Scary Beginnings (TVD FANFIC) 1/2

27: Enjoy It While It Lasts...

A COUPLE OF DAYS LATER

My straw made a quiet fizzing noise as my drink traveled through its walls, eyes gently scrutinizing a painting up for auction at Mystic Falls supposedly 'annual' Winter Wonderland. I recognized the art well, having seen it half-finished over a week ago in the Mikaelson's mansion. My mind casting further back to recognize the snowflake coated in angry black stripes from a season four episode of the show my family, friend, and I found ourselves exploring as reality.

The feeling of eyes burning into my side forced my head to twist, lips tugging into a small smile when I caught Klaus's gaze. "Nice snowflake."

He chuckled at my word selection, moving to pause beside me as we both looked over the canvas. "Is my work really that literal(?)"

"That doesn't stop it from being beautiful to look at," I shrugged. "Besides, when you look at it for long enough, it almost seems...lonely..."

He tensed at my side, "I'm gonna take that as a compliment."

"Sorry," I shook my head, realizing how rude I sounded in my spaced-out state. "An ex of mine was big on art, and a lot of her stuff was quite lonely. My head just got away from me for a minute there, I didn't mean to sound like I was prying."

"Rest assured, Bailey," he reached out for my empty glass, fingertips grazing lightly over my skin. "You have not offended me."

"Good," my smile grew in strength.

"Allow me to get you a refill--"

"Nuh-uh," I stole the glass back. "I believe it's my turn to grab our drinks."

The tension in his shoulders evaporated completely as he grinned, "By all means," he stepped aside, motioning toward the bar. "Lead the way."

The conversation ran as smoothly as any other time we'd interacted, Klaus even willing to share some stories of his travels during a thousand years of life. I was completely enraptured, the man before me having lived the type of lifetimes I could only dream of achieving, those tales easily overcast the lifetimes he spent as a tyrant brewing nothing but misery. His stories even paused so he could ask me questions and get to know me. While anything I offered wasn't nearly as interesting, it was nice for someone to at least act as though they cared about my rather disastrous dating history and benign adulthood. At least I generated some laughs when speaking of ex-boyfriends and girlfriends...

"I don't even want to think how many years it'll take me to reach a point where I can freely see half the things you have."

He raised a playful brow, "Who said you had to wait years?"

I chuckled, "I hate to break it to you, but we're not all ancient hybrids with masses of wealth supporting us(!)"

"You know how easily I could change that..." I was shocked to see his expression grow serious, "A sip of my blood and a snap of your neck could relieve you of trivial human conventions. You could be free."

"But I'd be dead," I worried my lower lip over the thought of insulting him again. "Not that it doesn't look fun, I mean--I can't remember the last time I saw Vanessa so happy and content with just living...but I like how I am now, even the turning is kinda exhilarating. I'm alive and I'm thriving and I can do whatever I want...Minus the odd trivial human convention and restriction, of course." I smiled into my drink, glad to see him return it with equal vigor. "Besides, maybe the wait will make the sights I see worth it."

"Or maybe the company?"

I frowned at his words, "What do you mean?"

"Well, just because you refused my first offer doesn't mean I couldn't take you myself. Wherever you want; Rome, Paris, Tokyo--" I released a disbelieving scoff of laughter, "I might actually enjoy the companionship."