A/N: Whether you're celebrating Christmas, any other winter holiday, or you choose not to celebrate at all, I want to wish each of you a beautiful day! In celebration, here is a little Christmas fic I have been working on… Dimitri's POV. Hope you all enjoy & Happy Holidays! (I'll be working on The Chemicals Between Us again now… but I just wanted to do a little something for the holidays!)
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
Five years after the end of Last Sacrifice;
Christmas Eve;
Moroi Royal Court;
Pennsylvania
[Dimitri]
The queen smiled at me, that youthful glint shining in her emerald green eyes.
"Rose is going to be so elated, Dimitri!"
"I know she is." I sighed heavily. "I am, too. And I appreciate this, Lissa, more than you will ever know."
"Could've fooled me, buddy." My charge, Christian Ozera, who also happened to be Lissa's fiancé, shot me a look with raised eyebrows.
"It's never hard to fool you," I commented back, watching the corners of Lissa's mouth turn up into a smile. Christian and I had become good friends over the years, and this sort of casual banter was common between us. While I'd never disrespect my charges, I'd found that Christian was more comfortable around people who were just as snarky as he was. Rose found it hilarious and was always more than willing to give me pointers.
"I am just glad you're going to do this willingly, Dimitri," said Lissa, grinning. "It would have been a lot of hassle to make it a royal order. Although I think the council would have voted in favor." She giggled.
"You better watch it, Belikov," added Christian. "You know this one can't keep a secret from Rose for more than like two hours." He pointed a thumb at Lissa.
"Yes I can!" exclaimed Lissa, hitting Christian playfully on the arm. It was nice to see the queen relaxed and cheerful. She'd endured an immense amount of stress in her short life. Right now, dressed down in jeans and t-shirts, she and Christian looked like a typical twenty-something couple—not leaders of the entire Moroi nation. "You should go get ready, Dimitri. The party starts in a few hours."
I wasn't quite sure why all women seemed to think it should require hours to get ready, especially for us men, but I complied, leaving her and Christian to have some time to themselves. Since we were at the court, I wasn't required to stay with Christian all the time. Often, I was nearby anyway. I didn't like to take any chances.
"Okay then. I will see you all shortly," I replied, turning to head for the door.
"Oh, and Dimitri," added Lissa. "You'd better do this tonight. I mean it."
"I will, Your Majesty," I replied pleasantly as I walked out, fully aware of how much Lissa hated me addressing her as 'Your Majesty'.
The party Lissa was hosting was not a large event, but rather a small, casual gathering of our close friends, Moroi and dhampir alike. I was excited, mostly because I knew how much Rose was looking forward to seeing everyone. Our lives were so hectic and busy that chances to let our guards down, so to speak, and just enjoy ourselves were rare.
I was quiet as I entered our home in palace housing. Rose had worked an overnight shift of guard duty and was taking a nap. We were always cautious and placed extra guards on duty around the holidays because of the influx of visitors to the royal court during that time.
I tiptoed into our bedroom. In the dim light, I could just make out Rose's sleeping form. She was sprawled out on her back, one of her feet hanging off the side of the bed. One of her arms was tossed up above her head, her beautiful locks of deep brown hair were strewn out all around her. The blankets were beside her in a tangled heap, and she was wearing one of my t-shirts. There was a serene expression on her face. She was snoring faintly, which she always tended to do.
I stood in the doorway, watching her for a long minute, my heart swelling with the intensity of the love I felt for her. She was the most beautiful creature on Earth. I could have watched her endlessly, even when she was just sleeping, committing every detail of her to memory. But my mind could never do justice to recreating her beauty.
I couldn't keep my distance. I needed to be close to her. I walked over and gently sat down on the edge of the bed next to her. She didn't stir. I brushed a lock of her hair away from her face and tipped my head down to her ear.
"Roza," I whispered quietly, my lips brushing against her earlobe. She responded with an incoherent grumble that made me grin. "Wake up, beautiful."
"Do I have to?" she muttered, in a voice that reminded me of a child's, fluttering her eyelids as she spoke.
"Don't you want to go to Lissa's party?" I asked. She yawned.
"Of course. What time is it?"
"It's eight."
"We have time," she replied sleepily, scooting over and pulling me down beside her. I didn't object. She snuggled into my chest and I wrapped my arms around her. I could have stayed like this forever with her, marveling over how lucky I was. I ran my fingers through her hair.
"I love you, Roza." I probably told her that, on average, at least a dozen times a day. I couldn't tell her enough.
"I love you more." She turned her head so her chocolate brown eyes were gazing into mine.
"Roza, no one in the universe could possibly love anyone as much as I love you." Her lips were instantly on mine in a frenzied passion as she latched her fingers into my hair, tugging it gently. I kissed her back with growing intensity. She practically ripped open the buttons on my shirt. We stopped kissing only to pull the shirt she was wearing over her head. There was fire in her eyes when she pulled away from me, grinning wickedly.
"Prove it." And I did.
When we were finished, I held her body against mine and pressed my lips against her forehead. I pulled the blankets up over us and rested my eyes closed, never wanting this moment to end.
"You're going to make us late, comrade," Rose whispered.
"Me? That was all your fault," I teased.
"I can't help it I'm irresistible." She flashed me a grin.
"Roza, you have no idea." It took every ounce of self-control to get out of bed right then. "Come on. We've got to get ready."
"We could shower together and save time," she whispered into my ear suggestively. It took all of my willpower to say no to that.
"Roza, we've got to at least show up at Lissa's party," I reminded her.
"You're right," she answered, giving me a quick kiss on the lips and leaving the bed. I felt so empty without her in my arms. I drew in a deep breath. Tonight needed to be perfect.
An hour and a half later, Rose and I were both ready to head back to Lissa's. The party was a very informal affair, so I'd dressed in a pair of khaki's and a deep maroon sweater that Rose had gotten me for my birthday. She was dressed in a pale blue sweater dress with gray leggings and black boots. She wore her hair down, and looked absolutely beautiful—of course, she would have been breathtaking no matter what she wore.
My eyes lingered on her when she emerged from our bedroom, standing in front of the couch where I was sitting.
"Ready to go, Comrade?" My attention caught on her sparkling eyes, her full, red lips, her gleaming locks of hair that fell effortlessly to the middle of her back. My breath caught in my chest as I stared at her.
"Comrade?" I smirked as I always did when she called me that.
"Yes, Roza. Let's go."
Bundled in our wool coats, we made our way across the court. A fresh layer of snow covered the ground, and I clung on to Rose's arm tightly, fearful that the sidewalks may be icy. I didn't want her to fall and get hurt.
"If you squeeze my arm any tighter I'm going to have to have it amputated," muttered Rose as we walked.
"That's a slight bit overdramatic, don't you think?"
"You'll have to spend more time taking care of me when I'm an amputee."
"Not funny, Roza."
"I thought it was."
"I want you in one piece."
We were still the first ones to arrive at Lissa's party. She had decorated a large room of the palace for the occasion. A towering Christmas tree, decked in red and gold, was surrounded by heaps of presents. A gigantic fireplace crackled and roared, throwing off just the right amount of heat. Plenty of cozy armchairs and sofas were crowded around it. A lengthy table of hors-d'oeuvres was set up along one wall, smelling delicious. Orchestral Christmas music was playing faintly in the distance, and the whole place seemed to glow with the spirit of the holidays. Lissa beamed widely as she greeted us.
"Rose! Dimitri! I'm so glad you guys are here!" She gave Rose a hug. Rose gave her a hug in return.
"Thanks, Liss, it looks great." Lissa grinned at Rose's compliment. As was typical with the queen, she'd gone to every effort to make things absolutely perfect. "When is everyone supposed to get here?"
"They should be arriving any minute," said Lissa. "Here, let me take your coats." Rose and I unbuttoned our coats, and handed them to Lissa, who would have been humiliated to be anything less than the perfect hostess. She hung them on a large coat rack in the corner. "Have a seat, guys."
The food had already caught Rose's eye, and out of habit, I was keeping an eye on Christian, who was making sure the tree ornaments looked even—surely at Lissa's request. We were about to take our seats when there was a knock at the door. Lissa darted over to answer it. The door swung open to reveal Adrian Ivashkov and
Sydney Sage, both bundled in wool coats and heavy scarves.
"Hello, Your Majesty," Sydney greeted Lissa formally. Adrian just watched the two of them, a smirk playing across his lips.
"Hello, Sydney. Adrian. Please, you can call me Lissa." Sydney smiled and nodded. The two of them walked through the doorway.
"How've you been, cousin?" Adrian greeted Lissa with a hug.
"Busy. I'm so glad to see you!" Lissa hugged him back. Sydney hurried over to Rose, who looked equally as excited to see her. The two embraced and chatted animatedly.
"What's up, Belikov?" Adrian greeted me.
"Same old, same old," I replied. "How about you and Sydney?"
"Well," said Adrian. "For starters, make sure you take a glance at the rock on her left hand." He beamed.
"You two are…?" I asked in surprise.
"Engaged," answered Adrian. "For about a month now."
"That's great news. Congratulations." I was happy for the two of them, and slightly surprised. With Sydney being an ex-alchemist—and human—and Adrian being a Moroi, their relationship was frowned upon by many. They'd faced more than their share of struggles.
A collective squeal from Lissa and Rose told me that they'd also noticed Sydney's ring. Hugs and congratulations were shared among them. Sydney looked more relaxed and happy than I had ever seen the girl. I truly hoped things were able to work out for her and Adrian. They were both good people.
There was another knock at the door, this time revealing Eddie Castile and Lissa's half-sister, Jill Mastrano Dragomir. The two were quietly dating, although only a few of us knew about it. While Lissa approved, she was certain that a dhampir dating a royal Moroi who was sister to the queen wasn't something that should be publically announced. Jill was much safer than she used to be, but danger was never too far away from any of us.
Lissa embraced her half-sister tightly, the fondness between the two of them fully genuine. I remembered back to when we'd first found out about Jill, and how difficult it had been for both of them. That awkwardness was non-existent now, as both had finally learned to embrace one another as family. Rose and Sydney both gave Jill big hugs too, and the girls settled themselves in some armchairs to catch up.
"Dimitri." Eddie nodded at me.
"How are you doing, Eddie?" I asked him. I had a lot of respect for Eddie. He had proven himself time and time again to be an excellent guardian, and a hell of a friend to those he cared about.
"I'm good," Eddie replied, his eyes lingering on Jill. I couldn't help but smile at him.
"What a lovely group of women, huh?" I asked him.
"They sure are. So, you're still assigned here?"
"Yes I am," I replied. "I've got to make sure this one stays out of trouble." I pointed a finger at Christian, who just happened to be walking by. He smirked and rolled his eyes, passing a drink to Adrian. "And I hear Lissa officially assigned you to Jill?"
"Yeah, she did," said Eddie. "It's been great." I couldn't help but notice that Eddie's voice didn't match his words.
"Everything okay?" I asked.
"Sure, it's fantastic," said Eddie. "I just worry sometimes. What if I can't protect her? What if something happens?"
"Eddie, you know that as guardians that is a risk we always take. But you've got to trust yourself. You know how to stay calm under pressure, and you know that she matters to you more than anything else in the world. You'll figure it out. You'll keep her safe." I gave him a reassuring smile. He gazed at Jill again.
"Yeah. You're right."
Christian and Adrian joined us then.
"Do you guys want a drink?" offered Christian. "Lissa insisted on a full bar. We have everything." Eddie and I, ever the responsible ones, exchanged glances. I normally never drank.
"C'mon," encouraged Adrian. "You guys are off duty tonight. It'll be fun. Plus, I'm lifted from my one drink a day restriction for the occasion." I considered it for a moment.
"Okay. I'll have one drink."
"Me too," decided Eddie.
"I can make a killer Long Island," Adrian offered.
"Sounds good," I agreed, figuring that relaxing a little for one night a year couldn't be too bad. Plus, a drink would help to calm my nerves. And God knew I was nervous tonight.
I glanced over at Rose. She and the other girls were all sipping on some sort of fruity drinks and giggling loudly. I couldn't help but smile. It warmed my heart to see them all so happy.
Another knock at the door revealed Mia Rinaldi, a good friend of Rose and Lissa's. She was quick to join in on their conversation, and they all looked excited to see her.
Adrian handed me a drink and I took a sip. It was, admittedly, very good—and really strong, which I suppose I should have expected, seeing as it was made by Adrian Ivashkov. I watched Adrian as he settled himself into a couch next to Christian. There was something different about him since he'd grown older. There was a maturity that I'd never thought I'd see in him. I suspected it had come from Sydney, who, next to myself, was probably the most chronically responsible person I had ever met. Plus, Adrian was now working full-time on a committee founded by Lissa known as The Restoration Council. It was still small and in its early stages, but it was devoted to restoring Strigoi who had been unwillingly turned. The effort required to restore even one Strigoi was monumental, so their success rate wasn't particularly high yet, but I was certain they were working in the right direction. I knew firsthand the inexplicable joy of regaining my life when it had been stolen from me. If they could save even one person from that cruel, miserable fate, then all their efforts were worth it.
There was a knock at the door again, and I took it upon myself to answer, since Lissa was busy conversing. Two people I was very happy to see were on the other side; Mikhail and Sonya Tanner. Sonya, like me, had been restored from her Strigoi state, and then been reunited with the love of her life, Mikhail. I gave Sonya a friendly hug.
"It's so good to see you."
"You too, Dimitri. It's been far too long."
"It certainly has. Hello Mikhail." I shook his hand. "What are the two of you up to these days anyway?"
"Well, we're actually living in Florida now," said Mikhail. "It's a lot of sunlight for Sonya, but she is able to grow all sorts of beautiful flowers, which makes her so happy." He grinned at his wife.
"I do love it," she agreed. "I have two small greenhouses and a huge garden."
"And a living room that looks more like a small forest," added Mihkail, earning a good-natured glare from his wife.
"Oh," added Sonya, placing a hand on her stomach. "We're expecting."
"Wow," I said, grinning. "That's fantastic! Congratulations!"
"Thank you," she said. "We're so excited. I'm not very far along yet, but we already have a nursery all set up."
"Sonya says she can see that we're having a girl," added Mikail. "Our little boy is going to be in for a serious dose of pink if she's wrong."
"I'm not wrong!" insisted Sonya with a laugh. "I can sense the baby's aura already," she explained. I nodded. Spirit users like Sonya, Adrian and Lissa could all see auras.
The others noticed Mikhail and Sonya's arrival, and mingled into a collective group. Sonya announced her pregnancy to them all, and the girls all began chatting excitedly. Rose made her way over to me and snuggled against my side, putting an arm around my waist. I glanced down at her. She grinned.
"I'm so happy for Sonya and Mikhail," she said. "They seem so excited."
"Me too," I agreed. "They certainly deserve happiness."
"Definitely. Adrian and Sydney, too. I can't believe Adrian's getting married," Rose said, purposely loud enough for him to hear. He smirked back at her.
"I can't believe I found a girl that actually said yes." He squeezed Sydney's hand and pulled her close to him.
"Yeah, sometimes I don't know what I was thinking," Sydney joked, but when she gazed at Adrian, it was obvious that the two of them were crazy about each other.
"What are you drinking, Comrade?" Rose asked, investigating the drink in my hand. She grabbed it and took a sip. "Long Island. Nice." She took a bigger gulp.
"Hey," I teased. "Adrian made that for me."
"Plenty more where that came from," said Adrian, who was watching amusedly. "Drink up, my friends."
"There's my little girl!" A voice bellowed through the room. In the doorway was none other than the infamous Abe Mazur, clad in a silk, ruby button-down and an emerald green tie. He hadn't bothered to knock before entering. He was, of course, talking to Rose. I swallowed nervously. I hadn't expected him tonight. I don't think Rose had, either, but she quickly left my arms to greet her father.
"Merry Christmas, old man!" She and Abe shared a rare hug.
"You're looking lovely, my dear," he said to her. "And where's that fellow of yours?" I tried not to act nervous. Abe and Janine had accepted the relationship Rose and I had, and even insisted that they thought I was a great match for her, but I still couldn't forget when they'd first found out we were together because of our age difference. Plus, Abe Mazur isn't someone you want to upset, that's for sure.
"Dimitri's over there," Rose pointed towards me. I gave a small wave as Abe walked over.
"Well hello there, Dimitri." He shook my hand.
"Hello, sir. How are you doing?" I asked politely.
"Fine, fine, and yourself?"
"Very well, thank you."
"Big night for you, eh?" Abe asked. I tried to hide the shock on my face. How did he know?
"Oh… yeah. Certainly is," I replied awkwardly.
"Well, I just want you to know that I couldn't be happier." The smile Abe gave me was actually a genuine one.
"Thank you, sir. You have no idea how much that means to me." Honestly. He had no idea. Out of the corner of my eye, I caught Rose hugging—yes, actually hugging—her mother. I must have been too distracted by Abe's presence to notice Janine walking in. Rose seemed pleased to see her parents, and I was happy for her, knowing that far too much of her childhood had been spent away from them.
"Can I get you a drink, Abe?" offered Adrian, who was mixing another round for himself and Christian.
"Please," replied Abe, turning his attention to the two of them.
Christmas music was playing in the background, and Sonya and Mikhail had begun dancing. Eddie and Jill soon followed in suit. I felt Rose snuggle herself next to me again.
"Hey sweetheart," I said quietly. "Glad to see your parents?"
"Yeah," she said, honestly.
"Do you want to dance?" I asked. She considered it.
"Nah, I need some food first."
"That's my girl." I grinned at her. We made our way to the appetizer table. Meanwhile, most of the others were dancing, some more foolishly than others, as Rocking Around the Christmas Tree played in the background.
Rose and I settled ourselves on a sofa, with her heaping plate of food between us.
"Oh my gosh, try the mini-quiche! It's so freaking good!" Rose shoved something into my mouth. It was good. Leave it to Rose to be more excited about food than anything. Lissa sat down on Rose's other side.
"I had extra of that made just for you," she said. "I figured you'd like it."
"That's what best friends are for," stated Rose, between bites. "Thank you, Lissa." Lissa laughed.
"You're welcome. Just make sure you watch her, Dimitri," she added to me. "I don't want everyone else to starve." I laughed.
"Yes, Your Majesty," I teased. Lissa shot me an annoyed glare as she stood up. From a few feet away, Christian, who'd been watching, cracked up laughing.
"Rose, Dimitri, did you hear we're all going ice-skating?" Mia suddenly appeared in front of us. "I love ice-skating!"
"Awesome!" exclaimed Rose. "I just hope I don't fall on my ass. Dimitri here will have a heart attack."
"Not funny, Roza," I insisted. I hated the idea of her getting hurt and she knew it. Perhaps I could be a bit overprotective, but it was just in my nature.
"Where are we ice-skating?" asked Jill, who'd been listening.
"Lissa said she had a place set up outside," answered Sydney. I swallowed nervously again. I knew the time was coming. This was why Lissa was moving everyone outside to go skating—to give me time.
"Are we going now?" asked Rose, eyeing her half-eaten plate of food, which I knew she fully intended on finishing.
"Not for a little while," answered Sydney, shifting her eyes to meet mine. Seriously, did everyone know what was going on here? Rose seemed oblivious as she munched on a gingerbread cookie. Just to tease her, I leaned over and took a bit of its leg.
"Comrade! What are you doing?" she exclaimed. "I'm practically starving to death. And you're eating my cookie?"
"Yep," I replied, taking another bite.
"That's not fair!"
Our bantering was interrupted by a knock at the door. I wondered who had arrived now. It had gotten somewhat late. I glanced up and my jaw dropped.
"Dimka!" my mother's voice shouted, as she made her way towards me. I met her in the center of the room and hugged her tightly, despite her being a foot and a half shorter than me.
"Mama!" I exclaimed, my heart overwhelmed with joy. I hadn't seen my mother in such a long time. "How are you here?"
"Vasilisa invited us," she answered me. "Oh my baby boy." She squeezed me tighter.
"Us?" I asked, my heart leaping.
"Yes, us!" a familiar voice called from outside the door. And in walked my sisters, Karolina, Sonja and Viktoria. Following closely behind them was my nephew Paul and his younger sister, my niece Zoya, holding hands. And behind them still was my grandmother. I blinked back tears that were forming in my eyes. It had been so long since I'd seen any of them. Paul had turned into a gangly teenager, and little Zoya had gotten so big. My sisters were beautiful as ever, and my grandmother looked like she hadn't aged a day. I knew that there was no way they could have afforded to travel here. They didn't have the money. Leaving my mother's embrace, I glanced at Rose and Lissa, who were beaming at me knowingly.
"Thank you," I managed, my voice cracking a little. Lissa just nodded, her smile growing wider. I hugged each of my sisters in turn, followed by my niece and nephew. Finally, I embraced my grandmother. Everyone made their way to Rose and hugged her as well, greeting the others and settling into some chairs. I sat down between Karolina and Viktoria, with little Zoya sitting on my lap.
"I still can't believe you're really here," I exclaimed. I couldn't even remember the last time I'd been able to spend Christmas with my family. It had been years. And they had never come to the United States before. I was in shock. I don't think I'd ever seen such huge smiles on the faces of my family and friends—this was the most special holiday I could remember.
We laughed and chatted. Adrian fixed more drinks, and Lissa insisted that everyone had plenty to eat. The dancing resumed. I danced with my mother, my grandmother, and each of my sisters. I even danced with little Zoya, which had to be a funny sight since she was so much shorter than me. Rose danced with Abe, and even with Paul.
When a slower song began to play, I grabbed Rose's hand and pulled her to me. We began dancing.
"So, how long did you know they were coming?" I asked her.
"For like three weeks," she answered, smiling. "It was so difficult not to tell you. Lissa and I were so excited."
"Thank you," I answered, gazing into her deep brown eyes that were so full of love. I had to blink back tears again. My life had been a difficult one, but today I had everything.
"Aww, comrade," said Rose, always knowing my thoughts. "I love you."
"I love you too, Roza." I leaned down and gave her a quick kiss while we were dancing.
"Merry Christmas." I held her close to me as the song ended.
"Ice-skating!" a slightly intoxicated Adrian shouted. My nerves got the best of me again—not about the ice-skating, but because I knew it was almost time for my own surprise.
"Alright, guys, let's go," said Christian. "We're going out back." Lissa shot me a deliberate glance and a wink.
"Stay up here with me for a moment, Roza," I whispered in her ear. She looked a bit puzzled, but complied. As everyone else put on their coats and got ready to head outside, I felt the full weight of the tiny jewelry box tucked into my pocket. I received a few more knowing glances and smiles as my friends and family left the room.
I walked Rose to a set of double doors that led to a balcony. The curtains had been drawn over it, but when I pulled them back and opened the door, Rose gasped.
The lawn that the balcony overlooked was like a fairytale. The snow was aglow with lights from a dozen different pine trees adorned with Christmas lights. In the center of it all was a gazebo adorned with lights and a walkway that led to it.
"Wow, it's so beautiful out here!" exclaimed Rose, as I took her hand and led her to the gazebo. Drawing in a deep breath, I began to lower myself on one knee. Rose's eyes went wide and she placed her hand over her mouth. I'd rehearsed this moment a thousand times in my mind, but I could never get it quite right. So I allowed my heart to do the talking.
"Rosemarie Hathaway," I began. "You've captivated me from the very first time I laid eyes on you. I never thought it was possible to love someone so much, or to understand someone so completely. But you have opened up my heart. Every time I see you, it still takes my breath away. I always think that there's no way I could ever love anyone more than I love you, and yet every day you find some way to make me love you even more. You complete me, Roza." There was so much—so many more words I wanted to say—but looking up into her eyes, I knew I didn't have to. The gaze between our eyes said everything. She was the only girl in the universe for me. So I reached in my pocket, pulled out the tiny box, and flipped it open.
"Marry me?" Rose's eyes grew wider.
"Yes!" she gasped, and leapt into my arms as I stood. I kissed her gently as I slid the ring onto her finger. Cheers and catcalls erupted around us, and everyone from the party flooded towards the gazebo to congratulate us.
"See, Roza, you weren't the only one with a surprise tonight," I whispered into her ear, grinning.
"I love you more than the world," she whispered back to me. I kissed her again. Lissa was the first to reach us.
"Congratulations!" she shouted, beaming and giving us both hugs. "I am so happy for you guys! Rose, you have no idea how many times I had to insist to Dimitri that it was okay for the two of you to get married." Rose grinned.
"That's Dimitri. Always the responsible one."
"Someone has to be." I answered with a smile.
After countless hugs and congratulations from my friends, family and future in-laws, we actually did go ice-skating. And after that, there was more laughter, drinking, eating, present-opening, and plenty of good cheer. I had the best Christmas I could remember in my whole life, and thanks to the beautiful woman I was going to marry, I was certain it was only the first of many.