Temptation

I shivered, the cold cutting through me, the cold air in the car surrounding me. My feet were going numb, as were my legs, and my teeth chattered as I curled the small blanket around me. We were just on our way home - Dimitri and I, from our trip to the Badica's, which took a terrible turn. Admittedly, I had been horrified to see the sight, and the worst part was seeing a guardian named Tamara, standing over body of her dead mentor. Thinking back to it made me shiver even more.

I never wanted to be separated from Dimitri, my mentor. He helped me in ways I didn't know possible, and as I looked out the window, seeing Dimitri out in the blizzard, trying to get a cell phone signal, I wished it was me out there, in the freezing cold and him here in the slight warmth left in the car from after it broke down about a half an hour ago.

As my torso started to be split with the cold seeping in, I opened the door, calling out to Dimitri. He didn't look at first, probably not hearing me because of the gusting wind, but after a second and third time calling his name, the cold wrapping around me even more, he looked over and I shut my door as he started to proceed over to the car, wrapping his long duster around him even more as he opened the door, sliding into the drivers seat.

"I can't get a signal," he stated.

"We're in the middle of nowhere, comrade." I said as though it all made perfect sense now.

He chuckled, "No, really? I thought we were in the middle of Mexico."

Honestly, I was expecting him to roll his eyes, and brush the comment off, but as his sarcasm on it shone through, I smiled. I rarely seen him in anything less then guardian mode. He seemed to put his guard up even more around me.

"I know it's cold out," he said, glancing over at me. "But, I think there's a hotel a couple blocks in."

I looked at him and nodded, "Then let's stop talking and get going, I'm freezing."

He smiled at me before opening his door, taking the keys and the small bags we had in the back with essentials just in case something like this happened. He locked the car as I stepped out, onto the pavement beneath us, the road deserted of cars and help as the blizzard worsened.

I walked over to Dimitri and he handed me my bag, which I put my arms through, letting it rest on my back.

"Let's go," Dimitri said loudly to be heard over the wind.

My body seemed to be getting so cold that it was immobile, though I nodded anyway and followed Dimitri through the snow engulfing us. I knew Dimitri must be cold, but no way would he complain. He wasn't the type to let people know if something was bugging him, or if he found something difficult. Sometimes, I felt as though his strength flooded into me. I admired him for his obedience even when I knew he wanted to anything but what was asked, and his strength. As I thought of him, and glanced beside me, seeing him trudging on, his brown hair soaked with snow, I felt feelings stir within that I had never felt before. Safety, contentment, happiness and a warmth filled my body. It was almost overwhelming, and I looked away.

Love. I had loved him since we had started training together. Everything about him was so similar to me, yet so different at the same time. He made my palms sweat, and my heart beat fast and hard in my chest. But there were many problems with this, the seven year age difference only being a minor complication. I decided to forget all the reasons why we couldn't be together as we continued on. It was just me and him right now, and everything else didn't seem to matter.

I figured once we got to the hotel, Dimitri would call for help, and wait to receive it, though a small, no, big part of me hoped we would just stay the night. Be together, as wrong as it was.

Twenty minutes must of passed before finally, as my feet felt like blocks of ice, we seen the lights ahead of a motel. I breathed a shaky sigh of relief as my teeth chattered together, and Dimitri, who had since put his arm around me in a failed attempt to keep us a little warm, seemed to relax.

We approached the building, finally reaching the doors and as my body shook under me, Dimitri let his arm drop, blowing his hot breath on his hands as he went over to the desk.

"Is there a phone I could use?" he asked. "We broke down a few blocks away." he explained.

The lady, who was blond, and had way too much make up on, nodded, giving him a small smile as she handed him the phone placed behind the counter.

I sighed a little at Dimitri's responsibility as he dialled a number. I wished he would just give in to the attraction I knew was mutual between us.

"Yes, hi, Alberta?" Dimitri's voice filled the lobby and I rubbed the tops of my arms. "Rose and I broke down, we're in the middle of a blizzard here, so, we're going to stay put for the night at a nearby motel. I'll call you in the morning to give you our location so you can send another vehicle out."

My mood instantly brightened as I heard that we were staying the night, but my feet were burning from the warmth of the lobby unthawing them so quickly. I drowned out th conversation and stood there for a few moments as Dimitri hung up.

"Would it be possible to get a room for the night?" Dimitri asked as he gave the phone back to the lady.

I walked over, standing beside him as she nodded. "For the both of you?"

Dimitri glanced over at me, seeming torn. "Yes," he replied as he looked back to the lady.

She nodded, looking at the computer screen in front of her for many, long moments. "That'll be 150 dollars." She said as Dimitri nodded, taking his wallet out from his back pocket, handing her some type of credit card. I wanted to help pay, but unfortunately, I was broke.

The lady took the card, scanning it, and opened a drawer with another key as she pulled one out, a tag wrapped around it, handing it, along with the credit card to Dimitri. "Here you go, Sir. Fourth floor." she said sweetly. "Check out is at 11am."

Dimitri nodded, smiling politely as he shoved the card and his wallet into his back pocket once again, taking the key. "Thank you, Miss." he said before turning to me and motioning toward the elevator.

"Oh," said the lady at the counter as I turned to look back at her, as did Dimitri. "And if you two need anything... anything at all, it's in one of the drawers in the bathroom. Other then that, room service is just a call away."

As I realized what she was implying, I actually felt my cheeks heat up, my chest tightening a little. If only, I thought to myself.

Dimitri chuckled, but something told me he, too, was embarrassed. "Thank you," he replied, hitting the button for the elevator to come.

If only it came faster.

Finally, as it descended down, opening, and we stepped in, it closing behind us as Dimitri pressed the button for the fourth floor, he looked down at me.

"Is Rosemarie Hathaway blushing?" he asked, amusement, as well as a teasing grin playing on his face.

I looked up at him, cocking a brow. "I am not," I replied sternly as the elevator came to a halt.

He chuckled and as the doors opened, we exited the elevator, going to the room number written on the tag of the key.

As we entered, it was a little less furnished then the academy's dorm rooms, although, it was comfy. There was a small fire place off to the side, a chesterfield in front of it, accompanied by a coffee table, old paintings on the wall, along with a deep burgundy paint job. There was one, long dresser with many drawers and a small room in the corner leading to the bathroom. There was black carpet on the floor and it smelled like rose's. Then, as my eyes landed on one point of the room, my heart sped up again. There was only one double bed in the middle of the room. I gulped, getting ready for Dimitri to sigh exasperatedly and go back down to the front desk to ask for a room with two beds. Though, to my surprise, he shut, and locked the door behind us, and threw his bag down on the bed, taking off his duster.

He hung his jacket up on one of the pegs on the wall, running a hand through his hair. He had on a red wife beater, along with a pair of jeans, and he turned to me, leaning against the dresser as I threw my bag beside his, leaving my sweater on.

"I'll make a fire to warm us up," he said, going over to the wood stack in the corner, taking a couple pieces, along with a match and eventually making a fire in the fire place.

As I walked over, sitting with him on the couch in front of it, the warmth sent a shiver through me, and I felt Dimitri's arm wrap around my shoulders.

... Maybe he was going to let his guard down?

I looked up to him and seeing his gaze fixated on the flames before us, I rested my head upon his shoulder.

His body heat, along with the heat from the fire got me warm in no time, and I sat forward, taking my sweater off. I felt Dimitri's eyes on me as I relieved a black, form fitted tank top, showing off my curves perfectly in the dim light.

I laid my sweater on the spot beside me as I leaned back, into Dimitri's embrace. His arm's were now wrapped around my torso and his lips, next to the base of my ear. "You're beautiful, you know." he murmured as I grinned.

"You're only now figuring that out, comrade?" I questioned playfully. "I thought you were on top of everything. Guess I was wrong."

Dimitri chuckled, leaning back against the back of the couch. "Well pardon me," he said, rolling his eyes at me.

"But thank you, you don't look half bad yourself." I stated contently.

He chuckled, "Always the modest one, aren't you, Rose?"

I smirked, "I try."

He shook his head, a smile playing on his lips as he looked back to the light of the fire. He looked so handsome in the soft glow. His hair was starting to dry, and it styled itself in the same way it always was, seeming styled, though a tad messy. I looked back to the fire, trying to tell myself how wrong the feelings were. How wrong the attraction was.

Though I found myself looking back up at him only moments later, and his big, brown, comforting eyes beamed into mine. I couldn't turn away, or divert my gaze. It filled my body with such a warmth and love that I didn't want to leave. I knew being in love with him was a handicap, but I couldn't help it. I didn't chose to love him, though that left me with the question of if I could chose, would I chose differently? And I didn't know the answer to that.

As Dimitri leaned down a little, I found myself tilting my head up, and after a second, our lips met. It was soft and loving and my body was lit on fire, every emotion and thought possible running through me as the kisses grew more passionate.

I felt Dimitri cringe, realizing what was happening, and he pulled away. He muttered something in Russian before opening his eyes and looking down at me. The instant break in contact stopped all the wonderful feelings flooding through me. "I'm sorry, Roza." he murmured.

I looked up at him, and so the hurt wouldn't shine through, I smirked. "We could always go see what's in those drawers?" I said playfully.

Dimitri chuckled, some of the tension easing. "Go to bed, Rose." he murmured. "We'll get help in the morning and go back to the academy."

I looked at him, sighing, knowing he was closing off. "Fine," I murmured, getting up. "Night, comrade."

He nodded, "Goodnight, Rose."