darling - n.mikaelson

29

"Charlotte my apologies for our last interaction, you look lovely. Please come in," Elijah offered his arm to Charlotte as he replied, tugging her gently through the foyer following her brothers.

"Damon, Stefan. Elijah tells me you seek and audience. Very bold," Klaus called out to them, pausing in his step when he realised Charlotte stood behind them with Elijah.

Klaus had intended for the pause to be a momentary one, a glance over at the final heartbeat he'd heard in the doorway but his breath caught in his throat. She was wearing that damn dress again, the one she'd worn at the homecoming he'd thrown at the house of Tyler, his first hybrid. The dress had a belt around it this time instead of the safety pin but it still swung as she moved and floated as she walked. 

Klaus wanted nothing more than to rip the fabric to shreds so he could see her again, all of her.

Charlotte felt Klaus' gaze deeper than she'd hoped it would be, his eyes were following her body and she pushed her face into a frown, she still was mad at him and she couldn't have him looking at her like this. She could see Damon and Stefan looking between them and she knew the thoughts that were whirring in their heads and it made her heart race even more. She just wished Klaus would talk again so they could move on from this moment and sit down, perhaps drink excessive amounts of the expensive wine that she knew he would've compelled for them.

Realising his pause had gone on too long, Klaus continued, "And you brought along my favourite Salvatore, Charlotte. You look beautiful, darling. Now, let's discuss the terms of our agreement like civilised men and women, shall we?"

Klaus gestured to the table set for dinner beside him and Elijah came forwards, "It's better to indulge him," he said, holding his arm out again for Charlotte to take. When she wrapped her hand around his arm he moved to lead her towards the table, pulling the chair out for her while she glanced at her brothers who watched the interaction wearily. 

"I didn't uh, come here to eat, Klaus," Stefan said, following Charlotte down towards Klaus and the table, "In fact, I didn't want to come here at all, but I was told I had to. Because you would hear us out."

"Well," Klaus chuckled, "we can sit and eat, or I can reach down your throat and pull out your insides. The choice is yours," as he spoke, Klaus came and pulled out the chair beside Charlotte, smirking at the way her face screwed up in a forced annoyance.

"Damon what's the point of us being here if you guys are going to cause a problem before we even start," Charlotte complained, knowing Damon was the more reasonable of her brothers at the moment. 

If she had to be here, sitting beside Klaus at this dinner wearing this dress, then they were going to sit and eat too. Damon sighed in annoyance but he shoved Stefans shoulder towards the table and the pair reluctantly followed sitting on the opposite side of the table to her and Klaus, while Elijah took the head on Charlotte's other side.

"You lost your appetite?" Klaus asked Stefan. Meals and wine had been brought out and they were all eating aside from Stefan who sat grumpily watching the scene in front of them.

"Eat," Damon told him, "I thought we agreed that we would leave the grumpy Stefan at home." Stefan forced a smile to his face, reluctantly grasping the silverware.

"Thats the spirit," Klaus smiled, "Isn't this nice? The five of us dining together," as Klaus taunted the table his hand abandoned his knife, going beneath the table to sit on Charlotte's leg. He liked this dress all the more than her bulky trousers now his fingers were gliding on the skin of her thigh, a grin broke out across his face as he continued talking, "Such a treat. Is this what you had in mind when you pulled the dagger out of my brother?"