C'mon, Rose, Give In!

Hello, here we have the last chapter! And as for the big finish, I decided to make a little difference... It's our favourite cowboy's point of view.

This maybe isn't my best work, but I hope you'll like it more than I do.

"I would really appreciate if you told me where we are headed," Rose mumbles under her breath and I cannot resist a smile.

"If you had any orientation skills, you'd know about that for a while."

She pulls a face and focuses her stare stubbornly on the road. "I slept," she accuses me, "How am I supposed to know where are we going?"

"You're not, at all." She frowns at my concise reply and pokes her elbow at me.

"That's it," she concludes, "You're not getting kissed tonight."

I, on the other hand, do not think so. Not after I give her this present of mine. I hope, at least. "How frustrating, indeed! Roza, I am truly sorry, but you will have to wait some more minutes to-"

"COMRADE! Look, look, look!" Her enthusiastic scream cuts me off, and- "IT'S THE PALACE, COMRADE! HA! I knew it!" –I almost crushed into another car because of her screaming.

"No, you didn't," I frown in response, "But since you do, no-"

"Holy shit, it's GIANORMOUS! And it has this silly green dome on it, like in the book we've seen! And..." I don't follow anymore. To be honest, I lost her at "gianormous". I, on the other hand, have to admire her enthusiasm and happiness every child could envy her. I adore how her face lights up and she falls into endless trance of speaking. Truth be told, I have no clue what she is saying – I enjoy listening to her voice and seeing her get thrilled over... Corn Palace. A corny palace.

Her soft blabbing fills the car as I park it. Rose jumps out immediately, hurrying to explain everything she sees and notices and feels. That's what I love so much about her – she is a very, very open person, unlike me. But that is noted already.

The whole trip and thing about the Palace just passes by – I don't follow, only I keep my eyes on is her. How she's tickled pink when she sees something new and how she forces me to take a picture of her and the big corn ear mascot. I love how she fights with an employee over lack of corn dishes on the restaurant menu and how they should be selling costumes and pyjamas and giving away free T-shirts for advertising.

Afterwards, I lead her to the park nearby – she is still able to see her "favourite palace so far" and is taking pictures of everything everywhere in her sight. She says she'll quit guarding Lissa and become professional photographer – bullshit, since she can't even take a decent picture of blade of grass, I think with awe, which is weird.

She spins around the trees in the wind, and, Bozhe, Roza looks breathtaking. Her yellow, light spring dress waves around her knees. Her long, brown curls are messing with her face in the wind as I watch her, amused, how she tries to put it away with no success. She's clearly irritated, but expression fits her face, of course. My gaze traces around her astonished face as she flips her glance from Corn Palace back to me. My look stops at her eyes for a bit, and their deep brownness surprises me. I love every single freckle on her tanned face. I find myself amazed (again) by the perfect shape of her full lips and how her skin glows in May sun. She catches my gaze and grins at me, yes, I probably do look like possessively fanatic boyfriend, but who cares, really? All I need is this gorgeous woman I'm now walking towards and my eyes have the chance of seizing the whole picture once more. I thank to God I have had a opportunity of having and loving this miraculous creature again and again, and now I find myself ready to make her truly mine, by the law also.

"Roza?" I hear myself voice out in heavy accent and incapability of telling her whole monologue I have practiced in front of a mirror with some real piece of hard-work.

"Yes?" her voice rings in my head and I stare at her breathtaking features again. I cannot help myself not to lower my head and kiss her soft forehead, at least. I enjoy the briefness of pressing my lips against her skin, and I lean my own forehead to hers. I cannot remember the single sentence of my monologue, well, only the one that truly matters.

Yes, I do realize when saying it, there's no way back. Yes, I do realize what weight it holds. Or does it? I know it is a risk worth taking, and with her, it's going to be fun one.

I sink into depths of her eyes again and her lashes flutter against my nose.

"Marry me."

Yes, this is the end! I have always wished to end it this way, from the very beginning!

I would like to say THANK YOU for keeping up with me for the whole story, I would like to say THANK YOU to the ones who reviewed and favourited this story, and special THANK YOU goes to Kristina, who was able to bear my grumpiness and pressure on pre-reading every chapter. But the point is, THANK YOU!

P.S.: For the ones wondering... She did say "Yes" :)