Title: Forget Me Not
Author: d0ntbleenk
Fandom: The Vampire Diaries
Ship: Klaus Mikaelson/Tatia Petrova
Rating: K
He didn't know how long he'd been standing there, staring into the brilliant orange flames that engulfed the wooden logs at the core of the fireplace. As the fire ate up the last fragments of the papers that had once bore his most intimate of sketches, the feelings he had let overcome him once more. It was his curse, loving too much, it always had been.
But after a thousand years he couldn't help but wonder if things would be different this time around. Naturally, the odds had been against him.
"You shouldn't torture yourself in this way."
Her voice seemed almost an echo, far away, as though it had been carried over to him on a nonexistent wind. He closed his eyes, trying to block it out, unable to grasp the idea that he wasn't hearing things. To hear that voice again... impossible.
No matter how hard he tried to forget it, her words had done the trick, had sparked memories both incredible and painful. It was only seconds before her face flashed behind his eyelids and he opened his eyes again, only moments after that before he realized she was standing right in front of him. He reached out, be it out of love or disbelief, caressing her cheek and evoking a soft smile that soon graced her lips.
"Hello Niklaus."
The sound of her voice made him retract his hand, as though he'd been shocked. This was all very real - too real for him to grasp.
"Tatia... you can't be..." Klaus struggled to find the right words to say, a strange feeling. "I must be dreaming." It wasn't much of a stretch; he'd dreamt of her countless times before, each just as realistic as the next.
"I'm afraid not, my lord," replied Tatia, her voice steady as she took his hand between both of hers. "You feel this, which means I am here with you." Her eyes were steadily locked with his. "Where I belong."
Klaus could only stare at her, before his brows furrowed. "But you died. I watched him kill you. I buried you -" He stopped himself, raising a brow. "You're not...?"
"Nik..."
"You didn't answer the question." He clenched his teeth slightly, pulling his hand from between hers. "How are you here now? Did someone turn you?"
"Why can't you be happy that I'm back?" Tatia inquired, deflecting his questions. "We were happy once, Niklaus, do you remember? We can be together again. Isn't that what you want?"
"Of course it's what I want," Klaus told her, studying her for a long moment before shaking his head. "But not like this."
She watched him walk away, frowning slightly. "It's not what you think, I haven't been turned." Her tone was almost pleading. "I swear it."
"Then how -"
"Your mother," she replied quickly, meeting his gaze once more as he turned to face her. Tatia moved towards him. "I know you don't believe it now but she did love you, my lord. She loved you more than anyone, otherwise she wouldn't have done this for you. For us." She placed a hand on his cheek, chancing another heartfelt smile.
Klaus looked down at her, hardly understanding. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist gently, searching her eyes which were now glistening with fresh tears. "What has she done?"
"Just remember I'm always with you, Niklaus." Her words seemed almost dismissive as she leaned in to give him a soft kiss, a tear slipping down her cheek. The feeling of her lips against his once again, even if only for a brief moment, mesmerized him to the point where he had forgotten why he'd ever been upset, or even suspicious.
But the negative feelings came rushing back the second he opened his eyes again, finding himself standing in the library all alone. Just as soon as she'd appeared, Tatia was gone.