A Different Path (A Vampire Academy fanfic)

Chapter 3

RPOV
Dimitri walked away and I found my eyes glued to his still yummy-looking ass. As much as I wanted to hit him for being so bold and for doing and saying what he had, I found myself more focused on resisting jumping him. He really didn't know what he did to me; I simultaneously hated and, I begrudgingly acknowledged, still loved him.

Once he'd disappeared through the gym door, I turned and left. I stomped through the familiar campus, internally fuming at his audacity to kiss me and say all he had. I was trying to calm my racing heart and physical response to him. Not to mention, in trying to relax, I only found myself more wound-up... especially considering I was pissed at myself for kissing him back, for trying to do so much more than kiss him.

I slammed my guest room door shut after me. I just couldn't believe what I'd done, what he'd done. He had pulled down my carefully built walls.
"Argh!" I screeched and pulled my hair as I fell onto my bed back-first.
What was I meant to do now?

I must have fallen asleep because the next thing I know is I was being awoken by a knock on my door. Grumbling and pulling a hand through my hair, I stood and opened the door. To find Dimitri... Of course.
"I see you've gotten some sleep," he chuckled while running his eyes over my body appreciatively. To my horror I found myself flustered again, just as I had been in the lounge all those years ago. Betraying my resolve, I still found him incredibly, stop-and-get-hit-by-traffic hot.
"What do you want, Dimitri?" I had meant to snap at him, but my voice betrayed my desire to kiss him and take him to bed for the first time in a decade and a half.
Lust darkened his eyes. "You," he huskily returned before gulping and fighting for control. He cleared his throat. "Helena and I want you to join us for lunch."
Before I could rethink it, I agreed. On one condition. "Don't try to kiss me in front of Helena."
He shook his head in amusement as a full smile graced his lips. "Fine. But I bet you're going to break your end of the deal sooner than you think. I no longer need to try to get you to lose control in seconds." That husky note came back and I involuntarily shivered at the double meaning. "See," he said smugly. It only made me want him more.
"I've got to freshen up," I rushed out and shut the door after me. I could not be more indecisive if I tried!

Lunch went surprisingly well. Maybe because I spent the whole time fighting the urge to pull Dimitri back to my room and have my way with him. When lunch was over, I faced Dimitri to ask, "Do you have a shift?"
He studied me intently then shook his head, clearly not trusting his voice.
"Well then..." I whispered suggestively in his ear.
"Admit it," he shakily returned, "I was right-"
I cut him off with a kiss that was worthy of a fine. Damn it! He really did have an effect on me I could not escape, would not escape no matter how hard I tried.
"Say it," he murmured against my lips.
"Fine," I agreed, "you were right."
He reinitiated the kiss momentarily. If I'd been standing I would have long-since needed to cling to Dimitri to stay upright.

Once we'd pulled back, I stood on wobbly legs. "See what you do to me!" I whined as he stood to take my hand and walk with my. I couldn't have escaped the grasp if I wanted to, and the fact that I felt like a hopelessly in love teenager all over again terrified me, absolutely terrified me.
As we walked back to my guest housing room, we received stares and curious looks. And I will admit, we also received disgusted looks too. Sadly enough, they came more from other guardians... they were new to campus, but still.
Once we made it to my room, I pulled his lips to mine. This time, clothes started disappearing and we made our way to the bed.

"Roza, no," Dimitri grunted against my lips when I tried to undo his jeans.
I looked into his eyes in confusion... and maybe even concern that he had suddenly remembered he had a girlfriend I didn't know about.
He shook his head, as if reading my mind, before sighing and rolling off me to lay beside me.
"Why," I demanded as I rolled to hover over him.
He looked pained by the answer, "I'm still mad at you. And I know you're still as mad at me- if you weren't then we wouldn't be in this... situation." He grunted when I moved so I wasn't simply hovering over him, but rather I was pinning him to the bed. "Rose," he warned with lust coating the word, "I'm not having make-up sex or risking another child until we've sorted out Helena's welfare."
That was simply cruel. I sighed and let him be the most unreasonable reasonable man that ever lived as I collapsed on his chest. His arms went to my waist and tightened.
"I really do still love you, foolish woman," he muttered into my hair and butterflies fluttered in my stomach.
"But?" I asked, still knowing him all too well.
"What are we going to do about Helena? She needs you, Rose, really."
"I know. And I've been there for her as much as I could since Lissa was elected queen, please believe me. I didn't even send her here until she was six."
"Yet you still kept me in the dark. I had a right to know, Rose. For her sake, I at least should have been in the know so I could... do anything... send her presents and letters when I couldn't see her on breaks. I should have known so I could help you with her."
"I didn't need help!" I huffed.
He chuckled and shook his head as much as possible. He added in a serious tone, "If that were true you wouldn't have had her charmed."
"I hate you, you know," I grumbled into his chest.
"I also know you still love me under that lie you're telling yourself."
"Again, I hate you."
"Seriously though Rose, what are we going to do regarding our daughter?"
For the first time, hearing him call Helena ours made my heart beat faster and my breath catch. He really did love her, I realised, and was determined to give her the proper family he'd gown up in... if there was such a thing, especially in the dhampir world. "I don't know, Comrade. I just don't know." I sighed before adding, "I know this sounds selfish, but I'm a guardian of the queen, I can't just drop everything."
"I wasn't expecting you to, Roza. I don't and won't expect you to suddenly become a full-time stay-at-home type Mom, I never expected you'd ever do that... I just hoped you spend more breaks with any child of ours. I know how much guarding, and guarding Lissa especially, means to you."
"Damn straight!"
He chuckled lightly and it made me smile into his chest. "I taught you everything you know and as a result spent more time with you than anyone else, so it's no surprise I know you inside out."
"Don't sound so smug!" I laughed into the crook of his neck.
"That tickles!" he complained after shivering.
"Too bad, Comrade." This time I smiled gleefully into that same spot.
"You're distracting," he whined.
"Now you admit it."
"I never denied it. In fact, I distinctly remember telling you as I feared for your life that I'd choose you over Lissa."
"I also remember you telling me you weren't interested in me."
He went silent for a while before responding. "You bought the lie so easily Rose. So easily I nearly backtracked. It broke my heart to lie to you when you always seemed to be able to tell the truth about me."
"I was a child, Dimitri, your student no less, I expected and trusted you to be honest with me."
"Yet you unhesitatingly lied to protect me," he murmured reflectively. I knew he was referring to not reporting him and to lying under oath.
"If I remember rightly, you also lied to protect my future."
"Call me self-centered, but I truly believed I was the only one who'd be able to make you the guardian you are today, the only one to keep you in line."
Now I outright laughed at the top of my lungs, truly amused. "That's the thing, you were. You truly were. Even if that charm could work without our mutual affection, I still wouldn't have reported you, I still would have lied. In love with you or not, I would never have let myself be the reason you lost your job and shining reputation."
Now he laughed with me. "I would have done the same. I stood up for you to be kept in school, I was not going to also be the reason you were expelled."
"Why did you risk everything and talk back to Kirova to save my butt?"
"Why do you think? I honestly couldn't identify it at the time, but you were a mystery to me I needed to solve, I had to have you by my side as a fellow guardian. Especially with the bond and your potential."
"Have you solved that mystery?" I asked sarcastically.
He answered seriously. "I'll never solve the mystery of Rose Hathaway, the love of my life."
My heart melted, along with all of me, and a sappy smile spread across my face. "I guess for Helena's sake we could give us a go again. Lissa called Hans after you stalked away in search of our daughter and ordered me to be given two weeks off to spend with her... otherwise I could consider myself fired."
Dimitri froze then that full smile graced his lips, one full of unrestrained hope. "Okay then, I think that's an agreeable idea."
"Mmm. Yeah, that is an agreeable idea," I giggled against his lips. I kissed him passionately.
"If you're trying to seduce me woman, there's no need- you did that years ago," murmured Dimitri against my lips through shallow breaths.
"I know..." I restarted the kiss. "Do I get that make up sex yet?" I pouted as he tried to take my bra off.
"I'm still thinking about it."
"Says the one about to rip my bra off."
"I didn't say I wouldn't heavily make out with you, Roza..." he trailed off when he noticed just how badly I wanted him, needed him, loved him. "Roza," he complained, "we can't risk another baby until we're steady and certain."
"Stop being logical," I whined. "It's unattractive."
"Roza, you have no clue how long I've waited for you to let me back in your life. You have no clue how much I want you right now. I'm just thinking of what's best for Helena."
"As I said, stop being logical! Stop making sense for once."
"Not going to happen."
I groaned and snuggled closer to his warm body if it was possible without total clothing removal.