Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy. Rights go to Richelle Mead.

I didn't say yes.

That didn't mean I said no either. Making a decision I'd probably end up regretting, I told him I needed time to think and walked out. After walking around aimlessly for the better part of an hour, I found myself at Abe's door.

He opened it and a smile the size of Texas took over his face until he saw my expression and quickly ushered me inside. After making me a mug of hot chocolate that made me think of Dimitri, he sat us down on his pristine leather couches.

"What's wrong?" he asked and I had to admit I was surprised. Abe Mazur slipped into concerned-father mode rather well.

"Guess," I replied glumly.

His eyes narrowed into slit reminding me of the zmey he was known to be.

"Shall I kill him?"

I sighed. "It would make things easier, but no, Dad. Let him live."

If possible, his eyes narrowed even more.

"So it is about Belikov."

"Yep."

"Talk to me, Rose. What happened?"

"Lissa gave me a dare to do for April Fools," I told him.

"What kind of dare?"

I launched into the full tale and although I'd never admit it to him, the old man was a really good listener. I felt somewhat better after unloading but my heart still ached for the decision I had to make.

"He's being ridiculous," my father declared when I was done.

"I know, right?!"

"You have Mazur blood in your veins and Mazur's don't ever bow down to dares. He's really holding that against you?"

"Yep."

"I'll kill him," Abe replied as he thoughtfully stoked his beard. "Or at least break a few kneecaps."

"He only has two kneecaps, Old man, and if you go near either of them, I'll kill you," I returned his threat. Sighing I ran a hand through my hair.

"But seriously, Dad, what do I do?"

He clasped his hands together in his lap and leaned towards me.

"It's really up to you, Rose. Do you want to marry him?"

"Someday," I replied honestly. "Someday I really do want to be Rose Belikov but I'm not ready for that yet. I'm only eighteen and I know nothing about being a wife. I don't know how to clean, I don't know how to do laundry and goodness knows I don't know how to cook! I don't know how to garden or pay bills or-or-"

"-Take a breath," Abe instructed. "Take a deep breath."

I did and looked helplessly up at him.

"You don't want to marry him."

"I do! Just not yet. I know there's heaps of books and movies about young couples and they make it work 'because love is all they need' and all that bullshit but that's not right. I love him with everything in me, Dad. I do, but I don't know how to be a wife and I don't want to disappoint him. You've met his family – they're all so domesticated and that's what he grew up around. I can't be that and I'm scared that if I marry him, I'll lose him anyway."

"The two of you have been through so much, Rose."

"Trust me, you don't have to tell me that. I know."

"My point is – by now he'd know everything about you. He knows you were raised a guardian, not a housewife. He won't expect you to become domesticated overnight. You've been living together for months, Rose. I'm sure by now he knows you can't cook or clean," he told me drily.

"You think I should do it? You're taking his side?" I asked him, feeling my eyes narrow. For someone who'd been willing to kill him moments ago, he seemed to have switched ships very quickly.

"I think if your mother had shown me half of the level of commitment Belikov is showing you, I would have lived a much happier life. I'm not taking sides, Kizim," he told me gently. "I've just been in his position and I'm telling you that the fear of losing Hathaway women is a very real thing. I asked Janine to marry me more times than I count but she never wanted to commit to me and that tore me apart for so long, Rose. She loved me too - just as you love Belikov – but it was never enough."

"Dad…" I trailed off not knowing what to say. Abe was hardly an emotional man so for him to unexpectedly tear down his walls for surprising to say the least.

"Would you rather lose him?" Abe asked, snapping back into the hard-ass mobster I knew him for. His concern still hung thick in the air but his touchy-feely moment had passed.

I shook my head. The thought alone made me sick.

"You said that part of you not wanting to marry was your fear of losing him. Rose, if you don't say 'yes' you'll lose him without having even tried you. We may not have known each other long but I know you well enough to know that you don't give up without a fight. Well that, and it's a Mazur family trait," grinning, he winked at me, looking more like a pirate than a mobster.

He was right. I was Rose Hathaway and I'd done nothing in this lifetime but fight. I couldn't let this end without fighting for it first. If my disappointments were too much for Dimitri to learn to live with, I'd deal with it then. But for now? I had man to propose to.

"Will you help me find a ring?"

His only response was grin big enough to put 'The Joker' to shame.

It was almost nine when Abe dropped me back at the apartment I shared with Dimitri. In the time it had taken Abe and I to find the perfect ring, a decent outfit for me and to put together a decent speech to go with it, hours had passed and I felt myself growing more and more nervous. I was almost at the point of passing out when I stumbled through my front door.

As soon as I'd shut the door behind me, I found myself being slammed up against the wall with a pair of the most beautiful brown eyes boring back at me.

"I have an answ-"

He cut me off, placing a long finger against my lips before ducking down and pressing a soft kiss to my lips.

What was happening? Wasn't he mad? Had Abe already called him and told him my answer?

He pulled back I was confused to see playfulness dancing in his eyes.

"How'd I do, Roza?" he breathed.

"I don't- what?" I asked dumbly.

"Happy April Fools," he whispered, grinning as he leaned in again. I met his kiss briefly before abruptly pulling back.

"Wait, what?"

He chuckled, his voice as rich as the bottle of bourbon I'd was desperately growing to need.

"Honestly, Roza, I lived in Russia. We had April Fools there and I grew up with three sisters," he reminded me, his dark eyes dancing.

Oh. My. Goodness.

I socked him in the gut. Hard.

"You asshat!" I shrieked. "You were messing around that whole time?!"

From where he was doubled over, he nodded holding an arm across his stomach and still laughing.

"Wait, does that mean you knew that I was joking the whole time?" Disbelief clouded my voice and I found myself wanting to punch him again. I help back though.

"Of course I knew. Mikhail was on guard when you and Vasilisa were discussing the dare. He gave me the heads up."

"I'm either going to kiss that man or kill him. I need time to decide," I declared as I pushed us away from the wall and made my way into the living room. Dimitri followed me.

"Are you angry with me?" he asked, a hint of worry lacing his voice.

"Angry?" I spun around to face him. "No, I'm not angry. I'm fucking proud! I have the best boyfriend. You actually managed to outdo me! Me – Rose Hathaway! Victor was right- we are a match made in heaven!" I exclaimed.

No one had ever managed to do what Dimitri had today. He had outdone me and in turn, scared the living shit out of me. He was perfect for me.

His lips pulled up into a breathtaking smile and before I could blink, he lifted me up before spinning me in his arms. I wrapped my arms around neck in an effort to hold on, laughing loudly as he walked us into the bedroom.

"Put me down," I told him before we reached the bed.

He complied, looking a little confused.

"That ultimatum was a joke, wasn't it?" I asked.

He nodded, walking closer and closer to me until out bodies brushed. His large hand cupped my cheek. "You should know I'd never pressure you to do something you didn't want to. I love you, Roza. I'll wait for as long as you need. We'll only get married when you're ready, if you ever are. And if you never are, that's fine too. You don't need to worry, Roza. We'll only get married the day you want to," he repeated, making my heart swell in the way that only he could.

I took a deep breath and sunk to one knee, pulling the small velvet box from my blazer pocket. Dimitri's eyes widened and I could've sworn he stop breathing.

"Roz-"

"-Yes," I cut him off, completely disregarding the speech I'd painstakingly written earlier. "You asked me to pick and I pick a life with you. I know you asked me to choose as a joke but I considered it seriously, Dimitri. I want to be with you for as long as you'll have me. I love you and I'm ready for us to get married," I told him, opening the velvet box.

"You didn't want to be a wife. You didn't want to be my wife," he said slowly. Shock bled into in voice indicating that this had come to him as much as a surprise as his April Fools had come to me.

"The only person's wife I want to and will ever want to be, is yours," I told him firmly. "I was scared to be your wife, Dimitri, because didn't want to disappoint you. I don't know how to cook or clean or how to be a wife but for you, I'll learn. I'll learn to be a wife for you, Dimitri. And I'll do it happily with everything in me because I love you. I'm ready to marry you, Comrade – I mean, look at me, I'm on one knee. Are you ready to marry me? What do you say?"

"Yes," he breathed, pulling me up and into his arms and holding me tight. He pulled back a little but still held me. "Are you sure?"

I grinned up at him. "Let's do it," I told him, letting go of him and holding out my hand for his. When he slipped his left hand into mine, I slipped the metal band onto his ring finger, finally expressing my commitment to him.

He pulled me close again, a light in his eyes that I'd never seen before. He smiled at me before pressing another kiss to my lips. He pulled away before I could respond though.

"I love you, Roza," he told me, his voice gravel.

"I love you too, Comrade."