No One Ever Looks Up (VA - Romitri)

Chapter 6: Pizza Party!

"OK, guys," I said, as I shut the door, "you might want to get comfortable – this could take a while."

"Rose?" Lissa asked, once we'd all flopped down on the floor and on my bed.

"Yes, Liss?"

"Curfew is in 20 minutes."

"And  we have our very own guardian to excuse us. Right, Comrade?" I reached  down from my perch on the bed and ruffled said guardian's hair.  Normally, that would be impossible, but he was currently propped against  the side of my bed, with his head leaning back in my lap.

He sighed. "Rose..."

"Wait – you don't have a shift, do you?" I didn't want to make him late again.

He smiled up at me. "No. I rearranged my schedule."

"Oh?" I tried, and failed, to raise a single brow. "And when did you find the time to do that?"

"Guardian secrets." He grinned.

It was my turn to sigh. "You won't be able to use that against me forever, you know. I'll be a guardian before you know it."

He  shrugged. "Then I'll have to make sure to get plenty of use out of it  before you graduate. And I've switched my shifts around so I'm guarding  all day while you're in class. I'll end my day with our training  sessions, just like you."

"Wow. How'd you pull that off?" I was impressed.

"I  called in a few favors. And promised to pick up shifts when needed. And  I might have promised Alberta to keep an eye on you and keep you out of  trouble."

I whacked him playfully upside the head. "But... that's way less than you were working."

"Yes."

"Comrade..." I warned, when he didn't elaborate.

He grimaced. "I...may have been working rather more than I had to."

At my look, he caved.

"OK, a lot  more than I had to. It kept me from thinking about Ivan, or feeling  awkward for not having – or wanting – a social life. Or thinking about  you."

He mumbled the last bit, but I was sitting close enough to hear him.

Christian  was the only other one of us who seemed to hear. His gaze, which had  been directed at Dimitri in an unwavering glare since we'd walked into  the room, turned speculative. It was actually unnerving, how much he  seemed to care about me. Maybe he wasn't so bad for Lissa after all.

Mason brought my attention back from where it was wandering.

"Will someone please tell me what is going on?"

"Oh. Sorry, Mase." I paused to gather my thoughts. "Here's the condensed version: oh, and this doesn't leave this room, OK?"

Once  everyone had nodded assent, I continued. "Dimitri and I are together.  But we promised Alberta we'd keep it under wraps, at least until I turn  18, if not until graduation. Shut your mouth Mase – flies might get in."

He shut his mouth with an audible click. "When you say 'together,'" Mason started slowly, "do you mean together together, or..." he frowned.

"What else does 'we are together' mean, Mason?" asked Christian.

Mason's frown deepened. "Rose..." he started.

"No,  Mase, he didn't force me. Yes, I love him, and he loves me. No, no one  else, save Alberta, knows. Yes, he's still training me – though as my  guarding partner and equal, not my mentor. Um. Did I miss anything?"