RPOV
When I entered the gym for morning training, and the sight I saw had me seeing red. Tasha had Dimitri cornered against the back corner of the store room, and was wearing the look of one who was about to compel my partner.
"Dimitri," I interrupted as I walked over, hoping I wasn't too late. His head snapped to lock eyes with me, in them I saw relief and desperation, a plea for help. "I need to speak with you," I then turned to Tasha-who was glaring at me accusingly- "sorry for interrupting, Tasha, but this is rather significant and urgent."
"Just make it short," she said all too sweetly. As in, compulsion in action all too sweetly.
"Compulsion won't work on me, Tasha, you forget, I'm bound to a spirit user-that makes me even more resistant," I returned evenly and grasped Dimitri's hand and pulled him out the gym door.
"Thanks, Roza," Dimitri let out a sigh of relief.
"Dimitri," I carefully started.
"What's up?" he asked worriedly.
"How open minded can you be? I really need you and your support right now." My nerves were running overtime.
"I'm right here, Rose, I'm not going anywhere. What do you need to tell me?"
I didn't know how to tell him, so I simply brought his hands up to my slightly swollen abdomen. One word escaped my lips. "Ours."
DPOV
"Ours," whispered Rose as I felt her slightly swollen tummy flutter.
"How far in?" I asked softly and gently pressed against my partner's swollen abdomen, trying to process the news my Roza was pregnant at all. Harder still to stomach was that it was because of me, that this little unborn baby she was carrying was mine. This baby was an impossible purebred, and it has me and Rose as Mom and Dad. "How long have you known?" I asked non-judgementally while looking at her abdomen in absolute awe and wonder.
"Nine weeks in. I found out last night when I decided enough was enough and sent myself to the clinic after training."
"What's the plan?" I whispered, "We've got three weeks until grad, so what do you think we should do?" I reluctantly pulled my hands from my lover's baby bump after a gentle rub.
"I'm going to be showing at trials. Are we going to last an extra month? I know with these damn hormones I'm going to struggle even more."
I thought it over. I wanted people to know. But people knowing was dangerous, extremely dangerous. Then again, she most certainly had been eighteen when she'd fallen pregnant with our child. She was so close to graduation, but so far in. Oh, screw it! This child was mine, there was no doubt in my mind, and society was not going to call my other half a blood whore or a slut when she was anything and everything but.
"We blow the cover grad night," I smiled fully for only a second, but her grin told me she'd caught it.
"That's the plan, then," she whispered happily.
"That's the plan." It hurt more than ever to not reach out and caress her lovingly and comfortingly, to not pull her into my arms, to not kiss her when that's all I wanted to do.
We returned to the gym. To find Tasha acting suspiciously, as if she'd possibly eavesdropped.
"Tasha," I began evenly, avoiding direct eye contact in order to avoid being ensnared by Tasha's compulsion. "I need you to stay away from Rose, from me. Tasha, I recommend you leave now so that I can prepare Rose for her trial."
"You'll want me one day, you'll want a family soon enough," she evenly said while sending eye daggers Rose's way.
"Tasha," I warned. "I'm nothing more than your friend, how many times do I have to tell you? If you think of going near Rose-with or without me around-you lose even my friendship. I suggest you take what you can get." I would protect my family at all costs.