Forever The Name On My Lips

twenty-two.

twenty-two. if you ever feel like letting go, i won't let you fall

You woke up in Klaus' arms. At some point, he must have carried you out of the basement and brought you to his room. You weren't sure how long you'd stayed down there, holding him in his despair.

He was laying beside you, one arm under your head and the other draped over your waist. It had been so long since you'd felt this. You had almost forgotten what it felt like, this odd peace in your heart. There was once a time when waking in his arms was the only thing you could imagine. Now, it felt foreign, like a dream.

He was still asleep, and you just stared at him. He looked so different now than he had these last few months. He looked like the Niklaus you had known for all those years, the one who still held your heart. He looked softer. You couldn't stop yourself from reaching up and gently running your finger down his nose. He smiled under your touch, though his eyes remained closed.

"Morning, love," he said.

You pulled your hand back quickly, jolting in his arms. His arm tightened around you, holding you to him. "Nik, let me go," you said softly.

"I don't think I'm quite ready to just yet," he said, his eyes finally opening, a smirk on his face.

"Why am I even in your bed?" you asked in frustration, trying to wiggle out of his arms but he didn't let you move even an inch.

"You fell asleep last night and well, you hadn't picked a room out yet," he said innocently.

You rolled your eyes. "I'm not staying here," you said.

"Oh? Where will you go then?" He asked, finally letting you go. You sat up quickly, pulling further away from him. His fingers trailed down your spine where you sat on the edge of the bed, and you shivered under his touch. "We're partners, remember? It's much more convenient to stay here. Besides, it is your house too after all."

"It's not my house," you said softly, not turning to face him. "Last night doesn't change anything between us, Niklaus."

"Oh I don't know about that. I must admit that was the best sleep I've had in oh I don't know, a hundred years," he said. You could hear the smirk in his voice. "But I'll drop it...for now."

You stood up and walked to the bathroom, knowing that was the best you were going to get from him.

You stood under the shower for a long time, trying to not think about the fact that that was the best sleep you'd gotten in a century too. Since you were human, you'd never felt safer or more content than you did in Niklaus' arms. But so much had changed since then. Why did he still have this effect on you?

You sighed and turned off the shower. You needed to find those coffins quickly, before he weaseled his way back into your heart.

• • •

Stefan was there when you walked downstairs. He watched you as you walked over to Klaus. "What's going on?" you asked.

"Our friend Stefan came to pay us a visit," Klaus said. "Apparently he doesn't like my hybrid friends. He's a bit resentful about the whole compulsion thing. Pity, I had hoped that when I freed you, we'd pick up where we left off. But here you are, guzzling down vervain like the rest of them, I'm sure. So much for friendship."

"Friends don't screw friends out of their free will," Stefan said. "Y/N may have gotten over it, but it doesn't mean I will." You glared at him. It was his fault you were still here. If he hadn't stolen the coffins, you would have been long gone by now.