RPOV
First we crash, then we get caught in a snowstorm on our return journey? How brilliant! Note the sarcasm.
"Dimitri, pull in at a motel. I don't trust the roads," I ordered. I couldn't care less if I was his subordinate- his student- right now. I felt uneasy and wanted out of this weather, off the road.
"Rose," Dimitri warned. "We need to get back-"
"I know that! It's just that it's getting dark and I don't want another near death experience any time soon."
Dimitri sighed and pulled over at the next motel.
"Sorry, we only have two rooms and both have a queen bed only," the kind older female receptionist told us.
Without missing a beat Dimitri agreed to both rooms. I was horrified and felt incredibly foolish for getting my hopes up. Professional, nothing more. Of course.

Only Dimitri pulled me to his room when I thought we'd part ways for the night.
"Why'd you do that, Comrade?"
"Because the Academy's paying and will check the room type."
"You could always argue you slept on the floor. Or we took sleeping shifts. What are-"
I was shut up with a kiss. A hot kiss that resulted in my jacket being thrown on the floor. "Roza," Dimitri murmured desperately. "I'm so sorry I nearly killed you. I'm so, so sorry. I can't live without you, Roza."
"Prove it," I challenged. "Prove it. I want you to finish the charm, on our terms. Prove to me-"
His lips crashed down on mine after the battle in his eyes resolved itself. "I love you, Rose. It's foolish to pretend I don't, to believe I can stop myself. I love you. And are you sure you want this?" His eyes bore into mine.
"I want you. I love you." I leaned in and reinitiated the kiss.

Slowly, one by one, our layers removed themselves. When he was in his boxers and I was in my undies and bra, he picked me up as he had the night of the charm and took me to the bed.
"You are so incredibly, unbearably beautiful, Roza," Dimitri murmured against my cheek. "I love you so much it hurts."
I returned the sentiment, feeling like a rambling loony, but I meant the words I said. With all my heart I meant them. "You are so godly gorgeous, Dimitri, you can't begin to understand how hard it is for me to look at you innocently. I love you. Oh god, I love you."

I was completely naked under him again, but this time I had no nerves. I was trembling with excitement and anticipation. This was happening, really happening. I was finally going to have sex, and it was with the man I loved most in the world. I looked into his eyes and we both knew what was going to happen, we agreed more than happily and willingly. I pulled off his boxers with his help and he positioned himself at my entrance.
"Stop me if I hurt you, Roza." He started sliding into me. I gasped in surprise and gripped the sheets as the sensation burned through me. It was an enjoyable pain though.
"Don't stop," I commanded when Dimitri paused, looking at me with concern and worry, and love, so much love. "You're not hurting me so keep going," I begged and wiggled around him to make my point. "I love you. I need you."
He cautiously kept going. I didn't know how my tiny, pulsing body could take in his long, hard member. But it did and it felt like we were made to fit together. I didn't care we were in some motel and would likely never get this chance again. My first time was bliss because it was with Dimitri. That was all that mattered, and we made the most of our alone time, staying connected and in sync.

We returned to the Academy in time for practice the following Academy morning. I was tired and sore from our late night love-making, but I knew that wouldn't be enough to convince mentor-Dimitri to let me off. We had to return to our roles and avoid each other, pretending that we hadn't just had an illicit romantic affair in a motel room the Academy was paying for; we had to go around pretending as though we hadn't made love to each other like there was no tomorrow.

DPOV
This wasn't going to end well. It was all I could think when I saw Janine Hathaway standing at the front of Alto's classroom. After she'd recounted her tale, Roza put her hand up. Definitely not going to end well, I decided. And it didn't. Her arguments and the tone of her voice didn't help me to keep locked away the memories of her screaming my name, naked and in ecstasy as I made her a woman last night. It was wrong, but it had been so right to love her as I did, to love her as I do. Alto tossed her out of class, and Janine slipped out before I could. Honestly, fate was cruel sometimes.

I managed to sneak in a two hour nap before our afternoon training. Rose picked up staking as if she'd been born doing it, which, given who she was and whose daughter she was, it wasn't very surprising. That said, it was pleasing, rewarding, and pride-inducing nonetheless. Afterwards I took her to meet Tasha Ozera to change her opinions on molnija marks, and marks from battle in general. The fact I felt half the need to do so was disappointing given her recent- don't think about it, Dimitri! I did anyway- her recent brush with death and its accompanying scars. of course, to me they didn't diminish her beauty... if anything, they enhanced it, but they were a terrible reminder to both her and I that I'd nearly killed her.

It was so easy to laugh and relax around Tasha. But that didn't mean she could keep thoughts of Rose- especially of naked Rose- at bay for too long. I always had to tiptoe around Rose, she knew me in ways I didn't know myself and it scared me. How I loved her so much scared me. How I didn't want to control myself around her scared me. Losing her scared me more, however. As did the fact I couldn't find a way to be with her after graduation as I so desperately wanted.

"Rose was right," Tasha announced on our journey home from Missoula.
"Huh?"
"I should have a guardian." Why'd I get the feeling she was hinting at something? "And I've decided I want you. We'd work well together," her voice softened as she continued, turning into a tone similar to the one Rose uses to manipulate me into doing everything for and to her I know I shouldn't. "And maybe we could become something more? Start a family even?"
"I..." how on god's green earth was I meant to reply to that! "I... it's an enticing offer, Tasha... I just... well... I'm honoured to be Lissa's guardian and I'd be humbled to be yours... I..." I'd never felt so odd and unsure in my life. I wanted a family, and Tasha knew that. She knew I loved kids and wanted my own. But Rose, what about Roza? She owned my heart, no matter what. I held her virginity, her trust and her love. Leaving would undermine and comprise all that, destroy her trust in me. How could I do that? Because her pain was mine, how could I break her heart by leaving and being with another woman, one who'd bear my children? If I left, I had a solution to being with Rose after graduation, and maybe even starting right now if I told Tasha only as her guardian.
Tasha's concerned but accepting voice pulled me from my spinning-out-of-control thoughts. "I know it's a big decision, Dimka, and I didn't mean to make you feel pressured. You can take your time." So mature. But then again at thirty-one or so she'd have to be. Her time in the world allowed for nothing else.
Rose was young and reckless and immature at times, but she grasped concepts and made sacrifices guardians twice her age didn't. Rose was mature in her own way, mature in mind and in most of her actions, well their intentions. But she was still so young and developing into the guardian she could be. Surely I didn't have to be there for her to burst into bloom, surely she'd do it regardless? Not to mention I was a danger to her, to her future. I'd nearly killed her when we crashed last week, and if we were discovered because I couldn't control myself, I would have killed her promising future. How could I do that to her?

"I'll think about it," I sighed, reluctantly I admit.
When I woke up at midday Moroi time I immediately went to the guardian lounge for food. There I saw Janine burning the papers in front of her with her eyes and pen.
"Oh, Belikov, just who I needed," she grunted. "Sit," she ordered. I obeyed. How could I not? ... By being Roza, the Rose-dedicated part of my brain retorted in amusement.
"Yes, Guardian Hathaway?" In some odd way, if Rose and I could ever be official, this scary-as and renowned respectable female guardian would be considered my mother-in-law. Oh god, that was a weird and terrifying thought.
"Rose is probably going to hate me. I didn't mean to!" Janine looked completely at her wits end, worried over Rose. Well that made two of us, but I'm sure Roza would tell me the complete opposite, that her mother was incapable of being as worried over her as I was. It didn't matter what was wrong, but I was beginning to feel a bubble of my own resentment and anger at Janine for whatever she had done to Rose, my Rose. Like she was mine, the mature, reasonable guardian part of my mind lamented. Okay, she was, but with a myriad of complications and roadblocks.
"What happened?" I prodded.
"I hit her eye and gave her a concussion," she said, monotone.
"How? Why?" I had to consciously work to stop myself from growling. She'd hurt my still recovering lover, and it rubbed me the wrong way, precisely as it was bound to do.
"She was mouthing off and I lost it for a fraction of a second. How do you put up with her?" I love her and see through her attitude. Like I could tell Janine that, though. Alberta already and still wanted my head on a platter, no need to add Janine to the list. Which reminded me, I still had my own incident report to submit.
I shrugged. "She's focused in our private trainings. She's... different, determined. She strives to train like a true guardian and prove to me I'm not wasting my time with her," I answered cautiously. Like she was ever a waste of my time. Her smile, her laugh, her potential, it was all worth sacrificing my sleep and Western re-readings for. She was.
Janine eyed me skeptically. "Are you sure you're talking about my child?" Ouch! Rose was 17 and legally considered a child, but if people saw who she really was, if she let people see who she really was, then you'd be as forgetful of the fact as me.
"Positive."
Five long and awkward minutes later I escaped, bound for the clinic and my precious Rose therein.

"Here for Rose?" Dr Olendzki guessed. I really should cut down on rushing to Rose's bedside when she's at the clinic. But I can't help fearing for her life even if she's just suffering from an ant bite scare.
"How is she?"
"She's okay, asleep now. Her vitals are fine. But... the impact opened up a couple of cuts on her head and the concussion may be worse than it should be if she was 200% recovered from the crash." That freaking crash! I put Rose in the hospital! I gave her the damage that made Janine's mistake worse. I'd nearly killed my Roza. Talk about life being unfair. The guilt regularly pulsed through me over that crash and threatened to freeze me. My heart felt like it needed a kick-start and help to pull it back down from where it jumped up into my throat, constricting my airways.
"Will she wake up soon?"
Dr Olendzki chuckled and smiled softly. Did she suspect? "If that means can I wait by her bed? Then yes. Go ahead, Guardian Belikov. Not even the Princess supports her like you do. I like to see a mentor that actually cares for once."
"I did put her in the hospital a week ago," I muttered, guilt again coursing through my veins. "I need to see she's not got long term damage."
The Dr shook her head. "Not what I'm talking about," she whispered, "a guardian is always fearing for his novice's life. It's dangerous, but admirable. Now go to her."

I nodded and went to find her in the clinic's back corner. Her head was once again bandaged and I felt sick for letting this happen to her. She was still beautiful, she always would be, but I didn't like that Janine had worsened her original injuries.
Why had I let Janine run morning practice? Why had I gone to Missoula with Tasha? Why had I left her vulnerable? Why, why, why!