Lucy's look for the chapter ≈
CHAPTER XLIV
❝ How'd you sleep? ❞
tw : anxiety, fear of losing a relationship, blood
Lucy was no longer elated when Klaus had disappeared, ignoring all her texts and calls. She'd even checked the whole area, but to no avail.
Hayley was also nowhere to be seen, leaving Lucy to wonder what had she told Klaus that he'd suddenly disappeared.
However, she refused to believe that he'd ghosted on her tonight, but when the crowd started slowly thinning down, she'd no choice but to take Brie and leave.
Brie had posed her own questions of where 'Nik' had gone to. And Lucy had to stifle down all those queries with spineless excuses as she felt a venomous pang in her heart.
There were only three possibilities.
First : He ghosted on her due to urgent stuff.
Second : He ghosted on her purposely.
Third : He was in grave danger or perhaps kidnapped.
Lucy crossed out the second one for her heart didn't quite agree. She believes to know Niklaus at least that much, in time they'd spent together, to know that he wouldn't ghost on her at this stage.
The third possibility also seemed absurd. True that the Mystic Fallers were keen on taking him down in the past, but now Stefan was working with him to find the cure. So she crossed out this possibility too.
That only left the first possibility which was the only reasonable explanation Lucy could come up with to herself.
However, when a crimson drenched figurine entered (or more like stumbled into) her house at two in the morning, all possibilities were crossed out and Lucy got the only explanation, the real explanation, at the first glance.
"Nik." she called out softly, striding across the hall to stand right in front of him.
Her eyes bored into his. But they didn't hold any disgust or fear. They held a certain tenderness. Empathy, maybe?
It was obvious that the blood covering his body, by now dried and crusted upon it, was not his, nor could it ever be.
Lucy lifted her hand, slowly, as if not to startle him, and hovering it by his cheek momentarily, cupped it tenderly, feeling the dried blood underneath her palm.
She was thankful that Brie was sound asleep, tucked in her bed and not here to witness this.
"I'm sorry."
These were the first words to tumble out of his mouth, his voice breaking by the end of it as he looked anywhere but in her eyes.
"Nik." she whispered, her voice susceptible. "What happened?"
"I killed them all." he replied, looking dazed. "I killed..."
He broke off, a guilt overcoming all his senses, making him gulp as he looked at her and stumbled back. Away from her.
"I'm sorry." he whispered, his heart heaving with guilt as his emotions manifested in his eyes.
"Hey," she called out softly, taking a cautious step towards him. "You killed who?"
"I'm sorry." he repeated again in that dazed voice, his teary eyes looking straight at her this time.
"It's s'okay." she said softly, slowly inching towards him. "Nik, it's s'okay."
"I killed.... I killed my hybrids." he whispered, his gaze dazed by the happenings of the night. "I killed..."
He trailed off, looking at her as he felt a tightening build up in his throat, trying so hard to not break down at that moment.
He was crushing under all the guilt. What has he done? Why did he do that, just to get revenge on Tyler?
He couldn't possibly expect her to not hate him after tonight. He had ruined everything.
"Nik."
Her sugar-like voice brought him back to reality as he met her empathetic eyes and she crouched down by his side.
He just realised that he'd sunken to his knees.
"Nik, it's s'okay." she said softly, tenderly taking ahold of his hands.
Her tone held care and sympathy for him. But will it stay the same if he told her the truth of tonight? Will it stay the same if he confessed to her his sin of taking away the life of someone she called friend? Will it?
"N-No. It's-It's not okay." he shook his head violently, as tears flew relentlessly down his face; his body slouched down in a weakened state.
He feared losing her and everything they had. His one mistake will ruin everything.
"Nik." Lucy said firmly, looking into his eyes as her fingers clutched at his blood soaked ones. "Why did you do that?"
"They..." he whispered with a certain anger in his voice, "they were planning to kill me. So I killed them."
Something in her eyes shifted but she didn't let it show on her face and spoke with a firm voice that even convinced Nik himself.
"You did what you had to, to protect yourself. It's s'okay. You needn't succumb under this guilt."
He held her gaze, but his lip trembled, his hands shook and his mind relayed the future, his ruined future, due to his actions.
And he broke down, into her arms, clutching onto her for dear life, as uncontrollable sobs escaped his lips. But he didn't dare tell her the truth because Klaus Mikaelson was not this powerful. He, too, couldn't endure everything.
Because, after all, there is only so much pain a man can take.
◇◇◆◇◆◇◇
Niklaus woke up to the sound of utter silence.
He was in a familiar bed, a familiar room and the same... clothes? But absolutely clean.
"Good morning." Lucy's voice snapped his attention to the entrance of the room as she walked in with a glass of water, smiling at him warmly.
"How'd you sleep?" she asked, sitting at the end of the bed as she offered him the glass of water.
"Fine." he said, his mouth feeling dry, prompting him to take the glass from her and gulp it down to relinquish his thirst.
"You want me to bring something for you?"
"I just. My clothes...?" he trailed off, utterly confused at the lack of blood from his clothes.
"I, I magically drew out the blood after you were asleep, since you couldn't sleep like that and of course I couldn't change them for you. I mean you were pretty knocked out. So, yeah."
"Thank you." he said softly, finally a smile appearing on his face. "By the way, um, what day is it today?"
"It's just been a day. You just slept through the night." she laughed. "But, still, it's wednesday today."
"Oh," he chuckled slightly, cracking his knuckles, "so, um, nothing weird happened while I was sleeping, right? You know, anything like news from town?"
"No," she shrugged, looking at him weirdly. "no news from 'town'."
"Oh, nice then." he shrugged, suddenly looking pleased with the situation. "You know, um, I was thinking that maybe we should... go visit Florida! Your place, your town. My turn to enjoy."
"Nik..." she opened her mouth but no words came out, completely startled by the sudden change in his behaviour.
"I know, I know." he cut her off. "Brie would also come with us. I heard how she was complaining about this town yesterday."
"Yeah..." Lucy nodded slowly, still utterly confused by his behaviour. "But, this is all so sudden. Are you okay?"
"I," he drew a breath, "I- There is nothing left in this town for me anymore. It's the best I should leave. And what's better than moving in with you and Brie, to your actual home. I mean, you don't mind me crashing at your place, do you?"
"I-I, of course, wouldn't." she blinked, not managing to keep up with the drastic turns in the conversation. "But, it's too sudden. I mean, I don't mind. Brie's been ardent on going back from day one. And even for me, Florida is home. I would never mind. It's, it's good and awesome that you want to come live your life with us. But, frankly enough, you're being, um, how do I say it, impulsive?"
"No, no, I'm not being impulsive. I swear." he said in an extremely firm voice, although his guilty eyes said otherwise.
"It's s'okay, Nik. I understand. But I think we both need to think this through." she said in a soothing voice, trying to pass him an understanding smile.
"And, I don't think now is the time to have this conversation. You living with us, it will be new responsibility for you. And...." she blew out a breath, sighing heavily, "it's a lot to talk about. And I think, right now, you need to rest."
"I know, I know what you're talking about." he said hastily. "And I'm ready for that. I'm ready for the responsibility as a father. As your partner. I'm ready."
"Hey," she said softly, taking his hands which were shaking in hers, "I know. Okay? I know you're ready. You always were. But right now, this decision is impulsive."
"It's," he squeezed his eyes shut to calm his nerves, "it's not that simple. You don't understand. I don't want to be here any longer. I did something bad."
He paused in his words, trying to gather the courage to tell the truth.
"I killed- I killed," he whispered, taking deep breaths.
He was supposed to have coped with killing, especially by his hand, by now. But this was different. This was not about the guilt of killing Carol Lockwood, this is about the consequence of his one mistake. This is about his soon to be doomed relationship.
Lucy was all he had now. His family had, too, left him, just like his hybrids. The cure was one hope, but he wouldn't endanger his relationship with Lucy for that. There was no one left with him except her. He couldn't bear to lose her too.
But he needed to tell her the truth of last night. Or else it will haunt him forever. Or worse Lucy will come to know of it from someone else.
He hoped that she will understand. That he was blinded by rage, rage against Tyler Lockwood, his betrayer. He just hoped.
"I killed my hybrids. I killed-"
He was cut short by a knock at their door, as Lucy's eyes, which held worry for him and his predicament, turned to the interrupter.
"Yes?" she stood up from the bed, letting go of his hands. They felt colder than ever now.
"There is an invitation, ma'am." a house helper, a man in his late thirties, said and handed her an envelope.
"Okay, thank you. You may go." Lucy nodded at him, turning the crisp white envelope in her hand.
He nodded at her and left cordially.
She tore it open and Niklaus watched as her eyes skimmed the contents of the invitation, her face turning paler by the second.
"What is it?" he asked, worry lacing his voice but her answer made his blood run cold.
"It's a ceremony." she said, her voice wavering. "For paying respect to the Mayor. Carol is dead."
Word Count : 1822