The Volturi

Secret Santa Pt. 3

Requested by iloveslashers

The scratching of a pen against paper and soft humming was all that Mercedes could be preoccupied with. She tucked her pen behind her ear once more, her hands returning to the keys of the grand piano. Her fingers moved on as if they had a mind of their own.

Once more she stopped, scribbling down the newer notes she added before continuing on. Her eyes drifted over to the stack of other sheet music and a small smile crossed her face. She had dedicated the last four days of her life to writing and composing a complete symphony for Caius. There was a fear, with every key pressed or pluck of a string, that Caius would hate what Mercedes had created. She tried not to think about what he would say or do, if she did she'd probably work herself into a panic attack and if Mercedes was being honest, she didn't need that in her life.

Mercedes stopped again, scribbling the last few notes. "The melody is beautiful."

Melody jumped her knee colliding with the piano and sending the sheets of music floating to the floor. "Caius!" Mercedes groaned rubbing her knee while trying to grab the papers before the king saw them, "Wha-what are you doing in here?!"

"This is my castle, I can be anywhere I want," Caius chuckled, moving further into the room and closer to the papers. Mercedes scrambled, falling off the bench in the process as Caius grabbed a page near him.

"Vampires Waltz?" Caius questioned, looking at Mercedes.

"Um...." Mercedes floundered, looking anywhere but at the immortal, "that's not important."

Caius picked up another piece and read it. "Dance of the Damned? I assume this," he said turning the page to Mercedes, "is also not important?"

Mercedes made an attempt to grab the page only for Caius to yank it away even faster. "Your mother seems to have not taught you that snatching things is considered rude."

Mercedes clicked her tongue. "And yours must have forgotten to teach you that killing people is wrong."

"Touché," said Caius with a chuckle.

Mercedes scooped together the papers, praying Caius didn't figure out his gift.

The king watched the teen in silence, calculating what he could possibly say only to decide to be direct. "Still need to wrap those for me or are we supposed to pretend those are for someone else?"

Mercedes paused. "Felix told you," she panned.

"Actually Alec did."

"That sparkly bastard-"

"-I'm flattered actually," interrupted the king, "if I had known how much effort you put into my gift, I would've done something better."

Mercedes scrunched her eyebrows together. "You're my secret Santa?"

Caius nodded before he stood and held out his hand. Mercedes took his hand, standing up and dusting off her knees. Together, they left the music room, walking a small distance to the garden. Mercedes looked over at Caius who simply opened one of the glass doors and motioned for Mercedes to go through it.

Mercedes obeyed, exiting to the outside world and took in a deep breath of fresh air. "This way," Caius said, pulling the hood of his cloak around his head.

Once more Mercedes followed until they stood outside the door of Caius's private green house. Caius motioned for Mercedes to open the door. Mercedes, of course, complied and immediately lost her breath.

Before her sat nestled in the dirt with a beautiful red flower blooming from the top of the cactus she brought from Phoenix the last time she was able to go home to visit.

"I feared the plant wouldn't take to the soil," Caius explained softly, closing the door behind the pair, "and Demetri informed me of how distraught you were when it had begun to die."

Mercedes interrupted, "So you took my cactus and nursed it back to health?"

Caius nodded. "I don't understand why it would be so important to you for the plant to live but I felt that if I could save it, you would be happy."

Mercedes smiled and hugged a surprised Caius. "I am," she answered truthfully, turning back to her little plant, "my grandma gave me this cactus before she passed. She knew how much I wanted to start my own little cacti garden."

Caius smiled softly. He was glad he did something right for once, even if it was only bringing a smile to Mercedes face.