Below Rock Bottom: Chapter Five "Her"
AN: A huge thanks to those who are sticking with me, and the reviews/follows/favorites. It really means a lot. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Anyway, on with the story…
Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy, it is the property of Richelle Mead. While I wish I could have come up with this brilliance, I was simply inspired by it.
DPOV
I could not get her out of my head. Her presence took root in my brain and seemed to grow with each passing moment. Thoughts of her were blooming and blossoming in my mind. Her wide brown eyes creased with unspoken worries. How I had yet to witness a smile cross her soft lips. Her lingering voice that echoed though my head.
I could not stop thinking about her, the way it felt to gaze down upon her. Her stature so much smaller than mine, and yet she held herself fearlessly.
My hand still tingled where I held hers, the only evidence I had to prove that this wonderful event occurred. The only way I knew it was not just another dream.
Thoughts of her cut through my usual numbness. I was used to making my way through a dull world, every action a means to an unsatisfactory end.
Rose, true to her name, had enriched everything around me. Color seeped into things that had once been lifeless. Like me.
I had never paid attention to my usual path to the front gate. I always kept my head down in an effort to avoid eye contact with my "betters".
Even in the summer heat, there was beauty everywhere here. The sunset I stopped to admire during my morning run, with all the reds and oranges fading and swirling together into the darkness of the night.
The neatly trimmed shrubberies in all sorts of fantastical shapes that lined the courtyards. Each branch trimmed to perfection, the sign of someone's pride and care in their work.
The smells that wafted out of bakeries as they opened for the morning crowds, the sweet aroma almost dizzying.
Even the crowds themselves, all the people pushing past each other, voices rising over the cacophony, each needing to be louder than the last to be heard clearly.
Each person with their own place in this mad, harmonious community.
It had taken some time, but even I had found my place here.
But I had become stagnant. I chose to ignore the thoughts in my head telling me that I had choices, that I could change my circumstances for the better.
I was blind, unable to see a way out of the hole that I kept digging deeper, and deeper.
But Rose helped me glimpse an alternative. Her seriousness for guarding reminded me just how important being a guardian is, and that I used to feel the same way.
She was the spark that I needed to reignite a passion inside me I had thought was long gone.
Each step towards the front gate felt a little lighter than the step before.
—O—o—O—o—O—
It was already five minutes past eight, and each tick of the second hand made my new partner increasingly late. I had been told to expect a newbie as my new partner; the more experienced guardians here at court were being reassigned to higher level positions. Most of them anyway.
At seven minutes past, the door at the back of the small office banged open, followed by hurried footsteps and heavy breathing.
I turned in my chair to reprimand my new colleague, but the words escaped me.
There, standing in front of me, trying desperately to compose herself and hide her labored breathing, was Rose Hathaway. As if my thoughts had summoned her.
"I'm so sorry I'm late. It is unprofessional, inexcusable, and will not happen again," she panted out, then straightened her uniform and looked around the cramped space filled with papers.
Even in her disheveled state, Rose captured my attention. Her tightly pulled back hair had a few flyaway strands that hung loose and framed her face. Her cheeks were lightly tinged in pink, as if she exerted herself by running here. The woman standing before me was a far cry from the stoic, composed graduate I had seen twice previously. It was refreshing.
When she finally made eye contact with me, her eyes narrowed, and her head tilted in recognition. "You're Guardian Belikov, right? We met last night," She stepped forward and extended her hand. "I'm Rose Hathaway."
As if I could forget who she was. I couldn't stop thinking about our encounter in the hallway, and now I got the chance to shake her hand again.
Pushing down my school-boy excitement, I stood and quickly shook her hand. "Yes, I remember. It is good to see you again Guardian Hathaway." She seemed excited by my use of her title.
"I really am sorry about being late. Something came up with Princess Dragomir that took longer than I thought, and I lost track of time." She must have seen the worry in my face, because she quickly continued, "She's fine, everything's good with her. She was just disappointed when I told her I wasn't going to be guarding her. Something about being on probation, and a shortage of guardians here at court." At least her presence here made more sense.
"You two are close then?" She was about to reply, then hesitated, some of that earlier eagerness sliding down with her shoulders.
"Yes. Well, we were. It's a long story. Anyway, why don't you show me the ropes around here boss?" I let her sudden change of topic slide and found myself smiling at the term 'boss'.
"Technically, we will be working together as partners, so no need to be formal. You can call me Dimitri if you would like." She nodded at this and seemed to relax slightly. Her rigid posture loosened a hair.
"Then call me Rose."
I turned and grabbed one of the clipboards from the desk.
"Alright then Rose, let's get started."
—O—o—O—o—O—
The remainder of my shift passed quickly. Explaining how things worked to Rose was simple and easy, and she picked up on the rules fast. In this one morning with her, I found myself talking more than I had in the past month. It was strictly business, no small talk or personal anecdotes, but it was nice.
By the time the next pair came to relieve us, I was reluctant to say goodbye. The feeling was foreign, especially since I would see her again tomorrow, and the days after. I called after her as she started to walk away after saying goodbye. She turned around and raised her eyebrows.
"Have you been to the gym here at court yet?" She shook her head.
"No, I haven't had the opportunity. Why do you ask?" I shuffled my feet and looked down.
"I usually go after my shift, and it occurred to me that maybe you hadn't been there yet, and that I could show you around or something." At this point I was just rambling like a madman, adding in unnecessary words. That eager look returned to her face but didn't quite reach her eyes.
"That would be really cool of you. I'll go grab my stuff. Where should I meet you?" I was still wrapping my head around her acceptance when I realized she was waiting for an answer.
"How about in front of the church. You know where that is right?" She nodded and started to walk away backwards.
"Sounds great. I'll see you there in a half hour." She fully turned around and jogged off, leaving me there to stare after her retreating form.
I can't believe I had actually asked her. And she had said yes. I was almost light headed at the thought.
Maybe if she comes to the gym with me, we could spar. I hadn't had anyone to spar with in a long time. No one wanted to associate with me, let alone get near enough to fight me hand to hand.
There was a nagging thought in the back of my head that said I shouldn't be putting Rose's reputation at risk by letting her near me, but I pushed it down. I was being selfish.
But this was an opportunity I could not pass up. Each time Rose spoke today, I felt like she was holding herself in check, like there was a whole lot more going on behind that mask she puts up.
Sparring would be the perfect opportunity to see behind it, to get to know the real Rose Hathaway. The girl whose gaze seemed a million miles away.
For the first time in a long time, I was excited about going to the gym and practically ran back to my room.
-lethalwhispers