The car took another turn on the bumpy road making us wiggle at the sudden and brusque movement. My phone almost slid of my hands as I tried for the thousands time to write a text. I looked angrily at the man behind the wheel dubious of his driving skills – not that mine were amazing, but I would have been a lot less reckless than him on such a road, especially because we were in no hurry to get back. The sun was shining outside of the darkened SUV window, quite unexpectedly for an early December's day, nevertheless the strange climate conditions had been the reason why we had departed Leigh early, right after the Friday morning classes. Lissa was sleeping on the back seat next to me, her head pressed against one of those plane pillows I had bought for her – after too many car trips ended with a head ache from her weird sleeping positions – and the two front seats were occupied by Jack and Logan who looked sternly into the road. I resumed my attention to my phone, trying again to type something coherent – if the road would let me, or rather Jack's driving.

It was only after I finished typing did I realise that the recipient of my text would be sleeping at the moment… better not send it after all. Dimitri was after all in the night schedule, since he was not obliged to attend stupid and tiresome university – I never thought I would ever say this but I really missed the combat lessons, I would die for some action instead of the boring theoretical classes we had to preside all day. I threw my phone to the car seat, looking to the window. I groaned almost silently, the blackened windows didn't allow me to see anything besides a flint of my own reflection – with conveyed a rather sleep deprived hungry girl. I reached for the magazines that lied on the floor of the car, I laughed to myself as I picked one up and read the title "You & Your Wedding" and another one "Luxury Weddings" and another one "Brides". I opened the first one and starting looking at one specific article that listed a to-do-list for organizing a wedding.

"Be careful you might get ideas" I heard a sleepy voice say next to me. Lissa took the pillow from around her neck and reached one of the magazines now scattered on my lap "Do you know the date yet?"

"You know here it says that we first thing we should choose is the place, 'cause it may not be available at all times for weddings…" I said, not taking my eyes of the page.

"Well….do you know where you want it to be?" Lissa was looking rather amused at my interest for the wedding article…

I couldn't blame her, if I stood back right now and looked at myself I would laugh ridiculously at the situation, me Rose Hathaway, guardian with uncountable kills, stubborn rebel reading girly wedding monthlies. But well, I had to start somewhere, this was new territory, and as my great guardian skills dictated, I had to gather as much information as possible.

"I don't know … We haven't talked about it much, we haven't been together for 3 weeks…" I looked at her with a relieved expression "Thank god for the holiday on Monday! I love big weekends"

She laughed softly at my relief to get away from university, it was known that despite Lissa's eagerness for knowledge, my low passing grades were to me, prove of my dedication as her guardian.

"Well nevertheless, you usually are the one good at this type of things….decorations…girly party organizations… dresses. I honestly don't care about those things, at least not in the same way as you do" I gave her a sorry-but-it's-true look.

"Rosemary Hathaway if you think you are going to marry Dimitri in a black dress and combat boots you are horribly mistaken!" She spoke very firmly and seriously. I was almost afraid of her for a couple of seconds.

"Well it's not like I can wear white, first it's not my colour, seconds, I have a slight feeling it stands for purity and….well…virginity..." she looked at me very attentively almost praying silently I wouldn't say what I was going to say "Because let me tell you that that boat has sailed... looong ago" I leaned back in my seat smirking at myself with what I though was a way too proud look on my face.

"You are too perverse for your own good, you know that?"

"Yes Dimitri is a poor unfortunate soul who had absolutely no blame or responsibility on that certain matter….obviously" I stoke my tongue out.

"I don't care you, my friend are wearing white" Lissa concluded directing her stare back at the magazine and suddenly looking very joyful. He turned the page to me and pointed to the central picture "Wouldn't this be the perfect place?!" The picture showed a beautiful deserted beach with the sun reflected on the water. The sand decorated with flower petals marking a path to an elaborate altar.

"Well…I think the sun would be bothersome for a couple of our guests…" I looked at her with an witty look.

"You're right…I didn't think of that… Maybe in a beautiful forest with the trees decorated with lights and…"

"The security detail for that would be insane!" I cut her off.

"Okay stop, it's your wedding you shouldn't be thinking about me or any other person for that matter – well expect Dimitri"

"It's my wedding, and for that reason I want to be focused on Dimitri thank-you-very-much, not the fact that you might be abducted by Strigoi hiding in the trees" she responded with an exasperated look.

"Okay fine we'll return to that later…how long does it say in the article the planning should take?"

"Around 8 months…"

"Well that would be fantastic, a summer wedding! July or August. University starts in September, so before that would be great actually"

"Oh yes…I forgot we have our life planned according to university timetables… fantastic" I rolled my eyes "Anymore dates your Highness needs me to strike out?" I asked pretending I had an invisible pen and pad in my hands.

"You can be really annoying sometimes you know?" she shoved my arm softly with her fist.

"I have heard that before…"

After we escorted Lissa to her personal quarters I returned home in quite of a hurried pace, eager to slip into bed and sleep for….well for as long as I could, since it was already 5 p.m. I opened the door as quietly as I could and got rid of my guardian uniform in the living room, leaving it on top of the couch – almost making my territory mark because the whole room was way to tidy, clearly I was away for a long time. I head to the bedroom on the tip of my toes, knowing that Dimitri had a very light sleep – usual guardian trait – and covering myself with some of the comforter I lied next to him, inches from each other, afraid that my sudden presence would wake him. As I had predicted he turned to face me, his eyes closed, he slid his arms around me, pulling me into his embrace and rested his head on the dip of my neck. His warmth cradled me into sleep.

Four hours later we woke up peacefully and decided to stay at home for the day just enjoying each other's company, which we proceeded on doing rather…enthusiastically… for the rest of the morning – can you blame me? I had been away for 3 weeks!

After lunch we were just lying around on the couch, watching TV, rather lazily because honestly I wasn't paying much attention to the myth-buster documentary Dimitri was so entertained watching.

"Were do you want to have the wedding?" I asked him, catching him a bit off guard, I looked up at him, pulling myself slightly higher from our entangled position.

"Hum…I don't know…Where do you want to have the wedding?" I saw a hint of a smile as his thumb caressed my cheek.

"I don't know" I gave him a defeated look, which was quite rare for me, I image that was why he laughed.

"This is not going to be easy is it?" he asked, smiling.

"Is anything ever easy with us?" I sat up, adjusting myself between Dimitri's legs "Well, I thought we could get married in July, or August 'cause it's before university starts and all the magazines say it's the right amount of time to plan anything" I said this without breathing, splitting it out really fast. He looked a mixture between surprised and amused.

"Magazines? Am i to believe that you…you read wedding magazines?" okay now he just looked like he was having too much fun with the matter.

"Yes…yes I did, but it was partially Lissa's fault, she had them in the car..." he looked at me with a smirk on his face "It was a 4 hour journey!" he held up his hands in a gesture of surrender.

"It's fine by me. Do you want to do it in a church? Or just a normal party venue?"

"Well…we are atheists, both of us… but I like the visual of the church, I'd like a place with history behind it…also, you always said it brought you peace. But I don't know…is it blasphemy if we get married in a church without being religious? We would probably get hit by lightning or something…" he let out one of his husked laughs of him.

"I don't think so…well we can book the church for one day, we don't have to have the priest himself."

"Really we can do that?" I looked at him surprised about his knowledge in this stuff, I realised that he had probably witnessed a lot of wedding in the Damphir community where he lived.

"I don't see why not. Humans hire notaries to preside the weddings, we can do the same…do you know any church you would like to use?"

"…I have been thinking…I have this one church, it really helped me once….but it's far away…"

"Where is it? I'm sure we can make some arrangements" he showed a comforting smile. I straightened up, sitting on my knees so I got closer to him.

"Well…it's in Baia…" I smiled widely, almost childlike. He didn't respond. His smile faded into a blank surprised stare. "Just hear me out… I really felt at home I was a wreck and I felt I belonged, and I don't know which church is it, but we went there for Easter, it was really beautiful and in some way it brought me peace. And I really want your family to be a part of the wedding, and I don't know if they could afford coming here, all of them, so it would probably be easier if we went there. And… well….yeah that's it would be great." He listened to my fast ranting in complete and utter silence, staring right into my eyes as I poured all of it out. And then out of nowhere he hugged me. He pulled me in his arms with all of his strength, pressing himself on me I could feel his love trough the touch of our skin. We sat there for what I tough were a couple of minutes, in silence. His whole body was contradicting itself, his slow heavy and deep breathing enlaced with the fast paced beating of his heart. He finally let go, slowly, he put his hands around my face and broke the silence, his voice slightly cracked from emotion. I couldn't help but show surprise, I rarely got the chance to see him vulnerable, but I loved that he wasn't afraid to show me this side of him, even if it wasn't very often.

"I would love that Roza" he pressed his lips against mine softly and as we broke apart I smiled tenderly, laying again on his body, my head against his chest, hearing the slowly steading beat of his heart. I loved everything about us, but I especially love these moments, these unique seconds that only I could see, were he would completely let go of everything, shamelessly and would submit himself in a way that was impossible and non-existent to anyone else. In those moments where we were completely each other's.

"Thank you Roza" he whispered softly and I couldn't help but close my eyes and smile.

Hello hello, sorry about the delay on posting, i had an exam and it didn't go very well so i guess my inspiration was at a low point. But here it is! I hope you like it. As usual the next chapter's title is: "The Guests" (well although some you already know after this chapter ahah)
I hope you are all okay, i really liked writing this one, i wanted to show that even the strongest male character has moments of vulnerability and emotion. 3

Reviews – either of 1 word or 50 - are always a ray of sunshine in a cloudy day :)