Author's Note: This references events that took place in The Vampire Diaries (Klaus under the Hunter's Curse) but I'm posting it here. :)

Disclaimer: Characters aren't mine, I'm just borrowing them for my nefarious purposes.

"Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;" Romans 12:10 KJV

As the sun slowly sank below the horizon, the tall, dark-haired man strode purposefully down the echo-y, stone corridor to the most fortified room in the castle with a bottle of thick, dark red liquid in his hand. He didn't hear any sounds coming from behind the solid oak door, which had an equal chance of being a good or bad sign. The occupant had good days and bad days; although one couldn't always tell which it was based solely on the volume.

He pulled back the steel latch on the heavy door, opening it to the dimly lit room beyond. His gaze was drawn to one of the corners where a hunched figure was almost completely hidden in the shadowy corner. His arms were wrapped around his knees and his curly blond head was buried in his arms.

"Niklaus?" He asked as he walked over to his brother. He received no response, so he made his way cautiously over, knelt down next to him, and placed his hand gently on the man's shoulder. From his new vantage point he could hear the soft, frightened sounding whimpers and feel the minute tremors running through his brother's body. He carefully placed the bottle he'd been holding a few feet away on the stone floor. He moved his hand to the back of the stricken man's head.

"Niklaus? Brother, can you hear me?" He inquired as he gently as he ran his hand over the soft curls under his palm, hoping to get a response.

Niklaus twitched and burrowed his head further into his arms, seeming to shrink in on himself even more, "No, Father, please! Please, no more! I promise I won't touch your knives again. 'Lijah, please help me!" he begged.

Elijah's heart clenched painfully when he heard his little brother's pleas for help. He remembered the day that was plaguing his brother's delirium all too well. Niklaus had always loved art and there were a few times he'd borrowed his father's knives to carve something, usually for Elijah or their younger siblings. The particular time Klaus was revisiting took place shortly after Elijah had taken him hunting for the first time. Even though the trip hadn't ended well, the younger boy had wanted to give him something in return. He'd worked for hours, making every detail perfect before shyly handing it to Elijah. The carving showed two small boys looking at each other with matching grins on their faces. The taller one had his hand on the smaller one's shoulder who had a bow in his hand. Elijah had been both touched by his younger brother's thoughtfulness and amazed by his talent. He'd drawn the younger boy into a hug and thanked him, placing the figurine under his pillow where it would be close to him and safe from siblings and parents.

After their father had discovered his knife missing, he'd given Klaus one of the worst beatings yet. When Elijah had returned from bringing water up from the town well, Niklaus was nowhere to be found. Understanding from the tense atmosphere what had happened, he'd made his way to the barn where he'd found his younger brother curled up in a corner. He had been beaten and bloodied, staring listlessly off into the distance.

"Niklaus?" he'd asked. Klaus had looked up at him and tears had filled his eyes at the sight of his older brother. Elijah had carefully pulled him into his arms and held him as he sobbed into his shoulder.

He wished that a simple hug would be enough to lift this deplorable Curse from the man that boy had grown into. He put his arm around his brother, his other hand cupping Klaus's cheek, and brought the younger man's head to his chest. He ran his thumb over the damp cheek, wiping away the tears as they fell.

"Niklaus," he said softly, "listen to me, little brother. You are safe. Father is not here, it is only you and I. I have you and I will not let anyone or anything else hurt you." He kept up a litany of soothing reassurances until Niklaus stirred in his arms. He watched as his younger brother went from delirium, to confusion, before finally registering exactly where he was.

"'Lijah?" he asked, voice breaking with a combination of disuse and emotion, "Is this real?" His voice was small and uncertain, something Elijah hadn't heard in the hundreds of years since their youth before this hellish Curse had been placed on his brother.

He stroked his baby brother's cheek comfortingly. "Yes, Niklaus. This is real. I'm real." He answered as he looked into the teary blue eyes that gazed up at him as if he were holding the answers to everything. He saw the relief flash across the weary-looking face and felt the tension leave the taut shoulders. Klaus tucked his head under Elijah's chin and burrowed into his chest. Elijah moved his hand back to Klaus's hair and continued stroking the soft curls. He felt Klaus melt into him and saw the eyelids fluttering sleepily. He continued holding his younger brother with one arm and reached over with his other to grab the bottle.

He lightly jostled Klaus. "Don't fall asleep just yet, brother. You need to drink this." He said, uncorking the bottle and handing it to Niklaus who brought the container of blood to his lips and drank deeply, realizing just how famished he was. After Klaus had drained the last coppery drops, Elijah took the empty vessel back and set it aside.

Elijah rubbed small circles on Klaus's shoulder as he once again began drifting off. "How about we get you onto the bed so you can sleep? It'll be far more comfortable than this cold stone." He suggested.

Klaus became instantly alert and his grip on Elijah's tunic tightened almost painfully, "No! I'm fine here, we don't have to move." he said quickly with a panicked look in his eyes.

Elijah's eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "What's wrong?" He asked worriedly.

Klaus looked down as a light blush covered his cheeks. "I.. I don't want to be in here alone. HE comes when you're gone." He whispered, ashamed of what he perceived as a weakness.

At times like this, Elijah hated their father more than ever. He'd beaten it into Niklaus that any vulnerability was unacceptable and, despite Elijah's best efforts, his little brother had yet to be able to ask for something without feeling embarrassed. He tightened his arms around his baby brother and stroked his temple lightly with his thumb.

"I simply wanted you to be more comfortable; I never said that I would leave you here alone. If you want me to stay, I shall stay as long as you need me to." Elijah promised.

Klaus nodded and slowly got to his feet, Elijah steadying him when he wobbled due to the prolonged deprivation of circulation to his feet and legs. Elijah wrapped his arm around Klaus's shoulders and guided him to the bed. After he had deposited Klaus on the bed, he strode over to the door and closed it securely, before he removed his boots and joined Klaus on the bed. He settled in and lifted his arm in a silent invitation. Klaus ducked under the raised arm. He snuggled down with his ear over Elijah's heart, the beat of which had been the lullaby of his childhood. Elijah lowered his arm to wrap back around his younger brother's shoulders, pressed a brotherly kiss to the top of his head, and started moving his hand in soothing circles over Niklaus's back. Klaus melted into Elijah's side as he gripped the tunic under his head and felt his mind free of torment for the first time in what felt like forever.

As he watched his brother drift off, Elijah contemplated that while a hug might not remove the Curse, it could, he could, provide Niklaus with a brief respite from the seemingly endless agony. A hug might not fix everything but it could help lighten the burden for a while. And that was something Elijah would always do for his brother and best friend.

Thoughts are always welcome. ;)

Next up is a prompt from a guest: "What about one where Klaus comforts Elijah after he killed Marcel?