Rose POV:
I woke up, a spirit induced headache making my head pound. It felt like someone had taken a hammer to my skull. I shook my head, freezing when it hit something warm and firm, yet still soft. I looked up, silky brown hair tickling my forehead. Weight around my waist alerted me to the fact that a sexy russian god was cradling me against his hard, sculpted bare chest. I smiled happily, viewing the trail of clothes that lead to the bed, the broken furniture that was just visible down the hall. I remembered the anger that filled me up, that brought strength to me again and helped me sprint to the figure being dragged towards the wards edge. Lissa. Dimitri had found me, he had brought me here to keep me and the others safe while I was mad with spirit. I knew it was stronger than usual, I felt it take over everything. Now I just hurt, muscles that had previously been numb burned like I had worked out for hours without stretching. I looked back at Dimitri and decided that I needed to know if it had been a mistake to him or if he was going to try to have an us again.
"Dimitri? Um... Dimitri..." He blinked blearily, looking around with a sort of bemused expresiion, not unlike my own not five minutes ago. Well... this is awkward. His eyes locked onto mine before they slid down in a sneaky fashion, checking out our still naked bodies. Well, he obviously remembered last night as he drew me closer and hugged me tighter.
"Roza, I told you to stay in the hospital. Why, out of all the stupid things to do, did you run out to fight a strigoi when you couldn't even walk?" He stared down at me, anger hiding the relief in hid features. I smiled innocently back, trailing my fingers up his chest. He shuddered, eyes rolling back slightly before he grabbed both my wrists and staring at me sternly. His barely hidden growl demanded an answer.
"well, Lissa pulled me into her head and dumped all the spirit madness she has been keeping since I went into my zombie trance into me with of course drove me wild, you only locked the door, so it was really simple to get out and save her like the good guardian I am. You really believed the door would stop me?" He shook his head , exasperated. My day wouldn't be complete without frustrating at least one person. He leant back, releasing my wrists and pulling me onto his chest so I straddled him. My head still pounded painfully so I took the oppurtunity to rest my head on his chest, the warm aftershave – hot chocolate – musk scent making the pain fade a little bit. His breathing deepened as he fell back asleep and pretty soon I follwoed suit, dreaming of endless mornings, waking up in his arms.
Lissa POV:
The strigoi attack put everyone on high alert but I couldn't find Rose. I felt so guilty after the spirit took over her body. Her eyes, her frightening black eyes haunted me no matter what I did. I created those. Christian wrapped his arms around me comfortingly as a pair of guardians strode forward and bowed.
"Princess Dragomir. We haven't located Guardian Belikov or Rosemary Hathaway yet. Would you - " I cut him off. I would look for her.
"It's Guardian Hathaway, not Rosemary. I shall find them, you're dismissed." I turned on my heel and went back to where the strigoi had lain, looking around to see where Dimitri would have taken her until she calmed down. The guest housing had some empty houses so I started there, going to the closest. I hadn't helped Rose like I should have, I was never there for her anymore, always putting Christian and Dimitri before her. It had to stop. The door was locked so Christian opened it for me, melting away the lock. Inside, the room was trashed. Fear picked up but Christian held my hand and it quietened. How was Rose so brave? The chairs were thrown around and the table had been split down the middle, glass from a vase littering the ground. This had to be from Rose.
Down the hallway was a pair of hospital pajama bottoms. We followed the trail, pajamas, jeans, black singlet, Dimitri's leather duster and then underwear. I smiled as Christian held back a snigger. It was so cute! They were on the bed, Dimitri lay on his back while Rose was lying on her stomach, head on his bicep, his arm around her waist. Her hair spilled down, cascading off the side of the bed and the blanket went up to their waists showing that the clothes were in fact theirs. I giggled when I saw the end of the bed, Dimitri's feet stuck out, off the edge while Rose's didn't even reach his ankles.
Rose groaned and snuggled closer to Dimitri, his arm tightening around her as she mumbled about five more minutes. Christian looked at me pointedly and we left quietly, they are fine and happy. Inside I was jumping with happiness, they were both together and happy, no longer torturing themselves and eachother by keeping apart. Outside, I laughed freely and Christian picked me up, spinning me around before kissing me softly. Then I remembered that I had something important to tell him, something that was interrupted by the strigoi last night. I looked down at him as he smiled up, nose level with my belly button.
"Christian... remember last night? When I wanted to tell you something?" He frowned and le me down gently, sitting down and pulling me onto his lap. His aura was confused. I wish Rose was here... she would have helped... I stroked his hair back and watched his eyes light up. He nodded and I took a deep breath, calming my nerves. I loved him, he loved me, nothing could go wrong.
"Christian... well... you're going to be a... dad." He stopped breathing. I worridly stared into his eyes, stroking his face. Then a small smile appeared, stretching out into a full grin. He laughed and hugged me, staring down at my stomach with wonder on his face. I breathed out a sigh of relief and relaxed while he continued to grin in shock and happiness. A door opened and Dimitri peered out, just in jeans while Rose, wrapped in a blanket dragged her feet towards us. Her hair whipped about and she smiled, already knowing the news that she had picked from my mind. Dimitri strolled over happily, winding an arm around her waist as I retold the news. Christian remained in a daze, smiling goofily while Rose took the mickey out of him, for once he didn't care. I had all the people that I needed with me, all the people I cared about, the family complete as Adrian, smiling broadly, stepped out from behind a tree and pulled me into a hug.
"C'mon Sparky, if you keep drooling like that we are going to have two babies on our hands. Think of how you guys made the baby in your special alone time." He smiled goofily at her before hugging me again. The party broke up as Dimitri was dragged off by Rose and Adrian had a date with a box of vodka bottles. I smiled, looking down at my stomach, a tiny bump visible in my usually flat stomach. I can't believe Christian didn't notice sooner.
Rose POV:
"Dimitri, we need to talk." I dragged him away from Lissa and Christian who were too busy thinking of the joys of parenthood to notice and pulled him back into the house. His face fell and the mask slid into place before he let go of my hand and sat on the other side of the room.
"I knew this was coming, I knew it..." he cursed in russian and I lost track of what he was saying. He placed his head heavily in his hands and slumped, like a broken man. I rushed over and raised his head to meet my eyes, his shone and I almost sat down. Dimitri looked like he was about to cry. I shushed him and sat on his lap, the blanket fralling off my back. I ignored it and forced him to look at me.
"Comrade? Dimitri.. look at me. That's not what I meant. I love you, I would die for you, last night, apart from the strigoi and spirit was amazing and I just want to know if you regret it, if you regret me. I honestly cannot take another rejection from you, not after that, so please, please, I, Rose Hathaway, am asking you, begging you, choose now." He looked into my eyes, calm slipping away before fiery passion took over, making me gasp. I saw his pupils dilate, making his eyes seem black and he slowly stood, turning his back on me and locking the door again. As he strode back, I saw all his muscles tensing, the passion on his face making him even more god like. This was the side of Dimitri I had never seen, the Dimitri that had no control, that didn't even try to reign in his emotions.
He stopped in front of me, looking down from his huge height and smiling. I stood up and he slowly began pushing the blanket off my shoulders, fingers lightly tracing the skin and making me shudder.
"I love you too my Roza, and I promise you, on my life and our love, that I won't ever let you down again. I'm not going to leave you, I choose you, I choose us and I want this. I want you, I need you. You are my reason for living." The blanket hit the floor and he directed us back to the bed, sitting me on top of him, hands firm on my hips. I leaned down, my hair creating a wall around our faces, kissing his nose, forehead and jawline, teasing him. He growled and captured my mouth with his, hunger and lust driving us both to eachother. We knew we could be together openly now, without being in fear and this was what he had always wanted. My hips grinded against his and I reached a hand down, unbuttoning his jeans with one hand and slowly dragging the zipper down. He moaned slighty and the pants were gone, boxers with them. He moved his hips up against mine, growling my name out when I moved against his right back. He rolled us over , hands roaming my body, making me shiver with pleasure. I couldn't take being apart anymore and fire coursed through my veins as he succombed to the desire.
Hours later, and man, do I mean hours, we ended up in the gym, resuming our training. Our moves were perfeclty matched and we both tired at the same time. We collasped, laughing onto the floor and he ran a hand through my hair as it splayed out on the mat, freed from the restraints of my hair tie. I chuckled as he crooned something in russian and rolled over, half leaning on his chest and staring into his eyes. He seemed to decide something and reached into the pocket of his duster, never breaking eye contact.
"Roza, I want you to belong to me, just as my heart is yours and I want the whole world to know. I love you and I want to be with you, so would you do me the greatest honour and be my wife? Marry me, Roza." He opened a black velvet box, revealing a diamond and ruby ring, delicate filigree curling around the glimmering stones, the gold gleaming. I stopped breathing for a moment, staring down at him in disbelief. wh...what...?