HAPPY RUFFLEMAS! :D

To: All the lovely Teslenites on GW. Sorry I haven't dedicated something to you girls sooner. :P

Disclaimer: Own nothing. Duh.

We Are the Kings and Queens

"Helen!"

Nikola's boisterous shout snapped Helen's head up out of her arms. Looking round blearily for a few seconds, she finally focused on her longtime friend. He stood with one hand on his hip, the other tucked behind his back—which was odd. His usual smirk was in place, however, so she allowed her momentary panic to fade to irritation.

"I was sleeping, Nikola," she groaned. "For the first time in days. Have you not a shred of human decency in you?"

"I'm not much a fan of being human," Nikola retorted. "It's boring as hell."

Helen had to chuckle at that. Shaking her head, she glanced round at the spread-open books on the library table, struggling to remember just where she'd left off in her research on the Hollow Earth city. She became acutely aware that Nikola had not only remained in the room, but had stepped a bit closer.

Glancing up, she was amused to see that he seemed to be nervous. "Did you need something?"

"No, but you do." He strode over confidently and whisked his hand out from behind his back. "Merry Christmas, Helen."

At first she couldn't identify what he held. Then she perceived the shape, but couldn't understand it.

"A crown?" she questioned.

The design was so intricately twisted, she almost assumed it was fake at first. Then—at his silent insistence—she took it in her hands and the cool feeling of metal was unmistakable. For a long moment, she was stunned speechless. There were bits of larger metal, cut at fantastic angles, all woven through by wires of varying thickness. Somehow, rough and practical scrap had become a thing of beauty. The diamond nestled in the center helped to achieve that as well.

"Did you—?"

"With my own hands," Nikola answered before she could finish. "Granted, I hardly had to touch the thing; it was mostly a feat of the mind and my sixth sense for all things metallic. But the design is a Tesla original and I made it myself, yes."

"Whatever for?" Helen asked, sure her confusion was evident.

For the briefest of moments, insecurity flickered across Nikola's face. Then his cocky smirk was back in place. "For you to wear on your lovely head, my dear."

"And why in God's name would I wear a crown, Nikola?"

The smirk widened. "Young Wilhelm might have mentioned your fervent desire to be my queen."

Helen frowned, searching her memories for that incident and her own words came filtering back into her mind. What if he's the king of some mountain tribe and he wants me for his queen?Feeling an unwelcome flush of embarrassment and irritation, she stood, aiming to have a talk with a certain employee. Nikola smoothly sidestepped in front of her, one hand held out, but not touching her.

"Oh, don't blame the boy. I had to get him good and drunk before he started blabbing his boss's secret desires."

Helen sighed in exasperation. "Nikola, my only desire right now is to get some sleep."

He sidled a bit closer. "Are you sure there's nothing else?"

As she gawped at his forwardness and tried to engage her brain for a witty response, the crown suddenly flew from her fingertips to his hand. With grace that was inherent and not dependent on vampire blood, Nikola placed the crown on her head. Helen could feel the cool metal against her hot forehead as she looked into eyes so familiar a mere breath away.

For once, he was solemn. "I may have missed my chance to be king of all vampires, but know that you were always my first choice for queen."

Helen was ready with a retort this time. "Who was the second?"

"You."

"Third?"

"You, again. To save time, know that you're choice one through ten."

"And beyond that?"

Nikola's eyes flickered with something akin to vulnerability. "If you continue to reject me, the only other option is a life alone. I respect no other woman as I do you, Helen. No one else can match me. No one else can so…complete me and challenge me at the same time. I do love you, Helen."

"I know," she replied. "I saw the honesty in your eyes under Rome so long ago. But when you never spoke of it again—"

"I am now," he said, hurriedly. "Do you have a response in the same vein, or should I leave now and avoid even further humiliation?"

Smiling, Helen rested her hands on his shoulders before pushing them up to the back of his head, threading her fingers through the spiky strands there.

"How's this for the same vein?"

She pulled him close, slowly, and placed a single, long kiss on his lips. When she broke off, she was more than stunned to see the look of raw abandon on the usually cold genius's face. His voice was a husky breath when he spoke.

"Oh, Helen…"

Then their open mouths met and his arms slid about her middle, holding her molded against him as if he'd never let go again. Helen folded her arms behind his head, concentrating on the sensation and, at the same time, wondering how on earth she'd managed to keep from jumping this man in the century and a quarter that they'd known one another.

Nikola was the one to break away the second time and Helen couldn't help the noise of disappointment she released.

"Wait, wait, this is wrong," Nikola whispered between heavy breaths.

Breathing hard as well, Helen felt a sickening sensation. "What could possibly be wrong, Nikola?"

He kept the solemn frown in place for several long seconds before it broke into that wide grin. "Now I need a crown."

`fine