A/N – Basically, Rose and Dimitri are one of the most amazing fictional couples ever, and I've felt like a part of my life has been missing since I finished reading Last Sacrifice, so here's just a few moments to keep us happy until the spin off series starts I guess! Hope you all enjoy them

Disclaimer : As much as I wish I created Vampire Academy, and had a Dimitri of my very own, I didn't and do not.

Forever and Always

'Rose ...'

Well, I certainly don't like that warning tone.

'Yes, Comrade?'

Ah, the flicker of annoyance in his eyes as he hears his pet name. I know he's hoping that if I think it annoys him enough I'll stop, but really, we both know that's far from true.

'You're not trying.'

That's kind of rude.

'I am too trying! Excuse me if I'm a bit tired since I barely got to sleep last night!' And I've lost it. God, where is this anger coming from? I sighed as his eyebrows creased in concern. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you.'

'It's fine. Why aren't you sleeping?'

Sometimes, the intensity in his eyes scares me just a bit.

'I've started having these dreams … nightmares, I guess.'

'For how long?'

'Just a few weeks … I thought maybe they'd go away on their own.'

Dimitri sighed. 'Dreams don't always work that way, Roza. You need to talk about it, maybe there's a reason you're dreaming about what you are. Maybe you need to resolve something. Maybe you're worried about something?'

'I don't know. It's not always the same dream. Different things happen.'

'Like what?'

I planned on staying silent for as long as possible—well, as long as he would let me. I know he'll get it out of me, he always does, but it's a little embarrassing to tell the love of your life, not to mention your mentor who you really aren't supposed to be with, that each and every nightmare I have is about him leaving me.

'I … I don't …'

'Roza …' he somehow manages to use the same warning tone as before but it's laced with concern, and my heart melts the way it always does when he says my name in Russian.

'It's just … you …'

Dimitri's expression quickly turned to confusion and then almost … grief. As though just knowing he's part of a dream that upsets me is enough to make him feel guilty. God, I love him.

'I what? Please, Roza, please tell me what's wrong.' He tilts my head up by placing his hand under my chin, and I feel a tear escape. Yup, I'm feeling a bit pathetic right now.

'You leave me, okay?' I tell him, slightly louder than necessary, while I push on his chest to create some space between us. It seems as though I'm going into defence mode. 'In every single dream I have you leave me! You run away with Tasha, or you tell me that you can do better than me and move to another academy, or you find some freakin Russian princess and parade her around in front of me, or you … or you die Dimitri. You tell me you love me and you say you're sorry but you die, and I can never, ever get there in time to save you.'

And with that burst of emotion, a whole dam is released. I collapse to the floor, tears streaming down my face which I quickly bury in my hands, drawing my knees up as though shielding myself from the world. I briefly think about running out of the gym, but I know that I'm too emotionally drained, and that I want—no, need—to be with Dimitri. I need him to tell me he won't leave me.

Until then, I'm content to sit here, curled into a ball, until I run out of tears.

'Oh Roza,' I hear him whisper, 'It's just a dream, it doesn't mean anything.'

I raise my head at this. I know he's just trying to help but that he doesn't understand the horror I endure every time I close my eyes.

'You don't know, Dimitri, you don't have to see what I do when I try to sleep. You don't see the Stigoi attack you or see you get shot down. You don't see the blood, or hear you whisper my name, or hear me scream. I can't take it anymore, each dream is worse than the last. It was bad enough when you were leaving me, but you dying, it's just … I don't know what I'd do if …'

That's when I lost it. Never before has anything made me—the fierce Rose Hathaway—hyperventilate, and let me tell you, it is not a feeling I care for.

'Rose! Roza, you need to breathe! Rose!'

He sounds really panicked now, and even though I'm gasping for air, I find myself feeling guilty about worrying him.

My hands are clutching at my chest, and he pushes me forward slightly so that my head is against my knees, which doesn't do as much as it should since I'm sitting on the floor and the angle isn't much different than before. When I feel Dimitri's hand gently push my face up, I can't help but look into his eyes.

'Roza, I need you to breathe. Do you understand me? I need you to try and calm down and take a deep breath. That's good, just keep looking at me, and try to breathe, come on sweetheart, just breathe.'

I don't know how that man does it, but I swear, he can make anything possible. I focus on the depth of brown in his eyes, reading every emotion behind them as I try to slow my breathing to match his own. I can tell that I've accomplished that task when I see a small smile appear on Dimitri's face.

'That's my girl,' he whispers, tucking a stand of hair behind my ear. That's the first time he's called me his girl, and it's a moment I'm going to remember for the rest of my life.

Not caring if anyone walks in to the gym, I slowly and awkwardly kneel on the floor and shuffle over to Dimitri, placing a leg on either side of his and wrapping my arms tightly around his neck. He squeezes me back for a moment before slowly pulling away, and taking my face in both of his hands.

'I need you to listen to me. You are the number one, most important person in my life, and you always will be. There is no one, no one, who can take me away from you, and I would never leave you by choice. I know that what we do is risky, but you and I both know that we make a damn near perfect team. You'll always be there to protect me, and I'll always be there to protect you. That's just how it is. I love you Roza, I always have, and I can promise you right now that I will never stop.'

He's perfect. I can't even think of another way to describe him.

'You're amazing, you know that?' I ask, sniffling slightly.

He breaks out into a grin, and my heart feels like it's about to leap out of my chest.

'Can I take that to mean you love me too?'

'Of course I love you, forever and always.' His hand tangles in my hair as I lean in to kiss him, holding onto him for dear life. He whispers my words back to me as we rest our foreheads together.

'Forever and always.'