Vampire Diaries Imagines

You're Here - Klaus Mikaelson

I hadn't realized how much I needed to leave Mystic Falls until I finally did.

That town - with its constant drama, endless heartbreak, and painful memories - had held me hostage for far too long. Before all that, I thought I'd never leave. Everything was fine. I still had everyone I loved around me. It was home. But as everything went sideways, I couldn't wait to leave it and everything else behind.

Now I stood on the worn porch of my little house just outside of Savannah, a fixer-upper in every sense of the word. The shutters were crooked, the paint was peeling, and the floor creaked a little too much when I walked across it. But it was mine. It wasn't perfect, but I could breathe here.

I had spent most of the morning gathering supplies - paint, brushes, tools - along with groceries to get me through the next week or two. By the time I finally unlocked the front door, my arms were sore, my hair was sticking to my neck from the heat, and I was ready to drop everything and call it a day.

But when I stepped inside, I froze.

There was a man standing in my living room.

For a split second, panic twisted my stomach - but then he turned, a familiar smirk curling at the corner of his mouth.

Klaus.

He stood beside my paint-splattered ladder, casual and relaxed, dressed down in dark jeans and a simple Henley that hugged his frame. He looked... comfortable. Like he belonged there.

In one hand, he held a glass of wine. The other was tucked lazily into his pocket, his signature smug expression firmly in place.

"Welcome home, love," he drawled, stepping forward and offering me the glass of wine like this was the most normal thing in the world.

I blinked, still stunned. "You're... here?"

"You wrote me," he said simply, like that explained everything. "Told me you finally made it out of that dreadful little town." His smile softened slightly. "I thought I'd see for myself."

I set my bags down slowly by the door, still staring at him in disbelief. "Out of all the scenarios I could have thought of when writing you that letter, I didn't think you'd leave New Orleans just to come out here and 'see for yourself' as you put it."

Klaus chuckled under his breath, stepping closer. "You should know by now I'm full of surprises." He pressed the wine glass into my hand, curling my fingers around the stem. "Besides," he added, "I figured you'd need a hand with this place." He gestured vaguely at the half-painted walls and the tools scattered across the floor. "Judging by the state of things, I'd say I was right."

I scoffed, rolling my eyes. "I'm managing just fine, thank you."

"Of course you are," Klaus said, smiling over the rim of his own wine glass. "But let's not pretend this wouldn't take you a good while by yourself. Two sets of hands is better than one."

I took a sip of wine, still eyeing him suspiciously. "You came all this way... just to help me fix this place up... faster?"

"Well," he smirked, "If I were being honest with you, I did watch you struggle for the first few days I was here."

I snorted. "Sounds like you."

The tension eased a little, and I leaned against the arm of the couch, my fingers still curled around the wine glass. "Seriously though... why are you here?"

Klaus's smirk faded, replaced by something quieter. Something softer.

"You told me you wanted out," he said after a moment. "That you needed to start over." His gaze flickered around the room before settling back on me. "I just wanted to make sure you actually did it. That you were okay."