Who: Klaus and Elena What: First meeting When: Recent Where: The beach Ratings/Warnings: Low/none Status: Complete
With her school course load and everything it took to be a functioning adult, Elena didn’t get very much time for herself. What little time she did get she preferred to spend outdoors, an easy enough proposition in California, and she preferred a variety of activities. It kept her from staying interested and thus from deciding spur of the moment to waste a day marathoning whatever the latest Netflix release was.
With the sun shining and temperatures perfect, she’d decided to take a day to go to the beach. Hair pulled back in a messy ponytail, large sunglasses on, bikini top peeking out from beneath a tank top, and shorts and flip flops completing the look, Elena grabbed her bag and a beach towel from the back of her car and began her walk to a perfect spot.
Partway there, though, someone caught her eye. An easel set up, and a man who was painting furiously. She couldn’t help but wander over. “...you’re really good,” she advised from behind his right shoulder. And he really was. Not that she knew very much about technique, mind, but she liked it and he made it al look effortless.
** Klaus was so busy running a gallery that he barely had time to paint anymore/ And when he did it was usually inside his own home, where he could keep a watchful eye on his sister. It had been awhile since he had set up his easel anywhere else. Today however, he decided to go to the beach. Capture the way the waves crashed on the shore in his work.
He was in the middle of his work when he heard someone approach. Turning his head Klaus was surprised by who he saw. It was either Tatia, Katherine, or Elena before him. Give how she presented herself he would guess Elena. He supposed it was only a matter of time before he ran into one of them. Especially Elena. Given Damon and Tyler seemed to be around. “Thanks, love,” Klaus replied a smug smirk on his face. “You enjoy art?”
** Love. That was new. Not many people went around spouting that term of endearment. But she would give him that...it definitely worked for him. Elena shrugged as she pushed her sunglasses up onto the top of her head, smiling in return.
“I’m not an art student,” she answered by way of apology. “So I’m not sure how much my opinion is worth but I do like it.”
** “But you are a student,” Klaus deduced. After all there had to be a reason she included the word student in her statement. “What is it that you study….” his voice trailed off. The name Elena was at the tip of his tongue but he still wasn’t positive that was indeed her.
“I’m Niklaus,” he offered instead, setting his paintbrush down for the time being.
** “Elena,” she supplied, her hand stretching out to shake his in greeting.
“And, yes. I’m a student. I’m studying medicine at UC Irvine.” Which meant she was going to be a student for a very long time. It was worth it, though. Being able to help people was Elena’s dream and this was the perfect way to do so. “It’s nice to meet you, Niklaus.”
** Ah. His assumption was correct. Elena Gilbert was indeed standing before him. The smirk returned to his face. This was shaping up to be quite the day.
“The pleasure is all mine, Elena.” He reached out and grabbed her hand, placing a kiss on the back of it. Perhaps it was a bit over the top. But Klaus was nothing if not over the top. “Call me Klaus,” he added with a grin.
“Is it your intention to become a surgeon?” It didn’t surprise Klaus at all that she was interested in the medical field. In the dreams she was always about helping her friends, sacrificing herself and the like.
** Her smile widened further still, if that were possible, at the kiss to the back of her hand. It was so continental and something Elena had never run across before. She found herself completely and utterly charmed by it.
“Not a surgeon. As a group they’re too cocky for me.” It was part of being a surgeon, after all. Having the confidence to go cutting into someone and risk extreme complications. “More of a general practitioner”. That way she could help people but have relationships with her patients. She would watch them age, most likely. A constant presence in their lives.
**
Klaus didn’t see anything wrong with being cocky. He knew some would even classify him as cocky. However he chose to believe it was just confidence. And why wouldn’t it be? He was the original hybrid. There was nothing more powerful than him.
Elena though, from what he knew of her dreamself, she was more on the humble side. “That way you can stay with them their whole life,” Klaus commented as if reading her thoughts. “Instead of just before a surgery.”
** “Exactly,” Elena nodded. He got it completely. She hadn’t expected him to so quickly connect the dots. So, not only an artist, but an intuitive one at that.
“They trust me, I know them….”. Her head ducked a moment. “I’m oversimplifying it, I know.” Practices could grow to be huge enterprises with dozens of patients but it still appealed to her more than the surgical route.
“And what about you? Artist, obviously, but do you have other interests?”
** “Not at all, love. Sometimes the most simple explanation is the best,” Klaus replied giving her that devilish grin of his.
“Art is my main focus,” he replied. Well unless you counted his hunger for power (which he now had.) “I own a gallery. Perhaps you’ve heard of it. Soleil et Lune.”
** “Sun and Moon?” Elena questioned. She didn’t remember much from French class, but she thought she remembered at least that much.
** “You speak French?” Klaus questioned clearly impressed. Because that was indeed the name of his gallery. It was fitting for him. His werewolf side was tied to the moon, his vampire side to the sun. It was also a curse he had to break in the dreams. One he even used Elena’s blood for. But the name was more about himself than the dreams.
** A grin and a shake of her head. “Very little. I took a few years in high school but it’s been a long time since I spoke any. I’m pretty much limited to comment allez vous and enchante.” If pressed, Elena could probably come up with a few more phrases but he needn’t be so impressed.
** “Well in that case,” another one of his devilish grins. “Enchante.”
** “Enchante, monsieur,” Elena responded. Oh he was definitely charming, and well aware of it, too. And yet she couldn’t help but be drawn to him. She’d blame it on that damned mischievous smirk, the one that promised an interaction with him would be anything but boring.
“I’m distracting you, though.” As if she didn’t want him to distract her. “So I’m sorry if your paintbrush is dried out and ruined.”
** “The distraction was welcomed, love,” Klaus replied with a grin. “Perhaps I’ll see you around sometime. If med school doesn’t keep you too busy perhaps you’ll get a chance to stop by my gallery.” It was an open invitation and she was welcome to take him on it whenever she pleased. He certainly wouldn’t mind seeing her again.
** “I’d like that,” Elena nodded, smile widening. She didn’t know very much about art but when a cute guy invited you somewhere, you couldn’t just turn him down. “And maybe you can show me around? Let me in on who the next hot artist is going to be. That way I can make a savvy art purchase.”
** “It would be my pleasure, Elena,” he replied. Even if she didn’t make a purchase he would still enjoy showing her around. “I look forward to seeing you soon.”