Hey loves! Yes, I'm aware Dimitri's name is spelled wrong lol.

I'm so sorry for the late update again. I had to change this chapter like 5 times. My week has been beyond stressful, especially with the impact from Covid-19.

I hope you all enjoy :)

I woke up the next morning to the feeling of feather-light hairs brushing across my cheek and the sound of an animal sniffing around. Without opening my eyes, I flung my arm around only to have it land in a pile of soft, thick fur.

"Mochi," I groaned, turning on my side. Dimitri slept peacefully on his back with his head facing the window side of the room. The light cascaded over his body while one side was shadowed off. The position he was in almost made him look like a model posing for a Calvin Klein photo shoot.

I kissed his cheek and carefully stepped out of bed, trying to avoid waking him up. Mochi jumped off the bed and nudged his nose against my leg while wagging his tail.

"Come here," I said, walking into Dimitri's kitchen. I closed the door so that I wouldn't disturb him and felt Mochi follow me around. This dog was clingy as hell.

"Are you hungry?"

I wasn't sure why I talked to him like a human. It wasn't like he could understand or answer me.

Mochi sat by his food bowls, watching me move around in the kitchen. I opened one of the cabinets and found a container full of dog food. The second I pulled it out, Mochi stood up and started running around in circles, almost hopping on the spot. Yeah, he was hungry.

How much was I supposed to give him? The whole cup? Half? Would it be bad if I accidentally overfed him once?

"Doesn't look like you're getting fat anytime soon," I said out loud, digging the plastic cup through the pellets in the container. I walked over to his food bowls, holding the food up. "Sit, Mochi."

He stopped twirling around and sat down, looking up at the food pleadingly. "Good boy," I praised, dropping the food into his bowl. His water bowl was still half full, but I filled it to the top to make sure he had more than enough.

Behind me, the door to Dimitri's apartment started to unlock. Mochi's senses were alerted within seconds. He stood with his ears up and growled at the door, but he relaxed when he saw a familiar face.

"Hey, you!" Ivan said excitedly, leaning down to hug him. I let out a sigh of relief.

"Okay, I know Dimitri said you come here often, but I thought you'd at least call first."

"Rose?" Ivan said, sounding confused. He took his shoes off and put his keys down on the counter, looking down at my legs. "Did you sleep here last night?"

I looked down and realized I was only wearing panties and a tank top. Damn it. "I've been sleeping here for a while."

"Hold on." Ivan narrowed his eyes and took in my appearance. "Did you guys...?"

I rolled my eyes. "Is it really your business?"

"Hell yes it's my business! He's my best friend. I need to know these things."

"Keep your voice down," I said, putting a finger over my lips. "He's sleeping."

"Hey! Hey, Dimitri—"

"Shh!" I slammed a hand over Ivan's mouth and glared at him, whispering, "You're an asshole, you know that?"

"Oh, please. The man sleeps like a baby."

"He won't if you keep shouting." Did they always intentionally piss each other off like this?

"So, since you probably know him better than I do, what's his favourite breakfast? Eggs? Toast? Pancakes? Some Russian dish that I probably can't make?" How much did I really know about Dimitri? I didn't even know his favourite colour, let alone what he enjoyed for breakfast.

Ivan plopped down on the couch and turned on the TV, grabbing one of the remote controls from the game console. "Look at you, cooking for your man. Tell me—is this a girlfriend thing or a sub thing?"

"I don't know. Both. We're sort of...together."

"Yeah, I figured that," Ivan said casually, sliding a disk into the console. "Dimitri doesn't do casual hookups or anything kink-related if there isn't some kind of relationship. I mean, sure, he's done some demonstrations on the female subs at our club, but that's about it."

"Does he still do that?" I asked, leaning my elbows on the counter.

"Not anymore. Since you two started getting close, all his demonstrations have been on the mannequins." Ivan took his eyes off the screen and smiled. "Sounds like you're pretty special to him."

I wasn't sure if it was selfish or not to be secretly happy about this. Giving demonstrations was probably just part of their job, but the thought of Dimitri tying someone else up made me jealous. Knowing I was the only one made me selfishly happy, but I wasn't going to admit that out loud.

"Oh, about the food. Just make pancakes for now. I think he'll appreciate anything you make for him. I might have some too."

"Sure." I went through Dimitri's pantry to grab the supplies I needed and placed them all on the counter. I heard water running through the apartment and figured Dimitri was taking a shower. "Hey, Ivan, can I ask you something?"

"Shoot."

"This might seem intrusive," I started, "but Dimitri mentioned that he used to be with an older woman once. He mentioned being—"

"A sub," Ivan finished. He had a distant look in his eyes and paused his hand movements on the controller. "I remember. He doesn't like to talk about it. It wasn't a good time for him."

"Would I be going against his back if I asked you what happened?"

"Dimitri will open up about it when he wants to. That woman was a toxic, mentally abusive narcissist. I was worried she'd completely ruin him, but he broke it off before things could get worse."

The thought of someone hurting Dimitri like that made my heart ache—especially after what I had been through. I hoped he could trust me enough to talk about it.

"He was younger though, right? Did she take advantage?"

Ivan shrugged. "It's complicated. I think she wanted him all to herself. She told him to cut contact with his friends and family and then convinced him it was his duty to obey her. Dimitri wasn't stupid, but she pulled a lot of manipulative tactics on him. Evil bitch that she was."

Nathan had done the same thing to me at one point. I had stopped hanging out with friends more and more and had fallen into a pit of loneliness. He had convinced me that he was the only person who would ever love me.

"My ex did the same thing to me," I said sadly. "It's always the ones who are most vulnerable."

"He's the one that hit you, right?"

I froze. "How did you—"

"I'm not stupid, Rose. I read between the lines. Pretty girl like you—I figured something was going on. Plus, you're not as good of a liar as you think you are."

He sounded like my dad now. Even he had suspected that something strange was going on with me, but I only ever spoke to him over the phone once in a while. He didn't even know Nathan existed.

Dimitri emerged from his room after ten minutes. His hair was damp from his shower which dripped onto the towel hanging around his neck. He looked so fresh and clean, and incredibly attractive.

"Hey," he said, dropping his towel on the counter. I slid one of the pancakes onto a plate and gave him a subtle smile.

"Hey."

"You're making pancakes?" he asked in amusement.

"She's making them for you, dummy," Ivan retorted. Dimitri hadn't noticed him at first, but he didn't look that surprised to see him. Ivan probably came over often if his visit was this casual. His fingers went crazy with the remote which was followed by shooting noises from the TV. When he lost the game, he slumped back against the couch.

Dimitri walked up behind me and slid his hands around my waist, kissing my cheek. I could smell aftershave on his face. "Thank you for making these."

"It's one of the only things I can cook," I laughed, drizzling the food in maple syrup.

"You're a girl," Ivan stated, walking towards us. "Don't you belong in the kitchen?"

"Careful," I growled. "Remember, that's also where all the knives are kept."

"Ooh, I'm so scared," Ivan teased. I lightly slapped his arm and he laughed, cringing his shoulder away before grabbing some food for himself.

"Oh, by the way, I'm going to a party with my friends tonight. You guys should come."

"I'm working at the club until closing tonight," Ivan said. I looked over at Dimitri with a hopeful look in my eyes.

"I'm working at the gym, but I can always come by afterwards."

I squealed excitedly and gave Dimitri a bear hug, almost lifting him in my arms. "Thanks, comrade! I'll text you the address!"

The house where the party took place was crowded tonight. I could hear the guys shouting in the house as well as loud music that played on the speakers. I was surprised we hadn't gotten a noise complaint.

Unfortunately, I had to drive tonight which meant I had to stay sober for the rest of the night. A few minutes after arriving with Eddie, I grabbed a can of Coke and started pouring it into a red party cup.

"So, who's this new boyfriend of yours?" Eddie asked me, taking a sip of his drink. "His name is...Dimitri?"

I nodded and raised the cup to my lips. "That's him."

"He's better though, right? I mean, he's nice to you?"

I chuckled. Eddie always pestered me when I had a new guy in my life. He really did feel like a protective older brother. "Of course he is. Why do you ask?"

Eddie shrugged. "Just checking. You know, I never trusted Nathan. He acted nice, but there was always something off about that guy. It always felt like he was hiding something."

I went quiet and awkwardly drank the contents in my cup to avoid continuing that conversation. There had been moments where I'd considered telling Eddie the truth since he'd already had some suspicions about Nathan. How was I even going to tell Lissa? Could I really keep it in forever?

My thoughts were interrupted when I heard Adrian's near-drunken voice call my nickname from the hallway. "Little sub!"

I groaned. I could tell he was out of it. He threw his arms around me and said, "You made it!"

When he got close, I could not only detect alcohol but the lingering smell of marijuana too. I pulled back to look into his completely bloodshot eyes. "Adrian, how high are you?"

He pointed to the ceiling. "Up in the sky."

"Jesus," I muttered to myself. I left him alone with Eddie to go find Lissa, passing by a few people I recognized from school. When I found Lissa, her face was getting slightly red from her drinks, but she was at least sober enough that she wasn't stumbling around.

"Ugh, thank goodness you came! We haven't had fun in ages," she said, squeezing me tightly. She sat down on a nearby couch, brushing off some chip crumbs that someone had left behind.

"So! About this Dimitri guy. Tell me everything."

"Where do I start? Do you want the dirty details or just the general stuff?"

"Hold up—dirty details? Have you been to his place? Did you guys have sex?" she asked.

"Shh! Keep your voice down. I've been over to his place a few times." In reality, I'd been staying every day for a while now. "And, yeah, we went there."

Lissa squeaked excitedly, spilling her drink behind her. "Details! Was he good? How big is he?"

"Lissa!" Damn it, she was getting too excited. I couldn't tell if it was her naturally bubbly personality or the alcohol that was influencing her. "That stuff is private. It was more...love-making if you will. We've been seeing each other for weeks. I love him."

Lissa's face turned a little more serious when I spilled the last part to her. She wasn't expecting that. "Woah. Okay. This sounds serious."

"It is," I told her, putting my cup down on the table behind me. "He loves me. We love each other."

"So, it's official? You guys are together?"

I nodded and said, "Yes. It's new, but I'm hoping we can make it work. I've been falling head over heels for this man."

Lissa smiled and clasped my hand in hers, rubbing her thumb against my knuckles. "Hey, I'm happy for you. Just make sure you go at your own pace. Don't let him break your heart."

"I'll be fine. Dimitri's not the type to intentionally hurt someone." I picked up my cup from behind me and held it up to my mouth. "By the way, he's coming here tonight. He should be here in about twenty minutes."

I took a few sips of my drink and stopped, looking down at it with knitted brows. Something about it tasted slightly strange, but I couldn't quite put my finger on it.

"Everything okay? You looked a little funny there," Lissa said, nodding towards me.

I waved my hand and put my drink back down before facing her again. "Yeah, I'm good. My tastebuds are probably just acting up. I should call Dimitri and ask him where he—"

Just then, Adrian's voice boomed over the music again. "Has anyone seen my weed brownies?!"

Lissa and I burst into a fit of laughter. If anyone took Adrian to a party, it was likely that he'd end up getting drunk and high at the same time. With marijuana now being legal in Canada, he wasn't as secretive about getting high.

"Come," Lissa insisted, grabbing my hand. She dragged me to the backyard of the house where we met Mason, Eddie and Christian.

"Why so grim, Rose?" Christian asked. "Are you sad that you can't get woozy tonight?"

Lissa scooted between us and clamped her hand on my shoulder to stabilize herself. "She's waiting for her boyfriend to pick her up."

"A new boyfriend?" Mason asked. I could see his face start to fall a little bit and felt a small pang of guilt. Even though we were just friends, I sometimes questioned if he still liked me that way.

It was freezing out, and when the snow started to hit, we walked back into the house to stay warm. Although I had made sure to not drink any alcohol tonight, I started to notice a strange, almost drunken feeling in my head after another half hour passed.

"Crap," I muttered to myself, grabbing the railing of the staircase before sitting down at the bottom. Did I not eat enough today? Did I not sleep well? No...I had been with Dimitri last night. My sleep had been fine lately.

"Excuse me."

I looked up even though my head was dizzy and noticed a man standing before me. My vision was becoming blurred to the point where I couldn't make out his features that well.

"You don't look so good. Come with me. I can help."

"Wait—" Before I could finish, the man slipped his hands under my armpits and started to drag me up.

"Don't worry. My friend is right outside. We're going to take good care of you."

"Wait, I need my..." My friends. I needed my friends. Where were they? "I'm supposed to drive them home. Please let me go."

The man dragged me out of the house and I nearly tripped in the doorway. "Shh. Your friends aren't here."

"Seriously, let go! I don't even know you!"

I tried to fight, but my movements were slowing down by the second. What the hell was wrong with me? Did I accidentally drink something heavy and not notice it?

Nobody was outside to hear me, but even if they were, almost everyone was drunk. I was on my own here. I could see a car outside—a silver one which I thought looked familiar—which the man half-dragged me towards.

"I got her!" he yelled. This guy was with someone else. I couldn't see the driver inside the car since it was parked further away, but I had a bad feeling that something was wrong.

"Let go of me!" I repeated. I struggled again which didn't get me anywhere, but it did slow us down a little. A set of bright headlights flashed in front of my eyes, followed by a loud, angry car engine. Out came the tall Russian God I knew too well, approaching us with fury before he even shut the car off.

"Let her go." Dimitri's voice was surprisingly calm, but I could hear the rage behind it too.

"Hey, man, it's not what it—"

"Let. Her. Go."

I blinked a few times to clear vision and saw the intimidation in Dimitri's features. He would have scared me too if I wasn't his girlfriend. Whoever was in the silver car on the street took off, and the man holding me finally dropped me on the ground before backing up with his hands up. Any bit of confidence he had in himself before was now gone. Dimitri easily strode over to him and swung his fist towards his face, causing blood to spew from his nose.

"Get out of here," Dimitri warned, "or you'll have more than just a broken nose."

I looked away as the man took off before I felt Dimitri's hands slip under my body. He lifted me until I was standing again and I kept a grip on his shirt to stop myself from falling.

"Roza, look at me," he said, putting his hand behind my head. "How much did you drink?"

"I didn't..." I paused for a second to get a hold of my words. "I didn't drink. I'm driving tonight. My car's somewhere here." I pointed to the street where a row of cars sat, one of them being mine. "I gotta drive Eddie n' Lissa home—"

"You're not driving," Dimitri said firmly. He swooped me up and carried me to his car before laying me down in the passenger seat. Even with slightly blurry vision, I could see three people coming out of the house. I recognized Adrian and Eddie's voices as they approached Dimitri's car.

"There she is!" Adrian yelled, sounding obnoxiously happy. "Little sub, we were wondering where you went."

Dimitri scrunched his nose up. "Little sub? Really, Adrian?"

"You're Dimitri, right?" Eddie asked, holding out his hand. Dimitri gave him a tight smile and shook his hand. "I'm Rose's friend. Eddie."

Dimitri nodded before looking back down at me and sighing. "Did she drink a lot?"

Eddie shook his head. "She wouldn't if she was planning on driving. I didn't see her drink anything while I was inside."

"Something's wrong. Someone tried to take her away. If she's not drunk..."

"You think someone drugged her?" Eddie asked, almost looking scared for a second.

"Based on what I saw, it sure as hell looked like it," Dimitri muttered, clenching his fist a few times.

"I don't feel good," I said, slurring on my words again. "Oh. I'm supposed to drive you."

Eddie kneeled where I sat and pressed his fingers against my cheek. "I'll find another ride. Did you drink or smoke anything earlier?"

"I...no. Nothing. But...I feel sick," I moaned.

Adrian cut in once again and held up a bag with something inside. "Here, eat one of these brownies I made. They're real tasty—"

Eddie snatched the bag of brownies from Adrian's hand. "You've had way too many of these. Go sit down before you pass out."

While Adrian and Eddie went back into the house, Dimitri pulled out his phone. "I'm calling Ivan to pick up Rose's car. I'll take care of her tonight."

"I swear...I'm not drunk, Comrade. You're just spinning." I looked up at Dimitri's eyes and giggled as a sudden thought came to my mind. "What if we can only see the earth spin when we're intoxicated? Cause like...the globe spins. What if we can only see the real shit when we're not fully functioning? The government, I tell ya. Secrets."

Dimitri looked at me like I'd grown another head. "Are you sure you didn't have anything?" he repeated. I was so tired that I didn't answer him at first. "You can tell me. I won't be mad."

"I had nothing. A can of coke. Pinky promise."

Dimitri smiled for a second, keeping a close eye on me as he held his phone to his ear. When Ivan picked up on the other end, he briefly turned away.

"Ivan, something's wrong. I need your help..."

I didn't pay attention to whatever Dimitri was telling Ivan and started looking around curiously. It was dark out—and freezing—but the trees in this area sparked my curiosity. I spotted a nearby tree and headed towards it, clumsily crawling out of Dimitri's car.

"That guy would have kidnapped her if I hadn't shown up...yes, kidnap. He probably spiked her drink when she wasn't looking. Why else would—hey! Rose, get back here. You're going to hurt yourself," Dimitri warned, pausing his conversation with Ivan.

"Look at this thing. It's so tall. Like you." I giggled and tapped the tree with my hand. "You know what that means?"

Dimitri had a look of amusement on his face even though he was trying to be serious. "What?"

"It's a Dimitree," I slurred. "Ha. Get it?"

Dimitri let out a small chuckle before holding his hand out. "How cute. Come on, now, let's get you home."

"Not my apartment," I protested. "Nathan will find me. He'll beat me again."

"Give me a second, Ivan." Dimitri put his phone against his shoulder and focussed his attention on me with sincerity in his eyes. "Hey, listen. I'm not taking you there. My place, remember? You know I'll keep you safe."

This time, I fell into Dimitri's arms and mumbled my words against his chest. "What if he tells on me...about the baby thing?"

"What baby thing?" Dimitri asked in confusion. Ah shit, I hadn't told him about that.

"I—I had a bun in the oven once."

Dimitri looked even more confused, but before I had the chance to say anything else, I passed out.

Thank you to everyone who has read, favourited/followed, and reviewed on this story. I appreciate you all so much.

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate! Wishing everyone well x