Vampire Academy: Dimitri's Point of View

Pinned

We somehow managed to find some more training time. I had convinced Rose to wake up an extra hour earlier each weekday morning, plus stay late an extra hour after school. This left her a little extra time in the evenings to finish any homework and shouldn't interrupt any evening shifts that I might have scheduled. I would lose most of my own personal training time, but as long as I worked together with Rose, it shouldn't pose too much of a problem.
The biggest change to our training schedule was on the weekends. While Saturdays were busy enough that we could only get an extra two hours in regularly, we did decide to start taking advantage of Sunday. I had allowed it as a rest day for us both before, but now we tried to fit four or more hours in right after the church service depending on any shifts I might have. After a week of the new schedule, we were both tired but the extra hours were already starting to make themselves worthwhile.
Rose seemed more focused now. We still had our usual sarcastic banter, but once we finished our warm up stretches, we both became all business for the most part. When we did let our guard down during practice, it was as if our mutual agreement had changed our relationship. She seemed to work with me by choice rather than by force. I was training her out of respect, not obligation. I felt less like the –what did she call me? Oh, her "Russian Jailer"– and more like an actual mentor. Though, that didn't seem like the right title either. We acted more friendly and relaxed. My own mentor, Galina, had been very focused on my training and we rarely had a conversation that didn't revolve around that or my job prospects following graduation. Granted, we had only met for an hour or so a day in extra training while Rose and I spent significantly more time together. It was only natural that we'd eventually talk about things outside of her education.
Beyond her new found focus and enthusiasm towards our training sessions, the extra hours had compacted our training timeline significantly. While we still weren't quite caught up with her peers, she was much farther than Guardian Petrov or I had thought she would be at this point. We had moved past bodyguard theory and combat technique instruction, to actually applying those ideas to her situation as a guardian. Today we would be looking at some of the disadvantages she may face in the field and how she can overcome them.
After our run, I led her to the mats already laid out. "What's the first problem you'll run into when facing a Strigoi?"
"They're immortal?"
"Think of something more basic."
She looked a bit past me as she thought about my question. Her brows furrowed in concentration and she bit at the corner of her lip. I was starting to notice that it was a habit of hers that I had seen on more than one occasion. Before I realized it, my own lips had form a small smile of their own. I quickly returned to the blank guardian mask when she refocus on me, barely escaping her notice.
"They could be bigger than me. And stronger."
I nodded in approval. The concept shouldn't be a new one to her since most of her classmates were male, therefore also naturally larger and stronger than she was. However, they were still nothing compared to most Strigoi.
Strigoi were unnaturally strong, with better reflexes and senses than dhampirs. Without the proper education, dhampirs were no match. But if we trained hard, we could often compensate for the learning curve. "That makes it difficult, but not impossible. You can usually use a person's extra height and weight against them."
Slowly, we started working through some of the combat techniques that she had been learning in her recent classes, adjusting her positioning slightly to compensate for the her opponent's larger size. Since I was a full foot taller than she was and probably out-weighed her by roughly 100 pounds, I made a perfect partner to practice with. After showing her a few basic principles that would help her overcome her natural weaknesses, she started applying them to the newer moves automatically. I was glad that she was picking up the lesson quickly. I must admit though, the passing thought that I was directly teaching someone how to to defeat me was amusing.
We slowly worked through different techniques for over an hour before I decided that it was time for her to truly put them into practice. She had been sparring with her peers for quite some time now, but this was the first time I felt like we were ready to spar together. I doubted she had ever fought a fully trained guardian – outside the night of her capture, and that didn't exactly work well for her – so I planned on holding back a little. I wouldn't hit as hard as I would if I was facing an enemy, or even as hard as I would sparring one of the other guardians in practice. However, I knew that it wouldn't do either of us any favors if I simply went easy on her. It would still sting if one of my blows landed, and I was sure that more than a few would since I was still significantly faster than she was.
"Go ahead," I beckoned while getting into a defensive stance in front of her. "Try to hit me."
I knew she couldn't resist the opportunity and lunged towards me without thinking. While her speed and technique was much better than the first time we fought that night in Portland, she was still fueled by adrenalin rather than focus. This fight ended about as quickly. A simple block and I had taken her down to the mat.
She did surprise me however by jumping up immediately to resume the fight. I knew the take down had hurt enough to take her breath away momentarily. The desire to win must have overcame the pain, and determination burned like fire in her eyes. She never found success. Several more attempts resulted in nothing more than blocks and a few strikes from me. After the fifth time taking her to the mat, she finally sighed and held her hands out as a truce. I extended my own to help her to her feet.
"Okay, what am I doing wrong?"
"Nothing." Honestly, she was actually doing really well. Amazing even. I had underestimated her speed, and her quick mastery of the principles I taught her earlier was enough to catch me off guard more than once. I had recovered in time, but it was impressive nonetheless.
Despite my assurance, she didn't look convinced. I think she would have more readily believed me if I had told her the sky was falling. "If I wasn't doing anything wrong, I'd have rendered you unconscious by now."
"Unlikely." I said with a small chuckle. "You're moves are all correct, but this is the first time you've really tried. I've done this for years." It was true. I had quite a bit of experience on her. Plus, I had watched her enough in practice to recognize small shifts in her posture before she made an attack. We were still an uneven pairing, but she had put up one heck of a fight. She was talented and with practice she would be quite an opponent.
She shook her head and rolled her eyes, clearly still skeptical. "Whatever you say, Grandpa. Can we try it again?"
Grandpa? I think I preferred Comrade. I smiled at the thought and her eagerness to continue before looking a the clock. There was a special banquet tonight and we both had to get ready so we planned to finish early today. While I was simply working security tonight, I knew she was eager to attend her first real social event in a long time.
As she noticed the time, she was practically bouncing with anticipation. "Hell yeah I do!"
I should chastise her language, but her spirit was infectious so I simply turned away. I had only taken a few steps towards the door when I heard her steps behind me. They were too quick and purposeful for her normal pace, and a moment later I heard a small yet resolute yell from my student.
I smirked and braced myself for her 'sneak attack.' In one swift motion, I spun around and gripped her shoulders. Using her momentum against her, I knocked her to the ground and pinned her beneath me with her arms above her head.
She hit the mat with a groan, though I suspect that it was more out of disappointment than pain. "I didn't do anything wrong!"
I couldn't help but laugh as she gently struggled underneath me. "The battle cry sort of gave you away. Try not to yell next time." I also mentally recorded that we still needed to work on her stealth exercises.
"Would it have made any difference if I'd been quiet?" She lifted her head as much as she could under the circumstances.
I playfully mimicked her concentrated look from earlier then cocked my eyebrow. "No. Probably not."
She laid her head back down with a sigh of mock defeat, closing her eyes. Suddenly, it was as if I wasn't looking at my student. At least, it didn't feel like Rose was my student in that moment. I was abruptly aware of our position. I was situated atop of her, holding her by the wrists and my own torso and legs were holding hers in place. She looked peaceful and happy, a small smile playing on her lips. Lips that I suddenly wanted to kiss. Our faces were only a few inches apart, it would be all too easy to close the distance.
Her eyes opened with a start, looking right at me. A question played behind them. I studied her eyes, dark and alluring, desperately trying to decipher what she was thinking. I could feel the rise and fall of her chest underneath me as her breathing became heavy and uneven. I wondered momentarily if it was for the same reason my own breathing was becoming difficult.
She bit her lip again, and my breath caught in my throat. She looked at me with unnatural shyness before speaking, "So um...you got any other moves to show me?"
I started to smile and lower my lips to her own. Then I remembered where we were...who she was...what we were doing.
It was much harder than I'd like to admit to get up. I could feel a gentle tingle in the residual heat where my skin had touched hers. I almost reached for her hand to help her up, but thought better of it after what had just transpired between us.
She just looked at me shocked, confused, and almost...disappointed? I didn't allow myself to question why that could be as I spoke to her, turning towards the gym doors. "Come on. We should go."
I heard her hesitate before scrambling to her feet. I was out the door and on my way towards my apartment before I could hear here footsteps follow me outside. I needed to get ready for my shift at tonight banquet, and I knew I was going to start with a cold shower.
As I dressed in my formal Black & Whites (a pair of simple black dress slacks, a white button up shirt, and a tailored black jacket) I tried to think of anything else besides what happened at the gym. It was useless however. I just ended up mentally kicking myself over and over again.
I was an idiot for losing my self-control like that. Ever since I'd seen her in the lounge, I would occasionally catch myself thinking something totally inappropriate. Okay, perhaps many of those thoughts wouldn't have been inappropriate under different circumstances. Rose as my underage student though, and the category of "inappropriate" held quite a large selection of options when it came to her. Some were seemingly innocent, like watching her pull her long hair into a ponytail before practice and wondering what it would feel like between my fingers. Others, like some that invaded my vulnerable and unconscious hours, were enough to make me question my sanity. A dream a few nights ago nearly left me breathless.
I had found myself in the lounge again, but instead of Rose being surprised, it was as if she had expected me. More than than, she was alone and waiting for me. She was dressed as before, which is to say that she was practically undressed in just her jeans and that black bra. As she walked towards me, her hair swayed behind her. She reached behind her with a smirk, and unfastened the clasp of the bra. I had just begun to loosen when I woke up, catching the breath that I held even in the dream. I was alone, in my bed, and painfully aroused. I could still hear her words – "You see something you like?" – ringing in my head.
I shook my head to clear it of the dream's memory. As inappropriate as those dreams were, I could at least find some solace that they were something brought about unconsciously and confined to the privacy of my own mind. What I had done today – almost kissing Rose – was somehow more upsetting because it had been real. I had almost chosen to do something so completely inappropriate. It was even harder seeing my own desire reflected in her eyes. Or perhaps I had just imagined that she felt the same way I did in that moment. The thought should have been comforting...but it wasn't.
I finished fastening my holster to my belt and retrieved my stake. The cool metal shaft was a harsh reminder of my duty and responsibility. With one last breath to collect my thoughts, I slipped into the my trained guardian facade, holstered my weapon, and made my way towards the Queen's banquet.