her till the world ended. They closed the space between them; Dimitri brushed his lips against her. The sensation was overwhelming. Rose closed her eyes, waiting his lips to take her and…..

'BANG!'

They sprang apart, hearing the outer gym door open and tried to control their breathing. Just a second later, Guardian Smith entered the gym, leading a group of junior novices to the gym.

"Hathaway, what are you doing here?" he asked eyeing a half naked Dimitri standing few feet behind her.

"Guardian Smith," Rose greeted. "Lord Belikov and I were practicing for the coming combat test on Monday. We have permission from Alberta."

Rose spoke with so much conviction that even Dimitri would have believed her if he didn't know the truth already. Guardian Smith nodded and ushered the novices to the equipment room.

Rose sighed at turned her head towards Dimitri. Their gazes locked again. What a sight must've they been! And then they burst out laughing. They laughed and laughed and laughed at the hilarity of the situation. They were holding their sides as waves of laughter passed their bodies, tears of mirth filling their eyes.

Finally groaning due to her aching stomach, Rose looked at Dimitri and said, "You should put on some clothes, comrade. You wouldn't want to be the reason of some junior novice's heart failure!" she giggled.

"Jealous Roza?" he teased already making his way towards the boy's locker room.

"You wish!" was the last thing he heard her yell as he entered under the spray of the shower, still shaking with laughter.

…..so there you folks go!

So no kiss but I hope you enjoyed! I want to thank NB313 for putting the idea of a sparring match between them in my head. I hope I wrote it well and I hope you guys found it entertaining.

A fair warning – some serious hell is freezing in the next chapter and onwards. Now I want all of you folks to tell me honestly – Who all are Lissa haters here? (It's the hint!)

Liked it? Loved it? Hated it? Want some more?

Tell me everything in the reviews!

Love,

Lara.