Chapter 20 - It's a new dawn

Once Rose managed to drag Dimitri into their room, Dimitri plopped himself on the bed, taking Rose with him, despite her protests and squeals. He landed on his back with Rose on top of him.

"Dimitri, I need to shower", Rose giggled. "And you need to rest".

"No, I'm not letting you out if my sight", he pouted.

"Then come with me", Rose conceded. "You need a shower too".

"Is that your subtle way of calling me smelly?" Dimitri huffed, mock-offended.

Rose pulled him from the bed by the arm and yanked his shirt off. He was worse than she thought. Patches of dried blood littered his body, indicating wounds that had already healed, and patches of yellowish skin, the remnants of bruises from the battle. She didn't say anything, though the looks she gave Dimitri spoke volumes as to her worry.

"Come on Comrade", Rose tugged him to the shower on unsteady feet. She undressed and helped Dimitri strip the rest of his clothes.

She sat him down on the shower seat so she could wash herself, but Dimitri wasn't having it. He grabbed Rose by the waist and pulled her to him so her back was leaning against his chest. He peppered her shoulder with featherlight kisses. There wasn't anything sexual about it, he just needed her closeness desperately.

Rose smiled softly. "I can't wash my hair like this".

Dimitri just stood, silently took the shampoo bottle from her and lathered her hair. "I'm not letting go of you any time soon", he declared with conviction.

It was being to sink in for Rose how much what had happened was effecting Dimitri. They continued to bathe each other in intimate silence, exchanging a kiss here, a caress there, a long embrace under the hot spray of the shower.

When Dimitri swayed on his legs, Rose decided it was time for bed. She dried Dimitri as best she could and sat him on the bed while she dried herself and brushed her hair. Dimitri never let her get too far from him.

Rose swallowed hard. "Are you alright, Dimitri?"

"No", he whispered. "How can I be alright? You almost died, Roza". A single tear slid down his cheek. "I nearly lost you". He cupped her cheeks with both hands. "How am I supposed to live without you? You're everything to me, you know that?"

Now Rose was crying too. There wasn't anything she could say. She wanted to say everything was going to be okay and that this would never happen again. But she was a slayer. She could easily die at any moment. There were no guarantees in their line of work.

"I love you so much it hurts me sometimes", Dimitri added.

Rose nodded in agreement and leant in. They kissed chastely for a long while.

Rose pushed Dimitri back a tad. "I have to tell you something. And you need to hear this. I don't care If the earth opens at my feet right now, you'd need to know this".

"Roza, you're freaking me out".

Rose shook her head. "No, don't. I love you. So so much". She took a deep breath. "Remember that night last week, when we woke up and had the most amazing sex ever?" Rose chuckled at her own choice of words.

Dimitri nodded. "When I told you I want to spend the rest of my life with you and you said 'okay'?" The memory of it alone had Dimitri looking morose.

"I'm so sorry about that, Dimitri. You caught me off guard. I should have told you then. I should tell you every day", Rose rambled.

"Tell me what? You're not making sense"

"It's not okay".

Dimitri looked horrified. But only for a moment.

"If I get to spend the rest of my life with you, I'd consider myself the luckiest being on the planet. I love you and when I'm with you everything feels right and wonderful. So you see, 'okay' doesn't even begin to cover it. I'm grateful for every moment we share and I want to share all my moments with you".

When Dimitri didn't say anything, Rose asked with a cheeky smile, "Is that okay?"

Dimitri returned the smile and embraced Rose as if she were his private sun on the blackest night.

After that there was nothing left to be said. Dimitri and Rose fell asleep wrapped in each other arms.

A month later, Dimitri took Rose on vacation as promised. They didn't plan on waiting a month, but they didn't want to miss the big move to the new sisterhood location. They were there to help pack and get the younglings settled in.

The new digs were pretty sweet, as Adrian had put it. Rose and Dimitri did in fact get a suite with a living room, bedroom and kitchenette. There was even a breakfast nook. The bathroom had a gargantuan tub that could easily fit 2 and a shower. Rose wondered if anyone else got such accommodations or if it was just her fathers nepotism. The suite was fully furnished, surprisingly much to Dimitri and Rose's like. They had a king sized bed with two nightstands. The living room had a large comfy sofa, an armchair, a coffee table and a TV. It even had selves for Dimitri's books. The glazing on the doughnut was the walk in closet.

When they settled into their respective suites, Adrian and Sydney, and Lissa and Christian both hosted movie nights. Rose and Dimitri's suite was just the tiniest bit better than the two other couples'. Not counting the bathroom and closet space, which were superior by far.

On Rose and Dimitri's turn to host movie night, the couple announced that they were going on vacation. Alone. For a month. In Belize. Courtesy of dear old Abe.

It had taken much convincing on Abe's part for Rose and Dimitri to agree. And Abe went totally overboard, insisting that he had a private house on the beach they could use and a private jet they could take.

"Rose, that's great!" Sydney, Adrian and Christian were all happy for them, congratulating the two on the much deserved vacation and alone time.

"Lissa, what's wrong?" Rose asked when Lissa didn't squeal.

"Nothing", Lissa lied. She rolled her eyes knowing she wasn't fooling anyone. "I'm just going to really miss you and you know how I worry about you when we're apart. And we've never been apart for so long".

Rose smiled and hugger her oldest friend. "Don't worry, Liss", she stroked Lissa's hair. "I promise I'll stay safe. And we'll Skype twice a week. Besides, I have backup", she winked.

In her heart, Lissa knew Dimitri would never let anything happen to Rose. For that alone, Lissa loved him like family and trusted him to bring back her sister in one peice.

When Abe told Rose and Dimitri he had a beach house, he really should have said beach mansion. The place was huge. So huge it had it's own dock, where, as it turns out, Abe also kept his yacht. The mansion was so big that it took Rose and Dimitri several days just to learn their way around the place.

"You're going to get burnt lying in the sun like that", Dimitri warned Rose, who was sunbathing naked on the beach, her ass towards the heavens.

The obvious benefit of a secluded beach mansion was that the beach was completely private. Rose had taken to the idea of a tan with no lines.

Rose pouted. "No, I'm not, I put on sunscreen".

"Roza, that was hours ago", Dimitri reminded.

Rose was blissfully happy. Time seemed to fly by. "I can't believe we've already been here for 3 weeks. I don't want to go home".

"I wish we could stay here too milaya", Dimitri stroked her back. "But you miss Lissa and Sydney. And you miss slaying". Dimitri smirked. "And eventually you'll miss Christian and Adrian too".

Rose chuckled. He was right. She did miss her sisters terribly. And she missed slaying. It was a part of her, not just a job. When they went out to a local night club Rose was lucky enough to run into a strigoi which she efficiently took out with a "Hells yeah!". Rose and Dimitri were both packing silver. Never leave home without it, was their motto.

"I miss Mia", Rose suddenly said somberly.

Dimitri chuckled. "You can Skype her again", he suggested.

Rose nodded.

Today was a lazy for the couple. While on some days they were adventurous, like exploring the area, going to the markets in the closest town, yachting, scuba diving, and snorkeling, today was all about lying on the beach, drinking rum. It was the caribbean, after all.

Just like Rose had requested when Dimitri suggested the vacation, their days were filled with nudity. Not a day went by were Rose and Dimitri didn't make love at least once. Though they learned the hard way not to have sex on the beach. It may have been a good drink, but it was not good practice. Sand gets… everywhere.

After Dimitri rubbed sunscreen all over Rose, he decided to go for a swim. He was an excellent swimmer. As he came out of the ocean Rose couldn't help but admire his beautiful form. He rose from the water like a god of the sea. Every muscle in his body rippled when he walked towards the beach. Wet hair dripping on his shoulders, drops of water trickling down his body, making him glisten. Dimitri was a vision of true perfection and it made Rose's mouth water as well as her core.

Rose couldn't wait for Dimitri any longer and started stroking herself. By the time Dimitri reached her, Rose was already panting. He growled in appreciation at the sight before him. Before she could object, Dimitri threw her over his shoulder and practically ran the short distance to the mansion. When Rose squealed, he smacked her ass. She giggled. Rose knew exactly what she was doing, letting Dimitri find her playing with herself.

At last Dimitri got to their bedroom. Usually, neither of them cared where they were; they'd had sex all over the mansion. And the yacht. And even the private jet. But for some reason, this time Dimitri's mind was set on their bedroom. He was kicking off his swim trunks before he reached the door.

The second Rose's back hit the mattress, Dimitri's tongue invaded her most intimate crevasse. None too gently. Rose screamed in pleasure while Dimitri lapped at her clit, she writhed as his tongue slipped in and out of her, she shuttered as the exquisite orgasm rippled through her body.

Dimitri kissed and sucked his way up Rose till his tongue reached hers. "I love the taste of you", Dimitri murmured. "I love it when you come on my tongue". He dipped his tongue in Rose's mouth again.

"More than you love it when I come on your cock?" Rose asked playfully.

During the 3 week of bliss, their sexual banter had evolved into pure smut.

"You know, I can't decide", Dimitri smoldered and drove into Rose with a fiery passion.

"God, I love you!" Rose wailed while Dimitri fucked her senseless.

That only spurred Dimitri on to fuck her harder. Suddenly he flipped her over, placed her hands on the headboard, her fingers wrapping around the white metal frame. "Hold on", he whispered in her ear from behind while rubbing the tip of his engorged member up and down her slit.

Rose shivered with anticipation. "Stop teasing me", she groaned.

Dimitri smirked, he wasn't done teasing her. He entered her slowly. Bit by bit he inched his way deeper inside her. He stroked her thighs and ass. He gently thumbed her hole, applying just the tiniest bit of pressure. It was enough to send Rose mewling. She wiggled her ass, demanding more. She clenched her muscles tightly around Dimitri's massive erection causing Dimitri to lose the little control he had. He grabbed her by the waist and pounded into her over and over.

"Never", thrust, "stop", thrust, "fucking", thrust, "me!", thrust, "ah!", Rose cried out as she climaxed again. Waves of pleasure course thru her. She felt it in her curling toes. She felt it in her shaking arms and legs. She felt it deep in the pit of her stomach and her core.

Two more thrusts and Dimitri unloaded with an unyielding howl. He collapsed breathless, sweaty and spent on top of Rose. Despite his massiveness, Rose loved the feel of her man crushing her body post coitus. Before long, Dimitri pulled them both onto their side. He curled around Rose, not leaving any space between them, still slightly tucked between her folds.

"Ya lyublyu tebya", he murmured in her ear and kissed her shoulder.

It was the first thing she learned in Dimitri native language. The way he said it, the Russian equivalent for 'I love you', warmed Rose in a way she never imagine was possible. It made her feel cocooned. It made her feel safe. It made her feel like she could fly.

Rose caught a glimpse of her hand. "Dimitri", she turned in his arms so they were facing each other, "do you think we should tell them before we come home?" she asked. It was something they'd discussed several times. The conclusion was always 'no'. But the closer they were to going home the more it gnawed at her insides. She wasn't much for keep secrets, she was more of an open book.

"We already talked about this, Roza", Dimitri answered sleepily. "It's up to you. They're your family. But we decided to keep it to ourselves until we got home and I stand by that decision", he may have been on the verge of slumber, but he was still the voice of reason. "If you tell them now, it'll be so much worse than if you tell them when we get home. How would you even have that conversation?"

Rose shrugged. "Skype?"

"This is how it's going to go", Dimitri cleared his throat and imitated Rose badly with a high pitchy voice, "Hi guys! So I just wanted to tell you that on the way to Belize, Dimitri and I made a pit stop in New Orleans and got married all by ourselves without you there and I didn't tell you till now. Surprise!"

"I don't sound like that!" Rose chuckled and smacked his chest lightly. "And when you say it like that it does sound bad. But won't it sound just as bad saying the same thing to their faces next week?"

"No, because we wanted this month to be just ours. Getting married, being married, it was only for us. This month was about us being together. Telling them now will only make them resent you not telling them right away. Telling them when we're home gets the point across that it wasn't about keep secrets, it was about being together without sharing us with anyone else".

"I know you're right. But I can't help but feel that they're going to resent us anyway for not including them. I mean they didn't even know I would ever consider marriage".

"Milaya, you get to have a life outside the sisterhood and slaying. We deserve to be able to be together and one day have a family", he kissed the tip of her nose. "If you want we can have a party and invite everyone we know and celebrate with them. To be honest, Abe probably already knows and I'm not sure how much he's kept it to himself".

Rose laughed. "No way. If Lissa or Sydney knew, they'd freak out. And if Adrian knew, he would be organizing the after-wedding-bachlor-party".

Dimitri joined in the laughing.

"Oh god!", Rose gasped and covered her mouth, "Comrade, If Alberta knew, she'd get on a plane to Belize, find you and kick your ass!" Rose was still laughing when she realized that Dimitri wasn't laughing at all. The look of pure terror on his face only made Rose laugh harder.

"I can't believe we're actually married!" Rose squealed suddenly and throw her arms around Dimitri. He chuckled and wrapped his arms around Rose tighter.

Dimitri stared at his wife in blissful awe. He couldn't believe they were actually married either. What struck Dimitri the most about their surprise wedding was that it wasn't even his idea, it was Rose's. He thought back to how it all happened.

When they were seated on the jet, all set to take off to Belize, Rose turned to him out of the blue and said, "I want to marry you".

Dimitri's smile could have lit up a small city. He leaned in to kiss Rose, who stopped him with her palm on her chest.

"Right now", Rose added.

Dimitri looked around dumbstruck, wondering how they'd get married on a plane.

Rose knew he wasn't hesitating, he was pondering logistics. "Dad said we can take the jet anywhere we want and make any stops we want on the way", Rose explained. "We can stop in New Orleans and get married, spend a couple of days in the french quarter and then head to Belize for our honeymoon". Her hand were basically shaking as she proposed her idea.

Dimitri just had the goofiest look on his face. They'd declared themselves when Rose got home from the hospital, and they'd discussed one day getting married. But Rose wanting it right then and there felt miraculous to Dimitri. He thought he'd have to wait years before he convince Rose to marry him. He stared at his soon to be wife, cupped her cheek with his hand and thumbed her lips. "You just made me the happiest man alive Roza".

Neither of them wanted a traditional proposal or a traditional wedding because nothing about them was traditional. But they made it work. Dimitri didn't care that he didn't do the whole getting down on one knee and popping the question with a ring. Rose didn't care that there was no fuss over her wedding dress, or planning a big wedding. There was no awkward getting to know the family, no jealous brides maids to make fun of. It was just them. Rose and Dimitri. Together. Till death do they part.

Rose and Dimitri got their happily ever after. They'd go home, celebrate with friends and family, and one day when the time is right have children of their own.

The end.

A/N:

Happy V-Day! It's gotta still be V-Day somewhere, right? That means it's still my Bday! It seemed fitting to end this story a highnote :-D

So that's it! I hoped you liked it.

I want to thank everyone who followed and favorited. A huge thank you to anyone who reviewed!

I often wonder how this story would have gone if I could have given it the same attention as I did with NJAMP and G&R. Would it have been better? Longer? More smutty? Would the ending have been different? But overall I pretty please with myself (she laughs maniacally).

I am sorry that somewhere along the line I stopped answering reviews. That all kinda went out the window, along with any real updating schedule. That always makes me feel shitty, just know that they were truly appreciated as is the fact that y'all stuck around for this thing to finally end LOL

Much love,

Kooki

PS - fear not! This isn't the last you've heard of me! You'll see me again sooner than you think.