Chapter 7 – Small Kisses Part Two
Helen was amazed at the box seats Nikola had managed to get them, more so the fact of how he got them, box seats were not cheap, but instead of ruining a perfect evening with a useless question, she held his hand and watched the performance in complete awe.
She had loved Shakespeare on paper, but she loved it even more on stage, the timeless language being brought to life, it was breathtaking, and she kept a firm grip on Nikola's hands, for fear she might get lost in the magic of Shakespeare's words.
He had spent the whole performance looking at her, watching her eyes brighten with ever passing moment; the shear joy of the experience, it was more amazing, more breathtaking than any actor could muster.
He was captivated.
The moment she had grasped his hand his eyes remained fixed on her, and she had not let go, but he did not care, despite his compulsive tendencies he always loved her touches; her kisses.
Nikola had never liked being touched, even when he was a boy he disliked the sensation of being touched; he had made it adamant to be meticulously clean from the moment he could walk. He wasn't germaphobic, per say, he just didn't like the feeling of being unclean, that's why he chose swimming laps as a work out method; why he methodically wiped his hands one finger at a time after shaking someone's hand, and also why he despised handsy girls.
But with Helen, it was all forgotten, 20 years of impulses suddenly gone.
His handkerchief was left forgotten in his left breast pocket as she held his hand through the course of the evening.
When the play had ended she finally released his hand to applaud the marvelous cast of actors with the rest of the crowd, Nikola stood up along with her clapping absently. He had not seen a moment of the play from start to finish, but he was sad it was over.
Helen turned to him when the cast disappeared from the stage and the crowd of people began filing out back to their carriages.
"Wasn't that marvelous? It was brilliant, their depiction, everything!" Helen chattered excitedly, Nikola just smiled, not his usual annoyingly charming smile, a soft smile; ones he reserves just for Helen.
He offered her his arm and she took it happily. They walked back out to the array of carriages.
"So where are we off to now?" she slid into the seat effortlessly, pulling him in beside her.
"Well, it's a beautiful night, and you have a lovely garden," Nikola started and Helen's smile got bigger.
"What are you thinking?" she pondered, wiggling her eyebrows at him.
"Bottle of wine under the stars?" he looked at her and she nodded.
"Why not?" she laughed, once again taking his hand in hers.
They reached her fathers estate and the carriage barely had time to stop before Helen was trying to jump out of it.
They ran inside as if the ground were hot coals and she ran up the stairs to grab a blanket while he snuck down to the wine cellar.
They met back at the garden gate, sneaking into the beautiful moonlight garden. It was well kept, and the summer flowers were in bloom. The night was warm, and there was a slight breeze making the trees sway lightly.
There was a big old tree in the corner, its drooping branches hung low, making a small little nook; this was their spot.
They laid down the blanket and lied on their backs staring at the star-filled sky.
"We should've brought a lantern," mumbled Nikola suddenly.
"I think it's much nicer without one," Helen giggled, her shoulder just slightly rubbed against his.
"Yes, but how are we going to find our way back, I don't know about you but I haven't quite grown into my night vision," Nikola teased and Helen's hand found his again.
"This is perfect," Helen sighed, changing the subject.
"It is," Nikola agreed, turning his head took look at her. Her eyes were a lit by the moon, and she had let the pins out of her hair, the blonde curls fell around her face beautifully, he always preferred her hair down.
He resisted the urge to run his hands through the sea of blonde locks, that kind of action would be wholly inappropriate.
"Thank you Nikola, it was a truly wonderful birthday," she looked over to meet his eyes.
"It was nothing, I just wanted you to have fun," he looked away and up at the beautiful moon, shining down on them.
"And I did, it was exactly what I wanted," she smiled softly at him.
"Then you're welcome," he sat up and reached over the wine bottle he had brought. "Oh, dear."
Helen sat up as well and looked over.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"In my haste I forgot to get glasses, we have a perfectly good bottle of marlot and no way to drink it," he laughed slightly at himself.
"Open it, it's just the two of us, we'll drink from the bottle!" she exclaimed and he smiled.
"Doesn't that conflict with your english sensibilities," he teased.
"Just open it," she glared at him and he obliged opening the bottle expertly.
She took the bottle from him and took a long draught from it.
She giggled slightly and handed him the bottle to do the same.
"I never thought I would see the day when the elegant Helen Magnus would drink wine from a bottle like a London trollup," he joked and drank from the bottle just as she did.
"It's my birthday, I'm allowed," she bit back playfully, stealing the bottle from him before he can take another sip from it.
"So you're telling me I'm supposed to expect this behavior every August," he chuckled.
"Do you intend to spend every birthday with me?" she joked, chugging a bit more from the bottle.
Alcohol definitely was not her poison.
"Yes," he said sincerely, looking at her, "Or at least, I very much hope to."
"Do you fancy me then?" she blurted slightly inebriated by the amount of wine she had consumed already.
Nikola didn't answer, unsure if he heard her right.
Helen instantly let it go and handed him the bottle.
She stood up and started to strip off the many layers she was wearing, she was out of them remarkably fast that Nikola nearly choked on the wine when he saw her in only a few layers.
"That's better, I seriously doubt the person who made that thing actually wore it, or she wouldn't have made such a ghastly uncomfortable item," Nikola gulped at the sight of her in nothing but a few layers of cotton fabric, twirling in the moonlight.
"Helen, I think you've had a bit too much," he chuckled nervously, wishing his eyes to stop gazing at her.
"It's just you and me Nikola, no ones going to see," she laughed and skipped over snatching the bottle from him. "No one can bear witness to the trouble we make."
Nikola got up and took the bottle from her hands.
"And that's enough for you, I think next time we'll just stick to tea and cakes," he teased.
"Spoil sport," she giggled and stole the bottle, running through the gardens in her bare feet. Nikola sighed and chased after her.
He turned a corner in the maze and she caught him by the waist, like he had done to her in the library earlier.
"Got you," she giggled.
She started unbuttoning his jacket pushing the heavy material off his shoulder.
"Helen, what are you doing?" he asked, tensing slightly at the abrupt action.
"You are horribly over dressed for this occasion Nikola," she smiled dropping his jacket on the ground and unbuttoning his vest.
"I think I'm dressed fine enough, thank you," Nikola mumbled uncomfortably.
She released the last button of his vest and looked up at him.
"There," she took his vest by the sides and tugged her to him in a light, slightly drunken kiss.
His eyes widened in shock when his lips collided with hers in the brief but breathtaking kiss.
Before his brain could comprehend the event, Helen took his hand and dragged him out of the maze, back to the blanket
She twirled him making him lose his footing landing on the grass near the blanket and she landed on him in a fit of giggles.
Nikola became hyper-aware of their position.
"My Helen, you're awfully forward," he managed to choke out in his dizzy haze, kind of wishing he had the bottle now.
"It's the wine," she said, resting her head on his chest, her hand trailing to his neck and resting there, Nikola kept rigid like a floorboard, unsure of what to do.
"I don't doubt it," he smirked slightly.
She giggled and rolled him over so he was atop her, a very compromised position to say the least, if her father were to come out and see this he would have them chastised, she in her under things, him with his hair all messed, she drunk and free as a jailbird.
Nikola's eyes trailed down to her lips, gazing at them, they were highlighted by the moonlight, everywhere she turned, it seemed the moonlight hit her perfectly.
She rested her hands on his sides.
"Are you going to kiss me?" she whispered, only loud enough so that he could hear.
"I would be lying if I said I wasn't thinking about it," he said, looking into her beautiful blue eyes.
"Then do it," she said, not challenging him or daring him, just opening the door for him to share in something they both secretly wanted.
He wordlessly leaned in and placed a light kiss to her lips, it was sweet and tender, almost hesitant, as if afraid that any moment he would wake up and he'd be alone.
She kissed him back, just as gently. A sweet, simple kiss, but it meant a whole lot more to them than a dozen big kisses, even harlots got strong passionate kisses, but this kiss was perfect. A perfect small kiss.
Nikola's hand trailed down her side deftly, outlining the shape of her curve, while Helen's hands gently cupped his face.
They kiss was broken by a tiny acorn landing squarely on Nikola's head, making Helen erupt into a fit of giggles.
Nikola rolled off her and rubbed the spot on his head where the nut had landed.
"Apparently you have some very conservative squirrels," he mumbled and Helen sighed snuggling in beside him.
"They're probably working for y father," she joked, her eyes slipping closed. In less than a minute she had fallen asleep next Nikola, her head pinning his arm down.
Nikola smiled at how peacefully she slept, and she stroked back some of her blonde curls and placed a small kiss on the side of her cheek.
"Goodnight Helen," he whispered, he reached over with his free arm and covered them with the blanket. He nestled his head amongst her hair and sighed deeply letting sleep over take him.
The next morning Helen found herself, lying half-naked in the arms of her best friend, who was still sound asleep.
A smile adorned her face and she snuggled in closer, a slightly foggy memory of last night in her head.
She was pulled out of this comfortable place by a cough and she sprung out of his arms, causing him to jolt awake too, his cowlick sticking up.
Helen held the blanket close as her eyes came across the one man she feared would be there.
"Helen?" Gregory Magnus stood examining the scene before him. He had come out for a brisk early morning stroll, only to find his one and only daughter, his pride and joy, lying precariously in her under garments with a man.
He knew his daughter well enough to know she would tell him the truth, his daughter had brought a wealth of bizarre circumstances into his life and had learned long ago not to jump to conclusions, especially with Helen and her Mr. Tesla.
What might look scandalous to most people, usually ended up being terribly innocent with them, nevertheless he stood there, eyeing them sternly.
Nikola snapped into alert mode seeing Gregory Magnus standing in front of them.
"Ahh," he shifted away from Helen quickly, "This isn't what it looks like, sir."
"I sure hope it doesn't," said Gregory, a hint of humor in his voice, only detectable to Helen. "Otherwise I'd have to pull out my rifle."
Nikola gulped nervously, looking over at Helen.
"It's nothing, just the affects of wine and good spirits, father, Nikola was a perfect gentleman, I assure you," she wrapped the blanket around herself.
Dr. Magnus studied them carefully before sighing.
"You two are a heap of trouble," he shook his head and strode away leaving Helen and Nikola to clean up the mess they had made.
Helen laughed.
"That's the last time I drink a whole bottle of wine on my birthday," she covered her face to hide a small blush.
"Agreed, you plus wine, plus fresh night air, not a good idea," he teased and Helen smoothed down the wild cowlick at the top of his head.
"I didn't do anything too embarrassing did I?" she asked shyly.
"Well you tried to take my clothes off, but that failed so you resorted to dancing in your bare feet until you collapsed, on me, falling dead asleep so that I couldn't move myself to a less scandalous position," Helen giggled and got up, collecting her abandoned dress.
"You were a gentleman, right?" she teased.
"Helen, I am nothing if not a gentleman," she giggled and headed to house while Nikola went off in search of his jacket.
She obviously didn't remember the kiss, and he saw it fit not to bring it up, it was just a kiss caused by alcohol and adrenaline, nothing more.
Just a small kiss…that she'll never remember.
~~~~Author's Notes~~~~
A sweet little moment for them, I had to get Helen drunk to do it, but I kind of played it that she is, at least slightly aware of it. Both of them are too stubborn to admit they're feelings for each other, I know, soo very Jane Austen, but hey, Jane's men were usually socially awkward secret romantics like Nikola, and Helen does have a Pride and Prejudice feel to her.
Anyway, I hope this chapter makes sense, cause I am totally sleep deprived at this point. I really wanted to write a moment like this for them, because Nikola had to have more of a reason to love her endlessly for over a century, I think this colors it quite nicely.
Read and Review :)
