Hey sorry for the long wait guys! thanks for all the reviews. Long chapter :)
The man kissed her. She kissed the man. Their lips were on each other.
Klaus couldn't believe what he was seeing. He felt his hear stop beating and his lungs unable to aid him breathe. Continuing to stare at them as they stopped, looked into each other's eyes, smiled and resumed tasting each other's lips. He didn't know what he was supposed to do because his mind wasn't functioning normally. the thought of her finding a suitor had never crossed his mind, ever.
But why should didn't he ever think that? Surely he knew that they would find suitors on day, perhaps get married and start a family. Of course he knew that. It happened to everyone. But then why did he never think that Hayley would one day find a suitor, get married and perhaps start her own family? He couldn't take standing there anymore. He drifted his eyes away and walked over to his bed, fell on it and closed his eyes. But all he saw was the image of her lips. Her lips... On someone else's. That man.
His eyes snapped open and there was a sudden rush of anger in him. This turn of events was happening for the first time and he had no idea what this was. All he knew I'd that he needed to find out everything about the mystery man as soon as possible.
There was a knock on the door and it opened. The noise made him move away from his train of thought and looked at Elijah entering his room.
"Niklaus, we are going to be late. Your trainer is wrong for you downstairs."
"Tell George I'll be there in a moment, just need to get my boots."
Elijah nodded and walked back to his brother's trainer. he couldn't help but notice that his face was pale and his eyes were cold. Usually Niklaus was excited for tournaments. He told George what he needed to say and made a mental note to ask his brother about it later.
Klaus carried his sword in his hand and followed George to the carriage which was waiting for them. As he was walking he turned his head to see her and her male friend riding the horse back to the stables. He gulped and looked back forward and marched past everyone in front of him to the carriage.
Elijah was looking at and walking towards the carriage when suddenly Niklaus speed walked in front him, got into the carriage and threw his bag into the back of the carriage. He bunched his eyebrows together at this sudden aggressive behaviour. Something was definitely bothering him.
He sat next to Klaus and observed him for a few minutes as the carriage was moving towards the county. He was looking out the window with a blank expression. Elijah sighed and asked, "Something on your mind brother?"
Klaus heard Elijah ask him a question but didn't look away from the widow. "Just nervous" he said but he knew that was a lie. So did Elijah.
"You are never nervous. Something is bothering you? You never act like this before a tournament."
Klaus gulped and shit his eyes for a moment, think of what to say. He spoke without looking at Elijah.
"I need you to tell me if you know the name of the person who fits this description. He was brown hair, he looks a bit older than me, he's a bit taller too...?"
Elijah thought for a second. "That's a fairly vague description. could be anyone really."
Klaus looked slightly agitated. "He was riding a horse in the garden and..."
"Oh! If he was with a horse, than its probably someone who is in the army, since no one else can ride them. Or it could be Julian James Henderson-"
"Who's that?" Klaus interrupted, with an intrigued voice.
Elijah looked at his brothers eager face but didn't ask why just yet.
"He's the keeper of the horses. He's been looking after them since he was young boy and training them since four years ago. His father John Henderson died in battle two years ago. He's a brave man, very charming I must say." Elijah said with a chuckle.
But klaus was not amused. He couldn't help but feel intimidated by the fact that he was the man that he saw with Hayley. He was the keeper of the horses which means Hayley probably knew him. He didn't want this Julian man to charm his way into Hayley's heart and he didn't understand why.
"You seem overly eager to know about the man you are describing. Tell me why."
Klaus's thoughts were interrupted by his brother's voice again. he didn't know if he should tell Elijah or not. But he didn't know what else to do so he decided that he could trust Elijah with his dilemma.
"I was in the balconyof my room today and I saw Hayley in the garden. She was sitting under this tree, with a man, who I just described, this...Julian."
Klaus felt like his voice was betraying him. He was having such a hard time even talking about it.
Elijah saw his brother's face go pale again but still with blank expressions. "Continue."
Klaus gulped which didn't go unnoticed by Elijah. "She and him were with a horse, their hands were... together. And..." Klaus clutched his hands tightly.
Elijah was starting to realise what was going on but wanted Klaus to finish talking.
"...And they, they were being oddly friendly... too friendly with each other..."
Elijah feared this would happen with Klaus. He asked calmy. "Brother. Did you witness what was meant to be a private moment between Miss Marshal and Julian?"
Klaus looked up at Elijah in surprise wondering how he figured it out. He remained silent and looked back out the window slightly flustered for being so vulnerable in from of him.
The look on Klaus's face was all he needed to confirm his suspensions. He sighed with a bit of anger.
"Niklaus! You are truly invisible to you're own emotions aren't you? Do you really not realise why you are feeling so anxious right now?"
Klaus looked confused. "What are you talking about?"
Elijah growled quietly. "You have feelings for Hayley, Niklaus! You care for her more than just a friend. Here I thought those were just rumours!"
Klaus was stunned by Elijah's words. Feelings? More than a friend? He looked back out the window lost in thought. Could it be true? He was starting to realise that all this time, all those mixed emotions, the difficulty to concentrate on anything but her recently, her lips, her smile... He was jealous. He cared for her more than he liked to admit. But he couldn't figure out when this happened. If he was feeling this all of a sudden so strongly, then he must have started to see her in a different light since before. She was his best friend and he lost that connection with her. What would have happened if they were still that close? Would he have realised that he had feelings for her? Would she have gotten closer to him too? Would she have met Julian? How long has she known him for? Couldn't be that long or he would have known about him. They talked about everything but not anymore and it was killing him that they couldn't see each other more often.
All this time. He was jealous of Hayley with another man. Someone who wasn't him.
"Niklaus please remember that you cannot do anything to sabotage your reputation. It was bad enough that the rumours were causing small talk. If it is proven real, then they will send her away and you will be ruined!"
Klaus heard every word with an arrow in his heart. He couldn't hurt her. He had to know if she loved him though. If she was happy. But nothing couldn't make him feel any other way for her anymore and he chose that he wouldn't tell her or anyone about this.
Without saying anything the rest of the way, they finally reached.
The tournament didn't go as well as everyone hoped. The usual champion was third place this time.
But he didn't care. All he could think about was her. Beautiful Hayley Marshall. Former best friend of Niklaus Mikaelson.
Hayley got of the horse with Julian's help and brushed her long brown hair to one side. As Julian attended to Autumn, her thoughts went to what was going on between them. They had such a strong connection and she wanted more. She had never thought she would find herself a suitor. Most young girls had their families find them suitors, but she was lucky. She couldn't imagine being with someone she did not hold feelings for.
Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt strong hands grip her waist and pull her back. Her back collided with his chest and she felt his lips on her shoulder moving to her neck. "Will you join me for dinner today?" He mumbled against her neck. She closed her eyes with a smile but then moved away from him and turned to face him.
"Yes I will. Julian, not here. Someone might see us." She said with her hands resting on his chest.
He didn't let go of her and held her hips gently. "I know but your lips are just the sweetest, most tempting thing." he said with a charming smile. Hayley blushed madly and turned away but Julian held her chin and pulled her face up to meet his eyes.
She closed her eyes and they were almost about to kiss when they heard footsteps behind them.
As soon as he got out of the carriage, Klaus turned and walked towards the stables. He needed to know the status of her relationship with the Julian man.
"Niklaus! Where are you going?" Elijah asked with an accusing tone, he had a feeling he already knew the answer to that.
Klaus stopped and turned around. "To see Hayley." Elijah sighed. "Niklaus please don't do or say anything you will regret."
Klaus turned back around and said, "I won't, I promise. Just need to know for myself."
Elijah watched him walk away. He didn't exactly know what Klaus meant by that last line. Know about Hayley and Julian or know if he really has feelings for her? Either way he hoped Niklaus wouldn't hurt himself, emotionally that is. It was quite clear to Elijah that Klaus would not be happy if Julian and Hayley were perusing a relationship.
Klaus walked up the hill hoping not to see Hayley at the stables. Yes, hoping NOT to. He didn't want to see her with Julian. But why was he being so paranoid? He was starting to truly realise that Elijah was right about his feelings. He reached the stables and turned into the entrance. But what he saw made him and heart stop. His wish of not seeing Hayley there was squashed. Not only was she there but she was there. Near him. With her hands on him chest, his hand on her hips and their faces painfully close to each others. His footsteps seemed to have caught their attention as they both turned quickly to look at him. His eyes my hers and he felt butterflies.
"My lord! What brings you here?" Julian said after bowing. Klaus averted his gaze from Hayley and looked at Julian. He felt uneasy standing there. He nodded but didn't say anything. He turned back to Hayley when he heard her voice.
"Kla- my lord. It is good to see you, how are you today?" hearing her call him 'lord' again made him annoyed but realised she was not going to call him by his name in front of others.
"I am well, thank you Hayley. I was actually hoping to speak with you." He said with some hesitation. His new found feelings was not making it easy for him to speak with her like they did before.
Hayley looked confused. Why did he look so nervous? She nodded and turned to Julian. "I need to leave anyways. Mother must be waiting. Goodbye." She told him with a smile and he nodded letting her hand go, which she realised he was holding even when Klaus was here.
"I'll see you later?" He asked with a smirk and she nodded with blush on her cheeks.
"Of course," she said and Julian leaned in to kiss her cheek and nodded his head at Klaus with a smile before leaving the stables.
Klaus felt his heart burn when Julian kissed her cheek. He shut his eyes tight trying to control his emotions.
After he left, Hayley turned to Klaus. "So, what did u want to talk about?"
Klaus looked at her eyes and for the first time realised how mesmerising they were. He could stare at them forever, he felt. He also realised how beautiful she looked in her long red dress. She wasn't dressed fancy, just her simple everyday dress and her long hair wild and flowing. She was a true beauty.
Hayley was waiting for an answer and just stood there awkwardly waiting for him to say something. He was just staring so she waved her hand in front of his face. "Are you okay?"
Klaus snapped out of his thoughts and realised he was staring. "Yeah, yeah... Um... I just wanted to talk to you. It's been a while." Klaus was hurting inside. He didn't didn't know how to approach her anymore.
Hayley giggled a little and made Klaus' heart flutter. "We've talked this week. But you didn't tell me, how was your tournament?" She asked.
Klaus felt embarrassed to tell her that he didn't win first place. He had never come third in any competition and felt like he needed to be winner in everyone's eyes. But when he did tell her she was a bit shocked. She expected him to be the top of his level.
"What happened?"
Klaus didn't want to admit that he lost because throughout the whole tournament, the only thing he could think of was her and her relationship with Julian. "Just got distracted" settling not to tell her he said.
Hayley smiled. "It's okay, you'll always be a winner." Somehow hearing Hayley say that made him be okay with losing.
He missed this. So much. Talking to her, having fun with her, being around his best friend.
"Hayley do you want some company tonight? Maybe talk and catch up? Haven't done that in a while..." The smile on Hayley's face dulled. It was still there but it wasn't as bright.
"I would love that but maybe some other time. I have plans tonight." Hayley said thinking about Julian.
Klaus saw Hayley's cheeks get red. He wondered if it was because of the stable boy. He gave her a questioning look so she said, "Julian has invited me to have dinner with him and I accepted."
Klaus was upset about this. When was he going to get any time with her if she spends all of it with Julian? But he realised it was the perfect time to question her relationship with him.
"How do you know Julian?" Klaus asked curiously and slowly, not to seek nosy.
Hayley had been wanting to talk to someone about Julian and her. She would have talked to her mother but she wanted to talk about her other feelings. Klaus and her were best friends, they could become closer again. Maybe if she confided with him, he would give her good advice. It would give them a chance to become closer.
She smiled and held his hand. "Let's go to the waterfall."
Klaus felt the butterflies again when she held his hand. Why hadn't she answered him and why was she smiling? She wanted to go to the waterfall! Their place. Klaus didn't care why but he eagerly followed her waiting to hear whatever she was going to tell him.
When the reached they say on the same spot where their initial were carved. Klaus stared at her jolly face. Beautiful.
"Listen, so I've wanted to talk to someone about this and I do not really think my mom would be the best person to talk to about it."
Klaus looked confused. "I'm not following."
Hayley bit her lip and moved closer to him. "Julian is the keeper of the horses. I met him while ago and I've.. I don't know, I've been having these strange feelings when I'm around him." Klaus was stunned at what she was saying. He didn't say anything so she continued.
"We've been meeting a lot and we got along well and today I..." She blushed madly remembering and klaus had a feeling he knew what she was going to say.
"I had my first kiss. With him. And he told me he wanted to court me and we rode the stallion together and it was amazing Klaus." She said with such excitement. What she didn't know was that her words were tearing his heart out. He didn't realise how strongly he actually felt for her.
He gulped and put on a fake smile. "That's great. I'm happy for you."
Hayley smiled widely and sled him, "the thing is that I don't know how to handle this. I don't know what to do. I know this was a while ago but how was it when you were courting Lady Camille five years ago?"
Klaus didn't expect this to be the talk. He hated this. He hated that they were talking about Julian and her new found attraction for him. What was so special about him anyway?
"Um... It was a while ago, I don't know, we would just talk and go to the garden and town together and walk around. Hayley I know you want advice from me but I'm not the right person to be asking because Camille and I had a five month relationship and I'm the one who ended it. So if you're looking for advice on how to act in a relationship, I would disappoint you but the one thing I can tell you is please be careful with him. I don't want to see you get hurt." What he really wanted to tell her was that he didn't want her to be with Julian because he would get hurt seeing the woman he has feelings for in the arms of someone else.
But he remembered Elijah's words and decided that he had to accept this and be happy for her.
"Thank you, Klaus... I better go now. Have a dinner to prepare for." She smiled and stood up.
Klaus saw her stand up and said "you go, I'll follow in a while." She looked confused at his pale face but ignored it and nodded.
Klaus watched her leave and rubbed his face in his hands for feeling like this. He stood up and kicked a big stone angrily into the water. He didn't even know Julian yet he already hated him. Being close to her only made it worse for him knowing that she was being courted. He was afraid. Afraid of losing her. He already lost her once. If he wanted to be saved from losing her again he had to change his mind from becoming close to her.
He walked back to the castle when his father summoned him and Elijah to the great hall.
"Niklaus, Elijah, good you boys are here. I have received a letter from the great school of France, L'école de Sagesse proposing for the both of you to join them for separate reasons. Elijah, they want you to teach, yes teach, at the economy institute for two years and Niklaus they are offering you a chance to study arts and swordsmanship for two years as well. Now boys, you would be smart to take up this offer. It will earn you respect from the people here and Elijah, good money from France will come your way. You will be leaving in three days." With that he left the room leaving klaus and Elijah to hug each other at this amazing opportunity. He had to tell Rebekah.
Rebekah was overjoyed for her brother. She remembered how he would always talk to her about how amazing it would be to see the world and he got to start with France.
"Congratulations brother, getting your wish finally." She smirked.
"Yes it is beyond exciting, Rebekah. This is a great opportunity for me. I can learn so much more."
Klaus was smiling widely when he saw his sister smirking. He knew it wasn't about what she had just heard from him.
"What is it?" He asked.
"Oh nothing," she said walking to sit on the couch opposite his bed.
"A little birdie told me that you finally accepted your feelings for your best friend." Klaus' smile slipped from his face slowly. He looked at her with emotions in his eyes and then looked away. "I don't want to talk about it." He said, mentally planning on killing Elijah later.
"Oh come on Nik, it's not news to me. I've known before you for a long time now." She said and giggled to herself.
Klaus was confused at this. "What are you talking about?"
Rebekah sighed. She loved Hayley and they bonded very easily. She missed her ever since the rumours reached Mikael and she had to stay away from them. "Don't you remember that day Nik? Her birthday three years ago?"
Flashback three years ago
"Here you go, Hayley, Happy Birthday!" Rebekah said as she hugged Hayley. Hayley opened the small box and saw a pretty bracelet inside that matched Rebekah's
"Aww Bekah, thank you," she said and hugged her again. Just then they heard a knock on her door and Hayley turned around to see Klaus standing there with a smile on his face.
Hayley was so happy to see him and so she ran and jumped on him, hugging him so tight that he almost fell back.
Klaus hugged her back just as tightly and laughed at her urgency to greet him.
"Klaus! What are you doing here? I thought you weren't coming back until next Monday!" She said as she moved away from him excitedly.
"I wasn't going to miss your birthday now was I?" He said and greeted Rebekah who was watching them silently.
"Wait Nik, you're telling me you came here all the way from the middle of your completion in north London just for Hayley's birthday?"
Klaus smiled confidently and said "well of course, I wasn't going to miss it." He said as Hayley gleaned at him.
"Where's your gift for her? Didn't come empty handed did you?"
"No I don't need any more gifts!" Hayley said in the middle but klaus continued to talk to Rebekah.
"Don't be absurd Rebekah, of course I have something for her," he said smiling. "In fact, it's in my art room. Care to join me?" He asked Hayley.
Both Hayley and Rebekah stood in shock. "What?" Hayley asked.
"You're taking her to your art room?! You never show atone that place! Not even me!" Rebekah screeched while Hayley still stood surprised.
"Only special people are allowed there. And today that special someone is Hayley." He said and lead her out her mother's room leaving Rebekah behind.
It was then she realised that Hayley meant so much to Klaus. Even more than his own siblings it would seem. That room was his mind and soul. He was letting her into his mind and soul. And he never did that with anyone.
Present time
Klaus lived the flashback in his head again. He tempered that day so well. The first time he let anyone in to his art room. He had even given her a painting he had done of the two of them as a gift. She was overjoyed with a huge smile on her face.
Rebekah watched klaus silently as she noticed he was reliving that day.
Klaus snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Rebekah.
"What is your point sister?"
Rebekah sighed. "My point, Nik, is that you never did that before. You let her into what you call privacy. You're always so guarded about that room. It might not seem like much but I know you pour your feelings out in that room. And you shows it her. That's huge, Nik, even for you. You said that the room was only for special people to see. Only she has seen it Nik. What does that tell you?"
Klaus was stunned at Rebekah's words. Had he really had these feelings for her since three years ago? Remembering her smile made his heart flutter. Rebekah was right. She was the only one who had seen that room. No one else. Not even Elijah or his own mother.
"Nik, Elijah told me that he didn't want you to confess to her. But you're going to be leaving for two years in three days. You won't see Hayley for two years." That's when klaus realised that was true. He hadn't thought about that. He wasn't going to see her for two years. The longest he had been away from her was these few months after the rumours reached Mikael and it pained him. How was he going to handle two years with these new found feelings of his on top?
"Tell her how you feel Nik. Don't leave knowing that she doesn't know -"
He couldn't hide it anymore. Especially not from Rebekah "No. I cannot Rebekah. She is being courted by someone else."
"What?! Who? For how long?" Rebekah asked in shock.
"His name is Julian, he works at the stables. It's only been going on for a day. But she had her first kiss with him." Klaus said closing his eyes trying to remove the image of them kissing under the tree from his head.
Rebekah watched him closely. Realisation dawned on her "you saw it didn't you. You witnessed her first kiss and that's when you're feelings surfaced your attention."
Klaus didn't respond, confirming Rebekah's theory. "You said she's been with him for a day brother. You won't be hurting her if you told her -"
"No. Rebekah it is out of the question. I'm going to forget these feelings and go to France and have a good two years."
Rebekah sighed at his stubbornness. "Fine. But at least tell her. You have two days to do so." She left the room and left klaus to his thoughts.
I'll tell her tomorrow.
TBC