𝐓𝐖𝐎 𝐆𝐇𝐎𝐒𝐓𝐒. klaus mikaelson

𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄

┏━━━━⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪━━━━┓

THE GRAPEVINE

FINDING THE LOCKWOOD BOY WAS A RATHER EASY FEAT.

Out of all the hiding spots she knew he liked within the grand home, Charlotte found Tyler huddled away in his father's study alongside an older man who she would recognize anywhere.

The two of them were passing around a silver flask, undoubtably carrying some sort of strong liquid, as she rapped her knuckles on the doorframe. "Is this where the real party is at?" she asked, garnering the attention of both individuals in the study.

Tyler's eyes met hers, and he huffed out a sound of relief. Instantly, he approached her by the door and wrapped her in a familial hug. "How are you, Charlie?" he questioned, pulled out of the embrace but keeping his hands on her shoulder blades.

"I should be the one asking you that," she scolded him, eyebrows furrowing at the guarded look in his eye.

"I meant how are you feeling," he stressed, evidently not wanting to talk about his father's passing. It was a tricky subject, Richard never won father of the year, anyways, and Charlotte would never push him— she knew he would come to her eventually.

The shorter girl shrugged. "I'm the poster child of perfect health, Ty," she joked, shrugging his arms off of her before she turned to the other man who only watched their exchange. "Nice to see you, Mason."

Mason Lockwood was the mayor's younger brother who decidedly skipped town right after high school. Carol had told her once that he was a great surfer, though she could see the disdain in her eyes when she talked about his lack of real post secondary experiences.

The man strolled forward with a type of swagger that could only be achieved if you lived down south. "Little Charlie Henry," he greeted, nostalgia in his tone as he pulled the girl into a short hug. "How have you not grown since I last saw you?"

She threw a solid punch to his upper chest, unaware of the strength she used that Mason definitely felt. "If that was your attempt at a short joke, I'm not impressed," she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. "I'm five foot five, above average height in over thirteen states."

"Now, how the hell do you know that?" Tyler questioned incredulously.

Charlotte smiled at him, wiggling her eyebrows. "Wikipedia."

Mason rolled his eyes, mentally taking note of the hard-hit she landed on him. "What's Nate up to these days?" he asked the younger girl, trying to segway away from discussing her height. They'd be there all afternoon if they let her ramble– let her claim she wasn't short.

Back in their high school days, her older brother and Mason were friends, despite Mason being in the eleventh grade while Nathaniel was in the ninth. Sure, they hadn't kept in contact once Mason graduated, but the eldest Henry was never one for keeping personal relationships; it was a miracle Charlotte even got a weekly phone call from him at all.

"He's doing whatever Nate does best," she told him. "He started his third year of grad school this past fall, out in Boston."

"Boston, huh?" Mason repeated, nodding to himself. "He still trying to be a big shot businessman?"

Tyler hummed from beside her. "Who do you think is gonna replace her dad at the development firm?" he asked rhetorically. Everyone knew that Daniel Henry had started preparing his son to take over their family's development company since he was twelve years old. When Nathaniel was only fourteen, their father started taking him to the commercial and retail sites that their family managed, giving him a glimpse at his prosperous future.