Reality Bites - Wattys 2018 Shortlist

Chapter 79 - Grading?

"So which teacher were you crushing on when you were in high school?" I asked Dimitri once we were in bed and our guests had left. Well. Most of them. As predicted, Adrian had consumed that second bottle of vodka by himself and was currently passed out on our sofa.

Kirk had volunteered to transport him back to guest quarters and his own bed – but he looked happy enough snoring away on our couch, so we'd decided to take his shoes off, belt too, cover him with a blanket, leave the bathroom light on and hope for the best!

So now Kirk was in his bed in the other room, and Dimitri and I were cuddled up together in our bed. More often than not I'd sleep in an old TShirt of Dimitri's and he a pair of boxers. But we both appreciated tonight was going to be one of those nights when we'd end up sleeping together nude. In truth, we should really talk about that. I preferred to sleep nude with him all the time. Besides which, ninety percent of the time the boxers and TShirt would end up flung across the room somewhere by the time we got up in the morning!

"It was actually my mentor" Dimitri said, the irony clearly not lost on him. "Her name was Galina."

"You had a relationship with your mentor too?" I almost squealed.

"No Roza," he said with a chuckle. "It wasn't like that. Galina was one of four mentors who tutored a small group of us. Eight students in total – the top two combatants from each house. We trained with each of them three times a week. She was very thorough and professional. But she was an extraordinary fighter and yes a few times as a horny teenager I dreamed of physical activities with her that weren't fighting" he said, obviously embarrassed.

"Do you think she might have been receptive?" I asked.

"Roza she would have kicked my ass until I couldn't stand up if she'd had any idea I'd imagined her in that way," he said uncomfortably. "And in my waking hours, I didn't see her that way, either. It was a few uncomfortable dreams in my late teens".

"Hell I dreamed about you that way almost every night," I said with a laugh. "And while I was awake, too!"

"Milaya those fantasies were mutual. Oh, the number of nights I tried to distract myself from imagining us together... I don't think I used the hot tap in my shower for months" he joked.

"And how did reality live up to the fantasies, Comrade?" I asked, only slightly nervous after this evening's confusion.

"Reality blew my pathetic imaginings completely out of the water," he said, with a loving smile. "I meant what I said milaya. I know I'm your only, so you can't compare, but I've never felt as connected and in tune with anyone as I do with you, and especially when we're making love. Nothing's come even close."

I smiled and kissed him – knowing he was speaking the truth.

Sunday morning passed in a blur of breakfast and then Kirk, Adrian, and Dimitri taking turns quizzing me for another week of exams. I'd spoken with Dimitri about inviting Adrian to Europe with us, and he'd been open to the idea – only very firmly stipulating that Adrian was never to come to Baia.

In the end, it was even Dimitri who suggested it to him. I was studying, Kirk had gone to the cafeteria to pick up lunch for all of us, and Adrian was hanging around yet to return to the guest quarters.

"I can't believe this time in a fortnight Roza will have graduated and we'll be packing for Europe," Dimitri said, looking over to give me one of his megawatt smiles.

"Lissa said you're off to Russia first" Adrian commented.

"Yes. Christian and Lissa are going to Novosibirsk while I take Roza to visit my family in Baia. They will join us there after a week."