Hi. Apologies for updating so late. Here is another one shot. I hope you like it. Do share your thoughts.
"Its just sex, Klaus," she says picking up her jeans and pulling them on.
He simply puts on that annoying smirk of his that always makes her feel as if he knows something she doesn't. "What?"
"Nothing," he says still unmoving from his position on the bed.
"Then take that smirk off your face," she orders and he instantly complies for a moment before bursting out laughing.
"It is what it is Klaus; just meaningless sex," she says with a glare and his smile grows wider.
"Why are you working yourself up over it, little wolf? It is what you say it is," he says this time sitting up.
"I'm not- shut up!" She yells at him this time and he barely hides his smile.
"There's no need to yell, love. I can hear quite well! Also there's no one else in this place to hear you," he says.
"There's no need to remind me that we are alone, Klaus. Anyway, I should get going. Jack will be back from the bayou by now," she says shrugging on her jacket.
"And there's no need for you to remind me of the wolf boy," he says with a scowl and pulls on his Henley. She glares at him for a moment before stomping off.
He settles into the bed comfortably pulling the duvet on himself and closes his eyes.
She doesn't meet Cami's eyes. Never. She has too much guilt inside her to do that. Cami is her own cheerful self around her though something seems off about her lately, she thinks.
Kol knows, she's sure of it. But he doesn't say anything and for a moment she is doubtful but then his reproachful look says it all. He probably knows his brother more than anyone else in 1000 years. His eyes land on her at the most unexpected moments and she can't meet his gaze either.
"Hey," he says quietly one evening when she is playing with Hope in their apartment. She freezes at his voice, dreading his questions and Hope whips around her head to smile widely at her uncle.
"Hello, Kol. You fine?" She finally manages to say looking anywhere but in his eyes. He looks around the place with curiosity, still at the door.
"Yeah. How's my darling?" He coos in answer, showing off his charming smile and Hope starts crawling over to where he stands on the door.
"Come on in. Why are you stuck at the door? There are bags in the freezer so help yourself," Hayley says before disappearing in the kitchen, leaving Hope with him as he walks in at the invitation.
He picks up Hope, crushing her against his chest in a display of affection anyone rarely sees from him. The child whimpers after a moment and he lifts her high in the air to soothe her. She giggles and he laughs with her just as Hayley comes in, dressed for her trip to the bayou.
"I was expecting Freya,"she says and flops on the floor beside him. He doesn't answer for a moment, talking gibberish with Hope.
"I volunteered to come here for Hope. Is that an inconvenience?" He asks, turning his head to look at her.
"No. Its fine. How are things with you?" She asks in return and his piercing eyes land on her.
"Fine now. It gets better everyday. Freya and Davina are helping me to cope up. Its safe," Kol murmurs, as if to assure her.
"I know that she will always be safe with you Kol. There's no need for assurance. You are her uncle and have a right on her," she claims, this time meeting his gaze. Because she feels a need to look him in the eyes as she assures the always forgotten Mikaelson brother that he is blood and family. He had as much claim on her as Elijah had. Or Finn. The youngest Original brother smiles at her, dimples creating hollows in his cheeks that remind her instantly of Klaus. She hurriedly evades his eyes this time and gets up to search Hope's shoes. The child rarely walked yet everyone absolutely insisted that she always have shoes on.
She bends down to search the rack to the little shoes muttering, "Just one moment. I'll just put on her shoes and then you two can trot off to the compound."
His sudden voice almost makes her jump and she would've if she hadn't detected Hope's giggle from the door. Finding the booties, she turns around with them in her hand to face Kol, who now has Hope comfortably settled on his hip.
"You don't have to hide, Hayley. I won't say a word. Not when everyone has finally started to accept me. I'm not going to start a rift just because I can't keep my damn mouth shut. And anyway, its time women stopped being the object of issue among the Mikaelson brothers," he says quietly, all the while fiddling with Hope's bracelet.
"Kol," she whispers his name stunned but he doesn't let her talk as he continues,"no, really. I'm not blaming you. Or being all saintly. I just want you to be safe, Queen. I don't want to see you hurt. You are family."
The volume of his voice is still quite low and her heart suddenly feels for him. She knows what it is like to be shunned to she says, "Kol! Its not just now that you've started to mean family to them, you know. I always had a hunch that Klaus loved you and Rebekah more than he loved any other sibling of his. And believe me, he has proved that by not attacking Davina even once since you came back all because of her efforts. And Klaus not killing someone who disrupts his plans is something that I'm sure no one has ever heard. You will always be important. You always have been."
He is stunned into silence by her words. It seems like a long time before he looks up at her with a devilish grin that is so much Klaus' and says,"We are not hugging, love."
She laughs at his statement and playfully punches him on the shoulder before strapping the shoes on Hope's legs. "Thank you," he whispers before walking out with Hope in his arms. She waves until they disappear from her sight before getting her own boots to run off to the bayou.
A week passes by without a trace of Jackson and in her heart she knows that he is never coming back. He was gone; tired of the Mikaelson drama that surrounded her. And to be frank, she can't really blame him. Death and grief followed the Mikaelson like a shadow that doesn't leave even at nights.
Everyone searches for him. Freya tries some spells but maybe her grandmother has done something to prevent being traced. She gives up when Kol forces her after the headaches get worse than ever.
To her surprise, she finds out she doesn't care. Not in the least. She can carry on without him, that's her thought as she throws away the ring on her finger. It was a useless piece of jewellery anyway, binding her to someone who was gone. Without the thought of coming.
And then when Klaus and Cami break things up between them, that too fails to elicit a reaction from her.
Freya knows it would have never worked out between them, but she doesn't tell anyone except Kol.
Both of them do not grieve; making peace with their losses in a way none of the other Mikaelson siblings anticipated. There are no rages from Klaus nor are there any impulsive murders from Hayley.
They don't say anything and nor do Hayley and Klaus.
The guilt in her heart finds a place in a tiny corner as her need for a person who could understand her intensifies.
Inevitably, she finds herself at his door everytime. Maybe because anything that is relevant or everything that is important takes her to him. It always had.
And like always, the door to him are open for her.
There. I have another two in the works. Let me know if I should finish them and post here.