Author's Note:

Okay, so, this is a shortened version of the chapter because... the original version is technically smut. I have heard that a lot more people post smut on here, but the rules technically still say it's not allowed, so I'd rather be safe than sorry. If you want to read the full version, you can do so on Ao3 (same username, same story title). Sorry about that, but I very vividly remember how things went on here back in the day, and I do not wish to relive that.

I'm also sorry this took a lot longer than I expected. My partner has been home sick for the past few days and spent most of his time gaming, which makes writing a liiiiittle hard since our desks are right next to each other. Plus, I had to finish my creative writing portfolio, which also took up more time than I had hoped.

Dimitri's POV

The walk back to my place was pure agony. Rose kept reaching for my hand, but I knew any physical contact with her right now could very well lead to some not-so-sound decisions. Luckily, I didn't live far from the gym, and reaching my room took only a few minutes.

The moment the door clicked shut behind us, I couldn't take it anymore. I pounced on her like a beast that hadn't eaten in weeks, grabbing her by the hips as I brought our lips together again. She let out a surprised yelp when her back hit the wooden door behind her as I pushed her up against it. Her legs almost instinctively wrapped around my body, pulling me ever closer, and I couldn't keep a low moan from escaping me.

"Someone's eager," Rose breathed against my lips and, damn if she wasn't right.

I wished I could take my time with her and truly give her all that she deserved, but it had been so goddamn long, and now I finally had her all to myself again. I needed her right here, right now – even the walk over to the bed seemed like too much. "Very."

"Good," she whispered, pushing my duster off my shoulders. "I am, too."

She pulled me in closer with her legs for emphasis, eliciting another moan from me. I knew she could feel the evidence of my desire, and I knew that she knew I wasn't going to deny her. I wouldn't have been able to. I gripped her thigh with one hand and put the other on her back to safely carry her over to the bed.

"Бля, я скучал по тебе."

Rose gave me a smile as if she had understood me, then said, "I've missed you, too."

I eyed her curiously, knowing I would have to investigate her new Russian skills further at some point, but at this moment, I was instead consumed by the desperate need to feel her.

I collapsed on top of her, my face buried in the crook of her neck, unable to move. I felt Rose's hands in my hair again, gently stroking. We stayed like this for a long time, neither of us speaking a word, until I finally found the strength to get off her.

Rose quickly excused herself to the bathroom. The expression on her face when she returned worried me. I sat up on the edge of the bed, unsure if approaching her would be the right thing to do. I settled on staying where I was. "What's wrong?"

"Well…" she began hesitantly. "We didn't… we didn't use protection."

I furrowed my brow. Protection? We'd never needed protection, not with our dhampir genes that made it impossible to reproduce with each other. It dawned on me, then, that there was another reason we might have needed it. The realisation of what she was implying was like a bucket of cold water poured over me. I swallowed hard. "There's no reason to from my side. I haven't…"

"Oh," Rose said. I wanted to run away, unwilling to hear how many men she'd had since I'd left court, but I was trapped. "Me neither. I just thought—"

I jumped up from the bed, crossing the distance between us, and shut her up by pressing my lips to hers. I made sure to pour the entirety of my feelings for her into the kiss before I pulled back to look her in the eyes when I said, "Never. I meant it when I promised you forever, Roza."

"Well, in that case," she replied with a smile that quickly turned wicked, "I think we have a lot of lost time to make up for."

She kissed me again, less sweet and more fervent, and started shoving me towards the bed. I had a feeling I wasn't going to get a lot of sleep tonight.