Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or anything surrounding it (but I do own this plot :D)
DPOV
Oh shit I was nervous. I don't think I have ever been so nervous in my life: hell, I don't think anyone has. My leg jolted in uncontrollable spasms as my fingers drummed against my knees at a rate that could've rivalled light.
Today was they day.
Ordinarily, I wouldn't be such a mess. Cool, collected Dimitri Belikov waltzed in and out of these things without breaking much of a sweat, but now that my neck depended on it, I was flipping out.
In the past three weeks, Abe, Aleksei – Ivan when he could be bothered (or sober) – and me had been working none stop to finalise this pitch. Alberta was also shoved into the mix with the general organisational processes that came with pitch writing since none us blokes could master that. All in all, team Triple A (Abe's idea: he realised quite quickly that all their names began with 'A') had made a formidable pitch and one that could actually compete with Nathan Ivashkov.
Of course, the final problem remained: me.
One of the conditions, that I had so foolishly suggested, was that each of us went in on our own – without a support team. Thus, all the work and preparation now rested on me not cocking up. Aleksei hadn't helped this situation; he just told me to suck it up and deal with it 'you worthless piece of shit', his words exactly. When that hadn't helped, Abe decided to offer his support. I am not sure how ordering a private army to surround the building whilst he gathered up relatives of the management team and peeled away each layer of skin was going to help but he seemed pretty certain that that was the only way.
Can you see why I was nervous?
No, it was Alberta who offered the best advice. This wasn't out of the ordinary and I never really gave her enough credit for what she did for me; she put up with my verbal abuse and unjust treatment and was still offering me her help. When, no, if I get out of this, I am most defiantly getting her a payrise.
She told me to ease off on the pressure: go master this pitch in a place far away from psychotic fathers and psychopathic men, a place where I could really just relax.
Well, I only knew of one…
The Shadow Kiss Inn had become the highlight of my life. If we want to be technical, it wasn't the place itself, rather…well…you know. I now lived for the days I saw Rose. Her stunning appearance lit up my life and her fiery passion left me feeling fuelled for the rest of my years. She had truly become something special to me and that was becoming a little bit of a problem…
Firstly, Ivan. I still went to clubs and bars but Ivan was still very much Ivan. He immediately got drunk and tried to find some random girl to have sex with or to just have fun with. I used to be very much like that but now something had defiantly changed. Sure, I still went with him and was his wingman but I had lost the interest in getting pissed or high or laid; all these things were once distractions in my life from my life. They had let me escape from being me and allowed me to forget just what it was like to be alone in this brutal world. But now, I had found another distraction, and this distraction's effectiveness was completely unmatched and Ivan wasn't stupid. He knew that something was happening and grew increasingly suspicious when I tried to prize an intoxicated girl off my arm.
The second issue was a little more complex. There was no denying it anymore: I had a crush. I was 24 years old and I had a crush. A crush. I have never had a crush in my life. I had no idea what the protocol was for a 'crush'. I have said 'crush' too many times.
Oh no.
It was not good at all. After the hand-holding-hyperventilating-on-a-wall incident, I was scared to go back. But I realised that if I didn't, I would have to find another place which would just be a bit of an inconvenience considering.
And so, I went back. Much to my surprise, Rose seemed to be happy to see me. She seemed to be a little more friendly towards me but nothing about what she did suggested that she returned the 'crush' sentiment. So I ignored it. Not her, the sentiment, and to my shock again, it turned out all right. We spoke a lot more and she kept me informed about how the pub was doing because, and I quote, I was the only person to have bothered to create a fandom for it. It turned out that in the three weeks, they had created a total fund of $28.75 and $20 of those dollars came from me. She told me they were knuckling down on a plan but it wasn't going vary far.
In an attempt to make her feel better, I told her pretty much everything about my predicament too. How I was most likely going to fail and how my dear father was making me feel worse about it. She laughed. Have I told you about her laugh? It is beautiful; a sound forged by angels; a sweet bliss of ecstasy.
Just thinking about her made my entire being relax. My hand stopped using my knee as a drum, I sank into the seat like it was a bath and I sighed in utter contentment.
Then Nathan came out.
"Ah Dimitri." His sinister voice hissed its way through my happiness. "You seem awfully jubilant for someone about to lose his job." He laughed and I shut away all my emotions and felt my heart go cold again.
"Just thinking about the look on you face when your paycheck doesn't come through." I all but growled.
His eye twitched and his face hardened. "You are playing a very dangerous game Belikov. Just remember, I know everything." And with that, he wandered down the hall.
I watched his figure slowly fade into the sea of office people. I took a deep intake of breath and clutched the briefcase that held my pitch. Its cool leather alleviated some of the burning heat that boiled inside me.
"Mr Belikov?" a young voice asked and I looked up slowly. She caught my eye and smiled. "Ms Lazar will see you now."
This was it…
"D what the fuck is up with you?"
"Huh?" I frowned after finally pushing the girl away from where she 'tripped' into my lap. After the interview, Ivan had insisted we go out to 'cheer up'. The pitch went without fault. Ms Avery Lazar was not actually the head of the management, merely a representative. She told me that if my pitch was accepted, I would be introduced to my new colleague. Assessing how much control Ms Lazar had, I was terrified about how much power her boss had…Shuddering through that contemplation, I delivered my pitch with everything I had, so much so that Ms Lazar looked impressed. But I was not her I needed to impress…
I had not even walked out of the building when Ivan called me, telling me we needed to go out to this new club he found – Vladimir's Saint. After and pretty amusing phone call, I thought about going to Rose. My heart fluttered at the thought but was denied the chance at release when Aleksei demanded my presence in my own apartment to go over ever detail of my pitch delivery. Abe was there too but I doubt he actually cared how well it went; even if I had forgotten how to speak English and did the whole thing in Russian, he would still make sure that I would win.
Three hours later, I was sitting in Vlad's with a very bewildered Ivan.
"I mean, what the fuck is wrong with you?" he stared at me incredulously whist gesturing to the girl who had stumbled her way back to the dancefloor. "A couple of weeks ago you would've have tapped that without a second thought." He said still looking at me in shock-written confusion. "So, what the fuck is wrong with you?"
"I don't know. I guess, I'm not really in the mood?" I said but even I didn't find it convincing.
Ivan, surprise-surprise, did not looked convinced. "Nu-uh, you are not getting away with this. You have been acting more and more strangely since Aleksei walked back into your life. Is that what it is? Aleksei?"
"No-"
"Then what D!" he raised his voice, arms and contents of his drink into the air. "You have been more interested in your work than spending time with you best buddy. We used to be partners in this and know you're…I don't even know!"
I honestly didn't have an answer for him. I didn't understand what was happening to me let alone trying to explain it to Ivan. All I felt was guilt and shame course its way through my veins and I slumped a little lower in my seat. "Ive, I am really-"
"Save it." He said bitterly, gulping down the contents of his drink. "You clearly don't want to spend time with me so why should I sit through you reasoning?"
"Ive-"
"No Dimitri!" he yelled again making flinch as his said my full name. "Go run back and play happy families with your daddy dearest; it's just what your mother did and she ended up with four buns in that oven of hers."
Whether it was the whiskey or the fact he had just insulted the family I held dear, I do not know. All I did know was that I had tackled him to the floor. We skidded along the ground and reached the dancefloor where the other partiers had just fled. I threw my fist into his jaw and heard it crack. Ivan's gaze hardened and he threw me off him and I slid again along the floor until my back hit the wall. He scrambled to his feet and I rose to mine. He made to hit my face but I deflected it and gave a blow to his stomach. He grunted in pain before delivering a swing to my cheekbone. I felt the bone dislocate beneath my skin and I growled in response. A surge of energy boiled within and I smashed my best friend to the ground.
Security showed up not a moment later and the club went deadly silent. Ivan and I were both dragged from where we stood out to the back alley that cloaked the club in an eerie darkness. I winced as the guy threw me into the abyss and I could hear Ivan stumble to the ground as I had defiantly broken something. Guilt plagued its way through my blood and I immediately regretted what had happened.
"Ive..." I began but the murderous look on Ivan's face told me to shut up.
"Enlighten me D," he said bitterly, "why is it that this," he gestures around him, "now disgusts you?"
"I-" I honestly did not have an answer for him. In all the years I had known Ivan, we had done everything together; he was the brother I never had and the only one who refused to give up on me. Seeing him in a rage that was beyond comparison kinda stung a little.
"Enlighten me Dimtiri Belikov!" He roared and I felt the anger take over.
"You think I enjoy this!? That I want to forever be locked in this life!? It is a distraction and you know it Ive, it is your distraction too. But, it has lost its appeal." I shouted back and Ivan narrowed his eyes before they widened in realisation.
"Who is she D?"