A/N: A million and one apologies! I can't believe it's been over a year since I last posted! I thought it had been a few months at least but over and entire year?! Insane how time flies when real life is kicking my butt.

Anyways, this prompt was a little longer and better written but when I tried to save it from my phone a good chunk of it didn't save so I tried to fix it from memory which isn't much help when my memory is crap. The first time I wrote it, it flowed better and had a smoother ending but this'll have to do. This prompt was also supposed to be a longer story but didn't really work out in my head so I figured I'd use it here as a one chapter fic.

I swear I've been trying to get back into the writing fic game and I'm hoping to keep the updates coming! Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy!

Apologies for grammar/spelling

Disclaimer: Richelle Mead owns all things Vampire Academy of course. I'm only responsible for the plot, which, by the way, is again a little smexy towards the end so here's the warning if you want to skip!


Need

Summary: Dimitri and Rose try to heal after a tough shift.


Dimitri sighed wearily as he shut off the engine of his car. He leaned back against the headrest and closed his eyes, not quite ready to head inside his house just yet.

Today has been one of the long ones. When he left for work that evening, he'd been prepared for a day of catching up on paperwork and organizing some of his case files. He wasn't prepared for the call that came in. He had over ten years on the force and still couldn't believe the horrible things strigoi were capable of. He considered leaving The Guard for good, living a normal life away from their world's atrocities.

The crime scene had brought back a flood of his worst childhood memories that he couldn't seem to shake. He had grown up in a dhampir commune similar to the one he'd been in today, seemingly average and harmless on the outside, now broken and completely wiped out. Even now, as a grown man, he could never understand how a strigoi could do the things he'd seen today.

He jumped slightly at a soft tap on his window. A little face with eyes as dark brown as his own stared back at him, his face scrunched in confusion as to why Dimitri hadn't gotten out of the car yet. Despite his exhaustion, Dimitri smiled as he carefully opened his door to step out. His son immediately hugged him as Dimitri hauled him up into his arms as they made their way to where Rose stood in the doorway, waiting for both of them.

"Why aren't you coming inside, Daddy?"

"I was just taking a little rest, buddy," Dimitri explained. "It's been a long day."

"Did you catch any strigoi?"

"No strigoi today," he sighed.

"Is that why you're so sad?"

Dimitri admired his young son's ability to identify his father's emotions, but he was also disappointed in himself for not hiding them better with his guardian mask in place. He didn't know how to answer or explain so that Leo's innocent mind would understand. He was too young to hear about the images that Dimitri feared would live in his head forever.

"I'm just tired," he said simply, as he hugged him a little closer. "And I missed you."

They reached the front door, where Rose smiled warmly at him, her watchful eyes searching for her husband's face. She'd always been able to easily read Dimitri's moods and how the job affected him, especially since she worked the same job and dealt with her fair share of tough cases. She could tell right away, from the slight slump of his shoulders, the quiet timbre of his voice, and the slow amble toward the house, that today had been one of the bad ones.

With their son squished between them, she met Dimitri's lips in a soft kiss, welcoming him home. He hugged her a little tighter than usual, as he always did when there'd been a particularly nightmarish day at work, and she let him in, hugging him back. Even Leo was quiet, as though even he knew his father needed this moment to help him heal.


Though it was late, Rose let Leo stay up a little longer. She knew it was something they both needed; little moments that would help Dimitri forget whatever atrocities he'd seen at work and quality time Leo got to spend with his favorite person in the world. Rose knew her son loved her, but she'd never seen anything like the bond he had with his father, and she wouldn't do anything to take that away from them.

She could sit for hours watching Leo's shorter steps trying to keep up with Dimitri's long gait as he walked through the house, setting his stuff down, and Leo climbing onto his father's lap when he sat down as he recounted each second of his entire day to him. Dimitri was obviously worn out, but he never once let it show as he attentively listened to his son's every word.

While they (Leo) talked, she headed to the kitchen to fix Dimitri a dinner plate and put away the rest of the food for the night. She never envisioned domesticity for herself, but now that she had it all-a comfortable home, a husband, a son-she couldn't picture her life any other way. She loved it, caring for her family, taking care of the ones she loved the same way they took care of her.

Dimitri smiled up at her appreciatively as she handed him the plate of food, her skin tingling where he snagged her hand to kiss the soft skin there. She squeezed his in return, leaning down to give him a soft peck on his forehead. Their eyes met, a silent promise of later when they turned in for the night together. She gave his hand one more squeeze, mussed Leo's hair as he continued the lengthy tale of his adventures playing with his cousins at Aunt Lissa's house and helping cook for tomorrow's barbecue, and went into the kitchen to finish cleaning up.

She had just finished the last of the dishes when Dimitri's long arms slid around her waist, his chin resting at the juncture of her neck and shoulder. She reached back to stroke the soft strands of his hair, turning her head enough to meet his lips for a kiss.

She sighed contentedly as their lips parted, his hands skimming their way beneath the hem of her shirt. It took everything in her power to keep from doubling over once his deft fingers traced a familiar path to her breast, giving a firm squeeze. Dimitri's hold on her was the only thing keeping her upright. She pulled her mouth away from his to catch their breath, but he was unyielding, capturing the tender skin of her neck between his lips and teeth as he kept her pinned between the counter and the hardened contours of his body.

Rose knew what kind of a mood he was in. After all, she'd been in his place before and faced a few horrific scenes of her own. Dimitri was always a little more tenacious after a tough day on the job. She could see the dark cloud on his face, the stress swimming in the irises of his eyes. The only way either of them shook the edge off from a tough day was together, somewhere between aching torment and gratifying satisfaction; aggressive skin-to-skin contact that left them sated and basking in pleasure that was almost too painful to bear.

Though they both enjoyed every moment of it, relishing in their release, Rose liked to see if he wanted to talk it out first. She wasn't much of a natural talker, so she considered it no small feat to get him to open up, no matter how little it was.

She shifted her weight, mustering up as much strength as she could to turn in his arms and face him. His hands continued to roam the curvy planes of her body, only stopping as she cupped his face between her hands.

"I heard about what happened today." In their world, with attacks as heinously evil and vile as this, word traveled fast.

"Want to talk about it?"

His nostrils flared as he exhaled, leaning his forehead against hers. He shook his head. "Not yet."

"Later," she said firmly. They never let it just be about distraction. They had to talk it out too.

"Later," he promised.

"Maybe we should cancel the barbecue tomorrow," she suggested.

He shook his head, the rest of his hair falling out of the hair tie that had barely held it back. She curled her fingers in the soft ends, tucking them back behind his ears as she caressed his cheeks. "Everybody will understand," she said, pressing. Rose loved her family, her friends and the lives they all built together, but she also wanted the best for Dimitri; a day of rest when there was a rare opportunity for one. Plus, a little time with just her husband and son never hurts.

"No. It's okay, "he insisted.

Especially Eddie and Mikhail, since they were with you today, right? I'm sure they wouldn't mind. "

"I said no," he snapped.

They both froze, Rose trying not to bristle at his tone, and Dimitri immediately stilled with regret. She could see the apology already in his eyes, but she shook her head, her guardian understanding taking over. She'd been in his place before: moody, quick to temper, emotional. She knew what it was like immediately after a day like today, and she didn't blame him one bit.

"I'm sorry," he said softly. I just think the barbecue might actually help take our minds off things. For a while anyway. "

She nodded her understanding. "Okay," she agreed, wanting to give him anything he needed to feel better.

"Okay."

She kissed him and those lips that made her quiver and tremble in ways she couldn't describe kissed her right back as his hands restarted their journey, undoing the top button of her blouse.

"Leo's down?" she asked as he trailed away from her lips down to the expanse of her collar bone.

He answered, his voice muffled against her heated skin. "He fell asleep while I was helping him put his pajamas on."

"He was tired. He wanted to wait up for you. "

"I'm glad he did," Dimitri smiled, always amused by his son's lengthy stories. "And I'm glad you did too," he murmured right before he hoisted her up into his arms. Their lips met in another long, languid kiss that didn't end even as he led them up to the sweet comfort of their bedroom.


Fearful of waking their son, Rose did her best to muffle her groans, smothering her breathy whimpers into the pillow as Dimitri pushed into her from behind. His pace slowed to a smooth, drawn-out tempo, almost the entirety of his length leaving her body before he'd languidly slide back into her to the hilt, his hips flush against her rounded backside.

He slid his hands from the hold he had on her hips to the front of her body, not stopping until he reached the soft mounds of her breasts. One hand stopped to ever so gently brush the peaks of her breast with the pad of his thumb, while the other continued upward until he reached the warm expanse of her throat. He bent over her, the planes of his chest pressed against her back as he hauled her tighter and closer against him, tenderly nipping at the taut skin of her neck as she writhed beneath him seeking release.

The sensations of his ministrations dance a fine line between tenderly loving and painfully passionate. This was what he needed and this was what Rose was more than willing to give: a physical release offered and taken in love. She couldn't begin to count how many times she'd come home from a tough day out in the field seeking Dimitri's body for comfort and a loss of control, the love they were making between them taking away some of the pain.

Just a few weeks ago, after a strigoi raid gone horribly wrong, Rose had come home late, her and Dimitri spending a little time beside their sleeping son before she took her husband's hand and led him to their room. She had shoved him down into the plush reading chair by the window, positioned herself over his lap and slid down his length, moving her body with his until they were both fighting for release.

She needed him then, and he needed her now.