Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries or any character or the Great Gatsby which this chapter was inspired by.
Hi everyone! I wanted to say thank you to Marvel_girl23, leleparabatai, I_have_no_life_2020 and Prettylittletalker for voting on the previous chapter. Your continued support means so much to me!
BTW: This chapter is inspired by the Great Gatsby, so let me know if like content like this!
The ground is a deck of a storm-tossed boat when Rebekah crosses the room to get another bottle of something or over Klaus had displayed on the mantle.
"What is it?" Klaus called, slumped over an armchair an empty glass in one hand the over cradling his unsteady head. Feet propped on the table he sank further into the chair as Rebekah topped him off.
Rebekah peered down at the bottle attempting to make out the letters, "Springbank 1919!" She cried victoriously when the words finally came into focus. "How fantastic... we used to drink this stuff in the 20's." Rebekah refilled Elijah's glass. The liquor sloshing dangerously close to the glass's rim. Elijah reclined into the other armchair staring at the wedding-cake celling seemingly drinking alone, only noticing the others when his glass ran dry.
"Bought it just for you sweetheart." Klaus cried his voice unnaturally loud in the living room.
Kol sprawled across the end of the grand sofa, the only grounded object in the room, the basket of a hot air balloon stopping its inhabitants from floating away. Weights tethered Kol's limbs to the ground rendering him useless unable to even raise his glass halfway for Rebekah to fill. He wallowed in his own stupor, drifting in and out of the others conversation like the tide his sense of reality seemingly gone past those in the room.
Claiming the rest of the bottle Rebekah fell back into the other end of the sofa where Stefan's greedy arms awaited throwing an arm around her shoulder capturing her once again.
"So, Klaus," Stefan began holding his glass to Rebekah to be refilled before returning his attention to Klaus, "How are your plans for world domination going this week."
"Didn't you hear buddy; I'm taking the weekend off. The doppelganger will still be there on Monday."
"Well it is Mystic Falls," Rebekah drawled, "For all we know a Banshee could have come and gobbled her up."
"Banshees exist?" Stefan asked.
"Don't be ridiculous sister," Kol said, "It's far more likely a Wendigo eat her than a banshee."
Rebekah rolled her head to look at Stefan who appeared deep in thought, eyebrows furrowed contemplating the fate of humanity. Finally, he opened his mouth again,
"Are werewolves and wendigos friends?" Klaus snorted into his drink and Rebekah let out a shrill laugh which carried itself with the breeze around the room. "No, I'm serious cause Wendigos have the skull of a wolf, so can you like communicate with them Klaus?"
"If I see a wendigo, I'm a bit more concerned with ripping it apart than asking if it wants a pint."
"Fair enough."
Klaus gave Stefan one of his rare smiles that meant something, it made you melt into your seat suddenly relaxed by the smile's promise of infinite hope. Reassuring you, you were always enough. It made you believe that no matter how long the dark night was he would be there with you when the sun finally reared its head.
At some point Kol scrounged up some cigars which the men now smoked, billows and eddies of smoke curled around Rebekah kissing her skin. She dipped her head back after another sip letting her body float off the sofa as if preparing to make a short flight around the house. An open window released a breeze into the house which captured the velvet curtains and the smoke swirling them together.
"I was the best swordsmen in the whole village," Klaus proclaimed before looking miserably into his glass, "Except father didn't think so. He never thought I was good at anything." Stefan leaned forward unwrapping himself from Rebekah.
"He feared you Nik, scared you'd be the one to take him down a peg. His ego couldn't handle you Nik." Stefan's slurred words rung a bell in Rebekah's memory where Klaus and Stefan would lounge at the bar. Stefan would build Klaus up inspiring him, motivating him to be something more than a cursed hybrid.
Extended out on the sofa discussing woes of life their eternally youthful appearance escaped them, for through the smoke and the drink and the traumatic tales of their true ages were revealed.
They were burning through a bottle of vintage wine when the doorbell rang and Kol lifted his head for the first time in a while. He staggered to the door a raucous, "You came," echoing back to the others in the living room. Then he tumbled back in Caroline Forbes and Jeremy Gilbert on his heels.
"Love!" Klaus shot up from his chair onto noddle legs forcing him to veer to the side, "What are you doing here?"
"Kol told us to come here, that Stefan needed our help." Caroline surveyed the room, "He didn't tell us you were all getting drunk."
"We're not drunk," Stefan flung his arms in the air, "We're roaring drunk." His proclamation was followed by a round of cheers. Rebekah studied the small-town girl, the way the blonde curls framed her angelic face she looked so innocent wrapped in her pink cardigan and floral dress. But Rebekah knew better, beware the flower as the serpent lies beneath. Caroline began edging back towards the door, but Jeremy gravitated towards Kol who had reclaimed his position on the sofa. Rebekah quirked an eyebrow at this a frown tugging at her lips, she had been too absorbed in her own life to realise her brother had a new interest. By the way Jeremy brushed his hand over Kol's shoulder when he sat on the arm of the sofa the interest was reciprocated.
"Do you want a drink Jeremy?" She offered fumbling to the liquor cabinet.
"Uh sure."
"How about you Caroline?"
"I think I should be going."
"Nonsense love." Klaus wrapped an arm around Caroline dragging her back to his chair where she perched on the arm rest, "Now you've come all this way you must stay for at least on drink." A glinting caught Klaus eye and he grasped Caroline's wrist as if he were cradling a baby bird. "You're wearing the bracelet I gave you."
"Only because it goes with my outfit." Caroline lifted her chin balancing a ball on it she refused to meet his gaze, but she did not remove her arm from him.
"I thought you were going out with Tyler." Jeremy questioned. Downing his drink, he poured Kol and himself another. Rebekah watched Kol slip an arm around Jeremy's waist clinking their glasses together in a silent cheer.
"I am, someone won't leave me alone though."
"It's not my fault you can't resist my charm, love."
Caroline and Klaus began a whispered conversation which Rebekah's ears were too tired to strain herself to listen to.
"So how did you to meet. Hostage situation gone wrong? Oh god tell us Jeremy here hasn't developed Stockholm syndrome for you." Taking Stefan's cigar Rebekah inhaled a gulp of smoke blowing it out into Stefan's face as he had been doing to her before passing it back.
"Shut up Rebekah, I was able to gain Jeremy's attention without dressing like a tart, unlike you."
"I will rip your eyes out Kol-"
"We met at the batting cage." Jeremy interrupted, "I showed him how to use an aluminium bat."
"How sweet!" Rebekah exclaimed looking at him with a Cheshire grin as if he had made the revelation of the century. Although, perhaps it was more Stefan's fingers dancing up and down her thigh.
"We bonded over our mutual hatred for your brother Stefan." Kol said, Stefan chuckled raising a glass to him.
"My brother is an acquired taste; one I am still struggling to get used to."
Eventually the drinking became silent. Hoping the answer to their problems lay at the bottom of the glass they ploughed on and then at the bottom of the bottle and then the bottom of the next bottle.
Suddenly Klaus was filled with the overwhelming need to fill the silence before it squished them all, he lurched to his feet raising his glass to Kol. "Kol my brother one thing springs to mind when I look at you. That is that light travels faster than sound. Looking at you, young Jeremy here will think your quite a catch but then you open your mouth and it all goes the down drain." Caroline choked on her whiskey, but Kol was too far gone to care slumped into Jeremy's shoulder he barely had the coordination to raise his middle finger to Klaus to thank him for the speech.
"Now Elijah you, you are the one of the men I admire the most. Do you know what for – it's your uncanny ability to tell people to go to hell but make it sound like they'll enjoy their trip. And Rebekah...sweet Rebekah who knew you actually had a personality under all that anger. Furthermore, I want to apologise to all three of you for repeatedly daggering you when you got on my last nerve, Caroline here has informed me it's rather rude."
"We get it Klaus," Kol nodded to his own words head now cradled in Jeremy's lap, "You had a temper tantrum...we get it Klaus...shit happens I mean look at your face that's proof enough."
"Bloody hell Kol you are a childish twit at times." Klaus mumbled collapsing back into his chair pulling a swaying Caroline with him. She kissed his cheek her lips tickled by the whiskers on his chin she burst into giggles.
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