Title: Bulletproof Love

Author: OpheliacAngel

Pairings: Lissa/Rose

Genres: Romance/Friendship

Rating: Teen

Summary: Lissa's never told the truth to anyone, except Rose. And that she couldn't help.

A/N: Written for Yuletide Madness for grlgoddess. You wanted some shenanigans that Lissa and Rose got up to while on the run, so here's just a peek.

To be honest, if someone asked Lissa after the whole Rose giving Lissa her blood thing become public, if she became attracted to Rose when she started to feed on her, then she would say that she had been attracted to the exotic and somewhat enigmatic Rose Hathaway long before they were ever bonded.

She'd be an idiot if she didn't want to fool around a little with Rose, as crazy as that might sound to someone else.

But Rose was drop-dead gorgeous. She had curves enough to astound practically every boy in St. Vladimir's Academy, and her snarky attitude and bulletproof loyalty to Lissa were two things that made her so completely out of Lissa's league that it wasn't even worth crying over. Because it would never happen.

Until it did.

Rose had been higher than usual after Lissa had fed from her one night into their new college life, perhaps fed from her a bit too much, and Lissa was feeling way too confident. Feeling herself regain her strength back wasn't enough, she needed more from Rose that she might or might not be willing to give her. There was really only one way to tell. And as selfish as it might have made Lissa seem, she still took what she wanted anyway.

Rose was sprawled flat on her back on the bed, eyes closed and her breathing deep and even, still riding the waves of mind-numbing pleasure. Lissa smiled at the sight of her, a peaceful smile on Rose's beautiful features, making her look five years younger. If she could give Rose just a bit of all that Rose gave to her, then she would happily do it. As still as Rose was, Lissa knew she wasn't asleep. Not quite yet.

Lissa had been wanting this for so long, and she wasn't going to stop now. She bent over Rose, but this time, instead of sinking her teeth into her best friend's neck, she brushed her lips over Rose's own and then kissed her. She had kissed Aaron before but it had never been like this, Rose's lips were so soft and sweet, and her hair smelled like raspberries. She made the kiss deeper, her tongue exploring Rose's mouth and determined to make this last, her teeth gently nipping at Rose's lips until Rose moaned and her eyes snapped open.

The first thing that happened was that Rose shoved Lissa off of her, not forcefully but gentle. She knew it was Lissa, but the Moroi had no idea how to read the expression in her eyes and written all over her face. Was it disgust or horror or both? No, Rose could never be disgusted at Lissa, not for any reason.

Lissa hadn't been thrown off the bed and she sat there, watching Rose with wide, terrified eyes. Would Rose reject her or just pretend that it never happened? Which one would be worse?

The second thing that happened was Rose's face falling, immediately making Lissa feel bad. "Liss..."

"You don't have to say anything," Lissa quickly told her. "It was my choice. You don't have to..."

She was forced to break off when Rose clapped a hand over her mouth. "Don't, Lissa." She released the hand. "Don't pretend that I don't care about you. Hell, we were closer than sisters even before the accident." A look of regret crosses Rose's face as soon as she says that word, forcing Lissa to relive it, but Lissa relives that night with or without the help of Rose. And she knows that Rose doesn't understand that there was something good that came out of that horrid memory: Rose came out alive and the two of them are closer than ever.

If Lissa didn't have Rose, she dreaded to think what she would have turned into.

Sure, losing her entire family wasn't worth anything. But Rose was and always would be her family. Period.

"I know," Lissa admitted, because she knew just how close she was to Rose just as much as she knew how close Rose was to her. Because she also knew that Rose might not be flat out rejecting her, but that taking their relationship a step further wasn't what she wanted.

True enough, Rose looked at her for a long moment, biting her lip, and then eventually she sighed. "Lissa, I don't... I don't know if this is what I want. Or if this is even the best move. It'll be a distraction, and I can't afford distractions right now. No matter how much I love you," she brushed a strand of Lissa's hair away from her face.

Right, Lissa pouted, she was playing the guardian card. Except for the fact that she had every right to play it. Lissa couldn't protect herself, her safety was all up to Rose. And Rose was right, distracting Rose from doing her own job wouldn't just put Lissa in danger, but it could also kill Rose.

"I just need some time," Rose pleaded.

Lissa decided she could wait. For Rose, she could wait.

FIN