Adrian's Promise (Adrian/Rose) one-shot

Subject: Adrian's Promise (Adrian/Rose) one-shot Sun Oct 25, 2009 5:57 pm

This is basically after Blood Promise and has spoilers for Blood Promise.

Story: Adrian's Promise
Characters: Rose/Adrian
Length: 2,226
-----------------

I was in a dream. But it wasn’t my dream. I sighed loudly as Adrian came into view, shuffling his feet as though he really didn’t want to be there.

It took him long enough.

It had been weeks since Lissa and I went on our suicide mission to kidnap Victor Dashkov from prison. A prison that Lissa and I put him in to begin with.

But he had important information. Information that I needed. He was the only one who knew where his brother was. His brother, Robert, seemingly knew how to turn Strogoi back into dhampir’s. And that could change everything. If what Mark said was correct. I could have Dimitri back again.

But Adrian didn’t exactly agree with my plan.

Our disagreement, to put lightly, began when I told Lissa, my mother, and Adrian of my plan.

----

“It’s simple” I said for the umpteenth time. “Lissa and I free Victor, he leads us to his brother, we change Dimitri back. Simple,” I looked up at my mother hopefully.

She was the one I was trying to convince. I technically was a legal adult, being eighteen and all, but my own emotions prevented me from abandoning her again without at least being truthful about why I was leaving in the first place.

“You’re plan has many flaws in it Rose. What if Victor tricks you and doesn’t lead you to his brother? What if you get caught freeing him from prison? What if you actually manage to find Robert but he doesn’t have the information you want? I don’t want you to get hurt Rose.”

I was slightly shocked. If I didn’t know better my mom was trying to be…well, a mom. It left me feeling like shit, because, with her permission or without it, I was still going to bring Dimitri back.

“But I have to try, right?” I said softly. I felt mildly uncomfortable, talking about Dimitri in front of my mom and Lissa and Adrian, but I pushed my discomfort away. I had no time to be petty or nervous. Every second I waited, every painful minute I wasted, was an opportunity for Dimitri to kill even more innocent people. “If I don’t try, and this rumor turns out to be true, and I kill Dimitri….Mom, I don’t think I could ever forgive myself. If there is even a slight chance that Dimitri could be Dimitri….I have to take it.”

My mother shook her head. “I love you Rose, but you’re not thinking straight. You can’t turn a Stogoi back into what they once were. It’s impossible.”

“Nothing’s impossible.” I retorted back. Why couldn’t she understand? I had to do this. There wasn’t another option. I couldn’t live if I killed Dimitri and then later found out I could of changed him back. The guilt would kill me up inside.

“Some things are impossible. And I’m sorry Rose, but I forbade you from going on this….suicidal mission. “

My face turned red with anger. “You can’t forbade me to do anything. I’m eighteen.”

Up to then both Adrian and Lissa had been remarkably silent. But a slight cough came from my left and I gave a exasperated sigh. Adrian.

“Janie’s right Rose. What you should really be doing is moving on.”

I turned to him, my gaze penetrating. “Well that would really suite your grand plan ,now wouldn’t it?”

A mixture of emotions flickered on his face. Guilt, annoyance, but most of all, hurt.

“I don’t have a plan,” he said quietly. I rolled my eyes.

“Of course you don’t. Don’t think I don’t know what you’re thinking. You just want me to get over Dimitri so you can have me all for myself.”

“Rose,” my mother snapped. I ignored her.

“You think that’s my grand scheme?” Adrian said, his cheeks turning red in anger, “You really think that I would use your pain to my advantage?”

“Yes!” I yelled. I knew I was being a brat. I was being a rotten bitch but I was so sick…of everything.

“Oh really?” Adrian said, more angrier than I had ever heard him be before. Gone was the cold indifference to everything; he was visibly shaking with rage. If I didn’t know any better, I would think he was on the verge of punching me, or at least attempting to punch me.

“Let me tell you something Rose. I might be the most sadistic bastard on the world. I might be annoying and stalkerish and all the other adjectives that you’ve used to describe me but let’s get something straight. “

I felt Lissa and my mom leave the room and I visibly sagged. With them here, my temper would be in check. Without them though; without Lissa’s calm presence nearby, I was worried that I was going to snap.

“ I care about you Rose, and it seems like every time I try to care about you, you push me away.”

My mouth dropped open.

“I---don’t do that.” I stammered. Really, I was shocked. This was not what I was expecting. I was expecting Adrian to call me a brat and tell me how big of a bitch I was being. I expected a huge yelling match not…..this.

“Yes, you do.” He said sadly. “And the thing is Rose, the thing that kills me…..you’re never going to get over Dimitri.”

“Yes I will,” I automatically said. But I knew that that was a lie. I loved Dimitri, my love for him wasn’t going to just disappear just because he was a Strogoi. I would love him until it killed me.

But I was hurting Adrian. Yes, I didn’t love him like I loved Dimitri, but I was slowly learning that there was different types of love.

Adrian cared, that much was certain. He cared not because I was a quick fix, not because I was a pretty little dhampir girl. He cared about me. He cared about the brain and soul inside my body more than he cared about my body itself.

“No, you won’t.” he said softer now. I felt a tightness in my throat and If I didn’t know any better I thought I was going to start bawling any second.

“Yes I will,” I said, stronger now, forcing the lie out of my mouth. “I have to,” I said, “Because If I don’t…then what will I become?”

“I don’t know Rose. You’re stronger than most people I meet. But when it comes to Dimitri….” His voice trailed off.

“When it comes to Dimitri what?”

“You’re weak Rose. When your around him your weak.”

---

“What are you doing here?” I said brusquely. I tried to ignore the black eye he sported, given by me truly.

Yes, I had punched him. But not very hard, and not enough to immobilize him. But the purplish bruise on his left eye wasn’t exactly tasteful.

“Apologizing,” he said lightly. He walked closer to me as I took a look around.

We were in a meadow, a bright happy meadow with colorful flowers everywhere. Beautiful purple peonies, yellow daises, and red roses caressed the ground. There was a brook nearby; I could hear the soft trickle of water it made as it flowed in a steady current near a cluster of trees to my left.

“Well, this would be the perfect spot.” I retorted, crossing my arms.

Yes I was still mad, and he had better have a hell of an apology prepared for me to even consider forgiving him.

“What?” he asked, looking confused.

“Never mind,” I muttered.

He looked at me for a long moment. I tried to avoid his gaze.

He finally sighed, sticking his hands in his sweater pockets.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t of said what I said.”

“You don’t sound sorry,” was all I said.

Adrian laughed, and I glared at him.

“You, as usual, see right through me and come to the wrong conclusion.” he said, still laughing.

“I don’t find what you said to be funny, Adrian.” I said coolly.

“I miss you,” he said randomly.

I stared at him. I didn’t see what was funny. I didn’t even know why he was here .

“That’s great, I miss you too,”

I wasn’t lying. I had missed his slightly crude remarks at my appearance and his attempts to seduce me with his carefully hidden presents. –insert sarcasm here-. But really, I had missed him being around.

“You don’t sound very enthusiastic,” he said mildly.

“No, I guess I don’t.” I replied, non-amusedly.

A awkward silence followed; me trying to avoid his gaze and him shifting from foot to foot, as if he was bursting to say something.

“If you have to say something Adrian, just say it,” I finally muttered, staring at the ground.

He looked at me for a long moment, and took a deep breath.

“Come back,” he said pleadingly.

I looked up, finally meeting his eyes.

“Come back Rose,” he said again, this time stepping closer to me. I, automatically, took a step back, feeling uncomfortable with the whole situation.

“You know I can’t,” I said quietly, willing for him to understand.

“Yes you can. Forget about you’re silly mission, come back while you still have the chance,” he whispered brokenly, coming closer and closer to me.

“It’s not a silly mission,” I said furiously, “I have to do this Adrian. “

“You’re going to get yourself killed Rose,” he said mournfully. “Dimitri would have never let you risk you’re life for him. You know that, that’s why you’re doing this; trying to turn him back, trying to kill him. He would have wanted you to be happy.”

I shook my head. “He said…”

Adrian interrupted me, close enough now that I could see the swirling emotions in his eyes, the tightness of his jaw. This had to be killing him.

“Forget what he said! He’s dead Rose. He isn’t coming back. Trying to kill him is going to kill you in the process, and I………“ he trailed off.

“And you what?” I said cautiously.

“I don’t want you to die Rose….I—don’t know if I would be able to bare it.”

I felt my eyes tearing up slightly, and I angrily brushed the tears away. This was harder than I thought. I cared about Adrian, cared enough that his pain was hurting me.

“You have to bare it,” I said, my voice wavering slightly.

“Come back,” he said a third time, touching my arm lightly. When I didn’t jerk away from his movements, he moved closer.

“No,” I said soflty.

“Come back,” he said sadly, touching my other arm. I shook my head.

“Please,” he whispered dejectedly. A tear slipped down his cheek, and I lost it.

Hot, acidic tears slipped down my face now, dampening my cheeks. I didn’t know what was happening to me. It felt as if my heart, already broken into a million pieces, just gave out on me. I didn’t know if it was what Adrian said that made me so emotional, or if it was how I responded to what he said.

I wanted to go home. I wanted my life back. And it was hard to admit that to myself, hard to admit that maybe Adrian was right.

Trying to kill Dimitri was killing myself in the process.

I didn’t know how it happened, but suddenly Adrian and I were hugging. I was crying uncontrollably, he, himself, seemed to have better control of his emotions as he whispered meaningless words in my ear, trying to calm me down. His hand patted my back softly as I cried like a baby.

Finally, finally, I stopped crying enough to look at him in the face. His eyes were full of worry for me, they swirled like green emeralds in the sun. I patted his cheek lightly, and before I could even consider what I was doing, I kissed him.

Kissing him was very different than kissing Dimitri. When Dimitri kissed me it made fire course through my body in high, uncontrollable surges. With Adrian though, it was if my body burned not as fast, slowly heating up as our kiss did.

It wasn’t a unpleasant situation, and I liked kissing him. We finally broke away, and I laughed lightly, bemused at the star struck appearance his face had taken.

“You kissed me,” he said dazedly. I laughed again.

“Don’t act so surprised,” I said, lightly punching his arm.

“I’m not. I just thought I’d have to do a lot more seducing before you would ever even think of kissing me.”

I punched his arm again, and he smiled brightly.

“Keep on talking like that and this will be the only kiss I will ever give you,” I said cheerfully.

His face suddenly took on a playful look, and before I could stop him, he kissed me. This kiss lasted much longer and grew in intensity until I finally pushed him away.

“We need to stop,” I said breathlessly. Adrian nodded in agreement.

“Rose, we can go as slow as you want us to go. I know you still love Dimitri, and you probably always will, but I’ll always be here for you.”

I smiled. “Thanks Adrian, that really means a lot.”

“Promise you’ll come back to the Academy as soon as possible?” he said hopefully.

“Promise,”

Subject: Re: Adrian's Promise (Adrian/Rose) one-shot Tue Oct 27, 2009 3:30 pm

Awe! That emotional part with Adrian and Rose got to me. I love your descriptions particularly with Adrian's eyes. I also love that you included Janie in this. I actually want to see Rose and Janie connection grow in the novels and if Rose goes on that mission i hope she does speak to her mom about it like in your story.