Fighting Free

Chapter 8

"An English major? My little sister is turning heads in college now, and is top of her class on top of that?" Klaus seemed surprised, even when he had always known Rebekah was smart. He just had left a little girl behind, at least in his head, and now he had returned she had grown into a woman. And a beautiful one as well. Something he regretted to have missed, but he had to admit he was more than glad she allowed him to be part of her life now.
"Should I start to get worried about you bringing home too many suitors?"

Rebekah snorted.
"You are not going to get yourself involved in anything remotely resembling my love life, Nik. I already had to tell Elijah that much. Having just father hovering over me is enough, I don't need the two of you doing the same. I'll be fine, really. I've practiced kicking all of your asses when I was still a girl, remember?"

The two brothers exchanged a look, and you couldn't help but starting to laugh when you saw the apologetic expression on Elijah's face, as if he had to make clear he couldn't help this outburst.
"Well... I think it's pretty clear who really runs this family", you said smiling, while you looked at Rebekah, who smiled back, throwing a look at the men at the table that showed clearly she knew her power over them.

Elijah sighed, acting defeated.
"Now you see what I had to endure all that time..." he shot an angry look at Kol, making sure he was still behaving himself while he finished his lunch, and a fake desperate one at Rebekah.
"I will need your backup, Niklaus, or I might end up grey before my time."

You shrugged, eating the last bit of the burger you had ordered.
"It seems to me you're doing fine, Elijah. At least, in the short time I know you." You had grown to rely on him when you needed something regarding Klaus, even when Klaus hadn't been aware of that fact, and he probably should stay ignorant about it.
"We couldn't have been here without you, and I mean that..." You didn't know how to thank the oldest brother for that. Even when the meal seemed to start as a disaster because of Kol's interruption, after Elijah shut him up effectively, it had become agreeable... Klaus, Rebekah and Elijah had been catching up on those five years, like they hadn't spend so much time apart, and even when Klaus still had to get used to being around them again, the tension had lifted and it had become more or less comfortable. They had started to joke around, and now everyone had finished their meals, Elijah had decided to order a bottle of wine to finish the meal.

When he had poured everyone's glass, even Rebekah's, after her indignant insistence that she had passed the legal drinking age already, where Elijah had retorted that it was still not that easy to see his little sister in that light, you all rose your glass, except for Kol, who kept seated with his arms crossed and his lips pressed together.
"To my brother Niklaus, who has finally returned to us. And to Y/N, who had the courage to go behind his back and bring us all together today. Thank you for that, darling..."

You smiled when you toasted, not expecting the praise at all, but you also didn't miss Kol's dark look in your direction, as if it was your fault he was stuck here. You swallowed, but tried to ignore it and push it to the back of your mind.

You instead decided to turn to Klaus, who was doing a better job than you did in ignoring his younger brother, and the smile on his face seemed to be a real one this time. He just looked at Elijah with a look you easily recognized as some kind of admiration for his big brother. If you weren't wrong, Elijah had been the one Klaus had been looking up to his entire life, when he couldn't get the appreciation from his father every child wanted.

Unfortunately Elijah still had an appointment later that afternoon, so when everyone had finished their drinks, he reluctantly stood up.
"As agreeable as this was, I am afraid I will have to break this up, or I will have some very unsatisfied clients after today, and I can't have that." He walked towards his brother, pulling him in a hug that Klaus clearly had not expected.
"Don't wait that long before getting in touch again, Niklaus. I've missed you..." Then he came to you, and even when you wanted to shake his hand, as you had always done, he pulled you into a hug as well, partly to be able to whisper in your ear. "Will you take care of him? He needs you, more than you'll probably realize. And more than he would ever want to admit, Don't be afraid to call in my help if you need something."