Bloom • Mikaelson

XVI. Rebekah Mikaelson

THERE SHE STOOD, OUR BEST FRIEND OF a thousand years. Rebekah Mikaelson. Nothing about her had changed from three hundred years ago, not even a thousand years ago. Blonde hair, legs for days and blue eyes. She was the same girl craving mortality and attention. I remember when we all declared we were best friends. It was definitely before I had told Niklaus I loved him. Rebekah was the one who ended up pushing me to tell him.

My lips pull into a sheepish grin, Rebekah yanking me closer to her brother. Niklaus smiles at me and my heart drops somewhere south of my knees. I couldn't remember what I was suppose to be doing in the first place. My thoughts seemed to jumble up in Nik's presence.

"Nik, Nadia has something to tell you." Rebekah beams.

"What? No, I don't." I frown, coming out of my fog.

"Yes, you do. As your best friend, I'll have your back. However, you have to tell him."

"Best friend? When did we declare this?"

"Just now."

"Nadia?" Nik questions.

My eyes dart to his and widen. Niklaus has called my name often and I think I died a little every time. So I did what every sane person would do in this situation. I turned and ran. I knew exactly what Rebekah had wanted me to tell her brother. I just couldn't, the thought of being rejected was terrifying. Rebekah and Ivonna send Nik an apologetic frown and chase after me. The three of us fall into a circle near a rose bush. Both Rebekah and Ivonna sets me with a hard stare. My eyes glue to Ivonna's face, in all our fourteen years there was nothing to tell us apart. We shared the same sun kissed locks and pale green eyes.

It was an advantage I was going to use when Niklaus Mikaelson later came to me and asked what I wanted to tell him. I was going to pretend I had no clue what he was talking about, that it must of been Ivonna. Seeing that the only people that could tell us apart were our parents, it was easy blaming things on my twin and confusing people.

"Not cool, Rebekah." I tuck my hands under my arms.

"Everyone knows already. I'm surprised Niklaus doesn't." Rebekah shrugs.

Rebekah pulls me from my thoughts when she wraps her arms around me. When she pulls back, her eyes linger on my collarbones. My hand involuntarily reaches for an amulet that isn't there. The reason Bex's eyes linger there. Her eyes shoot up to Ivonna standing behind me. I can imagine my sister shaking her head, attempting to keep Bex from asking about my missing amulet. It was best if no one asked about it. It was super rare occasions where my amulet came off. And besides those rare occasions, I have worn that amulet since my sixteenth birthday over a thousand years ago. Bex smiles and wraps her arms around both of us.

"All the time and money in the world and you decided to go back to high school." Ivonna frowns.

We both knew the reason behind Bex wanting to go to high school. Bex had craved mortality in the mist of all her immortality. At times I could see why my attention seeking best friend wanted to be mortal again. The thought of having kids and normalcy thrills even the coldest of souls. Bex pulls us into another hug. Two hundred and eighty five years was a long time to go without seeing someone. It was good to have her around again.

"I hear there's a party tonight, a bonfire. We should all go." Bex beams.

"I have plans, but you and Vonna should go have fun." I frown.

"Then drinks now?"

Ivonna and I both nod with a smile. Bex picks up her bag, retiring the round offs and cartwheels for the day. She shoots a devilish smile and wave at Tyler and Caroline before leading the way back to the parking lot. Bex chooses to drive us over to Mystic Grill and I wish we didn't allow her to drive. She clearly didn't know how to drive, years in a coffin will do that do you. We end up at the same table we sat at when we first arrived. Bex is quick to call over a waiter and order a round of shots for herself. She knocks them back consecutively and I see there's more then just mortality that she's missed.

"So does my brother know you're here?" Bex questions.

"I don't know why you think he would." I shrug.

"His entire world stops when he looks at you."

It's the same words from when I first went to New Orleans. I was hiding from him then, too afraid to face the man that in end will always break my heart. I had yet to tell Bex her brother had found me before I had the chance to decide. Niklaus knew exactly how to bend me to his will. Literally and figuratively. It's probably why Ivonna always wanted me to stay as far away from Nik as possible. However, even though red riding hood knew not talk to strangers, she still didn't stay away from the big bad wolf.

"Speak of the devil and he shall appear." Ivonna rolls her eyes.

I turn to see Niklaus walking towards our table. Ivonna's words make his lips pull into a frown.

"Ha ha." Nik forces out a dry laugh.

Nik turns his gaze on me and his frown turns into a genuine smile. I return the same smile, butterflies building in my stomach. It was like Nik and I was always in the cupcake phase of our relationship, no matter what. That, or we were in so deep, we were going to need a new name for our feelings. Because it seems at this point, not even love was a strong enough word.

"I need to borrow you." Nik says.

"Everything okay?" I frown, my body tightening with fear.

"Yea, of course."

Those words he says out loud, inside his minds he thinks: I just miss you. My lips pull into the biggest smile as Ivonna's rolls her eyes. My twin sister liked to display her disapproval of our relationship often. If I left things up to her, she'd have killed Niklaus by now and erased any memory I had of him.

"No. No, no, no, no. I haven't seen the twins in centuries, you can have her another day." Bex pouts.

And there it was, my best friend seeking the attention she believed belonged to her. Niklaus frowns, ready to shut down her attempts. However, I send him a small smile and like putty he melts before my eyes. He slides into the open seat next to me, his hand sliding across the small of my back. Bex orders another round of shots for the table. Ivonna's eyes meet mine as I cuddle into Niklaus' side. She's frowning, which isn't surprising — she always frowns in Niklaus' presence. Her words are in my head as she furrows her brows and narrows her eyes.

I don't care if he gets you pregnant and marries you, he's no good. I will still help kill him.

I look up at Niklaus and back at Ivonna. My heart clenches and I'm unsure what to do or think. The two most important people in my world and one wants the other dead. My eyes flit over to Bex, it seemed she was the only person content with how things were. She didn't care who I loved or didn't want to kill him. I guess that's why she was my best friend in the first place.