Reality Bites - Wattys 2018 Shortlist

Chapter 47 - ANY Time You Want

"How much did you two buy?" Eddie grumbled, helping Dimitri, Guardian Kirk, and Guardian Doherty move my bags from my suite over to the lift. Lissa and I were standing in my room, where we'd been for the last hour, packing all the many things she'd helped me buy for our next few months back at the academy.

Dimitri had taken less than ten minutes to pack his bag. But then he'd be in uniform much of the time, so that did make it a little easier for him. I, however, apparently needed numerous outfits and accessories; hence Lissa coming in to organize me. I wouldn't give her the satisfaction of telling her, but Lissa was a godsend when it came to this sort of thing. For instance, while my first inclination had been to upturn my underwear drawer into a suitcase and sort it out at the other end, Lissa had been the one to look at the dresses we'd bought for the formal occasions and work out which of my fancier underwear would be needed to go along with them. She'd also insisted I take a small amount of underwear for Dimitri's appreciation, even though I didn't see when I'd be getting a chance to wear them, given I'd be sharing a room with my mother.

Even with everything I'd be taking, there was a sizeable amount of clothing that would be left here. Baba and I had talked about it, and this was now to be my room. Well mine and Dimitri's. Baba had offered me space on the 'family' fourth floor if I wanted it, but I liked Mom and Baba having that as their own space. Dimitri and I needed our privacy, too. Besides which, I suspected that when we were here we might have Christian and Lissa or other friends with us, and it was nice to have our own area to hang out.

I was trying not to get anxious about the return to the Academy. In some ways, it would be exciting to see my friends again, and I was looking forward to getting back into training. Previously, my favorite part of the day had been the long runs Dimitri and I would take at dusk. We both loved the sunlight, and sharing that time together before the rest of the campus was awake had always been special to us.

At first, after we came out as a couple, I'd been worried the sexual tension we'd always had during our sparring might recede a bit now we had other outlets for it. But, if anything, it had intensified. I suppose that's another thing we'd have to be careful about, I thought with a sigh. Not letting people make the realization that sometimes sparring was almost a form of foreplay for us. Not that there'd be much need for foreplay, I thought gloomily. I couldn't see a huge amount of alone time on the cards for Dimitri and me.

Back from taking my bags to the lift, I admired Dimitri wearing his Mazur Guardian uniform. I still wasn't used to it, and every time I saw him wearing it, my heartbeat accelerated. He looked unimaginably hot! At the Academy, I knew he was dream fodder for more than one Moroi and Dhampir. Wait till they caught a glimpse of him in this! I almost started to feel a little jealous, but looking down to his thigh, I saw the line of rose gold around the top of his stake and immediately felt happier.

Gazing up at him from under my lashes, I put my hand over the pocket that held his stake, rubbing it up and down suggestively. He knew precisely what I was getting at. Watching his lips twitch, he quietly said "Tsk tsk Roza. Weren't you ever told it's extremely rude to touch a Guardian's stake without permission?"

"You don't like me touching your stake?" I replied innocently with a pout.

"Roza, you can touch my stake any time you want," he growled, pulling me up against him possessively. "My stake is all yours, no-one else's." Moaning with satisfaction, I kissed Dimitri deeply, enjoying today's last carefree and open moments together.

Lissa was standing to the side, slightly embarrassed, as she always was when I was openly sexy with Dimitri.

Soon it was time to load the cars and head for the airport. Baba and Pavel were going to come with us and stay for the first few days while we got settled back at the Academy, so we were traveling with an additional ten Guardians.