question of the chapter: favourite season of the vampire diaries?
•
Astoria fiddled with the necklace she wore around her neck, running her fingers along the back of it and staring ahead out of the window. Snow had begun to fall from the sky, which was a good thing. It would be a lot harder for someone to spot her with the thick snowflakes covering their view. Though it would likely make her journey much more difficult.
"Are you ready?" Astoria heard Katherine ask her, causing Astoria to turn around to face her.
Astoria smiled tightly and nodded her head. She had never been without Katherine before, not since Katherine first took her in. But once Katherine left, she would be on her own. Astoria wasn't sure how she felt about it. On one hand, she was glad that she would be getting the chance to help Katherine, and she could stop being dead weight. On the other, she was scared to be without her, and with Klaus nonetheless. Katherine would be alone again, with no one to trust, which was why Astoria knew she had to pull through for her.
"Ready as I will ever be," Astoria said with a small nod of her head."Remember. It takes me approximately eighteen minutes to get from here to his house. You should wait at least that long until you leave. I will keep him there as long as I can without him becoming suspicious."
Katherine nodded her head slowly as she took one of Astoria's hands into hers and squeezed it reassuringly."It is not too late to change your mind."
"There is no need for that," Astoria smiled tightly."I should be on my way. Before he decides to come find me myself."
Katherine bit down on her lip as she held up her hand and opened it up, revealing a small glass vile that she held in her hand. It wasn't clear, what was inside it had stained the glass red.
"Just in case things do not go as planned," Katherine whispered quietly, slipping the vile into Astoria's hands and not letting go until Astoria accepted it.
She only took it so that she didn't have to argue with Katherine. Astoria didn't think she would ever need or want to use it. She knew long ago that she didn't want to be a vampire. Being one would just cause her more pain. She saw what it did to Katherine.
Astoria didn't say anything as Katherine moved forward, wrapping her arms around Astoria and pulling her into a hug."Being without you certainly will not be easy."
Astoria smiled slightly as she returned the hug."I know. But I'm sure that we will see each other again. Thank you. . . For looking out for me all of these years."
Katherine smiled slightly as she pulled away, squeezing Astoria's shoulders with her hands."It has been my privilege."
Astoria swallowed, blinking a few times to try and hold back her tears while she nodded her head quickly."I should. . . I should be on my way. Before Klaus becomes impatient that I did not come and he makes his way over here."
Astoria sent her one last smile before she turned around and made her way to the front door that was only a few feet away. She tightened her coat around her before placing her hand on the handle, and pulling it open. The cold won't hit her face instantly, causing her to wince she stared out into the brewing storm that she was about to walk into.
"Astoria," Katherine called out to her.
Astoria turned her head to look at her."Yes?"
Katherine's lips pulled into a smirk as she looked ahead at Astoria."Make his heart bleed."
Astoria inhaled sharply upon hearing her words. Part of her hadn't truly grasped what she was planning to do here. She was going to make Klaus fall in love with her so that she could bring him to his knees. It sounded crazy when she thought it. If it were anyone else she would've felt bad. But come to think of it, her whole life had prepared her for a moment like this. There was no one else that could do it. Since she was was a child she had been raised to lie and manipulate people in order to survive. She could do it with ease to people who trusted her, who would call her a friend. Before, the only real consequence was disappointing Katherine. If she failed in front of Klaus, it could cost her life. But she had been waiting her entire life for a moment where she could prove herself to Katherine. This was that moment. She couldn't let her down.
•
Astoria banged her fist against the wooden door to Klaus' home, waiting for him to answer it. She was somewhat annoyed that he didn't open it immediately, seeing as he was the one that told her to come see him, and she was already upset with him to begin with.
She knew that she couldn't be too nice to him, to willing to accept that Katherine had left her behind, or too clingy to him. If she was, he would suspect that something was wrong. She would have to push him away, express annoyance, which wouldn't be hard to do. After all, he was the reason why her and Katherine would be splitting up, and she had no idea if she'd ever see her again once that happened. Any anger she felt was real, and justified in her opinion.
Astoria had no desire to see him. She had work to do. She didn't know how long she would be here for or be without Katherine. Katherine had left her a good amount of money, and she compelled someone to deliver food and fire wood to the house once a week when they first arrived, so she would be good on that. But Klaus wouldn't know that. He assumed she had been completely abandoned, which meant Astoria had to play that part. She had to try and find work, find a way to earn money and be able to afford basic necessities. If Katherine did leave her behind, that would be her main concern. Not yelling at him.
Growing annoyed and worried that he hadn't opened yet, Astoria placed her hand on the door knob and twisted it open. One benefit to her being human was that she didn't need to be invited on, and vampires hardly locked their front door.
She stepped into the home, the door creaking as she pushed it open and the floorboards shifting beneath her weight. She wondered why he selected an older home that was in desperate need of repair. She hadn't asked him about it the last time she was here because he said it was his father's old place. That clearly wasn't true.
She had only been inside his once before so she wasn't entirely sure where she might find him. A few days ago, on her birthday was when she was here. She had been happy then. Blissfully ignorant about what was really going on, but happy.
Inside the house was dark, which wasn't surprising. The interior itself was made of a dark wood, the furniture as well. The house was surrounded by trees and since it was cloudy outside, there was very little light come in. Her hand gripped tightly around the handle to the basket she held as she closed the door behind her. She took a few more steps into the house until she came across a room to her right. She saw Klaus sitting on a stool in front of an easel, not even looking up from his painting.
"You invite me over, yet you could not even bother to walk three feet to the front door?" Astoria furrowed her brow, annoyed that he was just sitting and painting.
"The door was unlocked," He mused, not even looking at her.
"Why are you still here?" Astoria demanded in response, furrowing her brow. She didn't know what she expected from him. But seeing as he was the one who invited her over, she figured he would have at least something to say to her.
"Good morning to you too," He replied, continuing to focus on his painting. He took his brush and dipped it into the tray that he held with one hand.
"You aren't a baker here," Astoria reminded him."You aren't Italian. You have no reason to stay here. Leave."
"I have grown to quite like this town," He commented, not even glancing up at her.
Astoria huffed in frustration as she reached into the basket that he had left at the door. She grabbed one of the rolls that he put in it and threw it at him, knocking into the tray he had in his hand and causing it to fall to the floor, the paint spilling out and staining the wood.
He huffed in frustration as he slowly looked up at Astoria. Finally she managed to get his attention.
"It is impolite to play with your food," Klaus chided, causing Astoria to roll her eyes.
"Katherine isn't coming back," Astoria gritted through her teeth. What she was saying was true. Katherine couldn't come back to a place she hadn't left yet.
"I am well aware of that," He agreed.
"Then leave," She insisted, taking a step forward."Or at the very least leave me alone. I do not want your gift baskets. All the food in them will just go to waste."
"They are not poisoned if that is what you are worried about," Klaus replied with a small shrug, but that hadn't even crossed her mind.
"Please, someone like you would not use poison as a weapon," Astoria rolled her eyes in response.
"No?" Klaus raised an eyebrow, a small smirk pulling on his lips."Tell me, how would I kill you then?"
Astoria stared at Klaus for a moment, trying to determine whether or not he was asking her a serious question. Once she realized that he was, she just scoffed and shook her head."I don't have time to play games with you, Klaus."
Astoria didn't wait for a response from him before she turned on her heel, getting ready to walk out of the room and leave him behind. But she knew he would follow. He wasn't done yet. He had called her over here for a reason.
Just as she took a step forward, she bumped into his chest. He had flashed in front of her before she could even blink. Astoria stepped back a bit, swallowing tightly and looking up at him.
"It is not a present, Astoria," Klaus spoke quietly, referring to the basket that he left her."You said it yourself, without Katherine you have nothing."
"I do not need your pity," Astoria hissed at him. She didn't have a problem with the basket if she was being honest. It was kind of him, which would only make her job easier. Acts of kindness meant he cared. Wanting to make sure she had food meant he cared.
"It is not pity," He countered, causing Astoria to narrow her eyes at him.
"Then what is it?" Astoria questioned, despite knowing exactly what it was.
He opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out. He couldn't answer her. So Astoria continued to speak. She had to push back on his gift. If she didn't, he would know something was up. She wouldn't be willing to accept things from him too easily.
"I can find a way to survive," Astoria clenched her jaw."I have done it my whole life."
"Life is a lot more complicated without the gift of compulsion," He reminded her. For the past few years, Katherine had compelled everything they needed. She compelled people to clean their home, to cook, to sell them clothes for free. Astoria hardly remembered a life without a vampire. But Astoria didn't buy it. It wasn't a gift. It meant that she now couldn't take care of herself. Vampirism wasn't a gift. Her brothers died because of it. Katherine was on the run her entire life because of it.
"Nothing about being a vampire is a gift," Astoria shook her head slowly."It's a curse. It all is. And you curse everyone you touch."
Astoria didn't wait for a response before she began to walk by Klaus, only for him to grab her arm quickly and spin her around, forcing her to face him. Astoria's breath hitched, but she didn't say anything to him. She was surprised that he had stopped her. He didn't let go of her wrist, he held onto it tightly, but not enough to hurt.
Astoria's lips parted as her eyes fell down to gaze at his. Just a few days ago, she had hers on his. She remembered how soft they felt, so warm and so loving. He was a good actor, Astoria had to give him that. She never would've guessed that he was using her from the way that he kissed her. She had forgotten about the whole world when he kissed her. Nothing seemed to matter but him.
Astoria snapped out of it, taking a sharp breath and looking into his eyes. That wasn't much better. She never noticed it before, and she didn't know why she was only noticing it now. There was a hint of sadness in his eyes. Something she made a mental note of to remember. Telling him that he was a curse hurt. It wouldn't if he didn't believe it. She would have to think about what that meant later.
"You do not really believe that, do you?" He asked her quietly.
Astoria blinked a few times, straightening her stance."Who in their life has benefited from knowing you? Just one person. Name them."
Klaus didn't say anything. His lips remained firmly pressed together, he couldn't even open them. Astoria was hit with a pang of guilt that she couldn't explain. She shouldn't have anything to feel guilty for. He was the one that should be feeling guilty for what he did to her. And he did. Astoria could tell. She could use that too.
"That's what I thought," She whispered, slipping her hand out of Klaus' grasp that had loosened. She noticed that he looked away from her eyes. Slowly, she began to turn around. This time, he didn't stop her.
•
Astoria assumed that after she confronted Klaus, the gifts would stop. But they didn't. The next morning, there was one waiting at her doorstep again. Astoria's first morning without Katherine. When she arrived back home after seeing him, she was overwhelmed with a sadness. Astoria knew what it was like to feel alone, but she had never truly been alone until now. Without Katherine.
But when she woke up and saw the basket the next morning, it warmed her heart in a way it should not have. It gave her a small reminder that she wasn't truly alone, even if her only companion was a manipulative vengeful vampire that annoyed her to no end. She brought the basket inside, but didn't touch anything in it. Normally, she would happily eat whatever was in it. If Klaus wanted to give her free food, she wouldn't object. But Klaus would expect her to be stubborn in a situation like this, so that was exactly what she was going to be. She had to be determined to prove herself and show that she was okay.
Which meant she couldn't just sit around and eat sweets all day while laying in bed. Klaus would know something was up if she wasn't the least bit determined to get up on her feet and find a way to support herself. As far as he knew, Katherine took off in the middle of the night and abandoned her.
So over the next few days, she got to work. She went through her closet and took some of her dresses and jewelry that Katherine had bought her over the years. She decided she was going to sell them in the market, and she did. But this wasn't an incredibly wealthy town, even if the dresses were quite a bit, no one would buy them for a high price. So she settled for what she could reasonably get. With the money she earned, she was able to get some food, firewood, matches, and oil lamps.
The only problem was that she hadn't seen Klaus at all. She knew that he was there, since the baskets kept coming, but she hadn't been able to spot him. She couldn't just go back to his house to find him. He needed to be the one to make a move. She didn't see a reason to go back to confront him once again. That would be giving him too much power. She needed to find a way to draw him out, and luckily she knew just the way to do so.
Given that Klaus had no way of knowing that Astoria wasn't truly abandoned, his assumption was that she had nothing. That she had to rely on herself for now. In a small town like this, unless someone had something to sell, there was not much work a person could do. There were a few jobs within homes that the wealthy paid for, but those people had been there for years and employed the same people for years. So it would be next to impossible for Astoria to find work, not that she was truly trying, only enough to not raise any suspicions in Klaus.
Seeing as she was unable to work, she would have to find another way to earn money. She had nothing to offer most people. She had no wealth, no property, nothing of value. But she was beautiful. Katherine always made sure that she knew that, and that she would be able to use her beauty as well. She wasn't unaccustomed to using her looks to get what she wanted. Katherine had made her do it a few times. And if she remembered correctly, there was one other man who seemed interested in her the day she met Klaus.
"Oh my," Astoria gasped as she approached the painter's stall. He sat on a stool in the middle, surrounded by a bunch of unmoved paintings."Are these not the same paintings that were here four weeks ago?"
"Well, look who returned," The painter took his feet down from the table when he saw her walk towards him."Did my paintings make for good firewood?"
"Indeed, they warmed up my home quite nicely," Astoria answered with a smile, her eyes glancing over to the empty space beside his table where Klaus once was. She remembered hearing him laugh when she talked to the painter. After seeing some of Klaus' work now, she wasn't surprised that he laughed.
"I am glad that I could have been of service," He nodded his head once."Come to get another?"
"Actually, no," Astoria answered honestly, placing her hands on the table and leaning forward a bit."I came back because I could not stop thinking about you."
Astoria knew the man well, though she hardly ever spoke to him. He could afford to waste time on paintings that no one purchased. He sat here, but did not make a single effort to sell anything. No one who needed money had the pleasure of pretending to be a businessman. Astoria had also asked around. She knew that his father was wealthy, but very traditional. He wanted his son to take over his business. A business that his father's father had passed down to him, and was expected to continue down the line. But if he did not have any heirs, that wasn't possible. And he would need a wife to have heirs. He was the ideal suitor for her. Klaus would know it, and he would believe that she was truly interested.
"Is that so?" He leaned forward a bit."Here I thought you were smitten with the baker."
"But painters are much more fun, Nicolas," Astoria answered with a teasing smile."Bakers are boring. They follow the same recipes over and over again. So rigid. If they make even one wrong move, all of their work is for nothing. So they can hardly take any risks in the moment. Such an uninspiring way to live."
"I see you finally agree with me on something," He said with a grin, standing up from the stool."Alright, beautiful. Meet me at the pier tonight. At sunset."
"It would be my pleasure," Astoria smiled at him, feeling a bit relieved that her plan seemed to be working for once. At least to some degree. Klaus was here because he couldn't let go of her, otherwise he would have left by now. But up until now, Astoria was largely guessing the degree to which he cared for her, or if he even truly cared for her. For all she knew, the gifts could just be him taunting her. But if he truly did care for her, then he wouldn't be able to stand her being with someone else.
•
Astoria was beginning to think that she was not capable of accurately reading a person. She always had been, Katherine taught her well. But the last two times, she had been completely wrong. She thought that Alessio, or Klaus, was someone she could love and trust, but she was then too proven wrong. She told Nicholas that she thought he would be more interesting. And she was wrong. Almost everything he had said since she met him at the pier that night bored her. He seemed sweet at least. Astoria had no idea whether or not painters were more exciting people. She took a guess, and maybe he was just an outlier, but he wasn't nearly as exciting as she expected.
As it turned out, his father wasn't against him being an artist because he wanted him to take over the family business. He was against him being an artist and wanted him to take over the business because his paintings were no good.
"My father has given me until Spring to prove that I can make it as an artist," He explained to her as they walked down the empty boardwalk, beside the waves that crashed against the rocks below."If I do not return, he threatened to cut me off."
"Do you even enjoy painting?" Astoria wondered, tilting her head to get a better look at him.
"Not really," He shrugged his shoulders."I only did it because my mother was a painter before she passed away. That was why my father agreed to allow me to give it a try. I am putting off working for his business. He works in olive oil trading. It is a very boring industry."
"I suppose that is true," Astoria agreed, though she knew very little about it. She glanced behind her momentarily, looking for any sign of Klaus. Technically, she didn't know if he even knew where she was, but she took a guess that he did. He wouldn't let her wander off too far.
"But it is a good career, I suppose," He continued."Steady. Dependable. People will always need olive oil and Italy is abundant in it. There will be no surprises. I will wake up and know what my day, what my week will look like. I will be able to provide my future wife or children with the money that I make."
"That sounds. . . Predictable," Astoria commented with a thin smile, unsure of what else to say to that. It wasn't what she wanted for herself, but perhaps those qualities in a husband would not be terrible. She wasn't sure what qualities would make for a good husband if she was being honest. She liked the idea of marriage, a part of her wanted to live a normal life with someone she could relax with and depend on. One where she did not have to run around playing games, but the more time went by, the more she realized that was a mere fairytale for her, and for many. People lied. They cheated. They hurt the ones that they claimed to love. Astoria saw it everyday.
"You say that as if it is a bad thing?" Nicholas raised an eyebrow as Astoria began to lead them to look out over the water. The ocean terrified Astoria, even more so at night. The waves would hit against the rocks along the shore with such a strong force Astoria feared what would happen if she were to fall in. Surrounded by nothing but darkness as she struggled to find a way to the top.
"Predictability is not a bad thing," Astoria denied it.
"Perhaps not, but it certainly is no fun."
Astoria turned her head to the left upon hearing the voice that responded to her. It certainly wasn't Adriano's Italian accent, but a British one that was familiar to the one that Astoria had heard not too long ago. The next thing she knew, there was a loud gasp coming from Nicholas and his eyes widened in fear. Behind him stood Klaus, with his hand pressed against Nicholas' back and when he pulled it away, it was covered in red blood, holding what looked like a human heart. Before Astoria could react, Nicholas' was falling forward into the water, getting lost in the waves below.
"Well. . . That was rude," Astoria commented with a small frown as she turned to face Klaus, desiring the urge to let out a sigh of relief. She almost wanted to thank him for ridding her of that horribly boring man.
Klaus let out a frustrated huff as he threw the heart into the water, thinking about why the hell he hadn't been able to strike an ounce of fear into the woman before him.
"Do you have nothing better to do than to kill my potential suitors?" Astoria asked him, folding her arms in front of her chest.
"My apologies, love, though I must say I did save you from a rather boring life," Klaus said, causing Astoria to roll her eyes.
"No, what you saved me from was a potential provider," Astoria scoffed, even though it wasn't true. He could've been a nice backup in case her plan with Klaus went sideways though."Did you ever stop to think that boring is what I want? No. Why would you? You are a vampire and a man, you do not need to rely on anyone or anything, but the only way for me to live is to have a man to rely on. Or at least have a man to manipulate so that he thinks I am relying on him."
"A woman with your attitude wishes to spend her life dotting on a man who spends his days selling olive oil?" Klaus almost snickered."I believe you should be thanking me. Is this how you plan on taking care of yourself? By marrying? At least, I hope that is what you were planning on doing. No one with a clear head will fail to see through you."
"Luckily for me, their heads are not what most men think with," Astoria narrowed her eyes at him."And unless you can go back in time to when I was with Katherine, I have to find a way to take care of myself. Why does it bother you that I must do so? Why are you still here?"
"I want to see what it looks like when you drop the act," Klaus answered bluntly, causing Astoria to frown.
"What are you talking about?" She inquired slowly, wondering if he knew this whole time. Knew that Katherine was still around, and Astoria was only pretending to engage with him so that she could hurt him."What act?"
"The one where you pretend to know what you are doing," Klaus responded sharply."Don't get me wrong, love, I enjoy it. You are indomitable. At some point, you will have to face the music. You may think I do not know you, but that is not true. Over the last few weeks, I've seen it all. You are a perfectionist. You are afraid of failure, your self worth is terribly low despite what-"
"Did you stick around here just to insult me?" Astoria snapped at him."Your behaviour is unbelievable."
"None of it is your fault," Klaus continued, ignoring what she said."The way you are. That Katherine has left you. None of it is on you. One day you will realize that, and when you do, you will need me?"
"Need you?" Astoria couldn't help but laugh at his words. He truly was like no one she ever encountered before. His confidence was unmatched. He was a liar and a monster. He was haunting down her sister and had manipulated her for weeks. How could he possibly believe that she would ever need him? True, he thought Katherine abandoned her so she was to be at her lowest point in life, but even if that was the case, she would never need him to help her out.
"Yes," He answered with ease as if Astoria had asked him if it was December."See, love, you and I spent the last three weeks together. I remember how you were when I met you and how you were yesterday. Different people."
"And how so?" Astoria inquired, trying to keep him talking. The more she learned about how he perceived their false relationship would tell her more about him and how she could get closer to him.
"Because you thought about it," Klaus answered, taking a step closer to Astoria."When I asked you if you would stay here with me, you hesitated. You wanted to. Weeks ago, you would've never given it a second thought."
"And what does that prove?" Astoria scoffed. She wondered if this was something that he did often, making random claims and giving them false support.
"When I first met you, you could not even tolerate having a smudge of icing on the edge of your lip," Klaus answered her."Yesterday, you had no problem laying in a pile of wet snow and making a fool out of yourself. Over the last few weeks, you have learned to let go, relax. You have become less rigid. Letting go is now your only option, unless you choose to crumble under your own guilt and self-loathing. See, for people like you, letting go is like an addiction. You've never done it before. You do it once, you get a taste of it, you decide that you like it. You want to do it again, the problem is you don't know how. Because you never have."
"And you think that I'll need you to help me with that?" Astoria spoke with disbelief while she crossed her arms underneath her chest, trying to warm herself up as the cold wind brushed against her skin."Let us say that you're right, Klaus. Let us say that I do need you. Why do you care? Why have you not left? Do you have nothing better to do than to leave confections at my doorstep?"
"My reasons are none of your concern," Klaus gritted through his teeth, like Astoria asking him why he wanted to be involved in her life was bothering him.
Astoria opened her mouth but closed it. She needed to think about how to respond next. Should she accept his answer and move on? Or should she confront him head on? If she accepted his answer, they would be back in the same place they were hours ago. No where. The whole reason she went out with another man that night was to get Klaus's attention. She had it, and she had him in a position where he was talking about their relationship. She couldn't waste an opportunity like this.
"Oh. . ." Astoria breathed out, nodding her head slowly."Oh I see."
"You see what?" He scowled.
"I see you," Astoria responded, a small smirk pulling at her lips."I don't need you. Or maybe I do and I have yet to realize it. What I have realized is that you need me."
"That's absurd," Klaus quickly dismissed her comment.
"Is it?" Astoria countered, noticing how he was quick to brush her off, which only confirmed her suspicions."From everything that I have gathered about you, Klaus, you are a classic narcissist. But for someone with your. . . Temper. Someone who can hold onto a grudge for so so many years, I am sure that love does not come so easily to you. For the last three weeks, you have lied to and manipulated me. But I did not know. My feelings for you were genuine. My niceness was genuine. I truly enjoyed being around you, I might even go as far as to say that I was falling in love with you. Whether or not you feel the same is irrelevant, you cannot deny that you enjoyed it and you don't want to let me go."
Klaus opened his mouth to respond, but no words came out which surprised Astoria. He talked so much ever since she met him. She didn't think he knew what it meant to be quiet until now. It was nice to see him at a loss for words. It told her that she already had some sort of hold over him that she could use to her advantage. She just couldn't do it so easily. She couldn't accept that he had feelings for her and trust them. He would continue to deny it or grow suspicious, and the point of this was to cause him pain. She couldn't do that if she jumped right into a relationship with him.
"But unlike you, Klaus, I don't need someone to help me move on, I can do it on my own," Astoria reminded him."Unless you plan to lie and manipulate someone, you will never find someone to love you."
Astoria knew that her words were cruel. If she said them to anyone else, she would have felt bad. But Klaus wasn't just anyone else, even if there was a glint of hurt in his eyes when he heard what she said. Recognizing any pain that he might be feeling wasn't the point, unless she was exploiting it. So, without another word, Astoria turned around to leave Klaus.
But as soon as he had vanished from her sight, he reappeared standing right before her. She nearly jumped at his sudden movement. She always forgot how fast vampires could move.
Astoria looked up so that she could make contact with his eyes. She couldn't quite read them. They looked darker than usual, but she couldn't tell if that was because it was darker outside or if she had just managed to anger him.
"Leave me alone, Klaus," Astoria let out a frustrated sigh, annoyed that he followed her."You've already uprooted my life. What left is there for you to do?"
"Astoria, I did not-" He began, but he cut himself off and shook his head. He glanced to his left, noticing a small bench near the edge of the wooden path they stood on.
Klaus sighed and suddenly took Astoria's hands into his, surprising her and leading her to sit down on the wooden bench. Astoria thought to pull her hands away from his, but there was something about his touch that made it hard for her to do so. His hands were warm and soft. She hadn't felt-
Astoria shook her head head suddenly, stiffening in her spot and pulling her hands away from his as the realization hit her. She couldn't be sitting here holding hands with a man that lied to her and was hunting down her sister like an animal. It would be easy to get swept up by Klaus. He was beautiful, she could listen to him speak for days, his lips were soft, and his touch was like nothing she ever felt before. She couldn't risk being the one who got hurt here.
"You. . . You were never my target, Astoria," Klaus said to her, but Astoria didn't want to hear it.
"I am well aware of the fact that I was collateral damage," Astoria scoffed."You needn't remind me. Your sympathy, if I can call it that, confuses me because if you had succeeded in your initial goal, I would be in the same position. Katherine would be dead. And I would still be alone. So excuse me if I do not forgive you or let you help me or do whatever it is that you want me to do just so you feel better about yourself."
Astoria had to give it to him, he had more confidence then any person she ever met. He couldn't admit when he was wrong. His ability to make it seem like he was completely innocent of any wrongdoing was unmatched. But she didn't care if he was feeling guilty. He should be, he should be hurting much worst.
"You have quite literally ruined my life," Astoria swallowed tightly as she began to stand from the bench, getting the feeling that she was going to walk away soon. She forced tears into her eyes, but blinked a few times to make it seem like she was trying to hold them back."You took away the only family that I have-"
"Katerina is not your family," Klaus exclaimed suddenly, standing up to meet her."She left you here all alone. Yes, I was after her. I have been for centuries now. Yet she has managed to evade me each and every time that I have gotten close, she has escaped. Just like she did this time. But this time, she chose to leave you. She could have waited. You two could have left that night. I did not know that you knew who I was. Yet she sent you to me. To distract me. She abandoned you. She chose herself and she always will. It was only a matter of time before she cut you loose."
Astoria resisted the urge to laugh at his words. He said that as if they were to have some profound impact on her, enlighten her to the reality of her world. They were based on a lie, that Katherine had abandoned her. Still, Astoria couldn't laugh. She had to act like his words actually upset her.
"Like I said before," Astoria found her voice again."Leave. Go crawl back into the depths of hell and stay there this time."
Astoria didn't wait for a response before she turned around on her heel, clenching her jaw and pausing for a moment, almost as if she was hesitant to walk away. She knew that everyone had their limit, a point where they were pushed too far. She was angry with Klaus, but she needed to remember to not let her anger get the best of her. She had to push him away, not out of her life. She thought about turning around to apologize, but given Klaus' silence she thought it might be best for him to have some time alone.
•
Astoria couldn't explain why it happened the second she slammed the front door shut. The second she was cut off from the rest of the world, sheltered by four walls that didn't feel like they protected her. Inside, she felt alone. Like she had for the last few days. But she had convinced herself that nothing was truly wrong. Soon, Astoria would have Klaus wrapped around her finger. Then she would be able to save Katherine. Or if things didn't go as planned, then Klaus would leave and Katherine would come out of hiding. It wasn't the goal, but at least they would be together. She tried to remind herself that over and over again, but the realization that this was her new reality was setting in.
She didn't fully think it through when she agreed to do this. She understood what she said she was going to do. But for some reason it never clicked with her that she would be alone with Klaus. That she would have to spend so much time in his presence, deal with his mess of emotions, be patient with him, and understanding. She wasn't sure that she had it in her, but what she did have was determination. So much so that no matter how much dread anxiety she was filled with, she couldn't ever bring herself to give up.
Astoria slowly crept towards the living room where the empty fireplace was, her steps creaking against the floorboard as she moved forward. She sat in front of the fireplace, on top of the thick blanket that she had laid on the floor. She hadn't been able to sleep in her room since Katherine left. Being alone upstairs terrified her, it made her feel isolated and unaware of her surroundings. She much preferred to sleep on the first floor.
She remembered how just a little while ago, Katherine and her were sitting here together, talking about men, about dresses, and hair. Everything felt much more safe and normal back then. She could never imagine what it turn into. That she would soon be without Katherine. Katherine had always looked after Astoria from the day she arrived at their home. She did Astoria's hair, she bought her clothes and jewelry, she told her stories, and taught her many other things. She was the first woman that Astoria had in her life that she could look up to. She was kind and loving, and patient.
Astoria knew that Katherine could also be cunning and devious when she needed to be. She moved quickly and with a purpose. She was always two steps ahead of everyone else. Katherine could be manipulative. But never toward Astoria. Katherine used these qualities to protect Astoria. There were a few moments where Katherine was hard on Astoria, but Astoria always understood that she slowed Katherine down. Katherine didn't have to look after Astoria, she chose to. So Astoria had to accept whatever faults came with that.
She could stop this if she wanted to. Katherine was still in town somewhere. Astoria could push Klaus away, wait for him to leave completely and stay until it was safe for Katherine to come out of hiding. But if she did that, Katherine would never understand. If Astoria decided to stop what she set in motion for external circumstances, Katherine would understand. Katherine knew that it was necessary to adapt when there was a change in circumstance. But getting scared wasn't sufficient. She would tell Astoria that she needed to grow up and stand by the decisions that she made. So she had to push through. No matter what.
That's what she kept telling herself as she gripped the blanket with her fingers and laid down against it, squeezing her eyes shut and pushing out the tears. If she hadn't been so stupid to think that the man she met was real. She should've known better in the first place. She wouldn't be in this position if she figured out who Klaus was. No man was that perfect. But she was a fool. She wanted someone to love her. She made it easy to be manipulated. Katherine had raised her better than that. But she failed. Now she was paying the price.
•
Hi.
Sorry for the late update I've been a little busy. I'm gonna try to update quickly in the next few days since most of the next few chapters are done they just need editing.
Anyways, thank you for reading! Be sure to comment your thoughts and have a good day/night!