STEADY SILENCE || KLAUS MIKAELSON ¹

2 • stay with me.

In his thousand or so years of life Niklaus Mikaelson had never met a woman with whom he had wanted to spend his life with, especially not so quickly. It only took three weeks, eight dates, for him to realise that he was falling for Eleanor Crain, fast and hard. Over the years of his long life he had been known to say 'love is a vampires greatest weakness' this was something that he still believed but undoubtedly he was willing to allow some weakness if it meant that he could witness the good and the bad with her.

The first time he spoke the words the two had been together for just seven weeks, he remembered that that day had been hot and beautiful, Eleanor had managed to convince him to meet her sisters Theodora and Shirley, he found it hard to understand how Nell's sisters were so completely different to her, though the same could be said for him and his siblings. It was that night after seeing her love her siblings, whom he believed to be underserving, unconditionally and completely that he said those two words for the first time.

The first time that Eleanor told him the truth about her past and it's impact on her he could see the terror on her face as though she believed that he would think her insane and not believe her, she told him of the traumas she suffered at the hands of Hill House and her troubles with sleep paralysis, by the time she finished she had tears streaming down her face. That night as they slept in bed together after her falling asleep after only hours of him comforting her and assuring her that he wouldn't leave her she woke at 3.03am and for the first time in their short relationship her body refused to cooperate, while her mind was awake her body was frozen. After that night Niklaus would swear that he had never met somebody so incredibly brave for what she regularly suffered was truly one of the most terrifying things that he could imagine.

By the time New Year's Eve rolled around he was certain, certain that she was the one for him, certain that he wanted to spend eternity with her. Though he hadn't yet told her the truth about himself he knew that she would accept him, she had known that he was hiding something but she had assured him that she would wait until he was ready to tell her about it, he was sure that when he did gather the courage to tell her she would still love him completely. To bring in the new year and the year that Niklaus hoped to be the best of his thousand years of life the couple decided to host a party at their new apartment, a party filled with friends and family. That was to be the most special night of his immortal existence as something incredibly special was planned.

As he stood talking with a group of Nell's friends, whom in truth he had become rather fond of in the 5 months of their relationship, he couldn't tear his gaze away from her as she gazed at the television presenting the festivities in New York. Though she appeared to be quite content he could see that something was on her mind and he just hoped that what he had planned would cheer her up. So as midnight approached he walked toward the bar and poured Eleanor a glass of her favourite champagne before gently placing the beautiful ring he had chosen for her in the glass watching as it slowly sunk to the bottom.

When the ball began to drop and the crowd of friends and family in the apartment began to count down he walked closer and closer to the woman he loved, he placed the glass down on the coffee table and as the countdown got close he wrapped a gentle arm around her waist and pulled her closer toward him.

"Ten"

"Nine"

"Eight"

"Seven"

"Six"

"Five"

"Four"

"Three"

Two"

"ONE!" And just as it was called out lips were joined and cheers rang out as the ball in Times Square was dropped.

With a soft hand placed on the side of her soft face and another arm wrapped around her waist Niklaus pulled the beautiful woman in his arms toward him and laid a passionate kiss on her lips, one that was happily returned.

"Happy new year" Eleanor murmured as they pulled away from each other.

"May it be the best one yet" Niklaus murmured in return before letting her go. As he did she turned back towards the television and he made quick work of placing the glass in her hands.

At first she didn't glance down to see the ring but as she lifted the glass and took a sip she caught sight of the shimmering diamond at the bottom and with wide eyes and a soft gasp in her lips she turned to look at the man who had handed her the glass only to find him there, on one knee and everybody that she loved watching on in happiness and excitement.

"Elenor, you know I have lived a full life, I have met many incredible people, beautiful people but I've never met anybody like you before, I have never wanted to spend eternity with anybody else before. I have never loved anybody as I love you before so will you marry me?" Niklaus asked with tears beginning to gather in his eyes.

He received an answer almost immediately as she quickly made her way to him and pulled him up into her arms, for a moment she couldn't seem to force any words out of her lips in the midst of shock but she nodded her head and tears began to escape her eyes before she pulled him towards her and kissed him passionately and when they pulled back he revived his definite answer "of course I will"

As soon as the words passed her lips cheers rang out through the apartment as everybody surrounding them cheered in happiness and excitement. The congratulations came next as Niklaus made quick work of placing the beautiful diamond ring on her finger, only for it to be a perfect fit almost as though the universe approved.

While normally Niklaus would have picked a much more extravagant ring he had seen the simple diamond while he was looking for the perfect one and he had known, he had just instantly known that it was perfect for her. It was simple just as she liked the simple things in life and it was beautiful, perfect for the most beautiful woman he had ever known.

And so that is how the new year began for him, what was supposed to be the happiest year of his eternity and for a short while it was but you know what they say. All good things must come to an end.