❝ rain, rosalie! ❞
·° 。: ✰ : ·° 。
IT WAS RAINING AGAIN, he noted mindlessly. The glass panes were blurry, droplets of clear liquid bouncing off in rhythmic splatters. Clouds of dark grey covered the sky, the blanket of darkness adding to the gloomy atmosphere the current weather held. It matched his melancholy, a feeling that's been plaguing his mind for days. Glancing out the window, the blond couldn't help but sigh.
It's been 56 days since he last saw Rosalie, but who was counting? The hybrid felt his heart clench upon thinking of her, an involuntary action he's been doing for the past millenia. He hadn't talked to her since the accident, and to say that he wasn't feeling down about his decision would be a major lie. But it was for the best, he thought. Rosalie deserved some quietude.
"Why are you brooding again?"
Nik sighed, this time in annoyance. He glancedㅡor glared, more likeㅡat the raven-haired girl. Persephone was looking at him as though he was a vermin, with her scrunched nose, crossed arms, and judgemental gaze. Her black hair, combined with her dark monochromatic clothing, made her look like a modern Wednesday Addams; but that was an idea he didn't want her to knowㅡshe'd probably skin him alive, or do something horrific, which wasn't part of his plan at the moment.
"I'm not brooding." Nik mumbled, frowning. He raised the crystal glass to his lips, downing a mouthful of bourbon with a blank expression. The bitterness of the hard liquor left a trail of fire in his throat, but it was a burn he welcomed.
"Right," she snorted, crossing the threshold and plopping down on the couch. "And Elijah isn't a dramatic bloke in a suit."
He gave her a blank look. "What do you want, Persephone?"
"Stop with the unnecessary torment." Persephone deadpanned just as bleakly. "You're killing the vibe, dude. This town is already gloomy as hell. Just talk her. Or call her, at least."
"I don't want to disturb heㅡ"
"Do you want to be with Rosalie?"
He looked scandalized that she had the audacity to ask that question. "No, I'm just playing around," Nik sarcastically retorted. "What the bloody hell do you think? Of course I want to be with Rosalie."
She gave him an odd look, one that suggested he had brain damage. "Then be with her, you idiot. I don't know why you're wasting your time sitting around here."
"I'm not 'sitting around,'" he said, indignant. She stood up, fixing herself a drink of her own on the liquor counter. Klaus paid her no heed, "Things have been busy. You know, with the sword and Silas, and all. Besides, she's trying to have a peaceful college experieㅡ"
"Uh huh," Persephone hummed, taking a sip of her alcoholㅡGod knows she needed it to deal with the dramatic Original siblings. She was already having a headache at eight in the morning, and Kol wasn't even in the area yet. "Say what you want. All I'm hearing are excuses."
·° 。: ✰ : ·° 。
It's almost been two months since Rosalie's been hospitalized, and the evidences it left on her body were finally gone. Although she had physically recovered, spacing out during study sessions became a part of the norm. It wasn't new, but it happened for hours on end, causing her productivity to decline. The brunette didn't even notice she was doing it until there was some form of distraction to snap her out of it. Phone calls from Jacob, Camille calling her name when she asked questions, text messages from Kol and Rebekah...She didn't even know why she was spacing out.
Not to mention the nightmares that plagued her evenings.
What once were blissful dreams filled with beautiful sceneries had now transformed into endless nights of horror. She usually woke up sweaty, frightened, and distraught, resulting in sleepless evenings. She'd spent them staring blankly at the dark walls, never finding the will to fall back to sleep. Rosalie knew it would end the same: blood, gore, screams, and pain. So much pain.
They were the reason for the dazed, blank stares that occupied her days, the Monet decided. Her fingers flew across the keyboard, vigorously typing an essay for her class. Knowing that she was behind had driven her to work even harder. The teachers were beyond impressed at her will to graduate on time.
Rosalie took a sip from her coffee a few minutes later, now scrolling through her work to revise and correct any mistakes. The noise of the bar was a welcome distraction for her, the conversations and clanks and shuffles were actually great to stay focused. Camille was bartending a counter away, and it was only a matter of time before she would call Rosalie to eat lunch together. It was the last day before returning home for Christmas, and the thought of that just made her feel better.
Her lips curled, giddy at the realization that the essay was spotless. She was just about to finish up when a voice caught her attention.
"You're leaving." The dark-skinned man gave her a blank look, masking his sadness with the blunt statement. Rosalie glanced up from her laptop to look at him with raised eyebrows. The brunette cleared her throat and removed her reading glasses, "Uh...yeah? Is everything okay?"
Marcel frowned upon hearing her confirmation, moving to sit in front of her. The wooden chair slightly creaked under his weight, the table rough under his bare arms. She was still looking at him confusedly, feeling a bit worried at his unhappy mood.
Within a short amount of time, the pair had become fast friends; and spending time together grew more commonㅡattending occasional parties to loosen up and drink liquor (something Camille was very happy about), walking around the city, having conversations about common interests, and getting to know each other. Sure, they'd been talking for days on end, but was he actually this disheartened at her departure?
"Marcel? What's wrong?"
He chuckled breathlessly, shaking his head a bit. Marcel avoided meeting her gaze, choosing to stare at the table instead. Her eyes were still in that same shade of gold, hauntingly beautiful in all her glory; and the memories did haunt him to this day. She had been nothing but kind and compassionate (both in the past and present), always showing him familial affection in some way. So, how could he resist that unconditional love she gave, the very one he had once received as a child? How could he not want to be with such a welcoming person? Marcel knew he was already too attached, but he couldn't help it. She was just...everything.
And now she was leaving. Again.
Her touch on his arm startled him back to reality. Maybe it was because he was busy drowning in his thoughts, or maybe it was because her hand was ice-cold; but either way, he jerked in shock.
"Nothing," Marcel gave her a weak smile, collecting himself. "Everything is great. It's just...I'm going to miss you, that's all."
Her eyes softened. "You know I've told you you're welcome to join us. Us Monets love a big gathering, especially on Christmas."
"I know. Trust meㅡI really want to go. But I can't." Marcel smiled sadly, grateful for her invitation and touched at her thoughtfulness. Even though they hadn't known each other long (well, she didn't know him that long), Rosalie still offered him what she had. His heart swelled at her kindness, never failing to amaze him.
Rosalie nodded in understanding, unaware of her companion's adoration. She knew that he had his duties, and even if she didn't know what they were, she respected it.
"What are you gonna do on Christmas? Are you spending it with anyone?" The Monet believed it was a crime to spend the holidays alone, a thought her parents had unintentionally passed on to her.
"Yeah, I'm probably going to out with some friends. I'll just drinkㅡmiserably, of courseㅡwhile you enjoy home-cooked meals..."
Rosalie rolled her eyes, chuckling at his dramatics. "Oh, stop trying to guilt-trip me. I know you're gonna be partying it up somewhereㅡ"
He smiled, but she wasn't done talking.
"ㅡbut doing it with a certain blonde would make it better." She grinned wickedly, raising her eyebrows in Cami's direction without removing her gaze from him.
"Not this again." Marcel groaned, burying his face in his palms. Rosalie had taken to teasing her friends these past few days, convinced they had it for each other. "For the last time, I don't like Camille."
"Who said anything about liking Camille? I didn't even say her name," the Monet smiled, closing her laptop after making sure her documents were saved. She started to clear the table, packing up her notes while Marcel grumbled.
Rosalie laughed.
·° 。: ✰ : ·° 。
The air was cold as she walked around the empty Town Square, which was a beautiful sight to behold. Fake snow littered a majority of the area (she knew Caroline had probably suggested that), strings of different colored lights were strung along the lamposts. There was a huge Christmas tree in the center, decorated with bright ornaments; but what caught her attention was a figure on the stairs of the Town Hall.
"Nik?" She frowned, walking over to the silent blond to see if it was actually him. His back was facing her, hunched over, so she couldn't see his expression. Rosalie wanted nothing more than to talk to Nikㅡshe had missed him; but felt hesitant to approach unannounced. The last time she saw him was when he told her to go to his house to hideㅡnothing more, nothing less. The thought of it left a pit in her stomach, and she tried her best to swallow the lump in her throat.
The Monet caught a glimpse of his face once she was near enough, confirming that it was indeed Nik Mikaelson. He looked downcast, staring at nothing in particular, not acknowledging her presence in any way.
"Hey, are you okay?" She asked, quietly to avoid startling him. Her hand moved to touch his shoulder, but she retracted it swiftly. Rosalie decided to sit beside him on the stairs, a space of nearly five feet between them.
It wasn't badㅡthe silence; but she wanted to hear his voice. It was as though the entirety of missing him was amplified by a tenfold. Rosalie buzzed with restless energy, feeling hyperactive as she kept him company. She fiddled with a loose thread on her sweater.
"Hello," he mumbled out of the blue, his deep tone startling the brunette. It was just as comforting and homey as she remembered. Something was wrong, she decided after getting over the relief of hearing his voice (You're so pathetic, honestly, she mentally chided herself). He didn't tell her what, but she just knew something was bothering him.
Rosalie wanted to ask him what was wrong, to ask what had kept him busy enough that he couldn't send a text message during their time apart, she wanted to know everything that had occupied his mind; but she held back.
"Hey," the brunette replied in the same tone to keep them in the quiet atmosphere, mostly to stop distressing him further. Rosalie glanced away, taking a deep breath to compose herself after seeing him for the first time in weeks. Her chest tightened, an image of this man in emotional pain flashing through her mind. Was he stressed about his family? His friends? When did he last eat?
"I'm scared of the dark," she blurted. Nik peeked sideways, his once heartbreaking gaze now curious. Seeing that her tactic was working, the Monet continued, "It only started recently. It probably sounds ridiculous, but I always feel like I'm being watched by something."
"Something?"
Rosalie hummed, not bothered in the slightest bit that she was sharing a thought that had been gnawing at her sanity. She'd never even told her loved ones about those types of thoughtsㅡnot Alaska, or Caroline, or her parents, or Camille; but it felt so natural, so relieving, to confide in him.
"I don't know what. I just feel like something bad is going to happen," she said in the same unbothered tone, like she just didn't say a negative claim. Rosalie cringed, "Which is probably something I shouldn't be telling you, sorry."
Nik chuckled quietly, slightly baffled at her ability to boost his mood. It's been centuries, but it still caught him off guard every damn time. "Why not? You know you can trust me, love."
She blushed deeply at the sound of the nickname that left his lips (she tried to stop the unsolicited reaction, she really did). "I know that, but I should be cheering you up, not telling you more negative stuff."
The hybrid smiled softly at her admission, all negativity completely forgottenㅡshe wants to cheer me up! It might have seemed childish, but he was over the moon that she felt that way.
"You make me happy." He glanced at her, noticing the increasing redness of her cheeks. Nik grinned, feeling giddy. "Are you blushing?"
Rosalie groaned, burying her face in her hands, similar to what her friend Marcel had done a few hours ago. Great, she had to discover that karma was real when Nik was teasing her.
Speaking of the cheeky bastard, he was still laughing loudly at her actions. The sound was beautiful in the middle of the fake winter wonderland. Rosalie wondered if this is what heaven was like.
"You're impossible," she mumbled, hands placed on her warm cheeks in an attempt to cool them down.
"What? It's true, you do make me happy." The ghost of his smile still brightened his lips. You're the only one that makes me happy, he thought.
"Would you like to join us for dinner?" Rosalie asked after a moment of silence, only realizing that she was practically asking him to meet her parents. She was mortified at herselfㅡsince when had she become so direct?
"Only if you want to, of course," the brunette quickly added. "You're very welcome to join us. I'm sure my family would love to have you."
"I don't want to intrude," Nik said in a tone that screamed 'I would very much like to intrude.'
She rolled her golden orbs, motioning for him to stand up. "Quite the contrary, love," Rosalie teased in an English accent.
He laughed.
"Hey, why didn't you blush?" she frowned playfully. They walked side-by-side along the snow-covered pathway. Nik chuckled, shaking his head, "I bet you've been practicing that."
"Ah, you caught me."
❝ be kind. ❞
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