When We Were Young

Seventy:

Seventy:

Alina had been going back and forth between the dorm and the frat. It was one month after she had found out that she was pregnant, one month into the second semester of her junior year. One morning, she woke up to someone softly humming something to her. Her eyes fluttered open, and she saw Aleksander there. It was a Saturday, and he was supposed to be studying, but he had come to her dorm.

"I've got you something," he said.

Alina sighed. "Is it another hour of sleep? Because that is what I wanted."

"No." He took something out from his pocket, a small, little golden box. "I think it's going to make things a lot easier on us."

"Aleks, I swear if you got me a car---"

Aleksander laughed. "Look, I didn't have to spend any money at all. Well. A little, but it was a small sum, and I didn't have to run a credit check. I promise. Please, just open it. I think it's going to make things a lot easier."

Hesitantly, Alina sat up and opened the small box that he'd given her. Inside, there was a key, on a little sun charm key chain. "Aleks, you said that you didn't get me a car."

He grinned. "I didn't. That, sweetheart, is the key to my apartment off campus. I told my mother about the baby, and while she's not happy, she agreed it would probably be safer to have us living together then apart. She thinks I'm completely insane for taking up on you, but you know, she IS a Morozova and she's not going to let her grandchild live in squaller."

Alina frowned. "I actually think the dorm rooms at Ravka U are quite nice."

He chuckled. "That's not the point. The point is, I've gotten permission from the dragon herself to let you move in. She won't help with anything else because I won't agree to her ridiculous law school demands, but she did agree to that. So, you can come live with me, and I can get to be there for the baby full time."

"Are you going to be okay, moving out of the frat? I mean, it's your senior year, Aleks. I don't want you to feel like you're missing out or giving up on things. I mean, Little Starkovoza hasn't even been born yet. She's just a little bean."

"You still think Little Starkovoza is a girl?"

"Definitely," said Alina, "don't ask me how, but I've got a feeling about it. You okay with that?"

"I'm okay with whoever we're having, because they're going to be part of you," said Aleksander, "but I'll be a lot better about it if I don't feel like I'm missing stuff. And I don't think that you want to go and live in the frat house with me, especially with your cousins there."

Alina made a face. "Definitely not. That might be complicated."

Aleksander smiled. "So, the next solution is my off-campus apartment. You and me, playing house. What do you say?"

Alina beamed, and she pulled his face close to hers and kissed him. "I think you're perfect, and I think that I'm dreaming half of the time that I'm with you. I don't know how I managed to get this lucky. I love you, so much."

"And I know you won't let me get you a car, but I did get you a bike. It's blue."

Alina laughed. "Aleks, campus isn't that far. I can walk or take the subway."

"Oh, but biking is cool. It's healthy. It will drive me slightly less insane knowing that you've got a way to get back and forth that doesn't involve walking by yourself at night where your families' spies can get you, which is a very, very weird sentence to say to your girlfriend and mother of your future child."

She sighed. "Okay, okay. I guess a bike is within limits."

"Good, because that will make me feel a lot better about all of those late-night classes you've suddenly decided to take."

"Me, too. And hey---I've got to cram as much as I can in. Baby Starkovoza throws things off. I don't want to be pregnant and waddling to class. I'm just amazed I managed to get into as many classes as I did last minute."

"Well, I'm glad or you. I just don't want you to stress yourself out. Stress is definitely not good for the baby. I've been reading up."

Alina beamed. "You're too perfect, you know that?"

He waggled his eyebrows. "I know. Now, why don't I help you pack your stuff so that we can move into the apartment today?"

Alina groaned. "I was planning on staying in bed all day. It's the weekend, after all, and we could always move my stuff in tomorrow. When I am not completely and totally warm, and comfortable underneath my sheets, in my bed."

Aleksander smiled. "Alright, you lazy girl. I think we can wait a day, but tomorrow, we move in together for real. Want to get up a minute so I can join you?"

Alina reluctantly got up, and Aleksander took his place on the other side and then Alina laid back down again and he wrapped his arms around her tightly as well as the blanket. He kissed her on the neck, and then the cheek. "I love you."

"I love you too," Alina said.

"Now you've got a family and a home."

"A family and a home," Alina murmured tiredly, and he listened to her steady breathing as she had already fallen back into an easy, tired slumber. Aleksander watched her, overwhelmed with happiness. He had the love of his life in his arms, he was going to be a father soon, and they were both going to be able to get the futures that they wanted. Everything was coming together for them and he couldn't wait for what the future had in store.