BLONDIE • the mikaelsons

chapter forty six

CHAPTER FORTY SIX

I was completely covered in paint. Reds, purples and pinks covered my bare body in a cascade of colour. I was fairly certain that even my hair was covered in various acrylics. I tipped my head backwards as Klaus thrust into me once more, his paint covered fingers digging into my hips.

What had initially begun as mere curiosity had turned into an afternoon of pleasure. Earlier on in the day, I had sneaked into Klaus' art room, hoping to get a peak of the secret painting he had been teasing me with. He had been working on it since we arrived in London and had been refusing to let me see it. Unfortunately, Klaus had caught me before I managed to glimpse the artwork. He splayed me out across the table, eager to punish me for my crime.

"My beautiful little dove," Klaus whispered into my ear as I whispered beneath him, "How angelic you look, spread across my table like a canvas."

"Please..." I begged.

"So impatient..." He drawled, "Unfortunately for you, I don't think that you have learnt your lesson yet..."

An hour later, we were both panting, my head resting on his shoulder as he rubbed soothing circles on my back. I smiled, a feeling of peace washing over me as Klaus began to hum a tune that I did not recognise. Pulling my head away, I looked up at him with tired eyes.

"What song is that?" I asked, loving the way he looked at me adoringly.

"I have absolutely no idea!" He responded with a soft smile, "I have heard several melodies over the centuries. Sometimes I randomly remember the tune of one but I am afraid that I cannot recall the title, nor where I originally heard it."

"That's a shame," I murmured, letting my head fall against his shoulder once more, "It was beautiful."

"I can think of something even more beautiful."

"Oh?" I asked, my cheeks flushing.

"It's my painting!" Klaus responded teasingly and I looked up at him with a pout.

"Please can I see your painting?" I asked, lowering my voice seductively as I traced a single finger down his bicep, "I'll give you whatever you want in return..."

Klaus smirked, "Whilst I would never pass up an opportunity to ravage you, you needn't bargain with me. I completed the painting this morning and I am ready to show you."

I gaped at him, "Then why did you feel the need to punish me for trying to look?"

Klaus stroked a thumb over my jaw. "Because your errant behavior still needed to be corrected, love."

We exchanged mischievous smiles.

"Well, can I see the painting now?"

Klaus nodded and pulled away from me. He walked across the room in only his trousers, which were still unfastened. I eagerly watched from where I perched naked on his table.  After rummaging around for a few moments, Klaus picked up a canvas and turned it around so that I could feel the artwork.

My heart skipped a beat as my eyes scanned the artwork. It was a family portrait, a rather unconventional sort of one. Each member of the Mikaelson family was represented by an animal and they all stood in a woodland, a bright full moon in the background. A noble stag stood on the left, who I instantly identified as Elijah. Kol was a fox and stood to the right of the painting. Rebekah was represented by a crow, who was perched high above on the branch of a tree with watchful eyes. Finn was a bear and stood towards the back of the group. And in the center stood Klaus in his wolf form, a white dove perched on his back. I knew that the dove represents me.

I felt tears brim in my eyes as I smiled. I felt overwhelmingly happy to have been included in a family portrait. It amazed me that this complex family of vampires had fallen for me and considered me to be part of their family. Never in my wildest dreams could I have predicted my relationship with them but I was happier than ever.

"So, what do you think?" Klaus asked, shifting from one foot to the other.

"I think that we need to find a place to hang it."

***

I was absolutely exhausted after the sheer amount of performances in a single week. I felt like I had been dancing nonstop and my whole body ached with the blissful pain. I was loving every second of the shows, although I was definitely looking forward to taking a break after the final show concluded. There were only two weeks worth of shows left before we left London and headed back to Mystic Falls.

"I think that I shall miss London." I announced over dinner one evening.

"We can always return," Elijah suggested from across the round table, "Although something tells me that you are eager to explore other places first."

I quickly nodded, "There is so much of the world that I want to see! As a child, I often observed how barely anyone in Mystic Falls ever left the state. They were more than happy to get a local job, settle down and pop out a few kids but I always craved more. I want to dance my heart out and explore all the beauty in the world before I settle down."

Klaus grinned beside me, "I look forward to taking you wherever you wish to go."

"And I am looking forward to traveling around the word in style." I grinned back before taking a sip of my drink.

"We should take her to New Orleans," Kol suggested, "Show Emilia where we used to live."

"You lived in New Orleans?" I asked with wide eyes, "I have always wanted to visit there! A few old ballet school classmates of mine invited me on a road trip to New Orleans a few years ago but I was too focused on my studies at the time."

"New Orleans is stunning; you would fit right in." Elijah replied with a small smile.

"Rebekah, why so glum?" Klaus asked, eyeing his sister, who was aimlessly pushing her food around her plate, "Are the vegetables offending you?"

Rebekah shot her brother a look, "I am fine."

"Well then, hurry up and eat!" Klaus urged her, "I am looking forward to the treacle tart that the chef cooked up earlier."

Rebekah scowled at her brother as she obediently stabbed a piece of pork and slowly chewed. Klaus sighed and leant back in his chair, his plate now empty. Finn wearily eyed his sister before shuffling his chair closer to me, putting distance between them. Whenever Rebekah was in a bad mood, Finn seemed to be the only sibling who would refuse to provoke her.

As I listened to the siblings engage in conversation, my eyes began to feel heavy. I had been rather fatigued over the past few days, likely an outcome of my packed schedule. I yawned as I pushed away my finished plate and stood up.

"I'm going to head off to bed." I announced with a tired smile.

"Is everything alright, sweetheart?" Finn asked as they all looked up at me with concern.

"Yeah," I said, yawning again, "I'm just absolutely exhausted. Forgive me for missing out on the desert."

"We shall save you a slice for tomorrow!" Klaus called after me as I made my way up to my room.

After undressing, I climbed into bed and closed my eyes. I peacefully drifted off to sleep, blissfully unaware of the chaos that would soon plague our lives.

A/N: I know that some of you may disagree with the animals I chose to represent each Mikaelson but I did a lot of research and I think that these animals fit them rather well. The Mikaelsons are very complex, multilayered characters so it was difficult to pick but I am overall rather happy with my choices.

Finn is a bear to represent strength and change
Elijah is a stag to represent nobility.
Klaus is a wolf to represent intelligence and self reliance
Kol is a fox to represent cunningness
Rebekah is a crow to represent mystery and deceit
Emilia is a dove to represent peace and innocence

Originally published: September 17th 2024