Author's Note: Hello! I'm sorry but it's Christmas time and with all this recent Klamille happenings I felt like I needed to write this down. Hopefully all Klami's can enjoy it!
It was December and chilly in the French Quarter of New Orleans. All was well with jazz and booze in the cities meanwhile families decorated their homes for Christmas. For a change, the Mikaelson compound was being decorated for the holidays, courtesy of Camille O'Connell. There were boxes spread about in the main sitting room while a very frustrated hybrid was trying to set the Christmas tree base to begin the decorations. A couple steps from him stood an impatient Cami with her arms crossed and sharp look on her face.
But what annoyed Klaus was the irritating tapping sound her shoe was doing.
"Cami, would you mind being extraordinarily silent?" he glanced over his shoulder.
Cami rolled her eyes and let her arms drop to her sides, "I would be quiet if you finally finished the stupid tree base!" she gestured to the undone tree, "We haven't even extended its branches yet!"
"It's more complicated than it looks," Klaus argued in a low mutter as he resumed his work. The scoff Cami gave nearly made him break the plastic of the base, "I'm sorry, was there a comment you'd like to make?"
"Original vampire, hybrid even, a thousand years old and he can't set up a Christmas tree?" Cami lightly chuckled and moved up beside him, "It's kinda funny when you look at it," she flashed a smirk.
"Why am I doing this!?" Klaus stood up before he ended up breaking the base and tree altogether.
Cami took his place at the base and tried to make the tree fit in perfectly, "Because I asked and then I mentioned Hope would like to see her home decorated for the holidays."
"Right," Klaus looked to the side and wondered just how more difficult it would get to be to deny Cami and Hope anything.
"There we go," Cami proudly stood up and backed away to get a good look at the tree...when Klaus scoffed.
"It's crooked," he announced.
"What?" she frowned at him, "No it's not."
"Yes," Klaus went up and gestured to the lopsided part, "it is. Because you put it to far to the right," he then bent down and re-positioned the stick of the tree.
"This would've been easier if you just bought a real one!"
"No need to fret, love, I've finished," Klaus proudly stood to his feet and moved back to where Cami was.
"No, no, no," Cami shook her head and went to fix the tree base again.
"Dammit Camille, it goes that way!"
"No!" the blonde insisted and wagged a finger at Klaus, "It doesn't!"
"Yes, it does!"
"No," Klaus gently pulled her away from the tree and stood in front of her, "Now, I suggest we go and start with the branches before we really lose it."
"I thought you already lost it," Cami huffed and moved around him to get started with the branches, "Irritating, hybrid," Klaus heard her mumble.
Amused and with a sway of his head, Klaus walked to the tree and started helping her with the ornaments. All was well for a couple of minutes before...
"Klaus, those don't match," Cami pointed to the bright blue sphere Klaus held in one hand and another bold orange sphere.
"What?" Klaus looked between the spheres, "They're just spheres."
"With different, un-matching colors," Cami laughed, "Put the orange one down and put the blue one. It's more in the Christmas spirit."
"Maybe I like the orange one instead," Klaus decided to frustrate her a little more, just for fun this time.
Cami poked her head around the tree and narrowed her eyes, "It doesn't match."
"And who says it has to match?"
"The Christmas laws..."
"The Christmas laws?" Klaus started to laugh.
"Shut up, it's real," Cami reached for the orange sphere only to have him hold it up high, "And it doesn't match!"
"I like the orange one so I say it goes," Klaus declared and stated pinning the ornament at the highest branch of the tree, "Orange is festive, orange is fun, orange is-"
"NOT matching!" Cami nearly shouted. She put her hands on her hips and glared at him, "Klaus, seriously, we have the nice red ribbons," she gestured to the ribbons on several branches, "The silver spheres," she pointed next, "And even green and golden. Orange is not happening."
"It''s my house, love," Klaus reminded her as he handed her the blue sphere after hanging his orange one.
"Which you invited me in to," Cami smirked and took the blue sphere from him, "That orange is ugly," was her final words against the subject.
But Klaus had won that round and he knew it.
~ 0 ~
The Christmas tree had been finally set up with all types of ornaments and all it needed was the big, bright star at the to. Cami had brought in a small, wooden, 3-step stairs and placed it at the tree. She went up the three steps and held a hand to Klaus, "Star, please."
Klaus was about to drink bourbon from his glass when Cami had given the order, "Well, I was on a break."
Cami rolled her eyes, "There are no bourbon breaks when decorating. We established that."
"No, you established that," Klaus reminded, "I simply stood there."
"Can you just give me the star, please?"
"You're going to fall," he warned as he reached for the silver and white star that rested on a table near him.
"I want to put the star," Cami declared.
"Cami," Klaus held the star for her, "Be careful, the last thing I need tonight is to hear how I messed yet again on this decorating thing."
"I can handle a plastic star," Cami rolled her eyes and took the star from him, "Do you think we should move onto the decoration of the room?" she leaned on her toes to place the star's handle at the top of the tree.
"More decoration?" Klaus pondered while he took a drink. He wanted to please her but he also wished to avoid more petty disagreements over stupid ornaments.
"Yeah, I think Hope might like to see her house all pretty with lights. She's been talking nonstop about the other decorations she's seen," Cami went on as she struggled to get the handle on right, "I thought it might be a nice surprise if-AH!" her foot her slipped at the front of the steps she was on, causing her to fall on the side.
In one, two seconds the sound of a glass shattering was heard while a gasp escaped Cami's lips as she safely landed in Klaus's arms.
"Look at you now, messing up," he flashed a smirk as he helped her stand straight.
"I can't be perfect all the time," Cami broke out her own saucy smirk and even flipped her hair for dramatics, "And thanks," she patted his shoulder then looked around for the star. Klaus watched her go pick up the star and fiddle with its broken light, "Do you have another one?" she looked at him sadly.
"Afraid not, love," Klaus shrugged. The compound didn't even have decorations to begin with. He'd only gone out and compelled some of the things because Cami had expressed an interest in decorating the place earlier in the day.
"There can't be a tree without a star," Cami looked up at the tree with disappointment. She wanted the decorations to be perfect for Hope but without a star to complete the tree...what would be the point?
Klaus quietly sighed as he felt Cami's look get to him as it usually did when she was upset, "Perhaps we can purchase one in the-"
"We're back!" a soft, young voice rang from a distance.
"No," Cami quickly hid the star behind her back as if it would make a difference.
A five year old blonde girl ran into the room with a cheerful smile on her face, "Daddy! We're back!" she ran straight into Klaus's arms and was promptly picked up by the hybrid, "And guess what? We bought something special for Cami!"
"F-for me?" Cami blinked.
Young Hope would've answered but her attention had been drawn to the Christmas tree, "Oh..." her blue eyes widened and sparkled with awe, "That's so pretty!" she wiggled until Klaus set her down. She hurried up to the tree and stared at it wide-mouthed, "I told mommy I wanted a Christmas tree like this but she said no..."
"And now you know why," Klaus smiled at her when she glanced back, "Cami wanted to give you the surprise."
"Really?" Hope turned to the suddenly-shy Cami who still held the star behind her back, "You did this for me?"
"Um...yeah," Cami began, "I asked your mommy if she could allow me to do the tree this year."
"I like it!" Hope clapped her hands together and squealed, "And I have the finishing present! Aunty Bekah!" she called as she ran for the threshold of the room, "Aunty Bekah!"
"Klaus, there's no star," Cami whispered to Klaus frantically.
"She said she liked it," Klaus reminded and took the star from her, "Meaning..." he chucked the star to the other end of the room.
"But it's not right!"
"What's not right?" Hope turned around curiously, only able to catch that last part.
"Um..." Cami looked at the tree and sighed, "...I'm sorry, Hope. I meant to finish the tree for you but I broke the star."
"But you like the tree, don't you sweetheart?" Klaus gave his daughter a look which told her to be careful with what she said. While he could care less about decoration it meant a lot more to Cami and he wouldn't play with her feelings.
"I love it," Hope nodded, "And I think you'll really like the present," she told Cami just as Rebekah walked into the room holding several shopping bags.
"Hope Mikaelson you do not run away without helping," Rebekah looked down at her niece with a frown.
"But you're strong, Aunty Bekah," Hope shrugged, "You can carry all of it on your own."
"It's called being polite," Rebekah clarified, "Now I know who your father is but it doesn't mean you have to act like him."
"Evening, Rebekah," Klaus rolled his eyes at her comment.
"Look Aunty Bekah," Hope dragged Rebekah to the decorated tree, "Cami did this all for me, can you believe it?"
Rebekah set down the bags and took a look at the tree, "Nice job, Cami. I love the ribbons."
"Thanks," Cami appreciated the remark.
"But Cami is sad because she thinks I'll hate it without the star," Hope explained and suddenly there were shared looks between aunt and niece, something that didn't go unnoticed by Klaus.
"What are you two up to?" he immediately questioned them.
Hope chuckled, "Mommy said she wouldn't buy a Christmas tree this year but I thought if I had something that absolutely needed a tree...she would buy it," as she spoke she moved to a certain shopping bag and pulled out a white box, "But now I get to surprise Cami," she pulled the top of the box to reveal a silver star embellished with clear crystals and a glittery spiral coil, "Do you like it?"
"That's beautiful," Cami blinked, "Way better than the one we had..."
"I bought it," Klaus interjected, slightly offended.
"Sh," Cami waved him off, "Hope, the star is beautiful. Would you like to put it on the tree yourself?"
"Yes, please!" before she did so, however, she surprised Cami with a hug, "And thank you for your present."
Cami softly smiled and placed a kiss over Hope's head before the little girl went with her aunt Rebekah to put the star. Klaus joined Cami with a small smirk, "Told you it'd be alright."
"Thank you," Cami honestly said and turned to him, "I know this was probably an irritating night for you but it was important to me, and you stuck with it. Thank you," she leaned and kissed him on the lips.
At the same time, however, Hope decided to comment, "Ew, who put this orange thing here? It's ugly!" both Cami and Klaus looked over to see the girl in Rebekah's arms, the girl holding the orange sphere Klaus had placed against Cami's will.
Cami snickered while Klaus groaned and looked away, "I told you it didn't match," Cami mumbled to him before she loudly laughed.