Reading VA: Reading Vampire Academy (A VA fanfic)

Twenty-three

DPOV
What Rose and I had done this morning had been fun, but also absolute torture. She had been the biggest tease yet. She had had a valid point, I had indeed been the one to supply her with that nearly nothing naughty nighty. And had made me pay for it, as well as for the charm giving her nothing except for hell in its wake. I happily paid the price my fiancé set.

We started rereading after a half-hour break for morning tea refreshments and to stretch our legs.
"Whose turn next?" asked Lissa.
"My turn," volunteered Mia. Who then collected the book from Lissa.

"I'd never had so much trouble staying out of Lissa's head before, but then, we'd never been through anything like this together either."

Mia started and those gathered fell silent. Wanting to know how this played out if they hadn't been through it. Roza, who was sitting on my lap with my arms securing her to me, buried her head in my chest. She didn't want live this yet again, she shouldn't have to. My hold on my woman tightened, one hand ran through her hair and over her back, trying to provide comfort and reassurance.

All the while, Mia was reading the mad dash Rose had made to escape the psi-hounds and get to an escaped Lissa. Also on her mind had been protecting Christian. Yes, she'd also known her duty better than me, better than most seasoned guardians. Even if she took unorthodox measures to fulfil it, measures no one else but me saw as duty related and a sign she'd do whatever it took. To me, her ingenuity and sacrifice had said to me she was meant to be one of the best of the best. The reputation created by the rumours had worried me for the influence and impact it would have, potentially ruining her destiny to be the best guardian for Lissa.

I tuned back in to hear, "But I didn't have to. Rescue appeared in the form of Alberta, emerging through some trees.
"With a gun in hand, she shot the hounds without hesitation. Boring as all hell perhaps-and completely useless against Strigoi-but against other things? Guns were tried and true."

A small laugh escaped the group at Rose's humorous and snarky description of a serious topic. Typical had to be the word running through everyone's mind.

Mia returned to reading. Covering Christian's injury report, Lissa feeding off Rose then saving her own soulmate. After she read, "I must have keeled over after that, because I don't remember anything else." Roza asked, "Comrade? What did you see? How did you feel?"

"I found you passed out. And felt terrible. The mentor part of me wanted to kick your ass for disobeying orders. That thought didn't get to fully form after what we'd just done, after what had nearly happened. I was so so worried, and felt guilty because I hadn't been there to protect you. I also admired your determination and dedication to protect Lissa when the rest of us were busy." A soft, loving smile lit her face. My fiancé nodded then snuggled back into my chest. "Read please, Mia," I instructed.

She restarted, covering the clinic and reveal to admin and their action plan to keep Lissa in school and society. Everyone else was silent. Lissa was snuggled into Christian like Rose was into me. Also covered in silence was what the students knew, that Dashkov had been held under guard and the plan for Natalie's punishment and her role. Rose muttered into my chest her regret over feeling sorry for the girl when that was covered.

Silence remained as Mia continued reading. Covering Lissa and Rose returning to their friendship, Lissa switching her boyfriend from Aaron to Christian, and Rose's and my "romantic state". Hearing all of that again was incredibly hard on her. It had taken its toll the first time 'round. I'd seen the pain I'd inflicted with my words, with the lie, but I hadn't realised quite how hard it had hit her. This time I apologised profusely for hurting her so much, for underestimating, miscalculating and misreading just how much she truly did love me. That it hadn't been puppy love, but the mature love I felt for her, the one we now shamelessly and guiltlessly allowed ourselves to openly share with the other and in front of our friends and family, being together publicly. I received accusing and disappointing glares from Christian, Lissa, Mama, Babushka, my sisters and even Roza's parents-who were still barely accepting of us. Clearly though, they loved my Rose and wanted her happy; I had broken her heart and they didn't like that, at all.

Next came Rose finding a way in to see Dashkov. The heavy silence remained as Mia read what had happened before I'd come in.
"I crossed my arms, trying to put on a look of total guardian fierceness."

"You're terrifying when you succeed at that. And heartbreaking when you send a blank mask my way," I whispered into my fiancé's ear. Mia kept reading through the interaction.

""... You can be forgiven for a schoolgirl's crush.""
"It wasn't," Rose and I mumbled simultaneously.
""But him? He should have demonstrated more control in hiding his feelings.""
"If I'd truly realised and managed to identify it," I muttered bitterly.

I still hated that Victor had done that, it had screwed up and fastened the process. It had caused me to complicate things beyond belief. It had caused me to hurt the one person I couldn't stand seeing in pain.

Sensing my turmoil, Roza looked into my eyes. "It's in the past," she said. Soon after, bringing her lips to mine for a sweet, loving and passionate kiss.

"It's in the past. I love you too much to hold anything against you," she murmured against my lips.
"I don't deserve you, woman. But I love you nonetheless," I murmured back, our lips still touching.

Now I was the one to start the kiss. Being with her was never easy, it wasn't meant to be, not with the roles we'd once played, not with all we'd been through, not with the society and world we lived in. But these moments were priceless and perfect. My life meant nothing without her in it. So I'd treasure her forever.

"I love you. Forever, my Roza," I reiterated when we paused to breathe.

We were ignoring the room and the reading. Far too absorbed in each other.

"I love you, Com-"

That did it! That nickname drove me crazy. I cut her off with another kiss. I'd never get enough of this, of her. I'd never tire of tasting her and feeling her, feeling the connection and absolute love that burned between us.

We eventually returned our focus to the quiet room and Mia's reading.

Tuning in to hear, "She walked right up to me and-no exaggeration-launched me against the far wall. My body hit it hard, and black star-bursts danced across my vision.
""What?..." I put a hand to my forehead and tried to get up."

Hearing this hurt. It had been painful enough seeing that state she'd ended up in. But hearing what I hadn't been able to protect her from because of conflicting emotions? That was so much worse. It had been my fault she had even been in there, and she had paid a price for my idiocy, for lying to her.

"... And most telling of all, the look in her eyes. A look so cold and so evil, my heart nearly came to a standstill. It was a look that said she no longer walked among the living-a look that said she was now one of the Strigoi."

After a few moments of shocked and tense silence, the room exploded with talk. The shock that had held the others silent now caused talk, as did outrage.

Christian silently pulled Lissa from the room. Milliseconds later, I did the same with my Roza. The two couples retreated to our respective rooms. This day was exhausting already- it was barely lunch, and we'd barely covered two chapters.
"How many chapters of Vampire Academy do we have left?" I asked my tired and emotionally worn soulmate.
"One. There's only one of that book left," she sighed.
"Sleep, my love," I whispered in her ear. "You're exhausted. I'll be here when you wake."

We lay on the bed, on top of the sheets. My fiancé positioned herself so her ear was over my heart, half her torso on mine and our left legs were entwined. I wrapped my arms around my beauty's waist and held her. Soon enough, her breathing evened into the pattern I knew as her sleeping one.

She looked oh so beautiful and peaceful when she slept. It was mesmerising to see this side of her. She was so lethal, and I knew just how much, nearly having died by her hand repeatedly. But in this moment you would never know she'd ever wrought death and so much of it, never know she'd come back from death, and never guess she had suffered what she had over the past three or so years of her life. I'd barely known her a year, but it felt as though I'd always known her, as though I'd been made for her and her arms.