A/N: Hey! So, this is definitely a chapter that warranted the M rating in my mind. Just a warning. Enjoy?
Castles Made of Sand
They stumbled through the entry way, bodies intertwined as if breaking contact would release them from a spell they cast more than a month ago. Klaus kept trying to keep his hands on Elena as she guided him to the back bedroom, leading him with feather light kisses on his lips, jaw, and neck while he attempted to urge her into a deeper passion. His hands gripped her hips, traversing the valleys and hills of her body hungrily.
Elena hadn't completely thought this through. She needed to get out of the club quickly without him realizing that anything was wrong, but she hadn't quite been prepared for how read Klaus was for this moment to happen until they'd gotten into the cab. His hands sliding up her inner thigh had almost unraveled her resolve. She kept erasing and re-drawing the line, it was becoming too blurry even to her. She was trying to satisfy him with soft kisses, but it was becoming dangerously clear to her that it wasn't going to cut it. And she wasn't sure that was all she really wanted either.
Once inside, Klaus locked the door, wary of undesired interruptions, and turned his gaze back on Elena. She shivered, unsure of if it was fear or anticipation. Both, she decides as he stalks towards her.
His hands on her jaw tilt her face upwards so he can explore her mouth more easily. Her lips are still sore from the day before and surprisingly, she moans at the mix of pain and pleasure. Klaus smiles to himself, satisfied and pleased. Her hands wander up and into his shirt, running them up and down along the firm muscled wall and around to his back. It encourages him deeper in the kiss and he uses his thigh to separate her legs more, needing her to yield completely to him. She almost yelps in surprise, shocked to find just how excited he is to be here with her.
She reaches up to grab a handful of his dark golden curls, pulling him deeper in the kiss. He grabs her hands, pining her wrists together up and over her hand. He likes that she fights back a little. Klaus never wanted anything to come too easily for him. He uses this opportunity to lay claiming kisses along her neck and lower without her hands distracting him. His attentions consume her so completely that Elena barely registers when Klaus has gotten down on his knees in front of her, lifting her dress up and over her hips. His hands warm up her body even as the fabric tickles its way up her legs.
She swallows hard and looks down, shifting her weight uneasily. She wants to run. She wants to go back to the café that day and chose to leave early, avoiding him altogether. She wants to have taken Bonnie and Elijah's advice and left Sicily weeks ago. But she didn't. She chose this, yesterday and today.
And tomorrow?
His eyes leave her just long enough to slide her underwear down, past her knees to hang loosely around her ankles. His fingers massage up her thighs, achingly slow, until they reach that wonderful heat in the middle. His thumb circles her, teasing her into a throbbing silence. She hasn't made a noise since he stopped kissing her, but Klaus is determined to change that. Quickly, he plunges a finger then two into her, expertly swirling, curling, and rotating. Encouraging her to let him know how she enjoys him there. Her hands reach down, nails scratching his scalp a she holds on to his hair. He smirks, looking up at her face thrown back up to the heavens.
He removes his hand, circling the inside of her knee and he enjoys the disappointed look she gives him thinking that they are done. In that moment, Klaus promises himself that he will never be done with her and, swiftly, he moves one of her long legs to hook up around his shoulder. His stubble scratches up her thighs and she leans into the feeling. His lays his lips on her, licks and nibbles at her, tasting her completely. He likes how aggressively she holds on to him, grabbing handfuls of his hair in an attempt to ground herself in something. Her heel digs satisfyingly into his muscled back. Nothing is successful even as he sends her flying with his mouth and tongue, his free hand possessively grabbing the curve of her ass. He wants to hear his name.
She's never felt more powerful or desired than here in this moment with him as he worships her body with his lips and tongue. She's withholding from him unintentionally until he lands just at the right spot and her pleasure rises up from low in her body through her throat. She moans for him, but she's too afraid to speak. She isn't in the right headspace to keep up with their game.
Frustratingly, they are interrupted before he gets the chance to coax it out of her.
"Elena? Nik?" She hears Marie calling for them from the front of the house. Her body stiffens, but Klaus continues, doing his best to ignore the intruders. Focusing only on the woman in front of him. Elena secures a hand over her mouth, attempting to stifle herself, which only encourages Klaus further trying to topple her façade of composure.
Suddenly, there is a knock at the door and the knob turns, halted by the lock. "Elena?" This time it was Adrian. Klaus growled between her legs, his eyes darkening just a little, and Elena wasn't sure she'd ever seen anyone look sexier or more deadly.
He leans his cheek to her thigh, kissing her with shiny lips. His lip twitches and she wonders if he can hear her blood pulsing there at her artery. Wonders what it be like if he bit into her now. She slides her leg off of him, unnerved by her own fantasy.
Her eyes are transfixed on him as he stands up to meet her gaze. He leans into her, pressing his lips to hers. They kiss until she can no longer taste herself on him and then he breaks off from her, his temple pressed to hers as he fights to calm his ragged breathing.
When he's composed he looks back up at her. "There's no going back now, Elena. I won't allow it. This is but a reprieve." It sounds like a mix between a promise and a threat.
The next day was awkward after the disruption of the night before. They spent a majority of it, sleeping in and lazing about the town, sunning themselves on the beach or napping on the couches. Klaus is unsuccessful in getting Elena alone, despite his earnest efforts. He is ambitiously attempting for a repeat. Each time he comes close, he is interrupted by that beanpole of a man.
Marie makes a birthday dinner that evening for Elena and had surprised everyone with decorative cannoli from a nearby shop.
As they talked over food, Klaus trailed his fingers up and down Elena's leg under the table, dipping into her inner thigh every so often. His touch was electric and made her feel needy for more, even as she was trying her best to pay attention the conversation. She leaned into him, taking any excuse to look at him and linger on him even as the conversation moved past her.
"Twenty-seven now, right Elena?" Marie smiled. She was a good, welcoming person. She reminded Elena a little of Caroline, enthusiastic and optimistic.
"Yeah, it's weird to think about. It feels like a countdown to thirty."
"I am not ready for that!" Marie shrieked.
And they all laughed, except Klaus who would never know what it meant to age. But, he thought, Elena would. If he let her, that is. She'd grow old and wrinkled with the joy and sadness that life etched on her face. He was certain she'd still be beautiful. Klaus had a hard time envisioning it, wanting her to be like this forever in his mind.
After dinner, the small group made their way down to the beach where Marie had arranged a small bonfire, another check mark that aligned her with Caroline in Elena's mind. Both women were professional organizers, efficient and fun. And great friends even if Elena wouldn't let Marie get that close.
Klaus admired the way the fire played across Elena's face. It reflected in her brown eyes drawing him further in. They were sitting on the sand, his arms outstretched as he leaned back. Elena was leaning into the curve of his body without actually touching him and Klaus appreciated the ease with which she relaxed into him. Though he would have appreciated the feel of her body against his, she didn't seem as comfortable around him in the presence of others. It made him feel petulant and he considered kissing her here in front of Adrian to see how she'd react.
Marie brought out a small speaker for some music and pulled Adrian up to his feet to dance. He laughed and danced around the fire with his friend. As they circled back around to Elena, Adrian held out his hands to her.
"Dance with us, birthday girl!"
Elena looked back at Klaus and he nodded, as if to say go on without him. She stood up and brushed the sand off her legs. Adrian took her hand in his and twirled her around, eliciting a jovial laugh. Marie grabbed her face and kissed her on both cheeks.
"Happiest of birthdays to our wonderful, new friend."
They danced some more as Klaus watched on. Elena smiled down at him, willing him to come take his place next to her. She felt hands snaking first around her waist and she peered over her shoulder to see which of her friends it could be. Adrian pulled her towards him, hand on her cheek, as he leaned in to steal a kiss. His kiss felt clumsy and too forced, stumbling blindly into what Adrian must have thought was passion. He was too drunk from dinner. She could taste it on him. Elena pushed him and tried to laugh it off, her eyes searching for Klaus.
"Happy birthday to Elena!" Adrian shouted after her.
Klaus was enraged, imaging digging his hand into the other man' chest, ripping out his still-beating heart. It was, he would note later, a moment of déjà vu.
Was he so childish in his crush on Tatia? Did she push him off so easily? Did Elijah want to rip his own heart out when he, Klaus, stole a similar kiss?
In the moment, Klaus didn't care for any introspection. He craved violence. Adrian's saving grace was that Klaus wasn't quite ready to reveal his true nature to Elena. Instead, he trudged off into the dark, vowing to destroy the man another night.
Elena followed after him quickly, but the blood pounding in his head distracted him enough to not notice. She grabbed his shoulder and force him to look at her.
"What's wrong with you?" her eyes implored him for an answer.
"What's wrong with you?!" he countered, furious. "You freely allow him a kiss, Elena! Let him touch you." he leaned in closer, in a whisper, "Do you just let any man do anything they want to you? Are you so wanton? Was last night not enough? You thirst for more attention? Mine alone isn't enough?" She reared back and slapped him, cleanly across the face. Her wrist stung but it was worth it. She'd have done it again.
Klaus grabbed her wrist tightly, gritted his teeth. "Don't ever do that to me."
"I won't," she hissed, jabbing his chest with her finger, "If you don't imply that about me ever again. I didn't let him do anything. It just happened. What was I supposed to do? Hit him?"
"You could, if you wanted. You did just now. With me." It sounded churlish, even to Klaus.
"Look, Nik, he's drunk. It isn't an excuse, but I'm not about to start a fight with anyone over something that doesn't mean anything to me. Especially not when they are leaving tomorrow and probably won't remember it."
"How can that," he gestured back to the bonfire, "not mean anything to you?"
"Because it doesn't. I'm a grown woman! I can't control what other people do or try to do. Did it make me uncomfortable, yes. Will I talk to him later when he is sober? Yes! But there isn't much to do now. Do you know how often men do shit like that? I can't fight every single person who acts like that. I'm upset and annoyed, but he doesn't mean that much to me."
"Do I?"
He was so quiet that she'd almost missed it in the roar of the waves crashing into the sand. The way he looked at her nearly broke her in half. She sighed and reached out to him, tilted his face down to look at hers. "Nik, I'm beyond confused by what is happening here with you. But yes, you do mean something to me. You are possibly the first person I've met who's meant anything to me, in a long time." Her throat felt raw and she looked away, trying to blink back tears.
He reached out, stroking her hair. "I wish you weren't so anguished, Elena dear."
"You're the one anguishing me so," she spoke, attempting to mimic his affectation and accent.
He laughed, half-heartedly, and there was an expanse of silence between the two of them. Eventually, he sat back down on the sand, staring off at the ocean black as night. She took up her spot next to him, gathering up courage to ask the question that had been burning in her brain.
She reached down to grab his hand in hers, fingers intertwining like vines. He looked down, surprised in the same way he was on the plan when she'd caressed her fingers through his hair. They sat like that, together watching the waves break into white foam at the shoreline. Each entranced as if the water, could give them some kind of life-defining answer that their insecure hearts desired.
"What do I mean to you?" she finally asked and he didn't have an answer, not one he'd be willing to share.
Instead, he grabbed her arm and pulled her on top of his lap. "I want you, love," he said, his face buried in her chest.
"I know that, but for what?"
He pulled her knees alongside his hips, pulling her closer to him. She leaned down and kissed his wild hair, her fingers gripping the back of his neck. "Isn't this enough for now?" he asked.
It wasn't, but she knew she didn't dare ask for more. It would be foolish. "For now," she agreed as she held him, right next to her heart.
