"You're in denial," she whispered. The man shook his head, no he was not in denial. He just refused to believe it.

"No, I am not." She sighed rolling her eyes. She rested a hand on his thigh, and gave it a squeeze. "That's the first stage," she told him. He raised a perfect eyebrow. "First stage of what exactly?"

"Grieving," she answered. It was the man's turn to roll his eyes. "Oh really? How many are they?" he asked. The girl smiled.

She bit her lip, and looked up at the ceiling, counting off the stages... One, two, three, four...five? "Umm. Five."

"Well I am perfectly fine."

"Dimitri don't be so stubborn it's okay. Really... I don't understand your loss, since I haven't been there. Not really. But, I'm here for you."

Technically that one didn't really count. She wasn't as attached as Dimitri was.

Okay the man was growing angry. He was okay. It hurt, yes. He would miss her. She'd been there for him when no one had. But still...

"Leave me alone! Okay, I just don't understand how she could have just... Left me like that. Vanished. From thin air." He'd gotten up from the couch, pacing the room back and forth. His back was slouched, and his face was straight. Anger in his eyes.

Her eyes sparkled. Gotcha! She grinned.

"Ah, we're making progress! Second stage; anger." he stopped his pacing to look at her. He didn't say anything and just walked away, to grief by himself.

"All this for a damn duster."

(Few hours later)

He was once more pacing the room. Who would take it away from him? Goodness. He rubbed his temples, runnning a hand through his hair, too. As Rose entered the room, he stopped. He composed himself, sitting in the nearest couch, grabbing a random book an opening it to a random page.

"Whatcha doing Comrade?" he looked up at her, as if he just noticed she was there. "Reading."

She raised both eyebrows, since she couldn't do one. "Umm. I don't know much about reading," she scratched the back of her head, "but I'm pretty sure you're reading it wrong Comrade..."

He blushed, and looked down at the book. "I knew that." She nodded, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. She was there for him, and he needed to know that.

He sighed, putting the book down. "I'd do anything to get it back. Even give away the new one you bought me-" he saw the look on her face. "Oh. See? Even though I don't like what you said, cause that was hard to find, you're in stage three."

"And that is?" he asked. She smiled all-knowing.

"Bargaining."

He groaned.

She stood up and patted him in the arm.

"You're almost there."

(2 hours later)

They sat in silence. Rose in the bigger couch, while Dimitri sat in the recliner, being gloomy. She sucked on her sucker and then looked up at him.

She frowned as he noticed what'd been doing the past two hours. "Are you okay?" she asked him. He looked at her. "Why do you ask?"

She hesitated before answering,"You've made a duster, a stake, and...is that a dead man? Too much details." He rolled his eyes.

"I'm fine."

"Cause you know it's okay to be depressed. That's a stage too." he didn't say anything.

"Are you hungry?" he looked at her questioningly. "Lost of appetite is a sign of depression..."

"Don't push my buttons Rose..."

(A few hours later)

He walked into the living room, a dark cloud over him.

"Okay, it hurts, but, I think I'll get over it. It's just a duster. An old duster, one that has been there with me, but still just a duster."

She jumped frome the couch.

"Aha! Acceptance. You Dimitri Belikov have finished your grieving stage."

He plopped himself down next to her.

"I love you."

"Eh, I love you too Comrade."

"I still miss my duster."

She kissed him on the cheek.

"I know."