RPOV

Friend.

The announcement has me startled. And it wasn't just an announcement, no, it was like a promise mixed up with a justification. He wanted my company because … because he liked it? Or did he just feel sorry for me? Or was he just bored and I'm someone his own age that he'd been speaking to all day, someone he'd already put the effort in with? But if he'd been invited to a party then that would mean he already knew people so –

"Are you thinking of a way to get rid of me? Because you had a two-second window for an excuse and that passed you by about ten seconds ago. Now twelve."

"What? No. I just… I don't know…"

"Well, while the angel and the devil battle it out on your shoulders can I at least come in? My legs are starting to ache."

I step aside automatically, anything to accommodate Moroi. He sails through the door with a swagger that couldn't be faked. It made me jealous.

"Your legs don't hurt at all."

He grins over his shoulder, flashing a fang. "It got me in though didn't it?"

"Praying on my guilt. How noble."

He flops down onto one of the couches. "Nobility is in league with stupidity. I don't want to be known for either."

"Stupidity?" I drift closer to the sitting area. Spiridon's words are watching scornfully in the shadows but they're easier to ignore now.

"Noble men are dead men." He says matter-of-factly. He props his legs up on the table, the pose mirroring how Spiridon had sat this morning. "About this party, I promise to have you back before the sky lightens."

"I…" All my pop-culture education via magazines and TV kicks in. "I don't have anything to wear to a party."

He looks me up and down and my hands twitch to cover myself. "You look fine. It's not a big thing just something casual in the dorms."

I cross my arms and eye his clothes. "I think we have different casuals."

He looks down at himself. "You might have a point."

I did have a point. I was in a comfortable oversized sweater, one that I knew had been bigger a week ago but still hid me well, and jeans. Adrian on the other hand isn't dressed as formally as Victor in a suit but his clothes were just as expensive. He wore a charcoal V-neck sweater that I knew would be of the best quality and couldn't be just tossed in with other laundry. It would have to be hand washed. Under that peaked out a deep plum shirt that is complimentary to his pale skin, green eyes and bronze hair. And there's his trouser, deep gray and pressed, the thought of tossing them in the dryer gives me a flutter of anxiety. I knew my clothes weren't cheap and Natalie wouldn't insult herself by spending money on poor quality but still, I was nowhere near being on the same level as him.

I relax thinking I'd resolved this easily and now could start hinting that he should leave. But then he stands up and starts pulling his arms back through his sweater.

"What are you doing?" My tone has shot to the ceiling.

"Dressing down, love." He pulls the sweater over his head, ruffling his barely tamed hair and turning my tongue to stone. "There. I hate layering up but I'd already gotten away with not wearing a tie." He tosses it on the couch.

"I- uh – what no." My words start tumbling over each other but he doesn't seem to be paying attention. He's too busy untucking his shirt.

"Is there a mirror?" I'm still mashing up words like a baby but he spots the one behind me and goes to it. "Do you have any gel?"

"Gel? No. What sort?"

His reflection grins at me and my face starts to flame. "To treat infections. For my hair."

"No, I don't."

"The blonde doesn't stay in here does he?"

Well, that sobers me. "No!"

"Damn it." He runs his fingers through his hair, tugging it in different directions. "I'm starting to get a better understanding of why Guardian's shave it off."

"So enemies can't grab it." I murmur recalling a piece of trivia I'd read. I sink down on the arm of the chair watching him. He's so utterly engrossed in styling his hair that I'm reminded of Natalie. Even his tongue is poking out. "And if they spent this much time on it we'd all be dead."

He sniggers. "We do need all the help we can get at the minute. That'll have to do. Screw it." He turns back to me with a sigh that is seriously misplaced. He still looked too good. "You're nervous. Why?"

I have a voice. Use it. I have choices now. Know them. I didn't have to do things to make Moroi happy. I wasn't for Adrian to control. I wasn't beneath him.

"Why do you want me to go? It sounds like you know people there already."

He looks puzzled and a bit offended. "Uh, because I knew you were up here alone, probably bored and I thought it would be nice to bring you with me."

"You don't need to do me any favours, Adrian. Thank you."

"I'm doing it for me too, obviously." Obviously? Obviously what? Using me for his own interest like most Moroi I'd known. But what for this time? He smiles and the tip of his fang sends chills down my spine. "The guy having this party I know through, well other things, but he's like people I grew up with so people there will probably be the same. I'm assuming so anyway, he might know some decent people. At least with you there I'd have someone different to talk to." His tone had grown very gentle and he's moved back against the wall, clearing the way to the door. It was helping calm me down.

"I'm not… I'm not really that interesting."

"Tsk. None of that. Your plenty interesting little one and funny once you come out of your shell. Look I'm not going to force you to go but I think it would be good for you. It would be excellent for me but for once I'm not the most important thing here."

"Are you always so glib?"

He smirks. "I pride myself on it."

I roll my eyes and then look down at myself. "Are you sure I'm dressed alright?"

"You look fine. It's just a dorm party, no need to bare skin. Maybe take your hair out of the braid, it makes you look younger."

I frown and pull the tie from my hair and start combing it out. "What age?"

"I don't know, fourteen. God, maybe you shouldn't come with me. They'll think I adopted you." I ping the hair tie at him and narrowly miss his eye and better yet, I only feel slightly guilty about it. "What age are you anyway? Sixteen?"

"I'm eighteen." I say indignantly.

He looks genuinely surprised. "Huh… maybe the girls I know wear too much make-up."

"Or maybe I need to." I mutter stepping over to the mirror.

I avoid my eyes as I push my hair around hoping it will fall in a way that will make me look my age. I'd always liked my hair but now it was like another element of my body that is making my life complicated. Did Natalie have hers cut shorter to make herself look older?

But I like it having it long.

"Don't slather any of that cream stuff on your skin, whassit called…" I had no idea. In the mirror, I watch him think hard about it. "Foundation! You have a great complexion so don't paint over it."

Foundation rang a bell. Natalie wore it and she'd tried to explain it to me once but I hadn't got it. I just knew that she put it on every day and it made her pale skin glow slightly. It …enhanced her prettiness.

"Expert in make-up are you?"

Could Natalie make me prettier?

Adrian stands up. "In artwork actually. A keen eye for colour." Something in his tone sends a pleasant flutter through me. "There, a smile, a real one. Think you're set in the beauty department."

I pull my hair forward again. "Well there's not much else I can do."

"We're going to a dorm party. Minimal effort is required." He reassures again.

I turn round and raise a hand toward him. "You call that minimal effort?"

He grins. "Ah, but I had a prior engagement."

I look down at my clothes which I'd chosen to be practical and comfortable. I never thought that would leave me at a disadvantage. Then again why would I ever think I'd be in a situation like this?

"Rose, darling, I am not going to remove my shirt just to make you feel like the overdressed one. Well, unless you say please."

His words would have panicked me if it weren't for his tone and playful expression, they both told me he was teasing, that he wasn't serious. There was no threat. I let the flame in the pit of my stomach glow and smirk back. "I suddenly forgot all my manners."

"Your loss." He says, "Let's go little one."

"I'm not that little." I argue as he leads the way. "I'm 5'7."

"With the sturdiness of a rake."

"What?"

"What?"

"You're annoying."

"And a beautiful friendship is born."

Updated: 17/04/2022