Author's Note: Inspired by a genius fanart by Kataoi on Deviantart, which kinda introduced me to the series! Set immediately/literally just after the credits roll for Sleepers, Season 2 so SPOILERS! Tesla, Helen, several bottles of wine and a new power to experiment with. Just a bit of silly fun, kinda Teslen, Kate cameo.
One shot, kinda drabble.
DISCLAIMER: Don't own them, don't make money from them, love them all, please don't sue.
Kate had been sneaking down to the larder for a midnight snack, and failing that, a midnight burger run. The whole Sanctuary was quiet, excepting the quiet hum of all Henry's gadgetry, and… down the corridor… it sounded like giggles. Really undignified, laughing-your-ass-off giggles.
"Oh, here we go!" another cackle, now sounding distinctly Magnus-like, and followed by indistinct, but definitely male mumbling.
She rounded the corner, noticing the lights were still on inside the office. Maybe Magnus and Will were kicking back with a night-cap, sharing yet more infuriating war stories, and here she was, missing all the fun!
"I haven't seen you this plastered since… since…" Helen paused, with a huge grin, "Kate!"
"Vlad!" It was the surprise, and the sudden reeling of what, potentially, she could have interrupted: Magnus and Big-Foot, safe territory, Will and Magnus, same again, Henry – never in a million years, but Tesla? Jury was still out on that one, and everyone seemed to have a theory. So it was a second before she realised what she'd called him, and in the meantime his expression had gone from menacing, to depressed, to unimpressed in seconds; still flashing his teeth as if he had fangs.
"Sorry." She offered wincingly, "I…"
"Just decided to gate-crash our late-night party." He said dryly, slumping back into a chair, and reaching for his glass.
"Well, the lights were all on and-"
"Oh it's ok Kate, Niki's just giving a demonstration of his new-found abilities."
"A private demonstration." He said leeringly. All for Magnus' benefit, naturally, though she didn't react to it with anything but a friendly, playful push.
"Er… right. I don't know what's worse, the flirting or the drunkenness. I'm just gonna… go." She hiked a thumb back in the direction of the door.
"No, stay!" Helen insisted a little too enthusiastically, "Come join us."
The ex-vampire rolled his eyes in exasperation.
"I'm… ok. Thanks. Enjoy your… wine."
Kate scuttled out so quick she didn't even close the door properly.
"Aw, look what you've done Tesla!" she moaned.
"Oh come on, one minute I'm Niki, now Tesla, I feel demoted."
She laughed a little evilly at his childish pout, "Hmm, from where?"
"Cruel Helen, very cruel," but of course he was still smiling.
"Aw... poor Niki," she handed him a freshly topped up glass, "Here you go."
He eyed it with mock suspicion. "What have you done to it?" he asked before promptly gulping it down.
"I know!" Helen exclaimed suddenly, even extending a finger into the air like an exclamation mark, "We should find the paper clips."
Tesla paused from another particularly long draught, "Wait, what?"
Too late, she was already stumbling over to the desk, digging around in the draws.
"Helen Magnus," he sidled up behind her, enjoying the view of her backside a little too much, "what are you planning to do with the-" then it sunk in.
She turned around, brandishing a plastic jar of tiny metal paper clips.
"Oh no you don't." he jumped back, nearly squealing, Helen pursuing him like kids with worms on the playground. They ran around the room, Helen occasionally throwing handfuls of the paperclips at him, before one of the glasses over turned and she tackled him to the ground, drunkenly laughing her head off. Hovering the open container inches above his face, the other paperclips promptly flew towards him, wherever they'd landed, attaching themselves everywhere.
"Damn it! Trust you not to buy plastic ones." He tried to overcome the arm pressed across his chest and holding him down, but struggled… it had been a long time since he'd been this weak. Even before his vampire powers he was at least able to lift heavy slab of metal for his projects, now he'd have to… exercise. The disdain at this train of thought made its way onto his face. Still, on the positive side, at least he was stuck underneath her. Why was he even trying to escape? Oh right, the paper clips. "Helen." He warned.
She stopped, grin a mile-long and more than slightly maniacal, and promptly got off of him, with the paper clips in tow.
"Well I didn't say you had to get off of me." He pinned.
"The clips and me, we're a package… you get one, get the other."
"Damn."
She smiled, and at the sight of it he allowed himself one of those painful moments of longing, before standing up and brushing himself down. Surprisingly the clips came off, and stayed off, littering the floor like discarded wires.
"Hmm." He looked thoughtfully, drawing Magnus' attention even as she had her nose half-way down the last remaining wine glass.
"Interesting." She watched him, both their foggy minds a-whirring at what they'd just observed.
"I get the feeling this is going to be like… the electricity," he sighed.
"You mean it reacts to a strong emotional trigger in its basic state." She slurred the words but they both seemed surprised when she managed to get it out.
"No, I mean painfully embarrassing before I can work out a way to control it." He half-joked, moving his hands to his hips. Suddenly the clips started shifting on the floor, following his path as he meandered back to the seating and rescued the glass.
"If last time is… anything to go by... it won't take you long." She cheered, sobering up slightly as he dejectedly angled for the now empty bottle.
"Whatever were you thinking, sacrificing such a fine vintage for a little rough and tumble?" he idly threw the bottle up and down in his hands, catching it twice before it slipped out of his grasp. Automatically he began to pick it up again, his expression transformed by a positive notion. "Hey, let's go get another."
As he strode towards the door, passing her, she pressed a hand gently to his chest. He stopped. His heart suddenly leaping.
"I don't think that's a good idea, do you?" she was, after all, literally swaying whilst she spoke.
He smiled, also swaying, eyes a little out of focus – which ruined the effect somewhat, "Oh, you know I do."
She chuckled, her smile a little sad. "Despite the three empty bottles? Think of your liver Nikola – it's not had this much of a… shock for over a century! Besides… it's getting late."
She regretted it the instant she said it. It sounded far too much like a come on, and he knew it did.
"You know what I mean," She insisted.
"Well, I'm sure that I do."
She scoffed, "Good night Nikola."
He felt lower somehow, the minute she turned away.
"And don't you dare empty my cellar or I won't be the one pumping out your stomach when you've given yourself alcohol poisoning!" she called behind her, carefully putting one foot in front of the other and making a beeline for asprin and some cold, cold water before bed.