Rue | Klaus Mikaelson

Chapter 27

Just like that, the world was falling apart again.

How many people had died in the last few days alone? A whole lot of Strix vampires. Tristan. Aya. Finn. Aurora. Jackson. Lucien. Some deaths had arguably been deserved but some hadn't. And now Marcel was being added to the mix?

She wasn't sure how many more times she could do this. How many more people she could lose before it really became too much.

Right now, seeing the broken look on Klaus's face, she couldn't afford to fall apart. He needed comfort. And she wanted to provide.

"No," she said, moving closer immediately, though not so abruptly as to startle him or make him uncomfortable. "No... what happened?"

"The prophecy..." He tried to say. "Elijah... he thought he was preventing it..."

He could say no more. He tried to turn away so she wouldn't see him cry, but ended up sinking down against the railing of the balcony, shaking as he failed to compose himself.

"Klaus, let it out," she urged. "Don't hold it in, don't swallow those tears. Let it out." She went to retrieve two pillows, bringing them over so she could prop herself up comfortably. She opened her arm to Klaus, inviting him to rest against her however he needed to. He shuffled forward and laid his head onto her stomach, one hand tucked halfway under is face to allow both his palm and his ear to make contact with her belly.

She noticed he allowed himself to cry once he was like this. Whether it was because he felt he could be vulnerable with her, or vulnerable with their baby, or vulnerable when he was hidden away from the world in this position, she didn't know. It didn't matter, it just pleased her that he was no longer trying to stop himself from crying.

"Let it out," she coaxed again, snaking her fingers into his curls, tugging gently as she caressed him. "Shh... it's okay. No one's going to bother you here. You're safe."

She lost track of the time. Klaus cried for a good while, and she did, too. More silently, still sitting as she was, singular streams of tears descending down her face one at a time. She thought Klaus might allow himself to fall asleep, to get some rest. He didn't let his guard down. At one moment, he seemed to hear footsteps heading their way, causing him to sit up quickly, clean his face, and turn away as if he'd been staring at the city the entire time.

Hayley found them like that. "I assume Elijah told you," said Klaus when he sensed her presence. "So you understand why I'd prefer no one else be here."

"He's hurting too, Klaus," said Hayley softly. "More than you know."

Ibeth didn't like that Hayley had come to say this before Klaus had even had a full day to process it. But she didn't speak up. Klaus replied, "And had it been our daughter's heart would you still defend him?"

The hybrid shook her head. "Don't use Hope."

"Marcel was a son to me," said Klaus more coldly.

"Freya showed me what Elijah saw. The prophecies haven't been wrong once. Klaus, after everything that you have done, all the people that you've threatened, tortured, killed, all the pain that you have put him through, he has always forgiven you. You have to forgive him."

"I think we should get you cleaned up," said Ibeth, patting Klaus's shoulder to end the conversation. "Excuse us, Hayley."

Klaus seemed pleased to be drawn away from the conversation. Though, he voiced his appreciation in only gazes, never words.

She drew Klaus a bath while he sat on his bed, holding a copy of Hamlet in his hands. Ibeth coaxed him into the bathroom, stepping out to give him a chance to bathe in peace. She went downstairs to fix him something to eat, returning with the tray of food and a blood bag for him. She went into the bathroom briefly to set some comfortable pajamas out for him. When he was clean and dressed, she had him eat, beckoned him to brush his teeth afterward, then tucked him into bed before taking the tray back down.