ann prompted "For a possible prompt, how do Elijah and Haley react as parents sending their son off to school?"
Kol smooths down his gray t-shirt as he inspects himself in the mirror. It's been a few years since he was in a classroom. The ever changing fashion trends aren't new no matter where he's forced to fit in, but high school is a different ballgame. It doesn't help that he's supposed to look as young as possible. He's about to enter classes with pimple faced 14-year-olds and be looked down upon by seniors that he far surpasses in age.
"I really wish you'd wear something else."
Kol holds back an eyeroll, watching through the mirror as Elijah enters the room. "Do you wish for me to get beat up?"
"I don't think anyone is going to bully you for dressing smart."
"They will, Dad. No one else is going to wear a button down and khakis. It's just not practical." Elijah sighs. Kol shakes his head. "You think you'd be used to this by now."
"Some things never change. Turn around please."
Kol faces his dad. Elijah begins fiddling with his hair, grabbing a comb and running it through his curls. Kol makes a face.
"Daaad," he protests.
"No one will make fun of you for your kempt curls. They've been a bit wild lately."
"'Tis the heat," Kol muses. "Caroline was complaining about it too."
"Perhaps we should ask what products she uses." Elijah takes a step back and examines his handiwork. "There we go, that's better." He drops the comb. "So, do you remember our backstory?"
"Isn't most of this town either supernatural or aware of us?"
"Yes, but indulge me for those who don't."
Kol sighs. "The four of us are siblings, but you and Mom adopted me. We all live in this huge house together because we have co-dependency issues…"
Elijah interrupts him with a look. "It's cultural."
"I looked into it, it's actually not common for generations to live together in Norway."
"Kol…"
"Alright, alright." Kol pokes out his tongue. Elijah's lips twitch, but he remains serious. "We all live together. I'm 15 years old and was held back a year because I'm dumb as rocks."
Elijah pinches the bridge of his nose. "You are really making this difficult, aren't you?"
Kol smirks. "It's better than the stupid reason Rebekah concocted."
"Just go with that. You have to put your best foot forward. Telling people you're dumb is not a good look."
Kol decides to not push his luck by mentioning that self-deprecating humor is popular amongst teenagers.
"I was held back because I fell ill and couldn't complete my coursework. We moved here to be closer to Klaus' friend, Marcel." Kol does a mock curtsey. "And scene."
Elijah shakes his head, a bit more of a smile coming out. "You should really go out for the drama club."
"Nay, I was thinking football."
"Your mother is never going to allow that."
"And you back up everything she says?"
"For the most part." Elijah pats his shoulder as Kol pulls another face.
"Hey, why doesn't Bekah have to go to school this time around?"
"She and Matt are planning their wedding. How are we ever supposed to explain a senior getting married?"
"You could always shove a pillow under her shirt."
Elijah wraps a tight arm around his son and guides him from the room. Kol chuckles, resting his head on his shoulder.
"You're going to be without my handsome wit for 6 ½ hours. Whatever will you do?"
"Enjoy the quiet," Elijah jests.
Kol sees the smile that doesn't quite meet the eye. He frowns. It was his father's idea for him to return to school. Shouldn't he be happy?
They make it to the kitchen where only Hayley stands. He hears Matt and Rebekah still sleeping. From the window, he spots Caroline and Klaus taking their daily stroll around the property.
Hayley walks over to them, pecking Elijah's lips before turning to her son. She beams, cradling his face. "Morning, Munchkin." She kisses his forehead. "Are you ready for your first day of school?"
"I don't see why I have to start today," Kol says, gently pulling away. "We could wait a few weeks."
"You can't fall behind. Sit, sit, let's eat."
"We're not waiting for Caroline and Klaus?"
"If we did, you'd be late for school."
Before Kol can point out the positives of that, his mama leads him to the table. He settles into his chair and waits for his parents to sit before digging in.
"We're both going to drop you off," Elijah says. "And then one of us will pick you up."
"I packed your lunch," Hayley adds. "And included your blood."
Kol nods. "Thanks, Mama."
"Of course." She exchanges a look with Elijah before settling her gaze back on her son. "You know to be on your best behavior today."
Kol rolls his eyes. "Mama…"
"I'm serious, Kol. You need to make a good first impression. Starting trouble on the first day will set everything off on the wrong foot."
"So, I can cause trouble on the second day?"
"Do you wish to sit on the naughty stool before school?"
Kol grumbles, but shakes his head and goes back to eating.
Elijah speaks up. "You know you can call us throughout the day, if you need to."
"For absolutely anything at all," Hayley adds. "Even if it's just to say hi."
Kol senses the anxiety in her voice. He leans over and grabs her hand. Hayley gives him a small smile, her big green eyes wet with tears. She pulls him onto her lap, adjusting him so his head lay against her chest. Kol doesn't argue.
He really does hate sometimes how much of a mama's boy she turned him into. Hayley didn't even do anything out of the ordinary. She just showed him the love and affection that Elijah did. He's equally a daddy's boy, but they have that blood connection.
This is something he never expected from his mom.
"I'm going to miss you," Hayley whispers, cradling him close.
Kol nods. "I'll miss you too. So, you could have me stay home."
Hayley shakes her head. "No, no. You need to go to school." She kisses his nose and he chuckles slightly. "You look so cute." Hayley lightly pinches his cheeks. Kol grumbles.
"Mama!"
"I'm sorry, I know you hate that." Kol doesn't say that he's learned to love it. Hayley is very affectionate, always playing with his hair, giving him little kisses or pinching his cheeks. It's hard to not melt into all that. "You need to finish your breakfast." She doesn't move to put him down.
Elijah smirks as he sips his mug filled with blood. "And yet, you're still holding him."
"Hush," Hayley chastises. She moves Kol back to his seat.
"You spoil the boy."
"You're just jealous because I got to him first."
Kol eats his eggs, listening to them flirtatiously banter. Elijah eventually moves his seat to kiss her, getting Kol's forehead when he's done.
"You two are gross," Kol mumbles between a mouthful of bacon.
"Don't talk with your mouth open," Hayley says firmly. Kol quickly swallows. "Thank you."
Eventually, the food is cleared and Kol puts the dishes in the washer. He grabs his new black leather backpack and heads for the door, just as Klaus and Caroline come in. His elder brother grins, clapping him on the shoulder.
"Back to school?"
"Yup. You'll be free of me for a good long while."
"Peace at last." Caroline smacks him upside the head. Klaus yelps, rubbing his hair. She rolls her eyes. "Darling, I simply jest."
"I'm more than aware," she says. "Be nice to your little brother." Caroline smiles sweetly at Kol. "Have fun. Let me know what the squad looks like."
Elijah chuckles. "Caroline, you haven't attended school in a number of years and you still care that much?"
"We used to compete against this school. Interested to see if they still suck."
Hayley snorts. "Classy, Care."
Caroline shrugs, bouncing her hair. She looks back at Kol. "Have a good day."
Kol nods. "Thanks, Caroline." He allows her to kiss his cheek. "I'll see you later. Whenever Rebekah and Matt decide to join the land of the living, tell them I said to stop being so lazy."
Klaus rolls his eyes, smacking him upside the head. Kol merely smirks, following his parents out to the car.
Elijah was confident in his choice to send Kol back to school, until he pulled into the parking lot.
The place is a zoo. The drop off line wraps around the block. 5 busses are up front causing a traffic jam. Teenagers are sprawled across the lawn or propped up against the building. Even from the back of the parking lot, it's an attack on the senses.
He glances in the rearview mirror. Kol has his face glued to his phone, not even paying attention. Elijah looks over at Hayley, who looks as anxious as he feels. Kol finally looks up.
"Oh, we're here. Great." He grabs onto the door handle. Elijah reaches back to stop him. Kol makes a face. "What?"
"We're not even close to the front?"
"So, you don't need to drop me off."
Elijah frowns. "You don't want us to go in with you?"
"No, what's the point? It's a school. I'll get my schedule, walk to class, I'll be fine." Hayley opens her mouth, but Kol continues. "No one else is going to have their parents walking them in."
"You're not everyone else," Hayley says.
"It's not a big deal. I'll be fine. Come on, you're far back enough that you can pull out without going through this whole maze."
Elijah sighs. "Alright. Be careful, Little Prince. Listen to your teachers. No pranks!"
Kol smirks. "We'll see." A stern Look wipes it off his face. "Yes, sir."
"Have fun," Hayley says. "Call or text us if you need anything. We love you."
"Love you both, bye."
Kol vamps out of the car before either can lean back and give him a hug. Elijah doesn't make an attempt to back out, instead he sits there, watching the school. Hayley squeezes his hand.
"He'll be okay," she says, not sounding convinced in the slightest.
"Maybe we rushed into this." Hayley looks over at him. "We could've waited a year, let him get acclimated to New Orleans."
"We both agreed he needs school. After he graduated from Mystic Falls High, he was getting up to too much trouble given how bored he was."
"At least we were there."
Hayley rubs his arm. "This is hard on me too, but we need to keep in mind what's best for Kol."
"And that's leaving him with a pack of hormonal teenagers that reek of that cheap cologne?"
Hayley snorts. "Axe body spray. And yes." She kisses his cheek.
The two sit there, watching their son head inside the building. Elijah goes through the line of cars anyway, hoping that Kol will come out and need him. They make it out of the parking lot without a sighting or a text.
"Elijah Mikaelson!"
Hayley's boots clack against the pavement as she makes her way to her husband's car. Elijah pretends to busy himself with his phone. Hayley tips her sunglasses down and taps on the window. There's a bit of a breeze rustling through the trees. The field is empty and the lot is quiet. All students should be in class, though she can hear some behind the school. The first day and they're already skipping. A bit of relief comes when she realizes none of them are her child.
She and Elijah spent the morning running errands, then having lunch with Rebekah and Matt. Hayley went to take a dip in the pool and when she returned, her husband was gone.
Elijah reluctantly rolls down the window, a sweet smile on his face. "Hello, beautiful."
Hayley puts her hands on her hips. "I come back in from my dip and there's no note. No text. Not even Klaus or Rebekah knew where you went."
"I just took a little drive."
Hayley gestures around her. "And wound up at the high school."
"Is that what this is?"
She narrows her eyes. Elijah steps out of the car, grabbing her hand and kissing it. Hayley remains unimpressed. "If Kol caught you, he'd lose his mind."
"Luckily, he's in class."
"I'm surprised you're not scaling the building to check."
"Believe me, I thought about it."
Hayley throws her hands in the air. "I know you are overprotective and a little bit controlling…"
Elijah gasps. "I am not controlling!"
"However," she continues as if he said nothing. "This is a bit much."
Elijah cocks an eyebrow. "Are you really upset that I did it? Or that you didn't think of it first."
Hayley rolls her eyes. "You don't think I considered this? Of course I did. However, I knew you'd talk me out of it. Or at least I thought you would've."
Elijah sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. His demeanor softens and a part of Hayley does too. It's hard to stay upset with him when he looks so wounded.
"I probably would've tried. That makes me a hypocrite, doesn't it?"
Hayley smiles a little, wrapping her arms around his waist. "Just a bit," she says softly.
Elijah sighs. "I just spent so long with him at home. You're right, he did get up to a lot of mischief after graduation but I still felt he was safer than he is in school."
"It gives him something to do."
"He could be homeschooled."
"Didn't he try that before and he dropped out?" Elijah concedes with a nod. "Kol needs structure and discipline. He's a good kid, but he needs someone who will challenge him." He opens his mouth and Hayley holds up a hand. "Someone who's not his father."
Elijah sighs, wrapping his own arms around her. He kisses her cheek.
"We made the right call, didn't we?" Hayley cocks her head. "Moving down here. While things weren't perfect in Mystic Falls, they weren't terrible."
"We had to move on, babe," she says. "None of us were aging, people were starting to catch on. There's only so much compulsion that will work, especially for those on vervain."
"Alas, there were other places to go."
"This is where our family is. That's good for Kol too. As much as Rebekah and Klaus can annoy him, he needs to be surrounded by them." Hayley drums her finger up his chest. "Reminds him that he is loved and wanted."
Elijah's lips barely poke up in a smile. "Thank you," he murmurs.
"For what?"
"Talking me down."
Hayley smiles. She leans in and pecks his lips. Once they pull apart, she swats his bottom. Elijah narrows his eyes. She simply shrugs.
"That's for taking off without telling me."
"However will I make it up to you?"
"I can think of a few ways. However, we should probably leave this parking lot before we get into trouble. Or Kol sees us and we scar him for the rest of his immortal life."
