So, I admin a page on Facebook and I promised them that I would write a Christmas story for all the likers as a present (since I can't draw well). It's a bit early but I thought I'd upload it today since I'm finished it.
I am not sure how to cook anything that is made in this story. So, all the bad things that are produced as a result may not actually happen. However, since it's him, I suppose it could. Somehow.
I think I used "Vlad" or something as Romania's name before but I decided to look up popular names from there. So... Dracul = Romania; Rumen = Bulgaria; Andrei = Moldova. (I was told that Dracul means the Devil and I wasn't aware of that so if this offends you, I'm sorry. But I don't really want to change it to Vlad I don't know what else to call him, so... I do apologise. I thought it meant "dragon". :( )
I apologise if they are slightly OOC. =/
Arthur poured his fourth cup of tea in the past hour. Getting up so early on Christmas Day was really tiring. Not only that, he had been home late the night before due to his School Council business. With a yawn, he gazed at all the utensils and ingredients he had gathered and tried to force his tired eyes to stay open.
The School Council and Magic Club President had wondered what to do for Christmas over the past few weeks. Alfred was having another big party which Arthur did not wish to attend – with all the work he had had to do, he had not been sure whether he would have been able to arrive there on time. After turning down the offer, he had discovered that his other 'relatives' were either attending the party or having their own gatherings in different parts of the world. His older brothers were not willing to spend time with him. Spending Christmas alone seemed a rather depressing thing to do so Arthur had thought hard and come up with the perfect solution.
His Magic Club consisted of two other people who got on well with him. If he invited them for dinner, he could have fun and be with people he liked. He would not have to pretend to be civil to Alfred or Francis or anyone else. Best of all, if any of the fairies or even Flying Mint Bunny turned up, they could see them and would be able to talk to them.
So he had invited them. Lukas had accepted, not seeming at all surprised. Then again, he didn't express himself very much. He was like a blonde-haired Kiku (someone he had also invited but had been turned down, politely). Dracul had been astonished but rather excited at the prospect of a Club Christmas dinner. The Romanian had only calmed down when he had been informed that Arthur would make sure to cook something befitting the holiday.
Speaking of cooking, Arthur wrenched his faraway gaze back to the things he had gathered on the unit. He had decided on smoked salmon with prawns, horseradish cream and a lime vinaigrette for starter followed by the traditional turkey. Of course, to finish, he intended to make a Christmas pudding.
"So I need to cook the prawns and salmon now. And stuff the turkey. Perhaps start on the pudding afterwards..." Arthur muttered to himself as he set down his cup. He picked up the cookbook and frowned at it. "Right, then..."
With that, he began. First he placed the salmon in the oven to bake, deciding that he could use the oven before the turkey went in. With the prawns, he popped them into the pan and proceeded to fry them. At least, he tried to. Unfortunately, the seafood seemed to be sticking to it. When he glanced back at the recipe, he noticed that he had forgotten the butter. In a panic, he threw some in and tried to fry the prawns properly. After a few minutes, he hurriedly placed the prawns onto a plate. They looked a little black around the edges but he was sure it would not effect them too much. Unfortunately, the salmon was definitely black when he eventually got it out of the oven. He spent five minutes chiselling away all the burnt bits and hoped the amount left over would be fine for them all.
After putting these aside, he turned his attention to the stuffing. When he looked at the turkey, however, he had absolutely no idea what the giblets of a turkey was. Biting his lip, he shrugged and pulled the turkey apart, pulling parts off to use as 'giblets'. He dropped them into the pot and boiled them. He left it for an hour, not noticing that he was supposed to simmer them.
Wiping his brow, he moved onto making the horseradish cream and the vinaigrette. The whisking seemed to make the mixtures fly everywhere and Arthur was glad that he was wearing his pale green apron.
He returned to the stock he was making and strained them. In a clean pot, he placed butter, onion, celery and mushrooms. Then he frowned at the recipe. What the heck did it mean by sauté? Shrugging, he just waited till it all became softer. Bread cubes, egg, walnuts, salt, pepper, sage and thyme were also placed in and stirred into the mixture as well as the stock. The finished product looked odd but he presumed he had done everything correctly and proceeded to push the thick substance into the hole he had made. It was tiring work so, after he had finished, he washed his hands thoroughly and made himself a cup of tea. He carried it through to the dining room – and almost dropped his precious beverage.
Not all the decorations had been put up! The box sat in the corner, neglected. He had been sure he had managed to put up everything last night. He certainly had tinsel and holly wreaths in the living room. And the tree was up, too. Wasn't it? Frantic, Arthur checked only to find that he may have put it up but the box of baubles and such was untouched. He must have been very tired from the past few days.
For the next hour, he busied himself hanging up the rest of the decorations. With all his work he had not had the time to decorate earlier in the month. Briefly, Arthur had a mental image of the Frog and the American git laughing at him for his forgetfulness. This brought on a burst of angry energy and he was able to put them up far faster than before.
The last decoration was for the top of the tree. In the box were three ornaments: a glittering star, a prone fairy and a tiny angel. Arthur frowned – which one should he use this year?
"Arthur, Arthur!" exclaimed a small voice. Looking round, the Englishman spotted a small fairy in a bright orange dress. Her blonde locks were swept back in a ponytail and she was grinning up at him. "Put the fairy on top!"
"Now, now, Cecilia," Arthur said with a smile. "I am fairly sure I used the fairy last year."
"If you would like me to, I could stand up there for the day. It's special, isn't it?" She flew around Arthur's head excitedly.
"Well, yes. Of course. It is Christmas, after all."
"Yes, but, you're going to have guests for dinner! That doesn't happen often!" She stopped a few inches from his face and smiled happily up at him. Arthur felt himself go red and he glanced away, looking at the tree. "Aren't you excited?"
"I... suppose..." muttered Arthur. With a sigh, he stood. "Okay, okay – I'll use the fairy."
"Hurrah!" said Cecilia and flew out of the way.
Arthur reached up, stretching his arm as far as it would go – he didn't have time for a ladder. When he realised he couldn't reach, he scowled at the branches and stood on tiptoe. Again, he stretched. The fairy brushed the top branch but, before he could secure it, the phone began to ring in the hallway. Startled, Arthur wobbled and toppled over, landing on his beautiful tree. He cried out in despair as he and the tree crashed to the ground. For a second he didn't move. Then he pulled himself to his feet with a groan. Really! Who's calling now?!
"Hello?" he asked when he had lifted the receiver.
"Arthur, God jul," said the voice on the other end.
"Ah, Lukas!" replied Arthur, a smile spreading across his face. "Merry Christmas!"
"Takk. Arthur, I need to talk to you about tonight..."
"Yes, what is it?"
"I cannot come, I am afraid. Mathias has dragged me to Berwald's house – all of the Nordics are celebrating Christmas here."
"Oh," said Arthur, his spirits sinking. "I see." Would Dracul pull out, too?
"Jeg er veldig lei meg..." said the apologetic Lukas.
Guessing at what he had said, Arthur waved a hand in dismissal. "Ah, no, that's quite all right. Family comes first, right?"
There was a brief silence on the other end before Lukas spoke again. "Tell Dracul 'God jul' from me, please, Arthur."
"Of course."
"Well, I must go now. Har det bra."
Arthur stood, holding the receiver, for a few seconds longer than necessary. He had not expected this to happen. It was foolish of him. They both had families and friends that they would want to see. After all, with their secret club activities, they did not see much of them. Of course they would want to spend time relaxing with them. He hadn't even put up the decorations properly! Who would want to spend time with him?
Feeling annoyed at himself, he hung up as well. Should he call Dracul to make sure he was still coming? What would be the point in cooking so much if there was no-one around to eat it?
Making his decision, he jabbed in the number and listened intently to the ringing sound. Arthur gasped in relief when he heard the click but his stomach dropped when he heard the answering machine instead. Before the tone to leave a message, Arthur dropped the receiver back down. Hovering for a moment, he tried to calmly reach a decision about whether to carry on with the food or not.
"Arthur?" Cecilia was calling for him. Blinking, Arthur nodded and smiled. That's right. What am I thinking? I'm not alone. And more will likely turn up, as well. Feeling cheery, he returned to the living room to find the tree upright with the fairy ornament on top.
"Ah, Cecilia!" said Arthur in surprise. "You didn't have to do that, you know!"
"I know," said the fairy with a grin as she hovered beside the tree. "But I thought I should help you out. Don't you have Christmas pudding to make?"
"Oh, no!" gasped Arthur, hurrying back to the kitchen.
Finding another mixing bowl, he quickly mixed together all the ingredients. As he did so, he remembered to make a wish, a tradition supposed to be undertaken by one's family. Having no-one around bar someone who could already make their own wishes come true, Arthur did it himself, hoping and praying that the evening would go smoothly. He placed the mixture into a steamer and set the timer for eight hours. Relieved that this was over, he returned his attention to the turkey.
It was rather large for only two people. He would be eating leftovers for weeks. With a sigh, however, Arthur dutifully placed the turkey in the oven and turned it on, setting another timer for four hours. An extra half an hour couldn't hurt...
By this point, the kitchen was a mess and he still needed to clear up in both the living room and dining room. Perhaps everywhere else as well. Taking a deep breath, he pulled on some rubber gloves and began to clean.
When Arthur was peeling the carrots a few hours later, the doorbell rang. He jolted in surprise and managed to let the peeler slip, cutting his finger. With a wince, he hurried to the hall, holding his wounded hand behind him. He had already burned himself putting the potatoes in to roast.
Flustered, he opened the front door and was confronted by a man in a mask. The face was green and grey, a horrific expression upon it. Tinsel was wrapped around the man's red hat and draped around his neck. As soon as the door opened, he began to sing.
"Colindita nu-i mai multa..." Arthur realised that it was Dracul. He blinked in surprise at the fast-paced singing. Not wanting to interrupt the swift song, he waited for Dracul to finish. "... Sa va fie de folos!" Dracul bowed before straightening and saying, "Crăciun fericit!"
"Merry Christmas to you, too," said Arthur with a small smile. "Would you like to come in?"
"That is why I am here, corect?" said Dracul as he lifted his mask to reveal a cheerful smile underneath. His red eyes shone happily as Arthur stepped back and let him in.
"Well, yes." Arthur paused for a moment then closed and locked the door. No sense in letting people enter his domain when he was busy. "Lukas isn't coming – he's spending Christmas with his family. He says... Uh... Merry Christmas, too."
"Oh?" said Dracul, pausing by the kitchen. He glanced in and screwed up his nose. "Something smells of burning," he muttered.
"Eh?!" Arthur hurried over and looked in. "I... I don't know why... I did everything by the book..."
"Would you like any help?"
"No, no! You're my guest. You should go to the living room and relax. I'll let you know when dinner is ready. There is a fairy here – her name's Cecilia. I'm sure you'll get along swimmingly."
Dracul nodded and gazed at him for a moment before making his way down the gleaming hall. Arthur returned to the kitchen, running through the list of things he still had to do. Absent-mindedly, he placed the carrots in the pot to boil without finishing their preparation.
An hour later, Arthur fetched Dracul and led him to the dining room. The long wooden table had been covered in a white tablecloth. Holly, robins and snowmen had been painstakingly stitched on by Arthur earlier that week, whenever he had found the time. Wine glasses were set at two places close together, a bottle of Romanian wine close by. Silver cutlery neatly sat in place. A couple of crackers were at their places. Tinsel hung from the ceiling and boughs of holly bedecked the room. On the middle of the table was a large centrepiece: a robin sat on a snowy log, the snow extending onto the table itself.
Arthur pulled out a high-backed chair at the head of the table and Dracul obediently sat down. "I'll bring the starters in momentarily," explained Arthur before leaving the Romanian to his own devices again, heading back to the kitchen.
The two small china plates held the salmon, prawns, lettuce and the sauces. Arthur had made sure to leave the border uncovered, showcasing the magnificent green decoration. Carefully, he carried them through to Dracul and set them down. Arthur almost missed his smile twitching.
"Um... Arthur, did you peel the prawns?" he asked as politely as possible.
"Peel?" asked Arthur blankly.
"Da. You are supposed to peel them before you cook them."
"R-Really?" said Arthur, nervously. He thought back on what he had done and grew flustered when he realised that he had just put them in the pot. Perhaps he should have bought the pre-prepared prawns when he had been shopping instead.
"Da... It is okay, though. I think we will be able to peel them just now."
"Oh, that's good," sighed Arthur. The Englishman began to eat his salmon instead, watching Dracul struggling with his prawns. The Romanian nibbled at his seafood but Arthur had the impression that he didn't like it. "Is... Is it... any good?" he asked, quietly, jabbing his fork into the unwashed lettuce.
"It is... It has a unique taste..." Dracul replied, pushing the food around on its plate.
"Really?"
"Um..." Dracul paused as they stared at each other. Arthur's grip on his cutlery tightened. Perhaps he should have stuck with things he knew how to cook – like soup and scones. "It is good, da!" Dracul suddenly pronounced.
Arthur gawked at him as his mouth formed an 'o'. "It... It's..." With a faint tinge to his cheeks, Arthur smiled as he went back to eating. "That's good. I... I wasn't sure if it would be any good. After all, I had three courses to make and all of them in a few hours."
"A few hours? Surely you should have prepared some of it last night?" Dracul asked, a worried tone in his voice.
"Well, yes, I think so. But I haven't had the time to do much besides school things lately." Arthur glanced up at Dracul who was staring at him instead of eating. "I only got back at eleven last night and this place wasn't decorated. I worked on it somewhat for a couple of hours before I retired to bed."
"And what time did you rise?" asked Dracul, frowning slightly.
"Oh, around half six," responded Arthur dismissively.
There was a silence and, when Arthur glanced up again, he found Dracul staring at him in surprise. "Tu... You have done all this when you have no had sleep? For me?"
"And Lukas, originally. Until he told me he couldn't make it." Polishing off his plate, Arthur wondered if he should continue the conversation or go check on the turkey. Deciding on the latter course of action, he stood, taking his plate with him. "I'm going back to the kitchen. I'll bring out the main course when I return."
"Ah, I am finished with this," said Dracul, handing over his plate. The food had hardly been touched. Arthur frowned but, remembering that guests should be allowed the courtesy of dining however they wished in a gentleman's home, he nodded and took the plate. "I want to leave room," added Dracul, as though he knew that Arthur disapproved.
"Of course," said Arthur with a smile. He swept away to the kitchen. Smoke was starting to issue forth from the oven when he got there. With a cry of alarm, he rushed forward and opened the door. Waving away the smoke, he removed the turkey and potatoes. The vegetables were completely black, as was the turkey. Fretting, Arthur hurriedly spooned the boiled vegetables onto plates and began to carve the turkey. If he could get to the better meat inside, everything would be fine, he told himself. He wondered if the potatoes would be all right to eat if he cut off the black bits, too.
By the time he had dished the food onto the large china plates, Arthur had several more cuts. Annoyed with himself, he found the first aid kit and quickly treated himself as much as he could. He ran out of plasters before he could wrap his wounds completely. Clicking his tongue, he ignored the rest and carried the two plates back to the dining room.
"Are you okay?" asked Dracul, looking rather worried. "I thought I could smell smoke again..."
"No, no," said Arthur quickly, laughing at the idea, hoping he wouldn't spot his injuries. "Everything is fine, thank you. Here we are." He placed the plates on the table and sat down himself, surveying Dracul's reaction.
The Romanian's features twitched as they tried to settle into an expression. He seemed to be fighting himself. Finally, he declared, "It looks delicious! Mulţumesc!"
With a big smile, Arthur nodded his thanks and they tucked in. The turkey may have tasted a little burnt and the stuffing was a little dry but it was definitely edible. Meanwhile, potatoes were small but were a lot less black after he had cut those parts off. And the carrots were tough. But, all in all, Arthur decided he had done a pretty good job.
When he looked at Dracul, however, the Romanian was picking through his food. "Is it...?" Arthur began.
"Brilliant! Amazing! Uimitor de groaznic!" exclaimed Dracul before he could finish.
"Thank you!" Arthur replied with a sigh. "You know, it said you had to use the giblets for the stuffing but I had no idea what they were. I think I got them, though."
Dracul visibly blanched. "Oh."
"Huh? Is there something wrong?"
"Nu, nu!" Dracul was quick to exclaim. "It is absolutely brilliant."
"That's good." There was a pause as they ate. "Ah, yes," said Arthur suddenly. "Have you been having a good Christmas."
"Da!" said Dracul, halting his eating progress. "I have had so much fun! Rumen and I went carolling before he visited Andrei."
"Didn't you want to see Andrei, too?"
"Well, yes – but I will see him tomorrow instead."
Arthur paused with his fork close to his mouth. "If you'd like to leave after you've finished eating, then-"
"I will stay here and drink with you," said Dracul with a smile.
Touched that his friend would do such a thing for him, Arthur blushed as he put the fork into his mouth. "Thank you," he muttered once he had swallowed.
"Nici o problema!" replied Dracul with a beam.
They continued to eat, talking about school and laughing at various things that had happened during the year. Dracul mentioned a lot of things which Arthur was embarrassed about. He blushed at these but Dracul did not let up, laughing at his expression. Finally, they had finished their main course and Arthur was relieved to have an excuse to stop Dracul bringing up another prank which had involved himself as the butt of the joke.
However, when he took the Christmas pudding out of the fridge, it completely crumbled, bits and pieces rolling everywhere. What was he supposed to do now? Searching his cupboards and freezer, he eventually found some ice cream and a few pastries that Francis had left behind on one of his intrusions. Annoyed that he could not have his traditional Christmas pudding, he dropped them onto the plates with a frown.
"Oh?" said Dracul when he presented them to the Romanian. "What is this?"
"I believe it is called Gourmandises Constellation. Francis brought it with him once." He gave Dracul a sheepish look. "My Christmas pudding didn't turn out well."
"Oh, dragă," muttered Dracul as he cut off a piece and began to eat. His face lit up. A littled disappointed, Arthur began to eat his own. "It is lovely," said Arthur's companion suddenly. "But I think that yours would be good as well." The Englishman blushed and smiled, happily eating his delicious dessert in silence.
The living room was bedecked with much more tinsel than the dining room, in a variety of red, greens, golds and silvers. Three large, red stockings hung from the mantelpiece, a roaring fire warming the room. Holly wreaths were on the walls. Cards stood on every surface. Magical snow fell from the ceiling, coating the room in white only to disappear a few seconds later. The tree stood tall, baubles and candy canes forming a cheerful atmosphere. A nativity scene on a table in the corner was there to remind the occupants of the reason behind the holiday.
Sitting on one couch, the people within were not paying attention to the detail. Arthur was too busy sloshing whisky down his front. Dracul was giggling at something Arthur was saying. "What happened then?" asked Dracul, leaning forward.
"He got his fingers all caught up in the laces!" laughed Arthur. "It was so adorable! I had to try my hardest not to laugh!"
"Alfred often says he cannot remember much of his past – I am definitely going to ask him about this!"
"Don't, don't!" cried Arthur, still sniggering. He wiped a tear from his eye. "He'd definitely attempt to kill me!"
"I'd like to see him try," said Dracul, his grin softening.
Arthur continued to laugh for a few minutes before until he got his breath back. "Well? Have you got any stories like that?"
"I think there is a story of a man and woman who were trapped in a castle during a snowstorm-"
"That's not a funny story!" protested Arthur with a soft laugh.
"It is!" argued Dracul, frowning and crossing his arms.
"Didn't you tell us this one last year? They all die in the end, don't they?"
Dracul sighed and pouted a little. "Bine. It is not funny. But it is the only Christmas story which is unique to my country."
"Well, the story doesn't need to be like that. Something that happened at school, maybe?"
The Romanian tilted his head, pondering his answer. "I think... There was the time Lukas turned himself into a dragon to scare Mathias. But the spell was wrong and he ended up small enough to fit in my hand. Mathias thought it was adorable." Dracul grinned at the memory.
"I don't remember that," said Arthur with a frown.
"You had Student Council work to do, I think."
"Ah..." Arthur looked down at his glass and took a swig. "I'm sorry that I set up the club yet can't spend so much time there." Feeling a little downhearted, Arthur hurriedly poured himself some more alcohol and tipped it down his throat. "I'm a horrible friend," he croaked, his face dark.
"Nu, nu!" said Dracul hurriedly, grimacing. "You did all this for us, after all." He gestured around the room. "You even made sure to have drinks that would suit us."
"Y'know," said Arthur, slurring his words a little after swallowing more whisky. "Y'know. I was very tired today – but this is a miracle drink!" He yelled the last words, lifting his glass high, the liquid splashing over the oak coffee table. "I feel much more awake!" Looking at Dracul, he giggled at the dumbfounded expression on the other man's face.
"I think you need to go to bed..."
"No! I'm not tired!" sang Arthur, downing some more alcohol. Nevertheless, he only watched as Dracul stood and approached him. Gently, the Romanian took the glass from him and placed it carefully on the wet table. Arthur watched him swaying – or perhaps it was Arthur who was swaying. Unsure, he squinted his eyes, wondering if that would help. He blinked as Dracul turned back to him and gently took his hands.
"Come along. Up!" With that, he tightened his grip and tried to pull Arthur to his feet. Unfortunately, the quick rise caused Arthur's head to spin and he toppled forwards instead, sending them both crashing to the ground. Arthur rolled off Dracul with a soft giggle followed by a groan. "Are you all right?" Dracul asked, anxiously.
"Uh huh," Arthur replied, watching the tinsel and snow above him spin. Then something moved in his field of vision. It sparkled and fell towards him in a spiral. He grimaced, closing his eyes. When he opened them again, he felt much more sober. "What...?" he muttered as he sat up. Looking round, he found Dracul gazing at him worriedly. "Ah, I really am fine. But... What happened?"
"Arthur!" called a small voice above them. Looking up, Arthur saw Cecilia – who had managed to convince Liz and Mary, two fellow fairies, to heave a sprig of mistletoe into the air above their heads.
"Ce-Cecilia!" admonished Arthur. "What are you doing?!"
"Is that mistletoe?" asked Dracul, an amused grin on his face.
"That's-!" Arthur blushed. "It's..."
"Shall we...?" Dracul trailed off and Arthur saw a red tinge appear on his cheeks.
"N-No! I mean, we don't need to!"
"But we can," pointed out Dracul. Although he was blushing, he confidently leaned in. "And it is tradition."
"Eh? But-" Arthur's breath caught in his throat as Dracul reached out towards him. Gently, he cupped his hand round Arthur's cheek. Smiling, he moved in closer, his lips closing the distance between them. Still shocked, Arthur watched him coming closer, eyes closed. The Englishman felt as though he was frozen in place. Finally, their lips touched. Arthur was surprised at how soft the kiss was.
Dracul began to pull away before seemingly deciding he wanted more. Arthur watched him with wide eyes as he suddenly jerked forward, pressing their lips together. He was surprised to find himself kissing back, his eyelids fluttering closed. Slowly, his hands rose and held onto Dracul's clothes tightly. Feeling Dracul's tongue sweep over his lips, Arthur obediently parted them and Dracul's tongue entered his mouth. Accepting him, Arthur twined his tongue around Dracul's and they continued kissing for a further few minutes.
When they eventually parted, Arthur found himself panting. His cheeks felt hot and he could see Dracul's were red. Dreamily, he gazed at Dracul, quite willing to continue kissing. However, Dracul reached up with a smile and pulled a berry from the plant above them. "Cannot forget that," he said with a shy smile.
A strained noise escaped from Arthur and he clapped his hands to his mouth, pushing himself away from Dracul until his back hit the couch. "Wh-Wh-What the hell?!" he managed to exclaim. "What did you do that for?! You don't need to observe every Christmas tradition!"
"Da but you wanted to, did you not?" replied Dracul, frowning.
"I-I did not!" protested Arthur, rather angrily. "Why di-?"
"You want to know why? It is because I rather like you, Arthur," said Dracul, matter-of-factly.
Arthur's eyes became even wider than before. "You... You what?! Do you have any idea what that means in England?!"
For a moment, Dracul gazed at him, his eyes blank. Then he shrugged. "Of course I do. I think you should get some sleep, Arthur. I shall leave you now."
"Wait! What do you-?"
Dracul crawled towards him and placed a kiss on his forehead. "Do not worry about this. Just go to bed." And with that, he rose, moving to the door.
"Ah, don't go!" exclaimed Arthur, hurrying to his feet. With a quick glare at Cecilia for ruining his perfectly planned Christmas, he hurried into the hall. However, Dracul had already used his magic to transport himself out of the house. "Damn it all!" snapped Arthur. Gritting his teeth, he returned to the living room, poured himself some more whisky and began to drink.
After the holiday, Dracul entered the school grounds with Rumen in tow. Whilst Rumen went to find Andrei, the Romanian headed to the Magic Club's room. There he found Lukas sitting with a spell book propped on the table.
"How was your Christmas?" asked Lukas. He said it very pointedly – with good reason. After all, he had had to put up with Mathias instead of going to Arthur's because of Dracul.
"There was mistletoe," Dracul replied by way of explanation. He sat beside Lukas and peered at the book.
"Was he flustered?"
"Hmm..." Dracul thought about it. "I think he was more confused than anything. Although, he was rather embarrassed. He is cute when he blushes." He grinned at Lukas.
"Ja..." replied Lukas. "Did you confess?"
"I... told him I liked him."
"You may need to tell him more clearly than that, Dracul," said Lukas, turning the page.
He was right, of course. With a sigh, Dracul leaned back on his chair, lifting two legs off the floor, something he knew Arthur would scold him for. A shy smile appeared on his face as he thought of that.
Dracul had admired Arthur for quite some time. He was strong yet kind, strict yet fair. His knowledge of magic was varied and wide. The Magic Club had been set up by him once he had learned there were three people who could use magic at the World Academy. Arthur smiled easily for Dracul but the Romanian could still make him annoyed if he wanted to see him perplexed. Another good point in Dracul's opinion was that Arthur had his school work, his Student Council work and yet still managed to find time to attend Magic Club meetings. Although he did not turn up as often as Lukas or Dracul did, he still made an effort. Dracul had often wondered when he had the time to sleep, seeing as he entertained his fairies and various other magical creatures at home.
Letting the chair drop to the floor, he stood. Thinking about Arthur had made Dracul want to see his face. He turned to Lukas. "Where is Arthur?"
"I believe he is in the courtyard, attending to some sort of business."
"Vă mulțumim!Ne vedem mai târziu!" he added as he hurried out of the door again. Almost immediately, he bumped into Rumen.
"Ah, Dracul," he began but Dracul hurried off.
"I am looking for Arthur – have you seen him."
Rumen hurried after Dracul. "Da, I just spotted him in the courtyard. He seems to be quite angry at Francis, Gilbert and Antonio."
"Oh? They must have played another prank!" said Dracul, grinning and speeding up. If he didn't hurry, Arthur would be somewhere else and busy.
By the time they reached the courtyard, people were leaving the scene. It seemed that the excitement was over and everyone was on their way to class. Dodging round them, Dracul found Arthur in the middle of the space, his messy blonde hair easily visible. He tapped the School Council President on the shoulder when he reached him, too out of breath to speak.
"Ah!" said Arthur when he turned to see who was trying to gain his attention. A pink tinge crept across his face as he noticed who it was. "Dracul! Is there something you need? Otherwise, you should be getting to class like the rest."
"I... I have to talk to you," explained Dracul, still regaining his breath. Rumen hovered behind him.
"Yes, well..." He seemed to know what the conversation would be about. "I'm sorry but I'm very busy. However... Come to the Student Council office at the end of the day, okay?"
"Arthur-" Dracul began to protest.
"Hey!" shouted Arthur suddenly, glaring at someone behind him. "How many times must I tell you that you're not allowed in here!"
Turning, Dracul spotted the small boy who looked like Arthur. He was dressed in a shrunken World Academy uniform: the sleeves were too big. The little boy pouted as Arthur strode towards him. "But it's not fair!" he cried.
"Dracul, Rumen – please go to class for now," Arthur called over his shoulder. Dracul watched him for a moment, watching him scold the boy trying to sneak onto the grounds. Then Rumen pulled at his sleeve and they left, Dracul feeling rather disappointed at his lack of success.
Later, when Dracul arrived at the office, he knocked on the door. He heard Arthur's voice call out to him, telling him to enter. Taking a breath, he turned the handle and did so. What he saw took his breath away. So shocked was he that he failed to notice the door swinging shut by itself.
Red roses filled the room in baskets and vases. Pink ones forced their way to the fore as well, matching the hearts attached to the red ribbons which bound them. Larger pink and red hearts revolved magically within the air. A flock of small pink, red and white birds flitted around the room. The air itself seemed to be a pale pink as if love was actually in the air.
"Ce...?" breathed Dracul, staring wide-eyed around the room. Spotting Arthur, he stared at him as well. The Student Council President was adorned in a crisp black suit, a red rose attached to his lapel. He was standing with his hands behind his back, a look of determination on his face.
"You confessed to me on Christmas Day," Arthur began to explain. "And, rather ungentlemanly, I let you leave without a response. Since a gentleman's confession should be as romantic as possible, I've made sure to make the room... like this."
"What are you going to do if someone comes in?" asked Dracul with a cheeky grin.
Arthur smirked. "I'm not stupid. I've sealed the room for a few hours. No-one else will be entering."
Dracul stepped towards Arthur, closing the gap a little. "Well?"
With a quick roll of his eyes, Arthur smiled. "I admire you a lot, Dracul. Your magic and personality is magnificent. You never fail to make me smile. I like you a lot. And, if you would do me the honour of becoming my boyfriend, I would be very grateful." Suddenly, he flushed. "I-If you would like..." he added in a mutter.
Grinning, Dracul glanced at the empty desk. "Did you say that the room is sealed for a few hours?" he asked, stepping forward again. With a puzzled expression, Arthur nodded. Launching himself across the rest of the space, Dracul wrapped his arms around a surprised Arthur. He touched his nose to the Brit's. "I can think of a few things we can do with that time..."
Dracul is probably OOC... =/ Mainly because I'm not used to him appearing in my stories/whatever much.
I picked Dracul as his name cause it means "dragon", by the way. :D
"God jul" = "Merry Christmas"
"Jeg er veldig lei meg..." = "I am very sorry..."
"Har det bra." = "Goodbye."
"Crăciun fericit!" ="Merry Christmas!"
"Tu..." = "You..."
"Mulţumesc!" = "Thank you!"
"Uimitor de groaznic!" = "Amazingly awful!"
"Nici o problema!" = "No problem!"
"Draga" = "Dear"
"Bine." = "Fine."
"Ne vedem mai tarziu!" = "See you later!"
"Ce...?" = "What...?"
The carol that Dracul sings when he arrives is an actual Romanian carol. No idea what it means, though. The first word is the title I believe. And I looked it up on YouTube and it was unbelievably fast. I would not be able to sing it even if it was in English.
Also, Romanians and Bulgarians both go carolling with masks on. That's the only Christmas tradition I could find... (I was actually only looking it up to see whether Dracul would be busy or if he would answer the phone. Turned out it was the former.)
The real reason for Arthur's dinner party was that he didn't want to be alone and thought that, perhaps, he could invite Dracul to dinner. But he was too embarrassed so invited Lukas, too. I just didn't want to give away that he liked Dracul as well so I never hinted at it. Cecilia knew fine well, though.
I had no idea what giblets were so I Google Imaged them. That didn't really help so I just decided that Arthur didn't know what they were. When I actually, finally, discovered what they are... I decided it would be much more of a disaster if Arthur didn't know and cooked the bird with its innards still in it so I left it as him not knowing what the book meant.
To be perfectly honest, all his mistakes probably would be mine, too. ^^"
Merry Christmas!
P.S. Thank you to RA99 for correcting my translations. I need to learn languages.