This is a bit of a special chapter. You all know by now this is an overhaul of a pre-existing story. And while this chapter is mostly brand new, I left one core scene at the very end - the dancing. Especially to "I'll Be" by Edwin McCain. I'm heavily critical of my old pieces of writing but that one's achieved diplomatic immunity to me.
"Mike and Kyle" are an inside joke with myself. "Daytona" is an inside joke with Vampire Mountain Discord. Mika doesn't think our jokes are funny.
Chapter 23: Vampires On Vacation
THREE MONTHS LATER
The flit was smooth. The weather was perfect. As was the expansive resort town nestled in the mountains. The same mountain range that (very, very distantly) was home to Vampire Mountain. It was midnight when they checked into the most luxurious hotel in the town. Only the wealthiest humans stayed in places like this. Mostly a mix of ski enthusiasts and businesspeople. As vampires went, Kurda was far from a traditionalist. But this was excessive even by his standards.
"Yes, we accept cash payment. What names would you like the rooms registered under?" The receptionist inquired while typing on her keyboard.
Mika must've been tired from the flit because he hesitated for a moment.
"Mike and Kyle." Kurda supplied.
"Alright." Said the receptionist as she wrote that down. "Got a last name, Mike and Kyle?"
There was a stack of promotional pamphlets for some airline on the desk next to where Kurda was leaning. One-way flights to Daytona, starting at $399!
"Daytona." Said Kurda decisively. "Mike and Kyle Daytona."
"Here's your key."
Off they went.
"Mike and Kyle Daytona? Seriously?" Mika grunted as he dropped the bags on a golden luggage trolley.
"What? You're the one who said you never use your real name while you're travelling."
"We've been here five minutes and I'm already tired of Kyle."
"He's never been wild about you either, Mike."
But the jabs were undercut with soft chuckles because even though they were tired and grumpy after the trek, this was nice.
Kurda carried Gracie in his arms while Mika pushed the trolley down the plush carpeted hallway towards their room. They'd spent a few weeks priming her for this, explaining that the world was far bigger than the mountain they called home. She kind of already knew that from her many storybooks. But it was about to become real and they were hoping to avoid major psychological overstimulation by giving her some ideas of what she could expect to see on her first grand adventure. (The first one she'd remember, anyway).
They didn't know why they'd been so worried. She took it all in stride because she's the world's coolest baby. She even played peek-a-boo with a security guard while they waited to check in. Then again, she always did that with the guards at home so that part was hardly outside her usual routine.
Their room was at the far end of the long hallway, a corner suite. They arrived at the door and the moment of truth was upon them. Kurda held the plastic card key against the automatic reader, waited for the soft beep, and finally turned the handle.
"Wow." Said Kurda.
"Fuck." Said Mika. (Kurda elbowed him in the ribs).
"Pretty!" Said Gracie.
The room was massive. It was probably close to the same size as Mika's three-cavern suite back in Vampire Mountain, but seemed far larger because it wasn't divided into multiple sections as his was. It was equipped with two king-size beds with ornately carved oak headboards — one for both Mika and Kurda. And a massive couch for Gracie to sleep on.
There was a marble-countered kitchenette that looked like it had never been used. (And no wonder — if you could afford to stay here, you could probably afford to go to the town's collection of boutique restaurants for every meal). The bathroom was enormous and just as lavish as the rest, complete with a tub that looked more like a small pool. It was carved from the same glittering white marble as the kitchenette.
Gracie began to explore. Mika wandered over to the wooden balcony overlooking a glorious mountainside view. He stood in front of the sliding glass door for a moment. He almost seemed to exhale in relief as he took it all in.
After a moment he glanced back over his shoulder at Kurda. "You know, this window faces straight towards Vampire Mountain. We'd have a clear view of it if not for all the other mountains."
"Thank you for telling me. My sense of direction and multiple decades of cartography experience would've never put that together." Kurda replied sardonically. But he grinned, and Mika managed a thin smile too.
Kurda didn't even bother suggesting Gracie unpack her little travel bag. She was having so much fun jumping from bed to bed it would've been cruel to interrupt her. He flopped down on one of the beds and let out a long sigh of contentment. It felt like a cloud and he could've fallen asleep right there. They'd already decided they'd adjust their sleep schedules to be awake during the day to make the experience as human-normal for Gracie as possible. As long as they covered up while outside and didn't stand around for too long, the wintry climate would keep them safe from serious burns.
"I'm showering first." Mika informed him decisively, as if he felt he was making some sort of point.
Kurda shrugged. "That's fine. Have at it."
While Mika did that, Kurda did his best impression of a human parent by parking his exuberant toddler in front of the television so he could unpack the suitcases and get the room organized in peace. Of course, Kurda wouldn't have been that type of parent (so he told himself) if screens were readily available in Gracie's daily life. But they weren't. And the point of this was to give her a taste of what was normal in the world she'd one day integrate into.
One thing hadn't changed since the first night they spent with her in that motel. She was still a big fan of The Wiggles.
"What do you think, Honey Bee?" Said Kurda as he sat down beside her once he'd finished unpacking. She was snuggled up in the heap of pillows by the headboard, television remote in one hand, complimentary plastic water bottle in the other. Both beds came with a satin sleep mask; Gracie was now wearing it around her forehead like a crown. She looked like a seasoned first-class traveller.
"I'm hungry, Daddy."
"Me too. Don't worry, we're going to fix that."
Kurda reached over to the nightstand to grab the room service menu. Luckily (or unfortunately) it had pictures. Kurda had to stifle a chuckle at the way Gracie's jaw dropped as she flipped through the glossy pages. She hadn't batted an eye in the revolving glass doors, or the brightly-lit lobby, or the elevator. It was the photos of food that really got her going. She eagerly pointed at the items she wanted: a whole lobster, a full rack of ribs, a basket of tempura shrimp, a chicken tender platter, the Greek salad, a triple-stacked Waygu burger, and a pitcher of strawberry daiquiri.
"So one of everything, then?" Said Kurda.
"Yeah!"
"Let's start with the chicken tenders and see how we're feeling after that."
It was a monumental night for a lot of reasons. The most unexpected being that it was the first time Kurda saw Mika wearing a colour other than black. Honestly, for a second he thought a stranger had broken into the room. But it was just Mika swaddled in a luxurious white robe as he emerged from the bathroom, raven hair still damp from the shower. He'd cut it prior to their departure. Got Kurda to inspect the back and everything. He always kept his hair shorter and tidier than the average vampire, but even more so for this particular mission. Now he looked every bit as polished as the CEOs and trust fund snowboard kings that roamed the halls of places like this. Know your audience and whatnot.
His eagle eyes narrowed as he watched Kurda watch him. "What are you looking at?"
"Nothing at all. That's just a lot of colour for you. My eyes need a minute to adjust." Said Kurda frankly, struggling to keep a straight face.
Mika rolled his eyes and approached like he was going to sit on Gracie's other side, but she shot him an eviscerating glare and he paused.
Gracie and Mika weren't currently speaking. Or more accurately Gracie wasn't speaking to Mika. He'd been in the wrong place at the wrong time yesterday, i.e. when she showed him the tiny travel bag she'd packed for Lovely the tarantula and he had to be the one to tell her tarantulas don't take vacations. The news was poorly received.
"I like your hat." Mika offered, referring to the sleep mask. "What do you think of room? It's nice, isn't it?"
She looked him in the eye and deadpanned, "I miss Lovely."
Mika conceded defeat and went to sit alone on the other bed.
"Cheer up, Sunshine. We're about to order supper." Said Kurda as he tossed the menu over to Mika who perused it for a minute before declaring,
"Chicken tenders and curly fries."
"Yeah, I'm ordering that for Gracie. I mean what do you, the grown adult man, want to eat?"
"Chicken tenders and curly fries."
"You've got to be kidding me. You could have a triple-A steak or the fresh-caught King Crab or literally anything in between. And that's what you're going with?"
"The crab looks good." Said Mika, completely unbothered. "Maybe I'll try that tomorrow. But tonight I want chicken tenders and curly fries."
Kurda shrugged and dialled the room service number on the menu to request an extravagant caviar dish for himself, two platters of chicken tenders and curly fries, two bottles of locally-brewed IPA, and a virgin strawberry daiquiri.
Kurda can't help but make certain observations while stumbling through life parallel to Mika. One of them is that Mika's been a lot of places and done a lot of things. And while he appreciates quality, he's not picky. He'll try anything once. He's eaten a thousand dollar steak and sampled the wine to match. He also thinks chicken tenders are fancy. Because sometimes it's just not about monetary value.
What's even fancier is when he cuts up Gracie's tenders with his priceless sixteenth century dagger. It's all about perspective.
"Cheers?" Mika ventured, holding out his bottle of IPA as Gracie slurped her boozeless strawberry slush.
She considered him for a moment before nudging his bottle with her cup and responding with a patronizing, "Cheers."
"Cheers." Kurda added more earnestly, reaching over to clink Mika's bottle before they both took their first sip of the IPA.
Mika swirled it around his mouth, like he was some kind of sommelier, and finally swallowed. His brow furrowed in concern as he held the bottle up to scrutinize the label. "Kurda, I think you confused them by asking for the virgin daiquiri. They also gave me a virgin beer."
Kurda scoffed at him. "It's a normal beer, idiot! You're used to vampire ale. Gods, you need to get out of the mountain more often."
"It tastes like juice."
"I like it."
"No wonder. I'd better make sure they didn't give her my alcohol by mistake." Mika picked up Gracie's cup and took a sip. "Nope. We're good. And next time we order her one of these, I'm getting one too. They can put her shot in mine to make it a double."
They went to bed shortly after supper. The adventure would truly begin tomorrow when they went exploring. Once Gracie was tucked under her familiar blankey on the couch, Mika and Kurda each retired to their separate beds.
It took Mika hours to fall asleep. The meeting with the Sentinel Collective was a full week away and he was already on edge. As if he's ever off edge. Had he not been worn out from the flit, he might not have fallen asleep at all. But once finally drifted off it was one of the deepest, longest slumbers he'd ever had.
And when he woke up, the mysterious human organization was the last thing on his mind.
Before he even opened his eyes he heard Gracie laughing in a way that made him suspicious. A few seconds later he felt the bed shift as she jumped up and down somewhere near his feet. He heard Kurda laugh, "Get him, Gracie!" and a moment later she flopped down into the pillows mere inches from his face. It was only then that Mika opened his eyes a crack, and she was right there. Staring back at him out of those luminous blues, with rapt attention as though she already had his whole day planned out.
"Up." Said Gracie, so pointedly it bordered on stern.
"Five more minutes." Mika mumbled. Gracie giggled as though he was being ridiculous, but curled up beside Mika with her head on his shoulder like a pillow and did in fact grant him five extra minutes.
But she seemed to have an internal clock that knew exactly when five minutes were up (or Kurda told her) because she reassumed jumping on the bed. This time right next to Mika's head. And he didn't need a concussion this week so he took that as his cue to sit up.
Gracie wasn't the only one primed and ready to start the day. Kurda was sitting on the other bed across from Mika, wearing a teal hoodie with the resort logo he definitely didn't have before today.
"Good morning, Sunshine." Said Kurda with a mischievous smirk that never boded well. "We were about to head down to the heated indoor swimming pool without you."
"We don't have any -"
"We do now. Gracie and I made a trip down to the gift shop in the lobby while you were getting your beauty sleep. I bought water wings, goggles, and a suit for her. And trunks for each of us." Kurda tossed a plastic bag to Mika. He opened it to assess the damage. His new trunks were black, but you could barely tell because they were also patterned with neon pink flamingos.
Mika winced, and Kurda added very pointedly,
"Gracie picked those out for you."
"…I love them."
So it began.
Gracie couldn't believe her eyes when she saw the indoor pool. They'd described it to her as "a really big bathtub" but clearly they hadn't done it justice. She's never gone swimming in the icy waters of Perta Vin-Grahl (duh) and her bathtub is too shallow for treading.
Sidebar: if you've ever wondered how you bathe a toddler in Vampire Mountain without killing them from hypothermia, the answer is quite simple and Kurda is proud to have been the innovator behind it. He drew the blueprints and Seba oversaw the production stage. Gracie's bathtub back home is simply a large metal trough mounted on a four-legged wooden frame that sits in the corner of her room. The water is heated in a pot that hangs in the fireplace, transported into the trough, then triple-tested for temperature. Once it's warm-not-hot, just deposit the kid, add some soap, and don't forget the wooden ducky.
Side-sidebar: Mika secretly wants an adult-sized tub for himself but A) doesn't know how to tackle on a building project of that caliber and B) refuses to outsource the labour because that would mean admitting he longs for a warm bath every now and then. Quite a pickle he's found himself in.
The pool was almost completely empty when they arrived, so they scoped out a pair of deck chairs to deposit their towels. Kurda helped Gracie put on her water wings and goggles. Then he held her hand and they waded into the shallow end.
Mika hung back for a moment, still wrapped up in the bathrobe from the room. He felt a thousand times more exposed in the flamingo trunks than he ever did walking around the shower caves butt naked. (The thing about Vampire Mountain is that everybody already knows what each others' junk looks like. It's not that people generally make a point of observing, but there are no secrets in the Hall of Perta Vin-Grahl).
But here and now, the layer of white terry cloth was the only thing standing between his dignity and the rest of the world.
Kurda glanced over his shoulder and rolled his eyes. "Take off the robe and get in the water."
"I'm self-conscious about my body." Mika deadpanned. He knew Kurda wouldn't buy it; Kurda immediately shot him a withering stare. But it was worth a try.
"I've lost track of how many times I've seen you stand up in the middle of breakfast and remove your shirt to show off a sports injury to someone who didn't ask. I wish you were self-conscious about your body." Said Kurda.
"Fine."
And it was, in fact, fine. Better, even. The moment his feet touched the water was the first time in three months Mika forgot about the meeting that was looming up on him.
The three of them spent a long time playing in the shallowest end of the pool where Gracie could touch the bottom with room to spare. Eventually she pointed towards the deeper end, indicating she was ready to level up.
Mika picked her up and walked out to the middle area of the pool where the water came up to his waist. It was too deep to set her loose, but she enjoyed making splashes with her feet as Mika held her just above the surface. He could've spent all day standing in that one spot. But as always, Gracie had her own agenda.
After a few minutes of kicking the water, she looked up at Mika with serious eyes. "Daddy, put me down."
"Alright. Hang on." Mika started back towards the shallow end. But Gracie shook her head and pointed directly downwards. "Not that water. This water."
"It's all the same water, honey. But this side is too deep for you. Your feet won't be able to reach the bottom. You'll sink. And ruin my vacation." Mika replied firmly. "So I can hold you here, or I can put you down over there. You have to pick one."
Usually the multiple choice approach is a near-foolproof way to bypass the big feelings that almost-three-year-olds are so inclined to express when their desired outcome isn't an option. But Mika was already on thin ice after barring Lovely from the family vacation. So Gracie had some loud and (un)constructive criticism she wanted to share with him.
But luckily Kurda wasn't far. He's never far. Somehow he's always exactly where he needs to be. He floated over on a pool noodle and seamlessly whisked Gracie away to distract her with a beach ball in the shallow end.
Mika exited the pool, put his bathrobe back on and made his way down to the cafe in the lobby. It felt a little funny to be out in semi-public wearing a robe but he wasn't the only one. The rules of proper attire seemed to get blurry in places like this. It was bathrobes and business suits as far as the eye could see, and neither party was fazed by the other. It reminded him strangely of Vampire Mountain. When you take hundreds of people, born throughout multiple decades over multiple centuries, there's no such thing as social norms of what to wear. Mika himself is partial to modern minimalism these days: black jeans, black tee, and the signature leather jacket to tie it all together. But he's got a healthy collection of last century's cloaks hanging in his closet too. For when he's feeling extra.
He returned to the pool area with an iced coffee for himself, a green tea for Kurda, and a chocolate milk for Gracie. She wasn't ready to get out of the pool so she occupied herself in the shallow area. Kurda sighed contentedly as he sank down onto the lounge chair next to Mika's and took a sip of his tea. Then he looked over at Mika with a bemused little smile.
"Aw, Mika! You remembered the kind I like."
"Don't take it personally. I'm very smart."
Kurda rolled his eyes but chuckled affectionately as he reached over to swat Mika's leg. But his amusement was short-lived.
"Grace Arra Smahlt-Ver Leth, don't you take one step further." Kurda didn't exactly yell but he did warn her quite sternly as she eyed the spot at the bottom of the pool where the shallow end began to deepen. Kurda had given her clear instructions before stepping away: if you don't stay behind this line, no more pool for the rest of the week. She shot him a pouty look, but obeyed.
Mika raised an eyebrow. "Don't you mean Grace Arra Daytona?"
"Shut up, Mike."
"In all seriousness we probably should teach her to swim while we're here." Mika remarked. "Better to get that done sooner than later in life. And better here than at home."
Kurda mulled that over for a moment or two, pressing his tongue into the inside of his lips as he always does when deep in thought. Sometimes his nose even does a little wrinkle thing — ah, there it is now.
"I feel like three is really young." He replied. "But you're right. Much better here than back in the mountain."
"Yeah. Who knows when we'll end up somewhere like this again." Said Mika as he watched Gracie chase her beach ball around. Not a single care in her little world.
"I remember when my dad taught me to swim." Kurda reminisced, smiling fondly between sips of tea. "He only got one day off work a month if he was lucky. And he used it to take me and two of my sisters down to the river. The rest were too little. But the three of us had so much fun that day. In hindsight, I remember the water being really dirty — we were downstream from the town. But it didn't bother me at the time."
Mika nodded as he listened. He can distinctly recall the time he'd roll his eyes when Kurda talked about his upbringing. Because how fucking pretentious do you have to be to not seethe with bitterness about the unfairness of life? Come on. Nobody's that optimistic. Or so Mika used to think. He didn't know when exactly the shift occurred, but now he finds it oddly comforting to listen to Kurda's occasional anecdotes. Like playing familiar music in the background while you work.
"How old were you then?" Mika asked.
"Six, I think?"
"Ah. I was five. I guess we can ask Gracie what she thinks. If she's comfortable with the idea, we give it a try. And if she's not, we don't."
"Please." Kurda snorted. "If we leave it up to her she'll say she's ready to launch herself down the water slide into the deep end."
"That's more or less how I learned. I'm still here." Said Mika.
"Okay. And roughly how much trauma did that leave you with?" Kurda was making a sarcastic joke. And Mika couldn't help but laugh. Because Kurda couldn't possibly know how ironic that question was. Kurda raised an eyebrow at Mika's sudden amusement. "What's so funny?"
"I asked my oldest brother to teach me one summer. We had a small lake on our estate —"
"A small lake on our estate." Kurda scoffed. "Thank you for reminding me you were rich."
"Charmed life I had. What was I saying? Oh, yeah. Summer of 1769. Maxim's idea of teaching was pushing me off the dock and holding me under. That was my fault, though. I should've known better than to ask him." Mika recounted conversationally. When he paused to take a sip of coffee he realized Kurda's facial expression had morphed from amusement to slackjawed horror.
"To be fair, he also rescued me after I stopped moving." Mika added. "But I think he just didn't want to get in trouble. That's how I got this scar. My leg caught on a rusty nail as he dragged me back up on the dock." Mika pointed to a small but prominent cord of scar tissue on his outer thigh.
"Charna's guts, Mika!" Kurda gasped. "That's awful! Why would he do that to you?!"
"His motive remains unclear. I was the youngest, so it wasn't like I was a threat to his inheritance. Then again Dad was always hardest on him. Guess he was trying to toughen him up to take over the majority of the business empire. Probably knocked a few too many screws loose in his head. And Max took all those hard-won life lessons and passed them down the line. So I got it times five, and had nobody to take it out on." Mika chuckled as he said it. Enough time has passed that it's funny now. Funny to Mika, anyway. Because Maxim Ver Leth would really and truly shit his expensive silk pants if he knew his punching bag of a little brother ended up holding more power in one hand than the rest of the family tree combined.
Kurda failed to see the sliver of dark humour. He was staring back at Mika with a slack jaw and heartbreak in his eyes. The reaction caught Mika off-guard.
"Fuck, Mika…" Kurda groaned.
Sidebar: Mika swears at least once an hour. Once a sentence if he's having one of those nights. He's heard Kurda swear maybe five times total. In his life. And each time has been equally unnerving.
"It's fine. It was a long time ago." Said Mika quickly. Suddenly it didn't seem funny at all. "They're all rotting in the ground somewhere. And I'm here. With you and Gracie. I won. It wasn't even close."
"I know, I know. I just hate to think of a little kid being treated that way." Said Kurda. He managed a strained smile but his voice was no more than a murmur. "Even if it's you."
Mika didn't answer for a few moments, deciding how to proceed from there. He tried to lighten the mood. Ironic coming from him.
"Yeah. I was a really cute kid, too."
"Were you? What on earth happened?" Kurda snorted. Mika felt himself relax. He'd never been so relieved to hear a sarcastic comment at his expense. Because he knew how to respond to those.
"Stress." Said Mika. "Mostly from you."
"Right. Stupid question."
"Anyway, it was my second oldest brother Cassius who ended up teaching me to swim. He was also a dick. But he didn't actively want me to die."
"Was he a good teacher at least?"
"Not really. He just watched me struggle til I figured it out on my own. Only difference between him and Maxim was that he didn't hold my head underwater."
Kurda blinked a few times before seeming to decide he just wasn't going to go there "Alright." He said at last. "So to summarize, you're not qualified to teach someone else to swim, then."
"Not in the slightest. This one's all you." Said Mika.
So that was the day Gracie learned to swim. They borrowed a life jacket from the pool supply bin and got to it. It took less than two hours.
Mika is in fact really competent at not drowning. But he has little to no concept of proper form. So Kurda did most of the demonstrating. Mika even learned a thing or two.
By the time it was all said and done, Gracie could paddle herself all the way from Kurda to Mika standing six feet apart. While they celebrated that accomplishment like it was an Olympic gold, all Gracie cared about was getting to the chocolate milk that was waiting for her on the deck chair. And they couldn't have asked for a better note on which to end the first of many adventures that week.
"She's going to become one of those people that's annoyingly good at everything on their first try, isn't she?" Kurda mused after they exchanged a high-five in the pool.
Mika shrugged. "Better she gets that Ver Leth family curse than the other one."
"What's the other one?"
"That we're all dicks."
"Of course. Silly me."
Mika waited in the shallow end as Kurda swam out to the far side to retrieve the ball that had gotten away from Gracie.
"Think fast, Mike!" Kurda shouted out of nowhere. Mika immediately raised his hands to catch the ball - which Kurda launched at least six feet over his head and way too far to the left. But it did in fact bounce off the slide and into the storage bin it came from.
Mika slow-clapped. "As always, an incredible display of athleticism from General Smahlt. You meant to do that, right?"
"Obviously." Kurda began to swim back over to the shallow end. It was almost time to go. And right then and there, it occurred to Mika that he didn't want to go. He wasn't ready to get out of the pool yet.
And as if Kurda knew what he was thinking, he shot Mika an impish grin as he drew even with him. "Admit it. This is already the best business trip you've ever taken."
"Thought you said it was vacation." Said Mika.
Kurda smirked and playfully bumped Mika's shoulder. "Want to hear a secret?"
"No. I don't trust anything that makes you smile like that."
"Gracie didn't pick out your trunks. I did. But I knew you wouldn't wear them otherwise."
"You're the worst." Mika leaned forward with the intention to knock Kurda backwards into the water, but Kurda anticipated his attack and walloped him upside the head with his pool noodle while laughing like a maniac.
"Wow. Mike's reflexes are a bit of a joke."
"Here's a joke for you: What do Kurda Smahlt and Kyle Daytona have in common? They're both shitty pacifists. Kyle fights dirtier than anyone I know." But Mika was laughing too. Harder than he'd laughed in months.
"Hey. Kyle Daytona has never once claimed to be pacifist." Kurda swung the noodle at Mika again but he grabbed the other end and attempted to yank it out of Kurda's hands. Kurda had a stronger grip than Mika anticipated and he ended up pulling Kurda off balance — and right into Mika's chest. Kurda had no choice but to brace himself with one hand on each of Mika's shoulders to keep upright.
For a moment they just stood there in the waist-deep water. Chest to chest, eye to eye. Kurda was panting lightly from the exertion, but his eyes were alight with mischief and he was grinning like he was just getting started. This Kurda bore a stark resemblance to the one Mika wrestled into his coffin that night at the festival. Except this Kurda was dead sober so there was no room to question whether or not he knew what he was doing.
Kurda cocked his head to the side and grinned up at Mika. Then he reached up push to a curtain of soaking platinum hair out of his eyes. Beside them, the forgotten pool noodle floated away.
"What's that look for?" Kurda chuckled, low and soft. Intimate, almost. "Do I have something in my teeth?"
The sound ignited an undeniable burning sensation deep within Mika's skin. He told himself it was irritation from the chemicals in the water. It had to be that. It couldn't possibly be anything but that.
Not a moment too soon an unfamiliar voice broke the spell. Thank the gods for little miracles. Their bout of horseplay had caught the eye of the pool attendant who'd been restocking the towel shelf.
"Excuse me, Sir. Is this man bothering you?" He asked as he stared quizzically down at them. It was unclear who he was addressing so they answered in perfect unison.
"Constantly." Said Mika.
"No. Sorry, we were just leaving." Said Kurda, wincing out of guilt. Look who's a goody-two-shoes all of a sudden.
"Right. And does that belong to either of you?" The attendant added, one eyebrow raised as he gestured towards the corner of the pool deck where Gracie was in the process of upending the storage bin where the floating toys were kept.
"Never seen her before in my life." Said Mika. Then he pointed at Kurda and added, "She really looks like him, though."
That earned him another noodle to the head. And on that note they decided it was best for everyone to call it a day and get out of the pool. They grabbed a bit of lunch at the lobby cafe and decided to head back to their room. Whether she'd admit it or not, Gracie was ready for a nap. Her eyelids were fluttering and her head was swaying back and forth as Mika carried her.
They made one final stop in the lobby to browse a shelf full of pamphlets (and maps) advertising local attractions. Mika was reading up on the resort's axe throwing lodge when he felt Gracie stiffen in his arms and do a double-take to stare at something over his shoulder. He slowly turned to see what had caught her attention.
Gods, no wonder.
Kids. Other kids. Just like her.
They just happened to be standing next to a window that allowed Gracie a clear view of the outdoor play area that was part of the hotel's complimentary daycare centre. (Because apparently there's enough parents who want vacations from their kids while they're on vacation to create a demand for that kind of thing).
It's not lost on either Mika or Kurda that Gracie doesn't see other kids. Ever. She glimpsed a few in passing when they arrived in the lobby yesterday but never this many at once before. There were almost a dozen of them. Mostly older than her, although not by much. A few looked younger. They were frolicking in the snow, sliding down the slide, sliding up the slide, getting scolded by the adult on duty, and so on and so forth.
Kurda stepped closer and lightly tickled her back to get her attention.
"What's up, Honey Bee?"
The funniest part (not funny ha-ha, funny heartwrenching) was that it didn't even occur to her to ask about going to join them like she so clearly wanted to. As if she didn't even know that option was on the table.
She answered Kurda with a sad little shrug. Mika and Kurda exchanged a loaded glance but spoke no more about it. They carried on back to their room. Gracie fell asleep before they even got to the elevator.
DAY 2:
If you told Kurda three days ago that he'd be outsourcing Gracie's care to a complete stranger by their second day of vacation, he would've called you batshit crazy to even suggest such a thing. Or at least he would've thought it to himself. He's very polite.
Mika definitely thought Kurda was batshit crazy when he broached the idea that morning over breakfast in the cafe. And unlike Kurda, Mika will tell you that kind of thing directly to your face.
But what Mika and Kurda have in common is strategic thinking skills. So once Mika closed his mouth and let Kurda finish explaining the logic behind the plan, he was fully on board and even admitted it was a great idea. After all, the point of this vacation wasn't to spend time together. It was to start micro-dosing Gracie on the human world.
The best part was the way her pupils visibly dilated with excitement when they asked her how she'd feel about going to play with the daycare kids she'd seen from a distance yesterday, and her answer was a resounding "Me too!" Her enthusiasm didn't even wilt when they added the disclaimer that daddies don't go to daycare, however they do come back in a few hours. They promise.
So they packed her little backpack with the necessities, made the trek down to the ground floor of the hotel, and followed the signs to the daycare.
There were a few other kids in line ahead of them getting checked in for the day. One was a sullen, pouting boy who looked Gracie's age. He was standing beside his father who was undoubtedly here on some kind of business trip. He was wearing a crisp suit and a watch that probably cost the average human's yearly salary. He didn't get off his cell phone the entire time, and was still reaming out a colleague as he finished filling out the paperwork.
Then there was a pair of twin girls around 7 and their slightly younger brother. The brother was consumed playing a game on some sort of handheld device and kept bumping into people. The twins were fencing with ski poles they'd stolen from their parents, who were already dressed in full downhill gear and visibly eager to ditch the kids and hit the slopes.
"You know what?" Mika commented under his breath, shooting Kurda a surreptitious look and pointedly not reacting as the Game Boy boy bumped into him. "I think we did okay."
Kurda glanced down at Gracie. She was bright-eyed and eager as she took it all in, standing between the two of them, wearing her little pink backpack and holding both their hands. And sure, she was typically well-behaved. But it was still early. Who knew what would happen once they left?
That was the point. To find out.
The daycare supervisor looked frazzled by the time it was their turn to check in, but she had kind eyes and a warm smile that reminded Kurda of his mom. Her name tag read Lucy.
"I should probably warn you, she's never been around this many kids before." Kurda ventured with an awkward little laugh as Mika filled out the paperwork. "We live in kind of a remote area so there just aren't a lot of options. She's always either with one of us, or a family member. But she's quite social so I'm sure she'll do fine. Just wanted to let you know."
"No problem at all." Said Lucy. "I'll keep an extra eye on her. Is she your first?"
"First and only. She's one of a kind." Kurda affirmed.
"What a sweetheart. Looks just like you, too!"
Kurda beamed with pride but didn't have time to respond before Lucy added earnestly,"And how long have you two been together?"
Mika and Kurda have been asked that before. Just once. That time they checked into a shabby motel to get Gracie out of the cold and themselves out of the sunlight. The well-meaning clerk thought Gracie was charming (because she is) and asked them all kinds of questions. Including that one. And their answer was a resounding gods, no, it's not like that, gross, ew, not even if he was the last creature on earth, can't two grown men who detest each other just travel around with a baby in peace? She's not even our baby, she's my second cousin's neighbour's dentist's brother's niece in law, twice removed. We're not together. It's not weird. You're making it weird.
Hindsight is 20/20. It would've been weird if the clerk hadn't tried to call the police.
But the way Mika fielded that dreaded question this time was even weirder. He delivered the explanation just as assuredly as he'd asked the waiter to nix the eggs and substitute an extra strip of bacon in his breakfast sandwich that morning.
"Almost three years now. Feels longer, though."
He didn't even look up from the document he was signing.
Kurda was no idiot and neither was Mika. Both knew the simple white lie would save them a lot of unnecessary hassle from humans who had no idea who they were and would never see them again. Mika was just being strategic. And Kurda only felt a slight flutter in his stomach.
The big flutter came when it was time to say goodbye.
Gracie placed her backpack in the little cubby on the wall, and for a second it looked like she was going to peace out to the playroom without a backwards glance at her dads.
But she did glance. For a moment she peered up at them out of wide eyes like she was rethinking her entire life. And then her chin began to tremble. Kurda was standing the closest; she ran to him and threw her arms around his leg.
So this wouldn't be as swift a departure as they'd expected. But they weren't in a rush. After all, they had nowhere to be. (At least not for another hour - Kurda had in fact put something on the schedule. But we'll get there when we get there).
He gently peeled her off his leg and picked her up, then he sat down in the big yellow bean bag chair in the corner of the play room. Kurda pointed out all the books and toys she'd never seen before, and encouraged her to wave at the other kids. There wasn't room for Mika on the beanbag chair but he sat in the one beside it, close enough that Gracie could hold his hand while she sniffled into Kurda's chest.
This was hitting Mika hard. Kurda could see it in his eyes. And gods damn it, Kurda's were burning too. They'd only be apart for a few hours. But it was the first time she'd be without them in a place that wasn't Vampire Mountain, with people that weren't Paris or Seba or Arrow. What on earth had given them the nerve to think for even a second that this would be easy?
"I promise you'll have fun, Honey Bee. You were so excited, remember? It's just for a couple of hours. Just like when Daddies have to go to a big meeting. And we always come back, right?" Kurda attempted to console her. His voice caught in his throat as he petted her hair. Mika knew better than to try to talk at all.
"Mmhm." Gracie mumbled. She didn't sound convinced.
"But I know it's scary to be in an unfamiliar place." Kurda added after taking a moment to consider his words. "And if you don't think you're ready to have this adventure today, you can tell me. It's okay to change your mind."
Gracie didn't say anything for a minute or two. She just lay there in his arms, seeming to give serious thought to Kurda's input. Mika continued to silently stroke the back of her little hand with his thumb.
Finally, the moment of truth. Gracie did a final sniffle, then looked up at them and said,
"I stay here."
"That's my girl. I'm so proud of you." Kurda smiled and kissed her forehead. Mika did the same, then Kurda grabbed his wrist and hauled him the hell out of there before he had a chance to think too hard about it. There's something about Gracie that tends to bring out the various emotions Mika collects and habitually represses. Even the ones that have nothing to do with Gracie.
And then there were two. Just an off-duty Prince and General making their way through seemingly endless snowy streets with coffees in hand. It was a beautiful day, and the tall buildings on either side kept them safe from the weak sun rays that were peeking through the clouds.
"So… what the hell do we do now?" Mika asked. It was the first time he'd spoken since leaving the daycare. Kurda had ordered his coffee for him. The barista wrote "Michael" on the cup because that's who Kurda told them it was for. So that didn't help matters. But all things considered he was holding up okay. Kurda supposed this was as good a time as any to break the news.
"I actually scheduled an activity for us. I saw an ad in one of the pamphlets and I called the number while you were in the shower to book us a time slot -"
"Are we going axe throwing?!" Mika cut him off with a level of abrupt excitement that was most uncharacteristic.
Kurda had never seen him look so keen about anything. He didn't have the heart to tell him he'd booked them hot stone massages at Spa Aurora. If he spilled those beans too soon Mika was liable to disappear back into the mountains, never to be seen again.
"You'll see." Said Kurda simply. And on they walked.
In Kurda's defence, he never implied they were going axe throwing. Mika believed what he wanted to be true.
"Fuck. No. Not in a million years." Mika declared as they stood side-by-side staring up at a stylized teal and purple sign that read Spa Aurora - where the best come to rest.
"Just try it. I promise it'll be worth stepping out of your comfort zone."
"I thought we were going axe throwing!"
"That's your own fault. I never said we were going axe throwing. Besides, we have axes at home. We don't have this."
"Kurda, do you know me at all?! Why would you think this is something I'd —"
"Of course I know you. That's how I know you need this."
"But I didn't even do anything wrong!"
"Charna's guts, you're such a baby. It's one hour at a world-class luxury spa, not a Trial of Initiation."
"I'd like that better! Last I checked we don't have any trials that involve a stranger putting hands all over my body."
"Mika, you play full-contact sports multiple times a week with the filthiest men to ever befoul this earth. Just give it a try."
"Only if we go axe throwing tomorrow."
"Fine. Oh, I should probably warn you it's technically a couples massage. Only because they didn't have any individual openings."
Kurda really didn't believe Mika would actually stick around. But sure enough he followed Kurda into the reception area, grumbling all the while.
After checking in, they were ushered into the same room where they were instructed to remove their shirts and lay face-down on the padded tables. Soon they were joined by a pair of masseurs who went by Ray and Janice. Janice would work on Kurda while Ray was subjected to The Mika Ver Leth Experience (TM).
So it began.
Janice was quiet and efficient. But to Mika's horror and Kurda's ongoing amusement, Ray turned out to have a PhD in small talk. Kurda's face was cradled comfortably in the oval gap on the end of the table so he couldn't see the expressions Mika was making. But he didn't need visuals to picture it clearly in his mind.
"Can I ask what line of work you're in, Mike?" Ray inquired casually as he worked Mika's back.
Mika answered as Kurda expected he would. The only answer he ever gave inquiring humans:
"Government."
"Stressful position, I assume?"
"Has its moments."
Kurda could literally hear Mika grit his teeth, like he was about ten seconds from telling Ray where he could shove his hot stones.
"Huh. No kidding." Said Ray. "Man, you carry more tension in your shoulders than anyone I've ever worked on."
"Where the fuck else am I supposed to keep it?" Mika growled.
Kurda would've sat up to facepalm if he hadn't been so comfortable.
"Fair enough." Ray chuckled amicably, as if he got responses like that all the time.
MVL: I hate this. I want to leave.
KS: Gods, you're such a bitter pill. It's nice. This is nice. Just close your eyes and pretend you're somewhere else.
MVL: I'm not going to pretend. I'm literally going somewhere else.
KS: Don't you dare get off that table. This spa ranked number one in the country. You know how lucky we were they had a cancellation today?
MVL: Worst luck of my life.
KS: If Gracie can be brave enough to try something new, so can you. Imagine how much fun she's having in daycare with all the rich human babies.
MVL: Gracie is a human baby.
KS: You know what I mean. Now if you can fix your attitude I'll let you pick where we go for lunch.
MVL: With or without your permission, I'm restaurant where they make their own beer and soft pretzels.
KS: You're the boss. I think that one is -
MVL: On the south side of the hotel. Across from the main ski lodge. With the moose statue outside.
KS: You're even a know-it-all on vacation.
MVL: Sorry. I should've let you find it on the map. I know that really gets you going.
KS: You know what? Maybe you should leave after all.
MVL: I changed my mind. This is -
Mika changed from telepathy to speech so abruptly Kurda looked up in alarm.
"OUCH! Fuck! Son of a bitch, Ray!"
Poor Ray. There was a bead of sweat on the guy's forehead but a gleam of triumph in his eyes.
"Ah, there we go! Finally! Must feel good to release all that tension." Ray panted. He didn't know his career had just peaked. There was no way he'd ever worked on anyone this tense before. And it was highly unlikely he ever would again.
Mika is an anomaly.
"Huh?" He grunted as he propped himself up on his elbows to shoot Ray a reproachful glare.
(Usually at least he's an eloquent anomaly, but not today).
"I finally got your shoulders to release." Ray explained, still panting from the exertion. He looked mildly disappointed that Mika wasn't rejoicing. "I don't think it's ever taken me that long before. How do you feel now?"
Kurda could see Mika's mental gears turning. And suddenly his glare faltered as he presumably realized he was no longer in pain. He didn't smile but his face turned neutral and that was the best outcome they could've hoped for.
"Oh." Said Mika, as if commenting on the weather. "Much better, actually. Thanks."
Ray grinned with pride and got back to work. "Glad to hear it. How's the pressure level now? I can go easier if it's too much."
"Actually if you could double down, that'd be great."
Ray hesitated. "…Are you sure? This is already more than most people can take."
Mika lay back down on the table and sighed contentedly. "Do your worst, Ray."
So that was the story of how both Mika Ver Leth and Ray the oblivious but gifted masseur survived their mutual encounter.
Mika and Kurda (or Mike and Kyle) planned to go straight to lunch once the massage session ended. But first… a detour back to the daycare center to run some recon.
"We could just look through the indoor window." Mika pointed out as Kurda began to climb the brick wall of the hotel beyond which lay the daycare playroom.
Kurda shook his head. "She'll see us! This is an observation, not a visitation."
"What are you going to say if someone observes us crawling up a building to spy on children? Huh, genius? What then?"
"We assure them we're not creeps, and we're just seeking visual confirmation we didn't raise an entitled, maladjusted asshole." Said Kurda. Like that was the most obvious thing in the world.
Mika rolled his eyes. "You have that little faith in us?"
But he wasn't about to miss out on a chance to see how Gracie was doing. He began to climb up beside Kurda. Luckily the spot was mostly obscured by tall pine trees. It was highly unlikely anyone would see them.
"I'm just saying she might be going through a bit of culture shock considering she's used to your guards bowing to her and calling her Princess." Kurda replied breezily. "I thought you were going to tell them to stop doing that."
"But it's their favourite part of the day!"
"Mika."
"Fine. I'll do it when we get back."
They made it to the window. Kurda experienced a flash of deja-vu to the night over two years ago where they crawled up the wall of a dingy orphanage to scope out the place they'd intended to leave Gracie. The moral of the story is you always take time to run recon. Sometimes it looks like that. Other times, it looks like this. Either way you'll be glad you did it.
"Oh my gods. There she is." Kurda whispered.
There were eight kids total in the daycare. They spotted Gracie immediately. She was sitting at a table with two other little girls. They were colouring with crayons. Smiling. Giggling amongst themselves. She looked as at home there as she did in the Hall of Princes.
Mika and Kurda exhaled a separate-but-together sigh of deep relief. No further discussion required.
They watched her for a few minutes. Then Kurda's eye was pulled to the corner. Lurking like a shark there was the sullen, scowling little boy they'd seen at drop-off. He was the only kid in the room who wasn't playing alongside at least one other kid. And as Kurda watched, he stared down the table Gracie was sitting at and advanced upon them with great purpose.
Mika saw him too. "Fuck. Don't you dare." He whispered under his breath.
The boy reached for the bright green crayon Gracie was holding. Kurda stiffened in apprehension and felt Mika do the same beside him.
"Let's see what happens." Kurda replied just as softly. What were they supposed to do from up here anyway? Smash through the window to take justice into their own hands?
He didn't know what he'd been so worried about. The second the boy reached for the crayon, Gracie turned in her chair, looked him dead in the eye and told him "NO."
"Yes! Tell him!" Mika whisper-shouted as if Gracie could hear him.
The boy was so taken aback he simply left her alone - unfortunately for the girl sitting beside Gracie. She wasn't quite as assertive and he made off with her bright pink crayon. She started to cry. The third girl started crying too. Gracie stared at the two of them. Her little brow was furrowed, trying to understand what they were getting all worked up about. Then she glanced over her shoulder at the crayon pilferer.
Mika resumed his hushed commentary. "Oh, shit. What's she gonna do to him?"
Kurda watched the boy's life flash before his eyes as Gracie gave chase. Mika silently pumped his fist as if she was a professional athlete on television and he was a fan cheering from his sofa. "Yes! Yes! Get his ass, Gracie!"
She snatched the crayon right out of his hand and returned it to her friend before the boy even knew what was happening. Gracie gave her friend a big hug and that was that. Peace was restored and the girls resumed colouring.
Mika was grinning as he elbowed Kurda in the ribs and muttered, "Did you see that? She fucking nailed it."
"Of course she did." Said Kurda, fighting the lump in his throat. "That's our daughter."
Kurda was in the right place at the right time when the first human landed on the moon. He'd watched the whole thing in some cafe. It was a hell of a production. And what he remembered the most, oddly enough, wasn't the incredible feat of human ingenuity itself. It was when the newscast cut to the Mission Control room down on earth where the scientists and engineers jumped for joy and hugged each other in disbelief as they witnessed their blood, sweat, and tears pay off from afar.
That was sort of what this felt like.
Mika and Kurda were about to leave when they saw Gracie glance over her shoulder. The boy was sitting at a table in the far corner, dejectedly running a little toy car back and forth.
Gracie picked up a sheet of blank paper and a singular yellow crayon from their supply. Then she walked over to the boy and set them down in front of him. A human ear wouldn't have been able to catch what she said through the glass, but they heard her loud and clear:
"You can still colour." Gracie told the boy. "But if you're gonna be mean, you can't sit with us. Okay?"
He looked like he hadn't the foggiest clue what to do with that information. All he could do was nod in confusion as she rejoined her friends.
"Wow." Mika remarked as they descended to ground level. "She's even smarter than I thought. And I had complete confidence she could do my job for me."
Kurda didn't say anything. He was still processing.
"We really have done okay, all things considered." Mika added. "I think we've earned some beer and pretzels."
Kurda rolled his eyes and exhaled a rueful laugh, bumping his elbow into Mika's as they fell into step beside each other.
"You're the boss."
Kurda had to admit the beer at the moose place was good, and he doesn't even like beer most of the time. And good gods, the pretzels. They went in with the intent to order an actual meal for lunch. But the fresh-made loops of salted, buttery sourdough were so sinfully delicious they just kept ordering more baskets.
Mika was easily the most chipper he'd been since the first night of the Festival of the Undead. He hid it well, but Kurda knew he'd spent the past three months consumed with anxiety over the upcoming meeting with the Collective. No doubt it was all still weighing on him but at least today had restored some of the old glint to his eyes for now.
But the very same day had left Kurda with something to think about that hadn't been there before.
"If I was Gracie, I would've invited the little boy back to the table." Kurda interjected after Mika proudly recounted the crayon story for the third time. "I think he wanted to colour with them. He just didn't know how to ask."
Mika's brow furrowed. He shook his head firmly as he set his beer glass back down on the wooden table.
"If I was her, I wouldn't even have given him the crayon." He snorted. "They've been in that room together all day. Remember, we only saw five minutes of it. Did you see how the other kids avoided him? Gracie knew exactly what to expect when he came over to the table."
"I'm not condoning his behaviour. But you saw his dad at the drop-off!" Kurda protested. "No wonder he's like that!"
"Kurda, I grew up with his dad. I almost asked him if he was Marius Ver Leth reincarnated!" Mika didn't raise his voice, but there was a distinct strain to it that told Kurda he felt strongly about this. "I feel for the kid. But someone else's shitty parent isn't Gracie's problem! She set a boundary to protect herself and her friends, and she was still nicer than he deserved."
"I see where you're coming from. But I stand by what I said." Kurda countered, raising an eyebrow. "I think it would've given him a whole new perspective if he got a chance to be included. Now with that said, I don't blame her for setting that boundary. And don't you dare imply otherwise."
"I wasn't." Said Mika. He took another sip of the deep amber-coloured beer (not IPA) holding Kurda's gaze all the while.
"Good. And you should be equally proud of her compassion as you are of her confidence." Kurda added firmly.
Mika smiled. A thin smile, but authentic nonetheless. "I am. And don't you dare imply otherwise."
"She really is the best of both of us."
"I know. That's my favourite thing about her."
They sat in the brewery for almost two hours. There was a hockey game on one of the televisions which Mika observed with great interest despite knowing next to nothing about it. Competitive sports are a universal language. Even Kurda started getting into it — although he was rooting for the referee when the players started fighting each other. The game ended halfway through their second flight of beers and the television switched to a news channel. Now that was something they both enjoyed.
They didn't make an abundance of conversation throughout their lunch but the words they did exchange were not only civil, but comfortable. As was the silence that fell between them while they kept their focus on the screen.
It was nice.
Mika felt ten thousand times better about their temporary separation now that he'd witnessed Gracie look after herself firsthand. But he was still more than ready to pick her up that afternoon.
He saw her before she noticed him. She was laughing with her new friends as they sat on the carpet together. Then she happened to glance up to see both her dads standing in the doorway. That was enough to trigger the waterworks immediately. She bolted into Mika's arms and didn't peel her face off his neck til they'd arrived back at the hotel room.
They ordered room service which Gracie barely managed to stay awake long enough to enjoy, then promptly conked out for a five-hour nap. Mika figured she'd earned it. Kurda figured they should keep her awake til closer to her actual bedtime lest it throw off her sleep schedule. As he often does, Kurda figured right.
Gracie woke up as Mika and Kurda were getting ready for bed. They'd just turned off the news channel. (They'd missed a few seasons since the last time they'd left the mountain so there was a lot to catch up on). The first words out of Gracie's mouth as she sat up on her little couch bed were, "I go back to see Miss Lucy now?"
"I told you." Kurda muttered to Mika. To Gracie he said, "It's not tomorrow yet, Honey Bee. One more sleep, then you can go back to daycare."
They took her out for a walk in hopes that would re-tire her out. There was a wedding reception going on in the hotel's grand ballroom. They stood by the door and laughed at drunk strangers making embarrassing speeches for a few minutes before moving outside to explore the village.
The place was bustling even at night. There were glimmering string lights crisscrossing above all the village streets. The ski lifts were still running and the distant snowy hills were gleaming under artificial lights. There was one gondola reserved to offer scenic rides up and down the mountain for non-skiing pedestrians. They didn't even have to ask Gracie if she wanted to give it a go. She's never one to decline an adventure. They stayed on the gondola for a total of five round trips. Then it was back to the hotel for hot chocolate in the lobby cafe, and finally they started the trek back up to the room.
The wedding reception seemed to be winding down when they passed by the second time. The DJ was going strong but the music echoed in a way that suggested there weren't many bodies left in the room. They couldn't resist the urge to take a peek.
The room itself was stunning, as big as any hall in Vampire Mountain. Marble pillars adorned the sides and gigantic crystal chandeliers hanging from the domed ceiling.
"Party!" Gracie shouted, unable to resist the upbeat tune. She grabbed their hands and pulled them through the doors with reckless abandon.
Mika and Kurda glanced around the room but it seemed there was hardly anyone awake to care that three strangers were intruding on the celebration. A man in a tuxedo was passed out at one of the tables, a group of women was sitting nearby drinking wine and laughing boisterously, and a small handful of hotel staff who'd just started clearing abandoned glassware off tables.
"Dance with me!" Gracie took Mika's hands in hers and jumped up and down. He smiled ruefully and swayed his body in an awkward attempt to match her rhythm. But his smile faltered as he observed Kurda observing him in a way that looked awfully judicious.
"Gods, what?" Mika groaned.
"I was going to ask you the same thing. What are you doing?!"
"My best."
"Pathetic. You were born wealthy in the seventeenth century." Said Kurda with a dismissive wave of his hand. "There's no way you weren't forced to learn ballroom dancing."
"Oh, I absolutely was. But it's amazing how much you can repress if you really commit." Mika deadpanned.
Kurda sighed in pained exasperation and raked a hand through his hair. The platinum strands shimmered under the colourful strobe lights. "Gods, Mika. I wish you could hear yourself talk. I really do. Come here, Gracie. We're going to show him how it's done."
She abandoned Mika and bounded over to Kurda. He set about showing her how to move her body to the music, from her hands to her feet. She laughed with delight as she imitated Kurda's moves.
No wonder Vanez always insisted Kurda could've been a legendary fighter if he'd wanted to be a legendary fighter. His balance and coordination were impeccable. He had a natural way of moving that made dancing look as easy and effortless as the smile lighting his face up. Even while dancing silly on purpose to make Grace laugh, he still looked like he'd been born and raised right here in this ballroom. He sure hadn't learned that in Vampire Mountain. He looked so classy. So cool. So good.
Mika didn't know what he expected. It sure wasn't this. But to be fair, nobody ever expects to be completely blindsided. Suddenly he was back in the swimming pool all over again. It was back; the low, slow burn beneath his skin. This time he couldn't blame it on chlorine. The air conditioner, maybe.
"What are you looking at?" Kurda chuckled at Mika over the steady beat of the music.
"Nothing. Just didn't know you could dance."
"Really? I always dance at the Festival!"
"Interesting. I'm always blackout drunk at the Festival. Except for the second night of the last one while you were blackout drunk. And I guarantee you didn't get any dancing done that night. Have fun with this, though. I'm going to help the staff clean up that uncorked bottle of wine from that table over there."
But Mika didn't make it that far. One second he was making his escape; the wine was within his reach. The next second Kurda had grabbed his arm and pulled him onto the dance floor.
Mika couldn't help but feel patronized at the way Kurda had very obviously dialled down his moves to meet Mika on his level. His hands were clasped around Mika's wrists and sort of pumping them back and forth in time with the beat. Next to them, Gracie twirled like a ballerina with a handful of balloons she'd found.
"From the bottom of my heart, I'm embarrassed for you." Kurda teased. His lips curled into a smirk that was more sweet than scathing as he looked Mika up and down.
Mika tried to save face. Which is something he's uniquely qualified to do because that's like sixty percent of his job description. "You're embarrassed for me? Honestly Kurda, if it makes you feel better to tell yourself that, you can just have this one."
And wouldn't you know it, it didn't work on Kurda.
"No, seriously." Kurda pressed. "You're so athletic — no, that's not a compliment! I'm just trying to figure out how you can devote so much time to sculpting your body and honing your reflexes or whatever it is you do down there, and you still dance like you have zero awareness of where your limbs are."
"Okay? Congratulations on being better than me, I guess. Is that what you want to hear?"
"Ooh, so bitter. Would it help if I offered you a crash course?" Kurda offered, eyes twinkling. He was having too much fun with this.
"I'm beyond help. Thanks, though."
"Come on. I owe you for teaching me how to throw a punch last year. Sure, I still have nightmares about feeling Dean's jaw break under my fist. But if there was ever someone worth betraying my core values for, it'd be him."
"Guess we're even, then. Because this feels like a nightmare I'd like to wake up from." Said Mika.
Kurda scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Please. That's what you said about the hot stone massage. And by the time it was over you were about ready to pack Ray up and take him back to Vampire Mountain with you."
Mika heaved the most drawn-out sigh of melancholic defeat he could possibly muster from the deepest part of his soul. But he relaxed his body ever so slightly and Kurda took it as the reluctant consent it was.
"Alright, there's really no rules. Just go with the rhythm. Follow my lead." Kurda nodded encouragingly as he rocked his body along with the music. He did the funny arm thing again which made Mika roll his eyes again.
"What the hell is that? You look like a mime."
"Sorry, I'll slow down. Just do what I do, watch."
And believe it or not, by the time the song ended, Mika could almost reproduce a passable version of Kurda's maneuvers. Almost.
"Well, that's a start, I guess." Said Kurda with a wry smile as he released Mika.
"Bedtime?" Said Mika hopefully, gesturing at the door. A slow, heartfelt song had started to play and he wanted nothing to do with it.
"Is that all the stamina you've got, Sire? I'm just getting warmed up." Kurda replied with a sly smile. "Gracie, do you think we should teach Daddy how to waltz?"
"You don't have to be part of this, Gracie."Mika countered, shooting a meaningful look towards her. "I know you're tired. We can go to bed. It's okay."
She looked him up and down like he'd gone and said something unfathomably ignorant. "I'm not tired, Daddy."
"Come on, Mika! You did great with the last song. I mean it! Don't look at me like that! Think about what kind of example you're setting for her." said Kurda.
"Hey. Don't play that card. That's not fair." Mika protested. But knew he wasn't getting out of this one. He went limp and Kurda went to work.
"Okay, now grab my hand — that's my arm. I said my hand — there. Now you put your left arm around my waist. Don't be such a child! Your friends aren't here to make fun of you. It's just you, me, Gracie, and those drunk girls over there. Now we're both going to step forward at the same time... good! Now we step to the right — your other right! Gods, Mika. I always thought you were smart but I think you just seem that way because you're always standing next to Arrow."
"Excuse you?! That was uncalled —"
"Stop talking! You're not advanced enough to multitask! Now you're out of step. Let's try again, from the top — there! That wasn't so hard. Now try to spin me."
"Pardon the fuck out of —"
"Spin me! It's simple. Gracie, let's show Daddy how we spin. Just like we practiced." Kurda let go of Mika for a moment to take Gracie's hand and demonstrate. They looked like a couple of Broadway professionals.
"Show-offs."
"That was beautiful, thank you Honey Bee!"
Mika thought maybe that was intended to be the grand finale and this could finally be over. But Kurda wasn't slowing down.
"Should we show him the dip next?" He asked Gracie.
"Dip!" Gracie echoed.
"Alright. One...two...three!"
Kurda lowered her into a dainty little dip and pulled her smoothly back up.
"Ta daaaaaa!" Gracie sang, springing into a little bow. Mika obliged her with a round of applause.
"Your turn." Said Kurda, firmly pulling Mika back in, ignoring a steady stream of protests. "Spin me... a little faster... not that fast... there you go! Now do the steps again, one, two... good! Alright. We're going to try the dip now. Ready? Just like Gracie showed you."
"You've brought me a long way but I think this is too advanced for — HEY!"
Kurda dropped like a stone into a fake fall. Mika instinctively reached out to catch him, and did it as effortlessly as if he was a piece of training equipment in the sporting halls.
"Did you do that on purpose?" Mika demanded as Kurda got back upright. Kurda was laughing as if this ordeal was peak comedy.
"See, was that so hard?" He chuckled. "That's essentially what a dip is, just a little more controlled. All you have to do is lower me down and pull me right back up. Dip. Pause. Pull. Ready?"
Mika rolled his eyes but finally lowered Kurda into a slow dip.
The head rush hit Mika like a freight train. As if he'd downed that entire bottle of wine in one shot when really it was still sealed and untouched on the table.
Even though a layer of blue cotton separated Mika's hand from the slender curve of Kurda's lower back, he could feel every shift and flex of muscle beneath. The world stopped turning. It all went black. Mika couldn't see anything but those eyes. He was certain he'd been imagining it yesterday but there was no denying it now. Stone cold sober, Kurda was looking at him exactly like that. He knew what Mika was thinking about. He knew Mika knew that. And he wanted Mika to lean closer.
Mika didn't.
But he almost didn't didn't. It was so near a miss that extremities went numb.
"Now you have to lift me back up." Kurda whispered eventually.
Mika's mouth was so dry it was all he could manage to string two syllables together. "Right, sorry."
They resumed the original set of movements they'd began with. They dipped a couple more times. Mika purposely didn't let it linger, but he did pretend to almost drop Kurda to call it even. When Gracie finally started to tire out, Kurda scooped her up and held her while swaying lazily with the music.
"And I-I-I-I'll be, your cryin' sho-o-ulder!" Kurda sang unabashedly. "I'll be, love suicide!"
"Oh good, you know the words!" Mika chipped in sarcastically. But he couldn't keep himself from smiling. He hoped so badly Gracie would take on the same blazing spirit that lived in Kurda. The man truly didn't give a damn. He existed on his own terms and it wasn't up for negotiation.
"And I-I-I-I'll be, better when I'm old-e-e-er, and I'll be the gre-a-a-test fa-an of your li-i-i-fe!" Kurda continued singing to Gracie, right there in their own little world together. She was starting to nod off in his arms. Finally.
Kurda's eye caught Mika's as he rocked her, and he nodded invitingly. What was Mika supposed to do? Not slip his arms around Kurda's shoulders to sandwich Gracie in the middle so she'd be cozy and snug as she drifted off to sleep?
The song was coming to an end, and so was Gracie's day. One final yawn and her eyelids stopped fluttering.
Kurda sang the final line in a whisper. "…and I'll be the greatest fan of your liiiife."
As he kissed the top of Gracie's head, his eyes were fixed on Mika. And Mika drew blood biting his tongue to mute the admission of raw honesty that was fighting to be heard:
Don't bother. I don't deserve it.
I hope you guys liked that chapter. Personally I'm quite happy with how it turned out.
I might update Bloodline soon. I might not. I've reached a place where I'm no longer struggling to write it. At this point I'm just hanging onto it because I can't handle the fact that it's almost over.
Thanks for coming - see you next time!
- roxy