this is where i'll be waiting for you ➳ klaus mikaelson [ the vampire diaries ]

1.16 | peaceful ends

not a question but thank you for your kind feedback for this story!

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When Astoria woke up the next morning, the first thing she noticed was that she was alone. She recalled falling asleep in Klaus' bed, laying at his side. It was a good rest. She felt refreshed and relaxed, but she frowned when she noticed the empty spot next to her. She thought it could be a good thing that he left. It would be better for her to have a few minutes to get into character before she saw him.

She pulled the blankets away from her as she sat up, throwing her legs over the side of the bed and stepping off. She took a deep breath and walked towards the mirror that was in the corner of the room so that she could make sure that she still looked presentable. She made sure her hair was smooth, but there was not much else she could do. She wasn't in her room, so all she had was Klaus' shirt.

Figuring there was nothing else she could do, Astoria turned away from the mirror and walked towards his bedroom door that had been left open a crack. Thankfully there was no one in the hallway when she stepped out. She made her way to her room, but frowned when she saw that it was already open.

"Nik?" Astoria frowned when she saw him. He was standing in front of her wardrobe, with his back facing her but she could tell it was him. He was pulling a few dresses out of it."What are you doing?"

"Packing your things," Klaus replied almost immediately. It was then that she noticed a leather bag resting on her bed, a few clothing items already neatly packed inside.

"What?" Astoria asked. She heard him, but she didn't understand why.

"You need to leave," Klaus answered sharply.

"Leave?" Astoria repeated, taking a step closer into her room."Why? What happened?"

"I want you out," Klaus said to her, more convincingly this time, but Astoria didn't believe him.

She swallowed tightly and turned around so that she could close the door, rolling her eyes while he couldn't see her. She knew that at some point this would happen. He would push her away. Either because he thought it was dangerous for her to be around him, or because he was pushing her away, afraid of his own feelings. How fun it would be to deal with.

Astoria turned back to him."Nik-"

"I do not want you around anymore," Klaus snapped at her, while Astoria tried her best to remain patient. She knew Klaus wouldn't be able to kick her out. He couldn't let her go. It was why he brought her all the way here. But she still had to entertain him.

"Can you explain?" Astoria asked calmly, hoping to at least understand where his head was at. But he didn't respond."Is this about last night?

"Last night. . . Every moment I have spent with you," Klaus turned to face her, dropping the remaining dresses onto her bed."As you have struggled with separating who I am from who you thought I was, so have I. It is unusual for me to act in such a manner, and I apologize for letting it last as long as it has."

"An apology?" Astoria raised her eyebrows."Now I know something is truly wrong."

"Astoria-" Klaus began, but she cut him off.

"Will you seriously put me onto the street because you are afraid of having feelings?" Astoria scoffed at him. She knew he wouldn't, but in the back of her mind she was beginning to prepare for the possibility that he did. She would need to spend the rest of her time with him seeing what she could get out of him.

Klaus had no intentions of doing that to her. He cared about her too much, and it was because of his feelings that she couldn't stay. If word got out, she could be used against him. Neither of them would benefit from that. This was the one time in his life he hoped Elijah would be right. That Klaus was only chasing after a fantasy, a curiosity about what his life could look like if things were different. He hoped that once he realized that he no longer needed Astoria to get to Katherine, his feelings would disappear. But they hadn't. She had managed to get under his skin.