Chapter 2- Silent Gratitude
Klaus tapped his foot impatiently as he waited for Kurt to return from his hotel.
He wondered if he was doing the right thing, compelling some newbie witch to be the one to help him in his ultimate goals. Klaus had dreamed of breaking the curse ever since it had been placed upon him. Through years of research, exploration of the usually mythical and myriad continents, Klaus finally knew the secret to breaking the curse set upon him, limiting both of his powers. The sun limited his vampire abilities and he could only turn during a full moon. It was…exciting for him to think about not having those barriers. Full access to his powers.
Now if only something could be done about that elusive moonstone.
He had the witch, he was almost certain he could acquire the doppelganger, but he needed the moonstone. Getting a vampire would be very easy. A werewolf? No problem. He was Klaus Mikaelson. Kurt would perform the spell, even if he didn't want to. Compulsion was one thing, but Klaus hoped that it would not come to that. He wanted the curse to be broken in amicable fashion and his deceit will have done the trick. It was enough to spread lies across the continent about 'The Curse Of The Sun And The Moon' when, realistically, it was a curse only applicable to him as a hybrid.
Kurt turned the corner, walking nonchalantly back towards Klaus. He was carrying but a few bags, which Klaus thought was good. He would attract less attention that way. If he needed more things, there wasn't anything that Kurt couldn't easily pick up on the way. Mystic Falls was quite a way from New York; they would have to make plenty of stops along the way.
The more Klaus thought about it, the more guilty he felt about the compulsion. But he was past caring about that. Emotions ran deep, but not with him. He had turned off his compassion centuries ago. Breaking the curse was the only thing he cared about.
Kurt smiled robotically and readjusted his bags. The light in his usually interesting eyes had been dulled somewhat by the compulsion and Klaus supposed that he should have felt disheartened by that, but he didn't. He only felt glad that he had managed to acquire such power for his mission. Kurt would definitely prove useful to his cause on numerous occasions, that much he knew.
"I have my bags. I was seen on the way out but I ignored them as per your instructions."
Klaus grinned. "Excellent. We should be ready to go."
Kurt halted, eyes focusing once again. Klaus frowned at the fact that the compulsion had worn off already. Maybe it was a witch thing. "Wait, I still don't understand where we're going or what we're doing. If you're whisking me away from everything I know, you should at least provide me with some insight into my new life."
Klaus shrugged, deciding that that was fair. He would have expected the same. Though what he really found interesting was Kurt's laxness about the situation. The compulsion had faded, yet Kurt had no desire to return to his hotel with his luggage and shake it off as one bad nightmare. "I suppose that's fair. Come, let us find somewhere to talk where we won't be disturbed."
In the end, Klaus decided to book them a hotel room for the night, realising that Kurt wouldn't be used to travelling at dusk and that daylight would be a better option. If somebody saw Kurt escape, they would be looking for him. At least the search would have dulled a little bit by daylight.
He offered Kurt full use of the mini fridge and the boy removed two Diet Cokes from it and sat down, clicking one open and sipping at it tenderly.
"Food?"
Kurt shrugged. "I don't usually have much of an appetite. I eat because it's sustenance, not because I want to."
Klaus knew that it was something much more than that, but didn't press the issue for now. That would all unravel in time. "Very well. Right, what I'm about to tell you is probably going to be the craziest thing you've heard in your life but every facet of it is the truth. You are a witch, as you have probably deciphered. I am also a supernatural being.
"I am a hybrid between a vampire and a werewolf."
Kurt stared intensely, not laughing, believing Klaus' story. And he hadn't even been compelled. There was always some part of him that had let himself believe those myths and legends could be true. He questioned the origins of such tales, wondering how they could be seen in so much collective detail if they weren't at least partially true. So it didn't come as much of a shock to his system that Klaus was revealing them as a fact of reality. "Okay."
"I'm glad you're quick to understand, Kurt. A lot of people stay reticent for a good few days until I show them exactly how that can be true."
"I can imagine. A lot of people are satisfied with the ordinary."
"But not you," Klaus smirked, "no, you love that there's something bigger contained in this world and that you are a part of it."
"Are you telepathic?"
"No, I'm merely old enough to be able to read character. People are predictable after you meet so many of them, human or not. Though I have a distinct feeling that you may become telepathic after a while, once we enhance your powers."
"Excellent."
"Where was I? Oh yes, the hybrid business. There are two versions of this story, the version I fabricated as a deterrent and the truth. I'm going to tell you both.
"The lie is that there is an ancient curse called the Curse of the Sun and the Moon. Have you heard of it?"
Kurt shook his head. It wasn't as though he was involved in any supernatural doings, besides his endeavours tonight, of course.
"To sum up, a Aztec shaman placed a mutual curse upon both vampires and werewolves to limit their extreme power. Vampires would be bound by the cycle of the sun and werewolves would be only able to turn at full moons. It wasn't exactly a balance, but I tried."
"So you made it up?"
"Entirely. But there is a curse. The Hybrid Curse, applicable only to me. My mother had an affair with a werewolf chief which triggered my conception and unusual attributes. My father was furious and proceeded to limit my powers by placing a curse on me that did the same thing as the made up version."
Kurt nodded. "And you want to break it?"
"I want to smash this curse in this face, Kurt. What's the point of being capable of having this power if I can't use it to my advantage?"
Kurt noticed his words and understood. "And that's why you want to take me with you. So I can use my power to your advantage."
Klaus pondered this quickly. "Don't misunderstand me, Kurt, I want to break the curse, but that's not the only reason you're with me. I see something in you that I once saw in myself so many years ago."
"It's weird, because you don't look more than thirty, yet you're talking about ancient things like you witnessed them. It's a little disconcerting."
Klaus chuckled, stretching out on the bed, tucking his hands behind his head. "I'm thousands of years old, yet I still look this good. It's a gift."
Kurt perched on the edge of the bed timidly. He had never even thought about sharing a bed with a boy before. When Blaine had crashed at his place after the trainwreck party, Kurt had curled up on the floor, too afraid to even think about sleeping in the bed with the boy.
There was no doubt in Kurt's mind that Klaus was ridiculously attractive. Those deep blue eyes and that hard jawline had been immediately noticed by Kurt in the alley.
Klaus smirked. "It's okay, I don't mind you looking. After all, when else do you get the opportunity to admire a handsome hybrid?"
"You're awfully sure of yourself."
"And you're deflecting. How are you feeling about all of this?"
Kurt blinked, surprised. "I can have an opinion?"
"I wouldn't believe you if you didn't."
"What's the point when you can compel me to feel anything you want me to feel?"
"I don't manipulate emotions," Klaus explained, "I only manipulate action. And you're still deflecting from my question."
"I don't want to say it aloud. Fine. I'm confused as to why all of this happening, but I'm…grateful, it think. Grateful that you're giving me something more than I had. It's an opportunity for me to see things I never would have."
"You're thanking me? Well, that was not what I expected. I rather expected you to be outraged that I basically abducted you from your friends."
Kurt shifted, setting down his can. "I don't know, I'll miss my life, I'll miss my family, but I never really fit there. Something was always missing, something that I could never quite explain. I guess now I can. I'm a…witch?"
"An immensely powerful one. You're also not bad company, which is rarer than having magical powers. I can't tolerate a lot of people."
"Oh, I can't either. But you don't seem too bad."
Klaus smiled. "You just like looking at me."
Kurt blushed deeply and Klaus found that he was greatly amused at Kurt's embarrassment. Kurt knew that he was capitalising on his innocence, something that Kurt believed was going to be taken away from him on this adventure. He would have to stand by and see what happened.
"You don't have to disguise it, Kurt. As a matter of fact, I quite looking at you too."
Kurt coughed uncomfortably. "You're lucky I got held back a year and turned eighteen a few months ago."
"You're the eighteen year old that likes looking at a thousand year old supernatural entity. After a while, age becomes blurred. But it is a very good thing that you're eighteen. Now I don't have to feel so guilty about ogling you."
"I'm surprised that you haven't asked why I got held back a year."
Klaus shrugged. "I'm sure you'll tell me if you want to. I'm not going to push you. Though it is late and we should probably rest before tomorrow. It's a big day."
"Will you explain my role in all of this tomorrow?"
"Sure," Klaus agreed, getting up from the bed and rooting through the bag he had brought with him. He stripped off his shirt quickly, leaving Kurt with nothing to do but to stare at the hard body that lay underneath his clothes. Klaus popped the button on his jeans and pulled them down his legs and Kurt tried to look away, he really did. But he was a guy and Klaus was hot.
Klaus smirked at him. "Well, aren't we going to have so much fun together?"
