This is for the July challenge, Nikola's Birthday. I will try to upload the second and last chapter as soon as possible, maybe even today. Hope you'll like it!
Nikola hardly decided to wake up that morning. He puffed with disgust when he saw the date on the calendar: the 10th of July. His 154th birthday. He had never liked his birthdays too much, but now, since he was mortal, every birthday meant one more year of his life gone. One more year lost for nothing. As for receiving a birthday present…He doubted someone will give him one. And even if they did, he knew that nobody could give him what he wanted. Or better said, who he wanted, because he discovered with surprise that on his birthday, he didn't wish to be immortal again. He just wished to have someone to love him. And not anyone, but the woman who had been hunting his thoughts for over a century. Before her, he had never thought that he can love somebody, because he had always known he was so much better than the others. And because of that, no one had understood him. No girl had understood his passion for science, his desire to discover all the mysteries of the world. Until he met her and fell madly in love. Her blue eyes were the ones that had broken the veil of shadows that protected him for being hurt.
She had always been an enigma to him. The only one he hadn't been able to unravel. So beautiful, so innocent and yet so passionate about her work, so ready to die to defend her causes…Back in the 1880s, they had become so close to each other, and yet she was so far away from him. And afterwards, that bastard took her away from him. What was worse was that he had made her suffer in a way beyond words. When she had broken up with him, Nikola had secretly hoped that they would have a chance to be together. But instead, she isolated herself from the others. She had become obsessed with her work and she had built walls around her. A shield around her heart that he hadn't been able to break. Soon she left London, running away from The Five, from him, not willing to let him ease her pain. He would have been her shoulder to cry on, but letting him do that just wasn't her. So he went in the States, trying to forget her. But how could have he done that, when she was the one that had changed his life so much? She was the one that had helped him discover who he really was and what was even more important, she was the one that had helped him accept it. They kept in touch, occasionally sending letters to each other, but nothing more.
However, in the previous two years, things had gotten better between them. He had even confessed his feelings for her, but the look on her face when he had told her that he loved her was one of complete shock. She obviously hadn't expected that, although he had kissed her…Sure, it had been a cheeky kiss, but that didn't change the fact that their lips had touched, even if only for two seconds.
To have her, to have the chance of kissing her again…that would have clearly made his birthday a little more tolerable.
But she wasn't going to be with him. She was probably taking care of her pets as usually. Maybe having a little fun with the children. After all, she probably saw him as a friend, and nothing more. Although she had seemed very sad when he had lost his powers. So sad, that for a moment he had thought that she loves him. But he was too sad to say or do anything. And after that, when he had discovered his new powers, he was so eager to test them that he didn't want to ask her about her feelings for him. He was too happy that he wasn't ordinary and didn't want a negative answer to shadow his happiness. And now, she was probably gone forever…
His thoughts were interrupted by a fluttering of wings at his window. He went to see what was happening and saw a pigeon sitting on the window sash.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not in the mood today." Nikola said, thinking that it was one of the pigeons he used to feed. However, the little bird wasn't going to give up too easily. It knocked in the window with its beak until Nikola finally decided to open the window.
"Listen, I told you I'm not in the mood today. I want to be alone. I don't have any food anyway."
The pigeon flew away and he thought that he had gotten rid of it. But soon it was back, this time carrying an envelope in its beak.
"Is that for me?" The pigeon cooed affirmatively, so he took the envelope and opened it. It contained a hand written note:
Happy Birthday Nikola! Since today is your birthday, I would like you to come over my place tonight. Let's say, around 8 pm? I don't want you to spend this day alone and besides I have a surprise for you, so I would be very happy if you would come.
I hope to see you soon,
One of your old friends.
"Well, that was…unexpected." He said after he finished reading the letter. The pigeon flew around in his room and then sat on his shoulder. Nikola gently cuddled it on the back and it cooed affectionately.
"You sure are closer to me than your master is. Can you send her a message from me?" Saying this, he turned his face to the small bird, trying to give it a little kiss, but it flew away again, only this time it didn't come back.
Left alone in his room, Nikola couldn't help smiling to himself. That little pigeon had obviously learned some things from Helen. Because even if the note wasn't signed, he knew damn well who had sent it. Maybe his birthday wasn't going to be so bad after all…
