Drabble:82
POV:Third Person

Before Abe met Rose's boyfriend Adrian Ivashkov, he had a lot of reservations about the young moroi and his reputation. He'd been sure that Adrian was just taking advantage of Rose, so he was pleasantly surprised upon meeting the moroi in person (and threatening him to an inch of his life) because the boy clear as day adored Rose and seemed head over heels in love with her. Also, Abe knew his intimidation would go a long way in ensuring that the boy stayed in line. But, Abe wasn't very happy with Adrian. Because he was continuously under the influence of either smoke or alcohol (and smelling like it) and had a penchant for being a natural flirt. Also, even though he cared about Rose, he couldn't see the sadness in Rose's eyes or the fake smile she plastered on whenever he did something romantic. Adrian couldn't, but Abe could. Only, he did nothing, except hope that over time, she wouldn't need to pretend anymore, that she'd recover from losing her first love-Dimitri Belikov.

Abe had met Dimitri Belikov before, as he had been well acquainted with both of Ivan Zeklos' parents and Ivan, by association. And he'd liked Ivan's diligent guardian/friend. But he'd known the guardian then, not his daughter's boyfriend.

Obviously, when Rose and Dimitri got together, Abe was worried. He knew that Dimitri wasn't the type of man to take advantage of Rose, so that was a good thing. But his age, disposition and job all worried Abe. Not only that, but his recently acquired reputation for being dangerous and unstable (stemmed from rumors about his Strigoi days) also worried Abe-what if there even was an iota of truth in the rumors?

Belikov wasn't the type of man to flaunt his emotions, so Abe didn't know if what he felt for Rose was the real deal or if it was just a casual fling. Also, it didn't help that the cool-tempered guardian didn't seem to be intimidated by Abe and his threats (and that Janine actually liked the guy). Also, he was an active guardian, following his charge(s) out of the wards or going on regular Strigoi raids, so there was always the chance that he wouldn't come back….and Abe didn't think Rose could deal with that. He'd seen how she'd been at Dimitri's memorial in Russia (and Belikov hadn't even been dead then), so he worried. Like any good father, he worried. And watched…

Belikov was a man of few words but his actions screamed his intentions to whoever was smart enough to look for them. Every morning, without fail, Dimitri would make a cup of coffee that Rose and he would share over the newspaper with doughnuts that he bought for her from the patisserie by dozens. He'd be scrupulously fair and brutally honest with Rose about her actions or decisions, but in the privacy of their home, he'd be the adoring partner (or so Christian said when Abe 'asked' him). He cared for her when she was sick and did little things to make her happy. He also refused to accept Abe's offer of financial help (which made him rise in Abe's esteem) as he'd been used to earning his keep from a young age, but he tried his best to ensure that Rose never wanted for anything.

And as for Rose, she seemed more at peace and content than Abe had ever seen her, almost glowing with happiness and love. Gone were her fake smile and jaded melancholy, replaced by love and joy. And Abe couldn't be happier or more thankful for it. He was glad, he really was. But he was still a father, and so he worried.

Hey, thanks for reading. Don't forget to review!

About the last drabble, the votes for the Romitri piece are stacked higher, so you shall get that…..probably in couple of days. I actually would have uploaded it today, but I couldn't finish it because I have a killer headache. Anyways, thanks for your wonderful reception (to/for?) it. Cheers!

PS-Eid Mubarak to all of you who celebrate it!