My room mate is my MENTOR.

Old Habits

Dimitri POV

I turned off the 7:30 AM alarm and stared at Rose, she looks so cute sleeping. I caressed her cheek and kissed her forehead. Rose moved a bit and lightly scratched her nose. I rubbed her nose with my nose and she groaned, she turn around hugged a pillow and I chuckled. I hugged her from behind and kissed her cheek "Comrade, I'm still tired." she mumbled "I know, I just needed to make sure you were real." I said she smiled a bit and said "If you thought our activities last night were just a dream then damn you're lucky to experience a dream like that." I laughed and pulled her closer I stayed with her until she slowly fell asleep again, I kissed her cheek one last time and decided to go downstairs and make some breakfast.

I went inside the kitchen opened the pantry and saw Zoya reaching for the pancake mix I smiled and tickled her she giggled and hugged my leg "Uncle Dimka!" I picked her up and she reached for the pancake mix "You want pancake for breakfast?" I asked Zoya nodded her head yes and I took 2 pancake mix. I closed the pantry door and put Zoya down I stared at the pantry door and wondered how the hell did Zoya reached the door knob, she's not the tall. I bent down and lifted up Zoya chin with my finger "How did you opened the pantry door?" I asked Zoya giggled and said "I jumped again and again until I reached it!" I chuckled and kissed her forehead I picked her up again placed her at the counter top and put an apron on her "Do you wanna help me make breakfast like old times?" I asked she nodded her head yes and I smiled.

I let Zoya mixed the pancake batter and as always she makes a mess at the counter top, I fried some bacon and eggs, turned around and saw Zoya holding a bag of chocolate chips "How about we split the batter bub?" Zoya clapped her hand and I took another bowl to transfer some of the pancake batter after making sure I have equal proportions of batter I let Zoya placed chocolate chips on the pancake batter "Okay that's too much!" I said stopping Zoya's tiny hands from pouring chocolate chips into the batter Zoya laughed and I removed her apron that is covered with some pancake mix I put her down on the floor, cleaned the counter top and Zoya stared at me. I took a ladle gave it to her and put her on a high chair she poured some batter on a pan and said "Flip Flip!!" I smiled and after seeing the bubbles that formed I flipped it and Zoya clapped her hands.

I held her tiny waist with my left hand so that she won't fall and poured another batter on the pan "You're up early." I told Zoya "I was hungry." Zoya said pouting I squeezed her cheek and she glared at me while pouting I stopped myself from laughing since Zoya hates it when I laugh at her when she tries to be angry, she looks angry but more cute. I flipped the pancake again and continue to tease Zoya as we cook the pancakes.

After 15 minutes I placed 2 big plates full of pancake, bacon, and egg on the table and gave a small one to Zoya she happily munched on it and I opened the kitchen door for her she went in and I gaze Zoya a small basket and opened the pantry door again. I placed peanut butter, Nutella, and maple syrup on the basket. I took some strawberries and banana's and placed it on the basket as well. I opened the kitchen door again and Zoya gave me the basket I placed it on the table and started a staring contest with Zoya, eventually she blinked first and pouted at me raising both of her arms I laughed and bend down to her height, she wrapped her arms around my neck and I lifted her up. "I love you Uncle Dimka." Zoya said I smiled and kissed her head "I love you too baby."

Rose POV

I went downstairs and saw Dimitri hugging Zoya I smiled even more when Zoya and Dimitri said "I love you" to one another. "Good Morning sunshine!" I smiled at Christian and Lissa is behind him "You two weren't the only one having fun." Lissa said I laughed and went to the dining area "Down! Down!" Zoya said Dimitri put her down and ran towards me I picked her up and kissed her soft cheek. "Come on lets have breakfast." DImitri said "What about your family?" I asked "Oh they left for work, Mama, Yeva and Tasha left as well don't know where they went, Zoya did you called your Auntie Vika , Uncle Ivan and Paul?" Dimitri asked Zoya nodded her head yes and soon enough Viktoria, Ivan and Paul joined us "Where's Katya?" I asked "Sleeping." Ivan said.

"So what now? Do we go back to the academy?" I asked Dimitri and Ivan looked at one another and said "Queen Tatiana gave us instructions that we need to go back to the academy as soon as possible after the mission since the whole council will be there waiting for us." I sighed and continue to eat "We won't see you again?" Paul and Zoya asked looking at Dimitri, they look so sad, Dimitri placed both of them on his lap and said "I'll visit bub, I promise." the kids snuggled closer to him and he kissed their cheek "What about me?" Ivan said the kids ran towards him and he smiled I leaned towards Dimitri and whispered in his ear "I hope we can have that one day." he smiled and winked at me "One day love."

4 HOURS LATER

Rose POV

I looked around the castle tomb vault and sighed "I didn't got a chance to explore Russia." I said Lissa rubbed my back and I leaned on her shoulder "Maybe during summer vacation you can go back here with Dimitri, celebrate your first summer together as a couple, I'm pretty sure your tired third wheeling me and Christian." I laughed and said "Yeah maybe." I kissed the Belikov family good bye and gave Paul and Zoya long hugs, the two of them are so sad now that we're leaving. Dimitri said good bye as well and promised to come home during summer. Olena was happy to have his son back but Dimitri's sisters we're sad to see him leave again I got in the boat and leaned my head on his shoulder "They look so sad seeing you leave, especially Paul and Zoya." I said he kissed my head and said "Duty calls."

"If you didn't have any duty, will you still comeback to the academy?" I asked "Hmm maybe, depends on the situation." Dimitri said "What if you didn't met me?" I asked Dimitri frowned and raised an eyebrow at me "I just wanted to know if what you and I have, us you know, is something that happened because we really love each other not because we had pasts that made us who we were when we met." I said before going in the portal.

BACK AT THE ACADEMY

Dimitri POV

"Its been 4 hours since they started the meeting." Ivan said "What's taking them so long." I said Rose, Christian, and Tasha have been inside the meeting room for 4 hours and I'm getting impatient which was unusual for me. "You okay?" Ivan asked "No, its just that before we left Rose asked me if what we have is real, she wants to know if our relationship was really built because we love each other not because of our pasts." I said "Maybe she's just scared? I mean I admit myself I'm scared things will change now that you are back with the family you know. Maybe she's scared that whatever you two have will change now that things will go back to normal." Ivan said shrugging "Are you scared?" I asked "Yes I am scared." Ivan said looking at me.

We stayed in complete silence and I just reflected on what Ivan said, after a few more minutes Queen Tatiana signaled to us that the meeting is done. I left the meeting room with Rose and she's quiet. As we walk the hallway I hear some students gossiping about me and Rose. I guess the whole academy knows now that Rose and I are a thing. Queen Tatiana doesn't mind it, me and Rose's relationship. Every thing Rose achieve from her studies, her high grades, attitude and more she earned it because she deserves it, she didn't earned it because she was dating me, no. Every student here at the academy gets a fair chance and that is why I'm not mad at people who gossips about us. We are both one of the respected people here in the academy and students knows their limits anyway.

Rose and I entered our dorm room and she went straight to her room unpacking her stuffs I did the same and after 20 minutes I went to her room and saw her staring at her ceiling I got on top of her and she frowned at me I placed my right hand on her waist and use my left hand as support so that my body weight won't crush her "About what you asked me earlier, I just wanna let you know that what you and I have is real. My feelings for you is real, I do love you...so much. I love every thing you do even though it gets you into trouble sometimes. I love how you don't let other people define who you are or what you should be. What we have is real my love, nothing will ever change that, nothing will change you and I because I won't let it happen as well." I said Rose immediately got on top of me and I placed both of my hands on her cheek sitting up she wrapped her arms around my waist and I smiled at her "I love you." Rose said "I love you too my Roza." she buried her face on my neck and I kissed her head. "I mean it." I said kissing her head.