Work Text:
As he stood there, leaning against the side of his SUV, he couldn't quite believe the sight before him. He hadn't seen her in almost five years; since the last time he'd gone home to New Orleans. At the beginning, she had come to see his siblings mostly, considering he'd stopped taking her blood a year after Hope was born. For the sake of her friendship with his brother and sister, they had kept to themselves at first. But over time, they'd found themselves in each other's presence more often than not. It didn't help that his daughter absolutely adored her. Eventually, he'd found himself actually seeking her out when she was visiting.
A lot had happened since then, but when he'd gotten a text telling him that she would be landing in Rome the next day, he had made the short trip from Barcelona where he'd spent the last year. At first, he'd been utterly surprised by the message -not the text in general, as they had shared plenty of correspondences over the years despite not seeing each other in person for nearly five. Things were a lot different from what they'd been in the past. They hadn't been enemies in nearly sixteen years, and he would say they had been friends for a little over nine.
Now, he was leaning against his SUV and watching Elena Gilbert walk towards him, bag slung over her shoulder and sunglasses perched atop her head. Her hair was cut short above her shoulders and curled, and she'd thrown a few red streaks into it again- "for the hell of it" the text message had said when she'd sent him pictures months ago. He'd told her she looked good, and he'd meant it. Seeing her now, in person, he knew he'd say it again.
The moment she noticed him, he watched as her expression lit up with excitement and could help but smile in return. It was still surreal to him, that they were actually friends; the Hybrid and the Doppelgänger. "Nik!" She called out and he blinked in surprise, still unaccustomed to the fact that she'd taken up the shortened version of his name that his younger siblings used. Of course, she'd only started using it a couple years ago; the first time they'd been on the phone and he'd been so shocked to hear it come from her that his silence had her thinking he'd hung up on her.
Pushing away from the SUV, he stepped towards her with a warm smile. "Hello, love," he greeted her easily, but then grunted in surprise when she threw her arms around his neck in a hug. His arms wrapped around her automatically and he pressed a kiss to her head as he realized just how much he had missed his doppelgänger. "You look stunning, sweetheart," he murmured when she finally stepped back. Elena grinned and he was surprised once more when she kissed his cheek.
"You don't look so bad yourself," she grinned at him and he cocked a brow curiously. "What? You look good, Nik," she laughed softly and he stared at her in shock. "Don't look at me like that!"
"Like what, sweetheart?" Klaus asked curiously, only for Elena to give him an amused scowl.
"Like you're shocked that I would compliment you," she said with a roll of her eyes. His lips turned up in a playful smirk.
"What if I am shocked?" He teased with a chuckle, only for Elena to give him a mock scowl.
"Then I clearly haven't been doing this right," Elena told him with a soft chuckle.
"What do you mean, love?" Klaus asked with a tilt of his head. Then suddenly he was frozen as Elena leaned up and kissed him. Her lips pressed to his and his hands found her hips almost immediately, pulling her closer as he returned the kiss. One of his hands slid upwards into her short hair and he felt her fingers in his hair as well as her arms wound around his neck. When she finally pulled back, he stared down at her while she grinned back, though he caught the flicker of insecurity in her warm brown eyes.
"You really didn't know? I've been flirting with you for almost six years, Nik. I thought you were flirting back! That's why I finally got a ticket to come see you when..." he recognized her starting to ramble as her nerves set in as she stepped away and immediately grabbed her hand and pulled her back to him, effectively quieting her nervous babbling with his lips on hers again. When he pulled back this time, he brushed her hair out of her face and chuckled warmly.
"I was, love. I just didn't expect…this, so quick," he murmured as he held her close and rested his forehead against hers.
"Well it would have happened five years ago, but you were gone before I made it back to the city," she told him softly and his eyes widened. Elena must have caught the shift because she smiled and he felt her fingertips brush down the side of his neck to rest against his chest. "I know you had to go. I just wish I could have come to visit like I do with everyone else," she murmured and he nodded, lifting his head to kiss her forehead; he wished that too. Then he snagged her bag and turned to open the back door of the SUV and set her bag on the seat as she reached for the passenger door. Turning back towards her, he slid an arm around her waist and tugged her so that her back was pressed to his chest. She leaned back into him and he pressed a kiss to the scar he'd left on her neck nearly twenty-five years ago.
"As do I, love," he murmured against her skin before he finally let her go so she could get in the car. Klaus circled around to the driver's side and slid behind the wheel.
As he drove, they were both quiet for a little while. When Elena rested her hand atop his on the center console, he lifted her hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss to her knuckles before returning their hands to the console, though he didn't let go. He glanced at her curiously, only to find her watching him with a content little smile. Ten years ago, he never would have imagined this being his reality, but a lot had changed since Elena had left Mystic Falls for good. It hadn't taken long after the Salvatores forced her to take the cure for her to find her way back to immortality, courtesy of his sister Freya and the true immortality elixir. That had been the start of…this.
After a little over an hour in the car, he pulled into a driveway that led up to a lovely little villa outside Orvieto, Italy. He heard Elena's little gasp as the house came into view and glanced at her with a small smirk. Of course, she'd seen the house before, in pictures that he'd sent her over the years, but this was the first time she'd gotten to visit. "What do you think, love?" He asked as he turned the car off.
"I've already told you it's gorgeous, Nik!" Elena chuckled as they got out of the SUV, Klaus flashing around to grab her bag before she could get to it. He smirked when Elena scowled at him, grabbing her hand and tugging her close so he could kiss her again. Now that he had her, he wasn't sure he would ever let her go.
"I know, but you've only seen photographs," he murmured against her lips.
"Mhmm," she hummed softly. "Do I get to see the others?"
"Of course, sweetheart. Which ones would you like to see?" He asked as he nodded, knowing he would happily take her anywhere, show her anything and everything she wanted to see.
"All of them," her whispered words sent electricity zipping through his veins.
"That'll take quite a long time, love," he told her, lips tilting upwards in the beginning of a grin.
"Good thing I'm immortal, hmm?" Elena replied with a grin of her own. Klaus couldn't resist crushing his lips to hers once more, still not quite believing his doppelgänger had finally come to see him; had come to stay. When they separated, Elena was still grinning. "Come on, I want the tour before Hope gets here," she told him so casually that he gaped at her slightly.
"What do you mean?" Klaus asked slowly, confusion clouding his eyes. But then Elena was lacing her fingers with his and tugging him towards the house, smiling over her shoulder.
"You think I would come to Europe without telling her? Have you met your daughter?" Elena laughed brightly and Klaus could only stare at her. He hadn't seen his daughter in over a year, as she'd been travelling with her girlfriend, who happened to be Caroline's daughter.
"What does Hope have to do with your visit, love?" He asked in confusion, only for her to shake her head.
"Nothing really," she chuckled. "But you do realize how long she's been waiting for this, right?" Elena smirked as she motioned between the two of them. Klaus blinked at her and when she just grinned at him, he couldn't resist pulling her in for another kiss. "Nik!" She squealed with laughter as she pulled away and headed for the house. "Come on, we have to hurry!" Elena called over her shoulder as she took off at a run. He watched her for a moment before smirking and flashing towards her, wrapping his arms around her and lifting her off the ground. Her laughter filled the air and he found himself chuckling as she tried to escape his grasp.
"What if I don't want to share you quite yet, love?" He asked as he finally set her on her feet.
"Are you pouting, Nik?" Elena giggled as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he narrowed his eyes at her.
"I do not pout," he grumbled, only to make her laugh harder.
"You absolutely do," she told him sternly, though her lips tilted upwards. "But don't worry," her tone softened and her lips pressed to his, pulling a soft sigh from his lungs as he closed his eyes. "Hope won't be here for another week," she whispered when she pulled away and his eyes snapped open to find her grinning at him. Klaus narrowed his eyes at her again as her hands slid up into his hair. Laughter spilled from her lips and he couldn't help the warmth that settled in his chest as he gazed down at her. He still couldn't believe she was there with him, after so long.
"Ridiculous woman," he growled playfully, watching in satisfaction as she shivered slightly at his tone.
"You know you love me," she replied with a grin as she turned back towards the house, this time grabbing his hand as she moved.
"Mhmm," he hummed softly as he let her lead him towards the house. Elena Gilbert had once been the bane of his existence, but now he couldn't imagine not having her around. It was odd to remember the years that they had been at odds, like a hazy dream. Klaus knew one thing for sure; he was never going back to that. As they walked up the steps, he brought her hand up to his lips to kiss her knuckles once more, watching the way her warm smile lit up her face. He opened the door and ushered her inside, happy to stand in the doorway and observe the way she spun in a circle, only releasing his hand when she had to to complete her little spin. Then her hand was in his once more and he couldn't take his eyes off of her.
"It's beautiful, Nik," she murmured as she tugged him forward. He closed the door behind him and let Elena drag him through the house as she explored. When they returned to the living room, Elena pulled him down onto the couch with her with a small yawn. Klaus lifted a brow in silent question but she shook her head. Ten minutes later she was fast asleep curled up against his side. Shaking his head in amusement, he carefully lifted her up, cradling her against his chest as he carried her into his room and settled her on the bed. As he bent to kiss her forehead before he left, she grabbed his hand and her eyes fluttered open. "You're not going anywhere, mister," she murmured as she tugged at his hand. He lifted a brow curiously as a smirk curled his lips.
"Is that so?" Klaus challenged softly, though he already knew she would win. Elena nodded and patted the space beside her, glaring up at him until he finally sat down on the bed. "Very well," he acquiesced, leaning down to kiss her again softly, allowing her to pull him down to lay beside her. A chuckle escaped him as she snuggled closer, one of her arms draped across his abdomen and her head on his chest.
"Happy birthday, Nik," her soft murmur caught him so off guard that he stared down at her in shock. There had been a time that he had always made a big deal about birthdays, and he was shocked to realize that he hadn't celebrated his birthday at all over the last twenty-five years. But sure enough, his doppelgänger had managed to not only surprise him, but give him the best gift he could have asked for. Pressing a featherlight kiss to the crown of her head as he pulled her into a tight hug, Klaus sighed softly, content for the first time in a long while.
"Thank you, Elena."