"What is it?" Rose asked, her eyes locked with Dimitri's.

"I love you."

The words hung in the air between them, heavy with consequence. Rose swallowed, unsure of how to respond.

"I'm in love with you," Dimitri added, clarifying his statement. Opening her mouth to reply, their server interrupted Rose by returning with their hot chocolates.

"Thank you," she mumbled as they placed two steaming mugs in front of them. Once they left, she could reply. "You were in love with me? Back then?"

"Yes. I took time to admit it to myself, but I was in love with you. I am in love with you."

Rose was looking at Dimitri's hands clasping hers on the tabletop.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Dimitri sighed. He'd hoped she might use this opportunity to tell him she shared his feelings, but even if he'd left his run too late, Rose deserved to know how he felt then. And now.

"I was scared. After I lost Ivan, I swore never to let someone that close again. I fought the way I felt about you because I was afraid of getting hurt. Then there was your age, the fact I was your mentor, and that we were both going to be guarding Vasilisa…"

"So you told me you felt nothing for me?" Rose asked, her voice flat.

"I thought it was the right thing to do…"

"Was it?" Rose asked, meeting his eyes again. "I loved you too, Dimitri. Hearing you say you felt nothing for me? It broke my heart."

"I'm sorry," Dimitri whispered, lifting one hand from Rose's stroking the side of her face with his knuckles. "If I could go back, I'd change it, but I can't."

Rose nodded. "So what happens now?"

"I can't continue the way things have been," Dimitri confessed. "I'm hoping you can forgive me and give me a second chance. I love you, Roza. I want us to be together."

"And if I don't want that?"

"Then I'll ask to be reallocated."

Lissa barely heard a word in her morning lecture and tutorial. Thankfully Meredith was taking notes because all Lissa could think about were Rose and Dimitri. Checking her watch for the third time, she noticed it was just past 10:00 am. Surely their 'chat' would be over by now, right? Lissa was debating using the bond to ask Rose to message her but ruled it out knowing that when Rose wanted to talk, she'd get in touch.

By the time she, Meredith, Eddie, and Christian met up to head home at 3:00 pm, Lissa was almost bouncing with nervous energy she was so curious.

"What's up with you?" Christian asked, looking at Lissa oddly.

"It's just the weather. It's going to storm," she said innocuously.

Meredith warily eyed the sky. There were ominous dark clouds, but it had yet to rain. "I think you're right. Looks like it's going to be a wet gloomy night."

"We don't have classes until midday tomorrow. Let's order pizza, stay up and watch a film," Christian suggested. When it was wet outside, Rose and Dimitri didn't patrol outdoors, so it would be a nice chance for them all to hang out together.

"Good idea," Lissa agreed. "We can go by the shops and get some new movies and snacks."

They split up at the market; Eddie and Christian getting the food while Lissa and Meredith went to choose the movies.

"Don't forget the caramel marshmallow popcorn for Rose," Lissa warned. "At least two packets…"

"Like I'd ever forget again," Eddie grumbled half under his breath. Several years ago, he'd forgotten Rose's favored snack on a trip to the market ahead of a movie night. Unhappy did not even begin to cover Rose's reaction to his oversight. "What do you think they will make us watch?" Eddie asked Christian once they were out of hearing of the ladies.

"Lissa will choose a romance. Let's hope Meredith goes for an action movie."

"As long as it's not The Notebook again, I'm cool," Eddie declared.

"Amen to that," Christian acknowledged, picking up four packets of Rose's favorite movie snacks. It never hurt to stock up… Quickly adding their other movie treats, Eddie and Christian moved to the front of the store where Lissa and Meredith were completing their movie selections.

"One romance, one action," Meredith reported without being asked, showing them the front covers of One Day and Thor.

"So a romance, and a movie with a hot semi-naked dude?" Christian snarked with a raised eyebrow. "Thanks for thinking of us!"

"I'll take Thor over Brokeback Mountain any day," Eddie mumbled, referring to another movie with semi-naked guys Lissa had insisted they watch.

"We haven't seen that in ages! Maybe we should watch it again?" Meredith teased.

"Watch what again?" Lissa asked.

"Nothing," Christian replied, quickly complimenting Lissa on the movies she and Meredith had selected.

"Let's get out of here – it's about to storm," Lissa said, ushering everyone to the front of the store to pay. Whether it was a spirit thing or just her own powers of observation, Lissa had an uncanny ability to predict the weather. Even if it was sunny out, when the Princess packed an umbrella, the rest of the group had learned to do likewise.

"How far away?" Eddie asked, not fancying being trapped in a downpour.

"We'll make it home but only just," Lissa predicted confidently.

Sure enough, they were one house over when the first droplets fell. They were letting themselves into the house when the heavy rain started.

"Dimitri and Rose will still be asleep, so keep it down," Lissa hissed as they all headed inside. Secretly, she hoped her two guardians were curled up somewhere together, but she resisted the urge to go upstairs and check on them. Instead, she fired up her laptop on the dining table and did an hour and a half of homework then answered several emails from Court. Tatiana was getting less subtle about her hopes that Lissa would return to Court as her understudy. The whole thing made Lissa uneasy.

"I guess I won't be running today," Rose announced, coming down at 5:00 pm wearing sweats instead of her running skins. The rain was bucketing down outside, and there was the occasional rumble of thunder, too. Happy to brave the odd rain shower, Rose knew better than to run in the pouring rain.

"Change of plans. Pizza and a movie night," Meredith declared, flipping the local pizza pamphlet to Rose. Not that there was any need. Dimitri always ordered sausage, onion, and mushroom, while Rose favored pepperoni. Coming downstairs Dimitri confirmed his usual order, and soon they were heating snacks and settling into the living room as the opening scenes of One Day played.

Christian and Lissa took their usual sofa. The largest, it was a given that as Moroi they got the premier position. Eddie sat in an occasional chair to one side. Rose and Dimitri sat furthest away from the TV on a two-seater sofa with Meredith on a bean bag near the screen. The last to sit, she turned off the lights as they watched the opening credits.

"Are you comfortable, Roza?" Dimitri asked softly in the darkness, lifting his arm and placing it across the back of the sofa. With a throw rug already across his lap, it was an enticing prospect and not one Rose wanted to ignore.

"Hmm, I'm ok," she replied, scooting closer to Dimitri, leaning into him and allowing him to wrap his arm around her shoulder and move the blanket over her lap. Not entirely innocent, it didn't matter; Lissa, Christian, and Meredith couldn't observe them from their positions, and Eddie's attention was trained on the screen. They sat side by side, relaxing into one another, watching the movie until, with their enhanced hearing, the dhampir could hear a vehicle pulling up outside.

"That will be the pizza," Dimitri said with a sigh, standing up and walking to the door. A few minutes shy of seven, he and Rose weren't on duty yet, but as team leader, Dimitri assumed responsibility when their charges were at home. Rose followed, both checking their stakes before opening the door.

Rose paid the delivery guy while Dimitri took the stack of pizzas, ferrying them into the living room and piling them onto the coffee table. Eddie paused the movie, and they all started to eat.

"Oh my God – this is SO good!" Meredith moaned, digging into a slice of pizza.

"Thanks for suggesting it!" Eddie agreed. "It's a perfect night for pizza."

Christian and Lissa both had a piece, before downing a blood bag each, agreeing pizza was the best meal on a rainy night.

Lissa was watching Rose and Dimitri carefully, but she could not work out what was happening between them. The storm outside raged – unusually fierce at this time of year. After the pizza was demolished, they turned the lights off and returned to watching the film.

"Them seeing each other but never acknowledging their love is so tragic!" Meredith commented, her eyes and thoughts trained on the movie.

"Isn't it?" Dimitri whispered into Rose's ear, referring to their own situation. Rose cuddled a little closer, smiling as Dimitri nuzzled then kissed her head.

"It's true," Eddie hissed to Christian in the upstairs hallway. Everyone bar Rose and Dimitri was upstairs preparing for bed. "You couldn't see it from where you were sitting, but Belikov had his arm around Rose and I swear a couple of times, he even kissed her hair!"

Christian chuckled. "Dude – whatever you're smoking, I want some of it! There's no way Belikov would cuddle up with Rose, and if he tried she'd flatten him!"

"Whatever you think," Eddie said shaking his head. "I know what I saw… there's something going on between them."

Downstairs Rose was stacking the dishwasher.

"I'll take these out," Dimitri said, coming into the kitchen with the empty pizza boxes and soda bottles.

"Thanks," she replied, wiping down the counter, putting the kitchen back to rights.

"I liked tonight," Dimitri said when he returned from taking out the trash, snaking his arms around Rose from behind and dropping a kiss onto the top of her head. "It felt right to hold you…"

So far, Rose had not been forthcoming about her feelings, but her actions gave Dimitri reason to hope. Rose turned in his arms to face Dimitri.

"Do you think anyone noticed?" she asked, her fingers playing with his shirt. It was the first affectionate gesture she'd initiated, and Dimitri couldn't help smiling when he noticed it.

"I don't care if they did," Dimitri declared. "If we're going to do this, they'll find out eventually."

"And are we? Going to do this?" Rose asked her voice uncertain.

"I want to," Dimitri said, pulling Rose hard against him. "I want to be your man and for everyone to know that. I want to be the one you love and trust. Give me a chance? Us a chance?"

"Ok." It was a whisper.

"Ok?" Dimitri checked, unable to keep an excited grin from spreading across his face.

"Ok," Rose repeated louder.

"You won't regret it! I love you so much!" Dimitri moaned, lowering his lips to hers and kissing Rose tenderly.

"I love you, too," Rose replied, saying the words Dimitri so desperately wanted to hear.

"You do?" he gasped.

"I never stopped, Comrade," she finally admitted.

"Morning," Castile said coming down at 5:45 am, an hour and a quarter before his shift started. "Either of you want to head to the gym today?"

Once a week, Rose and Dimitri would work an extra hour so the other could go to the gym with Meredith or Eddie, on other days Eddie and Meredith reciprocating by starting an hour earlier to facilitate the same thing. Today was Dimitri's usual day at the gym with Eddie.

"Not today," Dimitri said apologetically. "I'm tired – I wouldn't mind just crashing."

"Meredith or I could start early if you wanted to go, Rose?" Eddie offered.

"Count me out, today. I'm tired, too. I think it's the weather," she explained. "All the noises from the storm had me on edge."

The storm raged for hours, finally burning itself out around 4:00 am. She wasn't sure if it were the weather or everything with Dimitri, but Rose had been agitated all shift. Rather than splitting up, by unspoken accord, she and Dimitri had spent the night patrolling the house together in silence. It was a relief when dawn arrived with no sign of anything untoward. It had felt like the sort of night where anything could happen.

"Dinner smells amazing," Rose commented when Eddie returned upstairs to shower and dress now he knew gym wasn't happening today. A simple roast, Dimitri had put it on an hour ago for the two of them. He shrugged but smiled, knowing it was one of Rose's favorite meals.

"I know you like it," he replied, his eyes saying more than his voice.

Christian and Lissa weren't up when Eddie and Meredith changed shifts with Rose and Dimitri. Since they didn't have classes until later, the Royal Moroi had slept in. Accordingly, it was just the four guardians downstairs eating.

"On shift," Meredith announced at seven standing up and putting her plate in the dishwasher.

"Me, too," Eddie said. "I'll head out to patrol," he added miserably, looking at the persistent drizzle.

"I'm going upstairs to crash," Rose said, already halfway upstairs. She was about to let herself into her room when Dimitri appeared beside her.

"Come to my room?" he whispered, running the tip of his nose along the out ridge of her ear. "I want to hold you."

Rose suspected Dimitri had a lot more than holding in mind but then so did she. She followed Dimitri into his bedroom, looking around curiously. In the years they'd lived here as a group, she'd never been in any further than the doorway, so it was interesting seeing all of it. Along with the bed, armchair, and nightstand, she could see from the doorway, there was a large bookshelf filled with Dimitri's Western paperbacks and DVDs and a small desk with a laptop.

"Did you want to watch another movie?" Dimitri asked, gesturing to his laptop. He'd fantasized about Rose in his room so many times, but now she was here he was unsure how to play things. "Or we could talk and cuddle?"

"Let's talk," Rose said with more bravado than she felt.

In the end, the two lay on Dimitri's bed making out. Slow and unhurried, they took the time to explore one another, their clothes slowly peeled off until they were both naked.

"I can't tell you how many times I've dreamed about you in my bed," Dimitri said, his voice low and husky as he lay beside Rose, his arm draped around her waist. "I want this every night."

"I might snore – it could work out to be a nightmare," Rose smirked, their banter natural.

"I don't care if you sound like a freight train, having you in my bed is a fantasy come true," Dimitri declared, bringing his lips back to hers.

"You know all the romantic things to say," Rose teased, nonetheless flattered.

They'd been whispering and kissing for hours, each finding new and interesting things about the other. Rose was fascinated with the smattering of hair on Dimitri's chest that hadn't been there the night of the lust charm, continually running her fingers through the coarse, sparse strands. Dimitri, on the other hand, had discovered Rose was ticklish.

"Shh! Stop that or they'll know we're in here together!" she objected, trying to silence her giggles as Dimitri relentlessly tickled her.

"So? What if they do?" Dimitri moaned into Rose's ear, pushing his hardness against her hip. "I told you – I want everyone to know about us! No more denying ourselves and no more hiding!"

His lips meeting Rose's again the mood changed to something darker and more carnal. Their first time had been filled with satisfying unfulfilled desires and unspoken longings. This time they were at least a little more settled. Each had made a promise and accepted a pledge.

"Make love with me, baby? Please?" Dimitri moaned into Rose's ear. "Slowly… I want us both to enjoy this!"

"If it's with you, I'll enjoy it however it is," Rose stated boldly, stunned by her own courage. Being with Dimitri was so natural and right; after all these years her body instinctively moved in sync with his, albeit this time seeking pleasure. Rolling onto her back, she pulled Dimitri on top of her, groaning as his lips and teeth found her neck.

Tugging at his hair, Rose's mewling was making Dimitri uncomfortably hard. A quick glance at the clock showed the house should be vacant, Lissa and Christian having afternoon classes to attend, Eddie and Meredith accompanying them, they would have left an hour ago. He and Rose should be asleep preparing for their shift, but there was no way they'd be able to rest until they lost themselves in one another again. Conscious it would only be Rose's second time, Dimitri took his time preparing her for him.

"You're excited…" he cooed, his fingers finding her slit, and parting her slick lips. Pausing near her hot wet cleft, he played with her clitoris for a few minutes before sliding a finger, then two, inside her moist channel. Recognizing Rose was more than ready for him, after a few moments stimulating her inside, Dimitri pulled his fingers out, preparing to replace them with his cock.

"Let's tell them tomorrow," he groaned. "Let's tell the world you're mine and I'm yours."

The rational part of Rose thought they should plan their announcement. She should warn Lissa, and probably Christian before they just spilled their new status. After all – she and Dimitri had been together hours rather than weeks. But after five years of loving, it felt like they'd been together forever – in every way other than physically.

"Yes," she agreed. Rose would probably have agreed to pretty much anything, right then, if it meant Dimitri would take her again!

"Tell me," Dimitri prompted, needing to hear Rose assert their love. "Tell me what you want!"

"I want to be yours!" Rose moaned, unconcerned who could hear her. "And I need you to be mine!"

Groaning in acknowledgment, Dimitri brought the weeping tip of his shaft to Rose's wet opening. Nudging her cleft a couple of times, they both groaned when he sunk his turgid cock inside her. Over the next forty minutes, Dimitri took his time – pleasuring his beloved again and again. By the time he exploded inside her, flooding her cleft with his seed, Rose was almost incoherent after four back-to-back orgasms.

"This is just the start, baby," Dimitri drawled, spooning behind Rose after he covered her with the handstitched quilt his mother, grandmother, and sisters had made for him as a graduation present from St. Basil's. "It will just get better from here!"

Thinking of his family as he drifted off asleep, Dimitri grinned as he recognized Roza, the love of his life, was the first woman ever to rest with him beneath this quilt. She'd be the last one, too.

"You're down late, today," Meredith commented when Rose emerged at 6:00 pm. "Usually you're up to run at five?"

"I know. I guess I'm just tired today," she said with a shrug, heading off to the kitchen.

"Belikov," Eddie greeted when the Russian guardian joined them downstairs minutes later. "All ok?"

"Everything's fine," Dimitri replied, looking at Eddie curiously. Something about the younger guardian's voice was off.

"Ready to eat?" Christian asked, emerging from the laundry with Lissa, both having consumed frozen blood bags. "I have pea and ham soup plus freshly baked rolls in the oven, and I'm making eggs benedict for Hathaway and Belikov."

"Sounds great, thanks Sparky," Rose said, with a yawn.

"What's up with you?" Christian replied looking at Rose suspiciously. "You're not usually this tired before a shift?"

"Just didn't sleep well," Rose grumbled. She was in a great mood after waking up wrapped in Dimitri's arms, nuzzled in his bed, but she was still tired from their amorous activities.

"Maybe it has something to do with those love bites on your neck?" Eddie teased; his eyes lingering. "I wonder who put them there?!"

Dimitri's eyes dropped to his woman's neck and, sure enough, there were several angry purple marks where he'd been unable to control his passion. Rose's eyes met Dimitri's. It was put up or shut up time.

"I put them there," Dimitri said in a tone that challenged anyone to discuss the issue further. "And just so you know, from now on, Rose and I will share my bedroom." He hadn't discussed it with Rose, but given he had the larger room, with an attached bathroom, it made sense. And more than anything he wanted to spend every second of his twelve hours off duty with Rose – even if most of it was sleeping.

"Pay up," Eddie said with a smirk, holding out his hand to Christian.

"Did you already know they had feelings for each other?" he demanded, pulling out his wallet and passing Eddie a twenty.

"What's going on?" Rose demanded, looking at Eddie and Christian in consternation.

"Eddie said he saw you and Belikov cuddling during the movie yesterday. So, we bet on if anything was going on with you two, and if so, how long until you told us," Christian stated.

"I said within a week, and Christian said nothing was going on," Eddie admitted sheepishly.

"And you, Meredith?" Rose asked, knowing from the bond that Lissa had no part in this.

"Oh, pul-lease! You two have had unresolved sexual tension since St. Vlad's. It wasn't an if, it was a when!"

"So why not bet?" Dimitri asked, blushing at their housemates' blatant assessment of the mutual regard he and Roza shared.

"Unlike these two," Meredith said canting her head toward Christian and Eddie, "I didn't think it was any of my business!"

I'm so thrilled for you! Lissa said to Rose through the bond. Don't worry about when we get back to Court – I have some ideas!

"Thank you," Rose murmured to Lissa, blushing now everyone knew about her new status with her former mentor.

I love you, Rose. I just want you happy! Lissa declared, cuddling Rose before the six of them moved through to the meals area to enjoy Christian's breakfast/dinner feast.

Don't Dream It's Over
Swimming the Same Deep Waters
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