ROSE

"Доброе утро, Roza. Happy birthday." (Good morning)

I smiled, stretching my neck from left to right and pretending the voice in my ear was lying next to me rather than speaking through the phone. I had already slept in more than I probably should have, and I could now smell Olena cooking something downstairs. The sweet scent called to me.

Apparently, birthdays were a big thing in this house. Back at the Academy, they weren't really celebrated, especially if you were a novice. It wasn't anything malicious, of course. It was just a big campus with lots of students. The school would usually have a slice of cake set aside for you at dinner that you could pick up, but things like special birthday meals or birthday parties didn't happen unless you had friends who put in the effort. I was one of the lucky ones to have good friends around me. Mason and Eddie would usually slip me some chocolate during one of our classes, but Lissa was the one who usually went all out (or as 'all out' as you could within the confines of the Academy). She would decorate the door of my dorm room with streamers, balloons, and glittery homemade signs. She'd insist on a little mini party; sometimes just the two of us with face masks and nail polish, other times with Mason, Eddie, and one of my favorite movies. The Dragomirs were always kind enough to send a gift, usually something like a new pair of my favorite shoes or things that were often hard to get on campus. Even my mother would get in on the birthday fun and send me a little card, though it was often a few days late. Overall, my birthday was always a simple affair, and the moment Olena learned that I'd never had a 'real' birthday party, she made it her duty to fix it.

From what Viktoria told me last night, we were having a party that didn't just include the family but also half the town. It was a little daunting, to be honest, but Olena looked so thrilled at the prospect that I couldn't say no. One thing I did do was spend an hour and a half practicing simple phrases like 'nice to meet you' and 'thank you' in the mirror last night.

"Spasibo."

Dimitri gave a little hum of approval. "You're getting better already. Have the others called you yet?"

It was still a little early back in Montana, but texts from the others had started filtering in before I had even woken up. First Alberta, then Lissa, Adrian, and Lissa again.

"I don't think my phone has stopped buzzing since I woke up." As if to prove my point, my phone vibrated again with another notification. Pulling my phone back a little, I saw another text from Lissa, this time accompanied by a small picture of her, Christian, and Eddie. That reminded me. "How did things go yesterday?"

Dimitri had worked the evening patrol last night, so I hadn't been able to talk to him before bed, but I knew yesterday was the first time he had seen the others since the truth of our relationship had come out. When I told him the other day that I had finally admitted everything to Lissa and that she planned on explaining things to Christian and Eddie, I could tell he had been nervous. He had assured me that it was fine. He even said that it was a good thing and they deserved to know the truth, but I think he was still worried about how their perception of him might change. It was understandable. While he wasn't a boastful man by any means, he held a lot of pride in his reputation. As he should. He had worked hard for it. All I could do was reassure him that Lissa had taken it well. I knew Christian would probably come around pretty quickly, if for no other reason than that Lissa was okay with it. The only person I was really worried about was Eddie.

"Not as bad as I feared. Having Adrian and Lissa's support helped, I think. At least with Christian."

I could tell that there was something he wasn't saying. "And Eddie."

"Eddie…" he sighed, confirming what I had feared. "He didn't outright condemn me or anything, but he was pretty quick to get out of there as soon as I arrived. He said that some of the novices were having a party to celebrate the end of field experience, which was probably true, but I think there was a little more to it."

"He's just protective. I'll talk to him." Eddie didn't have his own phone, so I'd have to get Lissa to track him down so that he could borrow hers. I doubted that would be too much of a problem. There could be other issues, though, and just the thought of 'what if' made my stomach twist a little. "Do you think he'll say anything?"

"You know him better than I do, Rose, but if I had to guess, I'd say he'll keep it quiet. As you said, he's protective. If you were still here then maybe, but people are talking about you enough right now. I don't think he wants to add fuel to the fire."

It didn't surprise me that rumors were still flying. I can't remember the last time a student was outright expelled from the school, especially for something like attacking another student. "What are they saying about me now?"

"It doesn't matter," he insisted quickly, reminding me that Eddie wasn't the only protective one in my life. I wasn't sure leaving it up to my imagination was any kinder than giving me the truth, but I knew the likelihood of him actually telling me anything was just shy of nil. He quickly changed the subject. "Just focus on things where you are. What are you doing for your birthday today?"

"Besides the party tonight? I'm not sure. I think Viktoria mentioned going to one of the shops in town. She's insisting that I need a new outfit. I told her I was fine, but then your mom and Karo hopped on board and I lost the battle." I didn't want to mention that his mother had also insisted on paying for the outfit. It didn't take a genius to realize that I didn't have much money to my name, especially for something as trivial as a party outfit, but they had been adamant. I only relented when we agreed that it would be a birthday gift.

He laughed as if the idea of his family strong-arming me into shopping wasn't surprising to him in the least. I wouldn't be surprised if they did the same to him when he was younger. "Be sure to send me some pictures, okay?"

"Why wait?" I flipped our call from voice to video, only to be surprised when he answered half-dressed in nothing but a pair of jeans. His hair was wet, so I assumed that he had taken a shower before calling me. I let out a low whistle, shamelessly taking in his body. "Well, happy birthday to me."

"Roza," he chided. A barely-there blush colored his cheeks and I snickered at his bashfulness. Dimitri had to know that his body was a twelve outta ten, but it always amused me that he got a little embarrassed when I called him out on his sheer hotness. Unlike some of the male students and guardians, he usually opted to wear a tank while working out. It was annoying when all I could do was imagine what was underneath, but now a part of me was grateful that I was the only one who got to see him in all his god-like glory.

Plus, it wasn't like he hadn't stared at me plenty of times, too. I knew he'd never admit it, but I caught him slyly checking me out more than once when we were training. Especially once I realized what he was doing and started wearing cropped sports tops just to mess with him.

My little birthday treat was soon wrapped up again as he slipped on a shirt and pulled his hair back with a tie. With the length pushing the boundaries of professionalism, I knew he would have to cut it soon, which was honestly a travesty because it looked amazing. He could pull it off. Not many guys could, but the sharp lines of his jaw kept him looking plenty masculine, even when he wore it down. He had asked me not to cut my hair and just wear it up during training, but I was tempted to ask the same from him. He could probably rock a man bun. Maybe.

"When's your shift?" Tomorrow was Easter Sunday, and while Dimitri wasn't super religious, he was still pretty spiritual. I knew he observed the big holidays. On the other hand, I was strictly agnostic, which would make tomorrow weird. I planned on going to the local Easter church service with the rest of the Balikovas (Viktoria was loaning me one of her headscarves), but I was sure I would stand out like a sore thumb.

That was a tomorrow problem. Today was for fun.

"I'm working this evening, but Father Andrew asked if I could help set up a little for services tomorrow." It didn't surprise me in the least that Dimitri had offered to help out, but his next admission did. "Plus, I need something to keep me busy. It feels like I have way too much time on my hands these days."

"I know what you mean." We had trained together so much that I wasn't sure what to do with myself now that Dimitri and the gym weren't constantly on my schedule. Hanging out with Paul helped, but he'd be leaving Monday, and I didn't quite know how I'd spend my time after he went back to St. Basil's. Maybe find a language course? Those Alchemist guys had already given me my GED, so I was technically done with school, but I knew I still had a whole lot to learn if I was ever going to be independent.

"By the way," he said, interrupting our wayward thoughts before either of us could fall too far down the 'if only' hole. "Lissa is sending out her care package later today. I slipped my gift insi–"

"Dimitri!" I sat up, letting the blankets fall into my lap. I didn't miss the quick glance he gave me when I revealed what little I was wearing. "You promised! We said 'no gifts.'"

"You said no gifts. I don't remember agreeing to anything."

Pure technicalities, but of course he would try to find a loophole. I think my bad influence was starting to rub off on him. "Dimitri, you've already done so much. Please. I'm begging you, don't spend another cent on me."

"I promise you; It's nothing big. Just a long overdue little token." The way he said it made it sound like the deed was already done. "Nothing like what I had initially planned for your birthday."

He had planned something? I mean, I shouldn't have been too surprised. Dimitri knew when my birthday was. He was probably more aware of it than most. Even when we had been dancing around our feelings back at the Academy, I still wouldn't have been surprised if he had given me a small gift. He would have probably passed it off as being considerate to his guarding partner, but I knew better. Dimitri was more than the man I loved; he was also one of my best friends. Only Lissa could top him on that list, and sometimes there were days when I had to wonder. He understood me in a way that nobody else could, and though we didn't have a bond born through magic, we did have one forged by training, trial, and trust. So the fact that he would want to do something for my birthday was almost a given, even if I hadn't expected it. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I was going to surprise you, but I had gotten permission from Alberta to take you off campus for a day." There was a hint of pride in his voice for managing such a feat. It couldn't have been easy for him to convince Alberta, especially if she had already known what was going on between us. "It wasn't going to be much, just a little day trip, but I was hoping to take you up to Hamilton."

Hamilton? It was a small town halfway between the Academy and Missoula. We had stopped there once or twice on outings, but usually just to get gas and take a quick restroom break. It hardly looked big enough for some grand adventure.

"And what did you have in mind in Hamilton?"

"Honestly, I was going to let you decide." He sat back on his perfectly made bed, wrinkling the blankets as he lounged back against one of the two pillows he had there. Never thought I'd be jealous of pillows, but here we were. Still, there was almost something homey about both of us laying back in the morning, just relaxing and talking as if this was just a typical day, despite the thousands of miles between us. "There was a small movie theater, a bowling alley, and several hiking trails. Anything you wanted to do for the day, we would do. It was totally up to you."

"That sounds a whole lot like a date, Guardian Belikov," I teased, knowing full and well that he had probably tried every form of mental acrobatics to convince himself that it wasn't a date. I decided to push my luck a little, if for no other reason than to mess with him more. "What would you have done if I told you all I wanted was a hotel room and some pizza delivery?"

He laughed, and I had to wonder if I was the only one who had considered that option. I almost had to wonder if I was the only one who halfway hoped for that situation. "Then I would have done everything I possibly could to resist you."

Of course, he would have. He would have given me that same exasperated sigh that always seemed to make an appearance when I pushed his buttons, even as his eyes revealed the smile he'd always be holding back. "And how would that have worked out for you?"

"My will has always been weak when it comes to you, Roza." He said with an open honesty that took me by surprise. "And given the chance to have one day of freedom with you, one day where it could just be you and me and us? No worries about the Academy or our roles as guardians? I would have taken you to the nicest hotel Hamilton had to offer and kept you in that bed as if nothing else in the world mattered. I would have held you in my arms until reality called us home. Even then, I might have lied, insisting that we had gotten caught in bad weather or something, just to steal a few more hours without you."

He would never have admitted something so dangerous a few weeks ago, and I doubted that his honor and sense of duty would have actually allowed him to seriously considered such a treat for us, but I knew that he would have at least wanted that little dream. Maybe that's what we were doing this morning; wishing for something we knew wasn't possible, at least not today. The only difference was that it was feasible now. He could come to visit and we could have that moment. One day, that dream could be a reality.

Dimitri had told me to look for the good in my situation. Perhaps something like this, though rare as I knew it would be, was part of that good.

"Sounds perfect," I said with a little hum of longing. "But that doesn't excuse you for breaking our deal on no gifts."

The air lightened a little as he held firm to his earlier excuse. "I told you; I made no promise. I'm totally in the clear."

"Liar," I accused between my laughter. He probably wasn't lying, though. I had no doubt that he had very carefully worded our conversation the other day just so he could do what he was doing now. That didn't mean I was going to roll over and just accept his trickery. Two could play at that game. "How about this: you can get me a gift if a) it doesn't cost a thing and b) it arrives in the next ten minutes."

His brows rose as I laid out impossible conditions. "Ten minutes?"

I laughed, slipping off the bed with my phone in hand so that I could start getting dressed for the day. Dimitri might have already completed his morning workout and was ready for whatever he needed to do when we eventually hung up, but I had been lazy. Sooner or later, someone would call me down for breakfast, and if I wanted to eat anything at all, I would have to fight Paul for it. That boy's appetite was nearly as insane as mine.

Still, I wasn't quite ready to let go of Dimitri.

"Fine. That's a little unreasonable, I guess. I'll give you a full hour." As I flipped through the few shirts I had in the wardrobe, I chose a lightweight purple and grey hoodie. I could wear a tank underneath it for shopping later, but it would still be warm and comfy for the morning chill. I propped my phone up against the lamp on the side table, peeling off his old shirt and tossing it among the mess of bedding beside me. I wasn't trying to put on a show for Dimitri, but I couldn't lie; I enjoyed in his blatant stares anytime I stripped down in front of him. Once I was dressed again, winking at him to acknowledge his less-than-subtle appreciation, he shook his head to clear his mind before considering my challenge.

He was silent for a while, and I could almost see his brow furrow as he tried to find some loophole through my terms, just like he had before. "I got it," he said finally, a hint of victory in his voice. "Go check the lower drawer on the desk. Left side, I think."

I had explored quite a bit of the room but had yet to go through Dimitri's old desk. There wasn't a need. Everything I owned here fit into one suitcase, and none was worth storing in a desk. Maybe I'd use it once the rest of my boxes arrived, but even then I probably wouldn't move too many things around.

Opening the drawer, I mostly found a bunch of file folders with papers in them. "What am I looking for?"

"There should be two leather-bound books. One green and the other black."

"Books? Really, Comrade. You should know me by now." I flipped through a few of the folders, eventually pulling out the two books that he had mentioned. I opened the green one to find blank, lined pages. The black one was exactly the same, except it looked like a few pages had been torn from the front. "Found them. What now?"

"They're journals. Yeva gave them to me after Ivan. She said writing things down would help. I couldn't manage anything, though. Putting my thoughts on paper made things feel too real." He paused a moment, and I could almost see him drifting back to those first few weeks after losing his best friend. Even though it wasn't his fault, I knew he still felt guilty. I'd feel the same if I ever lost Lissa. I let him have his silence, waiting until he was ready to continue. When he did, he spoke a bit more confidently. "Maybe they will serve you better. Plus, all your other journals are still in transit and I'm sure you're getting antsy without them."

He was right, of course. I hadn't had a chance to get a new journal but I had managed to snag a few pieces of paper from Pauls's school supplies. It wasn't a perfect solution, but it worked. I had only written about ten sheets front and back over the past few days, but it would be a bitch to re-write everything. I flipped through the journal again and noticed a pocket against the back cover that would allow me to tuck away the loose pages. Thank goodness. The journals were exactly what I needed.

"Thank you, Dimitri. This is perfect. Beyond perfect, actually." It was a simple gift, but I really didn't need much. Not material things, anyway.

"I'd give you the world if I could." The complete sincerity touched me more than any gift could have. It was a dangerous promise to make as a guardian. It would have been more concerning if we were still slated to be partners, but even now, it broke the code that guardians lived by: *they come first.

"I have to go," he admitted, the reluctance in both his voice and expression clear. "Father Andrew is waiting for me, and I'm sure you have places to be, too. Don't forget to send me pictures, okay?"

"I promise. Da svidenia, Dimitri."

"До свидания, Роза." (Goodbye, Rose)

Author's Note

I love writing angst, but I love sweet little moments like that are so much fun too. What would you guys think of me eventually doing an outtake of sorts with the totally-not-a-date-but-is-actually-a-date outing that Dimitri planned for Rose on her birthday?

Question of the week: What is the best date you've ever been on?

See you all next week and thanks for reading!