Drabble:67
POV:Third Person

Celeste had a very healthy amount of respect for Dimitri Belikov. He was level-headed, dependable and a thoroughly good person. But she just wished he were a bit more….happy and less stoic.
Since he'd come to St. Vladimir's, he'd never tried to initiate friendships, happy to spend his time alone, reading books or doing his duty. Forget dating, he very rarely socialized, and even then with just a handful of guardians. He worked hard and seemed to find pleasure in that, but he was never happy.
And then, Rose Hathaway showed up. And Dimitri changed. At first, he began sitting in the guardian-lounges more frequently, often rubbing his temple with the heel of his hand or staring out the windows vacantly and taking 2 to 3 painkillers after every session he had with his 'extraordinary' pupil.
Over time, he began to smile, even socialize a tad bit more, like actually sitting with other guardians during dinner, or engaging Yuri in a conversation about some weird-sounding Oriental dish they'd both apparently tried.
But, 4 months with Hathaway, and Belikov was a changed man. Nowadays, he laughed, teased others and had friendly-albeit short-conversations with all guardians. What everyone had failed to do in the past one and a half year Dimitri had been in St. Vlad's, Rose had managed in 4 months.

One evening, as Celeste was returning from duty, walking alongside Zach, she'd heard a sound that was becoming increasingly familiar-Dimitri's throaty laughter. Looking ahead, she found the tall guardian brandishing an amused smile and a weight on his back. Not just any weight, but 110 pounds of firecrackers embodied in the form of Rose Hathaway. He was carrying Rose on his back, who was pouting belligerently while muttering something-something that undoubtedly was the cause of Dimitri's amusement. Seeing the very odd scene, Celeste exchanged an incredulous look with Zach, who seemed just as mystified.
Spotting the duo, Dimitri nodded at them with a small smile before heading in their direction. When they came within hearing range, Dimitri explained, "Rose sprained her ankle this afternoon at practice, but refused to be on bed rest at the hospital."

"And Dimitri here volunteered to give me a piggyback ride back to my dorm", Rose added on, explaining their predicament with a large grin. The other two guardians chuckled at Rose's antics.
"Yeah, volunteered", Dimitri scoffed, rolling his eyes, a habit Celeste was sure he'd picked up from his student. "She emotionally blackmailed me into it".

"How could you say that, Comrade?", Rose asked, schooling her features into one of heartbreaking sadness. "I thought you cared about me. Now if I'm being such a burden, let me down and I can limp over to my dorm. Don't worry-I'm sure I will get there….someday".

Dimitri looked at his student exasperatedly before giving a knowing look at his colleagues, silently saying 'what did I tell you'. Celeste couldn't help but smile at the display.

"I'll best let you two go on before she guilts you too", Dimitri said cheekily, nodding his goodbye at Celeste and Zach.
"Me? Guilt-trip? Never!", Rose pronounced with faux-innocence. "Although I am craving some doughnuts. Hey Celeste! Would you pretty-please-with-whipped-cream-on-top get me some? I'll love you forever!", Rose shouted back at Celeste, who chuckled indulgently, watching the mentor-pupil duo disappear towards the dorms, squabbling as they went.

Yes, Dimitri Belikov had changed, perhaps for the better, and Celeste knew it was all due to Rose. He'd stopped fighting the demons that haunted him or had made peace with them, all thanks to Rose. And Celeste was happy for it. Dimitri Belikov was someone who deserved happiness.

If circumstances were different, Celeste would have thought they made an absolutely adorable couple, but Dimitri was too self-disciplined and Rose too young to be in a relationship, their mentoring relationship aside. But Celeste couldn't help but think they looked very homely, bickering like an old couple. Shaking her head to dismiss her errant thoughts, Celeste pushed open the door to the Guardian's building and went to hunt down some doughnuts.

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