Hey :)

It's been a while since I've written anything for here, but I've had an idea in the past few days, so I thought I'd write it up.

Summary: At the end of Frostbite, Rose convinces Dimitri to take Tasha's offer. They part on good terms and promise to stay in touch. They keep in touch via letters and the occasional phone call. One question silently probes them as they go about their day to day lives – can you really have a second chance at first love?

So, um, I hope you enjoy it, and remember to review and let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Academy.

Note: The first few paragraphs are taken from Frostbite, no infringement intended. My writing begins after: 'I almost started crying again.'

Struggling back further tears, I pulled my hands from Dimitri's and stood up before I could say anything stupid.

"I should go," I said thickly. "Let me know when you want to start practice again. And thanks for…talking."

I started to turn, but then I heard him say abruptly, "No."

I glanced back. "No?"

He held my gaze and something warm and wonderful and powerful shot between us.

"No," he repeated. "I told her no. Tasha."

"I…" I shut my mouth before my jaw hit the floor. "But…why? That was a once-in-a-lifetime thing. You could have had a baby. And she…she was, you know, into you…"

The ghost of a smile flickered on his face. "Yes, she was. Is. And that's why I had to say no. I couldn't return that…couldn't give her what she wanted. Not when…" He took a few steps toward me. "Not when my heart is somewhere else."

I almost started crying again. "Dimitri…you can't say things like that."

"I just did," he whispered, stepping even closer.

"We can't do this. No matter how much we want to. We can't." A tear trickled out from my eye and I hastily brushed it away. "You're a respected guardian. You know how this – how us – would look."

"I'm not saying we get together now," he reasoned. "I was just explaining. I couldn't – I can't – feel that way about Tasha, when I love you."

There. He'd gone and said it. Those three words, eight letters that I had long been aching to hear fall from his mouth. A sliver of happiness ripped through me, but with it, it brought the dull pain and recognition of what I was removing him from. I knew how much he wanted kids. I couldn't rob that from him. No matter how much it hurt me to say my next words, I said them anyway. "You should take it. Tasha's offer."

"What?" He asked, incredulous.

"Think about it…" I urged. "You'd have a good job, guarding an old friend who doesn't treat you like you're invisible like a lot of other royal's do to their guardians. You could be married and you'd have kids Dimitri! I know how much you'd want that."

His arm curled around my waist, pulling me to him. "But it's not you."

"Imagine what it would do to your reputation if everyone knew you were in love with your student. Hell, you might even get an assignment far away from me, so then we'd never see each other."

"But it'd be worth it. I'd do it all to be with you."

"Tasha's Christian's aunt. I can see he and Lissa are in it for life. She'll come and visit and you'll be able to as well. It's not like we'll never see each other again."

"Why are you doing this?" Dimitri whispered, pressing his forehead against my own. I watched his eyes, those chocolate brown orbs that I swear could see into my soul. He blinked multiple times, and I realised, he was fighting back tears. In the time I'd known DImitri, I'd never seen him unravelled like this.

"I want you to be happy," I murmured back.

"I'm happy here with you."

"You told me that I was young and that I act young. Well, this is me growing up. I want you to take Tasha's offer, the more rational choice." He ducked his head and I knew it was because the flood gates had finally opened. He didn't want me to see him break down; he didn't want me to see him cry. "You know I'm right."

"I know," he choked out. "I just wish it didn't have to be this way."

"In another life, we'll meet again. And we'll be together, I promise you. That's just not for this life."

Dimitri's arms fully wound around me then and he held me close, burying his head in my hair. The smell of his aftershave filled my nostrils and I committed it to memory. I never wanted to forget that scent. "I'm so proud of you," he whispered tearfully. "For being so strong, so mature about this."

"It'd be no point wasting your time with me if I didn't pick up anything," I laughed back, my tone thick with tears. We held each other for a little while longer, not speaking, until I decided it was time to break the silence. "C-could you do something for me?" I asked him quietly.

He gave me a sad smile. "Anything."

"You know my reputation. The one I had before you brought Liss and I back from Portland, but you know, that despite that, I'm still a virgin. I've always wanted to wait for someone special. You're that special person, right now, Dimitri. I think you'll always be. I want you to be my first."

He pulled away to study me, and when he realised I was serious, he ran a hand through his brown locks. "Rose…"

"I'd still want to do this anyway, even if you weren't leaving. I just wouldn't ask like this." I let out a nervous laugh. "You can say no, but I know you want this just as much as I do."

He sighed. "Give me a reason. One reason, why we shouldn't."

"I won't do that," I told him. "I can give you one for why we should, though."

I'd always dreamed of waking up next to Dimitri. I could imagine how peaceful he'd look in his slumber and how his beautiful chest would rise and fall with each, carefree breath that he took. My memories took place during human hours, where our bed would be by an open window, the sun streaming in and lighting up his chest just right. The remnants of our sweat mixed together would glisten underneath the sun's rays.

It seemed, for the first and last time we'd spend together, my vision had come true. It was just into the academy's night, meaning the sun had reason less than hour before. The sun lit up his skin just like I imagined.

"Hey," Dimitri whispered as his eyes opened and closed, once, twice, then staying half open.

Hey," I murmured back.

"You have no idea how good it is to be finally waking up next to you," he told me truthfully.

"I was just thinking the same thing."

He chuckled. "You were watching me."

"You were obviously watching me watching you if you knew," I teased him right back.

Taking me by surprised, he rolled on top of me and dug his fingers into my sides slightly, effectively tickling me. We rolled around, laughing loudly, as we struggled to get the upper hand on the other. We didn't have to be quiet. We weren't in my room or his, but in a deserted old cabin out in the woods, the same one, ironically, that Tasha had stayed in when she came to visit for Christmas. We'd come here for peace and quiet. For one night, Dimitri turned his phone and radio off and I'd managed to put up a block in the bond. We wanted private time to ourselves, just once before he left.

He'd rung Tasha on our way here, explaining that he'd rethought her offer. She gladly accepted it, and arranged for him to fly to Court as soon as possible, to meet with her and get it sorted with the Queen. Unfortunately, a private jet had been available, so Dimitri would be leaving the academy and beginning his new life at midnight.

Eventually, we knew we had to get up and get dressed, before someone came looking for us. It took longer than it should of as we kept stopping to kiss. We crept back to the dorms and I helped him pack his things. We barely spoke, but it was nice just knowing the other was there, when soon, we'd be apart. At last, all of Dimitri's belongings were packed and his flight was drawing nearer and nearer. Everything seemed to be passing in a blur.

I walked with him to the airstrip, our arms around each other's waists. We didn't care who saw, because technically, he wasn't my teacher anymore. We kissed fiercely when we made it to the plane. Alberta and a few other guardians and some moroi showed up to send Dimitri off. It didn't matter to us; we were just so wrapped up in our own little bubble to care what they thought.

"I love you," he whispered when he pulled away. "So, so much."

"I love you," I replied, tears streaking down my face.

"I'll write," he promised and he turned to climb onto the plane, not looking back, because if he did, he knew he wouldn't be able to leave.

Most of the updates for this will be probably shorter than the length of this one and most will be their correspondence back and forth. This story probably won't be more than 10 chapters.

So thanks for reading! And don't forget to let me know what you thought :)