FLAMES | UNDER CONSTRUCTION

7. Feelings

Shit.

Willow was in love with him.

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

They weren't even dating. Yet? Yet. She was going to date him eventually. She was almost sure of that.

Fuck.

Why did she have to fall in love so easily? Everyone she's ever loved before never loved her back. He was probably only using her to stay in the house.

Fuck.

"I'm not" Klaus defended, shuffling closer to her again, wanting to get as close to her as possible.

Klaus had never been good at feelings. He had had so many sexual relationships with people, but the only real relationship he had ever been in was with Dave. And even at that, it wasn't a normal relationship since they were in the middle of the Vietnam War, in a year where it was more acceptable to kill a man than to love a man.

"But you are" Willow responded, leaning in closer to him. Klaus leaned in closer again, so that the two were barely inches apart.

"Well, what would you do if I was?" Klaus asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What would you want me to do?" Willow responded. No one had ever really asked Klaus what he wanted before, especially in a relationship (of course with the exception of Dave), so he didn't really know how to answer that question.

"Kiss me" Klaus begged desperately, mentally scolding himself for sounding so desperate but all he could think of in that moment was that he was in love with her.

Willow didn't say anything. Instead she slowly leaned in and brushed her lips against his ever so slightly, she wasn't sure her heart had ever pounded so fast in her life at the close proximity with the man she was in love with.

"Like this?" she asked before Klaus couldn't wait anymore and closed the gap between the two. Willow melted into the kiss, closing her eyes as he did the same.

The two pulled apart a few seconds later, only for Willow to pull him back in. This time the kiss was more heated and full of desperation and longing. The two had both waited so long for this moment, and both felt so many emotions as it happened.

Klaus pulled Willow over his lap so she was straddling him, her hands found his hair as his found her waist. He brought a hand to the back of her neck to deepen the kiss, savoring the feeling of having her close.

Willow brought a hand to his cheek and cupped it as she pulled away slightly. Klaus opened his eyes slowly as he let out a breath. He leaned forward and rested his forehead against hers, completely breathless.

"I've waited so long to do that" Klaus told her.

"Me too" Willow admitted, admiring the his features up close, her eyes scanning his face.

"We are going to do that again, right?" Klaus asked.

"Oh definitely" Willow confirmed.

•••

Klaus hummed quietly to himself as he held Willow in his arms, tracing his finger along her arm as she leaned her head on his chest. She closed her eyes, listening to the steady beat of his heart and his quiet humming. She was slightly nervous and tense being in the arms of someone else, it was such an unfamiliar feeling to her and she only had bad memories of being held like that, but she trusted Klaus.

"Can I tell you something?" Klaus asked, his voice barely above a whisper. Willow hummed a yes in response, signaling for him to continue talking.

"I like you" Klaus admitted. Normally he thought admitting his feelings like this seemed so childish and stupid. But for some reason, it made him so nervous to say those words to her.

Klaus knew that it was a bad idea. Messing up the timeline was a huge no-no, and he already knew that. But he had been in 1960 for two months already and he had given up hope on Five ever coming back to him.

"Really?" Willow asked, raising her head slightly so she could look at him in the eye, slightly scared that he would be lying to her or trying to mess with her, like everyone else in her life had done.

"Lola, I've liked you ever since I laid eyes on you back in February" he told her. "I've never been good at feelings, I guess growing up in a toxic household where you aren't allowed express feelings probably had something to do with that" Klaus went off on a tangent before bringing his attention back Willow.

"But I do know that I like you, a lot" He admitted. "I have for a while now, but I just didn't know how to tell you"

Willow just looked up at him for a few moments. She knew she liked him, she also knew that she was in love with him, but it was too soon to tell him that. What stopped her from telling him was the fear of getting hurt again, something she had experience far too often.

After a few seconds, she made the impulsive decision to trust him, to trust Klaus. There was a risk of getting hurt with him, but that was always going to be inevitable in a relationship. And she knew that.

"I like you too" Willow replied, a nervous smile appearing on her lips as she looked up at him.

"So I'm guessing this is how we make it official? I've never done this before" Klaus told her honestly, relationships were not his strong point.

"I think that is how it usually works, yes" Willow responded with a small chuckle.

"So you're like...my girlfriend now?" Klaus asked and she nodded in response. "And that would make me your...?"

"Boyfriend" Willow replied, causing him to smile wider.

"I just wanted to hear you say it" he told her before leaning down and kissing her softly, smiling into the kiss.

Willow leaned up and placed a single kiss on his cheek before laying back down against his chest, letting out a yawn.

"Goodnight, boyfriend" Willow said to him, pushing him back against the bed.

"Goodnight, girlfriend" Klaus replied with a stupid smile on his face.