Claudia Lockwood-Mikaelson

Chapter 1 - Goodbye roommate

TW: this story includes topics such as sexual assault, eating disorders and sexual content.

Klaus is introduced in Chapter 2 :)

If you have come from my story about little Hedda Mikaelson, be aware this story starts off slower as it's the first one I ever wrote, but it's still a favourite of mine and I hope you like it too♥️

****

I turn around as Maeve giggles and throws pasta flour at me. My mouth agape as I stare at her. Elijah should see her now, he's going to be in for a shock when he marries her and realises she's not the meek young woman he thinks she is. She can be such a trouble maker. I wish him luck. He'll need it.

"Maeve St Clare, I'm not letting you get away with that. This means war," I say.

I scoop up a handful of flour and step menacingly towards her. She shrieks in response and I chase her around our apartment jumping over packaged boxes all over the floor.

We had spent the last few hours making pasta from scratch, following a recipe we found online. I can smell the delicious braised pork ragu sauce filling our small apartment kitchen. My mouth waters at the delectable smell.

Slowly I stalk towards her leaving a trail of flour on the floor behind me. I catch up to her quickly and she is cornered by the door. A flash of panic and regret appears on her face but it vanishes just as quickly. She grins up at me as if daring me to throw it at her.

"Sweetheart do you need any help packing?" Elijah walks in unannounced just as I throw the handful of flour at Maeve. He freezes in the doorway spotting his fiancée cowering in the corner next to him, his face darkening with worry.

The flour flies out of my hand and hits him directly in the chest covering him head to toe. I stop dead in my tracks as the plume of flour settles.  Maeve stands in shock, her long brown hair now turned white. Elijah doesn't move.

"She started it," I splutter like a child caught in the act. As Elijah turns to face me I meet Maeve's eyes and we burst out laughing at his timing. His serious face and stiff suit covered in flour was definitely a new look.

"I doubt that Claudia," he denies before turning back to Maeve his eyes softening with love. Of course she gets away with it. Again.

"I'm loving your unique style today, Elijah. It's very... um... very different," she says to him, her mouth twitches as she tries to keep a straight face and her eyes twinkle with laughter. "Are you wearing that for the wedding?"

We break into hysterics again and I walk into our shared room giving the future husband and wife some privacy for a few minutes. I take off my apron and carefully place it in my laundry basket avoiding dropping the flour on the floor of our room.

When I walk back into the kitchen, Elijah is pressed up against Maeve kissing her with his hands on her waist. Her hands are at the back of his head in his hair.

I wait a moment but they don't notice me. Clearing my throat, Maeve jumps back her cheeks pink. Elijah whispers something in her ear.

"Sorry Elijah but it's our last girls night for a while," I say to him. "She's mine this evening."

"See you tomorrow? I'm pretty much all packed now anyway," Maeve tells him dusting some flour off his cheek.

"I will pick you up in the morning sweetheart," he bends down and kisses her once more. "I love you."

"I love you more Elijah," she replies.

"Not possible," he says and she kisses him again. I sigh, honestly these lovebirds think they'll die if they spend any time apart.

"Ok, that's enough. Get out!" I demand and Elijah smiles with a smug expression on his face and admits defeat heading to the door.

I don't believe he ever heard the word no as a child, or even now as an adult, growing up in the insanely wealthy family he is from. He clearly doesn't understand the meaning of it.

I don't care who his family is or how wealthy he appears, just that he treats Maeve properly and respects our girl time together. He's been on the receiving end of my telling off countless times over the last few years for interrupting us and still continues to ignore me until Maeve steps in. He'll do anything if it's her asking.

"Maeve!" I hiss at her as soon as the door closes and Elijah finally leaves. "He thinks I'm the bad influence. You're the one initiating all the trouble as per usual and he blames me for your antics."

"Hey, some things will never change," she smiles at me. "He's assumed that from the start, you just make it easy for him to believe it."

"He thinks you're little Miss perfect," I roll my eyes at her.

"I am little Miss perfect," she replies sassily making me laugh again before enveloping me in a huge hug. I can smell her flowery perfume. It hits me then that this will be the last time I'll see her before her fancy wedding next week. After years of living together the thought of her moving out forever saddens me. Elijah is a lucky man to have her. She deserves a gentleman like him. He adores her.

"I'm going to miss my mischievous Maevey," I say to her, fighting the tears that try to build up in my eyes. "I'm definitely going to have to visit you in New Orleans," I pull back from the hug.

"Definitely. Elijah has already said you can stay with us in the compound whenever you want to visit. Hang on, are you crying?" She teases me as I tear my gaze away from her.

"Of course not it's hay fever. Don't be absurd," I retort sniffing as a tear slips down my cheek. She throws her arms around me again.

"Oh Claudia, I'm going to miss you so much," now she is crying too. We sit there reminiscing in the kitchen thinking fondly about the last few years we spent together, practically inseparable outside of our different lectures. Maeve arranges the flowers on the table as I light the candles with some matches for our dinner.

"I still can't believe you're getting married next week," I admit to her as we sit down and eat the amazing meal we prepared together. I put the first bite in my mouth and the flavours make my mouth water in delight.

"Me neither. Elijah has been so lovely, he just told me all the wedding arrangements his sister Rebekah organised are confirmed, so there will be no more stress until the actual day," she sighs in relief. "I'm honestly so glad she was so keen to help, I would have delayed it otherwise to study for finals."

"Like he would let you do that," I scoffed. Elijah had wanted to marry Maeve years earlier but she had been adamant she wanted to wait until after she graduated being so concerned about her studies being affected. He hadn't let me help beyond advice as I had only just finished my finals too.

He had patiently waited until a few months before her graduation to propose. Initially he planned on proposing on graduation day this summer right after she would be awarded her Architectural Design BSc. I had suggested moving it earlier in the year, an idea which he immediately agreed with, since she would need some extra motivation over the final months to study and an upcoming wedding would give her a bit of excitement to look forward to. We insisted she wasn't allowed to help plan anything until after her finals.

"I honestly can't wait Claudia, I love him so much," she says dreamily.

"I know," I respond. "He's good for you. I know I'm constantly irritated and nagging him to give us time alone but I like him, he's a good man."

"Thank you," she says to me. "You've made these years unforgettable, I'm so lucky I met you."

"I'm proud of you and so grateful I met you too Maeve."

————
Any comments or corrections welcome
Don't forget to vote :)
Ceryn x