A/N I usually never post to fanfiction, but I wrote this short scene this summer and I thought I would share it. If people seem to like it, I might post some more, so be sure to tell me if you do. Please note that English is not my first language and my grammar is not perfect. I hope that there's nothing here that will bother you too much :) Enjoy!

Title: It's been a while

Word count: 1211

Written: 6/1/2016

I felt as if I was going to explode. Or collapse. Or melt. Anxious, excited and impatient emotions were having a rave inside my head, and I tried to focus on taking deep breaths to stay somewhat calm. Lissa, sitting across the small table, seemed completely oblivious to my emotional state as she chatted away casually.

"I was thinking about starting the demography essay on Tuesday." She asked before taking a sip of her latte. "Will you join me in the library?"

We were at a small cafe at a train station an hour away from Leigh. The open area was busy with people on their way home from work and school, and I had to speak just a bit louder than I would've anywhere else to make sure she could hear me.

"You know it's not due for another ten weeks, right?" I gave her a small smile as I met her gaze, then focused my attention on the to-go coffee cup in my hands. The coffee wasn't for me - I was still rebelling against the stuff. I had ordered a smoothie but doubted my stomach would accept anything in its current state. I pressed my fingers against the cardboard cup, holding them in place for as long as I could before the heat scalded my fingers. I waved them in the air to cool them off, then brought them back to the cup.

"Of course I know that." I guess she was Lissa, after all. "But I read an article the other day that said that you learn better if you study shor-" She paused. "Rose?" I was still caught up in my battle against the hot liquid and murmured a barely audible response.

"Rose." Lissa said again, and the tone of her voice compelled me to look up. There was a smug smile on her face, and I raised my eyebrows as her eyes shifted from my face to something behind me. I froze, then whirled my head around to where she was looking.

It felt almost like a dream, but I knew that the lonely, tall figure with a leather duster in the distance was none other than my very own, very real fiancé. As I rose from my chair he stopped walking, spotting me. Our eyes met across the train station, and there were a few moments when neither of us moved. My heart beat almost painfully in my chest, and I once again tried to focus on my breathing. Then, I remembered how to move, and took off running. As I neared him I could see a grin on his face, and I slammed into him with a force that would've sent anyone else flying across the room. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he wrapped his arms around my waist, lifting me off the ground.

"Hey." I murmured into the nape of his neck before breathed in his scent for the first time in over four months.

"Hello, Roza." I could feel his lips move through the fabric of my sweatshirt as he replied. "It's been a while."

"I missed you so much." I said, because I had. I'd missed his scent, his accent, his laugh. I'd missed waking up smelling his morning coffee, and falling asleep listening to his breathing. I'd missed taking early morning runs together and complaining about his crappy 80's music (which I had started to appreciate, not that I would ever admit that). I reminded myself, for probably the millionth time, to never take any of these things for granted. Nevermind the fact that after everything we'd done these past few years to be able to be together, I would never take a single moment with him for granted in my life. But I did appreciate it so much more than would've otherwise, and to be without him for longer periods of time hurt that much more. It reminded me of the time that he was really, truly gone. About the time I thought he was worse than gone.

So I gripped him tight. Even as he put me down again, my arms remained wrapped around him. His warm breaths tickled and I could feel his heart beat against my chest. He pulled away, just so much so that he could look into my eyes.

"I missed you too." He said. Simple words, but I knew they meant as much to him as they did to me. One of his hands traveled from my back to my cheek, and I leaned into it. I tucked a rebellious strand of hair that had escaped from his ponytail behind his ear.

"I love you." I whispered before pressing my lips against his. They were warm, sweet and tasted of dark chocolate. Their movement was slow and familiar, reminding me of all the times we'd kissed before. I had to break away eventually for air and pressed my forehead against his. "But don't get too full of yourself, Comrade, I'm still choosing the music on the way back." Dimitri chuckled softly, and his breath caressed my face.

"I love you too Rose," He mumbled, and after another couple of seconds added. "But we should go say hi to Lissa." I nodded, and we started making our way over to the smiling moroi queen who had been watching our exchange. Our hands were entwined, and my arm was just grazing his.

"I'm driving too you know." I stated confidently.

"No, you're not." He shook his head. "You have to pick one of them."

"Says who?"

"You do. Shotgun chooses the music, right?" Dimitri sent a teasing grin in my direction. I sighed dramatically.

"You and I both know that rule only applies when you're the one being the wheel." He let out a laugh that made feel all warm and fuzzy inside, and I smiled like the Cheshire cat. It was rare for him to be this open with his emotion in public, but then again, I guess some happiness couldn't be contained. He shoved me playfully with his shoulder, and I returned the gesture, only with a considerably larger amount of force. Still, he didn't move more than an inch. He just grabbed my hand again and squeezed it.

"Let's promise each other to never be apart for this long again." I whispered, squeezing his hand back.

"Promise." He said, and I echoed.

We both knew it was a lie. There would be times in the future when we would have to spend way more time apart, often without knowing if we would ever meet again. But walking like this, hand in hand through a crowded train station, was more than either of us had ever dreamed of, and we were happy.