I was in the mood for something funny and cheerful, and possibly a little cheesy, so enjoy!

DPOV

The first thing I noticed when I entered the hallway of our apartment after work, was the complete silence. The second thing I noticed was the mess. I couldn't help but sigh in exasperation. It was Roza's day off today, and she promised to take out the trash and tidy the apartment, yet the full trash bag was standing in the corner behind the door, I nearly tripped over a pair of her shoes, and two of her jackets were lying on the floor where they had fallen off the overly full rack. All in all, the place looked exactly like it did when I left for my shift eleven hours ago.

Making my way from the hallway to the living room, I couldn't help but feel frustrated. We had both been working a lot lately. Between Vasilisa's duties as queen and Christian setting up a training program for Moroi which included both defensive combat as well as offensive magic, we'd barely had any time off. Because of it, we didn't really have time to do anything for ourselves, including cleaning our apartment. I had spent my day off earlier in the week cleaning the kitchen and bathroom, and Rose had promised she would take care of the mess and vacuuming the whole apartment today. Instead, it looked like she had done... absolutely nothing.

Considering the complete silence and lack of greeting when I came home, I assumed she wasn't even here, but when I looked around I caught sight of her. She was lying on the couch, thoroughly engrossed in something. At first I assumed it was her phone, making me wonder what on earth could be so very interesting about it, but then she shifted and I saw what she was holding. Surely it couldn't be, could it? But it was!

Roza was holding, and reading, a book. Without anyone forcing her into it. As far as I was aware anyway.

"What are you doing?"
She jumped. "Jeez, you scared the hell out of me. Why are you home already?"
"It's almost eight Roza, I was supposed to finish an hour ago but Christian ran late."
Her eyes widened. "Crap, is it? I completely lost track of the time!"
"And of your surroundings apparently, " I added drily, before my curiosity got the better of me again. "So what are you doing?"
She waved the book through the air while rolling her eyes. "What does it look like?"
"Well, I'd assume you were reading, but well.. you don't read."

She looked affronted. "I can read you know. I figured you knew, considering you made me read up on human anatomy and the exact position of the heart."
"I know you can read Rose. How else would you know what toppings every pizza has, and what they are named, if you were unable to read the take out menu?"
"Oh ha ha, very funny," she grumbled, before her expression suddenly brightened. "Talking about pizza, I don't suppose you could call in our order? I kind of um... forgot to buy food."
I asked skeptically: "You forgot?"
"Yeah well, I was reading. I'm sure it's happened to you plenty of times."

As a matter of fact, it had, but I wasn't going to let it go this easily. "What exactly are you reading that made you forget about the time, everything you'd do today and even food?"
"Oh it's nothing really."
I crossed my arms and stared her down. "Roza, it's not nothing if it made you forget about food. You never, ever, forget about food."

I actually felt a little offended. Last week I was well on my way to seducing her when she decided she needed breakfast before any other activities. It was like she could smell the chocolate donuts that had been dropped off for her, even with our bedroom door closed.

"It's just a book comrade, no big deal."
"Rose.."
She rolled her eyes and threw her book at me. I caught it and turned it around so I could read the title, and nearly dropped it in surprise. "You're actually, voluntarily, reading this?"
"Why not? It's pretty good actually." She shrugged.
"Who are you and what did you do to my Roza?"

"Oi, be nice! You always keep going on and on about your books and how relaxing it is to read, so I figured I'd give it a try. This was lying around at Lissa's so I borrowed it. I saw the movie once when we were in Portland, our roommate was obsessed with it, so I was curious about the book."
I sat down on the couch and handed the book back to her. "And you actually think it's good?"
"Yeah, well, mostly. The language sucks, and it's difficult to imagine living like that, but the main characters are great."
I raised an eyebrow. "What exactly do you like about them?"
"Do you have to ask? The guy is totally my type!"

Wait, what? "You're going to have to explain that one."
"He's tall, dark, sort of hot and completely unsociable. He's you, two centuries ago." Her voice was animated as she explained.
I raised my brow again. "He's not. He's proud and rude for most of the book. I'd never insult a woman like he did."
She grinned. "Glad to hear it. And good to know you read the book comrade. Since you did, you obviously know he's just shy and has difficulties opening up and trusting people. Totally like you."
"He's not."Rose rolled her eyes. "Fine, it's what you would've been like two hundred years ago, if you had been filthy rich and had an Earl for an uncle." She looked thoughtful for a moment. "So basically who you would be if you were Adrian."
I shrugged. "We'll never know what I'd've been like in those circumstances." I decided this conversation wasn't going anywhere and changed the subject. "So, dinner?"

Rose jumped up and forgot all about our discussion for the time-being, as I had intended. She quickly cleaned up some of the mess while I ordered pizza's and by the time they were delivered we'd managed to finish most of the chores together.

Somewhere halfway through her pizza, she'd wolfed down the first couple of slices so quickly I was surprised she didn't burn her tongue, she went quiet and thoughtful.
"You know, I've heard it said that any man in possession of a reasonable income must be in want of a wife."
I poured us a drink and lifted another slice of pizza to take a bite. "I'm pretty sure the book says any man in possession of a fortune Rose."
"Mr. Collins doesn't have a fortune. He does have a reasonable income though."
I looked up and narrowed my eyes at her. "What are you saying Roza?"
She shrugged. "Nothing, just making conversation and telling you I've heard that any man, past a certain age, in possession of a reasonable income, must be in want of a wife."

I put my pizza down as I considered her choice of conversation and what it might imply. She grinned at me as she took another bite of her pizza.
"A certain age? Like when you reach thirty and start questioning your life choices? I actually already did a lot of that when I started training you."
She rolled her eyes before she answered. "Well, to stick to the book, I think Darcy is like twenty eight right? And they obviously expected him to get married way before. If he was a woman, he'd be a spinster."
I couldn't help but smile. "Twenty eight isn't that old Roza."
She shrugged indifferently. "You'd know. You're getting pretty close."

I decided to test how far she was willing to go down this road. "Yeah maybe you're right. I'd better start looking for a wife then. Someone actually willing to marry me."
Rose made a show of focussing all of her attention on the slice of pizza she was slowly taking out of the box as she casually said: "You know, I've also heard that twenty is a completely reasonable age to get married if you love someone."
I studied her. "Did you now?"
"Hmmm," she murmured, having just taken another bite. She swallowed and added: "Only if the man of a certain age and reasonable income would propose with a rockstar ring though."
I nodded, feigning disinterest. "That goes without saying. And you got all that from a book?"
"Hmmm."

Rose dropped the subject then and continued eating her pizza. My own focus wasn't on food though. I kept my eyes on her as I repeated her words in my mind again and again. By the time I got back to myself she'd stolen two slices of my pizza and had moved on to the brownie I'd ordered as well.

She didn't say another word about our conversation that evening. She threw out the empty pizza boxes, checked in with Lissa and read a few more chapters in her book. I opened my laptop to get some work done on Christian's training plans, though it was hard considering how distracted I was, thinking about what Rose might have implied earlier. It was no secret that I wanted to marry her, preferably sooner rather than later. If it had been upto me we would've married two years ago. But I knew she wasn't ready and I'd never pushed her on it.

Was she saying that she was ready now?

I was pulled out of my thoughts when I suddenly felt her lips on my cheek and she whispered in my ear: "I'm going to bed comrade. You coming?"
I turned and kissed her properly. "I'll be done in a few minutes, be right there."
My eyes followed her as she walked out of the room, swaying her hips.

I quickly finished what I was doing and turned off the laptop. I'd check it in the morning for any mistakes, there was no way I'd be able to focus now. After placing our glasses in the dishwasher and turning of the lights, I quickly brushed my teeth before making my way to our bedroom.

I leaned against the doorframe as I watched her. She was once again reading her book, nearly finished by the looks of it. Her hair was down, there was no make-up on her face and she was wearing my favourite T-shirt. It was so big on her it had pulled sideways and one of her shoulders was showing through the opening at the neck as well.

She'd never looked more beautiful.

"Roza?"
She didn't look up. "Hmmm?"
"Say a man of a certain age, in possession of a reasonable income and a rockstar ring, wanted to propose to the woman he loves, what do you think is the best way to get her to say yes?" I asked casually.

She put her book down and looked up at me with narrowed eyes. "Getting down on one knee, pouring out your heart and begging her to marry you seems to work for some people. I wouldn't insult her family though, no matter how bad her mother really is."
"Good advice." I nodded. "Anything else?"
She considered me for a moment. "Well it might be wise to ask for her father's permission and blessing. Not that she'd care too much, but it's what a decent man would do." She shrugged carelessly. "And depending on who her father is it might keep the man from getting killed."

I took a step in her direction. Her eyes never left mine and I saw them widen as she tried to read me. I took another step, and then another, until I was right next to her.

And then I dropped down on one knee, and she sat bolt upright, her hands in front of her mouth.
I gently pulled them away and took them in both of mine. "Am I doing this right?"
I wasn't just asking in response to her earlier description of a marriage proposal. I was trying to find out if this was what she really wanted, if she was ready, if she wanted me to ask the question.

After a moment of pause, my heart nearly hammering out of my chest, she nodded.

She actually nodded.

My heart jumped. I pulled one hand out of hers and pulled a small box out of my pocket. She gasped when I opened it.

"Rose. My Roza." I brushed a lock of hair away from her eyes so I could see her reaction to what I was about to say. "I love you more than anything. I know I've made mistakes in the past and I am so happy that we have managed to work through them and are here now, together. You've made me a better man. You are my world and I can't imagine living without you. Will you allow me to love you every single day for the rest of our lives? Will you marry me?"

Her eyes were full of tears and I was sure mine were as well. Then she launched herself at me and I was only just in time to catch her and keep us from falling over. "Yes! Yes yes yes yes yes!"
My smile was so wide my face felt like it would tear. She pulled back to look at me and I could finally see her own beaming smile.

I gently put her back on the bed and, still knealing, took her hand again and slipped the ring onto her finger. I felt elated at finally seeing it in the place I'd imagined it for so long.
Roza turned her hand in several directions to admire the ring, platinum, a little thicker than most women might have liked, but I thought it suited her. There was a red diamond the width of the band in the middle, and three smaller clear diamonds in a row on either side. In a way I was lucky she hadn't wanted to get married two years ago. She'd given me some time to save up.

"This really is a rockstar ring comrade." Roza grinned.
It didn't scream rockstar in my opinion, which I associated more with gold and over the top huge stones, but it definitely wasn't standard. It was bold and eye-catching and it was a great fit for a strong and confident woman like my Roza. "So you like it?"
"I love it." She looked at me and all the humor disappeared, leaving only warmth and sincerity. "I love you."

And then she kissed me and showed me exactly how much she loved me.

RPOV

I was curled up against Dimitri, my head on his chest, my fingers trailing patterns over his abs. Occasionally my ring would catch the small amount of light filtering through the curtains and I'd admire it. I had to admit, he had great taste. "Comrade?"
"Hmmm," he hummed, his cheek against my hair.
"When did you buy this ring?"

I felt him tense a little but he didn't answer. I turned and twisted a little to get away from him and leaned up on my elbow so I could look at his face, or at least what little I could see of it. "I'm definitely not complaining or anything, just curious. I did expect you to pick up on my not so subtle hints, but I didn't think you'd act this quickly. You were well prepared."
He played with my hair for a few seconds. "I bought it when we joined Lissa and Christian on that trip to New York."

My mouth fell open and I gaped at him. "For Halloween last year?" It had been the first real fun trip we'd taken. Liss had had a hard time settling in as Queen and dealing with some of the bigger issues while also attending LeHigh so we hadn't had any time before. That trip was also almost fifteen months ago.

I could just about see his smile in the dark. "I knew I wanted to marry you Roza. You knew I wanted to marry you. I wanted to be prepared for whenever you decided you wanted to as well."
"It wasn't that I didn't want to, I just.." He interrupted me: "I know," and pulled me in to kiss me.
There was no undertone, no judgement. He'd understood why I wouldn't marry him at eighteen.

I laid back down and snuggled against him again. I was just drifting off when I remembered everything I'd said to him just before his proposal. "Did you talk to my dad?"
"Do you care?"
I tried to supress a yawn. "Not really, but I'd prefer not to marry a corpse."
He chuckled. "No need to worry, he gave his permission. His exact words were: 'I can't stop Rose anyway but I think you two will do well together.' "

I relaxed. I loved him but Abe had been known to take his protectiveness a bit far sometimes. He had been in my life for less than three years and yet he'd managed to intimidate several of my friends, and my boss, for no reason at all. "Did he threaten you afterwards?" I asked suspiciously.
Dimitri shifted a little. "Yes, he went into great detail."
I grinned at his discomfort. "That's my old man."

Dimitri stroked my hair and then ran his fingers over my back, drawing circles with his fingertips. "When did you talk about it anyway?"
"During the hunting trip."
I looked up. "What?"

What the hell? Nobody had ever wanted to tell me what happened on that damn trip my parents had forced Dimitri into, but it had happened only a couple of weeks after we'd gotten back together.
"I didn't actually ask for his permission Roza," Dimitri said calmly, pulling me closer. "But your parents wanted to know my intentions and I made no secret of the fact that I couldn't see a future without you in it. Your father figured out I'd ask you eventually."

I huffed. I wasn't sure whether I was offended at my father's interference or impressed that he had displayed such insight even though he barely knew me then. I was leaning towards the latter, especially because it had probably made life a little easier for Dimitri, but there was no need for the old man to know that. I'd give him a piece of my mind tomorrow.

Sensing my annoyance Dimitri kissed me until my mind was more agreeably engaged. Then he told me: "Sleep, my Roza. Everything else can wait."
For once I accepted his zen-crap without comment and allowed myself to relax. I soon fell asleep to the sounds of my soon-to-be-husband's heartbeat.

Dimitri was already gone when I woke up the next morning, having left early for a practice session with Christian and a few others. I took my time getting ready for the day. When I walked into the kitchen I noticed a thermos which was filled with my favourite tea and a box full of chocolate glazed donuts with a note on top.

These rings might not be as pretty as the one you're (finally) wearing, but they probably taste better.

I grinned, quickly took a bite and sent him a text

R: Thanks for breakfast. I love the ring(s)

D: Thanks for saying yes. I love you

R: Love you too comrade

I quickly finished off another two donuts before turning to grab my bag, wanting to throw my phone and keys into it. I was running late, as usual. It wasn't where I'd left it though and I looked around until I caught sight of it on the table, where Dimitri's laptop had been last night.

A book was laying on top of it, it's faded cover just visible behind another note.

I think you should read more often.

I laughed out loud, before stuffing all of my things, including Pride & Prejudice, into the bag and walking out the door.

Author's note: I started this one-shot a really long time ago but never got around to finishing it. I could actually totally see their engagement happening this way. Dimitri waiting for Rose to be ready, her dropping not so subtle hints when she is, and him being fully prepared and wanting to make it official immediately because well, he'd been waiting for a long time. Never underestimate a well prepared guardian and all that.