Protection - d. belikov

Chapter 2

Dimitri and Kat had spent the entire walk home, talking. Or rather, Kat talked and Dimitri listened with interest. He spoke very little and only when he was asked a question. He was focused on her reactions. He had never seen someone so purely happy to be in his company. Kat stopped him with a hand on his arm.

"Can we stop for a second. I need to take off these heels." She bent down to untie them but she lost her balance. He caught her by her waist and smiled. He crouched down in front of her.

"What are you doing?"

"What does it look like? I'm untying your shoes."

"Yeah, I get that but why?"

"You were struggling," he said sheepishly. Kat didn't know how to respond. He had taken her by surprise.

"Thank you, Guardian Belikov."

"Please, call me Dimitri."

"Thank you, Dimitri."

"It's my pleasure," he paused for a moment, "How far until we reach your home?" Dimitri stood up and held her shoes in his hand.

"It's around the corner. Thank you for walking me home."

"Don't thank me yet. We're still around the corner. I said that I'll walk you home and home is around the corner," he stated as he started walking again. Kat had never met a man quite like Dimitri. She was used to unchivalrous men that used women for their own personal gain.

When the duo reached the front steps of the Voda family's house, Kat was reluctant to say goodbye. She had enjoyed their walk and his company  a whole lot . He smiled at her and said, "This is where I leave you, Princess."

"If I have to call you Dimitri, I feel that it is only fair that you call me Kat."

"Fair enough," he paused, thinking about his next words. "When will I see you again?"

"If you're to be the Dragomirs' guardian, almost every day. Lissa, Rose and I are best friends. We spend most of our time together."

"I look forward to seeing you," he bent forward and kissed her cheek. "Good night Printsessa." He turned to walk away leaving her thinking about the accent that slipped out. The only thought on her mind was that no one should sound so sexy.

                                                                                         .............

Tragedy had struck. The Dragomirs were in a fatal car crash, leaving Lissa as the only member of her family. Kat had supported Lissa, but from afar. Lissa had left St Vladimir's to mourn the loss of her loved ones. Kat had not seen Lissa for three months.

"Are you excited for Lissa to be coming home tomorrow?" Kat asked Rose as they were doing homework on Rose's bed.

"I miss her like crazy, but so many things are going to change. Her family was her happy place and now they're gone."

"But she has you and you will be there when she needs you. Right?"

"Of course, I will," Rose was interrupted by a knock on the door.

"Is that Mason?" Kat asked her friend teasingly. 

"Yeah, he wants to take me somewhere."

"Have fun and use protection." Kat's words made Rose laugh. Rose left and Kat followed soon after and she went back to her own room. She was surprised to see a box on her bed with a letter on top.

"Saw this and I thought of you – Dimitri"

The letter made her smile. She had wondered how he had gotten it into her room, but she figured that he asked on of the campus' Guardians. What baffled her the most is how it ended up in St Vladimir's province in the first place. Dimitri was maybe six hours away and he still managed to give her this.

She put the card aside and she opened the box. Inside was a glass dolphin.

"He remembered," she muttered to herself. She had told him that she would love to see real life dolphins one day. She didn't think that he would remember, much less care. Before she could dwell on it for long, the timer on her nightstand went off. She had to set reminders for when she needed to go and feed. She would forget to eat otherwise. She went to the feeders and she was pleased to see that Maya was waiting for her.

"Why am I not surprised?" Kat joked with her favorite feeder.

"You come to eat everyday at the same time. I like to be here," Maya replied. "Besides, I really want to hear more about your feelings toward a certain Dhampir."

"He sent me a gift today. A little glass dolphin," Kat gushed as she sat down.

"That is so cute. How do you feel about that?"

"It gives me butterflies to think that he had thought of me while he was miles away as well that he remembered something that I told him at the only time we spoke, like ever."

"Is there anything else that happened that night that you're not telling me?"

"No, he walked me home and I haven't seen him since. However, he is coming home tomorrow." Maya squealed at Kat's words.

"Have you guys kept in touch at all?"

"He sends letters and postcards from time to time, wherever he is , but I can't send letters back because he isn't in one place for long," Kat said quietly.

"What's wrong?" Maya inquired.

"I'm kind of nervous about tomorrow."

"Why?"

"How should I act around him? He's been sending me letters and little gifts but I'm not sure about our relationship. It's not frowned upon for Moroi and Dhampirs to date, but is that even what this is? I mean, things with him just feel super easy and I'm worried that I might be reading to much in to this."

"Do you want it to be a romantic relationship?"

"I'm not really sure," Kat said hesitantly.

"Then you handle it as such. If he flirts with you, flirt back and so forth," Maya said.

"Thanks Maya, you're only person that I can talk to about this." The conversation ended when Maya presented her neck to Kat. Kat remembered why she was there in the first place and she had her meal.