notes: no, your eyes do not deceive you, IT'S FINALLY HAPPENING. I'm writing my first multichaptered klayley fic (aren't you impressed?) And yes, this is the continued version of the little mermaid au I started on tumblr. I was also a little inspired by H2O: Just Add Water (as much I loved Cleo, Ricki was my fave). And everyone who read this on tumblr should actually re-read this, just because I added two entirely new sections (featuring elijah and finn!).
also: this fic is probably going to be a little fluffier than my usual angsty style of writing, and there's going to be lots of sibling bonding moments between the originals. Not to mention a lot of Koley/KolHayley (sprinkled here and there, kind of friendshippy, kind of). But the main couple is essentially Klayley, I just need to write a build-up. So yeah, enjoy the Koley while you can.
Now, without further ado, on with the show!
―
maybe you were the ocean
when I was just a stone
―
―
―
i: and no man is an island
―
She washes up on shore on a cloudless morning.
Her mind memorizes nothing more than warm arms and a firm touch, the strong scent of mint and the taste of liberty, still fresh on her tongue. Having legs for the first time frustrated her, though she hadn't counted on fainting because she's really not used to breathing in the toxic air circling around the landwalkers.
And to think she actually thought that humanity was her calling.
Perhaps, Hayley Marshall should have stuck to her life under the sea.
("Rebekah!" She wakes up to shouting. There is a man standing next to the bed, and he has sand colors hairs and sea colored eyes. He reminds her of home, of oceans blue and the taste of saltwater.
"Sister," he goes on to say, as Rebekah steps inside the bedroom. "Why did you put the unconscious woman in my bed?" He questions, angrily.
Rebekah rolls her eyes at her brother. "Because the guest room is already taken, Nik."
"By whom?"
"Kol is having some lady friend over for dinner.")
Hayley blinks a few times before Rebekah notices that she's awake. "Oh good, you're up." She tells her, as she sits beside her on the bed. "How are you feeling my dear?"
The brunette tries to speak up, but her voice…oh wait that's right, she sold it.
"You're mute?" Klaus says, as he also sits beside the mysterious and quiet girl.
Hayley nods her head.
Klaus smiles. "Why don't I get you a pen and paper?"
Hayley smiles back and agrees.
―
―
―
ii: oh this I know
―
She sits by the shoreline.
There is a leafless tree hanging over her head as she crinkles her nose at the long and thin branch, tickling her spine. In the meantime, Rebekah sits beside her and gathers the wet sand in her hands. She draws her name in to the sand with a stick.
Then, she hands the stick to Hayley.
I want to know what your name is, Rebekah says.
Hayley looks towards the horizon, down to where the skyline meets the edge of the sea. She thinks of the underwater palace she was banished from, a king who rid himself of his own daughter once he found out that his wife had been unfaithful. That she was, indeed, a bastard child.
That same cruel king had given her the name 'Hayley'. So she's not sure if she wants to wear that name, anymore. She doesn't think she needs those cruel memories, the reminder of an exile which was not her fault at all.
Though she does blame herself, nonetheless.
"C'mon," Rebekah insists on, "we can't all keep referring to you as 'little wolf', a name would be really helpful, it might aid us in our search for your family."
Hayley sighs at her little white lie.
How in the hell was she supposed to explain the plain and simple fact that she was, indeed, a mermaid?
―
In the distance, there is a man who sits by the rocks, sketchpad in hand and black framed spectacles resting over the bridge of his nose. He draws his sister and the girl whom he has no name for as they lie by the shoreline and write their names in to the sand.
Klaus hurries, fingers smudged in black charcoal, pencil rapidly sliding along the paper and drawing the lines of her dark brown locks. He draws, faster and faster, so he can capture a precise moment.
The moment where she first smiles at him from a distance.
"Brother," Kol interrupts him, "I see you've taken a liking to the stray you found." He says, sitting beside Klaus, observing his drawing of Hayley Marshall.
"She isn't a stray, Kol." Klaus specifies, as he tries his best to ignore his brother's presence.
"Whatever she is, you're still going to have a hard time explaining her presence to mother and father."
Klaus rolls his eyes, at this point. "It will be fine, we'll say she's one of Bekah's friends."
Kol laughs in to his brother's ear. "Bekah doesn't have friends."
Klaus looks onwards, watching as his sister smiles and wraps an arm around her new found companion. "Don't be so sure Kol."
He coughs in to his sleeve. "Fine," Kol says. "Mother might buy that excuse, but father…father will know that she's not from around here. And you know, first hand Nik, that father isn't too friendly around outsiders."
Kol's hand absentmindedly traces the scar running along his brother's arm. The scar his father gave him, back when they were ten and were caught sneaking out of the castle before dawn. Kol pities and loves his older brother to death, he really does.
He wishes that he could ease Klaus's pain, somehow.
"If father asks any questions," Klaus begins to say, "you tell him that the girl is yours."
Kol widens his eyes. "Mine?"
"He'd never let me keep a girl overnight, and Rebekah's a terrible liar, Elijah and Finn would never go for any of this…you're our only option."
The dark haired boy quirks a brow as he stares at the nameless girl. "Well," he says, "I suppose she is quite pretty, it's a shame she doesn't speak though."
"Yes," Klaus agrees, it would be easier to communicate with her, after all. "It truly is."
"All right then," Kol smiles, "I guess I'll go along with this little charade of yours, Nik."
―
When the sunlight hits her right, there's a certain sparkle in her eyes.
"That's a pretty drawing," Rebekah leans over Klaus's shoulder and stares at his sketchpad. "You should show it to Hayley, I bet she'd like it."
Klaus tilts his head back as he meets his sister's gaze. "Hayley?"
"That's her name," Rebekah teaches him. "Hayley."
―
They walk by the sand as Kol explains the plan to her, and Hayley doesn't look too thrilled.
"C'mon darling," he says, throwing an arm around her shoulder. "It'll be fun. Just imagining father's reaction to me being with a peasant girl makes me laugh."
Hayley furrows her brows at Kol's choice of words.
"Sorry," he tells her, "But if you're not a peasant, then where are you from? How did you drown? Isn't your family looking for you?"
If she were to tell him anything, Kol would not believe her at all. It's best to keep lying, Hayley decides, she's not sure that humans are aware of the existence of creatures like her. Her revelation might cause detrimental consequences for her people.
"Right," Kol kicks a rock in to the sea. "I suppose it's none of my business, after all." He runs ahead of her, sand in his hair and sweat beads running down his pale face. "It's getting late, we should get back home."
―
Before the evening settles in, Rebekah lends her one of her expensive gowns.
"We need to convince father that you're Kol's girl," the blond haired girl tells her. "Which means that I have to give you a makeover."
Hayley makes a face at the mere suggestion of a 'makeover'.
Rebekah, on the other hand, seemed ever so thrilled. She brings out almost all of her hair products and takes a first full of Hayley's curls. She hisses at the slight tug of her hair.
Rebekah rolls her eyes. "Why in the world does your hair smell like saltwater?"
―
―
―
iii: but can't you see, oh
―
Lilac is definitely her color.
Definitely?
Since when did he use such a word?
"So Nik," Rebekah sits on the bed and looks towards him. "What do you think?" She raises a blonde brow, teasingly. He sighs at his sister's abilities. She could really see right through his self-proclaimed tough-guise.
Klaus is about to say something witty and annoying.
Of course, all this is before Hayley appears before him. She twirls, lilac ruffles dancing with the winds, and midnight blue jewels adorning her neck. Snow white gloves, made of the finest silks are cozied up against her hands. And glass slippers, clinging and clanging against the tiled floors as she struggles to walk in them.
Klaus nods his head.
Definitely.
Lilac is definitely her color.
Bonnie, be reasonable, they hear Kol say, as he sticks his cellphone to his ear while nibbling on a piece of blue cheese. I told you darling, my family is having a private affair, he goes on to say. We can always go for a romp in the sheets next week, sweetheart.
Rebekah throws him her hairbrush, just so she can get his attention.
"Yes Bonnie, I know you hate it when I'm crude." Kol keeps his attention on his phone, catching the hairbrush and sending his sister a mischievous grin.
Klaus shakes his head at his siblings. He looks towards Hayley as she keeps staring in the mirror, smiling to herself and looking like a giant idiot.
"You act as though you've never seen a gown before," he tells her, leaning over her shoulder.
Hayley offers him a rather shady look. He doesn't know how true his words are. Then, she picks up a pen and a paper.
Klaus squints when she holds the paper up, just so he can see her message. "It was your idea, wasn't it?" He reads.
The smirk he offers her is nothing short of wolfish. "What was my idea sweetheart?"
Hayley sighs, exasperated by his motives. Me pretending to see your brother, she continues to write, as Klaus actually chuckles.
"Oh c'mon now love," he swings an arm around her shoulder. "Kol's not so bad, is he?"
The brunette looks toward the dark haired boy, casually talking away on his phone and dogging Rebekah's spitballs. Kol catches her gaze and Hayley looks away, almost immediately. She takes her pen, places it against yet another sheet of paper and glares at Klaus.
He's annoying.
She writes as she hears him snickering behind her.
Hayley sighs, once again.
Maybe Kol wasn't the only annoying one around here.
―
Careful Finn, Elijah says, as his brother slowly takes the soufflé out of the oven.
"Brother," the older sibling rolls his eyes. "You are aware of the fact that this isn't the first time I've baked soufflé." Finn confirms, placing the hot tray on the counter top. Elijah groans in his presence.
"The last time you made soufflé," he points to the graduation picture, plastered on the wall, "was back when you were eighteen. And we all know that it's been a while since you've been that young, hasn't it brother?"
Unfortunately, Finn is not too amused by Elijah's jab at his age (he's only twenty-nine; heaven knows why it's such a big deal).
"Oh, what's that 'Lijah?" He retorts, mouth pressing in to a thin smirk. "I'm terribly sorry; my hearing's not what it used to be. Did you say that you wanted me to feed this soufflé to Kol?" He shouts, while pressing a hand to his ear.
Elijah covers his brother's loud mouth, rejecting the cheeky remark. They both know all about Kol's appetite, and no dessert was safe around his presence.
Finn breaks out in to a sea of manly giggles (yes, you read that right, these were definite manly giggles) when all three of their younger siblings rush down the stairs.
Both older brothers feel the house shake as the footsteps become louder and louder. Elijah and Finn finally smile at one another.
It kind of feels like they're little kids again.
Is that soufflé I smell? Kol stammers in, holding the hand of an unidentified brunette. Oh by the way, this is my new girlfriend, Hayley. Finn and Elijah both widen their eyes at the young girl's presence.
"Your girlfriend?" They exclaim, while Kol happily sniffs the soufflé. It was a definite surprise since the last time Kol had used the word 'girlfriend', he was six. He had also used the word on Rebekah, since she was the only girl who had ever displayed any tolerance towards his childish behavior.
Elijah then decides to open his mouth again. "It's nice to meet you, I'm Kol's older brother, Elijah." He takes his hand out.
Hayley twirls a finger in her hair.
Kol takes her wrist. "Shake his hand darling."
She makes another face, staring at Kol with that same dazed look she almost always has on.
Finn steps in, just in time. "Like this Hayley," he says, as he shakes Elijah's hand. "It's a form of greeting." Finn explains to Hayley.
She smiles, nods her head, and finally shakes Elijah's hand.
He's a little dumbstruck by Kol's new girlfriend. Who in the world didn't know what a handshake was? Then again, she was a mermaid. Although none of the siblings knew that.
And just then, the doors of the Mikaelson mansion burst open.
Finn turns around. "Oh," he says, "mother and father are home."
Kol drops his spoonful of soufflé, eyes glinting in the candlelight.
"Showtime."
―
notes: dun dun dun! Next chapter, Hayley gets to meet Esther and Mikael! Hope you're as excited as I am :)