Natalya rounded the corner and stopped, gasping in horror at what she saw.
Collapsed on the ground lay Vladimir, sprawled out as though he had received a fatal hit. A stain spread out over his long coat, bleeding it a darker shade than before
She rushed to his side, dropping to her knees. Her hands flew to her mouth, then quickly, grasped at his hands.
"My love, who would do this to you?" she demanded.
"The kids, they ambushed me," Vladimir groaned. His breaths started coming in short gasps, puffs of air flying up in the cold winter air.
"Avenge…me, my beloved," he whispered.
His eyes fluttered shut.
Natalya wailed, throwing herself over him.
From the bushes, a giggle, quickly silenced.
Natalya's eyes slid over until she caught sight of the perpetrator. She could very clearly see Andrei, mouth covered by one of Peter's mittened hands. Peter himself looked like he was about to crack. Even Vladimir was smiling, though trying valiantly to play his part as dead.
Natalya allowed herself a small smile before drawing herself up. The smiles stopped, but Vladimir was full-on grinning now.
"You will pay for killing my darling," she growled, stalking towards them.
Andrei and Peter fell back on their hands, but before they could scramble away, Natalya lunged towards them. She picked Andrei up, but Peter, being the larger of the two, managed to get away in time.
"Hahaha! I've got you now, fiend!" he cackled triumphantly, poised to strike, and then -
a snowball hit him in the back of the head.
"Hey!" Peter cried. "That's not fair, you're dead!"
"Sure it is," Vladimir said smoothly, brushing the snow off his coat. "I have special magic abilities, remember?"
"Aw, but big brother, you're dead," Andrei complained.
"I'm also a vampire, remember?" Vladimir said, winking. He walked over to Natalya and plucked him out of her arms, sharing a kiss with her as he did so.
Peter made a gagging noise. "You two are gross," he complained.
"Then I'm sure you won't want to come inside and have some hot chocolate, right?" Natalya asked. "I mean, since we're so gross and all."
Andrei cheered. Peter gasped. "I take it back! I take it back, please let me have hot cocoa, Ms. Natalya!"
"Alright, alright, but only if you take your boots off when you get inside. I don't want you getting snow everywhere," she agreed.
Peter nodded a few more times than was strictly necessary, and followed the three of them into the house.