A/N: This isn't exactly the entirety of the update that I promised, but it is an update, nonetheless. I apologize for the delay, but like I said, I needed to take some time to get some ideas organized and make plans for the upcoming chapters.
This is kind of a filler chapter, a 10,000 word filler chapter, but things do happen.
I thought you'd prefer an update rather than waiting, and I thought including everything from the second half would make it way to long.
Anyways, a big thank you to my beta, livingdeadblondegirl, for encouraging me with ideas and helping me develop new ones. She's a big reason why this chapter got written, even if it took awhile.
I hope you guys enjoy it. If you have a spare moment, I'd love to know what you think, so feel free to leave a review.
The alarm on her phone complained annoyingly on the nightstand beside her ear. She reached over, with her eyes still closed, and turned the phone off with a long groan. The fact that the room was still dark made it all too tempting to roll over and remain in bed.
This was her routine now though, and if she wanted to stay ahead of schedule, she needed to remove herself from the comfort of the blankets and pillows.
She pushed herself off the mattress and rubbed her eyes, seeing to it that she was completely awake.
A month ago, she never would have dreamed of getting up this early every morning; not that she wasn't somewhat of a morning person before - she was - but not this early of a morning person.
Though she went to bed at a decent hour at night to accommodate for the early wake up call, there was still something seemingly inhumane about waking up before the sun had barely begun to rise.
This is what it meant to have a seven month old baby, a full-time job, a house to maintain, and herself to look after on top of it all.
Some mornings Grayson was awake before her alarm, other mornings, like this one, he was still asleep, and she revelled in the opportunity.
Getting up at this hour seemed cruel, but she had also come to find that she could get a lot done before she went in to work, providing Grayson was cooperative.
She changed into a zippered sweatshirt and yoga pants in preparation for her morning run once Klaus was awake, before gathering up her growing pile of laundry to take downstairs to get started.
After making a stop in the kitchen to turn on the coffee maker, she retreated downstairs to the basement with the baby monitor.
Having carried piles of laundry up and down these stairs on numerous occasions for the past two weeks, she fully sympathized with Elijah and Elena's plan to renovate and move the laundry upstairs.
She loaded the machine and rushed back upstairs enthusiastically for coffee.
After her coffee was ready, she returned to the basement to hand-wash a few of her delicate items while she waited for the laundry.
Laundry was a chore she and Klaus both did. She did hers. He did his. As for Grayson's, it was basically assigned to whoever had the time to do it first - which was often Klaus.
She was in the middle of rinsing out her clothes in the sink when Grayson's little whimpers could be heard coming from the monitor.
Sighing, she quickly draped her wet clothes over the edge of the sink and sprinted up both flights of stairs to Grayson's room.
Though Klaus had a monitor in his room for over-night wakeups, she was in charge of Grayson's morning wakeup routine. Klaus still had another half-hour of sleep. She didn't want to disturb him.
Grayson was sitting up wide awake in his crib.
"Morning, monkey," she whispered enthusiastically to him after turning off the monitor in his room.
Most of the nicknames she had employed casually with Grayson before Elijah and Elena's accident had now entered steady rotation.
He smiled at her and she couldn't help but smile back, even though she was in no mood to change the diaper she could already smell from across the room.
She considered herself a pro at changing diapers now. She had bragging rights on Klaus for fastest diaper change - a record Klaus was always trying to surpass.
After changing Grayson's diaper, she dressed him in a comfortable onesie for his day with Klaus. She was sure that by the time she came home tonight, Grayson would be rolling around in a new outfit or just his diaper. He always seemed to get into more messes when he was alone with Klaus, which is probably why Klaus had also become Grayson's primary bath time buddy and launderer.
She took him downstairs to prepare his breakfast bottle.
Once his bottle was ready, she took him into the family room and cuddled with him in her lap. This is what they did every morning. They watched morning television together while he sucked on his bottle and she sipped eagerly from her coffee.
It was a Friday, so they could spend a little more time relaxing since she didn't need to have him ready for daycare, nor did she need to drive him there.
A little while later, she could hear Klaus awake upstairs in the bathroom; the shower was running.
With Grayson in his playpen, she tended to some of the dishes and put a fresh pot of coffee on while she waited for Klaus. She always put a fresh pot of coffee on for him before he came downstairs because he fared worse with early mornings than she did, and would often drink his way through a pot on his own, depending on the morning.
He came downstairs as he usually did, heading straight for the coffee, groggy despite his shower, and dressed comfortably in sweatpants.
That was another thing she had yet to get used to: sharing space with a half-naked man.
While she was confident that they could make this work platonically, that she had sufficiently moved past their tryst over the last year to prevent a slip up, her eyes always seemed to do an involuntary second take of the damp curls of his hair and his masculine torso.
Secretly, she didn't mind the sight. Outwardly, she had openly expressed her mocking disdain.
Why did he feel entitled to walk around the house without his shirt on? Why did any man for that matter? This was a shared space and it annoyed her. She didn't need to see his bare flesh practically every morning, no matter how pleasant she might have found the sight; the woes of having a male roommate.
"Someone forgot a shirt again," she groaned.
Klaus snickered at the ongoing banter between them on the subject.
"You're more than welcome to walk around the house without a shirt on, love. I have no objections," he joked, as he set his coffee mug down and headed for Grayson in the family room.
She scowled.
"I have to do laundry," Klaus explained as he picked Grayson up out of his playpen.
Klaus's mention of laundry reminded her of the finished load that was probably waiting to go into the dryer.
"I need to put mine in the dryer and then I'm going out for my run," she announced.
Once she had dealt with the laundry, she was able to make her escape from the house.
It had been unusually mild out for the beginning of April, so all she wore overtop of her clothes was a thin sweater. It was chilly at first, but she knew she would be sweating once she was finished.
She looked forward to these runs, and had somehow managed to work them back into her even more hectic schedule. They relieved her stress, and gave her time to be alone and think. She was aiming for a run at least three times a week, although that wasn't always possible, and even when it was, they were sometimes reduced to a simple walk or jog depending on her levels of enthusiasm and exhaustion.
Klaus, she had come to discover, also ran for exercise. Since they had Grayson, she ran in the morning, while he would go out once Grayson was asleep at night.
She took care of Grayson's morning routine, while Klaus handled his evening routine. On days Grayson went to daycare, she dropped him off, and Klaus picked him up. It worked out well considering she was often at the store well after Grayson was scheduled to finish daycare in the afternoon.
Things had actually been working out better than she expected they would with Klaus. Despite an awkward moment or two, they were getting along well. Klaus was pulling his weight and had been considerate of her the past few times he had gone out.
Most importantly, he had taken to Grayson so well, and Grayson had done the same. In fact, they almost seemed inseparable at times. Admittedly, she suspected amusedly that Grayson might like Klaus more than her.
Ultimately, the true indication of whether or not things were working out, was whether or not Grayson was happy, and despite the usual baby breakdowns, she felt confident in concluding that he was.
It was bittersweet for her. She wanted Grayson to be content with them, but it pained her to know that with every passing day, any memories Grayson had of his parents were fading. While she and Klaus were still mourning, Grayson seemed entirely unaware. Often she wondered what he knew or could feel with respect to the loss of his parents. Perhaps he was in pain? She would obsess over that question constantly, frustrated that he was too young to verbalize what he was feeling.
Depending on how much time she had for her run, she would often pass the house she grew up in for the sake of nostalgia. Sometimes she found it comforting, other times, it made her sad. Today, was a combination of the two. Memories of Christmas mornings and birthday parties were contrasted with recollections of her mother's illness and the suffering that had taken place in that house.
Elijah and Elena's house was no different, and it was something she was confronted with every day. While she and Klaus had sorted through some the less sentimental items in the house, they hadn't even touched photographs or photo albums; neither one of them had set foot in Elijah and Elena's bedroom since the day she had to select clothing for them to be buried in.
It seemed like an invasion of their privacy, and further confirmation that they were truly gone.
Having been gone longer than she anticipated, she burst through the back door exasperatedly to find Klaus and Grayson on the sofa in the family room indulging in some morning cartoons - once you put them on for Grayson to watch, he wouldn't let you change the channel without having a minor meltdown.
She smirked and paused to catch her breath.
Klaus peered over his shoulder as she peeled out of her damp sweater and kicked off her running shoes.
Sometimes he looked at her a certain way and it would spark shivers to rush down her spine. This was one of those moments, but she quickly attributed it to the chill that had surrounded her now that she had stopped her exercise.
"How was your run?" Klaus asked casually as she eagerly filled a glass with water.
"Fine," she said with a slow pant, gazing at the clock that was threatening to make her late for work. "I need to go get ready," she informed him, before disappearing down the hallway.
In the bathroom, there was barely even a hint that Klaus had previously been there, save for the wet tiles in the shower and the consuming fresh scent of his body wash.
That was one thing she was thankful for: Klaus didn't make a mess of the bathroom like she assumed most men did. He barely spent enough time in the bathroom to make a mess anyways. She was a different story, however, and she commended Klaus for putting up with her array of beauty and hygiene products that decorated the vanity.
When it came to cleaning the bathroom, she did all of it, except for the toilet. She refused to clean the seat, even though Klaus assured her his aim was impeccable. As a trade off, she cleaned the rest.
After her rushed shower, she dressed hastily in a white cami, pink blazer, and jeans, before throwing her hair up and applying some makeup haphazardly.
She grabbed her purse and her phone from her room and dashed down the stairs for her leather boots and spring coat.
Heading for the backdoor, she found Grayson in his highchair and Klaus at the stove, cracking an egg.
"Would you like something to eat?" he offered, turning around to look at her.
She smiled appreciatively and shook her head.
"Thanks, but I have to get to work. I can't be late. I need to set a good example," she laughed.
He glared at her disapprovingly before his expression relaxed.
"Is Grayson's swim lesson still on tonight?" Klaus asked.
She had completely forgotten about that. She had to remind herself to stop off at her apartment to retrieve a bathing suit.
"Yeah, do you still want to come?" she asked.
He nodded.
"I do...but...I guess I can use a pair of Elijah's shorts," he concluded reluctantly, obviously having forgotten to pack his own when he left New York.
"Yeah," she replied. "Shit, that reminds me, my clothes are still in the dryer," she said, darting towards the basement.
"I'll get it for you," Klaus offered.
"Thanks," she smiled. "I'll meet you here later and then we can head over to the community centre together? The lesson starts at six," she reminded him.
"That sounds good. I'll make sure Grayson is ready," he stated.
She nodded hurriedly, placing a quick kiss atop Grayson's head.
"I need to go now, or I really am going to be late," she panicked. "I'll see you tonight," she said to the both of them.
To her relief, she had arrived at the store before Camille.
While she waited to open the store, she prepared a tray for the cash register and checked her emails and work voicemails in her office.
The backdoor opening signalled Camille's arrival.
Her eyes lit up when Camille appeared in the doorway holding what she eagerly assumed were a bag of baked goods and more coffee.
"Hey," Camille said cheerfully, setting the items down on her desk.
"Hey," she replied, quickly grabbing one of the coffees and digging her hand into the bag.
She was starving, and probably could have stayed behind to eat breakfast with Klaus and let Camille open the store, but she didn't want to put that on Camille's shoulders. Plus, she had been trying to keep a safe distance between her and Klaus - well as much as she could considering the circumstances.
"You're a lifesaver," she mumbled, as she bit into the carrot muffin.
"I know," Camille said amusedly. "So what do you want me doing today, boss?"
"I need you out front until April comes in. Then I'll probably need your help in the back to do some inventory and a few minor alterations. I'd have April do them, but they need to be done by Monday. I need to start pulling things together for Mrs. Lockwood's masquerade dress. I don't have a lot of time," she realized, glancing quickly at the calendar.
Camille nodded.
"Are you still leaving early for Grayson's swim lesson?" Camille wondered.
"Yes," she answered, "which reminds me, I need to slip up to my apartment while Damon is at work and find an appropriate swimsuit to wear."
Camille's eyes lit up.
"Appropriate for whom?" Camille inquired suggestively. "Is Klaus going?"
She rolled her eyes.
"Well considering most of the mothers who will be there just gave birth a few months ago, I don't want show up in a tiny bikini. That would be insensitive. Plus, it's a child-centered environment," she pointed out. "And yes, Klaus is going."
Camille laughed as she picked through the bag of baked goods.
"Do you even have an appropriate bathing suit? I wouldn't exactly call that white bikini you wore to Virginia Beach last summer appropriate," Camille snorted.
Her cheeks flushed as her lips spread into an embarrassed smile.
"I think I might still have a one-piece. I hope," she said, standing up from her desk as she practically inhaled the rest of the muffin. "I'm going to check before I forget. I'll open up the store on my way out."
She grabbed her keys and headed for the front of the store, unconcerned about a jacket, knowing she would only be outside for a few seconds.
Once she changed the sign to open and unlocked the doors of the store, she slipped out and buzzed up to her apartment. It felt weird buzzing up to the space that she still considered hers, but she did it as a courtesy, just in case Damon hadn't gone to work yet for whatever reason.
When there was no answer, she unlocked the door and trekked up the stairs.
From what she could tell when she entered, the apartment didn't look much different from the way she had left it to Damon two weeks ago.
There was some clutter on the kitchen counter and a few of Damon's things scattered about the living room, but it wasn't unbearable. In fact, it looked a lot like it would have had she still been living here and been too busy to clean up.
She breathed a sigh of relief.
"I wasn't expecting a visitor," Damon's voice said from behind her.
Her body tensed immediately as her cheeks flushed.
"Oh my god!" she winced, spinning around on her heel to face him. "I'm so...sorry," she stammered, noting the fact that Damon was dressed in nothing but a towel around his waist.
She looked away guiltily, just as she felt her eyes beginning to take in the sight of his glistening abs and biceps.
"Don't be," Damon smirked, clearly noting the way she was trying to avoid staring at him.
"I didn't think you were home. I buzzed up and nobody answered," she explained, trying to concentrate on anything but the sight of him.
"I was in the shower," he shrugged.
Clearly, she thought.
"Were you coming up to ensure that I was being a responsible tenant while I was at work?" Damon wondered, raising his eyebrows.
She shook her head.
"No...no, there are some things I need...to pick up," she said, her voice still shaky from being caught in her own apartment by a half-naked Damon Salvatore. "And I'm just gonna go to my room now and grab them," she finished awkwardly, brushing by him on her way to her bedroom.
She rushed to her room and chastised herself quietly for getting herself into such a humiliating situation.
Pulling at her half-empty dresser drawers, she searched for her swimsuits.
Locating them, she splayed them out on her bed and appraised each one. There was the white bikini Camille had been referring to, a nautical themed bikini, a pink one, a purple one, and a blue polka-dotted one. None of them were appropriate. The only one that came close to modesty was a black retro-inspired monokini.
"Swimming in April?" Damon said from the doorway, surprising her once more.
At least this time he was wearing more clothes, she thought, noting the black slacks and the light blue collared shirt he was wearing.
She hesitated.
"Grayson's swimming lessons resume tonight," she revealed. "Since Elena and Elijah paid for them in advance, I figure we should probably finish them. It would be a waste of money not to. Plus, he seems to enjoy the water."
Damon stepped into the room a little further and peered over her shoulder at her swimsuit options.
She sighed self-consciously.
"And I need a swimsuit that I can wear that doesn't make it seem like I'm showing off in front of the other moms. I don't have any right to considering I didn't give birth to a baby seven months ago. I'd feel..."
- "...like an asshole?" Damon interjected.
A laugh escaped her lips as she nodded.
"I get that you don't want the other women to feel self-conscious or ashamed of their bodies, but why should you feel ashamed of yours?" Damon pointed out, peering at her in a way that made her cheeks turn blush once more.
"Maybe you're right," she shrugged.
He did have a point. She considered one of the more modest bikinis.
"Will Klaus be going with you two?" Damon wondered.
"Yeah," she said hesitantly, glaring at him curiously, having already been asked that question today.
He leaned in and picked up the black swimsuit.
"Then definitely go with this one," he concluded, handing it to her.
Her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion as she eyed him suspiciously.
She wasn't even going to bother inquiring about what he was implying.
"So are you playing hooky from work today?" she questioned, intent upon changing the subject.
She gathered up the bathing suits and put them back in the dresser drawer.
"No, not really," he admitted. "I have a morning meeting with Carol Lockwood."
Her eyebrow arched inquiringly.
"It's about that masquerade fundraiser," Damon said.
"Why?" she asked confused, attempting to put the pieces of the puzzle together as they stepped out of her bedroom and she headed for the hall.
"Well the fundraiser is benefiting the hospital this year. Elijah and Elena were two of the main proponents of the fundraiser on the hospital's end of things. I think Mrs. Lockwood wants me to step in as a sort of representative for Elijah," he assumed.
Her features relaxed.
"Oh, I guess that makes sense. I'm actually designing Carol's dress and helping with some of the details of the event," she informed him.
"She told me," Damon smiled. "She seemed really excited about it."
Damon's inference boosted her confidence a little.
"Well she's not going to very excited when she finds out that I'm still at the drawing board, so I should probably get back down to the store and get to work," she said, thinking on her toes to come up with an excuse to leave.
"Yeah, I should probably finish getting ready. I don't want to make a bad impression," Damon mused, following her towards the door.
"I'm really sorry for barging in on you," she said guiltily.
Damon scoffed and shook his head.
"Don't apologize. It was a pleasant surprise," he beamed at her.
She gave him a stupid grin before leaving, cursing herself immediately once she was on the other side of the door.
It was nearing eleven the next time she had a chance to notice the time.
She had practically barricaded herself in the backroom of the store and her office as she worked determinedly on ideas for Carol's dress, sketching options and pulling swatches of material for colour and texture.
The only time she faltered on her task is when she was inspired to sketch a few ideas for her own dress. It was something she was constantly forgetting. Not only did she need to make Carol a dress, but she needed to make one for herself as well.
"She's just back here," she heard the faint sound of Camille's voice say from the front of the store.
Looking up, she waited expectantly, wondering who it could be. At first, she thought it might be Klaus and that automatically prompted her to panic about Grayson.
She was surprised by who she saw standing behind Camille.
"Damon," she breathed, mustering a small smile.
"Maybe you can get her to take a break?" Camille said to Damon sweetly.
Camille glared in her direction, wriggling her eyebrows subtly but suggestively before leaving her alone with Damon.
"It looks like it's my turn to barge in on you," Damon smirked, glancing down at her messy desk.
She raised an inquisitive eyebrow.
"I stopped to get myself some lunch on my way back from my meeting with Mrs. Lockwood; I picked up some extra and thought you might like to share it with me?" Damon proposed, holding up a paper bag.
Biting her lip reluctantly, she glanced down at the collage of work on her desk. She didn't want to be rude to Damon, but she was in the midst of her inspiration and she wasn't exactly enthused to put a halt to it.
However, the rumbling of her stomach and the realization that she had forgotten her lunch on the kitchen counter urged her to accept his offer.
"I...don't know," she stammered. "You didn't have to..."
"Even busy people have to eat," Damon argued. "Besides, I haven't gotten a chance to thank you for letting me rent out your apartment. Think of it as a token of my appreciation."
Doing her best to smile appreciatively, she slowly began to make space on her desk for the unexpected lunchtime delivery.
Damon set the large paper bag down on the desk and grabbed an extra chair to sit on.
"How did your meeting with Carol go?" she asked politely as Damon reached into the bag.
He pulled out two Styrofoam containers and handed her one.
"She's kind of an intimidating woman," Damon chuckled.
Opening her container, her stomach couldn't help but rumble at the sight of the chicken wraps.
"She had an earful to say about her son," Damon mused.
"That sounds about right," she related.
"You two dated?" he queried. "You and Tyler that is," he laughed. "She told me."
She nodded with a laugh.
"Yeah, we did, unfortunately. It started as a high school thing and never really progressed beyond that. It didn't end well. Carol has a difficult time accepting that it's over even though its been two years," she summarized, uninterested in divulging all the details of her relationship with Tyler and its demise to him.
"It seems like it," Damon sympathized. "And you continue to work with her?"
She shrugged.
"She gives me a lot of business. I'm not exactly in a position to refuse. She and I are also involved in a lot of the same town functions, so I don't want to create any waves between us . We actually have a pretty decent working relationship when she's not mentioning Tyler," she said. "What did she have to say with regards to the fundraiser?" she questioned, intent upon changing the subject.
"I think we're on the same page as far as the fundraiser goes. She gave me some talking points to bring up in my speech in terms of the hospital and how the funds will benefit it, but mostly she wants me to talk about Elijah and Elena and their involvement," he told her.
She nodded.
"You'll do fine," she assured him. "You and Stefan were great at Elijah and Elena's wedding."
He smirked as he took a bite of his wrap.
"I thought you hated me that night," Damon confessed.
Her cheeks flushed a little from embarrassment as she chewed through her first tasty bite.
"I didn't hate you," she stammered. "I was just stressed out that night, and you kind of stepped on my toes," she admitted. "Your cocky bravado when we first met didn't really win you any points either," she mused.
Damon lowered his head a little, a small guilty smile playing on his lips.
"Yeah, I sometimes have a tendency to speak before I think," he explained. "That was a good night though," he reminisced.
She agreed passively while taking another bite of food. In reality, she had mixed feelings about that night.
On the one hand, that entire weekend had been one of the best; she got to watch her childhood best friend marry the man of her dreams. When she thought about Elena and Elijah now, images of them together from that day were often the first to be triggered. On the other hand, that day was filled with memories of Klaus, ones that left her tangled up in a web of conflicting emotions. While he had left her feeling manipulated and disappointed, thoughts of their weekend together had an uncanny ability to send her stomach and other parts of her body into a frenzy.
"So how is Grayson?" Damon asked after a few moments of silence.
"He's good, I think; he seems happy, so I guess Klaus and I aren't completely screwing up," she laughed. "We think he could be getting ready to start crawling."
"How are his gums?" Damon inquired.
"He's cut a few more teeth. He and Sophie the giraffe - the teething toy Klaus picked up for him when he was in New York - are pretty much inseparable," she sighed amusedly. "It's still so surreal though," she admitted. "I kind of keep expecting Elijah and Elena to come home. It's just amazing how quickly things changed. I never imagined I'd be raising my best friend's son with her brother-in-law," she shrugged, still in disbelief despite the dozen or so days that had already passed.
"And how is that going?" Damon questioned before taking another bite of his lunch.
She arched her eyebrow in confusion.
"Living with Klaus?" he clarified.
Laughing lightly, she hoped to play down the intensely curious way Damon had asked the question.
"It's been okay. We have somewhat of a working routine going as far as Grayson and the house are concerned. I've never shared a place with a guy before longterm, so that's taken some getting used to - no offense," she joked.
Damon shook his head with a knowing smile.
"So it hasn't been awkward for the two of you?" he wondered.
Again, she arched her eyebrow in confusion.
"I just know that you two have some history..." Damon mentioned.
She began to stammer as she tried to develop a suitable response.
"Sorry, I'm completely overstepping," he apologized. "You don't have to talk about it."
"I don't think you could really even classify a fling as 'history,'" she shrugged, aiming for indifferent. "It really hasn't been awkward in that sense at all," she lied.
Damon appeared amused by her reply.
"So you two are just friends?" he inquired.
"Sort of," she answered.
It was Damon's turn to raise a curious eyebrow.
"Friends with benefits?" he assumed.
She snorted at his presumption and found her cheeks growing hot once more.
"No," she denied flatly. "We're just becoming friends," she explained.
Damon nodded, seemingly understanding what she had intended to mean in the first place.
"Well that's good," Damon answered in a relieved tone.
She glared at him quizzically, uncertain by his reaction.
"It won't be awkward then if I ask you to be my date to the fundraiser," Damon concluded brazenly, taking her by surprise.
All the muscles in her body seemed to tense as she stared at Damon dumbfounded.
"Would you like to be my date?" Damon asked.
"Um...uh," she stuttered as she tried to process his question and her answer.
She couldn't even recall the last time she had been asked out on a proper date by the opposite sex. Beyond that, the possible implications of his question put her guard up. Not only did she have herself to think about now, but she had Grayson. As good looking and friendly as Damon was, she couldn't dive into this. She had to be wary of him - now, even more so.
"It doesn't have to be a 'date date,'" Damon backpedalled, "we can go as friends. I just figured since we're both going that we could go together. It would save us from taking turns playing third wheel to my baby brother and Meredith all night," he groaned. "Plus with the way Mrs. Lockwood was talking up you and Tyler, I figure I could be a good buffer."
She considered his offer carefully and debated upon it for a few moments. Damon did raise a good point about the third wheel thing. Moreover, attending with Damon would be a good guard against Tyler and Hayley should they decide to make an appearance. Beyond this, there was a part of her excited by the prospect of attending the fundraiser with a date rather than alone.
Still, she felt herself holding back.
Damon sighed disappointedly.
"Let me guess, you already have a date," he concluded.
She opened her mouth to respond, but Damon interrupted.
"Well I know it's not Klaus because he would never willingly attend something like this," Damon joked. "So who is my competition?"
"I don't have a date," she shook her head. "I just...it's..." she sighed exasperatedly. "Okay, I'll be your date to the fundraiser," she relented.
Damon's smile widened and she did her best to match it despite her reservations.
He yawned tiredly as he trudged downstairs to the basement with the unexpectedly heavy pile of laundry that he had to do. Surprisingly, only half of it was his while the other half belonged to Grayson. It amazed him how much laundry one small baby could create.
Chores like this weren't exactly an ideal way of spending time, but with Grayson down for his morning nap, he revelled in the silence as he sorted through the clothes and put the first load into the washer.
Getting things accomplished on the days he was alone with Grayson was a rarity, so he intended to take advantage of every moment.
He was still getting used to taking care of Grayson on his own, but to his relief and Caroline's surprise, both he and Grayson had survived the past few times unscathed.
In fact, he found himself enjoying their time alone together. He had fun with Grayson - when he wasn't screaming at the top of his lungs or filling his diaper. Plus, it was nice being free of Caroline's neurotic perfectionism sometimes.
Aside from that, sharing the house with Caroline hadn't been as complicated as he anticipated it would be.
They had seemed to find a natural division of labour that appeased the both of them, and they really hadn't had many disagreements when it came to that or Grayson.
He glanced over at the laundry sink and noticed a few of Caroline's wet clothes draped over the edge that she had clearly washed by hand.
Okay, so things hadn't been entirely uncomplicated, he conceded to himself as he observed a black lace bra beside a hot pink one of a similar style.
He swallowed anxiously and looked away, resisting the urge to imagine what Caroline looked like in her lingerie, focusing on the task of removing Caroline's clothes from the dryer - where he was sure to be confronted with more suggestive items.
Contained amongst the more harmless pieces of clothing, were a few skimpy pairs of panties and nighties.
He closed his eyes and quickly tossed the clothes into an empty laundry basket, wrinkles be damned. He had only offered to take the clothes out of the dryer - mainly so he could use it himself - he hadn't offered to fold her clothes and put them away for her.
Yes, things between them had not been without complications, he reiterated.
There was a constant thick blanket of unresolved sexual tension and attraction surrounding them; well it surrounded him at least. He couldn't speak for her, although he did catch her lingering stares every so often - the same ones he was often guilty of bestowing upon her.
He couldn't help himself. He chalked his unwavering attraction to her up to their close proximity and their history with one another.
Despite that, it was becoming a little pathetic - how much of an effect she had upon him. His body didn't discriminate when it came to her. She could be dressed in a tight tank top and pyjama shorts, or a baggy t-shirt and sweatpants and his own pants still tightened at the sight. Not even his hand or the occasional night with Vicki could stifle his need for her.
More alarming to him was his desire to simply be with her. He looked forward to seeing her when she returned from work, perhaps almost as much as Grayson did; and he enjoyed spending time with her, even if most of their time together included Grayson or taking care of chores.
As far as he knew, Caroline was entirely unaware of his growing fondness for her. Despite the looks from her he sometimes noticed and the occasional awkward moment between them, she didn't seem the least bit interested in him. He didn't blame her. Though he had stepped up to take responsibility of Grayson with her, he hadn't taken responsibility for his actions a year ago. To her, he was probably still that guy.
He also knew as well as she did that their main priority was Grayson. Succumbing to his lust for her would only threaten their already vulnerable situation. It could endanger their chances of securing permanent custody of Grayson. It could destroy the amicable atmosphere they had created for him. He didn't want to give up Grayson to his parents, nor did he want Grayson to grow up in the middle of a hostile relationship between him and Caroline. He wanted this to work.
And so, he kept his shifting feelings for Caroline to himself and attempted to sublimate his craving for her during his free time with his art, liquor, and the occasional tryst with Vicki.
Shaking himself from his thoughts, he finished with the laundry and retreated upstairs. He had a pair of swim shorts to locate from Elijah's room before Grayson woke. He'd been putting the task off since he first put Grayson to bed even though the bedroom was right next door.
As he entered the bedroom, he realized that he hadn't been in the room since he had tried to comfort Caroline after her break down the night before Elijah and Elena's funeral.
Though he slept in Elijah's office, he felt uneasy when it came to even stepping foot in Elijah and Elena's bedroom. He felt like he was invading sacred or personal space that he shouldn't be. He supposed it served as a more salient reminder that they were no longer there.
Clothes, photographs, and other personal items left behind in this room gave him an eerie and uncomfortable feeling.
He went for the dresser he recalled belonged to Elijah, since Elena's things took up most of the space in their walk-in closet, leaving Elijah with only room to hang his suits.
Elijah was never really a fan of summer attire, so he was not surprised to find what he was looking for in the bottom drawer.
He fished through the deep drawer until he found a pair of navy blue swim shorts.
Underneath, however, his knuckles brushed against what felt like a book, rather than the grain of the solid wood drawer.
He pushed all the neatly folded clothes aside, almost feeling Elijah curse him as he did so, in order to get a better look.
At the bottom of the drawer were a collection of small rectangular notebooks.
He stared at them for a moment, trying to place where he had seen them before.
Elijah's journals, he concluded. He had started keeping a journal when he was a teenager. He always used to make fun of Elijah for it. He recalled stealing one when he was younger and threatening to read it aloud. Elijah responded by punching him in the stomach and hitting him over the head with the book. That's how he remembered them. He never touched Elijah's journals again, partly due to the threat of physical retaliation from Elijah, and partly because Elijah had likened his journals to his sketchbooks. He understood then that Elijah's journals were something personal to him, only to be shared if he willed them to be.
He stared down at the books intensely, full of curiosity and dread. Those books contained Elijah's thoughts and insights; those journals were the most concrete connection to his brother he had left; they were the truest evidence, aside from Grayson and photographs, that Elijah had lived - that his brother had not been some figment of his imagination who had suddenly disappeared into the wind one March night.
The part of him who longed to see his brother again, who wanted to feel their bond once more, was desperate to immerse himself in those journals. However, he hesitated. Though Elijah was gone, those journals contained his personal thoughts. He wasn't sure if it was appropriate that he read them now. He still felt like he would be invading Elijah's privacy, that he might still be deserving of a punch to the stomach if he read them.
That said, though he had never been much of a believer in the paranormal, he couldn't help but wonder if him finding the journals was a sign from Elijah. Perhaps Elijah was willing them to be shared now by having him stumble upon them? He shook his head at the ridiculous notion. Finding the journals was pure coincidence.
He stared down at the journals with his hands practically burning to open one.
That's when his phone began to buzz from the pocket of his jeans.
He shut the drawer promptly and focused his attention upon the phone.
It was a text from Rebekah.
'Are you and Grayson still Skyping with me today?'
He could practically hear Rebekah's demanding voice asking the question.
Affirming that they would in a half hour, he left Elijah and Elena's room, dropping his borrowed swim shorts off in his room before heading for Grayson's. It was time he woke up from his morning nap anyways.
He set up his laptop downstairs at the dining table so that he could put Grayson in his high chair while they Skyped with Rebekah.
Rebekah appeared on the screen looking upset but thrilled all at the same time.
"Finally!" Rebekah groaned. "I thought I was going to have to make a trip to Mystic Falls just to see you both again. I didn't think setting up a time to Skype with you would be so difficult. It's been nearly two weeks since I left," she lamented.
He rolled his eyes.
"Stop being dramatic little sister. You made setting up a time to talk just as difficult," he pointed out.
Rebekah grumbled under her breath but her frown was quickly replaced with a smile when she turned her attention upon Grayson.
"Hi Grayson," Rebekah cooed. "You're getting so big and handsome," she said in a sing-song voice.
"Look," he said to Grayson, pointing to the screen. "It's your Auntie Bekah."
Grayson muttered a few incoherent sounds as he reached towards the computer.
"I think he's definitely gotten bigger since I saw him," Rebekah observed.
He shrugged, unsure if he agreed with Rebekah's assessment or not.
"Maybe," he replied. "He doesn't seem to mind the formula we've been feeding him. He goes through it like crazy," he complained. "It's not cheap stuff."
"I thought you said you and Caroline got the money situation taken care of?" Rebekah questioned with a serious tone.
"We did," he nodded. "But this kid is not going to have any inheritance left with the way he goes through formula and diapers," he mused. "Speaking of which, we have to make a special trip to the grocery store this afternoon just to pick up some more."
Rebekah laughed.
"Babies need to eat and pooh, Nik," she reminded him with a smirk.
Grayson shrieked as if to affirm Rebekah's statement.
"Has he gotten any more teeth in yet?" she wondered. "Caroline sent me a picture last week."
"He has another. It looks like he could be ready to cut a few more," he revealed. "We think he might be getting ready to crawl, but we're not sure," he informed her, feeling an odd sense of accomplishment.
"Well then I guess you're going to have to go out and buy some cupboard locks and baby gates sooner rather than later," Rebekah concluded.
"Yeah, I guess so," he replied.
He really hadn't even considered the implications of Grayson being able to crawl. Grayson would be able to go out and explore on his own. It meant that they would have to keep an even more vigilant eye on him than they already did.
"Has CPS visited you yet?" Rebekah inquired curiously.
"No, they haven't. We're expecting their first visit anytime though. They won't tell us the exact date and time of the visit. I feel like I'm living in a museum. Caroline is incessant about keeping everything tidy," he complained.
"She just wants to make a good impression," Rebekah said, sympathizing with Caroline's intentions.
He sighed in annoyance.
"I don't think it's going to matter much whether there's a few dishes in the sink. They're either going to like us or they won't," he shrugged.
Rebekah gave him a worried look.
"There's a lot riding on these visits, Nik. You know what could happen if they don't like you," she warned.
"I know," he said sternly. "I know, but obsessing over it is exhausting. Caroline does enough of that for the both of us."
He fell silent for a moment as he hesitated to ask the question he'd been afraid to ask since they had begun their conversation.
"Have they said anything to you? Mother and Father?" he asked Rebekah.
Rebekah shook her head.
"They've been tight-lipped around me. I'm kind of hoping they've given up the notion of seeking custody of Grayson, but I'm sure they're just keeping me in the dark so I won't tell you anything. I've been snooping around, but I've found nothing," she told him.
He sighed, feeling unnerved by Rebekah's lack of information.
"Perhaps they really have given up the idea?" Rebekah suggested optimistically.
He glared at her incredulously and she frowned in response.
"Doubtful, but I suppose we'll find out in a couple weeks," he realized glumly.
"How about we don't discuss Mother and Father?" Rebekah proposed. "Let's talk about Grayson. How has he been?" she wondered.
He shrugged, looking at Grayson who was presently occupied with his slobbery fingers.
"Other than his teething troubles, he seems content. He's sleeping through the night occasionally, and he's babbling up a storm," he recounted. "His swim lessons start again this evening."
"You're taking Grayson swimming?" Rebekah mused. "What about your tattoo?"
He had almost forgotten Rebekah knew about his tattoo. Caroline had spilled the news to her last week and he had been forced to text her a picture immediately as a result.
"Caroline and I are taking Grayson," he informed her reluctantly, knowing her mind would already be making it into something more than it was.
Judging by the smile on her lips, he could tell her mind was already working overtime.
"He doesn't really swim, it's just getting him used to the water," he explained. "And the tattoo should be fine; it's been two weeks. I'm not going to be submerged underwater or anything."
Rebekah nodded absently, her mind clearly somewhere other than on his tattoo.
"Have you and Caroline been spending a lot of time with Grayson together?" she asked nosily.
He grimaced.
"Considering we live in the same house and are both taking care of the same kid, I think it's safe to conclude that Caroline and I spend a lot of time together with Grayson," he sighed sarcastically.
Still, Rebekah's smile grew.
"How are things with Caroline?" she asked predictably.
"They're fine, Bekah," he said sternly. "She does her thing, I do mine, we've divided the chores, and split time with Grayson. To be honest, I don't see her that much. When she's not with Grayson, she's at the store," he shrugged. "She even spends her free time there."
For a moment, he considered the possibility that maybe she was avoiding him.
"She told me she's really busy with work," Rebekah affirmed.
"That's probably why she skipped breakfast and stormed out of here in a hurry this morning...and forgot her lunch apparently," he said, just noticing Caroline's packed lunch on the counter by the back door now.
"Maybe when you go out to pick up Grayson's things, you could ask Caroline to lunch? She could probably use a break?" Rebekah suggested innocently.
He knew Rebekah's ulterior motives were far from innocent, but he found himself considering her idea, nonetheless.
This was his first trip out alone with Grayson, he realized as he parked in the car in the grocery store parking lot - taking full advantage of the family parking spaces close to the store entrance.
Sure, he had picked Grayson up from daycare a few times now, but he had never really taken him anywhere alone before.
He packed a few supplies in Grayson's diaper bag before they left - probably nothing compared to what Caroline would have packed - but he had fed and changed Grayson before they left, so he hoped Grayson would be good for the duration of their trip.
"We'll be in and out bud, so please make this painless for me," he pleaded with Grayson as he pulled him out of his car seat.
Luckily, they had finally had a chance to open the gifts Rebekah had bought Grayson during their Skype conversation earlier. One of the gifts had been a red and blue spring coat - something Grayson needed for the changing weather but didn't have. Elijah and Elena hadn't had the chance to prepare for spring.
He and Caroline were going to have to buy a lot more clothes for Grayson soon, he reminded himself. He was growing out of things every time they went to change him, it seemed.
Walking into the store, he held Grayson self-consciously as he went for the carts.
He secured Grayson in the baby seat and ventured into the store towards the baby aisles, trying to ignore the stares and smiles he seemed to be receiving.
Grayson was preoccupied by all the sights and sounds while he grabbed the usual diapers from the shelf, and then began scanning for the special swim diapers.
A woman with a baby boy a little older than Grayson passed them, with the woman giving an awed glance to Grayson and then a smile in his direction.
The unfamiliar exchange left him distracted, causing him surprise when he turned and noticed a female store employee approaching him.
The young brunette smiled widely at Grayson.
"He's adorable," she beamed before looking up at him. "You look a little lost. Is there anything I can help you find?"
He was inclined to say no; he hated asking other people for help, but he knew he'd be standing here forever looking at all the diaper varieties if he didn't ask.
"I need the diapers that are appropriate for pools. This little guy has a swimming lesson tonight," he explained.
She nodded with a grin and pointed down to a brand on the bottom shelf.
"These are made especially for swimming. They're the best ones. They come in different sizes," she informed him.
"Thanks," he replied.
"No problem," she said cheerfully. "Have fun at your swimming lesson," she said in a baby voice to Grayson, shaking his tiny hand. "I'll be over in the next aisle if you need anything," she finished politely, leaving him with a flirty smile as she disappeared down the aisle.
He looked down the empty aisle and then smirked at Grayson, wondering if there was a correlation occurring. Although he hated to admit it, perhaps Damon was right; maybe Grayson was the best kind of wingman.
Laughing at the thought, he headed for the aisle that contained the baby formula before heading for the check-outs where he received a few more intrigued glances from young and old women alike.
He left the store shaking his head in amusement.
His stomach groaned loudly from hunger as he secured Grayson back in his car seat, provoking a curious look from Grayson.
"Uncle Klaus needs to eat," he confirmed.
Rebekah's earlier suggestion crossed his mind.
He smiled down at Grayson.
"Do you want to go visit Caroline?" He asked Grayson.
As though he recognized the name, Grayson smiled and released an excited shriek.
"Then it's settled. We'll go see if Caroline wants to have lunch with us," he concluded, suddenly feeling a little anxious.
He parked out front of Caroline's store. Fully expecting to have to bring Grayson into the store in his carrier - assuming he had fallen asleep during the short ride - he was surprised to see that he was still wide awake despite the time nearing two in the afternoon.
Unbuckling Grayson from his seat, he headed for the store's entrance curiously.
He had never actually been in her store before or seen any of her work apart from Elena's wedding dress.
Although the exterior of the store fit in with the small town charm of the other store facades, the inside of the store was unexpectedly modern. Halogen track lighting illuminated the space, while a monochromatic colour scheme and exposed brick attracted the eye.
The store itself wasn't actually that big, nor was it cluttered with racks of clothing. Mass production was not a part of Caroline's business plan. She wanted to underscore her custom work, which is why he assumed most of the building's main floor square-footage was contained behind the back wall - where Caroline worked.
A young raven-haired girl peered up from a computer behind the counter. A look of realization spread across her face as she seemed to recognize Grayson.
"Grayson," she squealed. "Hey there little guy," she greeted as she stepped around the counter and approached them.
Grayson began to squirm in his grasp in response.
"You must be Klaus?" the girl inquired. "I'm April," she informed him, extending her hand to introduce herself.
He shook it, though Grayson leaned forward and attempted to intercede.
"That would be me," he chuckled as he released her hand. "Is Caroline around?"
An intriguing smile emerged on April's lips at his mention of Caroline and he couldn't help but eye her suspiciously.
"She's in her office, you can go back if you'd like or I can page her up here," April offered.
"Thanks, we'll go back," he decided, interested in seeing more of the building.
He walked through the open wooden pocket doors that lead into the back room.
The large unfinished room confirmed his suspicions about much of the main floor footprint being devoted to work space.
This part of the building - save for the walled off row of rooms on the right - had retained its history with the rough wood floors and the large exposed beams and brick.
There were work tables in the centre of the room, with inventory and materials stored on the left-hand side.
The room itself actually reminded him a lot of his workspace back in New York, though its tidiness did not.
He mused at Caroline's ability to keep even a space meant for unrestrained creativity neatly organized and contained.
At the back wall another of Caroline's employees - Camille he presumed - was busy muttering expletives at a sewing machine.
When the noise from the machine stopped, he cleared his throat.
Startled, she turned around and noticed him standing there with Grayson.
She was older than April, but probably the same age as Caroline, he deduced. Her hair was blonde like Caroline's but a little darker. Her bright eyes sparkled at him as her cheeks reddened and she flashed him a smile similar to April's.
"Sorry, the machine has a personality of its own and has decided to be uncooperative," she huffed apologetically for the use of language he had walked in on her using.
He shrugged with an amused look.
"No need to apologize," he assured her.
She laughed, standing up to move towards them.
"All my foul language seems to come out when children are around," she explained, nodding towards Grayson.
"Caroline has the same habit," he chuckled, thinking back to the numerous times in the past two weeks she had let a curse word slip in front of Grayson.
"Well then I don't feel so bad," Camille concluded with a grin. "I'm Camille," she introduced herself, politely extending her hand.
"I'm..."
- "Klaus," she interrupted. "Nice to meet you, finally."
"Likewise," he said, arching an eyebrow at her.
"I was at the Grill with Caroline for Elijah and Elena's celebration of life; she pointed me out to you," Camille revealed. "Plus, even if I hadn't seen you then, I'm positive you're the only cute accented male who's supposed to have Grayson at the moment," she said, laughing nervously at her subtle compliment.
"Good point," he smirked, wondering if perhaps that's how Caroline initially described him to her employees.
Camille zeroed in on Grayson and tickled his tummy lightly.
"Hey dude," she greeted him. "Are you here to visit Caroline?" she cooed to Grayson playfully.
Grayson erupted into giggles though he tucked his head into the crook of his neck shyly.
She scoffed jovially, feigning offence as Grayson turned away from her.
"I see how it is," she joked to Grayson. "Caroline gets all the male admirers today," she chuckled, looking up at him.
"Is she here?" he wondered.
Camille nodded towards the ajar door in the back right corner.
"She's in her office...been in there practically all day," Camille sighed. "Disturb her at your own risk."
Laughing, he heeded Camille's warning and approached the door cautiously.
From her office he could hear the sound of pop rock music and Caroline humming absently.
He tapped on the door and it inadvertently creaked open.
Caroline was seated in her chair, her bare feet curled around the edge of her desk, with her eyes pensively fixed upon the sketchbook propped upright against her thighs and a pencil in her hand.
She looked...beautiful, he thought discreetly.
"Camille...what," Caroline began before looking up.
Upon noticing him, she dropped her legs from her desk, straightened out her posture and closed her sketchbook.
"Klaus," she said with a surprised tone, as she glanced between him and Grayson. "What are you two doing here?" she wondered, turning off the music on her computer.
He could hear the worry in her voice.
"Grayson and I were out picking up diapers and formula - I got some of those special swim pants too - and I thought we'd stop by. I've never been here before," he reasoned as she stood up from the desk.
Of course, he had been in her upstairs apartment once before, but that was different.
"Well, it's nothing special," she shrugged, extending her hands towards Grayson to take him.
"It's nice," he encouraged, handing Grayson over to her.
"Did you come to visit me?" she asked Grayson, who dug his tiny fingers into her skin and squealed with delight. "Where did this coat come from?" she wondered, missing nothing as usual.
"It was in the gift bag Rebekah left behind. Grayson and I Skyped with her earlier and he opened it...well, I helped," he conceded.
Caroline smiled at Grayson.
"You're spoiled mister," she mused to Grayson, planting a kiss upon his cheek. "So, I guess you met April and Camille then?" Caroline inquired to him as she brushed her fingers through Grayson's hair.
"I did," he confirmed. "Camille told me to disturb you at my own risk," he chuckled. "You look busy," he observed, nodding towards her book and the variety of materials splayed out on her desk. "We're not bothering you?" he wondered.
She looked over the cluttered desk and shook her head.
"I'm just trying to get some ideas done up for Carol Lockwood's masquerade dress so I can present them to her as soon as possible," she explained. "I needed a break anyways."
Grayson babbled to her in response.
"Yes, I did need a break," she replied to Grayson cheerfully. "Thank you for coming to visit me."
He inhaled and exhaled deeply, knowing that now was his window of opportunity to ask her what he had come by to ask her.
"Perhaps you'd like to join the two of us for some late lunch?" he heard himself asking.
She sighed almost disappointedly and that unnerved him.
"I would, but I already ate earlier," she frowned.
"You forgot your lunch?" he questioned.
"Damon stopped by with some," she said, almost reluctantly.
He felt his entire mood dampen and his body slink back dejectedly.
"Oh really?" he said, only making a half-assed attempt to conceal his sarcasm.
So that's what Camille had meant about Caroline's male admirers.
"Yeah, he wanted to thank me for letting him stay at my apartment," she explained.
He groaned inwardly. That wasn't all Damon Salvatore wanted, he thought.
She sighed and looked at Grayson.
"It's too bad, I would have loved to go on a date with you this afternoon," she cooed to Grayson.
Yes of course, she was referring to Grayson.
"Maybe we can reschedule, little guy?" she suggested to Grayson.
She looked over at him.
"Sure, we'll do it another time," he relented, finding himself unable to refuse her. "I should probably get Grayson home for his afternoon nap anyways."
She nodded.
"I'll be home in time to go to Grayson's swim lesson," she reminded him. "I'll see you then," she said happily.
"See you then," he said, mustering a small smile despite the sudden and overwhelming vengeful urges he had to never speak to her again and strangle Damon with his bare hands.
Next time on Tangled Up in Blue: Klaus and Caroline take Grayson to his swim lesson and have trouble keeping their eyes off of one another, and a trip to the Grill afterwards results in some interesting encounters with familiar faces. Thoughts?
I'm a couple thousand words into the next chapter. I hope to have another update sooner than later.
Review me in the meantime, maybe?
P.S. did you guys hear that an episode of The Originals is going to be called "Tangled Up in Blue"? Should I laugh or cry?