Reality Bites - Wattys 2018 Shortlist

Chapter 55 - Negroni

We'd arrived at the Academy and settled back into the unit, ready for classes the next day. Kicking off Monday with our training, as usual, I'd managed to pin my Russian God three times in a row. I guess I was feeling a little antsy, and it was reflected in the intensity of my fighting.

"What's wrong milaya?" Dimitri asked as we were packing up and waiting for Mom to arrive to supervise my shower. "Is something bothering you?"

Truth be told, there was something bothering me. A couple of somethings in fact. First being that bitch Tasha. Dimitri had told me that when she'd introduced the idea of him being her Guardian, suggesting they could even have children together, it had been on the basis of two friends wanting to experience parenthood and probably not getting the chance to do so otherwise. He said she'd even suggested non-sexual methods of her conceiving if that's what he'd wanted. Nothing romantic. But I knew better. I'd seen the way she looked at Dimitri, and I knew she wanted more. A lot more. She wanted his love. Even thinking about that bitch with my Russian God made me livid. I hated the way she looked at him. And I loathed the way she called him Dimka - like his family did.

I had to wonder whether she had any idea about Dimitri and I. He told me that when he'd turned down her offer, he'd said he was developing feelings for someone else, but he hadn't told her who. I'd recognized she was in love with him from the aft. I wonder whether she'd picked it with me, too?

The other something bothering me was more of my own making. I was feeling a little frustrated! Dimitri and I shared a really high sex drive. We'd go for it pretty much any chance we got. Last night when we'd gone to bed, I'd pretended to fall asleep immediately, so we hadn't enjoyed our usual pre-sleep lovemaking. And today I'd taken a sugar pill from my contraceptive pill packet, so by tomorrow, I'd be having my first period since Dimitri and I had been lovers.

"Nothing's wrong, Comrade," I said. "Just a bit cranky to be back at school."

By the next day, I was worse. A second night of no loving was driving me up the wall, and it appeared Dimitri was also feeling the effects.

"Milaya?" he'd said when we woke up on Tuesday. "Have I done something wrong? You don't seem to want me to touch you?" he asked, with a confused and very hurt look on his face. My heart almost melted seeing him look so worried.

"It's nothing, Comrade. I'm just about to start my period. It makes me all swollen and puffy and cranky. Dr. Olendzki says we're meant to bleed every three months and, well, I haven't had a period since we became lovers."

"Oh! Of course," he said, clearly relieved. "Let me know if there's anything I can do, or if you need anything," he offered sweetly, pulling me into his arms and rubbing my lower back in a soothing way.

Later that day sure enough my period arrived, and sure enough I was cranky. At lunch, Lissa looked at me after I'd snapped at Christian for the third time over things I'd usually let pass. Hell, even Mom was looking at me with a raised eyebrow.

'What's up?' Lissa asked me through the bond.

I just shrugged.

'Do you have your period?' she continued.

I nodded.

Lissa smiled with understanding. She knew I got moody when I menstruated. Actually, so did she – but I wasn't going to be the one to point it out to her. ESPECIALLY not at the time!

The rest of the week passed quickly enough. Dimitri would give me long shoulder and back massages as we fell asleep each evening, keen to keep up our intimate contact with one another even if it wasn't sexual. It was delightful, even if the lack of sexual contact was driving me mental! Dimitri was initially extra solicitous during our training sessions as well, asking whether I was 'up' to working out - but after me pinning him a few times he quickly appreciated training was a good outlet for my hormone-induced crankiness! By the time Friday afternoon rolled around, the worst of it had passed. In fact, when Baba, Pavel, Suzanne, and the Guardians arrived to collect us after my last class I was excited as!