Jingle Bells Rock - Advent Calendar

20th ~ Griffin

Clara and The Prince

Griffin carefully slid the final screw, smaller than a millimetre, into place and eased it tight before straightening up, pushing the huge magnifying glass away from him before setting his final creation on the table and pushing back in his seat to admire it.

He heard the front door close on the floor below and hit the switch so all the lights in the workroom turned on, turning off the spotlight as the door opened.

Tiling his seat back onto it back legs, he looked over his shoulder, resting his arm over the seat back as Mai swept in, smelling of theatres and snow.

"My, my, the star of the stage herself," he said with a lazy grin as she walked in, running her hand through her hair to melt the last of the snowflakes. 'To what do I owe the pleasure? I thought you'd be with your family."

"I'm on my way, I came to collect you," Mai replied, looking up and freezing.

Her eyes widened as she drew in a gasp.

Griffin gave her a proud smirk and gestured to his creations. "Impressed?"

"Griffin," Mai whispered, wordless as she walked forwards like she was in a trance.

On the table before her stood four dolls.

Each a foot high; there was The Rat King, The Sugar Plum Fairy, The Nutcracker and Clara.

Crafted with exquisite care, they almost looked human if one ignored the external joints.

"Do they move?" she asked excitedly, and Griffin chuckled, reaching for Clara and flipping a switch before doing the same to The Nutcracker, setting each to mark Three.

Music drifted from their torsos as they turned to each other and started to dance together, eerily human in their movements and yet so beautiful it was like watching a fairytale come to life.

Mai stared, open mouthed until the final note, the dolls finally falling still, and she reached forward, picking up The Nutcracker.

"You really are like Drosselmeyer, aren't you?" she laughed before something caught her eye and she carefully pushed the doll's hat back.

She stared at his face for a moment, Griffin not noticing as he adjusted Clara's dress back into place.

"You know, this doll looks oddly familiar," Mai said, and Griffin looked around before jumping, making a grab for the doll and Mai laugh, hiding it behind her back and shoving Griffin's curling black hair from his face, revealing his mismatched eyes and scarred face – and blushing cheeks. "Very familiar," she said, grinning as she held The Nutcracker up to him, revealing a crafted face of mismatched eyes and marred features.

Griffin snatched the doll from her. "A coincidence," he said haughtily.

"Uh-huh, so this is me then?" she said, grabbing Clara up before he could snatch it.

"Of course not," he said, jumping to his feet as she tried to take it back.

"Oh please! When have you ever seen a Clara that was half-Chinese-half-French?" Mai cried, laughing as she bounced away, "You awful romantic! Pretending to be all cool and unfazed with that text while making stuff like this."

"Mai!" Griffin snapped, catching her wrist and quick as anything, Mai spun towards him, lightly lifting off the ground like she was back on stage and Griffin reacted automatically, freeing her wrist and throwing his arms under her, catching her up like a princess as she draped an arm around his neck and grinning, knowing she had won even if she was in his arms. He let out a sigh. "Fine. So what? I wanted to surprise you with a gift for your first successful performance back. Obviously I had to make Clara in your image. The Nutcracker is just a coincidence."

"You couldn't know it would be successful," Mai pointed out, resting the doll on her chest so she could wrap her other arm around his neck.

Griffin raised an eyebrow at her, then smirked. "Yes I could," he said.

"How? I could have crashed and burned like last time. I could have ended my career tonight. Everything could have gone wrong in the opening scene. The fear was unbelievable before the curtain went up. I collapsed during class earlier and threw up. I was a disaster."

"And what you stepped on stage?" Griffin asked.

Mai looked at him, then blinked. "I wasn't scared anymore," she said and he chuckled, bumping his forehead gently against hers.

"Exactly. And I knew you wouldn't be, whether you knew or not."

"And what made you so sure?"

"Because you're you. Star of the stage. Queen of dreams. Natural born dancer. I had faith."

Mai eyed him for a moment, then snorted, shaking her head. "Alright, Nutcracker."

"I'm telling you—" Griffin started, face turning red and Mai tightened her arms around his neck, settling her cheek against his chest.

"I prefer you be the prince than Drosselmeyer, anyway," she said.

Griffin was quiet for a moment, then let out a soft laugh. "Fine, The Nutcracker it is then."

~~~~

Music By: The Nutcracker: Scene XI: Clara and the Prince

Griffin, what's wrong with you? You're not as smart-assed or snarky as usual -.-