Chapter Text
Compelling the entirety of the “Mystic Grill” took more time that he had intended when he walked in, but seeing how this crammed and very unappealing diner was the only decent place to meet up with people, he needed to be extra careful, just in case things went side ways because, after all, this was the night he would finally be free… But still, one doesn’t get to live as long as Niklaus Mikaelson without placing some bets and safeguards here and there.
And still, fate had always been some kind of a bitch when it came to his plans, he thought, as he made his way towards the distant bar at the end of the establishment, at which he could see the dark curls and broad shoulders of the man he never thought he would get to see again in many lifetimes… Hello there, little raven, Klaus thought as he sauntered forward and stood still a few feet away, apprising the unchanged profile: high cheekbones, straight nose, thick eyelashes and the curve of Damon Salvatore’s sardonic but sweet mouth.
Klaus had almost lost control over his human puppet the very first time he encountered him, looking just like the last time they had seen each other, all those years ago, in a clandestine bar, his very deep and baby blue eyes full of questions and worry, before Klaus had made him and his brother, Stefan, forget in order to protect Rebekah and the rest of his family; Klaus had convinced himself that he had done the right thing that night, the necessary thing, because Mikael was close and he couldn’t take any chances, not with his family to protect, he had said to himself that he was also protecting the brothers he and his sister had come to care so deeply for, but Klaus always knew, deep down, that he had been scared and Rebekah’s words still echoed in his head from time to time, but when he saw Damon Salvatore again, the quiet echo had turned into a loud scream: “You coward! You left them! I’m going back, I’m going back to them!”
Klaus took the last steps to reach the bar, where now Damon wasn’t alone anymore, since his now formerly human puppet had decided to finally appeared, which didn’t surprise Klaus seeing how much this meek human seemed to cared so much about the black haired vampire, the term “best friend” rolled around Alaric Saltzman brain every time he thought of Damon when he was borrowing his body and if that did indeed piss off Klaus a bit, he wouldn’t admit it.
“Gentlemen, why so glum?” Klaus said, appreciating the way Alaric started to reek of fear, before zooming completely on the now unfolding form of the vampire in front of him.
“Klaus, I presume,” Damon said, and his voice still had the same ring to it, that same way of challenging people that sometimes drove Rebekah and Stefan mad, but which Klaus found so endearing.
“In the flesh,” he smiled, his heart beating a bit faster while he looked deep down into those blue eyes he knew so well. “Thanks for the loaner, mate.”
“Any reason you stop by to say hi?” Damon moved, standing right in front of him, ready to shield his precious “best friend” from any harm. You thought you’ve been so nonchalant, but I know better, you’ve always have a soft spot for the people you care about, little raven.
“I’m told you and your brother fancy my doppelgänger,” Klaus had seen first hand how Katerina’s doppelganger, Elena, had both Salvatore brothers so tightly wrapped around her little fingers, that if he hadn’t need her so badly, he would had probably snap her neck when he had witness how selfish and manipulative she was towards Damon, and how much she secretly enjoy having two of the most interesting and powerful creatures in this town reduce to her mindless puppets, ready to answer all her commands and demands.
There had been a time when both Salvatore brothers had been such a force to be reckon with: Stefan Salvatore was a Ripper, he enjoyed hunting and killing for the fun of it, he was unpredictable and raw, almost like a blizzard or a storm; on the other hand, Damon was the more collected of the brothers, but was more brutal and lethal, his ways had been perfected for prolonging the ecstasy of hunting and feeding, like a light breeze that turns into a hurricane.
Seeing both of them in such a deplorable state made Klaus blood boiled, specially since he had always been more than a little apprehensive and jealous, and he just didn’t enjoy watching someone he cared for mistreated and, to be completely honest, Klaus didn’t like to see Damon giving his heart to someone that didn’t deserved it. Like if you do, you coward, Rebekah’s voice ring inside his mind again, and he shut it down.
“Just thought I’d remind you not to do anything you regret,” Klaus almost hissed, angry at this whole situation, angry that the man in front of him was trying to stop him to achieved something he had wanted for centuries, because that man was also the reason Klaus had started to craved the end of the curse, so he could keep the promise he made in that clandestine bar back, back when he met the only person that had made his heart sore with love once again.
“I’ll come back for you, when I can keep you safe.”
“Safe? Safe from what, Nik? What’s happening?”
“I cannot tell you right now, little raven. He’s coming, and the more you know, the more danger you are in.”
“Nik, please…”
“I’ll find you, even if I had to search the whole world, wait for me,” he leaned and planted a kiss in the brow of the man in front of him, stealing the silver lapel pin he had gifted him, sealing his promise with it.
“Nik, wait…” he tried to grab him, and Klaus caught his hand, pulling him towards him, tears welling up in his eyes while he erased himself and his sister from the mind of this little raven. “I love you.”
Klaus blinked, shedding the painful memory away, landing back in the present, in front of the man he was dying to hold his embrace once again. You coward! Rebekah’s voice was louder and louder, which, in turn, was starting to irritated Klaus and eroded his patience.
“I don’t suppose I could talk to you into a postponement by any chance, huh?” Damon’s sardonic voice rang inside his mind and the pain of knowing his past lover didn’t recognize him and was bargaining on the life of a worthless human girl sent him into overdrive.
“You’re kidding… He’s kidding, right?”
“No, not really,” Saltzman gather enough bravado to kept his voice from quivering.
“I mean, come on,” Damon said. “What’s one month on all grand scheme of things?”
“Let me be clear,” Klaus took a step forward, facing down Damon, but still, the younger vampire stood his ground. You’re still as remarkable as ever. “I have my vampire. I have my werewolf. I have everything I need. The ritual happens tonight, little raven.”
For a moment, the world seemed to stop, the sounds faded in the background. Damon was still, almost too pale, his mouth working something he was trying to said, and then he just muttered: “What did you just said?”
Klaus went still, his mind racing at how he had screwed up so bad, he had been so concentrated into instilling fear and doubt into Damon, so angry that the younger vampire wasn’t taking the hint, and so amazed at how much Damon was still so full of bravery and cunning, that Klaus slipped back into what once had been their daily banter, their way of teasing each other.
“What did you just called me?” Damon said, his eyes seemed a bit out of focus, his right hand gripping the bar as if to find stability and his left reaching for his head, as if it was hurting.
“I won’t repeat myself again,” Klaus said, grabbing the front of Damon’s shirt and pulling him against him, his mouth inches away from his. “If you want to live to see tomorrow, don’t get in my way.”
He pushed him and Damon almost fell to the ground, Saltzman reaching to stop him from tumbling down, and Klaus had to reign himself to not try and check if he was okay, so he just turned around and walked straight for the door, but before he reached it, his vampire ears picked up something he hadn’t heard in such a long time, that his steps faltered.
“Nik, you bad wolf.”
The phrase had been whispered, almost lost into the cacophony of the dozens of humans eating and playing around in the diner, but Klaus hadn’t imagined it, he knew it; he took a deep breath, and while he was pushing open the front door, he dared to look back, fearing and hoping to see something, anything, that would convince him that it hadn’t been his memory playing tricks on him.
Damon was sitting back in his stool, Saltzman fussing around him, asking if he was okay and what they were gonna do, but Damon wasn’t answering, his deep blue eyes were still a bit glassy, but his gaze was unwavering as it landed on Klaus, his mouth a firm line and his hand almost leaving dents in the wooden bar.
“Nik?” he whispered and before he could say something else, Klaus close the door behind him and run as fast as he could, not caring if some unsuspecting human saw him, just wanting to put some space between him and those blue eyes that seemed to had bored into him, just like they used to long ago.