A glass of champagne appeared before her when Nikola surfaced from the press of people surrounding the bar. It was first intermission and everyone was greeting the friends they hadn't seen yet and reuniting with those they are parted with before the show had begun.
They sipped their drinks, chatting about the performance so far, the story of Siegfried and Odette as they people-watched. Well, Nikola people-watched, finding a lot of poor examples of menswear. Helen was eyeing her dear vampire.
"I know what you are doing, you know." she said.
"Hmm?" He turned back to her.
"The gifts, the outings. I know what you're about."
"Figured it all out, have you?" he asked. Helen nodded. "So you knew I'd bring you to the ballet tonight?"
Well… "No," she had to admit.
The showing of Swan Lake had been unexpected, even after he had surprised her by telling her to dress for the theater. It had been an age since they had attended the ballet together.
Nikola preferred to keep up with the fads of modern entertainment as they changed. (he had been gleefully obsessed with 3D movies when they peaked, dragging Helen to some truly terrible films before she thought to beg off by claiming the glasses gave her migraines.)
"We both know you never foresaw the business with the egg." he said. She narrowed her eyes a bit at that. Nikola couldn't resist teasing her. "So you must have figured it out very recently. Its a shame to have the surprise spoiled but i knew it wouldn't take you long. Tell me, what do I have planned next then?"
His expression was the picture of innocent curiosity in the face of Helen's scowl. He grinned because he had her. She didn't have an answer for that one. It was typical of their relationship, really. Helen could always sense when Nikola was up to something, but Nikola was too smart to make is easy for her to figure out what. He was such a puzzle sometimes and that's what made him so interesting.
She had figured out the theme behind his little gifts and schemes. At least in a broad sense. But everything was so uniquely… Nikola, that she rather doubted anyone else knew him well enough to figure it out. And she found she didn't want anyone else to. Why she liked being the only person with a special understanding of this singular man, she couldn't say. Or at least, she wasn't ready to admit why. She'd spent a century learning him and had never once grown bored with it. She wasn't about to stop now just as the puzzle of Nikola Tesla grew more complex with his bizarre recent behavior.
AN - Seven swans a swimming (or rather dancing) - in a roundabout way, because there's way too many birds in this song and i wasn't feeling otherwise inspired.