Hey there!

So last week, I posted a chapter without an announcement, and that's because I was actually in the hospital. Again. As most of you know, I had surgery in May, well the scar opened up (it was no big deal because it was a small spot) and my doctor put me on antibiotics to prevent an infection. Turns out, I'm highly allergic to that antibiotic. Anyway.

I'm getting back to normal. Finally. But my coauthor and I only have one more chapter that is already written for this story, so my posting may not be as regular as I'd like.

So very sorry for the wait. Here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own VA or any of the recognizable characters.

Enjoy!

Dimitri's POV (written by Bethismyname)

I followed Rose down the street, not entirely sure where we were going – or even caring.

To be honest, I was still marvelling in the fact that we'd found each other.

Before we'd met, my feelings for her were strong, but now that we had, I knew I was hooked.

Whether it was her natural beauty, her large brown doey eyes, or the tingles that shot down my arm when her hands wrapped around my wrist that finally pulled me in, I wasn't sure.

But the one thing I was sure of, were the feelings that hit me like ton of bricks.

"I've been meaning to email that song to you, but I just keep forgetting, so I'm just going to show it to you here." She said, as we entered a familiar building.

"The song you wrote for me?" I asked, remembering her saying something about a song in one of her previous emails. We turned into a familiar corridor, and I remembered where we were instantly.

The recording studio Tasha took me to.

"Yeah, that one." She replied as she pulled me past the studios and into a separate room.

A quick glance around told me that this wasn't where the recordings were made, but instead seemed to be like more of a place to practice, with various instruments around the room along with other equipment and a desk.

She picked up a guitar, and sat down opposite me in the small booth, gesturing for me to do the same.

And I did.

Giving me a nervous smile she spoke,

"I'm assuming that you'll be okay with me singing it to you?"

"I'm more than okay with that, Roza." I replied, trying to reassure her with a smile of my own.

It was silent for a moment, as she stared down at her guitar.

And then the gentle strum of her fingers on the strings started, and her voice began to sing.

Before the first bar had ended, I knew the song. It seemed to hit me, in that moment, that this was Rose Mazur.

The Rose Mazur.

And I was pretty sure I was in love with her.

I melted at the sound of her voice. I knew that to anyone else I would look stoic and expressionless but inside I was going crazy.

Her voice sent waves of calm over me, and just like the first time I had ever heard this song, I felt a strong connection to it – only this time I knew why.

This song… was written for me.

For me.

The beat picked up, and she looked up at me at the exact moment that it did.

"I'm never going to let you down. I'm always going to build you up, and when you're feeling lost I will always find you-"

I felt the words wash over me and internally I smiled.

I might have never finished that letter.

I might have not met her in the way I'd imagined.

But I did meet her, I did start that letter, and I got to reach her heart – even if it was just as a friend.

And something told me not many other people had that privilege.

The song came to a gentle close, but I was still lost in it.

It took me a few seconds to realise that she was watching me with bated breath, a tense and nervous expression adorned on her face.

I wanted to reach out, and smooth away the wrinkles that marred her face, but I resisted.

Instead, I reached over and took her hands.

"That was beautiful, Roza." I whispered, accompanying it with a full smile, "Thank you."

"I hope you know that I mean it, Dimitri. I'm here for you if you need me."

There was a silence as we sat there, staring at each other. I wanted to say something, but I wasn't sure what.

Maybe how my feelings had grown?

How beautiful her eyes looked from this close up?

How much I wanted to lean forward and kiss her?

I let the silence continue for a moment longer, and found my eyes traveling down towards her lips. Before I did anything I might regret, I leant backwards, and cleared my throat to relieve some of the tension building inside of me.

Not that it worked.

"Come on," I said, helping her up, "We should go."

Within the minute, we were out of the room and half way down the corridor – much to my relief.

"Dimka?"

I tried not to groan, I really did… I swear…

I turned, reluctant to address her but finding myself having to.

"Tasha." I said stiffly, but my tone went unnoticed by her.

"What are you doing here? With her?" Tasha asked, looking at Rose with distaste.

Beside me, Rose muttered something that suspiciously sounded like, "Fat, obnoxious cow". I glanced down at her briefly, wondering if I heard her right, but turned back to Tasha.

"I'm working, Tasha," I said in the same tone as before. "Rose is my charge."

"Charge?" she said, looking down on Rose in a manner that I didn't appreciate. Before I could reply, Rose interrupted me,

"Yes, charge, Dimitri is my new personal bodyguard and head of my security." She said slightly smugly.

"That's...that's ridiculous, Dimitri." Tasha stammered. "Why on earth would you be her bodyguard?"

"I hired him to do so." Another voice joined in the conversation, and out of the corner of my eye I recognised the garish clothes of Abe Mazur.

"And who are you?" Tasha asked, looking at him suspiciously, which caused me to supress a grin. If only she knew who she was talking to.

"My name is Abe Mazur." I watched in unfair delight as her already pale skin whitened another shade, "Kiz, I thought you wanted a personal day. What are you still doing here?"

"I was just showing Dimitri around." Rose replied, with a look on her face that implied that she too was trying not to smile.

"Ah, I see." Mr Mazur smiled at his daughter, and then turned to me. "Welcome to the team, Dimitri." He then turned to Tasha, his pleasant demeanour dropping as he set his eyes on her, "Don't you have somewhere to be besides harassing my daughter?"

"Actually, I do." She turned, and was around the corner in seconds.

"I'll leave you to give Belikov the rest of the tour." Abe said with a smile, and a glint in his eye, before turning too and walking in the same direction as Tasha.

As soon as we were far enough away, I slowed, catching Rose's attention.

"Fat obnoxious cow?"

"What?" she defended, "you saw how she treated me! I never did anything to her!"

"She's not that bad-" I attempted at presenting a good case for Tasha, but Rose knocked me down quickly,

"Says the guy groaning at the sound of her voice."

"I thought you hadn't heard." I admitted slowly, cracking a small smile.

"Well I did," she said with a smile of her own. "How did you guys meet anyway?"

"She was the first person I made friends with when I moved here." I admitted.

"That must have been a low blow for you!" she said with a giggle.

"Actually… no. she was really nice." I confessed, "I really valued her as a friend."

"What happened?" Rose asked, resting a hand on my arm, as if she could sense my mood drop.

"Before I left for the army… she told me that she loved me. It was a few months before I was sent away, and I didn't know how to reply! To me, she was just a friend." I took a deep breath before continuing, "And, because I was leaving, she didn't leave me alone."

"It can't be that bad-"

"I don't think you fully understand." I told her, "She would come to my house every day, I didn't get to see my family as much as I wanted, didn't get to visit my grandmother like I had wanted to, and I didn't get to spend any time with Ivan. And then, I left. We contacted one another a few times but, after a while, we just stopped."

"And then you came back?" she guessed, "and she still had a crush on you."

"Yeah." I muttered darkly.

"Dimitri, it isn't as bad as you think." Rose said with a laugh, "it's just a crush. You're making a way too bigger deal out of this! Besides, you have a beautiful girl pining after you – go for it!"

"She's not the girl I want though." I mumbled under my breath.

"What?"

"Nothing!"

"Okay then…" Rose said with a smirk.

"So when is your tour starting?" I asked, changing the subject.

"In a month or so…"

"I think… I think I might be in love with you, Roza." I whispered.

Rose let out a sweet puff of breath as she snuggled deeper into my arms. I sighed slightly, regretting the fact that I still couldn't admit it to her face.

I used my back to push open the door to her room, in the hotel where we were staying, and gently lay her down on her bed – pulling the sheets over her body.

I turned to leave, but a wrist shot out and stopped me.

"Dimitri?" a groggy Rose blearily opened an eye and looked up at me. "Stay with me… please?" It went against all of my professional instincts, but I nodded anyway, before taking off my shoes, shirt and pants and crawling in beside her. "Dimitri… I love you too." She mumbled against my chest.

"What?" I asked, her confession shocking me. She looked up, her large brown eyes staring deep into mine.

"I-I think I love you too." She let out a deep breath and glanced down nervously.

I felt a smile spread across my face, and I reached down, cupping her face in my hand. She looked up, as if she was about to speak, but instead leaned in and-

I sat up, and glanced around the room, before letting out a sigh. A dream… one I knew for a fact that I'd never achieve.

What would a famous pop star want with someone like me anyway?