Reading VA: Reading Vampire Academy (A VA fanfic)

Fourteen

RPOV
After a simple and earlier-than-last-night dinner, Sonya put Nadia down for the night. And Karo tucked Zoya in... Much to Zoya's annoyance and displeasure.

Upon her return, Karo picked up Vampire Academy from the table as she passed by. "Now, I believe it may be my turn to read if no one else wishes to." The room agreed to the eldest of Dimitri's sisters reading chapter fourteen. She started. "I continued spying on Lissa over the next couple of days, feeling mildly guilty each time. She'd always hated it when I did it by accident, and now I did it on purpose."

The bond told me Liss still felt bad about forcing me into having to do what she hated. She'd learnt to accept and embrace what the bond could allow me to do thanks to it saving her life when I was half way around the world. She didn't hold animosity towards my actions back then because we'd talked almost all of it out after Russia.

"One morning, I tuned into her while she was getting ready for breakfast. She'd spent the last twenty minutes blow-drying and straightening her hair, something she hadn't done in a while. Natalie, sitting on the bed in their room, watched the process with curiosity. When Lissa moved onto makeup, Natalie finally spoke." continued Karo.

Everyone listened on in silence. Curiosity had gripped the group as most didn't know of this interaction. That being said, Lissa and I muttered comments under our breath about Natalie not being so innocent after all. Then covered was the compulsion incident before mass. Laughter broke out at my relief of having that service start comment. And of course, my thoughts in the book had to turn to Dimitri. "Dimitri sat in the back as usual, for once not scanning every corner for danger. His attention was turned inward, his expression almost pained. I still didn't know why he came to church. He always seemed to be wrestling with something."

"Of course I was," huskily whispered Dimitri in my ear as Karo continued reading.
"I get it now," I returned just as softly.
"Yeah, you do. And again with the reading me," he ended with a quiet chuckle. "Still say that later comment holds true. Even after everything." My man was referring to the charm and Russia without giving out spoilers. I was then pulled into a kiss.

One rudely interrupted by a snarky comment from Christian. "How do you forget the school's namesake?" I simply rolled my eyes and told Karo to keep reading. She did. Covering the next little bit of the day without interruption. Then came the Miles, Anthony, Mason too much testosterone incident.
"You're my hero and gas mask," I reassured Dimitri when it came up.

Next came my musings over my feelings for Mase. Well, my inability to return his. "As I talked to him, I noticed the adoring look he always got around me spread across his face. It made me sad to have him feel that way about me. Guilty, even.
"How hard would it be, I wondered, to go out with him? He was nice, funny, and reasonably good-looking. We got along. Why did I get caught up in so many messes with other guys when I had a perfectly sweet one here who wanted me? Why couldn't I just return his feelings?
"The answer came to me before I'd finished asking myself the question." Even though they knew the answer, sorta, the group was on the edge of their seats, brimming with anticipation. "I couldn't be Mason's girlfriend because when I imagined someone holding me and whispering dirty things in my ear, he had a Russian accent."

The group's heads snapped to where I was sitting on Dimitri's lap, getting exactly what I'd imagined. Him wrapping me in him and whispering in my ear, "you got me, Roza. You're so in for it!" They all burst out into laughter. And commentary.
"Now look at you!" laughed Vika. Similar agreements went around the room. My parents shook their heads in dismay that their rebellious daughter had gone there, crossed That line.

Karo restarted after everyone had quieted. "... "No. I mean, it's hot in principal but not in practice.""

"It's extremely hot in practice with you," I purred in Dimitri's ear.
"Woman!" Dimitri groaned in my ear as a response. "You really have no idea what you do to me."
"Try to teach me later," was my seductive return. I could already feel what I was doing to him, what I always did to him, as I kissed him passionately.

When we pulled back, we listened in to hear, "I turned on the beauty queen smile again.
"With hasty assurances that he'd see what he could do, he left for lunch, and I went off to practice."

"And to get another dose of my brother!" Vika laughed then cringed and winced. The rest of the room exploded in laughter. Even Dimitri and I.

"That's what I thought of our practices. Another dose of you. You, Roza Hathaway, are addictive," huskily murmured Dimitri in my ear. I grinned like the lovesick fool I was and shivered.

"That's chapter fourteen done," Karo stated when all had calmed again. "Let's read chapter fifteen after I put Paul to bed," she continued.
"I'll put him down, sister," I offered when I noticed the scowl that was a mirror for Dimitri's started forming on the exhausted child's face.
"Thanks, Roza," Karo sent a tired smile my way.
"Night Mama, Babushka, Aunt Sonya, Uncle Dimka." Paul said to each in turn and kissed their cheeks and gave them a hug. Then came my turn. I stood and picked my nephew up since he's still short enough to do so. His arms wrapped around my neck as he clung to me, perched on my hip. "Night everyone!" he called back as I walked out the door with him.
"Night Paul," they chorused in response.

"Aunt Roza?" asked Paul just before stepping into the kids shared room.
"Yes, Paul?"
"You and Uncle Dimka are perfect together. Your story is so cute," he commented sleepily as I set him in his bed.
"Not all of it, Paul, it's not all cute. You know part of the why. My story with your uncle Dimka is not all ponies and rainbows. It's not a fairy tale, it is in no way a fairy tale." I pulled the covers over his nearly asleep form. Then sat on the bed's edge.
"But you still have him. You overcame his turning."
"Paul? Why did you use that term and not 'death'?"
A yawn was let out. "Because he didn't die, not properly. I'm the next Guardian Belikov, I have to accept the difference. The girls could let go and move on, but not you or I, Great-Grandmother takes both sides it depends on her gift. With Uncle Dimka she took our side, not truly letting go and made sure you didn't do the same. The life and sense of reality in Baia is very different to a guardian's. Mama, Babushka, Aunt Sonya and Aunt Vika can play pretend, grieve and forget, but not us. We know better, we know being Strigoi is worse since it's our reality to kill them as a job and lifestyle. We go through the same training but the girls who train in America take a different view to the ones from Baia. That relaxed life makes our jobs harder."
"Yeah. You're right, Paul. And just like Dimitri, you are extremely bright. As he says about me, you are capable of processing and knowing things people twice your age can't. You are going to be an amazing guardian, nephew. You may even outshine me if you keep this up."
"Thanks Aunt Roza, but you will always be the better one. You're even better than uncle Dimka if only because he trained you." Another yawn escaped him and his eyes were struggling to stay open.
"I don't think so. Private Paul," I softly joked and he blushed. "Just like Uncle Dimka." I brushed the hair from his face, tucking it behind his ear, before placing a light kiss on his forehead. "Night, Paul. I love you," I whispered tenderly.
"Night, Aunt Roza. I love you, too." His eyes shut and his breathing evened and shallowed.

Once I was certain he was asleep, I quietly rose and left. Only for a set of brown pools to meet me at the door. Those brown pools were swimming with tears. "Oh Dimitri." I snuggled into his chest and pushed us out of the room, softly closing the door after us somehow.
"Roza," he cried into my hair. In that one word, I knew exactly what he was thinking. I understood what was going through his head. And that it was extremely close to what I had felt and thought over winter break.
"Shut up, Dimitri Belikov!" I cautiously but playfully chastised. "I only want you, I only need you. I can't be happy without you, I can't be happy without you being happy."
"But you've thought about them, haven't you? Over Christmas break."
"Spoiler alert. I didn't get a choice. We'll discuss this later, Comrade. We've just gotten you back, let's focus on that, on us, just us, for now. I love you."
"As I love you," he declared.

His tears dried and he calmed, realising every moment we got with the other was precious. This was the precious, impossible future together we'd dreamed of. It was more imperative to treasure this time together.

Recomposed, we entered the common room. Wrapped in the other.
"He's asleep," I notified Karo.
"Thank you, Roza. You have no idea how helpful it is."
"All good. He's got a shining future ahead of him. And he's as much of a teddy bear and as placid as this one here," I gesture to Dimitri with my head before we sat. The Belikova's laughed at that. Dimitri paled.
"Rose! You know that's not true," my man whinged in my ear.
"Who's reading chapter fifteen?" I asked. Refocusing the group.