Reading VA: Reading Vampire Academy (A VA fanfic)

Four

RPOV
Of course Dimitri and I took the longest to return to the room. We missed that contact. Even wrapped in the other while listening to Sydney reading couldn't compare to this heated and desperate kiss and contact. We both wanted and needed overriding memories, something to wash away the Strigoi taint. Dimitri dared to trail butterfly kisses down from my jaw and over my neck and collar.

We returned once we'd calmed and looked not quite as flustered, or frustrated, as we were. Nobody said anything, thank god.

Food sounded like a marvellous idea. Not just to me but most people in the room. So we ate the afternoon tea Mom and Abe had thrown together for us. Simple, light and delicious... Just what I needed, although I needed Dimitri more.

"Who wants to read chapter four?" Sydney asked when she guessed we were ready to resume.
"I will," volunteered... My mother. She collected the book from Sydney and opened to the relevant page. "We didn't have the entire commons attention this time, thank god, but a few passing people had stopped to stare.
""What the hell do you think you're doing?" asked Doll Girl, blue eyes wide and sparkling with fury. Up close now, I was able to get a better look at her. She had the same slim build as most Moroi but not the usual height, which is partly what made her look so young." Mom kept reading my description and recall of the event. Mom, Abe and Christian couldn't help but make a few side comments along the way.

Those comments returned when Mom went on to read my reflection on the feeding process and my self-chastisement. Some of those statements weren't complimentary, most weren't actually, but a select few were. Olena, Karo and Sonya spoke up. Their experiences and opinions shut the others down when I couldn't. Throughout that drama Dimitri kept kissing my neck- both my marks and where he had bitten as Strigoi. It was a powerful apology and declaration of love for me and acceptance, of both what he had done to me and that I'd let him. In that moment I realised he'd managed to forgive himself a little for what had happened between us while in Russia.

Mom eventually returned to reading. Covering Liss and I exchange timetables, her lack of specialisation and chatterbox Natalie joining us for lunch. The mention of Natalie had mutters and grumbles coming from those of us who knew what had happened. Those in the room who didn't know regarded us questioningly. All they got for a response was spoilers alert and being told to wait. Much to Paul and Zoya's dismay.

"My eyes lifted from Natalie's face to Jesse zeklos's, just as he passed by our table." Dimitri growled at the mention of him.
"Oh, can it, Comrade!" I teasingly chastised in his ear. Confused looks were sent our way. "Spoilers! Keep reading, Mom."
"Ah, Jesse. I'd forgotten about him. I liked flirting with Mason and some of the other novices, but Jesse was in an entirely different category. You flirted with the other guys simply for the sake of flirting. You flirted with Jesse in the hopes of getting semi-naked with him. He was a royal Moroi, and he was so hot-"
"Nowhere near as hot as this one here!" I interrupted to make Dimitri feel better. And because my lover had changed my taste in men to one type of man. That type being called Dimitri Belikov. No one else would do for me. I loved him to no end and always would. We'd been through hell and back and would make this work. My comment made the room burst into laughter.
"You are going to pay for that comment later tonight!" playfully and lustfully growled my man.
"Bring it!" I challenged playfully. My heart was racing in overtime at the thought of making love to my Dimitri again.

Mom was instructed to continue reading once everyone had settled. Didn't get far before I commented again, noting how Dimitri needed his own warning sign about being his divine good looks. Everyone laughed again.

Mom eventually returned to reading.
"You are a heartbreaker, Roza," Dimitri murmured in my ear. "Not even I was immune to your charm."
"You weren't meant to be immune, Comrade. Trust me, I had no clue what was going on until that night. I didn't realise what we were doing, what we were building each training," I softly returned while Mom continued reading and the rest paid attention to her not us.
"Lissa and I got to sit together in our shared afternoon classes but didn't do much talking. The stares she'd mentioned certainly did follow us, but I found that the more I talked to people, the more they warmed up. Slowly, gradually, they seemed to remember who we were, and the novelty-though not the intrigue- of our crazy stunt wore off.
"Or maybe I should say, they remembered who I was. Because I was the only one doing the talking."
Mom was cut off by a chorus of "of course" from the St Vlad's group and I received a peck on the cheek from my cheeky man.
"Lissa stared straight ahead, listening but neither acknowledging nor participating in attempts at conversation. I could feel anxiety and sadness pouring out of her." Mom continued.

She then went on to read my recall of our conversation post classes and pre my training. Dimitri whispered in my ear how he'd guessed at that, wasn't surprised and had eavesdropped. Man, never thought he'd admit to doing something like that. Christian made a few snarky and snide side statements. All of which earned him an elbow to the ribs from Liss.

Then Mom continued to read through Christian and Lissa's first meeting. Which, you guessed it, had been in the attic. Mom also read my recap of Strigoi being made. "And there were two ways to make a Strigoi. Strigoi could forcibly turn humans, dhampirs," everyone cast Dimitri an apologetic and sympathetic glance, knowing that was what had happened to him.

He shrugged it off and distracted himself by showering me, and my neck and collar, in kisses. Some of those kisses were light and butterfly. But a number were passionate and hungry. I don't doubt they'd leave a mark. My man was being brave enough to leave at least one hickey on my neck after the Strigoi him had fed from the very same spot- leaving me with bite marks. The intensity and his bravery had me wanting to growl and moan in pleasure.

All the while Mom kept reading. "Or Moroi with a single bite. Moroi tempted by the promise of immortality could become Strigoi by choice if they purposely killed another person while feeding. Doing that was considered dark and twisted, the greatest of all sins, both against the Moroi way of life and nature itself. Moroi who chose this dark path lost their ability to connect with elemental magic and other powers of the world. That was why they could no longer go in the sun.
"This is what had happened to Christian's parents. They were Strigoi." Mom finished.
"Wow! Dramatic finish!" Christian commented, voice full of snark. He'd long-since accepted what had happened and moved on. What hurt him these days was the society still looked down on him, not the event but rather the outcome and resulting stigma.

I would have retorted but Dimitri was still playing with me, teasing my senses simply with his lips. He was such a private person but this was a dramatic public display of affection, and he'd clearly zoned out, into the world of just us, simply because he was anchoring himself. I was all too happy to be that anchor, that grounding, and to be receiving this much contact in public. What I didn't want people seeing was the overpowering way it was effecting me, lighting me up and turning me on.

"Get a room, Rose and Belikov!" Abe snapped. That broke Dimitri out of his haze.
"Sorry, Sir." Dimitri apologised to my dad for loving me. Oh, you are one-of-a-kind Dimitri Belikov, one of a kind, and I love you dearly with all my being.
"Seriously Belikov, get out of here and get it out of your systems." Abe instructed. The room muttered their agreement and Dimitri nodded.
"Let's go take a nap, Roza," Dimitri whispered suggestively in my ear. I shivered in anticipation and excitement.

Dimitri led me out the door and towards a room marked as his bedroom. I was sandwiched against the locked door the second we were inside.
"I love you, Roza," murmured Dimitri. His lips met mine. The battle for dominance began and so did the fun.

Layers peeled off and the skin-on-skin contact with my soulmate was indescribable. I loved him and made love to him as he did to me. It felt oh so right with him. It always had no matter how strained things got between us we'd work our way through it. He left me no doubt he loved me and I left him no doubt he was the only one for me.

It had been right to wait. Only he could make it so meaningful. And I didn't want it if it didn't hold the meaning and power it did with him, my Dimitri, my man and my soulmate. I loved him with all my being, and in this moment-in these moments when he let his guard down completely- I knew he did too.