A month outside the gates (a VA fanfic)ON HOLD

Chapter 32

DPOV
Rose had just boarded the jet to the ski lodge, and I was having trouble not calling her over to me. I was going to struggle keeping my distance over the next two weeks. I already struggling to keep my eyes, hands and lips off her when I had to be around her. I loved the woman. We weren't meant to go longer the a few hours hours apart. And even those few hours without being near her were agony. I was totally addicted to my soulmate. I was addicted to Rose Hathaway, my Roza.

As soon as Tasha started to approach me, I stood up, moved to find my Rose and told her I needed to speak with her privately. The beauty nodded and followed me back to my seat, then took the one next to me. "Comrade?" she asked quizzically.
"I'm avoiding you know who. And am totally addicted to Y-O-U." It was true. I was so hers I was completely addicted.
"You so are!" she quietly burst into giggles. She had never looked cuter than in that moment. "Well, I'm happy to block. And I'm just as addicted, FYI." she commented when she recovered.

For the next quarter of an hour we just sat in a comfortable silence. Well, it was one crackling with sexual tension; our hearts were trying not to race in overtime, our bodies were trying not to touch and our breathing was trying to not become laboured. The effect we had on each other was outrageous, and neither of us would ever be able to comprehend it because it wouldn't ease. Rather it would only get stronger and more intense as time went on.
"Dimitri?" my woman asked.
"Yes?"
"Are you on duty all break?"
"No. I do have shifts, just not twenty-four seven. Why?"
"I want training time." I was about to ask her to clarify if she was using code, but she winked at me when it was safe to. Yup. She wanted training all right. Us time training that was. This current tension had made her realise we weren't going to last the fortnight without some level of contact.
"I'll see what I can do." Thank god Alberta was on this jet. "Give me a few minutes," I requested as I stood up.
"Thanks. And yeah, sure, no worries."
"My pleasure, Rose." I unleashed a smile before I left, and her breath caught.

"Petrov?" I enquired as I approached her.

The older female Guardian was as scary as Rose. But for different reasons. Well, their lethality levels were on par with the other. Just because I was scared of her didn't mean I wouldn't speak up to defend my Roza.

"Yes, Belikov?"
"Rose has requested trainings while on break." An amused look crossed her face.
"As addicted to the gym as you, huh?" Not cool, Alberta!

She still hadn't let on if she knew about our personal side, or not. If she did, she certainly hadn't enlightened us. Let alone if she'd purposely cooped Rose and I up to make us crack and give in. If she had, I was grateful. I was still grateful even if she hadn't.
"Yes. She is addicted to training." Yeah, sure. 'She's addicted to' me is more like it.
"Yeah, go ahead. Don't ask to timetable it in, it's break- so anytime is fine for her to be in the gym. As long as she's with you."
"Thanks Petrov." I nodded.
"Get back to her and get it roughly sorted, if you want."
I just nodded again and left to rejoin my Rose.

"Rose?" I asked as I sat.
"Yeah?"
"You've got an all hours gym pass, as long as you're with me."
"Seriously?"
"Yes."
"Yay!" my gorgeous woman squealed in delight.

Even though we couldn't actually get up to any mischief in this gym (because we didn't have private slots), it didn't matter. Sparring with her was enough, better still, time just to be around my wonderful Roza would help. "Rose!" I playfully chastised in a whisper only she'd be able to hear.

"Oh, shit! Ouch!" was exclaimed a minute later, as Rose started rubbing her temples and eyes.
"Roza?!" I tried keeping my panic to a minimum- after all, my Roza needed my support- and tried to keep my voice so only she'd hear.
"Headache. Massive. And black flashes in my peripheral vision."
"Oh Rose. That's the sign of a migraine. Give me a second."

I was out of my seat before she could argue. When I found a hostess, I asked for two ibuprofen and a cup of water. I had no clue of my woman had scoffed down a proper breakfast or just a chocolate donut before stepping on the jet. So, I also asked for a coke and a breakfast bar.

"Here, this should help," I handed over the tablets and water before I sat down.
"Thanks Comrade. I hope it helps, the pressure on my skull is ridiculous." she tried to act confident and forced a smile as I retook my spot. I didn't buy it, I knew she was in more pain than she was letting on.
"Rose," I sighed as she swallowed the tablets and sculled the remaining water. "Here, and this. I'm guessing you only scoffed a choc donut this morning." I handed her the food.
"How'd you know?"
"Do you have to ask?" I teased in a whisper.
"Screw you!" she returned just as quietly.
"Roza!" I continued the banter- again, keeping my voice so quiet our cover wouldn't blow.

"That sorta helped," my woman commented half an hour later.
"You're still in massive pain, but."
"Yes." She stared into my eyes and I got the, 'only you could make me admit it, so consider yourself lucky to hear it.'
"Would a nap help?"
"Possibly..." she mused.
"Then sleep," my love.
"I'll try."

She leaned her head against the window and shut her eyes. Five minutes later her breathing evened out to the pattern I knew indicated she was asleep. I loved that woman so much, it bloody hurt.

While my woman was sleeping, I pulled out my favourite Western. I knew the story so well I could probably recite it perfectly, but right now it was doing me no good. I was reading the wards without really parsing them. I was too worried about my soulmate. So much so the book was acting more like a prop.

About an hour later, I gave up even trying to pretend to read. I switched the novel for pen and paper. I was writing up a copy of my schedule for this fortnight, and was going to hand it to her when she woke up. If she woke up before we landed, that was.

Lissa, Ashford and Castile all came to check on her, and to see what was up. I told them she was sleeping off a migraine.
That's what I hoped it was, but I wasn't convinced that was all. She'd had no problems when I'd flown her back to the Academy. That made me suspect something more was behind this. I didn't know what, I had absolutely no clue where to even begin looking, but I suspect something else was behind this.

I still had my sleeping beauty beside me when we landed.
"Rose. We've landed. It's time to wake up."
"Hmmmmm?" She started stirring. She was so adorable I had to hold back a chuckle and a lovesick sigh.
"We're at the ski lodge. Feeling better?"
"Perfect." I could see the truth in her eyes.
"Come on. I'm sure you want to spend quality time with Liss, or beat Ashford on the slopes."
"I'd prefer the gym, but..."
"I'm on shift for the first few hours," I handed her over her copy of my schedule. "I'll find you when I'm done."
"Thanks!" she grinned and my lips twitched. God, I loved her and her always-amusing antics.