Broken Souls

2

The next time she ran into Klaus was the next day while she was shopping for a few groceries. Initially, she tried to play it off as if she hadn't seen him, but the man boldly approached her. "Ms. Solène. Lovely to see you again."

She let herself glance over before looking back to the shelf of pasta. "Funny meeting you here, Klaus." Considering you don't eat food.

"Well, I was running low on wine. I thought I'd come pick some up," he presented the wine bottle he held in his left hand. "I saw you and wanted to say hello." She felt her heart fluttering, once again, at his words. His words were not affectionate, but she found herself pleased at the way he came over when he saw her.

It made her think of when she was a little sad to see him leave the Grill last night after his drinks. Her emotions around him thoroughly confused herself. Why did the original vampire bring about all these feelings?

He could see the pink blossoming on her cheeks and the smile tugging at her lips. Klaus reveled in the fact he could bring the reactions out of her. Leaning forwards slightly, he spoke, "Would it trouble you if I joined you?"

His question visibly surprised her. She knew that she should be scared of this powerful, ancient vampire, but some piece of her likes being around him— feels safe around him. Was it because she was a fan of his character years before when watching the show?

Letting herself smile, she shakes her head. "It's not troublesome at all." Solène had a conundrum. One half of her brain was yelling at her to get away from this man since she had promised herself that she would stay on the sidelines and let the plot play out as it was meant to; it was her surest way of survival in this world. However, the other half told her to stay beside Niklaus, and him being sweet didn't help her situation. She briefly wondered if he was only playing nice to lure her into a false sense of security before he attacks her. Why would he attack her though? It was a question for her to think about considering she just met him officially yesterday and hasn't done a thing to offend him— not intentionally at least.

Pushing the internal war aside, she steered the conversation towards art since she knew it was a big hobby of his. It was impossible to miss the way his eyes lit up as he started talking about his paintings, and the types of paintings he enjoys viewing. It brought a warmth to her chest she hadn't felt in a really long time, including her previous life.

Could she stay close to Niklaus? Would she be safe if she did? Would he protect her from danger, or would he be the danger?

Weaving from aisle to aisle, Sol stopped intermittently to pick up items she needed, dropping them into her small basket. Once Niklaus had finished his ramble about art, it was silent for a few beats. Then, Niklaus asked, "Do you believe in soulmates?"

"That's quite a deep question for day two of meeting each other." She joked with a chuckle, grabbing a pack of sponges. Pausing, she looked at him to find he was serious about the question. Humming, she began walking to a new aisle for small snacks. "I'd like to hope so. I think everyone could use someone perfectly suited for them— to have someone take care of them, and to care for someone else. It'd be peaceful, I think, to just know and revel in life with your soulmate. No wondering, no searching, no anxieties about where you stand. Just devoted, boundless, unconditional love." Her voice was soft like she was whispering the secrets of the world, but Niklaus could hear every word very clearly. The craving of such love was visible on her face— presented most visibly in her eyes. He thought she looked beautiful, standing there in a pair of shorts, a Mystic Grill t-shirt, and her hair messily thrown up into a ponytail.

Sol inadvertently pulled him from his admiration when she asked him the same question. His answer was something she was curious to hear, seeing as he was already acting so differently than how he is portrayed in the show. Maybe he truly was putting on an act, but she still couldn't think of a reason as to why he would do so.

"I do, actually. My family and I have been searching for our own for what feels like centuries." He kept his tone light, trying to make his words seem like a joke. Solène knew that it was anything but. However, she let out a small chuckle at his words. If he was looking for a soulmate, it wouldn't shock her to hear that he had actually looked for centuries. Well, maybe just a little bit since the concept of soulmates didn't exist in the Vampire Diaries universe.

Once Solène had collected her groceries, the two found their way up to the checkouts. She had gone first, at Klaus' insistence. By the time she had picked up her bags, he was all checked out himself. Holding his bag with the bottle of wine in one hand, he offered his other arm to Sol. So old-fashioned, she smiled as she placed her hand next to the bend of his elbow.

Stepping out of the store, her smile began to fall. She knew their time was coming to an end; something she found herself not wanting. He had approached her in the store, even after she pretended to not see him. She supposed it was her turn to do something. With a deep breath, she turned to the man beside her. "Would you be interest in some lunch? I was going to make some Alfredo with chicken."

Now, she was very aware this man did not need to eat food, but she was hungry and had no other excuse to use last minute. "Are you a good cook?" He mused.

"Not really." She shrugged. "I prefer baking, but Alfredo with chicken is a favorite dish of mine, so I've practiced. Now, I'm excellent at making this dish. Join me?" It was becoming clear that the side that told her to stay near this man was winning. While she wasn't sure what to think about it, it would be easier to think about later once he'd gone.

"I'd be honored."

On the walk back to her apartment, Solène took in the light breeze that was blowing around the hair falling out of her hair tie. Niklaus took the opportunity to ask about what she liked to bake; finding out she wasn't fond of cakes, unless it was a lemon cake. She dislikes cupcakes, but enjoys muffins and had found a good recipe for citrus muffins which were delicious.

"I'll have to try some one day." He smiled, his heart warming at the sight of her so excited.

"Definitely!" She leaned into him. "It's a promise. I'll make you citrus muffins. Would you like lemon, lime, or orange?"

"Lemon would be great, love."