Dimitri was waiting for me when I finished my shift at the gym, and I was happy that I got to see a more casual side of him dressed in jeans and his duster, hair loose around his face. Dimitri stood up from where he leaned against the passenger side door and opened it for me. I slid into the car and settled in, sighing at the relief sitting down gave. I was grateful that the drive wasn't long to his place and we were both quiet as we went up to his place.

I got comfy on the couch and pulled my legs up, groaning at the soreness in my feet and legs. Dimitri set a mug down in front of me and then lifted my feet up, setting them down in his lap.

"Feet sore?"

I nodded my head as Dimitri picked up one of my feet and I flexed my foot as Dimitri's hands wrapped around it. I raised my brows at him but his thumbs dug gently into the sole of my foot.

"Before you say what you need to say, what happened with work that got you so worked up?"

Dimitri looked up from where he was bringing relief to my foot, frowning.

"We had a wide scale security breach. Someone hacked into our main database and got ahold of client information. Thankfully, all the information I had about you and your pregnancy was on my personal computer that runs on a different server. But it caused a lot of problems for us. Million dollars in problems. There is still potential for lawsuits" Dimitri explained, moving his fingers down to work on the soreness lower down.

"It's not an excuse," Dimitri continued, "It wasn't fair that I took it out on you. I was frustrated that every time I start to feel really good about something, something else happens and brings that goodness down."

"I can understand getting upset," I said softly, "I mean, I snap at people all the time when I'm in a bad mood and usually don't mean what I say. I think I reacted badly because I was, am, overwhelmed."

Dimitri shook his head as his eyes met mine. "No, you don't need to justify being upset. I was harsh and didn't think before I spoke. But I didn't mean it. I was worried after you told me about Jenny that you would start to get mixed feelings. I just wished that I had figured out what was troubling you before the ultrasound. Why didn't you come to me about this?"

I shrugged and flinched when Dimitri applied too much pressure on the heel of my foot, to which he frowned and apologized.

"I don't know. I just didn't feel like I could talk to anyone about it."

Dimitri frowned again and switched feet, tending to the other one with the same care.

"Rose, you can talk to me about anything. It doesn't matter what it is, we are partners in this, and I want to be there to help you any way that I can. I had hoped that you would view me as a friend," Dimitri explained, gently running his thumbs over the top of my feet.

"You are my friend," I responded quietly, giving him a meek smile. Dimitri returned the smile and patted my feet. We both sat quietly, neither of us knowing what to say, or where to start.

"So…"

"I guess I'm not doing a great job at telling you wanted I asked you over here for," Dimitri said with an uncomfortable chuckled. I reached my hand out and placed it on his shoulder, squeezing gently. Dimitri reached up and placed his over mine, stroking the back of my hand with his thumb.

I offered him a moment with a small smile, waiting for him to put the words together. He was quiet for a few minutes before he let go of my hand, shifting his body closer to me on the couch so that my knees were now resting over his lap instead of my feet.

"I have a lot of feelings for you, Rose. Probably more than what's appropriate for our situation," Dimitri said hesitantly.

I snickered and snorted a laugh. "Really? What gave it away? You kissing me to shut me up?"

Dimitri blushed and looked embarrassed. I reached up and stroked his cheek, turning his head so he could look at me. "I don't recall complaining about it," I said softly, leaning towards him.

"I didn't do it to shut you up, it was just the only thing I could think about. You're very adorable when you're angry," Dimitri chuckled, leaning into my touch. I scoffed and rolled my eyes, playfully pushing him.

"I do not!"

"You do, Roza. Your cheeks get flushed, and the tip of your nose gets pink. Not to mention you scrunch your nose up and narrow your eyes. You think that it's intimidating, and I'm sure it is, but I find it quite alluring," Dimitri said as playfully as I retorted, leaning towards me. When I didn't move away, Dimitri took it as an invitation and pressed his lips to mine, sliding his hand up to cup my neck. I let a small sigh out against his lips, opening mine slightly. Our kiss was a mix of sweet, gentle and passionate. I scooted forward on the couch and slipped an arm around his neck, moving my lips slowly with his.

I pulled away to take a breath, smiling at Dimitri as I tucked my hair behind my ears.

"I think that I got as upset as I did because I like you more than I want to admit," I said meekly, biting my lower lip. Dimitri gave me a dazzling smile and pulled my lip from its harsh confines with his thumb.

"I guess we both have inappropriate feelings for each other," Dimitri said quietly, his voice thick and husky with his accent. It sent a shiver through my body but nodded and laughed quietly. He wasn't wrong, but if it was wrong, why did it feel so right?

Our moment was interrupted by the telltale sound of my stomach growling, making it known that I was hungry. Again.

A smirk crossed Dimitri's lips as he pulled away, lifting his hips up so he could pull his phone out of his pocket.

"What are you in the mood for? I haven't eaten anything since this morning and meant to get groceries," Dimitri said, looking over at me. I shrugged.

"I could go for anything right now."


I got comfy on the plush cushions on the terrace and smiled up at Dimitri as he walked out of the living room.

"If you keep feeding me like this, you're going to need to roll me out of here," I chuckled, rubbing my hand over my stomach with a grin. Dimitri chuckled and handed me a glass of water and my bottle of heartburn medication. To which, I was really grateful about leaving over here last week by accident.

My love of pasta was a double-edged sword. I wanted it all the time, but it gave me heartburn. And I overheated while eating it. But it was worth every single bite.

"Ha! Maybe I just want to make sure you're eating," Dimitri joked, referring to my hectic schedule and forgetfulness of meals. I stuck my tongue out at him as he sat down next to me.

"Do you want me to light this?"

"Oh, I would love it if you did. I love this thing," I said, pulling my feet off the fire pit. Dimitri nodded and lit the fire, putting his arm along the back of the loveseat. I tilted my head over and rested my head on his shoulder, watching the flame start to dance.

A loud ping made me jump and I picked up my phone, squinting at the brightness before looking at the new listing that was posted. I scrolled through it, frowning at the size compared to the price.

"You don't want to live there," Dimitri said, his fingers coming up and running through my hair. I looked up at him and pouted.

"Why not?"

"The neighbourhood looks good, but there is a real drug problem. I lived there shortly after moving to America. I wouldn't feel safe with you living there," Dimitri explained.

I nodded and deleted the listing from my list, frowning. I wasn't completely thrilled with the ones I've viewed so far.

"Looking for a new place already?"

"Yeah. I can't crash at Mia's forever, but Marko tipped me off that the landlord was going to jack up rent, so I gave my notice," I said with a shrug setting my phone down. I wanted to be in a new place within the next month or so. I wouldn't be in any position to be moving after six months.

"It should be easier now to find a place now that your school loans are paid," Dimitri said as he took a sip of his drink, making my head flick up.

"How did you know that?"

A blush crossed his face and a deer in the headlights look took place there too.

"I never told anyone that my loan was paid off. The school didn't tell me who did it either," I said quietly, turning my body under his arm.

I furrowed my brows as I waited for him to say something, but he looked a little embarrassed.

"It was supposed to be an anonymous donation," he said awkwardly.

"You paid it off?"

Dimitri nodded his head. "Not just me, Ivan put up half of it. We both wanted you to be able to have that weight off your shoulders. The stress wasn't good for you, regardless of your pregnancy," he said, still running his fingers through my hair. I nodded and rested my head against him again, wrapping my arm around his waist.

"Thank you. I really appreciate that," I said quietly, smiling when Dimitri's arm wrapped around me tightly. Dimitri rested his face in my hair, his lips moving softly. Whether it was a smile or a kiss, I didn't know, but the closeness was comforting.

"I also may have paid a big chunk of your outstanding medical bill," Dimitri said quietly into my hair.

"How did you get that information? How did you even know which hospital?"

"I had help," Dimitri said sheepishly, lifting his head up from my hair. I looked up at him with a curious gaze.

"I called Abe."

I shifted in my seat and turned my body towards his, folding my hands in my lap. My dad? Why would he call him? I didn't ask verbally, but raised my brows at him and hoped that he would explain. Dimitri sighed quietly and leaned forwards, setting his glass down on the edge of the fire pit.

"How much is left to be paid?" I asked.

"About a thousand. I knew that you wouldn't be happy if I paid the whole thing, so I didn't pay all of it. I knew what hospital it was from when I picked up your mail for you when you stayed here," Dimitri said, rubbing the back of his head. I narrowed my eyes at him before leaning back into him, resting my head in the crook of his shoulder.

"Don't pay any more of my bills, Comrade. You don't need to do that," I said, slipping my arm around his waist. Dimitri relaxed into the couch, wrapping his arm around my shoulder.

"I'm still paying for medical bills during your pregnancy, that's not negotiable," Dimitri said firmly. I nodded and let my eyes close, enjoying the feeling of warmth surrounding me.

"Rose?"

"Hmm?"

"After you have the baby, if you wanted to be around or see her, I wouldn't tell you no."

I lifted my head and looked up at him. "What do you mean?"

Dimitri brushed some hair away from my face, "While the agreement says you don't have legal rights, if you wanted to, I don't know, get updates or see her a handful of times a year or a few times a month, I wouldn't tell you you couldn't. Besides, I might need a little bit of help in the beginning," he said, smirking at the end. I smiled at him and shook my head, but was touched at his words.

"So if I wanted to be there for her first birthday, you wouldn't be opposed?"

"Unless you plan on our friendship ending the minute she's born, I plan on having you around for a long time," Dimitri said giving me a crooked smile. I returned the smile and rested my head back on his shoulder, smiling to myself.

"Thank you," I whispered, slipping my hand onto the one on his knee.


I was practically sprinting for the phone, which was not fun for me to do as of late. I managed to get to the desk and picked up the phone before it went to voicemail.

"Guardians."

"Hey Roza."

I smiled to myself and leaned against the desk, catching my breath. Coming to the end of my second trimester really took a toll on me. I had energy, but keeping up with my clients was getting difficult. And I was always out of breath.

"Hey Comrade. What's up?"

"Did you forget about our appointment?" Dimitri asked, and my palm came up and smacked my forehead. Damn it! I knew I was forgetting something! I swore under my breath and looked down at the calendar, honing in on the date.

"Do you want me to reschedule? We may have to wait a few weeks to get in again."

"No. No, give me a second," I said, putting my hand over the mic. I looked up and searched for a coworker, only to come across the owner. I cringed because I didn't want to ask to leave for forty minutes, but I couldn't miss the appointment. Not to mention, he always rejected my time off requests for appointments, leading me to switch with a coworker.

"Jason?!"

Jason turned around from where he was talking to a client and came over to me.

"I'm really sorry to ask this, but I have a prenatal appointment and I completely forgot. Could I leave for an hour and I'll stay late tonight?"

Jason seemed like he was about to say no, so I decided to pull out the big guns. "I can't miss this appointment, and if I do, I won't be able to get in for at least a month. You don't even need to pay me for the hour. I have someone on their way to get me," I said, crossing my fingers under the desk.

"Only if you get a note from your doctor stating that you're actually going to a prenatal appointment. I have somewhere I need to be," Jason said not so kindly. I nodded my head.

"Did you hear any of that?" I asked into the phone as Jason walked away.

"Yes," Dimitri said was an agitated sigh, "I'll be there in five minutes."

I hung up and finished putting away the equipment I was working with before the phone rang and then got my things together. I already had my coat on when Dimitri walked in, and my jaw dropped a little.

Good God. I think he needed to wear jeans from now on! Fitted blue jeans and a knitted sweater, he looked like a regular guy. But my mouth was watering already.

Dimitri found me quickly and strode over, his agitation clear on his face.

"Where is he?"

I raised my brows and pointed to Jason, who was standing across the gym talking to some guy who frequently came in, but never actually worked out. I followed hot on his trail as he approached my boss, shooting Alberta a look for help. Alberta knew from the start whose baby I was having and promised to keep it to herself, but with how unimpressed Dimitri was, I wanted a bit of backup.

"You own this establishment?" Dimitri asked, interrupting Jason and his buddy. They both turned to face Dimitri. Jason had a cocky look on his face, but the other guy recognized Dimitri almost immediately.

"Yes? And you are?"

"Do you speak to all of your employees about going to medical appointments that way? Legally, you cannot ask for proof of illness or any kind of appointment from your employees," Dimitri said, his voice firm and heavy. Alberta had finally made her way over to us and hovered, eyes moving between Jason and Dimitri.

"And you are?"

"Dimitri Belikov. I overheard your conversation with Rose when I was on the phone with her," Dimitri said towering over my boss.

I took a step forward and placed m hand on Dimitri's shoulder. "Hey, it's not worth it," I said, but he shook his head.

"Rose made me aware that you rejected every time off request for her appointments, stating that they were prenatal appointments. Did you also know that it goes against labour laws?"

Jason stood there and gapped at Dimitri like a fish, clearly know who he was now. Jason looked from Dimitri to me and Alberta and then back to Dimitri.

"It won't happen again," Jason said uncomfortably. Dimitri nodded and turned around, giving me a tight smile and putting his hand on my back, leading me out of the building.

"You didn't have to do that," I said when I got to the car. Dimitri shook his head and kissed my forehead.

"Yes, I did. He can't talk to you like that," Dimitri said, fixing the collar of my coat before kissing my cheek. "Get in."

I nodded and got in the car, pulling my seatbelt on and pulled my hair out of my ponytail. Dimitri got in beside me and started the car, pulling out onto the busy street. I watched the cars whiz by when Dimitri's hand rested over mine in my lap, intertwining our fingers.

It was something that always happened when we were together now. In the last seven weeks, there was a shift in our relationship, away from friendship and towards something more. Whether it be our hands joined, or his arm around me, a brushing of lips against another's, we grew closer.

I gave him a smile as he lifted our hands to his lips, kissing mine softly before resting them in his lap.

"What holiday did you say the baby was due around?" I asked, rubbing my stomach with my other hand.

"Orthodox Christmas. You celebrate in December, we celebrate January 7 in Russian."

I hummed and nodded my head. Almost there now. January 9 was pretty close. As we drove closer to the clinic I looked down at our intertwined fingers in my lap before voicing another question.

"What are we?"

Dimitri raised a brow and glanced at me before looking back to the road.

"What do you mean?"

"Well," I said, "most friends don't hold hands and kiss each other. They also don't do those things when one is technically employed by the other."

Dimitri grimaced and squeezed my hand. "You see me as an employer?"

"Not really," I said, "I mean, you're paying me to carry your baby, but this feels like something more."

"Do you want it to be something more?" Dimitri asked looking at me again as we stopped at a red light.

I shrugged nonchalantly, not wanting to tell him the truth just in case. "Do you?" I asked quietly, biting my lip.

A gentle smile crossed Dimitri's lips as he turned his attention back to the road. "Rose, if I could tell you what I really want without scaring you off, I would," Dimitri said pulling into the parking lot. We got out of the car, but I caught his hand and pulled him to a stop.

"Tell me?" I asked, clutching his hand tightly. I wanted him to say the words, I wanted to know if he felt the same that I did. I wanted to know that what I saw when he looked at me was real. Dimitri stepped closer to me and gently tucked some hair away from my face, cupping my cheek in his warm hand.

"I love you. I've only known you for seven months and I'm in love with you. I want to be with you," he said quietly, resting his forehead against mine. I sighed and leaned into him, smiling to myself at how those words flowed through me.

"I love you too," I whispered, opening my eyes and meeting his molten pools. Dimitri closed the distance and pressed his lips to mine, pulling me close to him. I stretched up on my toes to get closer to him and so he didn't need to lean down as much. His hand pulled out of mine and slipped around my waist, slipping under the hem of my shirt and jacket, tracing his fingers delicately over my lower back.

"We should probably go in," Dimitri said pulling away, pecking my lips again. I laughed softly and nodded my head, slipping my hand back into his.

"You do know that you outed the pregnancy, right? That guy Jason was talking with knew exactly who you were," I said as we headed towards the clinic. Dimitri shrugged.

"I'll just have to up your security," Dimitri laughed, making me roll my eyes.


Surprise! I have gifted you another chapter lol.

Fun fact! In Canada, your employer is not allowed to ask you for a doctor's note (unless it is for a change in workload/style) or proof of illness if you miss work.

I hope you all have a lovely weekend. I spent the day at the beach and now I am utterly exhausted.

Let me know what you think!