A/N: I think I am going to make this a series of ficlets of all the moments some characters need to sit down and talk in TO because really, half their problems would be solved in less than a day if they only just talked! These will mostly also be my own HCs and explain some swift character changes, such as Hayley now being on the "Always and Forever" train. Next one might be Hayley & Marcel during the ball.
Hayley caught him brooding in his living room, his cheerful drunk façade thrown away. From the months she'd lived with the Mikaelsons, she had picked up on some of their tells, Niklaus being the most transparent one when it came to his mood - which truthfully was not as helpful as one would think considering that Klaus could go from witty to murderous in less than a second.
Hayley brushed her hands along her dress, steeling herself before entering the room.
"Klaus." She waited for him to raise his eyes from his drink.
"I bit Marcel to help him win his fight with the Stix. He's going to need your blood."
The glass clunked against the glass table and Klaus huffed as he rolled up his sleeves and licked his bourbon covered finger.
"Am I to understand that you and my dear Marcellus made up this brilliant plan with the hope that I would be kind enough to give him my blood? Ah. But you see, Hayley, I am really not in the mood to heal one of my potential enemies tonight. Tell Marcel that tomorrow is another day."
He had left the couch to join Hayley at the hallway door. "Now come, love, visions of my future death await your gleeful eyes."
Hayley blocked the doorway with her arm, her fingers digging imprints into the wood. "You are unbelievable! Marcel is not an enemy, Klaus! He's from your own sireline, he would never try to kill you! He almost died today because you and Elijah didn't warn him about the Styx and he wanted to help you, Klaus."
Klaus' chest hit Hayley's arm, the warmth of his body so close to her made her hair stand on end. His twisted smile - those who did not know him would call it cheerful, but Hayley knew that it meant bitterness and resentment and cruel punishments - as he stared down at her told her that her reaction to him did not go unnoticed.
"Marcel may not want me dead, but he can be used against me, he cannot be trusted not to be manipulated! He would not be the first that the Styx used at their convenience."
Hayley's hand hit the doorway as she dropped her arms against her chest. She could not contain her frustration and let out a growl, more animal than human. "Do you even realize how paranoid you are? In your dark twisted mind, everyone can be used against you, but that does not give you reason to let your friends, your family, God Marcel is basically your son! You can't just let him die because of a maybe!"
"If it keeps our family safe-"
Hayley grabbed him by the collar of his shirt and pushed him against the door, her voice low as she tried to get him to understand. "Open your eyes, Klaus! By your own logic then our daughter could be used to get to you! Does that mean you'll kill Hope one day?"
Klaus' hand reached for her wrist and crushed her bones as he pulled her even closer. "You know, better than anyone, Little Wolf, that I would never ever hurt our daughter. You may hate me and wish me dead but do you really think that i would ever hurt our daughter?" He looked at her, for once not hiding behind a mask, showing her the love he had for their daughter. But Hayley needed to drive her point home.
Klaus let go of Hayley's wrist with a pained exhale as her elbow connected with his chest. She placed her palms on his chest, anchoring him in their discussion. "I know that. If there is one thing I have learned about you it is that. Which is why I don't understand why you go to such lengths to push those that you need away from you. Marcel is on your side Klaus, he has always been. Hell, he was on my side when I was just a baby! If you can't do it for yourself then do it for Hope, because I do believe that our daughter would rather have both her parents there to see her grow up."
With her piece said, Hayley stepped away from Klaus, her hands suddenly freezing at the loss of contact. She left to check on Hope and told Marcel where to find Klaus when she met him in the stairs. She hoped that her talks had helped smooth things between them, otherwise she would bleed out Klaus if she had to to save Marcel.