Family Above All

68. Ric's Small Stashes

Pairing: Jenna/Ric (F/M) hair brush

*Small prompt completed for everyone who did not want Damon's hair cut!

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Klaus' Bathroom

After Dinner

Damon eased into the tepid water and hissed, "Owww."

The marble tub was large and Klaus had drawn a warm, not hot, bath for his recently disciplined son. Damon had been too worn out to protest much. Plus, he did feel grubby from the earlier dunk in the quarry and he exploits with Kol and the spell. He had begged out of the bath earlier, claiming his bottom was too sore. Klaus had given him a brief reprieve, saying after dinner would be fine.

Klaus grimaced himself at Damon's wincing. He had been hard on his son and it pained him. He noticed that Damon hadn't ridden Azul tonight, which was a first.

"I'd take a thousand thrashings to spare you any pain, but I cannot have you disobeying me, Damon," Klaus said quietly, staring at himself in the mirror. Klaus' blue-green eyes looked troubled, even to himself. "But I am very proud of you. Mastering your magic is no small thing. Many lesser witches would have given up by now, but you persevered."

Klaus grabbed some bubble bath and started pouring it in the tub.

"Kol helped me a lot. He's actually a pretty good magic teacher now, though I think he's kind of afraid I'll lose it and blow up the house," Damon admitted. "Or him, though I guess I couldn't really kill him."

"You have a great deal of power," Klaus shared. "It can be a blessing and a curse. Stir the water around a bit."

Damon weakly protested, as he realized Klaus was giving him a bubble bath, "Hey, I'm not a kid!"

Klaus chuckled, "You are my kid and I shalln't have you perish now. You need to trust me, Damon. I will do whatever I can to keep you safe. I will not fail you, son."

"I-I do," Damon protested, but then softened seeing the pain in Klaus' eyes. "Well, mostly. You know, for over a century, everything was on me. Every decision, every problem. I had to keep Stef safe and I screwed up a lot. We went decades not seeing each other. If it wasn't for his friend Lexi, he'd have probably self-destructed long ago...The truth is that I barely trust myself."

Klaus put down the now empty bottle on the step and lowered himself to sit.

"Aye, I know that feeling well. It also pains me how alike we are. But I have learned, in these last few months, that redemption is possible. Change is here. Look at my brother, Finn. He has forgiven us, forgiven me. That is something I never imagined. Never hoped for. Our family surrounds us, supporting us, but now we have more to protect," Klaus shared, dipping a bath brush into the water. "Let me scrub your back. I think I see some sea weed."

Damon shifted, his backside still throbbing.

"It's a quarry. There's no sea weed," Damon explained, but he let Klaus wash him. The warm water and the scented bubbles were soothing.

"Then, I don't know what is in your hair," Klaus teased, gently pulling a damp strand near Damon's neck, pulling out a small leaf.

Damon fingered it, "I never got that haircut. Soon, I'm going to look as girly as Stefan. I never knew a guy who messes with his hair so much."

Klaus' eyes blazed with inspiration, he went on, "Nonsense. I quite like this new you and your longer locks. How about I make you a deal. I'll spare you a licking tonight and one night of your choosing, if you avoid the barber!"