Who: Hope and Marcel What: catching up Where: Bonnie Bell When:June 6th Warnings: should be low Status: g-doc
Marcel wanted to grab dinner with Hope. They hadn’t seen each other much lately and he missed Hope. He loved Hope like family, which made sense given their relationship with Klaus. Plus, slowly Marcel wanted to tell the rest of the family his plans for proposing to Rebekah.
Given that Hope should probably have a break from her own restaurant, Marcel wanted to treat Hope to a meal in a relaxing atmosphere. She deserved so much from this world and a meal at least sounded like a good place to start.
After ensuring that he looked presentable, Marcel kissed Bex before he went to meet his surrogate little sister.
Hope was looking forward to having dinner with Marcel. It felt as if the two of them didn’t really have much of an opportunity to talk. It was expected given they were both busy with their lives. Still, Hope felt bad that she hadn’t reached out more to him. Regardless of the rocky relationship Marcel had with her father and the others at times, Hope considered him family. After today, she would try and talk to him more even if it was just a text.
The tribrid arrived at the Bonnie Bell and secured them a table in the back. Given that Hope was still underage, the brunette opted for sparkling water and idly flipped through the menu while she waited for Marcel to arrive.
Marcel walked into the Bonnie Bell and spotted Hope immediately. He knew he needed to put in more effort with the youngest Mikaelson, plus he loved Hope, had loved her like family since the moment he rescued her from the witches.
“Hey Hope,” he commented as he got shown to the table. Marcel ordered sparkling water too, not needing a drink at the moment.
“How are you?” he asked as he hugged her.
“Marcel.” The brunette broke into a bright grin at the sight of the vampire and eagerly returned to hug. He felt firm and real in her arms. Even though it had been some time since she’d lost her mother, Hope still found herself relieved everytime she was able to hug someone and they were real beneath her touch. It was an assurance that this bout of good luck she had was not just part of an elaborate dream.
“I’m doing okay. I hired more help at mom’s restaurant so I have more free time.” Hope released him and claimed her seat once more, settling her arms on the table. “What about you? How are you and Auntie Bex doing?”
Marcel returned the grin with his equally bright one. He hated that this place sent Hayley home. For their differences, he knew how much it meant to Hope to get the extra time with her mom and he missed the brunette too.
“At this point, isn’t it your restaurant?” Marcel ensured he kept his question more gentle than usual. He knew Hope didn’t require kid gloves, but she’d been through so much that he couldn’t help it sometimes.
“We’re fine. I think we’ve reached a point where our house is overcrowded. Between Alyssa, her myriad of creatures, and Kaz, our house may soon burst at the seams.” The server returned with Marcel’s drink and the vampire asked for a few more minutes with the menu.
“I plan on proposing to Bex in the nearish future.” Marcel pulled out the ring. “Do you think she’ll like it?” Beautiful and unique, not unlike Rebekah Mikaelson.
At this point, everyone referred to it as her restaurant, but there was still a huge part of her that considered the place to be her mother’s. Despite Hope being in charge for a while now, much of the decor and food was still Hayley’s creation. Hope didn’t have the heart to change it and she didn’t know if she ever would. Being there was like being near her mother and Hope didn’t want to lose that.
Her smile didn’t waver though as she answered him. “To me, it will always be my mom’s restaurant,” she replied. “There is just so much of her still there that it is impossible for me to feel otherwise and I don’t mind that.”
At the mention of the myriad of creatures, Hope laughed. “I thought you reached that point before Alyssa’s latest addition moved in. I’m surprised you and Auntie Bex haven’t found a place for yourselves. You both deserve it.” Especially after all the hurdles their relationship had back home. When Marcel said he was planning on asking Rebekah to marry him, Hope smirked. “About time.” The tribrid took the small box from him to get a closer inspection of the ring. It was beautiful and yes, unique, like Auntie Bex. Hope had no doubt the blond would love it.
“If she didn’t, I’d say aliens have taken over my aunt’s body,” Hope replied, giving him a playful smile as she handed back the ring. “She’s going to love it.” She settled back in her seat and took a sip from her drink.
“I’m happy you two are finally going to be engaged.”
Marcel watched Hope and took in everything she said to him. “Your mother built a wonderful spot here and I understand why you still think of it as hers.” His hand rested on Hope’s shoulder briefly. “
“I think you underestimate how much your aunt and Alyssa don’t want to have the which of us is moving out and which of us is keeping the house conversation. They both want the other to be happy, but one of them has to give and I’m not getting in the middle.” He grinned at Hope. “We do deserve it. I think…” he paused. “I wonder if Damien might make the decision for them. He doesn’t seem like the type to live apart from the woman he loves.”
He laughed, throwing his head back at Hope’s smirk. “I know. I know. But it took the stupid Dome for us to admit we wanted to be together here, so I thought she might want a little time before I asked.” Marcel took a sip of his sparkling water.
“Don’t give the Dome ideas, please,” he joked. “But yes, I think she’ll love it. I just have to decide when to propose, but I think I’ll wait until after Caorline and Stefan get married and Claudia marries Cosima. Let them have their special days.” After all, Marcel knew he and Bex would attend both weddings, given they were friends with Stefan, Caroline, and Clauda.
Hope gave Marcel a small smile. “Thank you for understanding.” Hayley had built a wonderful place here. People loved the restaurant and it was where all of their friends and family often came to enjoy a meal. Hope couldn’t be more honored or happy to have the opportunity to step into her mother’s shoes. It wasn’t what she pictured herself doing, but it had turned into a true passion.
The tribrid knew only a little about Damien. She wasn’t a fan of the vampire, but she knew most of the Mikaelsons weren’t. Sadly, she could see him making the decision for Rebekah and Alyssa. He didn’t seem like the type to be kept away from what he wanted; Hope was surprised he’d been okay with Alyssa living apart from him this long.
“He will. I have no doubt in my mind that he will push Alyssa to leave,” Hope replied. “He doesn’t seem like the type to take ‘no’ for an answer.”
Hope’s expression lightened again and she smiled. “That’s true. It took you two a bit to get together again here.” Her aunt was seeing someone else when Marcel arrived, but she was glad the two of them eventually managed to be together here. She couldn’t imagine Aunt Rebekah with anyone else. It felt weird.
“You’re right. I hope I didn’t jinx anything,” Hope replied. “But I think that’s a good idea. Wait until all the weddings are out of the way and then propose.” That way there would be no distractions. It would be about them.
A grin. “I’d be a pretty terrible family member if I didn’t understand. Besides, I see a lot of your mom in this place, even while parts of you emerge and begin to show, kiddo.” A server came back and the vampire placed his order while waiting for Hope to do so. Once she did he continued the conversation.
“I know your mom and I didn’t always see eye-to-eye, but I miss Hayley.” The two shared a friendship of sorts, and Marcel felt sad he didn’t get the chance to continue it here.
Marcel sighed, the kind which said Alyssa makes choices that hurt my head. “I didn’t know how I felt about Alyssa when I first met her, but I did have the benefit that she seemed to be in my corner for who Rebekah would choose. She’s like my sister-in-law at this point and I can’t tell her what to do, but sometimes I wish she’d fallen for literally anyone else besides Damien.” Another sip of his drink, to keep himself from saying he worried about the bruises he saw on her body sometimes.
“But I wonder if he’s waiting for Kaz to be eighteen. Alyssa might have told him no and for all his faults, something tells me when she does say no he at least takes the why into consideration. Probably because she rarely tells him no.”
Onto better topics, kind of. “I’m pretty sure I won out because I didn’t go to an orgy and then not tell Rebekah about it. Not being an idiot has saved my ass a few times.” Marcel winked. “Or because who can say no to this smile?”
The two couples deserved their happiness and Marcel did not want to be like the fucking couple who got engaged at Alyssa’s art show. No thanks.
“Obviously, you’ll be the first to know how it goes.” Marcel couldn’t imagine telling anyone else before Hope, not even Alyssa or Josh. And he didn’t know how Klaus would react.
Hope smiled. “It would definitely put you on the bottom of my Christmas list. Just saying,” she teased. When the server arrived, Hope placed her order after Marcel and then focused back on the man across from her.
“I know you and mom weren’t always on the same page, but I know she did appreciate your friendship and your help raising me.” Hayley and Marcel had a sort of friendship and much like Marcel, Hope wished Hayley was still here so that they could have further developed it.
Hope recognized the sigh and simply nodded. “I get it. She deserves someone who isn’t a prick with fangs, but love is kind of blind, right? We can’t always choose who we love. Our hearts kind of just take us where they will.” And for some reason, Alyssa’s heart took her to Damien Duval of all vampires.
The tribrid was unfamiliar with Kaz Brekker. She’d never really spoken to him, but it was clear he had a chip on his shoulder and a whole lot of baggage. “It’s entirely possible. Maybe he is more reasonable than I give him credit for.”
Hope frowned. “Uh, yeah that would definitely be why you won. He seriously did that?” Hope barely knew Barry Allen, but she couldn’t ever remember that being mentioned. Probably for the best since Hope might have cursed him for doing that to Rebekah. The blond had been through enough heartbreak at the hands of her own brothers. She did chuckle as his wink though. “True. Your smile is pretty irresistible, especially to Auntie Bex.”
“Yes, please let me know asap. We can throw an engagement party for you two at the restaurant.” And if Rebekah didn’t say ‘yes,’ Hope would have to sit down and talk with her aunt, but somehow, Hope didn’t think that would be the case.
“I would deserve to be on the bottom of the Christmas list,” Marcel teased right back to Hope.
For all of their differences, Marcel did try to do right by Hayley, including rescuing her as a baby. Of course, since he often found himself at odds with Klaus it often put him at odds with Hayley, even while he loved and adored Hope. While Marcel hated what Elijah and Klaus did after Davina’s death, he always appreciated that Klaus and Hayley were staunchly we’ll find another way.
“Love is definitely blind,” he agreed. And somehow a free spirit decided a vampire with an attitude problem should be her romantic partner. Marcel tried really hard to not judge, but he worried. Often.
“Well, a little bit of reasonableness is a good thing. And,” Marcel admitted, “he obviously loves Alyssa enough to not want her sad on Mother’s Day.”
It occurred to Marcel what he’d said, but he couldn’t take back his words. “Yeah. I know Alyssa knows what happened because she got real angry at Barry when she discovered what he’d done. From my understanding, your Uncle Kol only knows the broad strokes, but not the who, so let’s keep this between us?”
He smiled widely. “I can’t think of a better place to celebrate, assuming she says yes.” A small part of him worried she’d say no, with everything, especially since she had back home, but Marcel knew logically the chances of her saying no were about as high as the chances of Klaus becoming Mr. Rodgers.
“In the end, it really only matters that he loves her. The rest of us just have to…tolerate him.” And it was clear from Marcel’s example that Damien did care for Alyssa very much. It wouldn’t change Hope’s opinion of the vampire, but, in the end, her opinion didn’t exactly matter anyway.
Hope nodded. “I won’t say anything to Uncle Kol. I don’t want to destroy the fragile peace we have going on right now.” The last thing they needed was for Kol to go and try and kill Barry over something that probably happened close to a year ago. If Auntie Bex was over it then the rest of them should be too.
The tribrid offered Marcel a reassuring smile. “She’ll say ‘yes.’ Trust me. And if she doesn’t, we’ll have words.” The last part was mostly a joke. Hopefully. If her aunt refused Marcel, Hope would certainly want to talk to her about it to understand why. Yes, they had baggage from home, but they were here now and shouldn’t they try to make the most of this place? It felt like everyone’s second chance.
Marcel couldn’t help but joke, “If they ever get married I hope to see your Uncle Kol’s face if Alyssa asks him to walk her down the aisle. But yes, that he loves her is all that should matter. The rest of us just…need to not make her feel badly about it.”
“Good. I agree. I might not be Kol’s biggest fan,” especially when they didn’t have Davina in common, “but I don’t think I could fault him for this particular action so best we avoid it altogether.”
“I appreciate your vote of confidence,” the dark-skinned vampire commented. “So, tell me what else is going on with you outside of the restaurant.”