THE OTHER WAY ROUND
Chapter 12
(DISCLAIMER- I DO NOT OWN ANY OF THESE CHARACTERS. THE AMAZINGLY TALENTED RICHELLE MEAD DOES.)
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previously on The Other Way Round…
Christian: "do you like her?"
Dimitri: "yes."
Christian: "well… Dimitri, I don't really think you liking rose will change anything… lets face it she will never see you anything more than a friend."
….
Rose: "do you like me?"
Dimitri: "yes roza… you are so beautiful, strong, fierce. You always care about others… how can I-"
Rose: "I like you too comrade…"
DPOV-
it had been 7 hours and 40 minutes, after rose told me she liked me. yes! Im an idiot keeping track
of time like this. I know!
It would be an understatement if I say I couldn't sleep last night… cuz I didn't even try too.
It was almost 2 am at midnight. I lay awake on my bed, playing that little scene in my head again and again…
It was Sunday and I had nothing better to do than laying in a hospital bed, thinking about how my mentor just confessed her feelings for me. but then again… maybe she was just saying anything. I mean Christian said himself that rose would never see me anything more than a friend.
Maybe it was the propofole…
Maybe she was tired and just said anything…
But that kiss… that kiss felt real. It was on my cheek, but still it felt so good. Her lips were so soft and felt perfect against my cheek. I had been kissed on lips a couple of times before… but I never felt anything like that before…
Whenever rose is around me… there's always some sort of energy in me… some sort of power… some sort of emotions…
But whatever it felt… how ever good it felt. It was wrong.
I cant like my mentor… she is my bloody mentor!
She's 24! Im 17!
She's 7 years older than me… she absoloutely didn't wanted a 17 year old boy as her lover…
Even though thinking of this is completely wrong…
If rose and I weren't dhampirs… she wasn't a 'top notch guardian' and if I wasn't a novice…
If rose wasn't my mentor…
If our lives weren't dedicated to protect someone else…
If we were not at all associated to this freaky vampire world… and then if ive met rose in a normal human world and we would have this much closeness as we do now. I wouldn't even hesitate to fall in love with her…
But we are not in a human world…
We are not humans (half humans but lets go with the flow!)
She is a top notch guardian and I am a novice.
Rose is my mentor…
And our lives are dedicated to protect the moroi…
Suddenly the door clicked open and a tall man walked in.
He was dressed in a black tailored suit… which looked very expensive. He had a bright yellow scarf, wrapped stylishly around his neck. He had a chunky gold bracelet and small gold earrings on. His shoes were polished nicely.
It wouldn't take me another look to tell that, the man was zmey…
It was abe.
I wondered what he's doing here, but then it struck me… he's rose's father..
And ofcourse he had come to see her.
His eyes were still at rose who was still sleeping, she still had her tublings attached to her arms. He looked very upset and hurt to see rose like this.
"zmey?" I spoke, still kinda shocked to see him here.
He turned his eyes over to me. he looked puzzled "Dimitri?"
"yes… i- uh... how are you? What are you doing here?" I asked politely, keeping my voice down so I don't wake rose up.
"im here to meet my daughter, Dimitri." He said "what are you doing here?"
"uh- well… a strigoi choked me and almost killed me… so Im here at the hospital…" I said, dumbly.
"well im happy that you're okay… but what are you doing in my daughter's room?" he asked curiously.
Oooh here comes a protective father!
"well sir… guardian Hathaway save me, and due to the lack of rooms in the hospital, they put me in with her." I said, careful to say guardian Hathaway instead of rose.
"ah well my rosemarie does like to save people..." he said and looked at rose lovingly.
"so how's St. Vladimir treating you, young man?" he asked patting my shoulder.
"very good sir. Ive got a new mentor and ivan is also doing good." I replied.
"well that's great." He said smiling. "so when's my daughter going to wake up?"
"Dr. Olendzki gave her a dose of propofole, its been about 8 hours so I think she would wake up any time now." I answered.
Abe looked so intimidating! Oh vlad save me!
"I talked to Olena a few days ago… asked if randall showed up again. Thankfully he didn't. but she also told me that you called her using a guardian's phone… is that true?" he asked.
Uh huh… im in trouble…
What do I say? What do I say?
"yes, my mentor was kind enough to give me her phone." I said in a normal tone.
I really didn't wanted him to know that his own daughter was mentoring me. he already owed me too much…
"it's a her? Well is she hot?" he asked casually.
Oh very! But I don't think you'd like to hear that about your daughter… and I would not like to be shot by you for saying that.
"wha-what?" I stammered.
"relax son! Im just pulling your leg." Abe said and started laughing.
"comrade…" roza's husky made abe stop laughing.
We both rushed to her side.
"who are you talking to? And who the fuck is laughing?" she groaned. Her eyes were still closed
Abe chuckled at her swearing. "good afternoon to you too my Sehzadi." He said in a very sweet voice.
Her eyes opened slowly. Then widened "baba!?" she exclaimed in surprise.
Abe smiled.
"how are you kiz?" he asked running a hand gently in her hair.
"im good. But what are you doing here?" she asked.
"can a father not visit her daughter after she almost got killed?" abe asked, humour and sarcasm was dripping from his words.
Rose rolled her eyes.
"yeah well a father can. But you should be in Texas! You- you had that big mobster meeting right?" she exclaimed and got up from her bed.
Oh so she knew about abe's many professions…
"when you didn't picked up my video call I got worried. Because you never missed our family call on Saturday. So then I called Alberta and she told me that their had been a strigoi attack at the academy and you were gravely injured. So I cancelled my meeting and came here to see you." Abe explained.
Rose had a very grateful look on her face, she even had tears on the verge of escaping.
But what shocked me the most was that Ibrahim Mazur cancelling his meetings… he never cancelled his meeting, especially when its related to his "illegal" work.
He was the most feared mobster in Russia and turkey. He was the 'knee-cap-breaking mobster'. And now seeing him as a father was kinda unbelievable, but it also showed that he loved rose dearly…
"well im glad that you're here Baba." Rose said and hugged Abe tightly "I missed you,old man."
Abe hugged her too, "I missed you too kiz… its been so long…" he said smiling.
They pulled back and sat on rose's bed.
"how much longer are you here?" she asked him
"5 days" he replied proudly.
Her eyes widened.
"what! 5 days. Baba im getting discharged today. I don't need anybody. I have to resume my duty aswell." Rose said to abe.
"I know kiz but I think its been too long the 3 of us havent spend time together." Abe said
"the 3 of us? Wait- waitttt! Mom is coming?!" rose asked. She was furious and confused.
"well you know Janine… and plus her charge also wanted to visit his son after the attack, see how he was doing. So your mom is also slipping here with him" abe said simply.
"since when does lord Shelzy has a boy?" rose asked
"not lord shelzy kiz… she got reassigned. To some ivashkov." Abe said, with pure disgust in his voice.
"ohhh…" rose said extending her 'o'. "you still mad that Tatiana hasn't made mom your guardian?" she tried her best to not laugh while asking him this.
"rosemarie." He warned
"okay sorry baba" she said throwing her hands up in surrender, laughing.
I cleared my throat "I think I should go ask Dr. Olendzki about my discharge." I informed, giving some time to them. As I was about to exit the room a hand caught my arm and stopped me.
I turned around. It was rose.
"you sure you want to get discharged? I mean are you okay now?" she asked. If I sensed it right, I saw desperation in her voice, like she didn't wanted me to get discharged.
You're crazy! She has nothing to do with you. Just her student, remember?
Just her student… that's right
"I think Im okay rose." I said, slowly pulling my hand from her grasp.
She looked hurt but smiled faintly.
I exited the room and breathed a sigh of relief. That got awkward fast.
I didn't wanted to get discharged just yet. But I have to.
I walked over to Dr. Olendzki, and started talking to her about my discharge.
RPOV-
I don't even know why I wanted Dimitri to stay… it was irrational but I didn't wanted him to leave. But he's my student and im not supposed to feel this way… its actually good that he wants to get discharged. He is feeling okay now, why would he even wanna stay in this boring hospital anyway?
"earth to rosemarie?" my dad said waving his hand in front of my face.
"huh?" I asked cluelessly
"you just blanked there… you okay kiz?"
"uh-huh. I'm just think about Dimitri.." oh fuck. What did I just say!
Oh no he is confused… look away rose!
For the love of god! Look away!
I looked away.
"i-I mean im thinking bout his health." I said, trying to sound confident.
"hmm… I heard he's got a new mentor." Baba said.
"yeah he did." I said.
"and well I talked to his mom. She told me that his mentor gave him her phone to call at home… weird don't you think?" abe asked, raising his eyebrow.
Oh no…
"baba" I said slowly and softly "im his new mentor. I gave Dimitri my phone to call his mom."
Baba had an expression of pure shock.
After a few moment he said "you? You are his new mentor?"
"yes baba. Kirova sent me to Portland to get Dimitri and Ivan back to the academy. Kirova asked me if I wanted to be his mentor. I didn't wanted to say yes at first, cuz my only priority was lissa but I knew that If I said no, then Kirova would expel Dimitri. So I said yes…" I explained everything to him
"well rosemarie… mentoring someone a job full of responsibility… and I would doubt your decision, but seeing as you saved Dimitri yesterday… I think its good that he has you as his mentor. You can teach him many things rose." Baba said.
I sat down beside him. I don't know why I wanted, but their was a sudden urge to ask baba this question…
"can I ask you something baba?"
"anything my sehzadi" he replied smiling.
"the world says many wrong things about you, but I know that you are a man of morals and dignity...you would never do anything that gets you into trouble or stains your reputation." I started. He nodded slowly. "and I know that mom wasn't just a one night thing for you… you really loved her. You still do. But dad she's a dhampir… and also a couple more years younger than you… how did you- I mean didn't that felt wrong? Falling for her? A dhampir… a girl younger than you?"
I really prayed that baba doesn't get uncomfortable with this, but he smiled.
"you see kiz… i've met a hundred women before your mom, some were beautiful, some where smart, and some were both. But rosemarie… when I met your mother… it different. So different than the other girls… she was smart, incredibly beautiful, independent, sarcastic, she had a short temper, she was very challenging. She was a pain in the ass to be specific." He said. I stifled a laugh.
"but you see, your mom was a hell of a woman. She wasn't just a one-night thing for me. I am a very secretive person rose. I keep my emotions all bottled up, deep inside of me. but she always seemed to get what I was thinking, what I was feeling. I know that people think you cant fall in love with a dhampir woman but that's not true…you can find love only when it wants to be found. And you can find that love in the most unexpected person. Janine taught me love. She taught me how to respect women. She was always playing hard to get but I knew that I would never find anyone like her- or better than her. Rose, I swear… if I didn't had this big reputation to maintain… I would've done anything to be with you and the women I loved- love. I still would do anything, but its too late."
His words brought tears in my eyes. I never thought that mom and baba would have this much between them. I knew that mom loved him still, but they led different lives now… but still there was a part of me that wished, that mom and baba get together again.
He smiled and slowly wiped my tears from my cheek.
"why did you wanted to talk about love with your old man all of a sudden?" he asked.
I sniffled "nothing… just had a lot of things in my mind." I said in a small voice.
"are you sure? You don't look okay. Do want to tell me something?" he asked softly.
"no baba" I replied, putting on a smile "there's nothing, really."
"okay… when are you getting discharged then?" he asked.
"by tomorrow I think. I also have a guardian council meeting regarding the strigoi attacking the academy during daytime." I said. it was still hard to believe that the strigoi attacked during daytime. Things sure were changing a lot…
"do you have any idea how the strigoi attacked during the day? He asked.
"well… I think that moroi's are involved." I whispered, not wanting anyone else to hear.
His eyes widened. "moroi? Working with strigoi!?" he exclaimed.
"baba voice down please!" I said " and not just any moroi… the ones who have mastered in air, water and earth…"
"what is your theory behind this kiz?'
"well me and Dimitri were taking a walk around 8, at the forest behind the academy. We felt the sky getting very dark and it was colder than usual. Dimitri said that it felt just like when he was in the royal court and the weather was changed by magic for an event. It felt like there was magic in the air. After sometime it was all dark. There was no sunlight and it actually looked like night. so I think there are moroi's and humans with strigoi's behind this. Morois for changing the weather and humans for breaking the wards." I concluded my story.
"Im understanding your points rosemarie but I don't think the council will understand that." He said.
"well do they have any other reason to explain strigoi attacking at daytime!" I exclaimed.
"I think you're right. and anyway you are a top notch guardian here. They will let you speak kiz." Abe said.
I nodded.
"well I should leave for now. Gotta tell Janine that you're alive and are with all your bones." He said and stood up.
"bye baba"
"take care kiz. Ill talk to dr. olendzki later about your discharge"
With that he left the room.
I was alone in the room and had nothing to do… until I spotted one of dimitri's cowboy novels.
I looked to see if anyone was there. All clear!
I quietly got up and picked one of dimitri's books and rushed back to my bed and pulled the sheets upto my stomach, and hid the book in such a way that only I can see it.
I saw the cover… it had a shirtless man getting straddled by a woman in purple dress. I stifled a laugh while reading the title
'wild western bride'
I saw a bookmark sticking out from the book. I decided to read from where he left. I flipped the page to where he had set his bookmark and started reading it.
Uh oh… it was a very exotic M rated scene.
I cant belive this… Dimitri reads book porn! that's even worse than normal porn… he's such a nerd… but I don't know why, it was also cute that he reads book porn…
I started reading the first paragraph, it was hilarious that they wrote M rated scenes in books!
I burst out laughing, while reading it.
"whats so funny?" a voice asked… which I knew very well… it was Dimitri.
Oh im in trouble.
"n-n-nothing!" I stammered, closing the book shut. Which obviously made noise.
"what is that?" he asked curiously
"what is what?" I asked back
"that." He said pointing towards my sheets "what's under those sheets rose?"
"nothing Dimitri… I don't know what you're talking about!" I said and started laughing out of nervousness.
His eyes felt on his side table… and widened
Oh no… he saw that his book was missing.
He snapped his head back at me "do you have my book. Roza?" he asked. He looked almost scared.
Okay ! time to play it in rose Hathaway style!
"maybe" I said pursing my lips.
"rose you-you are not suppose to touch that." He said , not in a scolding way… but in a terrified way. God he looks so cute when he's scared!
"hey! You cant blame a bored woman whose been stuck in this hospital the whole weekend!" I exclaimed playfully.
"rose-"
"and I didn't know you read cheesy book porn Dimitri!" I said holding out his book from under the covers.
His eyes widened when he saw which book I had.
"rose give it back!" he said
"you know these kind of book have a '18+' tag on them… and you're not 18 as far as I know." I said ignoring his request.
"rose please give it back!" he said in frustration.
"well then cmon… get it in your own way Mr. Russian." I said standing up on my bed with the book in my hand. I seriously don't know what has gotten into me.
Dimitri growled and rushed to my bed and started pulling my hand down. Did he not know that I was a guardian?
I freed my self and the book from his grasp and jumped down the bed and ran towards his side of the room. He followed me and we starting circling each other, with his bed in between and Dimitri and I on separate sides.
"you think you can win from me comrade?" I asked playfully.
He smirked " well roza I may not be very good at fighting but I can still catch you." He replied.
"okay cowboy! Challenge accepted!"
He ran towards my side but missed me as I climbed over his bed and ran to my side across the room. "forfeit now comrade! And thou shall get thy book!" I said mimicking a man voice.
"roza that's not even cowboy language." He said chasing me
"so do you guys just say yee-haw?" I asked, running away.
"well they do have a lot of other words… not just yee haw" he said laughing. Dimitri's laugh was so adorable..
and that's when folks I knew that I fucked up.
I saw myself facing Dimitri and he started coming towards me. I started stepping back. "roza I think you may forfeit now and accept thy lose." He said mimicking the voice that I just mimicked.
Never!
He was getting closer by the second.
He eventually grabbed my arm, gently.
I planned to take a swift turn and ran straight across him but when I took the turn I slipped, Dimitri went to stop my fall with his arms but failed and I landed straight onto dimitri's bed. And to make matters even better. Dimitri was on top of me. he looked at me with his beautiful chocolate brown eyes. I didn't look away. I looked straight at those eyes.
I lowered my gaze on his perfect nose and then on his lips… his lips looked so delicious. Not like the crappy hospital food. They were like doughnuts… his lips looked as delicious as doughnuts…
I felt his warm breath tingling my face and neck.
His body was pressed against mine. I could feel his abs through my thin hospital gown. God I must look terrible right now, my hair must be like a rat's nest but Dimitri had a very sweet and adoring look in his eyes.
I felt lost… in his eyes, in his breath, in his scent. I didn't wanted to move… not now not ever…
Someone cleared their throat behind us. We quickly broke the eye contact and Dimitri stood up, revealing me the face to the person, standing their on the door.
It was Christian.
"I- I should go. Dr. O-Olendzki was calling me-me!" Dimitri stammered and left the room.
I was blushing badly.
"what was that?" Christian asked, mockingly
"it was nothing pyro" I said getting up from his bed. "we were just playing… I took his book. He went to catch me. and we both slipped and fell on the bed." I shrugged
"well you're lucky that it was me who saw this. Not Abe." Christian said.
"Im guessing you met him." I said casually.
"yes… he looks threatening as ever." He replied.
I let out a small laugh.
He sat next to me on my bed, his eyes were full of concern. "rose… what was that? There… with Dimitri?" he asked softly.
"I told you Chrissy… we just fell." I said trying not to make eye contact.
"rose… it obviously was thing there. I saw the way you looked at him. it was very… un-rose like." He said
"are you mean?" I said telling him to explain.
He sighed "rose I think you're not acting like how a mentor should to her student."
"yeah cuz I consider Dimitri as my friend… not just my student." I said, confidently.
"rose that's not how you be with friends… we've been your friends for so long but these things never happened between us… are you sure that you have nothing to do with Dimitri?" he asked curiously.
"Christian!" I sighed "what are you trying to say here! Im not getting you."
"rose… do you like him? do you like Dimitri?" he asked in a low voice.
My eyes widened.
"wha- i- no…no I don't like him…" I said, there was so much uncertainty in my words.
But I couldn't like- like him right… that's irrational.
Christian's mad!
I cant like Dimitri… he's my student… 7 years younger than me!
"well you do realise that ive known you for almost 8 years rose… we havent been that close but I still know you. You've never looked at any guy the way you look at Dimitri… the concern.. the care, you show towards Dimitri is not friendly… its something more." He said softly.
"I- I really don't know what you're talking about Christian. Dimitri is just a friend… and he's 7 years younger than me." I said in a low voice.
He gently held up my hand and placed it on my heart.
"tell me rose… don't you feel different around Dimitri? Don't you get butterflies whenever you look at him, don't you feel a certain type of energy whenever you two touch or come close?
Tell me rose… do you not want the best for this man? Do you not wanna be with him?" Christian kept asking.
I nodded.
Christian talking about love would've been a horrible dream… but I know, as a matter of fact that whatever he just said… the answer is yes. To everything.
I feel different around Dimitri, I get butterflies everytime I look at him, there's always this energy whenever we are in the same room, I want to be with him… but more than everything I want the best for this man… and so im not gonna let my walls down. Not in front of him.
"but it'll change nothing Christian…" I said slowly "Dimitri would never want me… im so much older than him. im a guardian, he's still a novice."
Christian looked like he was going to laugh.
"and what if he feels the same way about you?" he asked in a 'matter of facty' kinda way.
"it'll change nothing, even then… Dimitri has his whole career infront of him… he cant risk it because of me. I wont let that happen." I said in a stern voice.
I wont let him feel attracted towards me…
And I wont feel attracted towards him.
Ill put up so many walls between us that he wouldn't see me anything more than his mentor. It will hurt like hell… but it's the right thing to do.
I have to right thing.
"so? What will you do rose?" Christian asked softly.
"ill put up barriers… im his mentor and he's my student… he is a novice and hasn't even seen the real world. Love or attraction to me will not help him even a bit in becoming ivan's guardian." I said in my stern guardian voice.
He nodded, gave me a peck on the cheek and left the room.
I sat on my bed, letting the tears I was holding back for so long, fall.
I was breaking from inside… but I have to do this.
I have to stop feeling this way about Dimitri…
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author's note-
*wipes my tears with a tissue paper*
Well… that was an emotional ending.
Yeah yeah! You must all hate me right now… but if that makes you feel any better-
From the next chap onwards we will be having A LOTTTT of sexual tension between rose and Dimitri.
And also… does Janine hathaway's new assignment has something to do with the destruction of st. Vladimir and the further destruction of romitri and ivantoria?
If you wanna know you gotta keep reading!
Until next time…
~K