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Foolish.
Klaus pondered on the word for a moment as his hands gripped the rails of the balcony, looking down on his seven year old daughter. He once recalled “foolish” as what people came to be when they surrender to passion and love. And yet, here he was with this lips slowly curving into a small smile as he watched Hope attempting to imitate her father’s habit for drawing. She was quite good actually, Klaus’ smile turned into a soft chuckle as she erased the same spot on her paper for the tenth time. Maybe the little girl inherited his stubbornness too. Or maybe she got it from her mother.
Hope’s resemblance to Hayley has always amused him. Dark hair, sharp wit and their shared interest in the wolves. Qualities that Klaus has always found endearing from the moment he and Hayley met. But the young and naive girl he once knew was gone and now replaced with a woman he’s come to truly care for.
A woman that dressed herself in confidence and strength with a voice that could be as soft as it could be stubborn, as she would gently squeeze his arm, reminding him for the millionth time that he wasn’t alone in this. Whatever this was. Parenting. Leading. Life. And he was always incredibly grateful even if all he could give her in the moment is a resolute sigh and a half smile. Then she would shakily release her grip on his arm and roll her fingers into a fist and Klaus would frown as she walks away, knowing she wanted more from him. He would frown at his stubbornness, his hesitance…his fear. Fear of giving so much, there’d be nothing left for him to hide and she would see everything and run, never looking back.
Klaus tilted his head towards Hayley’s room and slowly crept before the opening in her door. He could tell she was asleep, hearing the rhythmic pattern of her breaths against the pillow. Klaus quietly let himself in and noticed her lying on the side away from him, dark brown hair flayed over the surface of the pillow, with her quilt exposing the upper part of her shoulders.
Klaus managed sit on the edge of her bed without disturbing the little wolf, besides a soft mumble escaping her lips before returning to the world she created in her dreams that night. He leaned forward and laid the back of his arms on his knees, rubbing his hands together, suddenly nervous, questioning why he came here at all. Maybe he just wanted to be close to her somehow. A kind of close that he can’t be when she’s watching. A kind of close that he can be where his heart is still sheathed and unexposed. A kind of close that made him feel calmer than usual or maybe even safer than usual. An effect that Klaus misses when she’s not there for whatever reason.
Am I a fool?
To rely on a person so much to help and give you hope?
Am I a fool?
Sitting on this bed, hearing her breaths and thinking about her?
Am I a fool?
And yet, Hayley will only see him as the man that shivered beneath her touch with a gaze that fell a little too quickly. A thought that made Klaus purse his lips in frustration, knowing his fear for disturbing their relationship with matters of affection have tipped the scales.
He tilted his head and ran his gaze along the side of Hayley’s visage. She’s always been beautiful to him. Living for centuries, Klaus has laid his eyes upon various women who managed to gauge his attention for more than a minute. Hayley was no different. But beauty took another meaning when she gave him a daughter…gave him hope. He remembered those same closed eyes as she laid on her birthing table, sheathed with blood and the consequences of his greed while their daughter was taken from her arms. He remembered water trickled down his spine that night, water turning red in a pool under his feet, cleansing his body of blood stains from healed wounds. But not all wounds can heal, he’d learnt. Some wounds stay and some remind you of your mistakes.
Running away little wolf?
And she returned.
You could’ve been free from all of this.
Again.
Of me.
And again.
“Klaus”, a soft voice entered his ears.
He didn’t realise he’d been emptily staring at nothing when Hayley shot up from her position, obviously taken aback from his strange presence beside her.
Klaus’ eyes widened, unknowing how to explain the situation. At a loss of words, he shakily retracted his gaze and looked to the ground, “I didn’t mean to disturb you, “ he stuttered, beginning to lift himself up from the bed, “I’ll l-“
Before he said anything else, Hayley’s hand grabbed onto his arm, “Klaus…” she muttered, still sounding dazed from her sleep. Klaus winced at her touch and slowly sat down again, her hand still brushing against his skin as he turned his head towards her, his breath heavy and thoughts racing, wondering what she was going to do.
“It’s okay…” she said, her voice reassuring as always.
It’s okay.
Klaus’ bottom lip quivered while Hayley’s slowly curved into a soft smile.
It’s okay.
His eyes searched for courage while her’s pleaded for surrender. Klaus’ breath hitched before his other free hand gently but hesitantly brushed against the hand upon his arm. A relieved smile painted on both their lips as he held his gaze on their hands for a moment before looking up and meeting those moon-lit orbs that he’s grown to know so well.
Klaus squeezed her hand once more and spoke softly, almost in a whisper, “Goodnight, Hayley.” He heard something in his voice. Hayley did too. Something like a promise. A realisation. He smiled reassuringly before releasing from their touch and making his way out of the room after looking back at his little wolf whose pleased smile remained plastered on her visage.
Perhaps I am a foolish man.