The night light shines down on the car as Elijah pulls into his parking spot outside of Hayley's apartment building. He puts the car in park and pulls the keys out of the ignition before looking over at Hayley. She has had a wonderful night, one of the best she thinks she has ever had, and she is now slowly slipping into a deep sleep in the passenger seat. A small smile plays on Elijah's face as he watches her try to hold her eyes open. But she just can't manage it. Her eyes close.
Sighing, Elijah opens his door and steps out, shoving the car keys into his pocket as he does. He shuts his door as gently as he can so that he does not wake Hayley. Elijah then walks around to the passenger door and opens the door, wrapping an arm around Hayley quickly so that her sleeping figure does not fall from the car. He removes her seat belt from around her and puts his right arm under her legs and then lifts her out of his car effortlessly.
Elijah shuts the car door as gently as he possible can with his knee and walks towards the apartment building, knowing that his car will automatically lock itself after a few minutes. He walks to the elevator and clicks the button. While waiting for the lift to come down to the lobby, Hayley nuzzles her head into the space between Elijah's head and shoulder, her hand also clutches at the lapel of his blazer. He looks down at her with concern; he fears that she is having a nightmare. However, his fears are eradicated when a little smile appears on her face, just as the elevator arrives.
Elijah feels an enormous sense of joy having Hayley in his arms. He knows she is not his and he has absolutely no right to feel such things, but he just can not help it. He is surprised himself at how in the small amount of time spent with her he has been able to grow so attached to her, yet he can not see himself ever regretting it. Not even if his brother was to find out about his emotions. There would be no way to prove how he felt anyway and he would never admit it to his brother.
The elevator takes Elijah and a sleeping Hayley to the apartment.
The doors open and Elijah steps out of the elevator. He looks at the door for a few moments, knowing that the only person with a key is Hayley and that key is hidden away in her bra. Elijah has no intentions of going looking for the key so he hopes that his brother is in and steadies Hayley in his arms before he leans towards the door and knocks. There is no sign of life, so Elijah goes to knock again. Just as he is about to knock a loud bang comes from inside the apartment.
Seconds later Klaus opens the door. He stands there in his black boxer shorts and a grey top with a glass of bourbon in one hand. He smirks as he steps aside for Elijah to enter the apartment with his unconscious wife. Elijah ignores his brother and strides past him, heading straight for Hayley's bedroom. He stops when Klaus speaks.
"I wouldn't put her in the bed if I was you. She'll get real pissed if she gets any of that make up on the pillows."
Elijah considers what Klaus has said for a few seconds and then sees the logic behind it. He turns around and walks over to the couch and slowly lowers Hayley down. He assumes Klaus was sitting there because he gets a scowl from him as he lies Hayley down.
"Where are your blankets?" Elijah asks his brother.
Klaus takes a sip from his drink, plops down on one of the single-seated couches and then nods towards the box room door. Elijah walks straight to the box room. He scans the room quickly and sees two blankets folded up neatly on a shelf on one of the walls. He takes one and returns to the living room area.
As careful as he can be, Elijah unfolds the blanket and drapes it over Hayley. He is fully aware of Klaus watching him the entire time but he does not acknowledge his awareness. He knows that the slightest comment will cause an argument.
Elijah turns to where his brother is sat and watches him pour another bourbon. Elijah takes a glass from off the coffee table and takes the decanter from his brother before pouring himself a glass. Klaus continues to watch him as if he is transfixed and can not look at anything else. Elijah ignores his brother's stares and takes a seat in the other single chair opposite Klaus.
They sit in complete silence, but the amount of tension makes up for the lack of conversation.
Klaus is the first to speak.
"Well... where have you two been?" He asks before taking a small sip of his bourbon.
Elijah seems to think very carefully about his answer before he replies. It is as if he knows that the slightest wrong word or phase will set his brother off, and after a lovely evening with Hayley, Elijah does not want one of Klaus' moods to ruin his night.
"I asked Hayley to accompany me for a meal. I hope that isn't a problem?" Elijah makes it sound like a question, but both brothers know that it is not.
"No problem, brother. None at all." Klaus takes a swig from his glass. "Did you enjoy yourselves?"
The tone Klaus is using makes it obvious that he is not really interested if they enjoyed their meals. And as the brothers make eye contact the amount of hostility running throughout the room seems to increase massively.
"It was wonderful actually, thank you for asking" Elijah answers before downing his drink in one and then leans forwards before placing the glass on the coffee table.
Once he has sat back in his seat, Elijah looks over at Hayley's sleeping body again. Klaus watches him watch his wife and his grip on his glass tightens slightly. He has seen that look in his brother's eyes before and he knows where it leads. And he will not accept any of that behaviour with his wife or under his roof.
"She looks lovely, doesn't she?" Klaus asks, looking for trouble.
Elijah does not respond. He continues to look at Hayley.
"Aren't you privileged, being able to spend an entire night with a woman as beautiful as her?" Klaus smirks to himself as he asks.
Elijah reverts his gaze to his younger brother and stares at him, making it clear that he will not be intimidated or made to feel uncomfortable. Klaus stares back with a look of evil amusement: a look of torment. It reminds Elijah of their father and he thinks hard about his reply whilst staring at his brother and finally he gives Klaus a quick smile before answering.
"If you believe I am so privileged as to go out with a beautiful woman such as Hayley, then why do you not take her out more often yourself, Niklaus?"
Silence.
Complete and utter silence.
Elijah, now sitting tall and sticking his chest and chin out slightly to show he is prepared for whatever his brother may throw at him, stares at Klaus with his own look of amusement. He is amused by Klaus' lack of ability to reply. And Klaus knows this. And this annoys him.
Glaring at his older brother, Klaus downs the remaining bourbon in his glass and then reaches for the decanter to pour himself an eighth glass. Well, eighth if you don't include the five he had after work in a local bar with Marcel. Klaus places the decanter back on the coffee table once his glass is almost brimming with booze and then sits back in his seat. He studies Elijah, looking for anything he can comment on or any weak point he can take advantage of, but he finds nothing.
"Is it really necessary for you to have another glass, brother?" Elijah asks as he watches Klaus take a sip from his glass.
"It's about as necessary as it was for you to take my wife out on a date" Klaus says and is filled with pride by the brilliancy of his own response.
"So you admit it is unnecessary of you to drink so much so frequently?" Elijah asks, ignoring the comment about Hayley and Klaus glares at him once again.
"I'm enjoying myself, Elijah. If you and Hayley can go out and spend a fortune on a fancy meal, why can't I enjoy a few drinks?" Klaus asks rhetorically.
"I paid for everything, you have no need to worry" Elijah responds, then realising how that must have sounded to Klaus.
"Let me guess, fancy food, dazzling drinks and chivalrous conversations all night long. Sounds like the sort of evening that could only be arranged by the courteous and honourable Elijah Mikaelson" Klaus mocks, waving his arms as he goes on.
Elijah stares at his brother with a look of disgust and disgrace. Elijah is many things and a gentleman is one of them things and Klaus knows that. Klaus knows that Elijah takes great pride in his appearance and his manors. In fact, he is one of the only one of his siblings to have such wonderful manors, most of the others are rude or unable to say a single sentence without cursing. And now Elijah feels disrespected and insulted.
Elijah leans forwards.
"Niklaus, you are drunk. If you were not in this state then I would happily have this argument with you, but for Hayley's sake, I suggest we leave it at this. We can continue this in the morning when there isn't a risk of waking Hayley" Elijah says and stands.
Hayley moves slightly as if she knows she has been mentioned, but does not wake. Elijah's eyes dart to her as she moves and when she stills again he looks back to his brother. Klaus is smirking at Elijah, knowing that Elijah has no intention to continue the argument, he is just saying they will continue it tomorrow to stop Klaus from going on. But Klaus would rather finish it now.
"Oh, come on, Elijah. Don't wuss out, come back and defend your wounded pride" Klaus says loudly as Elijah is about to make his way down the corridor to his room.
Elijah stops on the spot and shakes his head. He knows exactly what Klaus is doing and he refuses to fall for such childish games. He looks at Klaus with an empty expression. He looks neither angry or upset. He is simply unfazed by it all.
"I refuse to take part in your tiresome, tormenting games, Niklaus. Please do try to continue to drink the rest of your night away without waking Hayley" Elijah says and walks to his room.
Klaus makes a small growling sound and downs the bourbon in his glass. He never thought that having Elijah stay would be something he found so extremely hard to cope with. They use to be so close as children. They were practically best friends. But times change and so do people. They are both clearly two completely different people who no longer seem to see eye to eye.
Slowly and rather inelegantly, Klaus leans forwards and puts his empty glass on the coffee table. He sits staring at the floor for a few seconds before he looks to the left where his wife is sleeping on the couch. He can tell by the look in Elijah's eyes that something is going on between the pair, but he still does not understand how it escalated. Elijah has been here for three days and he is suddenly the apple of Hayley's eye.
Finding himself jealous and strongly disliking the feeling, Klaus clenches both fists tightly and stares down at them. He tries to ignore the anger taking over his body but within seconds it has taken over his entire body and before he can stop himself he is lashing out at something. His glass hits the wall and smashes into hundreds of tiny pieces. He doesn't even flinch as is explodes against the wall, he simply watches it as though he is just an observer.
Surprisingly Hayley does not wake. She moves slightly but does not wake.
Knowing Hayley will be annoyed enough with him smashing one glass, he gets up and stumbles to bed before he breaks anything else and creates more reason for another argument. After what seems like hours, Klaus finally reaches the warmth of his bed. He looks at the bedside table and sees his calendar. His business vacation is in a day and Hayley still doesn't know.
Klaus sighs and turns his head away from the calendar.
"That's something else she'll fuckin' kick off over" he mutters to himself as a sheet of blackness slowly drapes and covers him and drags him into the dream land.
