The tension was so palpable in the air that it even made me feel slightly on edge, glancing between Klaus and Rebekah where the latter had been giving the former the stink eye ever since they'd come into the same room. There was a very elaborate spread of food on the table for breakfast, the smell drawing me downstairs where Klaus had invited me to join them, getting up in order to lead me to the seat directly to his right and pulled out the chair before then sliding it underneath me as he sat down. Considering all that went down yesterday, his good mood was even more unnerving than if he were stewing in rage.
Unable to help but want to sample pretty much everything on the table, I began to help myself as the waitress Klaus had compelled allowed him to bite on her wrist, so I pointedly looked away and held my breath as he drained some of the blood of the poor girl into a cup for him to drink from. Bekah remained stoically silent, so I nudged her foot under the table to gain her attention then gave he a look, communicating with her as to ask what was going on but she just rolled her eyes discreetly before returning to glaring at her brother. "Have you spoken to our good friend Marcel today?"
"No, should I have?"
"He's been mysteriously silent. Avoiding me, some might say. I thought perhaps he may have whispered reasons into your ear. Along with all of those sweet nothings." This made me choke on the pastry I'd been sampling, catching on quick to Klaus's insinuation before I turned to Bekah with a look of shock and bewilderment.
"You slept with Marcel?"
"Let's not discuss the details, Lia, unless you wish for the explicit play by play." Quickly refusing that option, I made a note to grab hold of Rebekah later and interrogate her. "If I see him, I'll be sure to ask if he's still sore at you." Pausing from sipping his morning blood sample, Klaus gave a rather wicked smirk at his sister before setting the cup down.
"Let me give a voice to that look in your eyes." He began with a rather sardonic voice as Bekah continued to glare at him. "'My saintly noble brother lies writhing in agony in the Bayou, victim of my bastard brother's bite, when just one or two drops of his blood would ease his pain'."
"On the contrary, Nik, I am simply enjoying my brekkie, waiting for Elijah's healthy return." With a smooth response, I paused in my eating in order to look between them as the siblings started to bicker. I'm quickly losing my appetite.
"Oh, come on Rebekah, you've been giving me the devil's eye all morning. Out with it!"
"Perhaps I'm concerned that if I voice my opinion about what you did to Elijah, I will end up on the wrong side of your toxic hybrid teeth." She had a point. Although I felt Elijah and Hayley had been out of line accusing Klaus of not having a paternal bone in his body, giving Elijah a venomous bite was just cruel. I'd checked up on Hayley and Eli a couple times since this morning evening, asking they wanted me to go out and fetch them but Hayley preferred to stay there for the moment, both for some space away from Klaus and because Hayley hoped to learn a little more about her family.
"Poppycock! I would never bite you. Elijah made some very offensive accusations about my intentions towards my child. He deserves a day or two of discomfort. Besides, you know my preferred method of punishment for your indiscretions is the dagger." Thumping my hands down on the table, I too joined the glare directed at Klaus as he looked at me, feigning ignorance at my displeasure.
"There is something fundamentally wrong with you." Standing from her seat, Rebekah leaned over the table in order to glower at her brother before stalking off, leaving only Klaus and I behind.
"Tell me." I began, running my tongue over my lips to gather up the crumbs of the pastry as I dropped the last bite back on my plate for the moment so that I could focus on Klaus, leaning back in my chair and lacing my fingers together. "Do you enjoy being a total dick to your sister or is it just genetically ingrained into you?" Cocking an eyebrow at him, Klaus smirked as he took a sip of his blood collection.
"Sweet Ophelia, I am at a loss as to what you could mean."
"Don't give me that. I mean, seriously? When are you going to figure out that eventually, there's only so many times you can stab someone before they stop coming back?" It's probably a good thing Klaus can't die otherwise he probably would have been killed a thousand times over already. "You're not going to get very far if all you do is make enemies. Especially out of your own siblings."
"Well if they wouldn't insist in either disappointing or betraying me, then I wouldn't be forced to use such extreme methods to keep them in check."
"You do realise you are the younger brother, right? I get you're supposed to be the rebel child and all that, but being the asshole overlord is way too extreme." Giving him a look, I exhaled and shook my head in exasperation. "All Rebekah wants is to be free to explore the world, find her place, fall in love and so on…she can't do that if you're constantly dragging her back to do your dirty work." Klaus focused on his drink, swirling it like wine as he took a moment to measure himself, probably trying not to get angry at me for just telling it as I saw it.
"Rebekah's place is by my side. I have looked after her for the past thousand years, no one knows my sister better than I do."
"Oh I don't know…I think I could give you a run for your money." Smiling at him warmly, I reached out my hand in order to lightly touch my fingers against his, having to lean over slightly in order to reach. "If Bekah goes, you do realise it wouldn't be forever, right? She'd come back, they always come back to you, Nik. Besides you're not alone anymore, are you? You've got the little one on the way, and for as long as I'm cooking her up and keeping her cosy, you're stuck with me too. Unfortunately for you." Turning his hand over so that his palm was facing upwards, I took that as acceptance for my touch so I lay my hand in his a little more clearly.
For a moment the two of us just sat there holding hands at the breakfast table, looking at the point where our hands connected before we happened to look up at one another at the same time, then I felt a rush of embarrassment and quickly pulled away, clearing my throat as I grabbed onto a glass of orange juice in order to take a sip. Feeling awkward I quickly moved the conversation onto something else instead whilst ignoring the fact that my cheeks felt very warm. After breakfast I went about my day doing my own thing, noticing how Klaus had invited a woman around in order to type him memoirs.
Cami, I believe her name was. A woman with a master's degree in psychology. Pft, have fun with that and good luck trying to unravel the complexities that are Niklaus Mikaelson. Whilst he was distracted with that, I called up Bekah in order to ask her about what she was up to, knowing full well that she had reached the end of her tether with Klaus and that usually meant retaliation. "Hey, where are you?"
"Are you alone?" She asked me, hesitant to talk openly in case Klaus would overhear us.
"Don't worry, I'm in my room and I've cast a silencing spell. We're good to talk." I assured her as I listened to the background noise. "You sound like you're with people."
"Marcel and his loyal followers. We've just been having a little chat about my dear brother Nik."
"Bekah, you better not be planning anything. You know it's just going to go downhill." I warned her, sighing as I sprawled out across my bed and checked out my nails, seeing some of the paint had chipped so I decided to go over it again, maybe in a new colour. "I know you're mad at him, but if you retaliate now Klaus is just going to make it harder for you later. If you piss him off right now, I doubt I'll be able to calm him down again."
"He bit Elijah, Lia!"
"Well, he did hurt Klaus's feelings. You know better than anyone his temper. Just let him cool down for a few days, wait for Eli to heal then we can think of something to sort this all out. In a thousand years, have you guys ever actually sat down and talked about things? I seriously think you guys could benefit from some family counselling. Therapy is actually very effective." I suggested, though Bekah snorted disbelievingly.
"I doubt any therapist would have the time or qualification to unravel a thousand years of family history." Point taken. "Listen, Marcel and I have a plan, we know we can't kill Nik so we're going to…"
"No, don't tell me. Don't tell me anything otherwise I'll feel guilty about it all. Nik and I are actually on good terms right now so I don't want to know." I quickly jumped in before Bekah could reveal anything crucial. "At least that way I won't let anything slip to your brother. Just…please reconsider, Bekah. He's going to be a father soon, and he deserves to at the very least be there through the pregnancy and see his child be born."
"I'm trying to protect that child from him! Lia you can't deny that my brother always have an ulterior motive for everything he does. That baby won't be safe so long as Nik is around."
"Bekah…" Sighing in defeat, I pressed my eyes shut for a moment. "Okay, you do what you gotta do, but I can promise you it's not going to work. I won't breathe a word to Nik, just promise me you'll be careful. I'll step in to rescue you if it comes to that, and I'll do my best to rein your brother in if he gets too out of control." I could practically hear the relief from Bekah as she exhaled shakily, the nerves already starting to show through her voice.
"Thank you, Lia. You're the best."
"Damn right I am. You take care, and tell your lover boy I said hello. You and I still need to have a talk about that." Laughing jokingly, Bekah promised that we'd talk soon then we each hung up. The moment I put my phone down, I slid an arm over my eyes and groaned in frustration. Things were going to get real bloody tonight, I can just tell.