I had to write this chapter twice because somehow it got deleted from my files the first time.
Chapter 63
Previously:
"Withholding the truth is the same as lying, Marcellus, you know this. Now go cut a switch. And make sure it's a supple one. I do hate having to start over midway through because of a snapped implement."
Marcel could feel his knees about to go weak but he fought against the urge to buckle.
"Fine," he finally relented, staring into Elijah's eyes. "I...I brought my phone with me. Klaus caught me on it and took it from me. There, you happy?"
Elijah glared over at Niklaus. He could tell by Marcel's attitude that Klaus had simply let him get away unscathed for disobeying him.
Klaus didn't waver at Elijah's glare. He knew his brother figured out he had let Marcel's disobedience go unpunished. The concerned knot between his eyebrows and the slight nod of his head urged Elijah to finish what he failed.
His eyes still focused on Niklaus, Elijah said, "I am very disappointed in you, Marcellus."
Marcel's eyebrows furrowed at Elijah's statement. He expected Elijah to be angry, not disappointed.
"Kol, I suspected would need a reminder or two on this trip. But you…," Elijah finally turned his attention to Marcel. "I thought your presence here would serve to encourage Kol to behave but it seems you need a couple of reminders yourself."
Elijah walked to the outside of the clearing to a tree stump that was just high enough for him to sit on without having to bend his knees. He sat back with his calves flush against the outer ring of the stump and curved his finger at Marcel - beckoning Marcel to come to him.
Marcel wearily craned his neck around to Niklaus.
"Marcellus!" Elijah's voice boomed before Marcel could catch Klaus's eye. Turning back to Elijah, he was unnerved by the anger on the older vampire's face. "This is the 4th time I have had to call you to me. Do not let there be a 5th."
Marcel tottered over to Elijah in no hurry to get his punishment over. He glanced over to Kol and instantly regretted it as he watched his 'old friend' smiling from ear to ear as he marched to his doom. Then he looked over to Finn. Even he looked satisfied at the prospect of Marcel being taken to task.
Marcel stopped just short of Elijah's reach. "I'm sorry," he muttered, hoping Kol and Finn weren't listening though he was sure they were. "I've just...had a stressful morning."
Elijah waved his hand, urging Marcel to elaborate. "Then explain it to me. Let's fix this now before your bad attitude can ruin this weekend for you."
"I'd rather not," Marcel mumbled under his breath. "Can we just get this over with?"
"Would you rather I compel the truth out of you?"
Marcel's eyed widened. He didn't want Elijah or Klaus anywhere near his mind with their compulsion. They could discover too much.
"That's not fair!" He barked, redirecting his anger. "You wouldn't use compulsion on Kol."
"Because I cannot use my compulsion on Kol. There are several times in his life that I would have used it to find out the truth from him if I could have."
"That doesn't matter! You're supposed to be treating me like a brother! That means you can't do things to me that you don't do to your brothers, even if you can!"
Edging closer to the edge of the stump, Elijah said, "Perhaps I spoke too soon. Perhaps you're not ready to be treated as a brother just yet. Not while you still have that rebellious attitude of yours."
Using his supernatural speed, Elijah grabbed Marcel's arm and pulled him over his lap before he could object, landing a solid smack across his tight-fitting pants the moment Marcel's behind was on display.
Marcel grunted between clenched teeth. The width of the tree stump supported his knees as he laid over Elijah's lap, making him feel even more childish as he laid supine as he did as a child when his legs were too short to reach the floor while over Elijah's knees.
Elijah pressed his left hand firmly in the middle of Marcel's back, keeping him still as he landed another half dozen smacks across his bottom.
Marcel squirmed as Elijah paused his onslaught to reach under his waist and unfasten his pants button. As Elijah bared his behind, he brought his hands back to cover his exposed cheeks. He knew Finn was too far away to see his shame in all its glory but Kol was only a few feet away. From where he stood, he would have a prime view of Marcel's cheeks darkening.
Elijah grabbed Marcel's wrists and pinned them in the center of his back before smacking his heavy hand across Marcel's left cheek causing it to tremble and clench.
"I have had enough of your attitude, Marcel." Elijah barked as he started alternating between Marcel's cheeks, covering every inch of his behind with a sharp smack. "And enough of your disobedience. For the rest of this weekend, you had better become the exemplar of good behavior. Do I make myself clear?"
Marcel couldn't answer. He was too focused on making sure he didn't kick his legs too much while his pants were around his knees. Being bare and spanked was embarrassing enough, he didn't want to be completely naked from the waist down.
Elijah smacked his hand down against Marcel's left cheek. "I said 'do I make myself clear', Marcellus?"
"Yes," Marcel squeaked out, suddenly realizing he was asked a question. "Wh-whatever. J-just stop…"
Marcel was shocked as Elijah suddenly stopped spanking him. He stood him to his feet by the stump with his pants still around his knees and stood beside him.
Before Marcel could ask if it was over, Elijah sped over to his backpack, opened the uppermost zipper, and grabbed a flat back wooden hairbrush - Hope's Hairbrush. Marcel's teary eyes widened.
Elijah vamped back to the stump with Marcel, pulling the man back down over his knees and pinning his back in place as he brought the hairbrush down sharply across the bottom curve of his behind.
"This," Elijah brought the brush down again, his strength seeming to grow with each new smack. "Is for making me call you more than once."
Tears drenched Marcel's cheeks as the brush came down and rapid succession. He suddenly understood why his sister hated the brush so much. He wiggled and wailed underneath Elijah's hold but Elijah wouldn't let him stand until he was sure he'd gotten his point through.
Marcel was limp as Elijah landed the last, ear-ringing spank. He rested the hot back of the brush across Marcel's behind, running it in gentle circles over his burning cheeks as he ran his hand down the center of Marcel's back. Marcel folded his arms over the tree stump and placed his face between them, hiding his tears from Kol and Finn.
"Marcellus," Elijah started once Marcel's hitched sobs quieted to soft groans. "Remind me why you're here."
Marcel's face burned redder than his behind at the question. He muttered in the crook of his arms something Elijah could not decipher.
Slapping the brush back down across Marcel's left cheek, Elijah barked, "Try again."
Marcel yelped as he brought his face into view. "Because of my attitude," he repeated louder.
This time he didn't feel relaxed by Elijah as he ran the brush back over his behind. An ache of anticipation tensed his body, expecting another spank with every wrong answer.
"And what else," Elijah continued.
Marcel hesitated to answer. Another slap across his right cheek brought another scream from him.
Burying his face in his arms, Marcel said in just above a mutter, "K-Klaus…"
Klaus immediately stood at attention. He'd been the only spectator unable to watch Elijah lay into Marcel with the brush but the moment he heard his son call his name, he turned to them.
He wanted to run to Elijah, snatch the brush out of his hands, and cradle Marcel in his arms like he would've done two hundred years ago but the stern look in his brother's eyes urged him to remain resilient.
Elijah brought his hand up to Marcel's head, running his hand through Marcel's soft curls, massaging his scalp until his crying weeded back down.
"You're okay," Elijah said lowly. "Your poppa is right where you left him. He's watching over you but he is not going to interfere with this spanking. You deserve every bit of it and when I'm finished, he can come to you. But I decide when this spanking is over, Marcellus. Not you, and not Niklaus. Do you understand me?"
Marcel's answer was a broken sob shuddering through his body.
"I said 'do you understand me', Marcellus?" Elijah lifted the brush from Marcel's behind and hovered above his behind as if warning him of the consequence of his silence.
"Y-yes," Marcel choked out.
Elijah brought the brush softly down to Marcel's cheeks, resuming his circle motions.
"Why else are you here right now, Marcellus?"
Attempting to bring his punishment to as quick an end as he could get, Marcel stammered through his sobs, "B-because I-I...didn't come to y-you the first time you called."
Marcel relaxed as the brush came to a standstill against his behind assuming his punishment had finally come to an end.
"Five more," Elijah said. "For bringing your phone when you were told not to."
"I'm sorry," Marcel whined, completely forgetting that Kol and Finn were watching. "D-dooon't-"
Elijah ended Marcel's pleas with a sharp smack to his sit spot. Marcel pushed his face back into the crook of his arm to stifle his screams as Elijah brought the brush down four more times.
He couldn't fight his tears anymore by the end. He didn't care if Kol or Finn saw him sobbing over Elijah's lap as the man started rubbing his back to ease his sobs.
"Do you think you can take anymore?" Elijah asked.
"No!" Marcel said loud and clear.
"Good. The pain you're feeling now isn't going to reside until we get home. Which means any more disrespect or disobedience you show over the next couple of days will only add to your already aching behind. You will do well to keep that in mind for the rest of the weekend."
Marcel simply groaned and nodded his head.
With a tap on his waist, Elijah urged him to rise back to his feet. Marcel didn't hesitate. Even with his body shaking with sobs and the nearly paralyzing pain radiating from his behind, he had enough strength to stand back on his feet.
He quickly righted his boxer-briefs to preserve the rest of his pride but as he struggled to pull his pants over his sore mounds, he instantly regretted not wearing looser trousers on what was about to turn into a very long weekend.
Klaus's arms were around him in an instant. Marcel hadn't even noticed when Klaus moved from his spot across the clearing but he was grateful for his speed, falling into his father's embrace without hesitation. He wrapped his arms around Klaus's back, allowing his father to guide his face into the crook of his neck as he massaged Marcel's scalp and ran his hand soothingly down the center of his back.
"It's alright, Marcellus," Klaus whispered into Marcel's ear as his son's tears soaked the collar of his shirt. "Poppa's here. You're alright."
Hearing Klaus refer to himself as his 'poppa' in front of Kol and Finn only embarrassed Marcel more but he was willing to contend with that embarrassment if it meant staying in Klaus's arms a little longer. Two hundred years later and he still felt it was the safest place to be whenever he was in pain.
As his sobs quieted down, Niklaus asked, "Do you want me to help you with your pants?"
Marcel shook his head 'no', feeling childish enough already.
Not ready to let his father go just yet, he held on to Klaus with one arm and reached down to the back of his pants with his free hand. A soft whine escaped from his lips as he struggled to pull his pants over both cheeks with one hand and failed, serving only to irritate his sore behind more.
Klaus's heart ached at the sight of his son attempting to save face while obviously in pain.
"Why do you just leave those off for now," Klaus suggested. "And let's go down to the lake for a bit."
Marcel could already feel the cool water easing his burning behind as he nodded his head yes. He carefully removed his pants, hoping he didn't look too eager to get them off, as Klaus walked over to his backpack and found Marcel's swim trunks.
Marcel tossed his pants haphazardly on the stump, his shirt soon following, but he waited until Klaus returned with his trunks before baring his abused behind to the forest again to put them on.
"Kol, Finn," Elijah called out as he unconsciously began folding Marcel's discarded clothes. "You two go with them. I will finish setting up camp."
Kol was more than happy to obey. Swimming was the one thing on the trip he'd come prepared for. He grabbed the swimsuit from his bag and stripped down without a second thought.
As Kol stood naked with his back to them before putting on his swimsuit, Marcel couldn't help but notice the red splotches highlighting his pale behind. The fact that his swimsuit was a white speedo that left the pink parts of his thighs exposed proved just how little Kol thought as he packed for the trip.
Finn dug through his pack until he found the swimsuit that Freya had packed for him. The last time he went swimming for fun he was still human. They didn't have swimsuits then. They just jumped in nude. As he slid on the fitted blue jammers, he decided he liked them more. They still offered the flexibility of swimming nude but offered far more coverage and protection.
"Aren't you changing?" Marcel asked Niklaus as he watched his father grab a sketchpad and a set of drawing pencils from his pack.
Klaus shook his head. "It's been a while since I've sketched the lake. Think I'll give it a go."
"Let's go, fellas," Kol called out as he started off into the woods. "Before the sun goes down."
"Kol!" Klaus barked, stilling his rambunctious little brother in place. "Remind me what the first rule is."
Kol turned slowly around, peering up from under his thick, raised eyebrows with a sullen pout.
"Could you please hurry," he said coyly. "I've been thinking about this lake all day."
Klaus sped across the forest to Kol, standing close enough to cause his brother to tremble. Kol jumped as Klaus's hand smacked across his bare thigh. It was firm enough to get his attention but it didn't hurt much.
"Behave," Klaus warned. "This weekend is about strengthening our bonds with one another. It's not a vacation for you to goof off by yourself. Do you understand me?"
Kol nodded his head as he rolled his eyes.
Normally, Klaus would have accepted a nod as an answer but he couldn't allow Kol's attitude to go unchecked.
With another smack to his brother's thigh, this time with a bit more force, he said, "Do not think for one second that I will not drag you out of that lake and spank you sopping wet if I have to." Looking back at Marcel, he added, "That goes for all of you. My tolerance for disrespect and disobedience is far lower this weekend than you're used to."
Marcel blushed. He was almost certain that his father didn't have the fortitude to spank him but he also didn't want to push him.
Dunking his burning behind into the lake was as refreshing as Marcel had hoped. It didn't heal his pain, but it soothed the burn enough for him to enjoy swimming a few laps across while Kol floated on his back, taking in the warmth of the sun against his skin as the water beneath eased his own stinging behind, and Finn waded at the end of the lake far away from them both.
Noticing Finn floating off alone, Klaus stood from the comforting shade of the tree he sat under and walked over to the edge of the lake, leaving his sketchpad and pencils waiting beside their pile of dry beach towels. With a sharp whistle, he got Marcel and Kol's attention, beckoning for them to come to him.
Confused, they swam quickly over to him.
"What did we do?" Kol asked, irritation evident in his voice.
"Nothing," Klaus answered. "Can either of you tell me where Finn is right now?"
Marcel and Kol glanced around the lake until they saw Finn still off wading alone, staring at them with confusion as to why Klaus called the two of them over and not him. He wanted to listen in on their conversation but he was afraid Klaus might be saying something hurtful about him and he didn't want to hear it, not after his brother was just so nice to him earlier.
"Off being a recluse," Kol scoffed. "As always."
"And that's the problem," Klaus bit. "He is not alone anymore and it is our responsibility to remind him of that. So from now on, until we get back to camp, whatever the two of you do, you do it with Finn."
"That sucks," Kol immediately barked. "You can't force us to hang out with him."
"I can and I am. Finn is our brother and this weekend is about making him feel as though he belongs. Does it look like he feels as though he belongs now?"
"We can't make him swim if he doesn't want to."
"If he doesn't want to swim then you will do what he wants to do."
"That's not fair. Why can't you just make him do what we want to do."
"Kol, enough. This is not an argument. I've told you what's going to happen, now make it happen."
In his anger, Kol slammed his hand against the surface of the water using more of his vampire strength than he intended causing a large wave to splash on to the shore. Klaus jumped back in just enough time to avoid being drenched.
Marcel placed his fist over his mouth attempting to hide the smile that surfaced as he saw the grim glare of his father staring down at Kol's wide eyes.
Klaus curved his finger at Kol, motioning for him to come to him as he said, "Get out of the lake."
Knowing exactly what his brother was about to do, Kol pushed himself further away from Klaus as he whined, "N-no."
Clenching his jaw, Klaus growled, "Do not make me jump in that lake. Come here, now."
Tears already welled in Kol's eyes as he swam to the bank and pulled himself up onto the muddy ground, still several feet away from Klaus.
"I'm sorry," he said, taking his first step forward. "I-I wasn't tryna splash ya. I-I just l-let my strength get a bit outta hand there."
The moment Kol was in arm's reach, Klaus grabbed his damp arm and spun him to the side, landing two heavy-handed swats to both of his cheeks and two more even stronger smacks to his tender sit spots.
Spinning his teary-eyed brother back to him, Niklaus said, "Without your healing abilities, this weekend could promise to be your worst one yet if you do not learn to keep that attitude leashed as soon as possible."
Kol nodded, not bothering to wipe the tears from his wet cheeks as he was sure the water dripping from his hair onto his face hid his tears well enough.
Releasing Kol's arm so he could dive back into the lake beside Marcel, Niklaus nodded for the two of them to go to Finn.
The two young vampires rolled over to their backs and slowly licked their way over to Finn, neither of them wanting to get to their destination any quicker than the other.
"That wasn't that bad," Marcel mocked. "Elijah busted my ass when I made him call me more than once."
"Four times," Kol corrected briskly, daring Marcel to compare the two again. "And you really deserved the switch for all that attitude. I can't believe Klaus didn't punish you himself when he found out you kept your celly but spanked me just for splashin' a little water at 'im. You really are his favorite."
Marcel rolled his eyes up at the sky. "Stop saying that. Klaus doesn't have favorites. You're going to end up giving Hope a complex."
"Well...if the shoe fits and all that."
"If anyone has a favorite, it's Elijah." Marcel asserted. "Always coming to your defense when you make Klaus angry."
Kol groaned. "Yeah...well...someone has to. And my noble big brother does have a favorite but it's not me. Klaus has always been his favorite. Klaus and Rebekah. He'd do anything for the two of them. I used to think I was Freya's favorite but...turns out I was just something to hold the place of 'little brother' for her until she got Finn back. I...don't even think she likes me now."
"That's not true."
Kol and Marcel swam upright, turning to Finn at the sound of his voice coming from behind them. They hadn't realized how close to him they'd gotten until then.
Staring into Kol's eyes, a shiver in his voice as if he was afraid to speak, Finn said, "F-Freya loves you. She-she talks about you all the time. A-about how funny you are and...and how smart you are when it comes to magic even though you can't do it anymore. She...she just...has to spend so much time with me," Finn stared down at the blue water in front of him. "Because of my condition. And since you hate being around me so much...she can't spend as much time with you."
Kol's stomach clenched tightly at his words. He was sure that Freya had forgotten about him.
"She...she even packed extra supplies in my pack in case you forgot something."
"She did?" Kol's voice flew up an octave in surprise.
Freya was so focused on making sure Finn was prepared for the weekend, Kol was afraid to ask her to do anything for him in fear of having her reject him. After hearing that she was thinking of him all along, he felt a mix of shame for doubting her in the first place and joy at discovering that he wasn't forgotten.
"Y'know…" Finn started lowly, unsure of what to say to continue the conversation. This was the longest he'd gone without getting into a fight with one of them. "I...I like magic too. And I was pretty good at it as a witch."
"I remember." Kol's eyes turned dark and his lip curled in disgust as he stared down at Finn. "So good you could hex your brother to death without even breaking a sweat."
Finn cringed at the memory, hating himself for not just shutting up while he was ahead.
"I-I'm sorry," he muttered. "I know it's probably too late to say but I really am sorry. I...I don't have an excuse for what I did, other than...I was a really bad brother back then. But...I'm trying to be better now."
Kol put on a broad, fake smile. "Oh, how many years of suffering would you have saved us from if you had only tried the 'good brother' bit sooner."
"Kol," Marcel placed a hand on Kol's shoulder attempting to calm him. "Remember what Klaus said."
Kol grunted at Marcel's reminder. "The truth is, Finn, I don't think I could ever trust you again. You're not like the rest of us. We need each other. We can't survive without each other. You have never wanted to be a part of us. Even when we were kids, you were always more content playing with yourself than with any of us. How do I know that the second we let our guard down around you and start trusting you again, you won't find another reason to abandon and betray us?"
"Because I don't want to be anywhere else but here," Finn quickly responded, surprising himself with the truth spewing from his own lips but for some reason, unable to stop himself. "I was so angry at you all for leaving me in that box for nine hundred years, f-for forgetting about me...I just...I wanted revenge more than anything. Deep down, I just wanted you all to know what it felt like to be so hurt by your brother. But I was wrong. I shouldn't have sought revenge. A thousand years ago, I never imagined any of you would hate me this much. I never thought it would be like this. Being in that coffin for so long twisted my mind into something vile and full of hate. And I'm sorry."
Finn wrapped his arms around his body, squeezing himself as tears pricked his eyes.
"I...I've wanted to say this to you for weeks but you...you both get so angry when I'm around and then...I can't control myself and I get angry and everything just starts to fall apart."
Marcel's heart gave at the sight of the vulnerable boy. He felt he was the only one of them who knew exactly how Finn felt. Being a vampire made their emotions almost uncontrollably irrational at times and so when they felt betrayed and angry, they tended to do things without thinking far ahead about the consequences. He knew Finn was feeling the same dread he felt when he feared Klaus would never forgive him for leaving Tunde's dagger in him for 12 years.
He swam closer to the inlet where Finn stood until his feet touched the bottom of the lake. Finn shuffled his feet in the soft mud attempting to get away from Marcel in fear that he was going to hurt him. But the soft, worried look in Marcel's eyes told him differently.
Marcel decided to stand a few feet away from Finn so that he wouldn't feel trapped but still close enough for him to hear every word as he said, "You want to be forgiven, then make us a promise. Right here, right now. Promise that you would rather die than to ever betray this family again."
Finn's eyes darted to Kol, looking for some sign on his face that he agreed with Marcel's compromise. Kol's furrowed brows gave nothing away other than his irritation with the conversation.
"It doesn't matter what he promises," said Kol. "He's not one of us and he shouldn't be trusted. You've technically been an active Mikaelson longer than he has and even you sunk your deadly fangs in us."
"So are you saying I shouldn't be trusted either?" Marcel demanded.
Kol wanted to say no but as his passions rose, he found himself only wanting to make the two of them as heated as he was.
"Maybe you shouldn't," he bit. "You both tried to wipe this family out. And you seem pretty eager to just forgive Finn after all he's done. What, you two got a little deal going on behind our backs? You ensure his place in the family and he ensures yours?"
Kol's anger was like a parasite intent on infecting all three of them but Marcel refused to give into him.
"Calm down before you find yourself in trouble."
"Oh, so now you plan to tattle on me to Nik?" Kol's voice rose with his rage. "I should've known to never trust you."
"I'm not going to tell Klaus anything. But I'm sure he hears everything with as loud as you're being right now."
"Yeah right. You're going to tell him Big Bad Kol is up to something again just like you did a hundred years ago when I trusted you with the secret of the paragon diamond."
"I didn't realize Niklaus's paranoia was contagious," Finn bit.
"Is it paranoia," Kol bellowed. "Or is it a pattern?"
"Maybe I should go get Klaus," said Marcel, doing his best to stay peaceful as Kol continued to rile. "Maybe he can calm you down before you do something you're going to regret like you always do whenever you get this worked up."
"Oh, you would just love to do that, wouldn't you. Always ready to run to daddy whenever you're afraid. I even heard you call for him while Elijah had you over his knee. Poor 'ickle Marcy always needs his poppa to hold his hand."
Stepping closer to his heated brother, Finn barked, "Maybe you're just jealous because no one wants to hold your hand."
Finn's words pierced into Kol's chest like a knife. He could no longer hold his anger back. Diving into the water, he swam over to Finn and pulled him underneath. Finn struggled against Kol's hold as his brother swam him back out into the open water and drug him down into the depths, squeezing Finn's belly under his arms to force his brother to breathe in the murky water.
Finn's chest burned as his lungs began to fill with water. He remembered the hours he spent drowning in a crate by the docks and how alone he was every time he woke up, only to drown again. As his vision began to fade, he faintly wondered if Kol had planned to leave him at the bottom of the lake.
And then his eyes opened again staring up into the blue sky as Klaus hovered above him.
"There you are," Klaus said, lifting Finn onto his side as he coughed up more water. "That's right, get it all out."
As the burning in his lungs persisted, he looked around until he found Kol standing off to the side.
"You tried to kill me!" He yelled.
Kol simply pouted, turning his back on Finn. The boy was only underwater for a few seconds before Klaus dove in and saved him. It didn't even dawn on him that Finn could be in any real danger until he didn't respond once Klaus had him laid out in the grass. He and Marcel got out of the lake to watch Klaus perform CPR on the boy, both afraid of what dying without his healing abilities would mean for Finn.
Theoretically, they knew if they died without their healing, once the spell ended, they would come back to life. But Finn was different. Freya warned them all before leaving the Compound to watch out for Finn because if he stayed dead for too long, he could risk rupturing the spell keeping his soul sealed to his body and they would lose him forever.
"Are you alright?" Klaus asked, lifting Finn to his feet.
The boy ignored his question, pointing angrily at Kol, "He tried to drown me!"
"I know," Klaus grabbed Finn's chin and forced the angry boy to look at him. "But that's not what I asked. Your healing abilities are nullified right now so I need to know if you're alright or if we should take you back to Freya. How does your chest feel?"
Finn seemed to calm at his brother's steady gaze. Taking a deep breath and feeling the air fill his lungs without pain, he answered, "O-okay."
"And your head?"
Finn brought a tentative hand up to his head. The bandage that was usually there covering his scar was missing. He peered over Klaus's shoulder and saw it floating in the lake.
"It-it burns a little," he answered. "But...I think that's just because of the water."
Klaus brushed Finn's wet hair from over his scar, examining it himself. Freya told him that signs of the spell weakening included intense bleeding and the outline of the scar going black. As far as he could see, it looked perfectly normal - as normal as a permanently open wound on a child's head could look.
Bringing his hand down to Finn's cheek, Klaus said, "Let's get you back to the campsite and I will disinfect it and put a new bandage on it for you."
Finn blushed at his brother's gentle touch, slowly nodding his agreement.
Klaus took Finn's hand and walked him back over to the tree where their things sat. He grabbed one of the beach towels and draped it over his brother's head, careful of his scar, as he helped him dry his hair before wrapping the towel around the boy's shoulders. Marcel grabbed the other beach towel, drying himself as he watched Kol stand off away from them.
Kol knew he was in trouble for what he'd done and he knew the moment of his retribution was lurking, he just wasn't sure when.
Klaus grabbed the last towel and started drying himself as best he could while being soaked from his head to his feet. He didn't have time to kick his boots off before diving in to save Finn and he was irritated by that the most.
"H-hey," Kol finally spoke up as Klaus soaked his towel. "Th-that's mine."
His blood ran colder than normal at Klaus's intense glare. Klaus tossed the wet towel over his shoulder and picked up his sketchbook and pencils before leading the way back through the forest to the campsite.
Kol lingered as far back from Klaus and Finn as he could without falling out of the ten-yard radius of Klaus. Marcel walked beside him, still a bit angry at his outburst at the lake but also a bit sympathetic for him.
"You really messed up this time," Marcel tutted. "I wouldn't be surprised if he took a switch to you."
"Shut up," Kol groaned lowly, watching the back of Klaus's head as his brother marched straight ahead without giving any sign that he was listening to them. "He-he wouldn't."
"He might. You tried to murder Finn."
"It wasn't murder. He's immortal."
"But he can't heal. If he would've drowned...who knows what would have happened."
Kol folded his arms over his chest, a shiver going through his body as a cool breeze flowed through the trees. He was still dripping wet and the overcasting shade of the forest only made him that much colder.
"Here," Marcel tossed his damp towel at Kol. "Not that you deserve even that much after being such an asshole."
Kol frowned at the wet towel, irritated that it was the best he was going to get until they got back to camp and he could grab another towel.
Patting his chest dry, he said, "Get your panties outta twist, will ya. I didn't say anything that wasn't true."
Marcel paused, stopping in front of Kol and forcing him to come to a halt as well.
Turning to his friend, Marcel asked, "So you don't trust me?"
Kol stared down at the grassy forest floor, suddenly ashamed of what he'd said. "Of course I do...now. You've proven that you care about this family. But Finn-"
"Apologized."
Kol cut his eyes at Marcel. "That's not good enough."
"What do you want him to do, Kol? Die? He's done that. What else do you want from him?"
"You don't understand," Kol bellowed. "You could never understand. Klaus, Bekah, Josh, even Davina, everyone you put your trust in never betrays you. But for as far back as I can remember, I'm the only person who looks out for Kol. My brothers, my sisters, YOU...eventually everyone gets bored with me. Everyone throws me away. Davina's the only one who never did. That's why I love her. But sometimes I'm afraid that even she'll..." Kol wrapped his arms around his body as he began to shake. He was too afraid to say that fear aloud. "Yeah, I have trust issues. But they didn't stem from nothing. They're a thousand years in the making and no half-hearted apology is going to fix it."
Marcel was speechless. He couldn't imagine what it was like to be Kol, to be so easily tossed away by his family whenever he became too troublesome.
Before he could think of a response, though, Klaus appeared behind Kol, staring straight ahead at Marcel with a blank expression on his face.
"K-Klaus," Marcel stammered, suddenly realizing that they must've fallen further behind.
Kol could feel his brother's presence looming behind him and his body tensed with years of conditioned fear.
Klaus brought his hand up to the back of Kol's neck, resting it gently against it, as he said, "C'mon, we have to get you two to the fire before you catch a cold out here."
Kol marched tensely at Klaus's side, the vein in his neck pulsing erratically against Klaus's palm.
As they entered the clearing, they saw Elijah sitting on a stump with Finn standing between his knees as Elijah applied a disinfectant spray on the boy's scar. Finn flinched at the burn of the disinfectant but he was more focused on Klaus leading Marcel and Kol to the fire in the middle of camp than he was on a slight sting.
The look of frustration Elijah laced Kol with as he crossed the campsite broke Kol's heart. He knew Klaus had told him what happened, but it still wasn't easy seeing his brother so disappointed.
"Sit," Klaus ordered, putting pressure against Kol's shoulder until he was sitting on the ground next to the campfire. Marcel got down on his knees, keeping his aching behind from touching the ground as he nervously waited for Klaus to confront them for breaking the first rule of the hunting trip. He was surprised that Klaus hadn't just bent them over and laid into their behinds the moment he found them lingering in the forest but as he watched his father staring at Finn with concern in his eyes, he knew that Klaus just wanted to make sure Finn would be alright before he continued with anything.
Neither Kol nor Marcel said a word as Finn was tended to, afraid doing so would only evoke harsher punishments.
Klaus stood over Kol but didn't look down at him even once, watching Elijah bandage Finn's scar before motioning for the boy to come over to him so he could see it for himself.
"And you're sure it doesn't hurt?" Klaus asked against, brushing his thumb lightly against the adhesive strips keeping the bandage in place.
Finn nodded yes, his face turning a bit pink at his brother's constant coddling. Being so carefully looked after was definitely not something he was used to. Their father certainly wouldn't have treated him or any of his brothers so gently.
"Good."
Finn froze with confusion as Klaus suddenly grabbed his arm and spun him to the side, landing a sharp smack to his swimsuit-clad bottom.
"I heard everything you said at the lake," Klaus lectured as he landed another spank. "I brought you three here to bond, not to be cruel to each other."
Kol's blood went cold at finding out Klaus was actually listening to them like Marcel said he would be. He was so overcome with anger at the lake that he didn't take his friend's warning seriously and now he regretted it.
Finn stretched his free hand back behind him, covering his bottom from another spank as he danced to get away from Klaus's strikes.
"He was cruel first," Finn whined. "And he tried to kill me."
"And he will be dealt with."
Klaus slid his arm between Finn's, knocking the boy's hand from his behind as he wrapped his arm around his waist and lifted him from the ground.
"Kol will be dealt with," Klaus promised another smack on the boy's bottom. "But from now on, you will not return his cruelty with cruelty. Do I make myself clear?"
One final smack across the small teenager's bottom brought a surge of tears to his eyes. "Yessss," Finn screamed as sobs broke through his chest.
Niklaus sat the boy back on his feet, brushing his damp hair from over his eyes with one hand as he used the other to force Finn to look into his eyes. "If Kol or Marcel or anyone else does or says anything to hurt you, you will come straight to me or Elijah. We will take care of it for you. Are we clear?"
Finn brought his fists up to his eyes, tentatively wiping away his tears as he nodded his agreement.
Klaus knelt down to the boy, pulling him into a hug as he cried.
"There, there," he said as he patted the sobs from Finn's back. "It was just five little swats. You'll survive."
"Th-they weren't little," Finn choked.
Klaus let out a small chuckle as he pulled the boy back to look him in his eyes again. "Did they do the job they were intended for?"
Finn fervently shook his head 'yes', not wanting to incur any more swats.
"Good." Klaus stood and pointed down to the ground beside Kol. "Sit by the fire and warm up some more. It would be a tragedy to save you from drowning just to have you die of pneumonia."
Finn obeyed but he kept his eyes on Kol, his hand trembling a bit as he sat down next to him as if he were afraid Kol would try to throw him into the fire next. His anxiety only increased when Klaus walked away from them.
Kol glanced over to Marcel, both of them confused. Surely Klaus wasn't just going to let them get away unpunished. Especially Kol.
Their eyes followed Klaus around the camp as he walked over to his pack and found himself some dry clothes. They averted their eyes as he got undressed and didn't look up again until they heard Klaus's voice echo throughout the clearing.
"Marcellus. Come here."
A chill shot through Marcel's back, stopping just as it reached his still heated behind as he rose to his feet. His heart pounded as he saw Niklaus sitting on the same stump Elijah spanked him on not even an hour before.
He drug his feet over to his father, fighting the urge to cry before the spanking even began.
Once Marcel was standing in front of him, Klaus pulled him over his lap before he could hear any protests.
"Let's get these off of you," said Klaus as he tugged on Marcel's still damp swim trunks, pulling them down his legs and over his feet, lying them on the stump beside him.
Marcel's eyes widened to the size of saucers as the first smack landed. It was as if there hadn't been any amount of rest between Klaus's smack and Elijah's spanking. The fire was just as hot and ache just as severe.
Tears flowed down his cheeks immediately. He rocked his hips to the side, attempting to move his behind out of Klaus's strike zone but Klaus caught him before he could get too far. He pulled Marcel back flat over his lap, keeping his forearm against the small of Marcel's back as he landed spank after spank between his two dark red cheeks.
"Stooop," Marcel screeched. "I didn't mean t-to get too far away from you. I-I'm sorry. P-pleease!"
As the break in Marcel's voice, Klaus landed two more spanks to his balming sit spots before bringing the spanking to an end. He didn't want to make him suffer too much for such a minor infraction, especially since he could tell already that he and Kol were going to make this a very painful weekend.
"Alright," Klaus said as he reached down to massage Marcel's tense shoulders. "Poppa's got'chu, sweetheart. You're alright."
The heat that ran up Marcel's neck at hearing Klaus call him 'sweetheart' was even greater than the heat radiating from his behind. He covered his face with his forearm, hoping to hide his embarrassment from the others as he continued to cry.
After Marcel had quieted down, Klaus stood him back to his feet. Marcel was torn between covering his still red face or his privates as he stood naked before the camp but in the end, he opted for modesty over pride, placing his hands around his privates as his bottom lip trembled on his tear-streaked, red face.
"You have been very naughty today," Klaus said softly as if there wasn't a naked teenager sobbing in front of him. "Two spankings before supper. Makes me wonder if perhaps we shouldn't add another one before bed to remind you to behave tomorrow."
Marcel shook his head, biting his lip to keep it from trembling more.
"Are you going to behave from now on?"
Marcel nodded yes.
"I want to hear you say it, Marcellus. Say 'I promise to behave for the rest of the trip.'"
Marcel crooked his neck to the campfire, wondering if Kol and Finn were listening in, when he felt a sudden slap to the side of his behind.
He turned back to Klaus, quickly pulling his behind out of the line of fire for another smack.
"I am the only person you should be focused on, Marcellus," Klaus stated.
Tears of frustration and embarrassment clouding his eyes, Marcel muttered, "I promise to behave for the rest of the trip."
Klaus stood, pulling Marcel into a much-appreciated hug. Marcel wrapped his arms around Klaus, the strength of his father's embrace squeezing away his sobs.
"There, there." Klaus tutted. "You did so well, Marcellus. I'm very proud of you. But remember, it can still hurt more." He reached to Marcel's backside and landed a gentle smack to each cheek. Marcel squirmed in Klaus's hold but the Original's strength kept him in place. "I do not want to have this conversation with you again for the rest of the weekend. Do I make myself clear, son?"
"Y-yes, sir."
"Good." Klaus kissed the side of Marcel's head before releasing him from his hold. Niklaus picked up Marcel's trunks and slid them into his hand, then, with a light pat on his hip, he propelled him in the direction of his pack. "Go on and get dressed."
Marcel moved quicker to get away from Klaus than he did coming for fear of another warning smack against his already battered behind- no matter how light it was, it still hurt.
Kol continued to stare straight ahead at the fire. He'd glanced over his shoulder at Marcel's punishment a couple of times during, but it was hard to enjoy watching his friend being taken to task when he knew he had a worse spanking coming just ahead.
He listened as Marcel walked away from Klaus and expected to hear Klaus call him over immediately but he didn't. He couldn't find the courage to look back at Klaus and so he just listened as his brother walked around the camp, growing more curious as to his plans.
"Kol," Klaus finally called, sending a shiver down Kol's spine. "Come here. Now."
Kol stood on shaky legs. His heart dropped at the sight of Klaus sitting on the same stump Elijah sat on to spank Marcel earlier, Hope's brush by his side.
"N-no," he muttered, his voice coming out too low to hear but his immobility clear.
"Kol," Elijah's voice broke from the other side of the campsite. He was stringing up a line between two tree branches to hang their wet clothes and damp towels from when he noticed his brother's hesitation to obey. "If he has to repeat himself, I will take the brush to you next."
Tears pricked the corners of Kol's eyes as he trudged slowly over to Niklaus.
"P-please don't use the brush," he mumbled, stopping just within Klaus's reach, nervously twisting his fingers in front of him. "I'm sorry."
Klaus was silent as he beckoned him closer with a single finger.
"I'm sorry," Kol whined again, taking a single step closer to Klaus. "I-I shouldn't have tried to...drown Finn."
He spoke the last two words barely above a whisper as if saying them low enough would mean it never happened.
Klaus pointed to the spot directly in front of him and firmly said, "Stand here."
"He was being an asshole," Kol continued taking smaller and smaller steps toward Klaus. "I-I know that's no excuse f-for what I did-"
Klaus reached out and grabbed Kol's wrist, pulling him down across his lap and putting an end to his whining.
"If you have a problem with Finn," Klaus slapped his hand sharply against the curve of Kol's behind, his damp speedos doing nothing to block the pain as his brother rained down swat after swat. "You come to me or Elijah. You tell us what's going on and we will talk with Finn ourselves. You do NOT," the spank Klaus landed at 'not' was particularly devastating, landing right in the middle of both of Kol's cheeks with enough force to propel him further up Klaus's lap. "Try to kill him."
"I wasn't trying to kill him," Kol screamed. "I just wanted to scare him. He said...he-he said..."
Kol cut his own argument short, a sudden rush of shame falling over him as he thought about Finn's words and why they hurt so much. All he wanted was someone to hold his hand when he was hurting. Elijah did sometimes when he wasn't too busy keeping Niklaus held together but most of the time he felt like his brothers found it easier to get rid of him than help him deal with his problems. He'd always envied Marcel and the way Klaus doted on him, proving that the man was capable of showing love and affection but for some reason, Klaus had always just refused to show it to him.
"It doesn't matter," Niklaus continued. "They're just words. It doesn't give you the right to do what you did. I've warned you about trying to hurt Finn and this time you've gone too far."
Kol tensed as the pace of Klaus's smacks came to an abrupt stop as he knew what was coming next. His eyes widened as Klaus gripped the waistband of his swimsuit and pulled it upward until the seat was lodged firmly between his red cheeks.
He clenched his behind and wiggled it from side to side, struggling to force himself free of the wedgy without reaching back and incurring more of his brother's wrath. Then, in the middle of his struggle, Niklaus brought the solid back of the wooden brush harshly across his taut mounds.
As Klaus brought the brush down harder against his already sore sit spots, Kol screamed without restraint. His legs flailed wildly over the wide tree stump but Niklaus's tight grip on his swimsuit kept his behind firmly in place.
"I expected better behavior from you," Klaus lectured in between spanks. "I am beginning to believe that you enjoy finding yourself over your big brother's knees. And if that is the case, there are easier ways to do it than attempted murder."
Kol went limp over Klaus's lap, all semblance of pride vanishing as he sobbed over his brother's lap with each stinging smack.
Klaus landed one last heavy smack across Kol's thigh before standing him up in front of him.
Kol was grateful that Klaus didn't remove his swimsuit to spank him like he'd done Marcel because he was sure if he had to choose between hiding his privates and his face at the moment, he would've chosen his wet, burning face so no one could see the snot that dared to drip from his nose.
"Look at me, Kol," Klaus ordered as he stood in front of his brother.
Kol refused, wrapping his arms around his face to keep his shame from view.
Without warning, Klaus slapped the brush across the side of Kol's behind and the younger brother let out a high pitched screech before uncovering his face to rub some of the sting from his cheeks.
"Kol," Elijah's voice boomed an unspoken warning from his corner of the clearing.
Kol immediately dropped his hands to his side, his tears falling harder once he realized he wouldn't be allowed to hide his shame or relieve his pain.
He stood stiff as a board as Klaus wrapped his arms around him. His tension didn't deter Klaus. The older Mikaelson simply held his brother tighter, refusing to let go until he felt Kol's arms cautiously raise up to his sides.
"I love you, little brother," Klaus whispered into Kol's ear.
Kol's eyes widened, shocked by the sudden admission.
"I know that I haven't shown it to you much over the past ten centuries, but I do. Despite what you think, I love you as much as I love any of our siblings. I shouldn't have daggered you as much as I have over the centuries, especially considering how much you hated it, and I'm sorry. I should have hugged you more...and I'm sorry that I didn't."
Klaus drew his hand up and down the length of Kol's back until his brother began to relax in his hold.
"I will end this cycle of hate that our father started. And if I have to thrash you every day, several times a day, until you realize that Finn is now our enemy, then I will."
Kol pulled against Klaus as his threat but his brother refused to let him go.
"Ah-ah-ah," Klaus tutted, hugging Marcel tighter. "Not yet. Not until you calm down."
Klaus sat back down on the stump, still hugging Kol as he sat his brother on his lap.
Kol squirmed uneasily on Klaus's lap, feeling very much like a child as his brother tapped his bare thigh in a gentle, rhythmic pattern.
He leaned into Klaus hold, wondering just how long his brother would be willing to hold him and decided to enjoy it while it lasted. For a moment, he forgot about the ache of his behind or the swimsuit still wedged between his cheeks as his brother held him as he'd only ever seen him hold Marcel and Hope.
"Do you understand that I love you, Kol?" Klaus asked.
Kol nodded softly.
"And do you understand that I never want to lose you?"
Kol hid his face against Klaus's shoulder, hoping no one saw the tears that pricked the corners of his eyes as his brother's words.
"I know...I haven't always treated you as such...but I want you to know that you are very special to me, little brother." Klaus's arms tightened around Kol as tears of his own trailed down his cheek. "And from the deepest recesses of my black heart, I want you to believe me when I say...I am truly sorry...for all of the times I daggered you. Please...forgive me."
A surge of sobs raged through Kol's body. He folded his knees up to his chest and Klaus opened his arms to encompass them, continuously rubbing small circles across Kol's back and gently patting his thigh as his brother broke down in front of everyone.
Marcel was stunned by the sight. He'd never seen Kol so vulnerable. It was unnerving.
He walked over to Elijah on the other side of camp, deciding to distract himself by helping him hang the towels but Kols' sobs could be heard even from across the campsite.
"Have you ever seen him cry like this," Marcel asked Elijah.
Elijah glanced over his shoulder at the sight of Klaus whispering placating sounds into Kol's ear as his younger brother cried. A small smile graced his lips before returning his attention to the laundry.
"Not with Niklaus," he answered.
