SUMMARY: Set in the middle of Blood Promise. Rose and Strigoi!Dimitri.
WORDCOUNT: ~775

Written for 100moods. Prompt: aggravated.

THE HONEYMOON STAGE
by Leni

"We will move to the city," I told Rose, tucking her against me. "We'll finish with that little band you lead first, of course. Or maybe just sic them on other Strigoi." They were one member short, but they should have known better than to continue without Rose's guidance. Nathan had bragged about rogue guardians tasting better – as if I should care about the fate of those fools. "You liked Novosibirsk, didn't you?"

"Mmmhmmmm," she sighed. "Everything was beautiful. Just like you said."

I gave up on trying to remember such a conversation. The past wasn't important, anyway. "Sure." I smoothed her hair back away from her cheeks, making a point of dragging my fingers up her skin. But she didn't shudder at my touch anymore. I wondered whether she ever considered how warm she was to me now. Every kiss scalded me even as it reminded me to be patient with her.

She would come around, I knew. She was already softening, holding on to me even as we played on my bed, gazing at me with eyes that begged never to leave her.

I wouldn't.

Because she would come to me.

I tangled my fingers in her hair. At last, I could savor its softness, let the strands run on my palm, and investigate each shade, from soft browns to the darkest of blacks. Rose had never cared much for it, had even threatened once to cut it short. She'd been taught by those stupid schoolboys that her full body was her best asset. Idiots! Now I leaned above her and kissed the crown of her head.

I would teach her better.

She was beautiful, but only part of it was because of her looks. She was amazing. She was the perfect match for me. No one else would have travelled half the world to kill me, to 'save' me. No one else would have stayed when I proved how little I had changed.

"Say yes, Rose."

Her lips were bright red from my kisses, her eyes content as they glanced up at me. "To what?"

Even now she resisted. Dazed and shot full of endorphins, she would not say the word. Stubborn girl, my Roza. If I didn't have the pressure of Galina's displeasure, I would be proud of her.

Who was I kidding? I was proud. Galina could go to hell – and soon she would do exactly that.

"Don't you want forever?" I asked, letting my hand tug her skirt a little higher. The bodice of her dress brushed against my chest, silky and whisper-soft. Rose deserved to have been dressed in the best fashions since the moment she learned to walk; one of my best memories of the past was her showing up on my doorstep in that little black dress.

I should never have let her out of my bed that night.

"Forever, Roza," I repeated, "Yours for the taking."

She frowned. "But I don't want to die."

I swallowed my anger. This was progress, I reminded myself. On her first day with me, she'd screamed about 'evil' and 'sick' and 'twisted'. Now she was just afraid. If I tried, I could even understand.

But I didn't want to be understanding.

"You'll make the right choice," I told her, soothing myself with the easy smile on her face. Then I kissed her hard, both to sate myself and remind her why she wanted me so badly – and she did. She always had. I could have had her from the moment we met, instead of playing those childish games. And the one time I'd fucked her… The memories were good. Her, sweet and pliant at first, growing as bold as I allowed her. A kitten learning to leap further, an eager woman gasping under me and forgetting her attempts to take the lead.

It would be better the next time, and I barely stopped myself from taking our current encounter too far.

"Dimitri…" she whispered at the end, curling into me.

I traced the bite mark, smiling when she arched closer. Her face was a study of bliss, almost - almost - what she'd looked like when I'd held her in that cabin. "I won't wait much longer," I warned. I followed a drying line of a blood drop that had made its way to her neckline. It had already blossomed on the blue fabric. Ruined, unless Inna made an excellent job at laundering it. But why bother? Why give Rose a stained dress when she should be covered in jewels.

She deserved better.

She deserved me.

If only she would submit, I would give her the world.

The End
05/12/12