A Vampire's Greatest Weakness

Nobody can run forever.

And Katherine knew that, she knew it all too well by now. 500 years of being on the run from the mere shadow of a man she had once thought herself to be in love with had taught her nothing less. It would be foolish of her to still cling onto the desire for freedom, for independence and power, now that she was back into his clutches.

Trying to make negotiations had been her first mistake. Bargaining her freedom in return for her shadow-self and the moonstone had sounded fairly reasonable to her, but for him, it was not nearly enough. For there was one element Klaus desired more than breaking his curse, and that was resolving his grudge of half a millennia. And so she had soon found herself outplayed and outsmarted, as he captured her with one final move. She was painfully reminded of their shared time back in England all those centuries ago as he murmured gently, "Zdravei, Katerina."

She had lingered around in his borrowed apartment for days on end, steadily suppressing her fear and regaining her usual daring demeanor. He had not forgotten to award her with his punishment amidst fooling the town with his new look, and she quietly complied to his every demand. She held grudges amongst many other sentiments, yet she never slipped up in playing her new little role perfectly.

It was only when he had regained his old body that she started to warm up to him again.

She was a changed woman now, of course. New name, a cold exterior and an utterly different view of life. Yet, when she saw that devilish smile on his face again after so long, she could not help the slight melody of nostalgia that started singing in the furthest, shut away closet of her brain. A melody that constantly sang of emotions she had forgotten she ever felt.

And as days passed on, Katherine was still breathing, and she knew it was not a coincidence. Klaus had a vile habit of eliminating anything and everyone he did not like without a second thought, yet she was still alive after her countless encounters with him. Truthfully, she found it quite peculiar, but it was a thought she buried deep in the back of her mind.

Then came the faithful night Katherine had decided she had enough of his everything. She was going to get out of there, or she was going to die. During the centuries she had become a paragon of manipulation and seduction, and it had gotten her out of the most unthinkable situations. She put her mastery of the arts to play that evening, yet she did not have high hopes. If there was any man able to counter her charms, the man would be Klaus Mikaelson.

It had all started with their usual banter. One would utter a snide remark, and the other would counter with something even sharper. Yet, when she managed to diverge his attention over to the taboo subject of 1492, he seemed to have a shift in mood. Their conversation dived deeper into their previous bygones with Katherine in the lead, and suddenly they were indulging in the reminiscences of a failed past. It was almost as if there had appeared a hint of dejection in his eye, but she did not bring it up. She brought up how she would have chosen him over Elijah back then, instead, hoping the blunt statement would awaken a fragment of the humanity that remained within him.

And she was not sure if it did. Because he did not show. He simply pinned her against the wall and ripped off her top in one rough movement and she wrapped her legs around him in response. As he kissed a hungry trail from her collarbone to her waist and growled against her burning skin, she could not help the vicious smirk that formed on her lips as she sped him over to the bed and pushed him down gently, indicating she would give him all the permission he wanted.

She had waited for him to regain his dominance over her then, not intending to push for any more control than she already had gotten. And he regained that quick and kept her reminded of it for the rest of the night as he hovered over her in many forms and bit her skin all over, claiming her as his.

Their feelings towards one another could maybe be described better not by hate nor love, but rather passion. The lingers of a failed romance together with their undeniable attraction towards one another and the accumulated hatred of 500 years made the bond they shared so strong that it was almost interchangeable with pure desire.

And they expressed that fully that night, Klaus thought, as he laid exhausted in pure bliss with a sleeping Katerina curled up against him. He had honestly expected nothing less from her, remembering how passionate she had been in bed all those years before. He laid there for some moments, simply listening to the calming rhythm of her beating heart as she slept, his subconscious suppressing any thoughts that might threaten to enter his mind in those peaceful seconds. He then wondered how she was able to sleep so soundly next to him, when she had practically been trembling with fear at the sight of him only days before. She breathed softly as if she had no cares in the world, and wrapped an arm around him in her sleep. He thought she looked rather cute in that moment, as if she was not the conniving devil he knew her to be.

He had always prided himself with the knowledge that only he could bring the great Katherine Pierce to tremble with fear. Only he could tame her fierceness, make her obey his every whim. That he was the only being she had ever feared, and it made him feel mighty. He had never denied the desire Katerina brought out in him. She was, after all, the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes upon, and the idea of her submitting to him brought him more pleasure than he dared to admit. His desire for her faltered compared to his hatred, however, and so their game would continue.

He had let out a heavy, almost disappointed sigh as he let his head sink further into the pillow, his eyelids closing shut. He knew he would have to erase her memory of the night soon after she woke up. He could not let her have any power over him or their relationship. Not now, not ever. He knew that she would manipulate anyone and everyone for her own gain, so the whole evening had merely been an attempt at manipulating him into falling in love with her, so she could escape. And he could not let that happen. He could not be another one of Katerina's fools. He had to let his wants go and focus on what really mattered; Revenge.

_____

And as life continued on in the small apartment complex in Mystic Falls, an oblivious Katherine received the vervain from Damon after weeks of impatiently waiting. She smiled to herself like she had smiled when Klaus ripped her clothes off, and hastily drank it before the former could find out. She would then go on to fool him, at least so she thought, and he toyed with her ignorance, reveling in her suffering at a desperate attempt to convince him.

When Stefan had shown up at the door, desperately begging for Klaus's blood to save his brother, he had chuckled with smug lips and welcomed him in. Katherine only watched as he fell into Klaus's immoral trap, slowly losing his self-control in a desperate attempt of brotherly protection. He had drunk enough blood to last at least a week, and she could do nothing but watch as Klaus tortured her former lover with cruel promises.

When it was finally time for his reward, Klaus had demanded Katherine to do his bidding. He gently brushed his thumb over her cheek making her hold back a shudder, as he looked deeply into her eyes, trying to trigger his vampiric compulsion which they both knew would not work. But she played along.

He had asked her to take his blood to Damon, and her eyes had lit up. She knew what it meant. She was free to leave. He had repealed his previous compulsion that made her stay, yet a strange feeling still settled in her stomach. She was not just free to leave, he had let her go.

Klaus Mikaelson had granted her freedom. For now. Yet, for some inexplicable reason, she did not want to leave just yet. She knew she had to, she was finally free, but somehow, she still felt a tad disappointed. Sad, almost. But this was just how their game went. He had let her go, and now it was her turn to make a move.