Christmas- Bulgarian Style

[nika izadora krum]

Nika took her time getting ready for the Christmas party. She sat at her vanity, steady with the applicator brush in hand as if she were painting. The girl was getting ready hours before the party had been set to start. Some guests, like the Ivanovs, would be arriving early and her parents had asked her to make herself look presentable for them. It’s not like Val would care if she decided to wear her Dr. Marten’s and jeans instead of the new dress that her mother had gotten for her for the holidays. Hell, Val probably wouldn’t care if she waltzed down the stairs naked, actually, he might enjoy that. Whatever the matter, Nika had her family coming over. Things would be very proper and traditional, at least for the first few hours until the vodka was broken out of the liquor cabinets. That’s when things would start to get fun.

The girl applied her cherry flavored lip gloss and then began to fix her hair into loose curls. Her mother called up the stairs to tell her that guests would be here in an hour, but the Ivanovs would probably be here soon. Val knew that he could just walk into her room, she didn’t mind, the boy didn’t even have to knock. Nika continued to do her hair, sitting down only wearing a big shirt and underwear. She didn’t want to give herself the chance to ruin her dress before people even arrived. Her mother would probably kill her. The girl wondered where her sister had been all morning. Nika had actually been home that night and not out smoking with her friends, which was a pretty big deal for her. She didn’t want her family to see her with a hangover, or feeling the aftermath of anything else she had done. Give it an hour or two with the bar open and they wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between her and the liquor cabinet. She could do whatever she wanted after that. The only person she had to look out for was her sister, who probably wouldn’t be drinking as much as everyone else.

After her hair was done, and as close to being perfect as humanly possible, Nika stood up and walked to the French doors leading out to the balcony. She opened them wide and stood there in the frame, letting the chilled winter air clash with the warmness of her skin. More color appeared in her cheeks and her curled hair gently swayed. She liked it better here in Bulgaria. England was too damp, here it was just cold and she had no problem with that. It rained too much at school. Here it was nice. If only Hogwarts be moved. Nika did have the option of going to Durmstrang with the rest of her friends from the neighborhood, but her mother insisted that she attend Hogwarts where she used to go. The girl couldn’t complain though. She had a good time there and she wasn’t completely miserable.

outfit
ps- val or vik should post first.

[valentin aleksander ivanov]

Christmas at the Krum's had become something of a tradition for the Ivanov family and it wasn't something that Val would ever miss. Though at first it might have been a rather tedious event to endure, once the bottles were popped and things started to get going, it was a hell of a good time. Not to mention, with Nika away at school all of the time, it was hard to get some best friend time in for the two of them and now that she had the girlfriend-thing around, that made it even worse. That was precisely why, a few hours earlier than was really necessary, Val was already getting himself ready to head over to the castle to just bum around while Nika got things ready for that evening. There would be no annoying new girlfriends around for awhile and they could just hang out like the old days, much to his delight. He missed those times and seeing Nika with someone else, especially someone like Erinn, wasn't easy for Val.

He wouldn't say that he loved the other girl, exactly, but she was a huge part of his life and letting her go be with someone else just didn't feel right to him. Especially since they were supposed to have been getting married at some point. Val wouldn't have minded the arrangement. Honestly, a life with Nika at least would have been consistently exciting, which is probably more than he could say for any of the other potential suitors his parents had been considering. Perhaps a bit selfishly, Val wanted Nika's relationship with Erinn to go terribly, if just for the fact that he would then have Nika back open to a potential relationship with himself. That and the fact that he simply didn't like Erinn. She wasn't right for Nika, as far as he was concerned and she most definitely didn't belong around their lifestyle. Val intended to be as pleasant as was possible, however, since that would set a good showing up for himself and make Erinn look terrible. Not that that was difficult to do.

Dressed to impress in his best suit, Val left from his own home and took off at a stroll over towards the Krum's. It wasn't far, since they all lived in the same neighborhood and he knew the path quite well. Because he had been there so often, Val didn't bother to knock on the door when he arrived and just let himself in. Stopping only for a moment to greet Viktor on his way up the stairs, Val quickly climbed up towards Nika's room. He wasn't sure if she would be in there, but he was definitely hoping that he wouldn't have to hunt her down elsewhere in the castle. That would be an adventure, to say the least. Pulling the door open to her room, Val stepped in and scanned in, spotting her out on the balcony rather quickly. A smile rose on his face and he jovially skipped out the rest of the way to where she was standing. Placing an arm around her shoulders, Val leaned forward to give her a tight hug. "You look wonderful. Dressing up just for me, I take it?" he said with a smirk.

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[nika izadora krum]

Losing herself in her thoughts, Nika closed her eyes and let the chilled breeze nip at her exposed skin. She was practically standing there naked, but honestly the girl couldn’t care less. Her balcony faced inward, pointing toward the center of their property. She was pretty sure no one would be snooping around back there. Honestly, their property was so heavily guarded, even though it didn’t seem like it, that she couldn’t imagine how one would even get back there without permission from her father. A hand snaked over her shoulder, but was then followed by a familiar and soothing voice. If it were anyone else other than him, the girl would have probably turned around and punched them square in the nose, but this was Val, her best friend. The two of them grew up side by side and stuck to each other like glue. She moved her cold hands and placed them on top of his, instantly warming them at the touch.

Nika chuckled slightly at his comment. “Oh yes, my lack of clothing. I was definitely preparing for your arrival like this,” a smile spread across her cheeks before she turned around and monkey-hugged him. He was so much taller than her now. She remembered when they stood a mere few inches apart and it seemed like just yesterday. Now she was practically hugging his lower midsection. The girl took a step back and looked him up and down for a minute. Hot damn, she thought in her head. Nika nodded approvingly. “And I suppose you wore your best suit just for me?” a playful smirk appeared on her lips.

The girl took his hand and led him over to her bed and slid in, sitting cross-legged. “You know Mum would flip if I messed up my dress before the grandparents arrive,” Nika spoke smoothly and without hesitation, “You will just have to see it later.” That playful smirk surfaced again. She really liked Val, she honestly loved him. He was the only person she could speak openly around. She couldn’t even compare their conversations with the ones she had with Erinn because she was always afraid that she would take it the wrong way or judge her before she heard the whole story. That happened a lot, which is why they were constantly breaking up. But somehow, something always pulled them back together in the end. The two of them were like opposite ends of a magnet, meanwhile, Val was that shiny gold ring. She was attracted to both.

“So how have you been?” Nika asked. It had been a while since she had seen him last, but oddly, nothing had seemed to change between them. It was almost as if the girl had never left in the first place. That was the thing that proved the strength of their friendship. No matter how far away they were from each other and how much time they had spent away, they would still be the same people when they were united. She had heard that Val had spent some time in Amsterdam recently, which was likely the reason why he wasn’t home two nights ago. It sounded like a lot of fun there. Plenty of drugs and booze, Nika wouldn’t mind going there with him someday.

[valentin aleksander ivanov]

It was moments like that which gave Val hope that perhaps the Erinn thing was just a phase and that sooner or later things between he and Nika would sort themselves out. After all, she couldn’t possibly want to end up with someone that was so…not like them. They were of a much higher quality of people and he sincerely hoped that Nika would come to realize that soon enough. Val was confident that she would, though, since it just made sense. Someone like Nika simply just didn’t belong with someone like Erinn and the attraction they shared was mere folly. Val wasn’t too worried yet and he had a whole night in front of him to work on convincing Nika of her mistake and making Erinn out to seem like she was truly not the person that the girl wanted to be with. It was underhanded, it was scheming, but it was what Valentin was raised to do with himself. His parents were shrewd business owners and he was raised on manipulation. Not to mention, his time at Durmstrang had instilled quite a bit of those qualities in him as well. He cared for Nika, yes, but he wasn’t above underhandedly ruining her relationship for both of their benefits. Not at all.

Letting Nika swivel around to wrap her arms around his lower body, he couldn’t stop a short laugh from escaping his mouth at the sheer size difference between the two. They hadn’t used to be that way, but in the recent months he had come upon quite the growth spurt and was a good few inches taller than the last time they had been together. ”I had a feeling, shortstuff. Who else would you be so terribly naked for?” he commented, lifting his eyebrows in a look that just goaded Nika to say something about Erinn. ”As for the suit, I wasn’t intending to keep it on for too long. It’s much to stuffy to spend the entire evening in, really,” he shrugged. Of course he had worn the suit to impress Nika. Though, certainly he could argue the case that he looked so dashing to ensure his parents approval, just in case he needed to.

Following Nika over to the bed, Val hopped up onto it, lying down next to her with a soft smile. These were some of his favorite times. Sitting there not really doing much more than talking, right before they would be forced to play nice in front of all of their relatives and such, was one of the simplest, more heartfelt times that they had. ”Entirely true. I feel like she’d have both our heads if you came down those stairs looking anything but perfect. Not that you don’t always, that is,” he shrugged, chuckling a bit at the thought. Nika’s mother was like another mother to him and he knew exactly how she could get sometimes. He certainly hadn’t escaped her wrath in the time that he spent there and she’d mussed up his hair more than enough times for him to just expect such things when he was at events there. He couldn’t say that he minded it, though. Having the Krum’s as almost another family was great for Val. ”Are you sure we have to wear clothes later?” he asked, another smirk on his face.

In Nika’s absence, Val had pretty much just been up to his usual tricks. He vacationed frequently with his mates, smoked around a campfire most nights and generally didn’t do a whole lot of anything .There were the odd occasions he would show up to school to turn in a month’s worth of assignments and head back out, but school didn’t really have an important place in Val’s life. He was intelligent, no doubt, but he preferred to learn the things he felt like reading up on, not the useless things the school required of him. ”Ah, you know me. Much of the same, I suppose. Nothing far too interesting has really gone on, aside from the vacations and such,” he shrugged. Really, he was just more interested to hear about what Nika had going on with her and see the state of the Erinn situation. With a bit more knowledge, it would be far easier to determine a course of action to get rid of her. ”What about yourself? I’d say that’s a far more important subject,” he asked, looking over at her with a genuine interest.

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[nika izadora krum]

Nika/Val

Nika took a step back from the boy and raised her eyebrows. He was just begging her to say that she had gotten undressed for Erinn, and it was true. She wasn't going to go there with him, because clearly he was trying to push her buttons. He wanted to hear it and Nika wasn't going to give him that satisfaction. Her apple green eyes said it all for her. She pressed her lips together to form a straight line. "I've been more naked than this, thank you very much." She seriousness of attitude didn't last for very long before it was replaced by something else. Her fingers fiddled with the hem of her own shirt, lifting it up to her belly button. A devilish smirk played across her lips, her eyes flirting with his as she looked up. "Oh excuses, excuses. I know I'm the reason why your suit won't be on your body for much longer."

On the bed, Val's comment made the girl smile. "My girlfriend doesn't even say that to me, you cheesy shit," she started laughing. Nika didn't really get compliments like that unless she was in Bulgaria or Russia, most of which came from creepy guys or Val, but the only difference was that Val wasn't creepy at all. In fact, she was always quite flattered by him. "That's up to you," she spoke with a chuckle, "Do you really want to face my grandparents in that position? I mean, I'm sure that they would make assumptions and congratulate you. The next thing out of their mouths would probably be something along the lines of: When is she expecting?" It was true. The elder Krums were confused as to why the girl wasn't married with a first child on the way yet. It was just how things were done back then, but things have changed completely in modern times. 

"I think we should go on vacation together sometime. It would be loads of fun," Nika nodded eagerly. She could only imagine how much fun her and Val could have exploring a whole new place together. Sure, they had been backyard safari experts when they were young, but to actually do things for real, she could only dream. Nika was flattered by Val almost every time she was with him. He made her feel like a lady, he centered everything around her and it felt good. "Hm. Well, nothing really too exciting lately. I haven't been on any crazy adventures that didn't include a lighter and some illegal substances. Erinn and I are doing alright. She's been acting a bit weird around me lately. Her older sister miscarried her twins. It was quite unfortunate. And now I'm back here with you."

[valentin aleksander ivanov]

Much to Val's chagrin, Nika didn't seem to want to play into his game and instead returned his pushing with an utter end to his goading. Not something he was pleased by at all, but he wasn't going to push that point if Nika wasn't willing to play along at all. "I'm sure you have," he commented dryly, not wanting to get into that sort of conversation. Whatever went on between Nika and her thing was entirely between them and Val wanted to hear very little about it. He was much more interested in her next response, since it was quite a bit more towards his benefit. "Oh, you know me too well. I'm glad you hear you agree as to the real reason, I must say," he commented. He doubted that she really intended to go there with him, but he wasn't going to completely rule out the possibility. It was likely that Erinn would make her mistakes and that would be Val's chance to look like the hero of the day. That was the current plan, at any rate.

Yes, Val was pretty cheesy sometimes, but it seemed to work for him. Girls loved when he complimented them, no matter how terribly ridiculous it may have been and Nika was no different. At least Val usually meant what he said, making it much more genuine than the things most guys might have said. "I can't say I approve of anyone dating you that doesn't shower you with compliments," he pointed out. He had a feeling Nika wouldn't be too keen on his comment, but setting the seeds of doubt about Erinn in Nika's mind was all part of his master plan. Knowing full well that Nika was probably right about her grandparents, Val let out a soft chuckle. "You're right, you're right. Wouldn't want to go through that episode. We'll have to save a good day without clothes for some point in the future," he decided with a prompt nod.

Nika's suggestion that the two of them run off on vacation together brought a pleased look to Val's face. That was exactly the sort of thing that he needed to work on tearing Nika back and away from Erinn. "How about we leave tomorrow? The Christmas festivities should be over and done with and we can spend the real holiday having a right good time somewhere far off, just the two of us," Val suggested with a devilish grin. Val couldn't think of a better way to spend the remainder of the holidays, really. He would be with Nika and he would also know that Erinn wasn't. It was a win-win on his part and Val would never pass up such a thing. "That's too bad about your friend, but I must admit that it's nice having you back here where you belong.With me." His sympathy for Erinn was short-lived and honestly, he probably couldn't have cared much less. The only thing that came out of such knowledge was that he now felt even more confident that it would be an easy task to unhinge the girl.

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[nika izadora krum]

Nika wanted to freak him out with all of the details between her and her girlfriend, but decided against it. That might be going too far. One could only push Val so far. He needed to be loosened up, teased a bit and the girl knew exactly how to do that. Using one finger, she lifted her shirt up slowly, revealing her lacey underwear. Her lips twitched into a smirk as she looked up at him with her bright, green eyes, taking a step into him. Honestly, she wanted to go there with him, she really did, but the guilt would slowly eat away at her. Nika had come close to cheating on her girlfriend a few times, but she always backed out last minute. She didn’t want to know what Erinn did when she was out without her. She didn’t want to know how many times she had been cheated on; she didn’t even want to think about it because she knew it had happened at some point.

Val was a cheeseball. Some of the things he said, the girl just couldn’t stop laughing about. Nika was a terrible flirt, unless she wanted something. She just couldn’t take all of the cheesy compliments seriously. Sure, it was flattering, but it just didn’t seem real. The girl just shook her head and looked down, punching him lightly in the chest. “I don’t need to be showered with compliments,” she said through a chuckle, hiding the fact that she didn’t appreciate what he had said. Erinn didn’t compliment her, but she didn’t need it. It was just an extra, something aside from the reality of their relationship. Nika just raised her eyebrows at Val’s comment about the future. “Orly?” she said, trying to contain her laughter. He was getting a little too far ahead of himself for her liking, a tad bit out of her comfort zone, but she pushed it aside. In all honesty, Nika was scared to be with men. She felt small and overpowered and that was something that she couldn’t handle. With girls, things were more or less equal. Sure, the other did hold Nika’s heart, leaving her vulnerable, but things were just different.

The two of them were still the best of friends. Nothing could tear them apart. They would be going on vacation as friends and hopefully nothing that the girl would later regret would happen between the two. “Tomorrow? Erinn is supposed to be spending the night here tonight and tomorrow night.” Way to ruin the moment, Nika. “Could we push it back ‘till then?” A twinge of jealousy pulsed through her when she remembered what her girlfriend was planning on doing for the rest of the break, going somewhere with Klayton. Damn, she despised that guy and she hasn’t even met him yet. “It was pretty tough for people at school to deal with, but yeah. I like it here much better. I’m around people who are familiar with me and all of this tradition.” That was one thing that the girl would never get Erinn to understand, her traditions. Nika’s life had always been centered around her family and her culture, but her girlfriend was always avoiding it. Whenever she suggested that Erinn go hang out with Frankie or Erika or Oliver or Will, or whoever else was part of her family, she changed the topic. Nika was constantly making the trips back and forth between the two countries to have dinner with her parents on special occasions, while Erinn either isolated herself from everyone or ran off with that Klayton.

The girl flipped herself around so that she was sitting on his hips, straddling him. She didn’t realize what she might have been implying; it was just something that she always did. She was small, he was tall, it sort of just worked. “You know what? I think we should go tomorrow. Erinn probably wouldn’t mind a few extra days with Klay anyway.”