So I was just kidding about these not going in order. They likely will, mostly because it's easier for me and I've had a few requests for it to stay in order. I'm not as happy with this chapter, but it's something.
Enjoy!
002. engage - winter, 1889
Cheeks flushed and nose reddened from the cold, Helen crept around the side of Magnus manor, the place that had become her new home since her father had disappeared some time ago on his journey to Mecca, leaving his work in her capable hands. She trusted her father, and trusted that he knew what he was doing, so Helen tried to hide her concern and instead threw herself into his work and into her own work to distract herself. However, with James, Nigel, and Nikola spending the holidays with her on her insistence, work was mostly impossible. Instead she too was taking a break in order to spend the time with her friends.
Still, Nikola felt almost sorry for Helen at her father's sudden departure. Most of his efforts the past several days had been to keep her in a cheery mood. For the most part, it had worked, but every once in a while he caught her staring out the window rather solemnly. He hated seeing her in that sort of depression.
For now, however, he ws quite pleased that she was smiling and had been laughing moments ago. Now, she was his target.
He watched as she crept along the side of the house, toward the gardens, where he knew she thought him to be hiding. He'd really already looped back around the house and was now stalking her. Sometimes it really did pay to be a bloodthirsty vampire.
Smirking to himself, he continued to creep along behind her, steps making no noise in the snow in the ways that hers did, not to mention the way her dress rustled. Really, was she even trying to be sneaky? It made the game so much more unfair to her - but so much more fun for him.
Before she could get much further, she made her move. Wrapping his arms around her waist, he tackled her into the nearby snowbank despite her loud protests. He pinned her there easily enough, smirking as he hovered above her.
"Cheater." She accused, attempting to squirm out of his grasp. He kept her pinned, however, arching an eyebrow.
"How is it that I'm cheating?"
"Using your abilities!"
"Now, now. Just because you got an ability that isn't nearly as amazing as mine -." The rest of his words were cut off as Helen shoved a fistful of snow into his face. Using the distraction, she flipped them around so she was the one pinning him into the snow. Nikola's lips twitched, eyes narrowing for a moment.
"I assure you, I'm not jealous of your abilities one bit." She replied, smirking as she now held the upper hand. Or assumed she did. Nikola was content for a moment in letting her pin him to the snow. He was already formulating another plan; it was easy to overpower her, especially with his enhanced strength. He was momentarily distracted, however, when she bent her head to kiss him briefly.
"Now that's just playing dirty." Nikola accused now, flipping them again so Helen was the one lying in the snow. He didn't pin her long, however, and instead climbed to his feet and extended his hand to her. She grabbed it with a teasing glare and he pulled her to her feet.
"Come on. I have something to show you." He said suddenly and hooks his arm through hers. She arched a slender eyebrow, but said nothing. Nikola led her around the side of the house, making sure she didn't slip and fall on the ice that had formed during the night.
Around the front of the manor, Nikola smirked and Helen brightened considerably when she saw the sleigh that awaited her there, drawn by two white horses that nearly seemed to blend in with the snowy background. She studied it a long moment, taking in every detail before looking at Nikola.
"It's wonderful!"
"Good, because it's the only Christmas gift you're getting from me." He teased. She nudged him playfully in the side before she all but dragged him toward it, climbing into the sleigh. Blankets were there that he tossed over her - like he needed warmth as a vampire - before he snapped the reigns and propelled them forward.
"What's this all about, anyway?" Helen inquired suspiciously as they glided across the snow, across several of the open fields. Nikola glanced at her.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"This is a bit uncharacteristic for you, Nikola. Far too uncharacteristic, which makes me think you're up to something again." Helen eyed him suspiciously. He only smiled more brilliantly.
"It's Christmas Eve, Helen. Just relax and enjoy it. I wasn't kidding when I said this was your only Christmas gift." He replied. She laughed and shook her head at him.
"You're impossible."
"I try."
She nudged him in the arm before she finally settled, much to his pleasure. If only she knew. He did in fact have ulterior motives, and she would know them soon enough. For now, however, he was content in watching the gears in her head turn. He knew it bothered her to death when she didn't know what was going on, and he intended to make sure she stayed in the dark about things for a bit. He hid a smirk and snapped the reigns again to pick up their pace.
"Can I have a hint?" Came the question a few moments later.
"No."
"Please?"
Dammit he hated that tone. She used it when she wanted something and Nikola normally gave in. This time, however, he intended to fight it.
"No."
"Nikola!"
"Helen."
She huffed, folded her arms across her chest, and sank a bit further into the seat. Stewing now, it appeared, and upset he wouldn't tell her. Oh well. She'd be over it soon enough.
He guided the horses to a remote location that he'd known about for quite some time now - a pond at the edge of one of the snow covered fields that led into the countryside. There were homes just on the other side of the groves of trees, but the lake was still technically on the property of the Magnus manor, which put it as their own.
Helen gave him a quizzical look as he stepped out of the sleigh and extended a hand to help her down. Once she was safely on the ground, he grabbed the ice skates from beneath one of the seats, dangling them from one finger with a smirk. Helen's face lit up as she grabbed the white pair she recognized as her own skates. Without bothering to wait for Nikola, she stepped toward the ice covered pond and sat down on a fallen log to change her shoes. Nikola chuckled and followed.
Helen was on the ice before him. She moved semi-gracefully, mostly because she'd only been ice skating a few times since it had become popular. Even she managed to make falling look graceful, however, so all was forgiven. Nikola watched her move over the ice, gaining her balance, adjusting to the skating in the dress she wore. He had to imagine it was much harder for ladies to skate with their impossible layers.
Soon enough, however, she was moving around the pond with ease, skates cutting a path across the uneven ice. Nikola continued to watch her as he laced up his own skates. Skating had become quite popular, he had noted, and he had figured it would be something nice for Helen on Christmas Eve. They could have gone to one of the public places, but Nikola preferred the quiet and didn't feel like contending with the children that were likely to be around.
He joined her on the ice a few moments laters. The movements were a lot easier for him, mostly because he possessed the perfect balance of a vampire and could move across the ice with little movement at all. Helen glared in an envious way as he approached, catching her just before she threatened to fall down again. Arm safely hooked around his, Nikola guided her around the pond in laps.
"So a sleigh ride and ice skating. You must really want something." Helen mused, glancing up at him.
"I have no idea what you're talking about." He replied cautiously.
"Right. Let me guess. You've done something and you're doing this to soften the blow of telling me?" Helen continued, still smirking. Nikola rolled his eyes at her persistence.
"Nothing of the sort."
"What, then?"
"If you'd calm yourself, you might find out." He said as he pulled them to a stop. "You know I love you, right?"
A frown crossed Helen's face as she stared at him.
"You're leaving." She stated suddenly. He shook his head.
"Far from it, really." He murmured.
"Did you bring me out here to break up with me?"
"Are you going to keep assuming things or are you going to let me continue?" Nikola inquired. Helen opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but closed it a moment later into a thin-lipped look. He waited a moment to see if she was going to say anything else before he continued.
"Marry me."
This time her lips opened into slack-jawed shock, his words registering on her face. Disbelief followed shock.
"What?"
"I think it was a pretty simple statement - question, rather. I had a speech planned out but I'm afraid of attempting to get through it because you'd interrupt me. Simplicity is best, after all." He replied cheekily, withdrawing from his pocket the little box he had been carrying around for several days now for safe keeping.
He placed it in her gloved hand and watched as she opened it. He hated jewelery, but had made an exception for this particular ring, mostly because he have overseen it's manufacture to make sure no hands touched it without a layer of gloves between. It was silver, with a gathering of three (the only number he liked) diamonds. The band wasn't straight like most rings; instead it looked like a winding vine that, once worn, would give the appearance of wrapping around the finger.
"You're serious." Helen said. It was a statement, not a question, so Nikola merely nodded.
"My father -."
"Gave me his permission two days before he left." He smirked, always two steps ahead. Helen's gaze flickered up from the ring to look at him, almost as if she were waiting for him to suddenly laugh and say 'just kidding!'. While he would admit it would be like him to do so, Nikola was quite serious for this brief moment of time. In a few minutes it would likely be right back to his sarcastic and witty self.
"You've really thought of everything, then."
"And you're really stalling. It's a simple yes or no."
Helen studied him for a long moment before she tugged off her glove, removed the ring, and placed it on the appropriate finger. He took her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles, smirking. He twirled her into a bit of a dance across the ice.
"See? Was that so hard?"
"You could have told me."
"And ruin the surprise?" He inquired as she glided along beside him, pulling her gloves back on so her hands didn't go numb in the cold. Nikola grabbed her by the waist and they spun until they were in the center of the pond.
"I thought you loved surprises."
"Only sometimes."
"And this one?"
Helen shrugged and leaned up to kiss him.
"I'll let you know."