This one's for guest-reviewer Kitty. Sorry about the delay. I'd forgotten all about it.
Drabble:93
POV:Third Person
At the end of the spirit-practice-session, Christian bid Lissa goodbye at the classroom door, explaining that he had to talk with Adrian. Lissa and Rose gave him identical weird looks before looking at Adrian-who, for once, looked serious-and then, exchanged worried looks with one another (undoubtedly talking via the bond) before taking their leave.
The boys watched the best friends walk away, all the way across the quad before turning to face one another. A stare-down ensued, each moroi waiting for the other to break first.
Adrian gave up first, lighting a cigarette as he did. "Well?", he questioned, raising his eyebrows impatiently.
"You first, Ivashkov", Christian hedged. "How long have you known?"
"A while", Adrian replied. "You?"
"Same here.", Christian replied, leaning against the doorframe.
Knowing that he won't be getting any more without revealing something, Adrian replied more unambiguously. "Almost since the first time we met. I made some stupid comment about perfumes and older men…and dear lord, her aura lit up and then some! All it took me was to find who made her aura shine that way in person. And how their auras mimicked one another. Simple really. Your turn."
Christian decided to go with crass bluntness, if only to see Adrian's reaction. "I saw them making out a few weeks back. And everything else lined up".
Adrian choked on the cigarette he was smoking and coughed, trying to clear his airways. "Wait! You saw them making out?", Adrian rasped. "Here, in the academy? The gym?"
"No", Chris shrugged. "They were on the grounds, actually. Roses and moonlight, very romantic."
"You're not lying", Adrian stated, studying Christian's aura closely.
"Wow", he continued, crushing his cigarette beneath his shoes and running a hand through his hair. "I hadn't realized they were in the making-out stage yet."
"If its any consolation, I don't think it is a daily-occurrence or something. For one, Belikov wouldn't allow that."
"Right", Adrian snorted. "Cradle robber wouldn't allow that, would he? That goody-little-two-shoes can do no wrong. Other than making out with his underage student, one who's ages younger than him. Need I remind you Christian he dumped your aunt?"
"Keep Tasha out of this", Christian snarled. "Belikov did what he had to. If he finds happiness with her, well good for him. And they're only 7 years apart, that's not really outrageous."
"Oh, so you're Team Belikov, then. Huh?"
"As opposed to Team Adrian? Maybe.", Christian replied bluntly. "But I'm more Team Hathaway. Its her happiness that I care about. And you'd do well to remember that, Ivashkov."
"What's that supposed to mean?", Adrian asked, outraged now. "You think I don't want her to be happy?" But Christian made no reply, only stared him down, till Adrian nodded once, sharply.
They then discussed what they'd observed of the two dhampirs and the assumptions they'd made, for a while before Adrian, in that flippant way of his, changed the topic.
"Hey, do you think they do other stuffs too?"
"Really, Ivashkov? Really? Its time for your nap-nap. Goodbye!", Christian scoffed, heading out.
"Wait, Christian!", Adrian followed him out. "So what do we do? Do we even do anything?"
Christian furrowed his eyebrows in concentration before replying. "Let's just keep it between us, for starters and watch over the two, for now. If Belikov makes her less than happy, I'd like to give him a dressing out. Something tells me you'd love to chip in."
"Damn straight", Adrian piped cheerfully. "I'll hold you to that, Fireboy."
"Goodnight, Ivashkov. Vodka dreams!", Chris drawled, giving him a two-fingered-salute before walking away.
Adrian clutched his coat tighter against his body and walked towards the guest-housing, trying to suppress the jealous hurt in his chest knowing that Belikov was making Rose happy, not him. And Christian, who was practically her family approved of Belikov, not him.
That's all for now! Do review! Cheers!
And thank you 0o0-Happy-Dagger-0o0 for review no.400!
PS-On a completely different topic, does anyone from here live in Manhattan/Seattle, London, Vladivostok/Moscow or Munich/Erlangen/Leipzig/Dresden? Or is knowledgeable about these given locations? In that case, could you please PM me? Thanks!