Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy or anything surrounding it (but I do own this plot :D)
DPOV
It was a genuine shock that I hadn't died of a heart attack that day. The weight of my fate looming over me to start my day and the presence of my current-ex!? best friend was a little too much to handle. Given that I hadn't eaten all day – a completely separate issue – it was no surprise when I collapsed. The force of the pavement against my skull caused pain to rupture and explode through my body, successfully slapping me awake and giving me the worst fucking headache ever.
"Dimitri!?" Ivan's voice called out as he rushed from the shadows to my fallen side.
"Urgh." I grunted and slowly shifted my arms to push myself back up.
"Easy pal," he eased me into a sitting position, "you might have concussion or something…" he did a quick sweep of my body to make sure I was okay.
"Well, that hurt." I groaned causing Ivan to bite back a laugh. I caught his glance and smiled before the events of the alley came flooding back. "Ive, what are you doing here?" I asked, not being able to stop myself saying his nickname.
He offered a small smile and sat down on the pavement with me. "I knew today you would find out about this shit." He gestured to the huge, glass skyscraper behind him. "And because I realised what I jerk I was being before." I began to protest but he held up his hand. "No Dimitri, I was and you know it." He sighed. "I guess I was jealous, you were finally breaking free and whatever you were doing it was making you more happy than I was so, I think I was justified, no?" he asked and I smiled. "That and I was pretty drunk." I outright laughed. It felt good to joke with Ivan again and I was glad he came back.
"Yeah you were." I agreed.
"You know you hit me real hard; I've got a bruise and everything." He said turning his jaw into my eye line and brining it close to my face. I pulled back but he just kept on his advance. "Look upon your work, mighty Belikov!" he jested and I was chuckling.
"Sorry about that but you did hit a nerve." I said pushing him away.
"Yeah…" he agreed slowly, settling onto the pavement. "Sorry 'bout that one pal."
I shook my head, "All is forgiven."
"Well then…" he said and the sly smirk I knew all to well crossed onto his face. "What about this girl?" he nudged my shoulder and I could feel a blush making its way onto my face.
"Ivan-"
"Nu-uh, I want all the juicy details about her – it is a her right?" he clarified and I struggled not to laugh.
"Yes it is a her."
"Just checking," he said surrendering his arms, "didn't want to jump to too many conclusions." I rolled my eyes and he took it as an invitation to continue. "So, let's start simple." I groaned and his grin widened. "Her name…"
"Rose." I said through the palms of my hands.
"I'm sorry didn't quite get tha-"
"Rose!" I yelled causing some of the people passing by to give me a weird look. Ivan just chuckled.
"See that wasn't so bad…" he grinned and I scowled.
"Do we have to do this… now? Here?" I all but begged looking around me to the busying people rushing through their frantic lives.
"Well we could do it at your apartment in front of you father and Abe if he is still there…" Ivan suggested and my scowl deepened. "Then again, we could just go to my place." And go to his place was exactly what we did. Mercifully, Ivan didn't live too far away from Moroi Enterprises but we still had to walk. I didn't mind it too much as it was a nice evening: the moon was at its brightest and the usual pollution that covered and concealed the stars had cleared leaving a sparkling array of diamonds embedded in a black quilt.
Ivan fumbled for his keys before pushing the door into his apartment. If I could be so bold, his apartment was not as nice as my own. In all the years I had known him, Ivan never stayed in one job more than a month so I had lost track of what he did for a living. I flopped down onto the sofa whilst Ivan rummaged through his aptly stocked alcohol collection; if there was one thing you could rely on Ivan for, it was the boos. He tossed me a beer and settled gracefully on the sofa opposite. I popped open the top and took a long swing, anticipating that this was going to be a long night…
"So…" he exhaled and my grip in the half-empty bottle tightened. "How'd ya meet her?"
I raised a brow.
"What?" he said innocently as he popped off the metallic lid to his alcoholic provision.
I narrowed my eyes and studied my best friend. "That was a remarkably… nice question. Very unlike you." I informed him.
Ivan just grinned. "Would you rather me start with another question? I have a whole list…" he wriggled his eyebrows and I decided I wouldn't poke the hornet's nest.
"In a pub." I said vaguely, toying with him a little. Well, he didn't say I had to play nicely…
He noticed my act and scowled. "Which one?"
I chuckled at his displeasure and brought the bottle to my lips. His scowl increased but I took my time. "The Shadow Kiss Inn." I finally said after an elongated moment.
He frowned a little. "Nope, never heard of it." He shook his head and tossed the lid into the bin across the room in one smooth throw.
"Alberta told me about it and Rose was my waitress." I shrugged a little remembering back to the day we met, how she looked: so perfect. Like an angel fallen from the skies or a delicate flower suspended in a moment of utter contentment. But even then, her fire and passion could be seen roaring through, exploding from her warm and captivating heart – a complete contrast to my frozen solitude that I called existence. She was so unlike me, so full of life that bit blinded me as a star in a black abyss. She deserved everything and so much more. She deserved love. She deserved better than my dark feelings. She deserved better than me.
Ivan nodded and successfully brought me to the present situation. "Good old Bertie. So…" his grin returned, "was it love at first sight?" he batted his eyelashes to which I scowled.
"No." I said bluntly and immediately before hesitation over the matter seeped into my mind. Did I love her? Sure I thought about her literally all the time – she was like a cancer of my mind and consumed my entire essence. I wished for nothing but to help her, hold her, kiss her, feel her skin against my own…But did I love her?
"Oh I know that face…" Ivan grinned slyly. "Care to elaborate?"
"Not really." I muttered not meeting his eyes. Did I love her? Was I even capable of love?
"Mhmm." He hummed flopping back as I dug my nail into the sticker of the beer bottle. In my cold life of hatred and resentment, I think I had forgotten what love was and how it feels. It wasn't a topic I was comfortable dwelling in – it was a very much no go zone – and I prayed that Ivan would divulge back too something that did not evoke such a complex of emotions. "Is she hot?" Blunt, to the point and a completely Ivan-like question; I rolled my eyes, inwardly thankful that he had returned to familiar territory.
"She is beautiful." I said honestly, not helping the smile on my face as I remembered hers. Shit, why was I smiling? Stop it asshole – you are not good enough. She is not interested. She deserves better.
"Beautiful?" he raised an eyebrow.
"She is the most beautiful person I have ever met." I said simply before my subconscious could dissuade me, though I did get a metal slap in the face for letting that sentence out. Ivan smiled and nodded, as if I had confirmed something for him. He slowly leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees and his chin on his hands.
"I think," he began as I silenced my internal monologue, "that you should grow a pair, and ask her out."
His declaration to me by surprise and I did a double-take. "I'm sorry, what?" You heard him.
"You heard me." He echoed my thoughts, tossing himself back, "I am calling an intervention! It is painfully clear that you like her – a lot – so why in God's name have you not asked her out?"
I sighed. "She doesn't feel the sam-"
"Have you asked her?" he cut me off.
"It hasn't really been a popular conversational topic." I elected to respond sarcastically which cause Ivan to glower a little. "Look, I don't want to complicate it. She is keeping me sane throughout everything and I don't want to loose her."
He looked at me for a moment exhaling loudly. "Dude, you are so whipped." I sighed again and he leaned forward again. "Just promise me you will – it doesn't have to be now – but you will ask her out…"
"Ive-"
"Promise me Belikov." He pointed at me, "Swear on my life that you will."
"I promise-"
"Swear…" he interjected again.
"I swear" I emphasised and saw his face turn smug, "that I will ask her out in the future." I said, now worried at what I have committed to. Ivan just looked pleased with himself.
"Well now I know that my best buddy is in good hands, I need another beer!" he exclaimed and wandered to the kitchen. I buried my face in my palms and groaned into them. Man was I a mess. I only removed them when I felt my phone vibrate in my suit pocket. Frowning, I pulled it out, not bothering to check who it was.
"Belikov." I rubbed my exhausted eyes with my fingers.
"Why hello Dimka!" my heart stopped.
"Hello Natasha…"