400Namaste! Happy Deepavali to everyone who celebrates :)
Bet you didn't expect to see an update for AAL. Well, I aim to surprise :D
This chapter features the continuation of the games night from the previous chapter. Read it once if you've forgotten ;)
Enjoy the chapter :)
Live for the moment because everything else is uncertain
~unknown
Pilot Astronaut Rose Hathaway
"Let's start with my game," I insisted.
"Let me guess," Christian said, tapping his index finger to his chin mockingly. "It's truth or dare."
I frowned, looking at others who were busy laughing. "How did you know?"
Christian laughed as well. "It's not hard to guess, Rose."
"Am I that predicable?" I demanded, turning to Dimitri.
He smiled slightly in response. "Sometimes you are."
I glared at him and punched his shoulder. "You're supposed to be on my side, Comrade. I'll make you regret that answer, you just wait."
"Oh, quit the flirting." Christian said, rolling his eyes.
At Tasha's look, he shrugged. "What? For Rose, threats are equivalent to flirting, isn't it? She's just so full of loooveee!"
I scoffed while the rest of them laughed at my expense.
"If I'm so full of loooveee," I imitated his words. "Perhaps you wouldn't mind if I shared it with you. Let's see, what would you prefer? Knuckle sandwich or nosebleed nougat?"
More laughter.
Christian's reply was cut off when Lissa squeezed his hand. "Why don't we start the game?"
"Before we do," Adrian stood up and fetched a glass bottle from the overhead cabinet. "Let's make the game better. More fun. How about a shot if the person refuses to complete their dares?"
"Or if they don't tell the truth," Christian added. "Hm...I like it."
"We shouldn't be drinking." Dimitri reminded us strictly.
"Then don't forfeit the question," I said simply. "Plus, you have an iron stomach, Comrade. What do you have to worry about?"
"Rose is right, don't forfeit the question." Adrian told Lissa who looked apprehensive. "Besides, isn't it high time we had some fun?"
"Fun doesn't have to involve alcohol," Tasha supplied.
"Your kind of fun doesn't." I muttered under my breath.
Only Adrian and Dimitri who sat on either of me heard my words and both appeared sufficiently amused, despite Adrian being the butt of the joke.
"Come on, what's the worse that could happen?" Christian said. "Mia will be here to control the fun, right Mia?"
"I'm mad at you, Christina!" Mia's voice echoed through the walls.
"Why?" Christian asked in confusion.
"Did you invite me to play with you?" Mia sniffed. "Noo! Let's ignore poor Mia! I expected better from you, Chrissy."
We laughed, knowing that Mia was only pulling his leg.
"I'm sorry," Christian called in exasperation. "Have you thought that the reason I didn't invite you was because you refuse to call me by my real name?"
"The thought never occurred to me, Christina!" Mia chimed happily.
"Mia, that's enough." Dimitri said but he looked like he was suppressing a smile. "Leave Christian alone."
"Okay," Mia agreed. "Only because you asked me to, handsome."
Lissa and I laughed when Dimitri ducked his head, never having gotten used to Mia's blatant flirting with him.
She was really the life of this ship.
Mia had her own different way of talking to each of us, keeping us sufficiently amused by her antics. I was proud to say that she'd been created and developed by my father and his team. God knows how depressing it would have been without her.
"I'll start the game." Adrian said eagerly. "My victim is-"
"Wait!" Christian held up a hand to stop Adrian from continuing. "We need some variety. I mean, we know Rose is always going to pick dares and Adrian will always pick the truth because he's a wuss-"
"Hey!" Adrian protested.
Christian ignored him. "-so we need some kind of system that makes the player choose both truth and dare equally."
We all looked at each other, wondering if anyone was going to propose an answer.
Adrian pursed his lips in thought. "Why don't we assign rounds for truth and dare? See, the first round can be the truth round so everyone has to choose the truth and the second round is the dare round and everyone has to complete a dare?"
"That's not a bad idea," I agreed grudgingly. Honestly, I hated choosing truths. Who knew how uncomfortable things could get?
"Okay. So this is the truth round." Lissa clarified before gesturing for Adrian to go ahead.
His emerald eyes locked on his target.
Me.
Since I had not really moved from my position from beside Dimitri, I was sitting at a fair distance away from Adrian. But I could still make out the devious glint in Adrian's eyes.
"Rose," he started sweetly. "Truth or truth, darling?"
"Cut the crap, Adrian." I told him, very aware of Dimitri's warmth on my back
"Fine. What would you do on your ideal first date?" He smiled suggestively.
I could almost feel the glare that Dimitri directed at Adrian. But there was no need to.
"On my ideal first date," I began with a smile. "I'd be allowed to eat whatever I wanted."
Dimitri snorted softly while Lissa giggled.
Adrian gave me an indignant look. "That's what you want to do on your first date?"
"Yes," I admitted truthfully. "You never really know how much to eat in front of your date. So, my ideal date would involve being comfortable enough to eat what I wanted and as much as I wanted."
"That sounds like you." Christian nodded thoughtfully.
"You want nothing more than that?" Adrian questioned again.
I narrowed my eyes at him. "One question, Adrian. You've already asked one question."
"Fine, you ask."
"Christian," I picked, smirking at my target. "What's the dumbest thing you've ever done on a dare?"
Dimitri chuckled softly in my ear when Christian's face soured.
"This should be interesting," Dimitri told me, no doubt having heard it before or witnessed it himself.
"I proposed to the principal of my school," Christian grudgingly admitted.
Yeah, Dimitri and Christian went to the same high school in my old hometown. Hell, Christian had transferred into my school the same year I'd transferred out. That had to be mean -
Wait, what did Christian say?
"You proposed to Mrs. Kirova?" I gasped, remembering the vulture like headmistress that we'd had.
Dimitri laughed when Christian reddened and nodded slightly.
"You've got balls, I'll give you that." I told him, remembering how strict she was.
"Yeah, well." Christian sighed. "She made me regret it."
Tasha gasped mockingly. "Did she say yes?"
Christian rolled his eyes despite his embarrassment.
"It gets worse." Dimitri said, his tone almost gleeful.
Christian glared at Dimitri. "That was all Ivan's fault!"
"What happened?" Lissa asked eagerly.
"I was…um, I was dared to more than just propose-" Christian mumbled hesitantly before taking a deep breath. "When she said no to the proposal, I had to…well, um, I had to ask for a tampon."
Everyone laughed, Adrian going so far as to pat Christian's back. I could only imagine Kirova's reaction…
"Well?" I asked eagerly. "Did you give it to you?"
Christian nodded shortly, crossing his arms mutinously when we continued to laugh.
"Enough." Christian huffed, glaring around at us. "It's my turn now."
"Go ahead," Adrian gestured, wiping tears of laughter from his eyes.
"I pick Lissa," Christian said surprisingly. "Have you ever had a crush on anyone here?"
That was his question? Stupid boy, wasting a chance to hear something scandalous.
"Everybody knows the answer to that," I whispered to Dimitri as we watched Lissa blush.
I knew I was sitting way too close to Dimitri but I couldn't bring myself to move. It was okay, wasn't it? They'd all think that I just wanted to get away from Adrian.
"I think there's more to it," Dimitri replied, his breath warm on my ear.
I sighed, feeling goosebumps on my flesh because of his whispered words. Determined to fight my body's reaction, I turned back to Lissa when she nodded and said, "You."
What a surprise. Not.
"Other than me." Christian clarified.
Oh, was he jealous? Of whom, though?
Lissa shook her head, smiling up at Christian innocently. "You only get one question, Chris."
"Read the subtext, Ozera." Adrian told him lightly. "Lissa has a crush on someone other than you and that someone is me. After all, it's hard to resist me."
I snorted and Lissa rolled her eyes.
"Is that why Rose has been resisting you since eternity?" Christian shot.
"Little Pilot is an exception," Adrian clarified, shooting me a wink.
I could only imagine the look on Dimitri's face…
"It's my turn!" Lissa clapped happily. Her victim came as a surprise. "I choose Dimitri."
Dimitri simply arched an eyebrow.
"When and how was your first kiss?" she asked with an air of someone who suspected the answer.
Dimitri's eyes met mine.
I smiled as a pleasant shock ran through my body at the memory.
Yes.
I'd been Dimitri's first kiss. And he was mine, of course.
I was twelve at the time, Dimitri thirteen. We first kissed on a rainy day, in the middle of a discussion about hopes and dreams and childhood grudges and science projects…It been been unexpected but amazing.
We hadn't known that it would be our last year together. Perhaps that would have changed things…
Anyway, it was one of my best memories.
It was a little strange to think that it'd been a friendly kiss; we didn't have feelings for each other back then. Or, did we? Maybe we'd been too young to realize it then..
Dimitri's hand came up to rest on my back discreetly, bringing me back to the present as his thumb traced slow circles against my thin top.
I relaxed automatically at his touch.
"I was thirteen," he admitted in reply to Lissa's question. "And it was good."
I narrowed my eyes at him.
Good?
That's all he had to say about it?
I knew he was keeping it discrete but he could have done better than 'good'. As if in reply, Dimitri lightly pinched the skin on my back, making me straighten up and shoot him a glare.
"Thirteen?" Adrian remarked. "I had my first kiss when I was eleven."
"You're a man-whore," Christian said dismissively. "I was fifteen when I had my first kiss."
"I was thirteen too," Lissa said.
"I was twelve," Tasha admitted.
They all looked at me, waiting for my answer.
"Twelve," I replied nonchalantly.
Christian's assessing eyes traveled between Dimitri and I but he said nothing. It had been only a year later than he'd met Dimitri and they became friends. Who knew what Dimitri had told him?
"Mine's wasn't all that good," Tasha confessed and a discussion broke out about their first kisses.
"Maybe-" Dimitri started in a low voice, turning to me to say something but I cut him off with a look.
"Don't talk to me, mister 'it was good'." I mocked, turning away from him.
Dimitri wasn't impressed. "What else could I have said? You know I didn't-"
"Didn't what?" I was careful to keep my voice low. "Didn't like it? You should have said-"
"Rose, you're being ridiculous." Dimitri said exasperatedly, pinching the bridge of his nose.
I sniffed, throwing my hair over my shoulder. "You're the one being ridiculous. That day was perfect. It was raining and-"
"I didn't say it wasn't," Dimitri interjected defensively. "I was just framing it appropriately-"
I scoffed, rolling my eyes.
His soft lips turned up in a small smile as he looked at me. "I don't know why you're so insulted. It was I who kissed you first-"
I gasped, hitting his arm. "No, it wasn't! It was me-"
"No, it-"
"What are you two whispering about?" Christian's voice cut through our conversation. He had a a sly smirk on his face, blue eyes traveling between Dimitri and I.
"Nothing that concerns you," I retorted, sparing Dimitri a glance. "Anyway, it's your turn, Dimitri. Pick your victim."
"And don't go easy on them," Christian continued, fearing that Dimitri wouldn't give someone a hard time like we were.
Dimitri, who'd indeed looked hesitant, smirked at Christian's words. "Thanks for the advice, Chris. Don't worry, I won't go easy on you."
I laughed loudly when Christian spluttered. Really, Dimitri had a sly, playful streak that he often kept concealed.
"This is a classic case of well meaning advice coming back to bite you in the ass," Tasha remarked in amusement.
"Christian," Dimitri started, his deep eyes dancing in mirth. "How long have you gone without showering?"
"Come on, man!"
"Well?"
Christian mumbled something.
"What was that, Ozera?" Adrian mocked. "Speak louder, will ya?"
Christian turned hesitantly to look at Lissa who was already looking at him curiously.
Sighing in defeat, Christian reluctantly admitted: "Twenty days."
"Eww!" Lissa, Tasha and I chorused together, Liss looking apologetic the very next second.
"That's gross, Chris!"
"So that's what the stink was?"
"Alright, enough!" Christian bellowed, holding up his hands in defeat.
"Whatever you say, stinky." I teased.
Christian shot me a glare but said, "Since it's my turn, I pick…Tasha."
Huh.
I was sure he was going to pick me.
"Ever blacked out because of drinking?" Christian asked Tasha who nodded and said, "Twice."
"Well, what happened?" Christian asked curiously.
Tasha shrugged simply. "That wasn't part of the question, Chris."
Adrian laughed. "Learn to frame your questions better, Ozera. You missed a golden opportunity right there."
Christian rolled his eyes.
"I choose Adrian," Tasha said, giving Adrian an unreadable glance. Her icy blue eyes traveled from Adrian to me and back again, making me wonder what she was thinking.
Her next words almost stopped my heart. "Do you really love Rose?"
Lissa gasped, Christian coughed and I sucked in a sharp breath.
Say what now?
I could feel Dimitri stiffen, his fists automatically clenching. But my eyes were on Adrian who looked shocked.
His emerald eyes met mine and then dropped.
"This is ridiculous," Christian said, shaking his head. "What's gotten into you, Tasha?"
"You don't have to answer that, Adrian." Lissa said soothingly.
Adrian smiled humorlessly and shrugged. "It's not like it's a huge secret. Yes, I love Rose. Or at least, I think I do."
My eyes stung when Adrian looked at Dimitri and I apologetically. "I'm sorry. I promise I'm working on it."
I shuffled over to Adrian and pulled him into a hug.
He didn't deserve this. He didn't deserve to pine over someone and definitely not me.
Why had Tasha exposed him like that? Yes, I'd suspected the depth of Adrian's feelings but it was one thing to guess and another thing to have it confessed, especially in a game. Saying it aloud must have hurt Adrian who was clearly still coming in terms with it.
Why did Tasha do that? What did she hope to gain by this? Did she think she'd somehow implicate me too and drive me away from Dimitri or-?
It was just so confusing!
But I knew one thing; I hated her at that moment. What she'd done was cold and unfeeling.
I drew back from Adrian and kissed his cheek, returning to my position beside Dimitri. I didn't look at him, instead fixed my gaze my Tasha.
Natasha fucking Ozera.
For her part, she avoided my eyes and pretended that nothing was amiss the air remained tense. Even Christian did not utter a single world.
Adrian spared her a cold glance before determinedly turning away from her.
"My turn! Little Pilot," he tried to inject some enthusiasm to his voice but he wasn't very successful. "Have you ever been to a strip club?"
I tried to smile. "No, Adrian. I'm sure you've had quite a bit of experience though."
Adrian inclined his head with a smile but his heart wasn't in it.
"My turn," I declared, wanting Tasha to be as uncomfortable as poor Adrian was. "And I choose…Tasha."
Tasha gulped nervously.
"What are you planning?" Dimitri whispered in my ear, his voice tight.
I didn't have time to analyze his feelings now.
I smirked at the woman opposite me. "Tasha, why don't you tell Christian exactly what you were doing on the night of July 24, earth time."
Adrian grinned slowly, reassuring me that he was okay with this. In fact, I was pretty sure he wanted to see Tasha uncomfortable.
And she was.
She'd paled on hearing my question, shifting uncomfortably when Lissa giggled.
Huh. It looked like I had Lissa on my side too.
But you know who I didn't have? Dimitri.
He lightly pinched the skin on my back in disapproval.
I shot him an annoyed look.
He shook his head, warning me not to continue.
"Don't worry," I added, purposely ignoring Dimitri. "We all know the truth. But poor Christian is in the dark."
"I am?" Christian looked between me and Tasha. "What did I miss? July 24 was the day we were in Sietera and we'd contacted Earth, wasn't it?"
"Yup." I nodded towards Tasha to continue, not flinching when her expression turned slightly pleading.
Maybe it was mean of me.
We all knew that Christian looked up to his aunt. Of course, the fact that she's been having sex with someone wouldn't exactly diminish the respect he had for her but I knew it would be difficult for her to admit that she'd chosen Adrian for the deed.
There were two reasons for that; firstly, her actions had alerted everyone about the fact that she liked Dimitri and sleeping with someone else while liking someone else wasn't exactly a shining indicator of her character. Add to the fact that she'd more or less accused Adrian of being a man-whore on several occasions and sleeping with the said man-whore on a regular basis would be difficult to explain to her nephew without making herself look bad.
Whatever.
I didn't really care.
She shouldn't have targeted Adrian like that.
He'd done her no wrong.
"Chris," Tasha began and Lissa giggled again. Sweet Lissa wanted her punished almost as much as I did. "You see, Adrian and I...well, that is to say-" she faltered before glancing at me. "Can I have some privacy?"
I barely stopped myself from snorting but acquiesced to her request, rising to my feet along with others.
"All the best, Tasha." Adrian said jovially, leaving the room with a spring in his step.
Lissa followed, not before shooting me a discrete thumbs up.
Dimitri and I walked out after her, shutting the door behind us. I didn't look at me as we walked down the stairs to the crew cabins, knowing fully well that he was about to say something that I wouldn't like.
I could feel the disapproval radiating from him in waves.
Predictably, he followed me into my room and shut the door behind him.
Guess his first words?
It went like this: "You shouldn't have done that, Rose."
Big surprise!
I crossed my arms over my chest as I looked at him. "I should have done it long ago."
Dimitri frowned. "You just outed her-"
I cut him off with a snarl. "Stop acting like I've committed a crime! She had it coming for her."
Dimitri scoffed. "You get to decide if she had it coming?'
"Yes!" I said emphatically, jabbing my finger into the air to make my point. "Yes, I get to decide. Especially when she hurts one of my friends like that."
"Adrian would have taken care of her," Dimitri said nonsensically. "It's his business, Rose. Not yours. You forced her to confess something she obviously was not comfortable with-"
"-and Adrian was?" I asked him incredulously. "Do you think that was easy for Adrian to admit?"
Dimitri clenched his jaw. "She was wrong to do that. But it wasn't a secret. We all knew he liked you. But this was a secret, Rose! She didn't want her nephew to know-"
"She should have thought that before hooking up with Adrian."
Dimitri glared at me. "Are you jealous?"
I looked at him blankly for a moment before laughing incredulously. "Of what? Jealous of the fact that Tasha got to hook up with Adrian?"
Dimitri didn't answer; he merely looked away from me.
And that was revealing enough.
"Oh my god." I looked at him in shock. "You really think that? I could have had Adrian if I wanted to."
Dimitri exhaled harshly. "Then what was that performance for?"
"She targeted him." I told him angrily. "Should I remind you that he's not at fault here? Tasha suddenly decided to make him confess his feelings like that. Can you imagine how uncomfortable that must have been?"
"He has my sympathies," Dimitri said without sincerity. "But that was their business, Rose-"
"Why are you getting so riled up about it?" I questioned him. "Why do you care, anyway?"
"Because that wasn't your business."
"Well, it's not yours either but you seem to be acting like some kind of twisted knight in shining armor for Tasha."
Dimitri rolled his eyes. "It's not about Tasha."
I stared at him.
"You're crazy." I said finally. "You give me grief about exposing Tasha and then say that it's not about her at all?"
Dimitri huffed quietly.
I cocked my head to a side as I studied him.
Realization dawned on me slowly. Relaxing, I shook my head fondly. "It's not about her at all, is it? It's about you getting jealous for some weird reason."
Dimitri denied it immediately. "Of course it isn't-"
"Tell me why," I demanded, striding over to place my hands on his warm chest. "What's really bothering you?"
Dimitri sighed in defeat, hooking his arms around my waist as he glanced up at the ceiling.
"Come on," I coaxed, pressing a kiss to his chin. "What's wrong?"
Dimitri looked down at me with a small smile. "Honestly? I'm not sure."
I looked at him silently as he frowned. "I've been feeling a confusing range of emotions lately."
I led him over to sit on my bed, rubbing his arm as he tried to frame the words. "Seeing Adrian confess his love for you was the last straw for me, I guess."
I grinned, kissing his cheek. "You're jealous."
"I am not." He said emphatically. "I really did not like the way you pushed Tasha to-"
"You're jealous!" I declared with more certainty, laughing when he glared at me.
"Jealousy implies wanting something I don't have," Dimitri clarified. "And Adrian does not have you."
I smirked, pulling myself up to sit on his lap. His arms held me close as he tipped his face up to look at me. Brushing away the silky strands of his hair away from his face, I pressed a quick kiss to his nose.
"Jealousy does not always mean that," I told him intelligently. "It also means feeling protective over one's possessions. Look it up, baby."
"Of course I am protective," Dimitri explained, his lips turning up in a small smile as I pressed quick kisses to his face. "That does not mean I'm jealous."
I drew back a little to look into those magnetic eyes. "You're jealous, Mitya. Accept it."
I kissed him before he could protest.
AN: I know you guys missed the updates and I'll be very glad to hear your thoughts on the chapter but please, please do not leave comments like "update soon!". Trust me, that's not encouragement.
I have a full time job that requires me to leave the house at 7 in the morning and get back at 9 in the night. So, no I don't have time to write. Weekends are hit and miss, I may have plans or I may not. Even if I have time, I had many many things to do. I will write when inspiration strikes. These "update soon"s are not helping. Rather, it turns me off.
I hope this doesn't come across as ungrateful because I'm not. I love you all and am writing because I'm aware there are people who want to read this story. But asking me to update soon and saying that you've waited long enough makes me feel like writing is an obligation. I never want it to be that. I hope you all understand :)
This goes to everyone out there who read "Embers in the Snow". Please desist from nitpicking. I'm trying my best... If you have a genuine criticism, I'm all ears.
Thanks for reading :)