Some Mountain, Pennsylvania | Saturday Morning FH-Time

[guardian_god]

After the postmortem on the first day of camp and the requisite novice dissection of various Strigoi altercation tales as shared by the experienced Guardians, it was curfew time for everyone not on duty

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[guardianborn]

Rose was so freaking exhausted and done with the day that she hadn't done much more than confirm she was in cabin 12 before heading out there. The lack of immediate noise when the door opened surprised her. Usually a bunch of guys were going to be louder than a Common Room, and it definitely wasn't late enough that everyone was asleep.

Whatever, she didn't actually care that much as she checked out the cabin. Whoever was there was in the shower already, and all the clues to who she was sharing with was in the shower with them. Rose scowled a little as she settled down on one of the chairs to comb out her hair and wait for them to stop hogging all the hot water.

[guardian_god]

Warmed by all that hot water, Dimitri eventually emerged from the bathroom carrying his duffel and shaking a hand through his loose, damp hair. He gave a nod in Rose's direction and moved around the living area to dump his bag and settle onto the opposite chair.

"How was the first day?" Dimitri asked, ignoring everything else in the back of his mind.

[guardianborn]

Don't stare, Rose.

...

Don't stare, Rose.

Her comb caught a tangle in her her, getting her to finally look down. Even though he was shirtless and gorgeous and just out of the shower. Still, staring was better than getting up and trying to touch all that shirtlessness.

She should answer before 'are we really sharing a cabin popped out of her mouth.

"...are we really sharing a cabin?" That was too late, apparently.

[guardian_god]

Obviously Rose was on board with the plan to keep their rooming together as far from awkward as possible. Hmm.

"...Yes." Though, he supposed he could find another place for himself if he tried hard enough. Not that he wanted another room. Dimitri generally enjoyed just being in Rose's presence. "Is that a problem?"

[guardianborn]

"No!" she answered quickly. Possibly too quickly. Shh, it wasn't like she hadn't fantasized about going away for a few days just her and Dimitri and a fire and - well, a few dozen other novices and guardians around.

That made it less romantic, yeah.

"Nope," she repeated, finally putting down the comb and shaking her hair back. "It's not a problem. Why would it be?"

[guardian_god]

Loaded question, that. "Exactly," he nodded, denying the discussion of reasons why this could be problematic even as he watched her hair move.

"The alternative was assigning you to a full cabin of male novices, so the guardian in charge put you here since I was the odd man out." He chose not to use the term 'adult' on purpose.

[guardianborn]

The fact that he'd made the effort to explain the reasoning warmed Rose almost as much as that shower she wanted.

"Thanks for falling on that grenade," she teased, her eyes warm.

[guardian_god]

"My pleasure," he murmured, a little amused.

After so much travel and training, Dimitri realized that Rose had probably had the same idea about cleaning up before bed. Again, it didn't have to be awkward if they didn't let it. "There should still be plenty of hot water if you were waiting for use of the shower."

[guardianborn]

Her hair was going to take forever to dry, but Rose cared not. The only thing that would make the idea of a shower better was Dimitri coming in with her.

Somehow she didn't think that'd happen, and some vestige of restraint kept her from offering.

"You just don't want me to bitch about you hogging all the hot water," Rose smirked, throwing her backpack over her shoulder as she started towards the bathroom. With luck, he wouldn't've put on a shirt by the time she got back out, but she took last look anyway.

[guardian_god]

That tiny bit of restraint was appreciated. Rose would be rewarded by Dimitri not actually feeling any embarrassment over his lack of shirt.

Dimitri took her snark in stride, shaking his head and digging into his bag for a novel to read while he waited. It didn't seem appropriate to be already in bed when she returned from the shower.

[guardianborn]

The shower was warm and ultimately satisfying even given the absence of a very hot guardian, and Rose finished quickly, towel drying her hair enough to keep from having to wrap it up in a towel when she went back out there.

Vanity was her middle name sometimes, yes.

She was still fingercombing through her hair as she came back out into the living area in the tank top and pajama pants she'd brought with and grinned as she saw Dimitri reading. "Yeah, I would've won the bet with myself," she pointed out, curling up on the couch not quite next to him but closer enough to touch.

[guardian_god]

His eyes lifted from the paperback to watch her take a seat. A very close seat.

"And what was the bet?" Dimitri asked, his voice staying neutral despite his curiosity.

[guardianborn]

"If you'd be reading or going over like training notes when I got out," Rose said, smirking at him.

It wasn't that close a seat. She could do better.

[guardian_god]

"Sounds very predictable of me," Dimitri replied, replacing his bookmark since he didn't see reading happening when Rose was there to talk to.

[guardianborn]

Rose gave him an amused look and shrugged a little. "Haven't proved me wrong."

[guardian_god]

"Am I supposed to be proving you wrong?" He had maybe forgotten that banter was much like a gateway drug with Rose.