𝐔𝐍𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐆𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐍 ▸ [AU, Human] Dimitri and Rose were one of the power couples at St. Vladimir's Academy, until he did something unforgivable. No longer together, he and Rose are stuck as classmates - trying to work out how to avoid each other wh...
Abe stopped, looking at Dimitri, Rose then finally Janine.
"After everything that happened?" he asked, his voice ominously quiet. "What does that mean?"
No one said anything for a moment, but then Rose took a tentative step forward.
"After I was pregnant, Tata. Dimitri and I were going to have a baby."
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"Shh," Dimitri soothed, cradling a teary Rose in his arms as they sat together on the train headed to his family's apartment, a large duffel bag on the floor between his legs, another slung over one shoulder.
After the revelation about the baby, Abe's wrath had increased until he threw Rose out of the house. Abe and Janine were just starting in on a monumental argument of their own, so Rose had packed her schoolbooks into Dimitri's bag from the night before, enough clothes for a week in a second bag, and they'd taken off.
"Mama will be fine with you staying," Dimitri promised, hoping to God he was right. Rose was distressed enough, and he wasn't sure she could handle it if his family turned her away, too.
"If she's not, I can stay at Lissa's," Rose said dispiritedly, sensing his disquiet. "I can't believe Tata threw me out of the house," she whimpered.
"You heard your mother. Give him a week to calm down and then try to discuss things," Dimitri said. "He was just taken by surprise."
"He's ashamed of me," Rose whispered, and Dimitri didn't know what to say because she was right. Abe had made his thoughts about his daughter crystal clear.
Back at his apartment, Dimitri and Rose arrived just as his mother, Babushka, and the girls were back from the market with Mrs. Dodov. Olena took in Rose's red eyes, downcast expression, and the full duffel bags, putting two and two together without anything being said. She shot Dimitri a warning look, flicking her eyes across to Mrs. Dodov. While the old lady was his grandmother's best friend, she was also an incorrigible gossip with a nose for sniffing out scandal. There'd be no hiding Rose's presence in the apartment, so if they didn't want gossip spread throughout their church, a good spin would need to be put on things.
"Mrs. Dodov, may I introduce my girlfriend, Rozalia Mazur?" Dimitri said politely, Rose smiling kindly at the elderly lady. "She's a senior at St. Vladimir's, too. Her family is away for the week, so she'll be staying with us."
"Are you alright, dear? You look a little upset?" Mrs. Dodov asked kindly, but also sensing there was more to this than met the eye.
Karolina shook her head subtly at Rose behind the old lady's back.
"I'm alright, thank you," Rose said with a small smile. "My family is visiting a sick relative, but I can't go because of my studies. I'm just a little worried is all."
As one the Belikov ladies sagged with relief. It was a perfectly acceptable excuse.
"Rozalia will be staying in Sonya and Viktoria's room," Olena said sweetly.
