SEDUCTIVE | t.k.

twenty six

it had been an hour since the christmas party had started. everyone was downstairs except viktoria. she knew she would be in for it, being deemed as disrespectful. though she was dreaded being down there. too many prissy rich people who have nothing better to do than talk about themselves, her mothers words - not hers.

as she walked down the stairs, her white kitten heels clicking on the hardwood floors finally brought the attention of everyone. she didn't mean to, though the siblings were always the talk of the christmas parties. mysterious, intimidating, and well mannered is what everyone said about them. they were rarely ever seen in this social circle. always in their room or at school. unless forced to say hello when they visited, they hid in the darkness hoping to not be pulled out.

"viktoria darling! come here and see madam sokolov" her mother gushed, her hands motioning for her to come. viktoria was confused, many of their russian friends were here. had they really flown all the way here for some extraneous christmas party? though she made her way over, her hair moving lightly in the wind of her fast paced steps. she smiled at her mother, kissing her cheek before turning to madam sokolov. she hated her, hated her lip injections that were about to burst any second, her wrinkly skin, her stupid blue eyes. she was a wicked witch, watching any mistake to pick on her family. everything viktoria did with these people was a routine, you follow it step by step or you're eaten by hound dogs like madam sokolov.

"hello madam sokolov, pleasure to see you again! how are you? how is katerina, i've missed her terribly" viktoria said in a sickly sweet voice, though it was all a lie. she had hated katerina. any russian raised katerina is the most insufferable person you'll ever met. katerina sokolov was no different.

"hello viktoria! my! have you grown since i last seen you. katerina is doing swell, she got accepted to moscow state and cambridge. she said she wanted to go to moscow state, to stay close to us. though i forbid it! i just hope she doesn't marry some british man" she said tsking disapprovingly. viktoria wanted to roll her eyes, katerina didn't want to go to moscow state, she hated moscow and russia. though her mother would never let her anywhere abroad if it was her first choice, her mother was controlling and wanted to switch her pick on her. once katerina found the pattern she applied it to everything. if she had picked cambridge first, her mother would've picked for her to moscow.

"wow! i wouldn't expect anything less, she is a very smart girl ever since we were young" viktoria said looking past the woman to try and find someone to save her from this conversation. though when her eyes met toms, she wished she didn't. more questions to be asked, though in that second she didn't. she pleaded for him to help, so when he was finally walking over relief flooded.

"viktoria! i was looking for you" tom said as he walked over, his german accent thick. she saw madam sokolov roll her eyes. so as tom came over she quietly muttered a 'introduce yourself now'.

"i'm sorry for my lack of respect, my name is tom kaulitz! and you are..." tom said turning to madam sokolov. as she saw her eyebrows raise, she knew she wouldn't have to hear the rumors of disrespectful guests coming from the walls of russia and germany.

"olga sokolov, madam olga sokolov" she hummed, tom kissed both of her cheeks before looking at her mother.

"hello mrs. platonov, may i take viktoria by any chance?" he asked, scared of the look she gave him. he was tall, though she was towering him, 5'11 with four inch heels wasn't making him feel so manly.

"oh course dear, please go tell ilya to tell the pianist to not play this horrible song again" she said smiling before ushering the kids off.

"oh my god thank you tom" viktoria said hugging him.

"you're welcome, ilya gave us this whole talk on be as respectful and courteous as possible. to be basically like those shows that are based on english royalty, it's horrible." he said picking up a hors d'oeuvre from the tray of a man passing.

"especially to the russian ladies, i'm surprised you didn't didn't insult sokolov any further" she said before seeing the boys huddled in the corner away from the party. her father with them.

"oh my god, how long has he been there" she groaned

"not long, he came right before i left. though don't worry they all love him" he said smiling at the stress in her face.

"dad!" she said as they walked up to them, a disapproving look on her face.

"honey! you must invite the boys for dinner they're so funny. they make me feel young again" he said in a gruff laugh.

"i'm sure we will, now how would mom feel with you hanging out with teenagers and not helping her make madam sokolov leave her alone" she said, a look of fear coming into his face.

"she's here? oh my god viktoria you cannot make me go over there. you're mother is a strong woman, how do you think she handles me?" he said

"gross!" she said making a fake throw up face while the other except ilya laughed. a look of disturbance on his face.

"i think you're feeling too young again, go away" ilya said making their dad tug in his ear.

"no need to play tuff with me ilya, i'm the one who showed you how. though i must get going, viktoria make a group chat with all of us so we can plan the dinner" he smiled before waking off.

"oh my god ilya! why didn't you ward him off" she groaned

"trust me i tried" he said his hands running over his face.

clicking glasses were heard and the platonov siblings groaned even harder. their mother stood up with her fathers arm wrapped around her waist, both holding flutes of gold coloured champagne.

"i must thank you all for coming! our annual christmas party is something i look forward to every year. seeing familiar and new faces, the bustling house, the music and dancing. it never gets old. though i bet this speech does to some of you, especially my children" her mother said earning laughs from everyone.

"though this is a special christmas party! it has been our tradition to hold it for the past twenty years! before the children were even born, though those first years weren't as extravagant. so let's cheers for twenty years and many more to come!" she cheered earning lots of whistling and woots.

"now everyone head to the great hall! a band is playing, some you may not even know" she smiled looking directly at the group. they're were playing???