I Never Told You I Love You - Complete

Chapter 64 - Space of Our Own

"Hey, beautiful" Dimitri said, coming into the gym and wrapping his arms possessively around Rose. "Vika told me that I would find you here." He spotted a few Novices and Guardians looking at them curiously, which was unsurprising given the circumstances. "Let me change, and then we'll take a walk," he said, kissing Rose before heading to the change room with his bag of casual clothes. Back within minutes wearing jeans, a sweater and his duster he pulled Rose into his arms, letting her rest her head against his chest. "How are you feeling milaya?"

"Like I wish we'd never left St. Basil's," Rose replied miserably.

Dimitri steered her outside, and they walked to an isolated wooden bench. Opening his duster, Dimitri pulled Rose onto his lap and let her bury her face against his neck. Pulling the coat as far around them as he could, he stroked her hair and clasped his arms around her.

"We knew it was going to be a shock to everyone," Dimitri said gently, "but the worst of it is almost over. You didn't get a chance to tell me – how did Kirova take it?"

"Lots of bitching and whining like you'd expect," Rose laughed mirthlessly. "Alberta was great, though. It's good you pre-warned her. She'd dug out some really old records that proved we're not the first married student/Guardian couple at St. Vlad's – although we're the first in over a hundred years."

"So there's precedent at least?"

"Yeah. Kirova was all for firing you and expelling me, but in the end Alberta convinced her they were so short staffed, and the budget so tight, that it was stupid to knock back a Guardian who was willing to sign on until the end of the school year and then leave for reallocation, so wouldn't need to be paid over the summer break. Then Alberta argued that me having so many molnija as an unpromised was an excellent advertisement for St. Vladimir's, and if I were expelled I'd be certain to return to St. Basil's, and they'd take the credit."

"So did they decide where they're going to house us?"

"No. Alberta was aiming for the Guardian dorms, but Kirova was dead against it. She was suggesting we each stay separately in our old dorm rooms, but that's when Alberta pulled out the old records to say there was a precedent for this, and the couples were housed together. When I left to head to class with Vika, Kirova was going to send her PA to work out something suitable."

"They've put Vika up a few doors down from your old dorm. Eddie is going to help her move her things up there and unpack this afternoon."

"I suppose we should go find out where they've put us then," Rose said with a sigh.

"Yes," Dimitri said, bringing his lips to hers. "You'll feel better once we're all settled in, and we've got a private space to call our own."

They walked hand in hand to the administration building, earning more enquiring glances from those they passed. By now virtually the entire campus knew that wild Rose Hathaway had come back from Russia married to the reserved Guardian Belikov – which was a complete surprise to almost everyone. The vast majority of people had no idea Dimitri had accompanied Rose overseas on her trip to St. Basil's, and Eddie had kept his mouth shut about that aspect of his own trip to Russia, so the sudden reappearance of Rose with Dimitri as her husband was premium gossip.

Still, not everyone had been horrible about their news. During the three awkward hours Dimitri had guarded Lissa in stony silence, several Guardians had approached him to offer their best wishes. Guardian Matthews had come over in the cafeteria, having missed Rose's abrupt departure some ten minutes before, and was effusive in her congratulations.

"I'd hoped things would work out for you two," she'd said. "I noticed the way you would both light up when the other was around, and it was beautiful to see. Don't let anyone get you down about it, Belikov. You two were made for each other."