< Varian and his Cuckoo-Clock Heart > [Varian x Reader]

Prologue: The Coldest Day on Earth

The first sight you see when entering the fantastical city of Edinburgh is white. Piles upon piles of snow fill up the roads and roofs of homes. The snowflakes never stopped falling from the bleak and fluffy clouds. The place looked remarkably wonderful—if you enjoyed the sight of winter. The effects of the cold weren't a pretty sight, however. Many unfortunate villagers either slipped on the slick ice or ended up freezing up themselves. The birds trying their best to fly to a much warmer place froze mid-flight, falling straight to the snow. It truly was a frightening day, but a first day for a certain little baby.

A pregnant mother and father—trudging up the snowy cliffside where their home was parked far away from their village—was prepared for their newborn. The Mother shivered in fright, feeling as though her insides were freezing up. She worried for her baby and urgently told her husband to hurry. Once the two had finally made it inside, the wind blew open the door, knocking it into the wall of their home. The Mother simply stumbled inside, holding her large stomach as she felt like she was going to burst.

"Q-Quirin, the baby's coming!"

Quirin hastily turns around after managing to keep the door shut, rushing over to his wife's aid while helping her walk over to the small chair in their dinning room.

"What are we going to do? None of the hospitals are open and it's snowing cats and dogs out there!" Quirin exclaims worriedly, eyeing his wife.

She simply takes in deep breaths, glancing over at her workshop and struggling to stand tall.

"We'll have to do the delivery ourselves."

After a long and hard struggle, the baby had finally came. It was a little boy with wisps of black hair pointing from his head and fair skin, just like his mother. Quirin smiled down at his son, looking over towards his wife, who was very pale and drained.

"Look at our son. Isn't he beautiful?"

The Mother smiles wearily, holding out her shaking arms to her son. Quirin gently placed the baby in her arms, watching them bond with love. The Mother smiles sweetly, her hand pressing against the smiling baby's chest, and feeling cold. She actually didn't even feel a heartbeat. She gasps lightly, pressing her ear up against his chest and hearing a faint ba-bump, ba-bump. Quirin's brows knit together in confusion.

"What is it? Is something wrong?"

"His heart. It's ... practically frozen ...!"

She shakes him lightly, hearing his heart shake like a bag of rocks. It frightened her. She tried to sit up from the reclining chair, but found her muscles give out on her. She breathed heavily, using all her strength to keep the baby in her arms, handing him over to Quirin.

"H-Here, take Varian, and listen to my steps. I have an idea."

Quirin nods in understanding, listening to his wife's orders. First being to place him on the work-table. Then, knock him out with a special chemical she'd produced to put people to sleep. Next, finding the right cuckoo-clock. Although Quirin wanted to question his wife, he also didn't want Varian to possibly die on him, so he gave into command. Once she'd approved the right mechanical heart, he was then told to do a very tricky procedure: cutting open his son and placing a working cuckoo-clock on top of his heart.

"You want me to do what?"

"Please, Quirin, we don't have much time! J-Just do as I say."

She lets out a violent cough, feeling herself grew weaker and colder by the minute. Quirin sucked in a deep breath before carefully moving. He took in every word his wife told him to do, not wanting to miss a single beat. He feared if he did he'd lose Varian before he even got to know him. Once the cuckoo was done being sewn to Varian—albeit a little messily—Quirin took the small key on the counter top, winding him up. The sickly mother watched in anticipation, waiting for something to happen. But nothing came. Only the sounds of the cogs going into play could be heard in the deathly quiet workshop. The Mother's eyes brimmed with tears as she buried her face in her hands, thinking she had killed her son.

Quirin refused to believe that. His lip straightened in a line as he tried to wind Varian up once again. The dust from the cuckoo blew up his nose, accidentally making him sneeze.

Cuckoo! Cuckoo!

Came the sound of the cuckoo-bird, sticking out of Varian's cuckoo-clock heart. His eyes sprang open, as if he'd been a Frankenstein awakened back to life. Quirin's heart skipped a beat, a smile wrinkling upon his features as he cheered. The Mother gave off one weak smile, feeling her own heart stopped beating and her eyes flutter shut.

"We did it! Honey, our baby is going to be okay!" Quirin cheered, spinning around Varian before stopping abruptly.

He stared at the lifeless body of his wife, laying in the reclining chair with a peaceful smile. His dropped immediately as he walked over to her.

"Honey?" His timid voice spoke.

Tears came to his eyes as he shook his head in denial, holding baby Varian close in his strong arm while hugging his wife close to her with the other. Varian only stared in confusion, his clock hands spinning and ticking away. Although a life had been saved that day, another was also lost.