As the days passed, Rose found herself missing Dimitri more and more.
Lissa could tell that there was something up with Rose. She had suspected for some time that while they were at court, Rose had found someone to occupy her time. Though Rose never spoke about it, Lissa figured that if it was important, Rose would eventually spill the beans and tell her about the mystery man.
In any event, now that they were at Lee, Lissa was sure Rose was suffering from loneliness. And she was right. She wanted to find someone for Rose. But what Lissa didn't know was that the only man's company that Rose craved was that of the hot Russian who lived no more than 20 feet away from her. A man Rose could never have.
"Please, Rose!" Lissa implored as the two walked into to the apartment after a long day of academics.
Eddie and Chris were already home. Chris busied himself in the kitchen making dinner along with Dimitri. This had become a ritual of sorts for them.
Rose and Lissa walked straight into the kitchen to get sodas from the fridge.
"I already told you Liss", Rose said for what felt like the hundredth time. "I'm not interested in dating!"
"But he's so cute!" Lissa gushed.
"Hey!" Chris took offense of his girlfriend's reaction to another male.
"Yeah, I saw". Rose answered, neither she nor Lissa paid Chris any mind. They certainly didn't notice how ridged Dimitri suddenly became. "Why can't you just drop this?" Rose whined.
"Because I can see that you're lonely. You were happy when we were at court but now your aura is filled with longing".
As Lissa spoke Rose wondered what she would see in Dimitri's aura; would it be longing as well? good thing she didn't look too closely at Dimitri, Rose thought.
Lissa continued, "I can only assume that you met a guy at court that you're not telling me about for whatever reason-" Dimitri all but froze at Lissa's remark.
Rose cut off whatever else Lissa was going to say, "There was no guy!", she defended.
But Lissa continue in her tirade, "If that's true, then why don't you want to date a cute guy?"
"He's human!" Rose huffed.
"So?" Lissa asked and was met with silence. "Look, he's also sweet and funny. His aura tells me he's a good guy".
Rose looked to Dimitri for salvation. "What do you have to say about this?" She asked and crossed her arms over her chest, knowing that Dimitri would never agree to such teenage foolishness like dating.
"I trust the princess's judgement", Dimitri replied, consenting to the having of a social life.
Lissa looked smug. Rose on the other hand looked even more peeved. "What's that supposed to mean?! You trust her judgement but not mine?" When Dimitri didn't respond Rose goaded him. "Come on, comrade! My judgement isn't good enough?! Huh?!"
"I mean you're always attracted to the guys you should not be attracted to", Dimitri supplied. In his mind he was referring to Jesse Zeklos and Adrian Ivashkov. And if he was being honest with himself, he was referring to…well, himself too.
Lissa wondered how Dimitri seemed to know more about the guys Rose was attracted to than she did.
Rose was now about to boil over and Lissa's next comment didn't help matters at all. "I'm not saying you have to marry him, just go on one date and get out of the funk you're in".
And that's what broke Rose's back. "I'm not in a funk!" she was practically screaming. "I am here to be your guardian, not for you to set me up on dates! And I am busting my ass to keep you safe!" Rose was raging now, stomping out of the kitchen and making her way out of the apartment. She needed space and something to punch. She regretted raising her voice like that to Lissa, especially since she could feel how much it hurt her through the bond.
Hours later Dimitri found Rose wailing on a punching bag at the local gym. He gently pulled her away from the victim of her assault. At least she had the good sense to tape up her hands, he thought. He nudged her to a bench, unclenched her fist and removed her tape.
Rose seemed to finally come out of the daze she was in. "What are you doing here, comrade?"
"Eddie's covering my shift for now. I came to bring you home".
"How did you find me?"
"Because I know you", Dimitri answered in a very zen like way. Then he smirked. "And I have a tracker app installed on your cell phone".
Rose gasped then smacked Dimitri's arm.
"Ow! Rose! It's not just your phone. It's installed on Eddie's phone as well as Christian and the princess". Dimitri defended himself.
"Why would you have it installed on my phone?! I'm your partner, I'm not your charge". As soon as Rose finished her sentence she understood Dimitri was doing it so he could watch over her and keep her safe, even though he definitely wasn't supposed to. Rose wasn't going to get an answer from Dimitri. "So when do you get the app installed and I get to follow you?" Rose asked in earnest.
Dimitri knew there was no way Rose would let it go, and agreed to have it taken care of the following day.
Rose nodded numbly and left with Dimitri.
On the brief walk back to the apartment complex Rose asked, "What do you think? Should I go on a date with this guy? I mean, Lissa already thinks I'm secretly involved with someone". Though it's a very loose use of the term involved, Rose thought.
"I think you should go if you want to".
"You wouldn't mind?" Rose asked, hoping deep down that he would mind. Very much.
Dimitri sighed in almost a huff before he answered. "You and I aren't together. Who you date isn't any of my business. Whether I mind or not shouldn't matter". Of course he minded. It killed him on the inside. He was repulsed by the thought of Rose with another man. But he had to suck it up. "If it'll make you happy, you should go", Dimitri finished as he stared at his own feet hitting the pavement. He wanted to tell her that she deserved every happiness, even if it wasn't with him, but he didn't dare speak those words aloud. They were too dangerous.
When they got to the apartment, Lissa had been waiting up, pacing in the living room. "Rose!" She exclaimed and ran to her best friend. When Lissa'a arms wrapped around Rose, all Rose's residual anger melted away. "I'm sorry! I shouldn't have butted in. You just seem so lonely sometimes and I hate that I can't fix that", she whispered in Rose's ear. "I just want you to be happy".
Rose thawed more and more as she encircled her best friend's slim figure with her arms. "I know. I'm sorry I blew up". Rose pulled back and met Lissa's gaze. "And I'll give this James guy a chance or whatever", she smiled reluctantly.
Lissa squealed in answer and immediately got out her phone and sent Rose's contact number to suitor number one. "By the way his name is Danny".
Rose just rolled her eyes and Lissa apparently was already texting Danny and setting up a date.
"There", Lissa beamed. "He'll pick you up tomorrow at 7pm".
Rose frowned and met Dimitri's stare for a moment. "I can't tomorrow, Lissa. I have a shift. It's Dimitri's night off".
Lissa's face soured. "Well," she turned to Dimitri, "can't you guys switch nights, just this once?"
Rose immediately refused, but at the same time Dimitri agreed.
"No, Dimitri. You shouldn't have to give up your night off so I can go on a date".
"It's fine Rose, I don't mind", Dimitri stated simply.
"See?" Lissa was being uncharacteristically smug.
"Ugh! Fine! Whatever, I'm going to bed", Rose said while stomping down the hall to her room.
With a wicked smile, Lissa remarked to Dimitri, "Teenagers can be such a handful!"
Dimitri shook his head with a small smile and a look of indulgence. Sometimes he forgot how young they all were, and if circumstances were any different he'd be the only responsible adult.
After Lissa retired to her room, Dimitri started his security check up and routine walk through of the apartment and the building. He used this time to wonder what things would be like if he and Rose weren't guardians. Usually when he let thoughts like this take on a life of their own, Dimitri would imagine the life he and Rose could have built together. Sometimes his mind took him down a naughtier path. As soon as inappropriate images started flooding his mind, Dimitri quickly started naming the US presidents in chronological order.
Tonight was one of those nights. Watching Rose beating the shit of that punching bag did things to him. Dimitri made it all the way up to Chester A. Arthur by the time he finished his rounds and got situated back in the living room on the couch with a western and a coffee.
Little did Dimitri know that while he was avoiding thinking about Rose, Rose was letting herself wallow in fantasies about him. She wished it was him who was taking her out on a date. She could just picture it - they'd go out to dinner, talk about everything and anything (just like they did back at court, though technically they weren't dating). And when the night was over, Rose imagined him kissing her. More often than not, her fantasies ended with kisses and kisses only. Rose was sure her heart wouldn't be able to handle the disappointment of reality if she let her fantasies get any wilder. After Dimitri kissed her goodnight, Rose fell asleep discontent, because the kiss was only in her mind.
Lissa had been excited all day. It was seeping in to Rose through the bond. The cause of her excitement? Rose's upcoming date. Rose wasn't nearly as excited. She was mostly doing it to pacify Lissa. The things Rose did for her moroi.
"What are you going to wear?" Lissa asked.
Rose shrugged. "Jeans and a cute top?"
Lissa had no comeback. You can't go wrong with jeans and a cute top.
"I can do your hair and make up", Lissa suggested hopefully.
"Thanks, but I'm just gonna put half my hair up and do some light make up", Rose answered, she didn't even care how disappointed Lissa was. "I don't want to seem like I'm trying to hard".
"You're not going to seem like you're trying at all", Lissa mumbled, but Rose heard. And rolled her eyes.
"You're the one who wanted me to go out on this date", Rose retorted.
Lissa let it be for now. Rose was going out and doing something that had nothing to do with her career and everything to do with a social life, so at least there was that to be happy about.
Dimitri woke up feeling lousy, which was rare for him. But in a few hours Rose was going on a date and probably moving on from what they could have had. Even if Rose didn't end up with this guy, she'd end up with someone eventually. Who wouldn't fall for her? Sooner or later someone will come along and give her the life she deserves, Dimitri thought, Someone who isn't me.
Dimitri managed to steal a glance at Rose before she left for her date with the human. Even when she wasn't trying, Rose took his breath away. And he knew Rose wasn't trying because after an hour of pestering from Lissa, Rose finally went to get ready for the date, a grand total of fifteen minutes before said date came to pick her up.
Dimitri almost regretted the glimpse he shot Rose. She wore form fitting jeans that hugged her curves and a tight blood red blouse with wide draping sleeves and a square cut neckline that showed a lot of cleavage. She did her makeup light, though in Dimitri's opinion she didn't need makeup at all.
Tonight was a usual Friday night for the gang. Lissa, Christian and Eddie made snacks and watched movies. Dimitri joined them after sweeping the parameter finishing up his security checks. He kept staring at the door. As if it would somehow make Rose materialize earlier than expected. On the one hand, Dimitri wanted Rose to have fun. She deserved at least that much. On the other hand, he wanted her home, with him, now, watching movies and not dating.
"What's up?" Chris noticed all Dimitri's staring at the door. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah", Dimitri nodded, "I just thought I heard something".
Christian shrugged. "I didn't hear anything". They both knew moroi hearing was superior to dhampir hearing, but Chris certainly wasn't paying attention to his surroundings so it was very possible that there was a noise outside and he missed it.
"I guess it was nothing", Dimitri brushed it off.
That's when they all heard Rose exit the elevator in the hall and walk towards their apartment. Lissa paused the movie they were watching and was getting giddy with each step that brought Rose closer.
As soon as Rose was in the door, all eyes were on her.
"So", Lissa began her assault, "How was it?!"
"It was fine", Rose answered non-commitally.
"That's it?! Just fine?" Lissa continued. Rose nodded. "Well, what did you do?"
"We went to a movie and had coffee after".
This got Christian's attention. He was an avid movie buff. "What movie?"
"I don't remember the name. It was about this old guy who had claws coming out of his knuckles. Bloody beyond belief but I actually really liked it".
"Of course you would", Christian commented. "He took you to watch Logan". (A/N: see how long ago I wrote this?!)
"Uh!", Eddie groaned, "I can't believe you saw that before me!"
"You should definitely go see it", Rose told Eddie. Then she turned to Dimitri, "You too comrade. You'd really like it". It was the first time they made eye contact since Rose got home from classes.
Lissa broke their trance when she asked Rose, "what did you guys talk about over coffee?"
"He told me about his life and his family. I told him as much as I could about mine. And then I went home". Before Lissa could ask anything more, Rose yawned loudly, "I'm really tired. Good night guys".
After a minute or two Dimitri discretely excused himself from the movie marathon in the living room. He was curious to talk to Rose. He got to his bedroom and wasn't surprised to see that the door to the bathroom that connected his room to Rose's, was wide open.
He stood in the doorway, leaning on the frame with his arms crossed over his chest, watching Rose remover her makeup. "So how was it really?"
Rose knew Dimitri well enough to know that the concern in his voice was underlaid with something more.
"Fine", Rose didn't turn away from the mirror.
"You know what that stands for?" asked Dimitri the zen master. "Fine?"
Rose answered robotically, they'd gone over it a thousand times. "Freak out, Insecure, Neurotic and Emotional". Rose turned to him slightly, "That's not what this is", she turned back to the mirror.
Dimitri nodded slightly. "So, What did you guys do on your date?" He tried to sound uninterested, but that wasn't really working out for him.
Rose had already told everyone in the living room they watched a movie and talked over a cup of coffee, but she had a feeling that's not what Dimitri meant. She let him squirm for a moment before she turned to face him. Mimicking his stance, Rose leaned against the counter and crossed her arms over her chest as well. "I already told you, he took me to see a movie, we had coffee and talked, he walked me back home. We shook hands and parted ways. That's it".
The relieved look on Dimitri's face did not go unnoticed. He swallowed hard. "Do you like him?"
"He was a nice guy". That wasn't really an answer.
"Are you going to go out with him again?"
The human did in fact ask Rose out again before bidding her good night. "No".
Dimitri looked puzzled as he dropped his hands to his side. "Why not?", he was almost afraid to ask.
Rose left her spot against the counter and walked the three steps over to Dimitri. She stood close enough that she had to tilt her head up to look at him. She was so close that Dimitri could feel the heat radiating off of her. Instinctively he leaned into her, just a bit, before he caught himself. Rose and Dimitri's eyes locked when she gave him the worst possible answer. "He's not you".
Dimitri gasped. They hadn't discussed anything between them in months. Not since they decided to put aside their own wants and needs for their moroi. But Rose acknowledging her feeling out loud opened the floodgates. For both herself and Dimitri.
Dimitri cupped Rose's cheek with is palm, "Roza…" he said barely above a whisper.
Rose didn't want to hear about right and wrong, about how they could never be, or worse yet, that Dimitri didn't have feelings for her anymore. So she excursed herself from Dimitri before it was too late, backed away into her bedroom and said, "Good night, Dimitri". She shut her bedroom door behind her, leaving Dimitri stuck in place and in a state of shock.