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

Chapter 54

RPOV
"Dimitri!" I laughed as he pulled me across campus. "What the hell?!" I giggled as we approached Guardian admin. AKA Alberta's office. "Do you really still need permission to do whatever it is your planning to do with me?"
"Not permission, as such. More like notifying her I'm taking you off campus. We, my love, are spending a day in the sun. Or the shops. Or both. My grad present." My boyfriend pecked my lips and both cheeks before lingering on my forehead as he pulled me into his chest.

We got called in about ten minutes later.
"Guardians Belikov and Hathaway." Alberta greeted as we entered hand-in-hand.
"It's 'Mazur'." I corrected. It caused Alberta to pale.
"Your mother is letting you adopt your father's name? He is?"
"Yes. Mom's encouraging it."
"Belikov? How do you feel about this? About Rose being Abe Mazur's mini-me?"
"Hmm. Hard to say, Petrov." Dimitri leaned in to whisper 'you won't stay 'Mazur' for very long, Roza.' in my ear. I shivered at the suggestion, and the tone of his voice. "Rose is scary enough in her own right. He's scary in his own way."
"I'm assuming you've approached the parental's, for permission." Alberta stared pointedly at my hand entwined with Dimitri's.
"Yes. I have gotten Janine and Abe's permission. But only just." My boyfriend wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me into his side. "This beautiful woman is mine." my man beamed.
"Damn straight! I'm yours!" I looked lovingly into my soulmate's deep chocolate brown eyes. The eyes that make me melt.
"You're too gorgeous, my Roza." Dimitri placed a kiss on my head.
"And you're too clueless, Comrade." My words got muffled by his chest.
"Guys! PDA overload!" Alberta laughed. "Cute. But overload. I don't need to see this. Now," she sighed. "What did you come in here for, in the first place?"
"Petrov, I'm taking Rose out the gates overnight."
"It's not a request, is it, Belikov?"
"No, it's not a request. It's a notification."
"She's not a student. But not staff, either." Alberta mused. "Basically, Belikov, you're just letting me know so I can rearrange your shifts. Is that correct?"
"Yes. It's much appreciated, Petrov."
"Just have her back in time for the Moroi graduation. Consider it done. Now, get outta here. Lovebirds!" the older, lethal, Guardian laughed. And we scrambled out of her office after each sending a quick nod of 'thanks' her way.

We napped in Dimitri's dorm until sunrise.
"Before you grab the keys to the car..." I commented when I was awoken.
"Uh oh." my marvellous man teased.
"We need to stop by my dorm."
"Why?"
"You did say we could go shopping, right?"
"Yes. Roza, love, where are you heading with this?"
"Abe may, or may not, have given me a no limit credit card. Or four. For grad and eighteen missed birthdays."
"You're a Mazur multi-millionaire?"
"I'll be a Belikova billionaire if you ever man up and officially propose."
"Oh, I will, Roza. Trust me. I will."

We made it to Missoula's major mall by eight am. So, after claiming a parking spot, we killed the engine and went for a walk. I was helped out of the car by Dimitri- who was playing the perfect gentleman.
"Thanks, Comrade. But you don't have too." I snuggled into his side while he locked the car and led us back towards the street.
"Yes. I do. My girlfriend is my soulmate and is hardly ever treated properly. You're just going to have to adjust, my love. Mama didn't raise me as a gentleman for the sake of it."
"I love you, Dimitri. So much."
"I love you too, Roza. And the world is going to know it." He was absolutely resolute and it caused a dreamy sigh to escape my mouth.

We found the nearest playground and I sat on one of the swings. Dimitri stood behind me, gently pushing me into motion. "Finally." I sighed. "Something normal and fun."
"Yes, finally. Con-graduation, my love. It really was an honour to mentor you."
"Now, Comrade, who ever said you were ever my mentor? I really don't know what you're talking about, boyfriend."
"Hmm. You have a point there, girlfriend."
"And you know it!" I playfully teased.

"Dimitri?" I asked a little while later.
"Yes, love?"
"Why'd you take me on? Really? And what caused you to hesitate? What did you see in Portland?"
"In Portland? A wild girl who'd make a one woman army when properly trained. I saw the fire in your eyes and knew you'd do anything for Lissa."
"A 'wild girl', huh?"
"Yes." he sheepishly admitted. "Sorry, Roza."
"Oh, shut up!" I affectionately chastised.
"Well, also in Portland, I never wanted you as my enemy. I didn't know what I did want you as, but I swore to never underestimate you again. And that no one else ever would, either."
"Wow."
"I felt very, hmm, defensive of you. You- at minimum, your actions- had me intrigued. You fascinated, and amazed, me."
"I'm sorry to admit this, Comrade, but what I saw in Portland? Was a hot roadblock, a hot man blocking me from doing my job. One who was going to capture us and pull us back to the place of terror."
"Said terror being Dashkov."
"Yup, as it turned out. Betrayed doesn't begin to describe how I felt. How Lissa felt."
"I'm not surprised, my love. He was her closest thing to family. Same with you."
"Until you. Well, not for Liss, but for me. You're still closer to me than my parents ever will be."
"Seriously?"
"Yes. You never abandoned me, you never gave up hope. Most importantly, you always cared and loved me- and made sure I knew it. Even for that week or so before being cooped up for a month. Even when you denied loving me."
"Sorry about that, Roza."
"Hey, it's okay. You freaked, and someone had to be the mature one."
"That's one of the most immature things I've ever done. One of- if not- the most selfish things I've ever done or said."
"Hold the guilt trip, Dimitri. Now take a step back and turn one-eighty. And never look back."
"God, woman. You're amazing."
"So, back to the original topic... Why'd you take me on? And hesitate?"
"Why'd I take you on? Because no one else would. Why'd I speak up for you? Because I couldn't lose you, I hadn't figured you out- still haven't and probably never will. And Liss needed her one woman army. The Guardian world needed you. My world needed you. At the time, I didn't get why. I do now, though. As for why I hesitated? I'm still not quite sure. I think it may be because I didn't know if I could train you, or reign you in. I don't think I really wanted you reigned it, I didn't want to be the reason you lost that spark."
"Well, you did manage to reign me in."
"Sort of. Your experiences- as well as the need for hiding us- reigned you in."
"That spark and drive is still there. But... My experience has lessened it. I still want to protect her, you more, but, I've faced too many already."
"That, my love, is true- sadly enough."
"I love you, Dimitri. Seriously. And I'm glad to have had you teach me all I know."
"I love you too, my darling Roza."

"I wish we could always have this." I sighed wistfully, roughly twenty minutes later.
"So do I, Roza. So do I." He sighed before continuing. "If we ever have kids, I want them to be able to have this- the chance to enjoy the sun and playgrounds. To not always be worried about the futures they have no say in, and the sacrifice they know they'll one-day make. I want our miracle mini-me's to enjoy some pretence of a life with this in it."
"So do I, Dimitri. So do I." Now it was my turn to sigh. "Can you see us trying for a family? I mean, I know it's exciting to know we can do what's supposed to be impossible... It's just, would we ever try for kids simply for the sake of having our own family? Like a normal human or Moroi couple. And even some Moroi-dhampir pairs."
"Rose, if your thinking of my mother and so-called father, they're no different. My mother? Maybe. My so-called father? No. He was worse than most. I must say, even Jesse is better than that sad-excuse of a Royal." Woah. That was something I'd never expected to come out of his mouth. Just like when he'd called his own mother a bloodwhore.
"Seriously? Even the trash that goes by the name of 'Jesse Zeklos' is better?"
"Not by much- especially with what he did to you."
"Why did you get upset over that? I'm not saying you shouldn't have- you absolutely should've- but, what was going through your head?" I'd already figured out most of it, but I wanted to hear him reflect and muse over it.
"Hmm. There was the whole 'Moroi boy taking advantage of a dhampir girl' thing. There was you not considering your reputation-"
"Or the way it'd effect yours or Lissa's."
"I shouldn't have brought that up- it hurt you too much. I crossed a line saying that. It was another selfish moment, a knee-jerk reaction and a freak out. It pushed you away from me, made you feel like you couldn't confide in me and trust me with your pain when it came back to haunt you."
"It was something I needed to know and learn. You had every right to bring it up."
"God, woman. What did I ever do to deserve you?"
"You exist. You exist, and I was made for you. Enough said."
"I love you, Roza. Truly I do."
"I love you too, Comrade. So much."
"You know why else I got upset about Jesse and the lounge?"
"No."
"I felt very protective of you. I already felt like you were mine."
"Jealous? Really, Dimka? Jealous of Jesse? That's stupid and idiotic. I'm sorry, but there really is no other way to put it."
"Yes, Roza. I was jealous. I didn't click at the time, but yes, I was extremely jealous."
"And when you froze? What was going through your head then?"
"How your body reflected your personality and your character. Just how much of a mature figure you had- just like your mature sense of duty. And..." my man turned sheepish again. "And I became curious just how powerful you really were, what you were really capable of when you let out your true character- the one that makes you beautiful. I snapped when your comment made me realise just how curious I really was about what you'd be like under the covers, just how much of a quick study you'd be, when I realised just how much I liked your character and body." That caused me to giggle.
"You certainly found out. And hey, I made that comment when I realised the same thing. I wanted to know what your inner tenderness, your true character and power, would be like when translated into sex." That caused my boyfriend to outright laugh.
"Of course you can be that blunt in the public domain."
"What? It's true."
"That it is, my love, that it is. And yes, I most certainly did find out. I still am."
"Hmm. So am I, Dimitri, so am I. You do realise you're my first and only, don't you?"
"Yes. I felt it. And I know your truly private and cautious nature."
"Am I, you know? Does it work in reverse?"
"Yes. It does. It also holds true the other way around. You, Roza Hathaway Mazur, are my first and only."
"Really? Surely not? Not with your age and body. Surely you had girls lining up and swooning all over you? Take Tasha, for example."
"Nope. I was way too serious about being a Guardian. Sure, girls may have been drooling, but I didn't give them the time of day. Back then, I didn't want to fall in love. I never wanted to be distracted from duty."
"I changed all that the day you laid eyes in me in Portland."
"Cut that out, Roza!" he playfully reprimanded. "Quit scaring me by reading me like I'm an open book."
"Quit doing it to me!" I playfully retorted.
"You ready to go shopping?"
"Yeah, I am. Let's go." Dimitri stopped the swing then pulled me onto his waist and kissed me passionately.
"I love you, my Roza. So much it hurts."
"I know that feeling. I love you too, Dimitri. More than anything." I was pulled into another kiss before being set on my feet.