This takes place a couple of months after "Love fades". Tatiana wasn't murdered and Rose didn't have to run.

DPOV

As I was shutting the door to my room, ready to head outside for a long run, I heard her voice. I couldn't see her yet, she was probably just coming out of the elevator in the hallway that intersected with mine and it sounded like she was on the phone, but I knew without a doubt she was here to see me. I supressed a groan. She had been coming to see me pretty much every day for the past couple of months, and I was more than fed up with it. It wasn't that I didn't want to spend time with friends, but this particular one had a little more in mind than just being friends, and I really wasn't interested in her that way. No matter how many times I told her though, I just couldnt get it through her head.

Without really thinking about it, I took off for the other end of the hallway, towards the back stairwell. As the door fell shut behind me, shrouding me in darkness, I heard her shout from the other end of the hall. "Dimka!"
Damnit. I had been hoping I could make it here before she saw me, but she must've just caught sight of my duster. I debated what to do. I could pretend I didn't hear her and run down, hoping I'd make it outside before she got here, or I could turn around and greet her. Or... I could run to the floor above mine, and hope she wouldn't think to check that way. I took off again.

When I reached the floor above, I collided with someone. I didn't stop to think, I used my body to push the person against the wall and put my hand over their mouth while I whispered: "Please be quiet."
If Tasha followed me, she'd be here at any moment, and I could only hope whoever this was would listen to me. I had no clue who I had run into. This stairwell was only here for emergencies and the single lamp which was supposed to be illuminating it from the ceiling was apparently broken. I made a mental note to report that to maintenance later.

I heard the door on the floor below us opening again, and Tasha's voice echoed through the stairwell. "Dimka?"
I didn't move and neither did the person I was pressing against the wall. I realized it was a woman at about the same time as I felt her relax against me. More surprising was the fact that her body started shaking, and it took me a moment to understand that she was laughing, though thankfully she managed to keep quiet. That was when the familiarity of her body against mine hit me, as did the smell of her shampoo. Of all the people I could possibly run into, it just had to be Roza.

Tasha called my name once more, before cursing and leaving. When the door closed, I remained where I was for another half minute. I was just making sure Tasha had definitely left, it had absolutely nothing to do with being near Roza for the first time in months.

Sometime shortly after my restoration, I had told Rose that my love had faded, hoping she would finally give me some space. I knew I'd hurt her badly, but at the time I really thought I wasn't capable of love or any kind of relationship anymore, and for the first few days it actually had been a bit of a relief that she didn't come to see me again. After about a week I started thinking about her, then looking for her whenever I entered a room, asking Lissa how she was doing, and after about a month I finally realized I missed her. A lot. Of course by then I had also figured out she was completely avoiding me, and I had absolutely no chance of talking to her. I supposed I deserved it after what I'd said to her, but that didn't make it any less painful.

A small shove against my chest called me back to the present, and I realized I was still standing very close to Rose, pressing her against the wall. I quickly took a step back. "Oh right, sorry about that."
"No problem," came her voice out of the darkness. I moved my hand in the direction of the door that had to be here and opened it, light flooding through it and illuminating the dark-haired beauty in front of me. Yep, that was definitely my Roza.

I stepped out into the hallway and Rose followed me. I wasn't sure if she'd stick around now that there was no reason to, so I quickly decided I would use this opportunity to talk to her. "I really am sorry Rose."
She nodded, and I wasn't sure if she assumed it was just about our collision earlier, or if she understood I was sorry about a lot of other things as well. "It's okay, really. Not quite what I expected when I decided to take a shortcut to my room, but anyway."
I guess she didn't catch the double meaning of my apology. "Good. You didn't get hurt when I pushed you against the wall?"
"I'm fine, really."

We just stood there for a moment before we both started walking down the hall at exactly the same time. She didn't say anything, but that was okay. It felt good and peculiarly familiar to be near her like this. She stopped at a door about halfway through the hall and said: "This is me."
I stopped as well and smiled at her. "It was good to see you Rose. Take care of yourself."
She hesitantly returned my smile. "Thanks, you too."

I looked her over once more before turning and slowly walking away. It was physically hard for me to put distance between us, but I knew I had no choice. I'd gone maybe five yards when she called after me: "Hey Dimitri, what was that about anyway?"
I turned back to her. "What do you mean?"
"Why were you running away from Tasha?"

I raised an eyebrow, knowing it would probably annoy her. "How do you know it was Tasha I was running from?"
She rolled her eyes in answer. "I'm not stupid you know. I know her voice, and besides, she's probably the only one at Court who calls you Dimka."
Rose had me there and she knew it. I considered for a moment before deciding to tell her the truth. "I just didn't really feel like talking to her. She stops by most days and it's a bit much to be honest."
She chuckled humourlessly. "Yeah well, can't blame a girl for trying I guess."

There was an undertone to her comment, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I knew she didn't particularly like Tasha, but I wasn't completely sure why. At the resort I knew she was jealous, but that was nearly a year ago and so many things had changed since, so that couldn't really be it could it? I had told her there was nothing between me and Tasha, so she had no reason to be jealous anyway. And if that wasn't enough, the fact that I told Rose there was nothing between me and her either, was probably more than enough to ensure that she didn't care either way. The thought stung, so I pushed it away.

"She knows I'm not interested in her that way Rose," I answered.
She looked at me for a couple of seconds and then shook her head. "Are you really sure about that?"
Rose turned away from me, probably meaning to make her way inside. Without consciously deciding to, I found myself moving until I was right behind her and put my hand on her arm. She twisted around and out of my grasp. "What do you want Dimitri?"

Her voice was annoyed, but I didn't pay much attention to it. Now that I was close to her I could see how tired she looked. She also seemed older somehow, the youthful exuberance that was such a big part of her all but gone. She seemed uncomfortable with me looking at her and didn't meet my eye, instead staring just past me.
"Roza.."
Her eyes shifted to mine and she glared at me. "What?"
"Are you okay? Really?"
She crossed her arms. "I'm fine. Not that it's any of your business."
"You look tired," I pointed out, ignoring the second part of her answer.
"Yeah well, you'd be too after working double shifts. But thanks for the compliment."

Neither of us moved. I continued to look at Rose while she kept glaring at me. Eventually I sighed. "You know I didn't mean it like that."
"Do I?"
I narrowed my eyes. "Yes, you do. You know me and you know I didn't mean to insult you. I'm just worried about you."
"I told you, I'm fine!" she said in exasperation. Then she added quietly: "And I'm not sure if I really know you anymore."

Pain lanced through me. Did she really think I had changed that much? She was the only person who had ever really understood me, who had been able to see through my guardian mask and made me open up. Had I destroyed all that in just two sentences? "I've given up on you. Love fades, mine has." I hated myself for saying them. If I could go back in time, I would instantly return to that moment and change it. I'd tell her how very much she meant to me, how much I loved her. But I wasn't a time-traveler, I was just a man. One who had made a very, very stupid mistake all those months ago.

Her eyes were on mine and she looked confused. I wondered how much she could read on my face and in my eyes, but I didnt ask. Instead I touched her cheek before taking a step back. "You'll always know me better than anyone Roza. Better than I know myself."
She shook her head, though I got the feeling she didn't do it in denial as much as to clear her mind. "Right."

She took a deep breath and then said: "You should talk to Tasha. Tell her how you feel."
"I told you, she knows I'm not interested in her. You know I told her so last year."
Her eyes shifted away from me, and after looking around her for a moment she fixed them on her shoes. She said quietly: "Feelings change comrade. You should know that better than anyone. Maybe Tasha thinks that applies to her as well." She shrugged. "Who knows, maybe she's right."

I was frozen for a moment, shocked that she could even think so. Then I raised my hand to her chin, trying to force her to look at me. As soon as she lifted her eyes, I looked right into them, hoping she wouldn't look away, willing her to see the truth as I said: "Feelings like that don't change Roza. I don't feel any different about Tasha now than I did then." I took a deep breath. "And my feelings for you didn't change either."
Her eyes widened and she backed away from me. "Wh-What?"

She looked stunned. Honestly, completely and totally shocked. Up until now I'd hoped that somewhere deep down she knew I had lied to her, that I loved her too much for that to just disappear. Obviously I had been wrong to hope.
"My feelings for you didn't change Roza," I said gently. "I loved you then and I love you now."
"But.. but you said.." She visibly tried to calm herself before whispering: "You said your love had faded."
"I lied. Or well, I thought it was true at the time, but I was wrong." I sighed. "So very wrong."

Neither of us moved, or spoke, and I didn't think I was breathing either while I waited for Roza's reaction. After a couple of minutes she was still gaping at me. She had opened her mouth a couple of times, but closed it again without saying a word. I didn't blame her, it was a lot to spring on her like this, after I'd told her I'd given up on her. If I were her, I'd need some time to process this as well.

I took a step towards her, and then another, until she was just inches away again. I touched her cheek
"I just thought you should know Roza. I don't expect anything, I know I screwed up."
I kissed her forehead, closing my eyes for a moment when my lips made contact with her skin before whispering: "If you ever want to talk or anything, just let me know."
After a last look at her face, her eyes closed like mine had been, I turned around and walked away.

Just before the doors to the elevator closed behind me, I heard her shouting after me. "Dimitri!"
I quickly hit the button to open the doors back up and there she was, breathing a little heavier than before, like she had been running. I tried to hide the hope in my voice when I said: "Roza?"
She got into the elevator too, walked up to me and looked me right in the eye. "I think we should talk." Then she stood on her toes and kissed me. This time I was the one who was shocked, though it lasted for less than a second and then I was kissing her back, elation running through me.

We were interrupted by a loud gasp. Unnoticed by both of us, the doors had closed and the elevator had gone down to the first floor. Roza pulled away from me and turned around, checking to see who had made a sound like that. There, standing a couple of feet in front of us, was Tasha, looking absolutely horrified.