Pairing: Finn/Klaus (M/M) hand, brush
The two most powerful warriors are patience and time. – Leo Tolstoy, War and Peace.
Mystic Falls, Virginia
Mikaelson Guest House
Sunday Late Afternoon
May 6, 1855
Finn had listened to them for a very long time. At first, he thought that it was maybe a few days after Niklaus had applied the dagger. He often woke and then faded back into the blackness again, for how long, he knew not. Then, after some time had passed, he realized that his body was desiccated and frozen. It was only his mind that was alive. The words were different, but every now and then, he heard words he recognized. From time to time, his siblings spoke in the old tongue, snippets of French, and latin phrases he knew from their time in France. Sometimes it was whole conversations, other times a word here and there. Then, after the years went on, he began to understand. He overheard fights, arguments, murders, and the laughter that his family engaged in. Over time, Finn stopped trying to scream that he was awake and dissolved into despair. He realized that the self-disgust he had felt had been for himself. He had always been afraid. Instead of standing up to his father, he had tried to hide under his mother's skirts. Finn tried to blend in, to become unnoticed. He was a coward. He did not hate being a vampire, he hated not being able to flee his shame. The shame of being him.
Now Finn had to rectify his past wrongs, he would use this chance to do the hard things he could not have done before.
"That was 35, Niklaus," Finn said casually.
"Here's a groomsman, Brother. He is a good size. I know you must be hungry," Klaus said pushing the man to the other Original vampire.
"Excellent! Why do you not remove those leggings?" Finn said as he bit into the hefy man's wrist and drank deeply.
"They call them breeches now. Is this necessary, Finn? I have not gotten a trashing for a very long time," Klaus said anxiously. Surely, his brother was bluffing. Klaus glanced at the door. Where was Elijah? Klaus sighed and slipped off his trousers, but left on his drawers. They were long enough to taper to his knees, he felt like a boy in short pants.
"Elijah will not save you from your punishment. I gather it is long overdue," Finn said hastily as he broke away from feeding on the human. "Compel him to go back to his duties, if you please."
Klaus did as his eldest brother bade quickly. He made a special point to make sure that the compelled man would have no memory of this encounter. Klaus did not want the servants snickering about him walking around in his drawers.
Finn wiped his mouth on the sleeve of Elijah's white shirt that he wore. .It seemed a touch too small.
"What are those called?" Finn laughed pointing at Klaus' lower half.
"Ah, my drawers," Klaus said bashfully. "Finn, surely, you would rather rest right now."
"I would, however, I will do my duty and then we shall go to bed," Finn said. "What have you brought for me?"
"It is a hair brush. Just like we used to use combs, made from bone or what not, this is made from bristle. The back is coated with silver. I have paddled Rebekah with it several times when she was misbehaving badly," Klaus admitted.
"And did it improve her disposition much?" Finn asked tapped the flat back of the brush on his own thigh.
Klaus stuttered, "Ah, well, aye, i-itt w-was quite effective. But Brother, she died a child...I was a man. Much too old for a hiding," Klaus argued.
"Mother did not think so when she thrashed you and Elijah for that fight over that widow, eh? I mean, who fights in a pig sty?" Finn smiled. "Two boys your age coming to blows!"
"He pushed me through that fence! It was not my fault!" Klaus defended. He realized that these events had occurred centuries ago, but Elijah really had started it!
"Perhaps. Lean over the pallet here," Finn said indicating Elijah's feather bed.
"The bed, Brother," Klaus said leaning forward on his elbows awkwardly.
Finn sat and put his left hand on Klaus' upper back. Without warning, he smacked Klaus' cloth covered backside hard. Crack!
"Brother! Owww," Klaus hollered.
"I supposed I have been waiting to do that a long time," Finn confessed. Whack! Whack! Whack!
Klaus grabbed a bed pillow and hugged it to keep his hands occupied. He was able to stay relatively still until Finn began spanking him even harder. Finn was whacking him all over his behind quickly. Klaus tried to turn, but Finn barked at him to face forward.
"You ought not to lie, little Brother," Finn lectured. Tap, tap, tap. Finn slowed the smacks to talk to his brother for a moment.
"I know. I am sorry for it," Klaus said. "Really, you need not continue." Whack! Whack! Whack!
"So Elijah has let you get completely out of hand these last centuries. I bet you have wrecked some havoc," Finn pressed.
"Aye, there were time. OUCH! Not so hard, eh! But for the last 35 years I had to behave because of my son," Klaus gasped. Crack! Crack!
"So you have not gone on any murderous binges or indulged in paranoid...revenge?" Finn inquired now patting Klaus' seat softer. Pat, pat, pat.
"Ah, if someone threatened the family, Brother, we have a reputation to protect. I may have gotten out of control a few times. I murdered Elijah's witch girlfriend Celeste, or had her murdered. But he forgave me. Kol and I got into some debauchery from time to time, but we are past that now," Klaus groaned. Whack! Whack! His behind was starting to go from a warm sensation to an unpleasant burn. He tried not to shift, but he could not stop himself.
"Stay still! It sounds like Elijah needs a hiding for allowing you to do such things. Why did he not deal with this himself?" Finn said smacking Klaus' sit spots sharply. Crack! Crack!
"Awwww. I do not know. Please, Finn. I am sorry. He felt guilty about Father...," Klaus exclaimed now kicking out.
"If anyone should bear that guilt, it is me. I shall speak to him. In sparing you the flat of his hand when you needed it, he did you no favors. Now, stand and remove these small clothes. Thirty-five with this hair brush contraption," Finn said.
Klaus groaned but obeyed, "Aye, Brother. But please do not punish Elijah for his inability to discipline me. He tried his best to hold us together. He could not strike me, but you know that his lectures and displeasure can be a worse punishment."
Finn considered this, "Finn, I will let the past be the past. But in the future, you will no longer get away with any defiance that you would not tolerant in the younger ones. Do you understand? Elijah, either."
"You cannot possibly plan to...Not Elijah? He...I suppose he has been filled with guilt and regret since the first time Father beat me half to death. If you could help him, I shall be grateful," Klaus said shamefully as he removed his drawers. His long white dress shirt covered his modesty, but he was still in shock to be in this position.
"Brother, trust that I will do my upmost to help all of you. Too long have I spent wasting the time I had. Now, lean over my leg. I am sure you recall how this goes," Finn smiled.
Klaus now leaned over Finn's left leg and felt his right leg clamp over him. He tried to squirm, but his legs were locked. Finn flipped Klaus' dress shirt higher up his back and Klaus felt a cool breeze and shuddered. This was much worse than he remembered it.
"Give me your hands, Niklaus," Finn ordered and Klaus put his hands beneath his back. He felt the cold metal of the back of the brush on his warm backside and flinched.
"Please," Klaus heard himself beg,"do not do this."
"Hush, it will be over in a moment. You will not lie again. You will not listen where your ears do not belong," Finn said calmly bringing the heavy brush down on Klaus' left cheek. Smack!
He lifted it again to swat the left cheek. Smack! Then, he peppered Klaus' sit spots with a crack or two. Crack! Crack! Finn counted out the thirty-five smacks slowly. He was swatting firmly, but not as hard as he could have. Each swat left a red mark even with his brother's fast healing properties. Klaus could not kick or move, but found himself begging and by the end of the paddling, howling. He was ashamed that the hairbrush had brought him to tears, but the fiery pain was fierce and intense. Finally, he realized Finn had stopped. His hands were released and Finn unhooked his legs, but yet he needed a moment to collect himself.
"Shhh, it is all done, Brother. You shall live. You are all right," Finn said now rubbing his backside with gentle hands. Klaus pushed himself up and went to the wash basin and cleaned his face. He looked in the mirror and saw his red and swollen eyes.
"Brother, come here, please," Finn said softly. Klaus turned and went back to his brother as he rubbed his still bare seat tenderly. It felt swollen and ached painfully.
"Look at me, I have missed you all a great deal. The past has brought us all great pain, let us move on from this day forever," Finn said as he stood and held out his arms.
Klaus fell into his brother's arms, the one he had wronged the most, perhaps, and felt comforted. To his shame, he felt more tears dripped down and went to wipe them away. Finn had never held him or any of them this way to his memory, yet it felt right.
"Forgive me," Klaus wept. He should have undaggered him long before...
"Only if you do the same. Do not hide your tears from me, they are your humanity," Finn said rubbing Klaus' back. They stood there for a moment.
"Get thy in the bed, Brother. Our sister's brush has worn you out. Come, I will lay with you in this feather sack," Finn said helping Klaus to the bed.
Elijah peered in hours later and found them asleep.
"You look peaceful, Niklaus," Elijah whispered. "Something I could never give you."
One Month Later
Wednesday, June 6, 1855
"Uncle Finn, can we go hunting today?" Marcel asked at breakfast. "I want to use my new Colt rifle that Papa got me."
Finn looked at Klaus, "I thought your father wanted you to go to the build site today?"
Klaus smiled, "That is fine. We can go tomorrow. I have business in town today anyway."
Rebekah giggled, "That handsome tutor is coming today after lunch for the boys. I shall supervise."
"Handsome? With that silly van Dyke beard? He looks ridiculous. And that voice? 'Why Miss Rebekah, what a pretty shawl! It is almost as pretty as you!'" Marcel mocked.
Kol guffawed, "Why Marcellus, if I did not know better, I would say you are jealous!"
"Jealous? No, I just do not want that silly knave lurking around more than he already does," Marcel spat. He cast a side glance at Rebekah, but she was still laughing. Klaus was reading the newspaper and not paying attention to this spat. The younger, human boys were not yet at the table.
Elijah cautioned, "Keep your voices down, I hear the boys coming. They need not hear this talk about their tutor. He was difficult to find."
Klaus said, "Good morning, lads."
Elijah helped Stefan move back the heavy dining room chair and sit. "Morning!"
After inquiring how the boys slept, Elijah reminded them their tutor was coming this afternoon.
"I hope your lessons are done. I will sit in on your lesson today," Elijah promised.
"Actually, Elijah, we have to meet with the city planners. The boys will have to fend for themselves today," Klaus informed him.
Rebekah was suspicious, "Stefan, did you complete your lessons?"
Stefan coughed, "I have a little more to do."
Rebekah frowned, "You told me you very finished so you could play yesterday!"
Stefan exclaimed, "I forgot. I thought it was finished. I am sorry."
"I am not sure I believe that one. After breakfast, we shall look it all over," Rebekah insisted.
Klaus put down his newspaper, "Damon, are your lessons finished?"
"Yes, sir. But I was wondering if we could go to Veritas today and get our things. I am sorry to be a bother, but it has been a month," Damon pointed out.
"I am sorry, Son. But when they said there was an outbreak of yellow fever, we did not think it was safe. Soon. I promise," Klaus said as breakfast began to be served.
"But,-" Damon cut in.
Finn cleared his throat, "Young man, when it is safe, you can get your things. No more arguing."
Finn had been getting to know Marcel and trying to spend as much time as he could with Kol. He was also getting to know the human boys, but was not as patient with them the others.
"Fine," Damon said looking down. "We shall just wait another month!"
Finn went to open his mouth, but Elijah shook his head to indicate his brother should just let it go. Finn nodded in agreement and shut his mouth.
He was not going to get sick from just getting his horse and belongings. Damon and Stefan now had fine now clothes and whatever else they needed, but he also wanted to check on the servants. Maybe a part of him wondered how Father was doing without them. Was his disposition kinder? Perhaps, he would be gentler and treat them with love instead of disdain?
The family began to talk about business matters. Stefan leaned over and whispered something to Damon
"What, Stef? I cannot hear you," Damon said leaning closer.
"Damon, I want my toy train! Mother got that for me. You promised that I could have it," Stefan whined softly.
"I know, Stefan. But you heard, we have to wait a little longer," Damon whispered.
"But you said if I was a good boy, I could have it. I have been as good as gold. Honest," Stefan said sincerely.
"You have been trying, little Brother," Damon conceded. Stefan had been well-behaved since Damon promised him to get the train back. Aside from being sent to bed early for throwing a tantrum when he did not want to bathe, Stefan had not been reprimanded at all. For Stefan, this was his longest stretch of good behavior ever and Damon did not want to break it.
"Please, Damon. Can you get it? No one will know. You heard, they are leaving us alone," Stefan hissed urgently.
"But the tutor will be there!" Damon smiled looking to make sure the adults were still occupied.
"When no one is here, he falls asleep! Come on, Damon, please!" Stefan begged.
"I will see. No promises," Damon replied shortly. He could slip into their old estate and back before anyone noticed. Stefan had plenty of toys here. No one would notice one more.
Rebekah leaned over, "What are you boys plotting?"
Both boys looked alarmed, Damon said, "Nothing!"
"I am just jesting," Rebekah said. "I have to do some shopping after lunch, but come on, Stefan. Let us check your lessons."
Rebekah had discovered that when the boys came they were probably on vervain. After Finn had awoken, Rebekah had been unable to compel Stefan. Yet a few days after that, she was able to. Though, she only tried a very mild compulsion, it seemed to work. Elijah had shared that he compelled the father, so who had dosed the boys with vervain? Aside from the yellow fever threat, that made the Originals cautious that someone at the Veritas Estate was vigilant against vampires. The Originals would also not be able to enter the house without being invited in by the owner of the home, which was Giuseppe Salvatore.
Rebekah got Stefan's lessons and checked his work. He had been very well-behaved and cooperative since undaggering Finn. To her surprise, all of her brothers had also been mature and focused. Even Kol seemed less likely to argue with their brothers and Marcel. She smiled. Maybe this move to Mystic Falls had been the right idea after all. Things seemed to be going well.
Maybe too well.
Stefan broke her out of her thoughts, "Will you be back from town before supper?"
"Yes, of course, Stefan. I just need to order more fabric and see to my gowns that are being fitted. Why?" Rebekah inquired with curiosity.
"No reason," Stefan smiled as he finished his arithmetic quickly.