Vampire Academy 1. Chapter 1

**As requested by Fiera Hathaway. This one's for you! Enjoy!**

Two movies into the night, Dimitri had no idea what he was watching or what he had watched. He vaguely remembered Zach telling him earlier that evening that they'd be watching a series of horror feature films that, according to him and Celeste, were hilariously and unbelievably asinine.  
>But Dimitri was in no position to judge whether they'd been telling the truth, and not for lack of trying. Oh, he had been trying to pay attention to the movies for the past 2 hours, but <em>something<em> kept distracting him. Or rather, _someone, _who was seated just but a metre away from him, and who kept fidgeting and sighing every five minutes. If that wasn't sidetracking enough, _she_ had abandoned watching the 'lame' movies only fifteen minutes into the first, and had spent the rest of the time chewing popcorn, surveying the room and sneaking glances at him.

Rose had been conversing with Eddie, Celeste and Zach for over two hours-animatedly-but both guardians had dozed off just a few minutes back and Eddie had crawled forward to talk to Rhys, so she was left with no other option than to snatch Eddie's popcorn bowl and start eating the food at a breakneck pace, staring into it like her life depended on it, trying to do anything to not acknowledge the sexual tension that had been building between _them_ for the past few hours. It had started the moment she entered the room and made eye-contact with Dimitri, and from then on, it had only increased...exponentially. Unable to acknowledge it, or act on it, Rose had occupied herself by doing everything and anything to distract herself while Dimitri had been sitting in the same pose for hours, stoically staring at the projector screen.

Dimitri had to suppress a smile as he saw Rose enthusiastically occupy herself with Castile's popcorn bowl, looking into it as if it held the answers of the universe. He wasn't naïve, he knew she was avoiding him, but he didn't call her out on it. On normal days, they were hyperaware of each other, knowing with certainty when the other entered a room or even moved. But tonight, trapped between their (sleeping) friends and colleagues (or soon-to-be-colleagues, in Rose's case), sitting just a little distance apart in the dark, the tension between them was stifling, almost tangible.

Dimitri's hands were balled into fists and crossed across his chest, so that he didn't do something stupid like reach out to her, because the urge to pull her closer and run his fingers through her tresses almost clouded his rationality. _Almost_, but not quite, Dimitri was still in control of his body, just not his racing heart and wishful imagination.

He surveyed the room again, not surprised that almost all the inhabitants were already asleep, because frankly the little he'd gleaned from actually watching the current movie for five minutes had bored him immensely. I mean, why would two people be exchanging romantic platitudes when an army of zombies literally aimed for their necks? Ridiculous!

He thought of other things instead, blocking out the movie and everything else around him. He tried to keep his thoughts light and pleasant, and definitely far-far-away from the temptress beside him, who was looking dejectedly into her now-empty-popcorn-bowl, a frown creasing her forehead. Dimitri wanted to reach out and smooth it away or at least pass over his untouched popcorn bowl, and really no one would think anything wrong of it, but he dared not, because he had to stay in control. Her self-control was legendarily horrible, and if his slipped….

He _hoped_ he could go through this night without doing something indecent, especially in public like this. Though if you wanted to get technical, almost everyone around them was already asleep or close to it, and if someone even did see him and Rose engaging in 'improper behaviour' (the sort Alberta had warned the student body to refrain from participating before the movies started), they'd _likely_ brush it off to hallucination or sleep-deprivation. But those were not risks that Dimitri was willing to chance. Her status would be tarnished beyond repair, and Dimitri couldn't bear to do that to his Roza.

For now he'd have to be content dreaming about possible future nights when he'd watch movies with the princess and Rose, perhaps just with _her_ alone, and then he could dare to be bolder. But not now, not yet. Now, he'd have to go through this night-from-hell without actively pursuing the suggestive scenes that his mind was busy enacting.

Unfortunately for him, all his aspirations for an incidence-free-albeit-tense-night dashed the moment Zach groaned in his slumber a few minutes later and rolled towards Rose.

Rose tensed-startled-dropping her bowl, and scooted away, almost landing in Dimitri's lap. Realizing her position, she tried to shift away, but lost her balance. She'd have toppled to the ground, if Dimitri's hand hadn't reached out and encircled her waist and pulled her flush against him. He held her till she recovered her composure and then started to release her. But as he did, his hand brushed against her, seeming to caress her skin and she couldn't stop the shiver that shook her. His hand stilled, and both of them sat unmoving for a moment, unsure of what to do, till she lifted her dazed eyes to meet his surprised ones.

Dimitri had reacted reflexively when he saw her falling. Like many other times, he'd righted her and held her, torturing himself with her proximity while she recovered. The moment she did-_the exact moment_ he felt her relax-he began to release her-reluctantly-prolonging their contact for as long as he could. But then she stiffened in his arms and a shudder rolled through _her_ body, making _his_ body tense up in reaction. Her eyes lifted up to his and sensibility went right out the window.

His eyes glided down from her eyes to her nose, shifted over her cheekbones and drifted to her lips. Her pink, full lips, slightly open with silent invitation. Her inviting lips beckoned him and he began to bend his head, slanting towards her. Her lips trembled in anticipation and she breathed in sharply. Slowly, teasingly, he moved towards her, prolonging the moment and then…

And then, Celeste's hand hit him across his back.

**Uh-oh! What do you think is gonna happen next? **

**Review and let me know!  
>Thank you for reading! <strong>

**Cheers!**


	2. Chapter 2

Dimitri froze and glanced behind himself, preparing for the chastisement Celeste would undoubtedly bestow on him, but he found her….asleep; and mumbling unintelligibly as she shifted in her sleep. _Great, just great!  
>So close,<em> Rose moaned internally, as Dimitri's face whirled back to her, not clouded with desire anymore, but guarded; back to his guardian mask again. Sighing to herself, Rose composed her features to hide her disappointment. He fully released her then, taking his hand s off her body, but when she tried to move away, his hand gripped her knee, checking her movement. She glanced at him-puzzled-but he was facing the projector screen again, a carefully crafted thoughtful look on his face. As she looked at him, really looked at him, trying to figure out his intentions, Dimitri's hand glided from her knee to claim her hand and he entwined their fingers.

Dimitri didn't know what had overcome him, or why he was risking it, but he couldn't help it. He'd heard her sigh of disappointment, and his own sadness at having to stop the kiss overrode the alarm bells signaling impropriety in his head. He lifted their hands to his lips and brushed a far-too-quick kiss against her knuckles, looking straight into her eyes, before releasing her hand and directing his eyes towards the screen again, pretending to be engrossed in the movie.

Rose, still reeling from the fleeting warmth of his mouth against her fingers, gathered her blankets around herself and deliberated whether to stay in place or move away. She should move away, she knew, but her entire body screamed in protest. Screw propriety, she decided. Almost everyone was already asleep, she thought, and those who weren't were too far away from them to notice anything. So, she shifted towards him, copying his pose, sitting as close as she could get till their bodies were touching from their shoulders to their outstretched legs, making her skin tingle wherever her skin brushed against his. Dimitri looked at her from the corner of his eye, but she deliberately overlooked the warning and apprehension in his eyes, and boldly reached across him to claim his popcorn bowl. Copying his stance, she looked towards the movie screen and absently began chewing the popcorn, taking nothing in but the colours and motions across the screen.

Dimitri _tried_ to move away, but he couldn't. He knew he should, but he just couldn't.

He couldn't…

Seated so close to her, surrounded by her warmth, he couldn't move away. Nor could he help his next action. Surreptitiously, he reached into the popcorn bowl, now propped up in her lap, and threaded his fingers through hers again. Slowly, he dragged their entwined hands beneath her blanket and just held her hand, not uttering one word.

Rose was content to hold his hand, hell she was overwhelmed that Dimitri was allowing this at all, but she knew this was only for now, only for the night. Oh, how she wished it wasn't! They'd never be able to flaunt their love in public, to hold hands or kiss in front of people, or be even together without challenging their entire system. Intellectually, she knew all this, and she even accepted it, but she wished they could spend some time together and alone, watching movies together, doing the silly things that romantic couples did. She dragged her eyes from the movie screen towards the love of her life, her eyes full of questions she didn't dare to name, but he understood. He always did. Hell, with how in-tune they were with each other's feelings and moods, he was probably even thinking the same damn thing.

"Someday", he whispered to her, squeezing her hand.

"Promise?", she asked in an hesitant undertone, wanting reassurance.

Dimitri only smiled at her in reply, one of his rare full smiles that wrecked havoc with Rose's heart and made her stomach flip, before he said, "Sleep, Roza." And sleep she did, smiling gently as she stretched out and laid her head on his shoulder, much like how she'd done during that shopping trip from Missoula to the academy long ago.

When Eddie returned, he found Rose leaning against Guardian Belikov, fast asleep, bundled in the formidable guardian's coat. Guardian Belikov, for his part, was chewing his lip thoughtfully, looking at the movie screen, but he spared Eddie one glance upon noticing the younger dhampir's incredulous gaze fixed on him (and Rose). He fixed Eddie with a look that clearly said 'Rose will do what she wants to do, be it sleeping against her mentor's shoulder, or sleeping with half the contents of her popcorn bowl tangled in her hair' and Eddie couldn't help but smile commiseratively at him. Oh, he _knew_ how Rose was, he indeed knew her very well. He'd been both collaborator and audience of her hare-brained and gutsy actions for far too long. So he spared one wry smile and headshake at his friend before leaning against the edge of the couch and closing his eyes. The movie sucked, and his time would be better spent sleeping, he decided.

Dimitri directed his attention to the movie screen again, trying to absorb some details from this movie at least (this one featured giant psychotic duck-like aliens invading the world, of all things) to discuss with his fellow guardians later on (and yes, they'd grill him, Alberta would ensure that), and he found it very easy to concentrate this time, now that he was at peace, now that there was nothing else _distracting_ him. Now that his Roza was close to him, holding his hand and filling his very senses. Delicately, he sniffed the smell of Rose's perfume and squeezed her hand, hoping that _someday_ would come soon.

Roza wasn't the only one who wanted some time together and alone. He did, too. Dimitri couldn't wait for someday.

**There you go, that's the end of Midnight Show. Hope you liked it! Don't forget to leave a review. Cheers!**

**And hiseask17, Roza-Dimka-Reader and Fiera Hathaway, you guys were right. I'm a total sucker for these sappy moments, and I couldn't let Celeste interrupt them before they received some sort of closure :p**


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