K I N G • KLAUS MIKAELSON [1]

heart of darkness

RIVER moved through the Salvatore House, the home eerily empty, until he head the movement downstairs. Moving towards the cellar he found Stefan and Alaric.

"You know, I'll feel decidedly less pathetic if I don't drink alone" Alaric spoke.

"Oh, I am one step ahead of you" Stefan spoke sitting.

"Do you take late requests?" River made his presence known, Stefan standing and glaring "Relax, I'm not here to threaten you, I'm in the same boat as you right now"

"Why are you in the dog house?" Alaric questioned, smirking at the pun.

"Yeah, what d'you do?" Stefan asked "Disappoint your lord and master?"

"I'm sick of having to pretend I hate you and Damon and Elena, and I'm sick of having to choose between hurting my friends or hurting Klaus" River stated, pulling up another chair "He's clearly decided that he's going to do what he wants regardless"

Stefan nodded, the pair of them holding glasses out, bourbon being poured in.

"So, road trip, huh?" River glanced at Stefan.

"Yeah, I needed to stay here" Stefan sighed.

"Why?" Alaric wondered "I mean, why you? You know, it doesn't take much to babysit me while I sit here waiting for a psychotic break"

"Well, unfortunately, we only have a limited amount of time" Stefan explained.

"Before what?" Alaric asked.

"Before we have to resort to other methods" Stefan stated.

"So, you're worried that you're gonna have to torture Ric?" River confirmed "You don't think Damon could have done that?"

"Look, Elena needed to go on that road trip with Damon" Stefan sighed "No matter what I go through to get her back, fighting my bloodlust, trying to gain control of my life again...none of that matters if she has feelings for somebody else"

River nodded, leaning back in his chair.

-

River grinned as he gulped down the whisky in his glass, the feeling of disdain circulating through the cell.

"I assume they've got Jeremy by now?" Alaric wondered.

"They should, haven't heard from them" Stefan spoke "Elena's worried about him, knowing that she can't count on his ring anymore"

"Who knows?" River grinned "Maybe his alter ego is a pot smoking, hippie pacifist"

"Yeah, maybe" Stefan chuckled.

 "I can't say, I thought mine would be so hostile and militant" Alaric sighed.

"That actually makes perfect sense" Stefan nodded "Your wife left you to become a vampire and your girlfriend was killed by one"

"He must really hate me" Alaric spoke "Here I am, the failed hunter slash drinking buddy of vampires"

"Ah, he's too judgmental" River sent the human a smirk.