Dimitri POV

The party that Lissa and Rose were at could be heard for several blocks, not to mention that it was easy to see a mile away by following the multicolored light coming out of the open windows. The music (if that rumbling could be called music) blared loudly, yet it was still drowned down by the cacophony of shouts, laughter, and conversations. Students in various states of undress littered the driveway, some perched on the small walls, others vomiting into trash cans, and still more visible in every window and doorway.

"Jesus," muttered Christian beside me, unbuckling his seatbelt.

This wasn't the first party of this size at Lehigh we'd seen, nor was it the biggest. Whenever they weren't busy managing the affairs of the Moroi community, the girls took advantage of the lush student life their college town offered. Given the burdens they carried at their age, I was glad to see how drawn they were to such carefree, light-hearted pleasures like poolside parties after finishing their trimester exams.

My Rose wasn't made for a quiet and peaceful life. And while I treasured our soft evenings with mugs of hot chocolate as we watched TV buried in blankets and cuddled up together, I couldn't underestimate who she was becoming in more social settings. Rose burned with an inner flame that was impossible not to notice. She attracted attention, laughed loudly, spoke confidently and fearlessly indulged in dancing, alcohol, and fun with friends.

Her contagious enthusiasm was sometimes enough for me to accompany her to these parties as well. They were definitely not my thing and I could never achieve the same freedom as Rose, but being at her side, I couldn't resist the laid-back atmosphere. I would gladly let her drag me to the dance floor or to the dark rooms, where we could steal a moment for ourselves amidst the chaos.

This time, however, Christian and I stayed at their apartment. We came to stay with them for a few days at the end of the trimester, to stay with them after exams were over and help them pack for the holidays. However, when the girls announced that they were going to a party for their faculty we decided to let them celebrate with their classmates. I drove the girls (and Lissa's guardians), very happy with our decision, when I saw a group of howling, half-dressed frat boys.

A wide smile appeared on Rose's face at the sight of the chaos, music, and lights. She hastily unbuckled her seatbelt and grabbed her purse, but before leaving she turned to me and leaned in for a kiss, reaching out to embrace my face, running her thumb over my cheek. I embraced her neck drawing her to me as our lips melted in a quick kiss. The taste of her cherry lipstick made me want to stay with her for a while longer, even in this unappealing mess.

"Have fun," I whispered, releasing her from my embrace, "If you need me, call me. I'll be on call."

Rose flashed one of her maneater smiles on me. Her gorgeous hair cascaded in waves over her exposed shoulders, shimmering with the glitter she had applied earlier. Her outfit - a glittery strapless top and short skirt—clung perfectly to her, accentuating her athletic figure. The makeup she wore was much more expressive and bold than her usual style, but the effect was knockout. As a result, she looked so beautiful that she quite literally took my breath away when she smiled at me.

"Thanks, comrade. Love ya!"

She hastily exited the car and walked over to Lissa, who was equally dressed up and waiting impatiently for her friend. I saw Lissa's guardians deploy to take up farther and closer positions respectively. Rose had the day off, so for all I knew they were going to have a drink with Lissa as part of the celebration. They were quickly joined by a group of their college friends and together they entered the sorority house, which was bustling with life and music.

It wasn't long before I was back at the same address, this time with Christian in the car. Lissa had called me to say that Rose was not feeling well, so I rushed to the car. Christian decided to go with me, to take Rose's place at Lissa's side. His attitude changed almost imperceptibly when he saw the size of the party, which had grown considerably since I drove the girls away. After dark, the party seemed even more impressive.

We pushed our way inside among the students of various degrees of consciousness. Some girls in short dresses at the entrance handed us plastic cups with alcohol. Christian drank his treat without hesitation, and I handed him mine, not intending to get behind the wheel under the influence.

Following Lissa's directions, which she sent me (with an unusual number of typos), I found the room they were hiding in, adorned with dangling garlands. It was guarded by one of Lissa's guardians, who got into a chat with some female students while covering the door with himself. I met his gaze and pointed to the door, and he, recognizing me and Christian, moved to let us in.

In the small toilet in the room, we found Lissa sitting next to Rose. leaned over the toilet, resting her cheek on her arm stretched out across the lavatory seat. Her other hand dangled inertly in her lap. Liss sat beside her with a bottle of water and smiled at the sight of us.

"Rose, Dimitri has arrived!" she called out cheerfully. I heard only a groan from Rose as Lissa rose to her feet. "It was all good until Rose thought it was a great idea to make herself a drink of white wine and vodka at the same time."

Another moan came from Rose's lips. Although the Moroi queen was holding up much better than my girlfriend, I couldn't help but notice her slightly slurred speech and wobbly steps. Christian raised his eyebrows at this sight, attempting to hide a smile.

"Thanks for calling, Liss. I'll take care of her," I promised, lightly touching Liss's arm. Liss looked at her friend with an expression of worry on her face.

"Maybe I'll stay with you…" she said, but I shook my head and gently directed her towards Christian.

"Don't worry about anything. I'll take Rose home, and you should stay and have fun." I assured her.

Lissa didn't seem convinced, but when Christian took her over she didn't protest as she followed him, and I knelt by Rose. I didn't understand how, but even in smudged mascara and lipstick, she remained so beautiful in her glittering outfit. Music rumbled from the floor below, but I focused on my girlfriend's heavy breathing as I placed my hand on her lustrous hair.

"It's not what it looks like, comrade," she muttered barely audibly. Her eyes remained closed, revealing the glitter on her eyelids. I touched her bare shoulder, which seemed both sweaty and cold. I took off my sweatshirt and threw it over her shoulders.

"What is it like, then?" I asked softly.

"I'm conducting an experiment," her words were barely distinguishable, but her face remained serious. I pushed back the strands of her hair attached to her wet forehead, unable to hold back a smile of amusement.

"I understand. And what are your results so far?"

"Well, I already know how much vodka and wine can be mixed in a drink. Not a drop," I started to laugh but stopped abruptly when Rose bent over, tensed her abdominal muscles, and, began to throw up, clinging to the toilet. I held her hair back and stroked her back in a soothing rhythm. When it was all over I flushed and handed her toilet paper and water to rinse her mouth, which she accepted with a trembling hand, "Thanks, comrade," she muttered even more indistinctly.

She sank back on one shoulder again, and I stroked her face. She seemed even more out of it to me than before.

"Rose, why don't I take you home? Can you get up?" I thought it was better not to carry her out almost unconscious, so as not to raise an alarm among students.

"Can we wait a little longer? My head is spinning," she replied, wrinkling her forehead. I kissed her head.

"Sure. As much as you need. I'm right here with you."

We waited another half hour, sitting next to each other in the small bathroom. Rose threw up two more times, which left her trembling, so I helped her put on my sweatshirt. It reached her mid-thigh, but she accepted it happily. I stroked her head and tried to get her to drink water. Ivan and I had been to enough parties to know how to take care of her now.

When she finally agreed to try to walk to the car, I gently helped her up. She was barely standing on her feet, so I put my arms around her waist, holding most of her weight. She clung tightly to my shirt and let me lead her into the hallway and outside. Most of the time she kept her eyes closed and her teeth clenched, trying not to throw up.

The fresh air seemed to ease her nausea, as she relaxed her jaw and opened her eyes. I helped her lie down in the back seat, knowing that she wasn't even going to try to sit in the passenger seat. I fastened her seatbelt and set up a plastic bag that she could use if she got sick again.

"I'm sorry, Dimitri" her quiet barely audible whisper pierced my heart. Whether she was apologizing for drinking with Lissa (off duty) or for me having to take care of her, I didn't like it. I didn't want her to think she needed to apologize to anyone for any of that.

I kissed her forehead, then her nose, and finally her temples, where I paused a tad longer. Rose relaxed under my lips. I brushed her hair off her forehead and put my fingers around her face.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Roza. You had the right to have fun with Lissa, to party with other students, and to make such a stupid mistake as mixing alcohol. And why would you even have an older boyfriend if he didn't help you in such a situation?" I reassured her.

Rose laughed quietly but immediately wrinkled her nose and forehead when she must have gotten sick. I kissed her quickly again, closed her door, and sat in the driver's seat, determined to get her home. As I started the car I heard her quiet whisper.

"Just drive slowly, okay?"

"You won't even know it when we start," I promised, and as it soon turned out, I kept my word. Rose fell fast asleep as we started rolling toward her student apartment, where she was about to find herself under a warm quilt, with a bottle of water and an aspirin waiting for her on the nightstand.

Author's note:

So it's the first chapter in March, meaning I kinda failed in this February Challenge...

Again, I'm sorry I didn't keep my word about posting every day. I even considered ending this year's challenge prematurely, but I just couldn't do it. Afterall, I participated in this challenge to create and have fun and I really love writing these one-shots and coming up with new dire situations for Rose and Dimitri. I hope you enjoy them too - your comments give me soooooooo much joy and encouragement - and that you'll forgive me for extending Febuwhump for another month.

Hope you like the new chapter!