C'mon, Rose, Give In!
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"ROSEMARIE HATHAWAY!" Oh, shit. "B-BELIKOV!"
"M-mom?!" I pulled away from Dimitri and wrapped sheets around our bodies in the speed of light. With tons of panic. "What the- Abe?!"
"Rosie?" another voice called out. Oh, dear Jesus.
"Sparky?!"
Boy, I was pissed, despite how I'd been having fun like, a minute before. "Anyone else here?!" Lissa waved from the hallway in reply, along with Viktoria. This was so not going to end well.
Uh, the morning had actually started pretty promisingly – waking up in Dimitri's arms, a few good morning kisses, and as one thing led to another... Yup. You can imagine what the sight had been for my parents.
"I... I... Rose," mom choked out, "Get yourself, hm, decent a-and I'll- I'll meet you downstairs," she said with purple face, half pissed and half scared. Right before she turned around to leave she threw Dimitri threatening look and rubbed her fists in anger – I felt him shiver a little. Spooky.
As she disappeared in the hallway, I gazed at Abe's wide smile along with I-am-so-proud-of-you look and encouraging thumbs-up, the latter probably for Dimitri right before he followed Janine. Christian grinned evilly and poked Lissa in the shoulder. "Go get popcorn!" he whispered into her ear, "This is about to become delightful."
Viktoria agreed and pushed Lissa forward while yelling, "Mama, do we have any popcorn?"
Her voice died down as they hurried down the stairway and Fireboy lolled his tongue at me before leaving. I replied with the same childish gesture.
"Alright, amigo," I turned to Dimitri in despair, "Where did we leave clothes?"
"She's not going to hurt you. I promise."
I was trying to calm Dimitri down, but assurances of my mom not hurting him were quite unconvincing, even to me.
I was forced to push him down the stairs, probably sending him to death. "Roza," he hissed, hopeless and I shrugged innocently.
We eventually got to enter living room, with me dragging him inside. My mom's arms were tightly crossed on her chest and her lips were thin like hell. On the other side, Abe seemed to be having tons fun – he spread himself out the half of sofa with his fabulous never-ending grin. My eyes caught a glimpse of the Holy Trinity – Liss, Sparky and Vika – in the darkest corner of Belikov's living room, stuffing themselves with unbelievable quantity of popcorn. Yum.
I pinched Dimitri's palm and he winced – that moment of distraction helped me to sit him down, face-to-face with my parents. My mom looked like she was going to get him out of her way in no time, but she instead had something else on her mind, obviously. Otherwise she would already make a scene.
No one wanted to start uncomfortable conversation – Janine's eyes were angrily jumping between me and Dimitri, unlike Abe's, who was studying his nails peacefully. "So," I began, not being able to put up with silence anymore (if you exclude the sound of crunching popcorn), "Say something."
My mom swallowed – or I just imagined that? – and opened her mouth hesitantly. No voice came out.
"We did not come to discuss Little Girl and Belikov's position, Janine," Abe voiced, "Not... yet," he then added with expectant grin. I shuddered.
"What are we discussing then, Old Man?" I asked saucily and glanced at Abe. His reply was widening his smile even more.
"Janine?" he said, his voice expressing slight boredom, "Shall I tell her?"
Mom shook her head decisively before taking a breath.
"I am going to guard Abe."
I heard Christian choked on a popcorn.
I just kept staring at her before finally mouthed something. "Haha," I laughed stupidly, "Nah, you're just being a scream." She shook her head. "Oh, Christ. You are being a scream. Old Man has already battalion of guardians. And, by the way, the joke's not funny at all," I uttered with bitter voice.
"Rose," she gulped, "I am guarding Abe. This is no joke. And the reason I am is because... because..." I had a pleasure of watching famous Janine Hathaway run out of words. Abe continued instead.
"Because your mother is pregna-"
"HALLELUJAH!" I shouted at the top of my voice in despair before Abe could even finish.
No. This couldn't be real.
The only tangible and realistic things in that very moment were Dimitri's hand that was saying Calm down, Roza and Lissa banging Christian's back – popcorn stuck in his throat, I guess. Along with his persistent coughing.
Despite the horror I felt I was eventually realizing that I was going to get little sister or brother. My mother was pregnant. My mother. The Janine Hathaway.
I got sudden urge to pinch myself.
With my hands on my face (and face between my knees – I once read that helped if your head hurts) I heard Janine whispering to Abe. "Do you think we should say s-something to her-?"
Dimitri answered instead. "You should let her calm down," he said and put his hand on my bowed back. I could vividly imagine mom's disapproving look saying Get your hands off, you perv.
While Dimitri was gently drawing circles on my back in perfect silence, I was getting myself together again. Another deep breath and I rose my head up.
"I... C-congrats, mom, dad," I exhaled with more or less astonished voice. Janine looked at me like I was crazy and then nodded in thanks. "But that still doesn't mean I approve," I hissed sardonically and Abe spread his famous grin across his face again.
"Of course you don't."
I guess my blank face didn't express anything but confusion. "Can I talk to her for a moment?" Dimitri questioned politely and my mother frowned madly – Abe nodded lively.
"But talk, Belikov, talk," he then added in kinky voice and blinked in his direction.
I rose up from the couch like a robot and Dimitri, holding my shoulders, led me into the hallway.
"Roza," he whispered in concern, "How are you feeling?"
I hesitated. "Like a piece of crap," I told him truthfully and a slight smile crossed his face.
"Aren't you happy?" he then asked and I gazed into his eyes in surprise.
"I... I am. I guess. I haven't had much time to rethink my feelings, Comrade." Uh-oh. He had a point. As far back as I can remember I've wanted little brother or sister. But right now, I was... confused, pissed off?
"I am surprised," I finally completed. Dimitri didn't say anything, just gave me an understanding hug. Thanks God some things don't change. Such as his scent or something.
After few minutes standing there, he let go off me and we returned to the living room. Lissa and the company was already chatting happily and reliving what they'd just learned. Abe was (Oh my God) hugging Janine's shoulders and talking to her in moderate voice. Uh. I'll have to settle into that.
I cleared my throat to warn my parents about my presence and my gangster-ish father removed his arm tolerantly.
"Boy or girl?" I did my best to ask a question in friendly voice.
Janine's eyes widened in surprise, but relief crossed her face. "We don't know... yet." I personally vote for a girl.
I was just about to say goodbye and leave when Abe stopped me. "Little Girl," he said in the voice of wolf in the Little Red Riding Hood tale, "Where do you think you are going? I hoped I'd be able to exchange a few words with your fellow." Something in his voice made me put up my guard again. Something threatening, despite his earlier 'thumbs-up'. My mom seemed to agree.
"Yeah, Rose, I never manage to ask you about you two back at St Vladimir's, as I promised I will," she stated in low voice. I didn't like it.
"Lissa, we ran out of popcorn," Christian whispered in the corner and Viktoria offered to get another. I forced myself to pay attention to my dangerous parents.
"And, Belikov, we didn't manage to organize our hunting trip either," Abe added mischievously.
Olena better gets home soon, if she wants to save her son from brutal death.
"I assure you we can hunt as soon as the winter passes, Mr Mazur," Dimitri replied politely and I had to admire his guts.
"And I assure you we will have a lot of fun."
Oh, crisis. He'd probably shoot him and leave his body to wild animals...
"Dad," I uttered, "Please."
"Janine," he said instead, "You start the Spanish Inquisition." Viktoria returned with even bigger bowl of popcorn than earlier.
"What'd I miss?" she whispered to Lissa but I soon transformed attention to Turkish Gangster.
My mom's eyes drilled into my soul mate.
"So," she began, "How far had you two gone at the Academy?" Whoa, the woman wasn't wasting any time. And Dimitri was really uncomfortable.
Abe noticed his silence and rubbed his fists lightly, but prepared. "Did you do it?" Abe questioned directly and my man nodded in fear.
Janine stood up in the speed of light, along with my father. I, however, jumped in front of Dimitri protectively and caught a glimpse of my friends gaping at us with open mouths, eating popcorn madly. If situation was different, I'd laugh like crazy – they looked like they were watching the best movie ever.
"Roza," Dimitri muttered into my ear and put his hands on my shoulders, "Sit down."
I didn't obey him – I remained being a shield, a barrier between my pissed family and the person I loved most. "No," I hissed, "They're going to kill you!" He almost giggled. Hello? I would be already getting fake documents and running out of country if someone was looking at me like my mom was at him. Plus Abe.
"Sit down, Roza," he repeated with funny determination. This time, I did as he said, after long moment of hesitation.
"Ibrahim?" Janine called out, her eyes deadly focused on Dimitri, "Hold Rose for a second, please." Before I could even react on what she said, Abe's arms were around me.
"MOM!" I yelled, "You hurt him, I hurt the Old Man." Not that I couldn't wriggle out of his 'embrace', but I would probably have to break a bone or two. He was trained Moroi after all.
She tipped her head on the right side, still gazing Dimitri. "It's not gonna hurt, it's just making me feel better," she mumbled in a low voice and...
... and gave Dimitri a black eye.
Boy, I'm going to kill her.
Before I could jump on her and extract all her hair, Dimitri's arms stopped me. Janine Hathaway was already sitting calmly and somehow satisfied with Abe beside her.
I was still fighting Dimitri to get to her, but he was too strong.
"Belikov, I think we'll have to continue our conversation later," Abe said and Dimitri nodded. I was still resisting him as he was dragging me out of the room, when Janine the bitch said; "Oh, and, Rose? We are getting married."
"Sweet Mary Mother of God," I moaned and leant on Dimitri's shoulder.
Great. Another news for better day.
That's it for today! Review is all I ask for!