WILD ROSE | N. MIKAELSON

ten

The glowing ember from the cigarette was all that could be seen, the dark alleyway casting shadows over her pale face.

He stumbled out of the bar, mind buzzing from what may have been one too many drinks. He leant against the wall for support, his eyes taking in his surroundings when she caught his eye.

"Evening," he smiled drunkenly in her general direction, and she assumed he was just another drunk hitting on any girl he saw.

He was not, however, just another drunk. Even when he couldn't see her face, he could tell there was something different about her.

The hybrid stepped forwards towards the girl but stumbled a little, losing his footing.

"Woah, hey man. You okay?" she stepped out into the dim street light.

His ocean blue eyes scanned her every feature. Her long blonde hair was dirty, like it hadn't been washed in a few weeks, her hazel eyes had dark circles around them, and her skin was sickly pale, like that of a corpse. But what stuck with him was the smell. It wasn't overpowering, but with his heightened sense of smell he could detect it. It was the stench of death.

There was something wrong with this girl. Something strange. Something dead.

"Yeah, I'm fine," his mouth finally managed to form words. The cogs in his brain began to turn, and in his drunken mind he thought that maybe he was imagining things. "I know you. You're that dead girl from New Orleans."

"I could be," she shrugged and took another drag of the cigarette.

That had been the first time Madison and Klaus met. They didn't know it at the time, and perhaps they wouldn't know it for a long time afterwards, but that moment would be one of the most important moments in history.

-

Madison yawned and stretched her arms above her head as she slowly woke up. She furrowed her brow as she looked around the room – this wasn't where she fell asleep.

She thought back to their argument last night. He had tried to apologise and she had just yelled. She felt kind of bad about it now. She had to find him and say sorry.

Klaus had placed her in the bed in the middle of the night so that her bones wouldn't ache in the morning. And knowing that she still needed space, he took her place on the couch.

He was still there when she found him. He looked so peaceful that she didn't want to wake him.

"Are you staring at me?" His morning voice was raw and groggy, and Madison bit her lip.

"Sorry. I, um, I wanted to say sorry about last night. I do love you, and I want us to be a family," Madison reached out and placed her hand over his as he sat up.

"Good, because that is all I've ever wanted." A small smile formed on his pink lips, his dimples beginning to show. 

"I think I was just scared," she admitted quietly.

"Of what?"

"Turning out like my mother."

"I've said this before, and I'll say it again, you are not and will never be anything like your mother."

Despite having only known the Hybrid a few months, she know she loved him and he loved her. And despite all of the drama unfolding around them, she knew she wanted to spend the rest of her life with him.

-

Madison stood in front of a full length mirror, trying on vintage wedding dress she found somewhere in the compound. Klaus leant against the door frame, watching her struggle to fasten the zipper.