Author's Note: This fic is set in the future, and is movie based. Also, a big thanks go out to my sister for being an excellent beta.
The Hidden Joys of Lunch Hour
"What's wrong?" Rose asked as she looked up from her cup of coffee. She saw one of Lissa's definitive facial expressions; an expression that brought worry. Lissa's eyes went wide, a contemplative light in them and she stared off into space. Her lips pursed tight, as if engaged in a way with her words, trying to make sure they never left her mouth. Rose waited for Lissa to give her usual bit of conversation that followed these moments.
"It's nothing," Lissa stated in a dismissive tone. The Queen of the Moroi took a seat across from Rose at her desk, and rested against the deep chocolate, brown, leather chair. She hated being so obvious. With others, she kept it hidden, but with Rose, she wore her emotions on her sleeve. Aware to the fact she became absent-minded, silent; she might as well tattoo the word "worried" on her forehead. "I went over the current syllabus for the incoming freshmen. I'm not satisfied."
"Are you shitting me, Headmistress Dragomir?" Rose let out a small chuckle. "How long have I known you? Been your guardian? Been your wife? You gave the okay for the freshman syllabus two weeks ago."
"I forgot. Anyways Rose, believe me, nothing is wrong."
"You said "nothing" twice, so nothing means something. I'm going with "something" for a thousand, Alex."
"This is how you want to spend lunch?"
"Hey, you're the one who made this "Jeopardy."
"You need to stop. Are you forgetting I'm Queen?"
"Queen of the Moroi, I remember, but then again, I'm not a Moroi. I'm a Dhampir. So, you're not my Queen, and I'm immuned to any penalty," Rose threw back. "I'm hoping we get to the second round soon. I'm planning on making it a true Daily Double."
The contemplation in Lissa's eyes faded away, replaced by a more irritated one. Her wife loved getting a reaction from her. Lissa returned the favor. She leaned across the table and pulled Rose into a kiss, a heated and tense one. Lissa pressed her lips hard against Rose's, and she pushed her tongue into her mouth with an urgent need to savor her sweetness. Lissa's thoughts turned more passionate. A thousand and one ideas came to mind, igniting her imagination. Lissa wanted to pull Rose on top of this desk, rip off her clothing like wrapping paper on Christmas morning. Lissa craved to push her fangs into Rose's supple neck, her mouth filling with Rose's essence. Not stopping there, she'd make her way southward, plunging into that hidden cleft, making Rose scream, and moan. The way Rose's lips tremble before she comes delighted Lissa, making her desire to repeat her actions. After a few painful moments, Lissa changed the topic, reminding to treat herself later. "You frustrate me," Lissa said as she pulled away, her voice a breathy whisper.
Rose caught her breath. Even though so many years passed, Lissa still retained her ability to take Rose's breath away, in the literal sense. She wished Lissa never pulled away. She hungered for her Moroi and wife, with an intensity comparable to Lissa's hunger for blood. "You're no pleasure cruise yourself. Trust me, I felt every single one of those years with you," Rose smirked. She stretched and got comfortable in her seat once more, hoping to forget what she desired for herself.
Lissa laughed and shook her head. One thing she acknowledged to be true, no matter what, Rose never changed. Lissa's laughter didn't linger, for Rose continued to pry. "So, your personal anxiety. Is it the anniversary trip to Budapest? I mean, it's not every day you get special accommodations to Elizabeth Bathory's town house," Rose reminded.
Another detail that Lissa noticed to stay the same with Rose was her persistence. Lissa played the game of dodging questions many times, and it came down to one choice alone: giving up. Lissa imagined crawling through the rest of the night, listening to Rose's repetitive questions. Best to get over this hurdle. "The Budapest trip is still on, none of that bothers me. Rose... Do you have any regrets? Do you ever... resent me?" Lissa asked and cringed. As Queen of the Moroi, she spoke with fire and conviction. She used her words to show her strength as a leader. Here, she sounded like her younger self, the fragile teenager that came to this school many years ago. She wondered if she still stayed the same too.
Rose let out a sigh. This again. The same dark cloud that hung over their relationship, never dissapating, but it never rained either. So easy Rose found it to roll her dark eyes, or to toss her brunette curls in dismissal, but doing so gave no answers to any problems. She wished she had a way to show proof of her own happiness and completion at this place in her life. Rose kept no regrets about her life. She wished that Lissa saw the things she did, then her wife might lose the worry she carried. Rose accepted reality, for she held no illusions when it came to her wife's emotions. Lissa would always keep a slight sliver of guilt for the all of this. Because of this, Rose's job took on another responsibility, trying her best to ease that guilt for Lissa. Sacrifices did not always need bloodshed for the offering.
"I've been here since I was potty-trained. I've been your guardian for years. We're on our tenth wedding anniversary. Here I am, thirty-five years old, happily married, with a job I love. I think I did good for myself. Does any of that sound unhappy to you?" Rose asked.
A shy smile graced her lips. She heard those words many times; they never lost the impact they carried. She still found joy and comfort in them. A lesson she needed to learn laid before her: letting go of all this guilt. Challenging to be sure, but she planned on getting past that. Maybe the fragile girl may grow into something else, something befitting a queen. "It forever stays the same. The one thing that mattered the most was your happiness, and I took any chance for a normal life away from you."
"Um, I'm a Dhampir. Normal shriveled up and died the moment I came into this world. I don't expect normal, and don't want normal either. I can't see myself living in some mundane suburb, married to a guy that thinks being dangerous is choosing Honey Nut Cheerios over the plain ones. Kids? I'd be terrible with kids. One round of "Candy Land," and it would be a massacre. None of that is for me.
"Yeah, I miss the beach or an extra hour of sleep because of going for jogs to keep in shape. But, I give that up with a smile on my face, just to be in your life. I guess what I'm trying to say is," Rose paused and leaned toward her wife with a soft smile reserved only for her, "I'm lost without you, Lissa Dragomir."
Lissa reached across the desk and took her hands into hers, holding them with a gentle grip. Lissa noticed Rose's soft, smooth skin, and a willingness to never let go. "I love you so much," she said with a voice as delicate as flower petals.
"I love you too." She let go of Lissa's hand. This had all become so emotional. She stood up, wanting to change the mood. "I'll let you get back to work, and I'll see you around five in the..." Rose lost the trail of her words. In a split-second, Lissa stood right before her. Rose caught her luscious perfume of honeysuckle and night, everything Lissa embodied. Rose melted when Lissa wrapped her arms around her.
"I'm taking a longer lunch. Care to join me?" Lissa asked, whispering in her ear, her breath a loving caress.
Rose's eyes lit up with mischief. "I can't think of anything better," she replied.
Lissa chose not to hesitate. Her fangs extended, and with a swift dive, she plunged into Rose's tender neck.