Keys.

After the whole Mikael ordeal, Niklaus liked the idea of her being with him as often as possible in case the local "Klaus hunters" decided another underhanded trick that involved her. Bae didn't mind all that much considering it meant spending time with her friend or sitting on his comfortable furniture reading or listening to music. She'd even gotten the chance to sleep in his luxurious bed when she'd happened upon it. But she knew that she wasn't just there because he was being overprotective of his Mesmer, she knew he was lonely and hurting since Mikael's arrival at his house.

Niklaus handed her the apple and knife she'd asked for as he walked back into the study, continuing on his way to the easel. She placed her book on her knees, trying to continue reading as she sliced into her apple. It was a Granny Smith, her favorite kind and eventually it was completely gone, leaving her to get up and throw away the core in the kitchen.

She came back into the study with a smile.

"I'm headed out,"

Niklaus looked up from his painting with a frown. "Where are you going, little Mesmer? Tired of me already?"

"I have work tomorrow and I plan on sleeping in," she told him, walking up to her chair to swinging her purse onto her shoulder. "That means I have errands to run this afternoon or else I'll be starving for the next few days,"

She turned to head out the door but found Niklaus suddenly there. She gasped, her heart jumping in surprise as she found him there.

"Jeeze, Nik," she chuckled.

"Give me a hug before you go,"

She gave him a look, uncomfortable with this turn of events. Niklaus didn't like to be touched and in turn he rarely touched her beyond a pat on the shoulder or pressure on the small of her back to get her to move. This "hug" business seemed like a ploy to achieve something more sinister.

"Come on, little Mesmer… I won't bite,"

She rolled her eyes at him, opening her arms unenthusiastically and stepping forward. He pulled her in to hug her around her shoulders, her arms falling around his waist. It was nice. Though he wasn't as warm as the people Bae was used to hugging, he still had a warmth to him that made him comfortable to hold onto.

She pulled back, smiling at him shyly as she walked past him. "Bye,"

He didn't say anything just bowed his head as he went back into the study.

She sighed, walking out the front door and up to her car, reaching into her purse to find the harsh stumps of her keys so that she could go home. However, she realized two things as she searched around in her purse; her keys were not in her purse and she'd left her book inside on the table.

She couldn't go anywhere without her keys and she had no plans of walking all the way from the mansion to her house in town. She might be fit but she was a lazy person when it came to walking any place. However, she knew that she'd placed her keys into her purse when she'd walked into his house. She always placed them at the bottom or her over encumbered bag so that it would be easiest for her to find them. This brought about the thought that Niklaus might have stolen them out her bag.

And then there was her book. Her book was one that her brother had given her before he'd left the family and died. Not only did she treasure the book for nostalgic value but it was also one of her favorite books. She didn't even like the idea of leaving the book where it was for one day even if she planned on coming back to get it in the tomorrow morning.

She rolled her eyes as she turned back around and went back inside, slamming the door behind her as she stomped into the study. She cocked a hip and she crossed her arms as she came to stand in the center of the room, glaring at the Hybrid. He stood behind his easel, a smirk clear on his handsome face that made her want to smack him.

After a second he looked up, the smirk growing into a smile. "Why did you come back?"

"You took my keys,"

"Did I?" he asked as if he were suddenly interested.

"You did,"

The two stayed staring at each other, waiting for the other to break down and give up. Neither did for a long time before Bae finally rolled her eyes, stepping past him and his easel to search through his materials. He turned around and watched her interestedly, crossing his own arms across his chest.

"I know they're here," she told him after thirty seconds of the sound of her rifling through his things with no luck. "You wouldn't put something so trivial away somewhere. You'd put it somewhere that you'd think no one would look and was of your own making. You know how your own materials are organized and no one would be able to find things easily in here…"

"Interesting observation," he assured her with a smile. "But wrong,"

She frowned, turning around to look at him. In a clinical manner, she looked him up and down until she notices the bulge in his pocket along with the sight of her Ironman keychain peeking out of his jeans. In an instant she straightened and was moving after him, only to find that he was no longer standing in front of her. She frowned, spinning around to find him on the other side of his workbench grinning at her from ear to ear.

"You did take my keys, you mongrel," she exclaimed, a smile daring to pull at the corners of her lips as she stepped up to the table. She ran around the table only to find him where she'd once been standing before flashing towards the door at a vampiric speed. She groaned, falling forward until her elbows hit the table and her head was positioned on her palms. She knew that it was pointless to fight him for her keys but somehow the look of that honest smile on his face made her smile back and want to continue.

"Come back here, Hybrid,"

"Make me, Mesmer,"

A glint of excitement appeared in her eyes as she lifted her head from one hand, acting as if she were reaching for him. With the attention of her finger, she took control of his legs. His eyes widened when his right foot took a step towards her, bringing him closer to her. She nearly laughed at the sight of his jerking body, looking as if he were a tin soldier on the move. She brought him around the workbench until he was standing directly in front of her, freezing his legs in position as she straightened to look up at him.

"May I have my keys?"

"No," he said with a pout that had to do with being forced.

She grinned at him, poking him in the side. "Please, Niklaus. I would like to go home, get some sleep, eat real food,"

"I have real food,"

"You have healthy food," she told out, her hand touching his pocket but not pulling out her keys quite yet. "Can I have my keys?"

"No,"

She stomped her foot. "What do I have to do for you to hand over my damn keys?"

Niklaus grinned, leaning in towards her slowly, drawing a breath from her. "Surprise me,"

Bae thought about it for a long moment, glare up at him. What could possibly surprise the thousand year old Hybrid?

She wrapped an arm around his shoulders and yanked him down into a kiss, surprise the hell out of him. He remained frozen for a good few second before Bae pulled away, slightly out of breath as she stepped back and held her hand out to him for her keys. He frowned at her and when he didn't move for her keys she made a grab for them.

In a flash of movement, he had both of her wrist captured and above her head, her body suddenly pressed between a wall and his long figure. She stared up at him in surprise, a tinge of fear rolling up her spine at having her hands pinned. But she knew he wouldn't hurt her without reason and she hadn't given him one. She could also see the curious expression in his eyes, along with the lust and excitement as he leaned over her, his hot breath on her face.

"You have no reason to fear me," he whispered down to her, his voice a caress as his other hand slid up her chest to cradle the nape of her neck. "You know that I would never hurt you,"

She leaned forward catching his lips with hers before she pulled away from him, smiling when he followed her until the back of her head hit the wall. She had to wait for him to let her go before she could speak, trying to catch her breath as she did so.

"I'm not afraid of you, Niklaus,"

He grinned at her, nearly a smirk. It made her want to say something rude to him about it but his mouth was already on hers. She melted into his body, pulling at her hands as he seemed to enjoy his free range on her body, torturing her. She bit down on his lip in annoyance and pulled at her hands until he let them go, allowing her to grip his shirt and pull him into her. The action made him growl at her, the sound vibrating in his chest and reverberating through her body. It made her smile as she was pressed tightly back against the wall again, him leaving no space between them as he took control again. She gripped his hair in response, kicking off the wall to send them spiraling away and into a table. He hit the table, bending back a bit and bringing her with him, her body arching over his deliciously. She gasped as his hands trailed down her body to cut her butt, bringing her up to wrap her legs around his waist to lift her. He turned and she was on the table, his mouth on her neck as she pulled him down.

The night was theirs.