"Dimitri! Dimitri!" Rose yelled frantically, as she turned him over in the water.
"Boo!" Dimitri yelled, pulling a scream from Rose.
Rose clutched her hands to her chest, trying to catch her breath. "You jerk!" She cried out.
Dimitri laughed wholeheartedly. "I had to get you back for that speedo", he continued laughing until he saw the look in Rose's eyes, before she turned and swam away from him.
"Rose," now Dimitri felt bad. "I'm sorry, it was just a joke". He swam after her, stopping her before she got out of the pool.
"Well it wasn't funny!" Rose raised her voice. She spoke again as her shoulders slumped in defeat, "Don't do that again". With a hand on her hip Dimitri turned her around to face him. When she wouldn't meet his eyes, he cupped her cheek and tipped her head back, forcing their eyes to meet. "I've already lost too much", She said weakly. "I won't loose you too", the conviction burning in her eyes astonished Dimitri. Before anything else could happen Rose released herself from Dimitri's grip and pulled herself out of the pool. She wrapped herself in a towel and left without so much as another word.
Dimitri followed her at a distance in silence. Rose locked herself in her room for the remainder of the day.
Dimitri was beside himself with guilt and worry. He consulted with Lissa, wanting to know what he did that was so wrong, but all she had to offer was that it wasn't her story to tell and if he wanted to know he'd just have to ask Rose.
"That's easier said than done, Lissa, She won't even open the door", Dimitri was troubled. "I even threaten to break the door down and she still wouldn't open up". It was getting late and soon it'd be time for bed. He'd gotten used to sleeping beside Rose and even more used to waking with her in his arms. He idly wondered if Rose would sleep better tonight without him there.
At 11 PM Dimitri tried one final time to coax Rose into opening her door. "Roza, please open the door so I know you're alright. I'm not leaving till you open up". Several moments passed without a response. "If you don't open this god damn door now Roza, I'll break it down. For real this time". Still nothing. "Stand back. I'm coming in on the count of three. One, Two…"
Just then Rose unlocked the door with a clang, but didn't open it.
Dimitri opened the door and found Rose standing on the other side. Her eyes were red and puffy, obviously she had been crying. At least she'd showered and changed into some cloths.
"Roza…" Dimitri started.
"Don't. I don't want to talk about it. As you can see, I'm fine". The way Rose looked was heartbreaking. Dimitri would've done anything to take whatever he did back. Before he had a chance to ramble an apology Rose turned around and sat on the bed with her back to him. "I'd like to go to sleep now". Dimitri wavered by the door, waiting for Rose to dismiss him. She laid back in her bed and took Dimitri by surprise when she said, "Come to bed. Please".
All Dimitri's hesitation was gone now. Rose scooted over to make room for Dimitri on his side of the bed. As soon as he laid down Rose clung to him. When he wrapped his arms around her, she signed in relief. Stroking Rose's hair and kissing her forehead over and over came naturally to Dimitri. Rose didn't want to admit it but as soon as she was engulfed in Dimitri's embrace her whole body relaxed, the tension in her muscles eased. She instantly felt better, lighter. Dimitri started humming. How did he know what she needed, Rose wondered. She felt the lethargy grow and soon sleep claimed her.
Dimitri also relaxed knowing Rose was okay, and he too soon fell asleep.
The next morning Dimitri woke before Rose, as usual, only this time he didn't sneak out of bed. He stayed, holding her, not wanting to let go. He'd stay that way as long as she'd let him. Rose stirred awake some time later surprised to find Dimitri gazing at her.
"Hi", she said.
"Hi. Are you alright?" Dimitri asked in concern. Rose nodded. "Roza, you have to tell me what happened yesterday. Even if you don't want to talk about it at least tell me what I did, so I won't do it again", Dimitri implored.
"I thought I was done loosing the people I care about," she murmured.
"Tell me", Dimitri pleaded while running his fingertips up and down her arm.
Rose took a deep breath before launching into her story. "A couple of years ago my mom died in a car bombing. I blamed Abe. Maybe I still do. Even though I knew it would kill him, I left. I ran away. Shortly after, I met Lissa and we became friends and roommates. We took care of each other. While I was away, I started taking any class that was considered a contact sport - from martial arts to boxing to Krav Maga. Then I met this guy, Mason. He was funny and cute and I like him a lot. He liked me back. We hung out and trained together for almost a year." Dimitri's ministrations stopped, but Rose continued with her tale. "One day when we were supposed to meet up for a class he didn't show. I figured he blew me off for the cute redhead he kept pining over. But the manager at the gym where we worked out came up to me with a letter, said that Mason gave it to him with instructions to give to me if he was ever a no-show. That just sounded weird and suspicious. But it all made sense after I read the letter". Rose took a much needed pause. She didn't like talking about her past, she didn't like the way it made her feel.
"What did the letter say?" Dimitri asked anxiously.
"That Mason had been spying on me the entire time. He was hired by Victor Dashkov to find me and bring me in, so Dashkov could hurt Abe. But Mason couldn't bring himself to do it, he cared about me too much". As Rose continued her tears spilt over, wetting Dimitri's shirt. "He said in his letter that I need to run, go back to Abe where I would be safe. He closed the letter telling me that if I was reading it, that meant he was dead". She was sobbing quietly. "I didn't believe it so I went looking for him at his apartment. The place was completely trashed and there was blood everywhere". Her sobs weren't so quiet any more.
"Ssshhhh", Dimitri soothed, "It's alright, you are safe now".
"I keep thinking that maybe if I'd gone to look for him sooner that he'd still be alive".
"Roza, there's nothing you could have done".
Rose shook her head vehemently. "Mason died to protect me. His death is on my hands. I never should have left".
After Dimitri calmed Rose a bit more, she asked, "You worked for the Dashkovs. Did you know Mason?"
"No, but I wasn't privy to illegal dealings. They knew I didn't want a hand in any criminal activity so I mostly guarded Dashkov's wife and daughter".
"Mason wasn't a bad guy. He just made a bad choice."
"That's when that night terrors started?" Dimitri asked. Rose nodded. "Why did you wait almost a year to come back to Abe?"
"I was being stubborn. I still couldn't forgive him for my mother's death. Even if my own life was in danger because of it. I didn't care".
"Then what did make you come back?"
Rose answered. "Someone attacked Lissa in our apartment thinking it was me. I was done risking her life because of my stupidity, so here we are".
Dimitri nodded, but he still didn't understand why she blew a gasket yesterday. "So, what was so bad about my little prank at the pool?"
"You playing dead just reminded me that everyone who gets close to me eventually gets hurt or worse. I don't want anything to happen to you, Dimitri. I'm scared of loosing you".
"You're not going to loose me, but…" He couldn't sugarcoat the truth. "Rose, you know that it's pretty much unavoidable that I get hurt, right? I mean I'm your bodyguard. If anythings happens it's my job to protect you. To give up my life for yours."
Rose scoffed. "You've seen what I'm capable of, I can take of myself".
"I don't care, I will guard you with my life".
Rose was angry now. "I don't want that! I don't want you to die for me! It's not right!"
Dimitri was as gentle as can be, "You come first, Roza. You always will". He knew he was taking it too far with his last statement, but it was the truth. He'd gladly give his own life to save hers if need be.
Rose shook her head. "I hope Abe pays you handsomely for that", she said bitterly
"He pays me enough". Dimitri couldn't admit to that it wasn't about the money for him. Not anymore.
Rose was silent for a while. She didn't want to think about the past. She didn't want to think how much it would hurt if anything happened to Dimitri. She didn't want to think period. She detached herself from Dimitri and got out of bed. "Let's go for a run. I need to clear my head".
Another week passed as Rose, Dimitri and Lissa went about their regularly scheduled programming. They trained, cooked played video games, watched tv and slept together, continuing their ignore-each-other-studiously-when-waking-up routine. Neither Rose nor Dimitri brought up the pool incident or the aftermath of it.
Just when life was getting boring again, Rose tried to catch Dimitri off guard one morning in a surprise attack. She woke up before him, which was a feat in and of itself, but didn't leave the bed. She pretended to sleep until he woke and snuck out of bed. Before Dimitri could get too far Rose sprang from the bed and jumped on his back. Well, she had intended to jump on his back. But Dimitri who is prepared for any eventuality spun with the speed of a devil, caught her mid air and pinned her back to the bed.
"How could you have seen that coming?!" Rose asked, frustrated.
"Your battle cry was less than stealthy", he answered smiling.
Rose noticed then that as Dimitri locked her wrists above her head his entire body pressed hers down to the mattress, chest to chest, hips to hips. She decided she loved the feel of his weight on her. A naughty remarks was on the tip of her tongue when Lissa rushed into the room. "What happened? I heard screaming" she yelped before completely taking in the scene before her. "Uh, am I interrupting something?" She asked uncomfortably, as Dimitri jumped off Rose.
"Na," Rose answered in nonchalance, hiding her disappointment. "You just missed me getting my ass handed to me again". Then she turned to Dimitri, "Next I'll remember, no battle cry, then your ass is mine!" She hopped off the bed and headed for her ensuite bathroom. Once the door was shut and Rose no longer had any witnesses, she took a shaky breath and decided the best course of action was a cold shower. She silently cursed Lissa for the interruption but in her heart she know nothing would have happened even without the interruption, Dimitri didn't see her as she saw him.
Dimitri silently retired to his room, all the while chastising himself for his conduct. Still, he missed the warmth of Rose's body pressed against his, the curve of her breasts, the slope of her waist, the dip of her hip, the heat of her… Stop it Belikov! She's your charge, she's with Abe. Seeing as his thoughts had no where else to go, he turned off the hot water and let the cold water wash the smut from his mind, among other places.
Later that day during lunch, which Rose was getting quite good at making, Dimitri's face suddenly went blank, all playfulness was replaced with seriousness as he reached his forefinger to his lips silencing Rose and Lissa's chatter.
"Did you hear anything?" He asked hushed. When both girls shook their heads Dimitri motioned for them to continue while he went to check on the suspicious noise he heard from Rose's room.
He found a man dressed in black, same color as his hair, with blue piercing eyes. The man was tall, though not at tall as Dimitri, and slender but not lanky. The only thing threatening about him was his mere presence. How the intruder managed to get into the compound and into his charge's room baffled Dimitri. That didn't mean he wasn't prepared to take action. Dimitri wasn't the type to shoot first ask questions later, but he was the type to subdue first ask questions later. And that's just what he was about to do. Approaching what he could only consider an assailant, Dimitri was ready to attack.
That's when he heard a loud thud accompanied by the feel of a sharp pain in the back of his skull, the floor was rushing to him, then everything faded to black. His last thought was how sorry he was that he failed Roza.