Who: Klaus and Marcel What: Seeing each other for the first time since New Orleans When: Sometime before Marcel's first network post Where: Random bar Rating/Warnings: Fairly low. Language. Status: Complete
Niklaus was drinking more than usual lately. Between everything that had gone down back in New Orleans, to being in the same area as his parents. Not that he had seen them, but he could still feel their presence. If all that wasn’t enough now it seemed as though he was included in the dreams. Dreams where Freya was dead, and according to Elijah, Henrik would also be dying. Great, something to look forward to along with re-living Mikael’s beatings. Alcohol was certainly becoming a staple in his diet.
Klaus usually dragged Freya out with him, but she was busy with that new non profit or something. Honorable cause though - helping women and children get away from abuse. Klaus couldn’t be too upset with her for that. He just worried about her, thanks to those fucked up dreams.
Drinking alone it was.
He walked into the bar, making his way over to an empty stool when he spotted someone he never thought he would see again. At least not until he was ready for his revenge. “What the hell are you doing here?”
Fucking Orange County. If Marcel was being honest he never expected to set foot in California again. There were too many memories that he buried deep in the back of his mind and longed to forget about this place. He had another life in another place. He had it good. Better than good. And yet here he was. Back where everything started. . The death of his mother should have hit him harder than it really did. If people knew how he actually felt in these drawn out moments they might have considered him heartless, but he couldn’t help it. Did he have regrets? Of course he did. But it didn’t repair the damage his mother allowed to happen while he was growing up. He just wanted to settle things here and get the hell back to New Orleans, but he was stuck here until it all was done.
And that was exactly why he was in the bar tonight. There was no better way to drown out his problems then by good music, some good company, and all the bourbon he could stomach. He was in a relative good mood as he finished off his glass and made his way back to the bar. Leaning against the chestnut wood he flashed that pearly white grin of his and flirted with the bartender until a familiar voice hit his ears. “Well, well.” There was amusement in his tone as he turned and rested dark eyes on the man he had run out of New Orleans. “Hell has indeed frozen over.”
All those years knowing Marcel, bonding with him, and the fact that they were both from Orange County never came up. Probably because Klaus simply didn’t talk about his family. Even his siblings who had come to visit on occasion. It was all part of a life he left behind. A life he wanted to forget about. Well, forget about most of it. His parents. He would never forget about his siblings. They were all that mattered to him, along with his gallery and the man standing before him. Oh, how things had changed.
“Careful,” Niklaus started. “I wouldn’t want to accuse you of stalking me.” Of course he was here because of Klaus. He hadn’t even fathomed the fact that Marcel might have other reasons to be here. No, Klaus assumed it was because of him. To run him out of another town. Fat chance of that happening.
It was the same for Marcel. He didn’t mention Orange County because it was a part of him that he wanted to leave in the past. It never offered him much. Just pain. Who wanted to relive something like that over and over again? He sure as hell didn’t. But seeing Klaus there in the flesh? It opened up all kinds of doors with numerous questions behind them.
Arching a brow, Marcel chuckled darkly as he licked the taste of bourbon from his lips. “Me stalk you?” That would be the day wouldn’t it? “I haven’t thought about you since you left town.” Which wasn’t exactly true. Klaus had been like a brother to him. Someone he looked up to. If only his power hungry personality and ego hadn’t gotten in the way. “What the hell are you doing in California?”
Marcel's words wounded him more than he would like to admit. He sure as hell wasn't about to let it show. Marcel had constantly been on Klaus's mind. Every time someone asked why he was here, asked about his gallery, and just in general. He was determined to get vengeance on the man before him. Even if part of him still missed him. Missed the bond they once had.
"That's none of your business," Klaus spat. Like hell he was going to tell Marcel anything about his life. The trust he once thought they had was long gone.
Klaus's anger came from hurt. Betrayal. Marcel used to know him well enough to know that. It didn't mean Klaus would admit it though. He did his best to calm his rage. "Now I think it's time you answer my question." His anger was still evident in his voice but it wasn't quite as spiteful as his previous statement.
Arching a brow, Marcel couldn’t help the way he laughed at Klaus’ response. There it was. The way that Klaus always had to demand things and get his way and never give anything back in return. Hadn’t he learned his lesson by now? Didn’t he get that things just didn’t work out with him being in control.
He supposed he would have to remind him. Again.
“There he is.” He reached for the shot that was placed in front of him and downed it quickly before setting the glass upside down the bar. “You haven’t changed one bit, you know that? Damn my questions as long as you get your answers right? Always gotta be the almighty Klaus Mikaelson way.”
As much as Klaus wanted answers he also didn’t want to prove Marcel right. In fact the urge to prove him wrong trumped everything else. He didn’t think that anger at Marcel would ever go away. He would always feel betrayed by the man he once thought of as a brother. There was also a part of Klaus that missed the fun he used to have with Marcel. One night wouldn’t hurt. He wouldn’t bring his guard down, wouldn’t trust the man again. But he could drink with him.
“Alright then, Marcel,” Klaus said downing his own drink. “Why don’t you tell me how you would like to spend this evening.”
“How I would like to spend it?” Marcel’s pearly white grin was back in place and he visibly relaxed as he motioned for the bartender to bring them another round. “Just like I spend every other night.” Klaus knew Marcel better than most and he would know exactly what Marcel meant. He wanted to relax and have a good time just like he always had in New Orleans.
That didn’t mean that he would let his own guard down but he would take a night of drinking and good times over fighting it out with Klaus any time. “So this is home, huh?” Marcel finally asked. “All the time we spent together and you never mentioned it.”
It was nice like these he missed the most. Just drinking with his friend. There was no denying that they once had a good time together, before egos got in the way. Now everything had changed. But as the saying went - keep your friends close and your enemies closer. There was no reason Klaus couldn't enjoy himself while keeling his enemy close.
"I didn't say that," Klaus replied motioning for another drink. "You know where my home is," or was thanks to Marcel. "Funny, I don't remember you ever mentioning this place either." They had an understanding. They didn't talk about their past. About the hell their families had put them through. Klaus knew though, he could tell Marcel had a similar experience to his own. He could see it in Marcel's eyes. It was probably why they had gotten along so well at first.
Marcel wouldn’t deny that he has missed Klaus once he was gone. The two had a certain bond that was once unbreakable. They were so much alike that it often scared him. Marcel had different ideas of how things could be better. How things could be treated and Klaus always had to have the control. It made him shake his head. Kept him up at night sometimes as he thought about how everything had gone down. But Klaus had the right idea and he had the same mindset.
His lips twitched into somewhat of a smirk and he had to agree there. They might not have been born in New Orleans but that was where their heart and soul was. It’s where Marcel belonged and the longer he was away from it the more miserable he would become. He knew that. Nodding his head Marcel shrugged. “Not exactly a place I’d call home either.” He winked at the bartender when she left their drinks and lifted his glass to his lips. “Fact is, New Orleans will always be home to me.”
“So what are you doing here?” Klaus asked getting back to his question. It wasn't filled with bitterness like the first time he asked. But still he wanted to know. Marcel had New Orleans. So what the hell was he doing here?
Marcel let a long sigh out through his nose and he couldn’t help the way his shoulders slouched some in response to his question. “I shouldn’t even be here.” He wanted to be anywhere else in the world really.
“My mom passed away so I’m just here cleaning up after it all.” Because really that was all Marcel was really good for in these parts. Cleaning up the mess.
That made two of them. Klaus also didn't feel like he should be here. Although that feeling was beginning to fade. Even though his brother hadn't made him feel entirely welcome.
“I’m sorry,” Klaus said with sincerity. Marcel hadn't talked much about his mother. Klaus assumed it wasn't the best relationship. Still he had come after her death. She probably meant more to Marcel than Esther and Mikael meant to Klaus. He couldn't care less whether they lived or died. At the very least he was sorry that Marcel had to come clean up the mess. Just because Marcel had betrayed him didn't mean he stopped caring. The man was more a brother to him than some of his own siblings. “How long are you staying for?”
Marcel gave a slow shrug with one shoulder. “It’s all good.” He plastered on that pearly white grin of his again masking how he truly felt like always. A trait he was damn near perfect at. “Not a damn thing to be sorry about.”
His mother had meant something once to him but after everything she allowed to happen he hadn’t really given the woman a second thought. It was her fault he had been beaten over and over again until he finally up and left California. “I’m not entirely sure yet.” Which he was being honest about. “Still a lot going on.”
Klaus just nodded. He wasn't going to argue with Marcel about the death of his own mother. As for Marcel’s answer to his question, Klaus wasn't sure how he felt about that. On the one hand he missed Marcel, but he also didn't want the man to take what was his again. Not that he even had anything in Orange County other than his family. Klaus highly doubted Marcel would be able to take his siblings from him. Besides he wasn't all that sure how much longer her would be around anyway. “Well then,” Klaus began raising his glass. “We might as well take advantage of the time we have.”