spamalot } of long stories and protecting reputations

[fadingspark]

Klaus: [is taking his nightly brood up on the balcony on the side where Cami's bar is located. He has a glass of scotch in one hand as he leans over the railing, watching the patrons as they move in and out, using his hearing to listen for any signs of trouble]

Stiles: [has put Dina to bed and came out for some fresh air. He joins Klaus and leans on it next to him] Whatcha watching?

Klaus: [takes a swallow of his drink before gesturing to the bar] A friend of mine works there. I like to make sure closing always goes according to plan.

Stiles: You're a good friend like that.

Klaus: As is she. [the people continue to filter out of the bar until the trickle is down to one or two and eventually a blond head pops into view, sliding her bag over her shoulder. She glances up to the balcony, giving him a bit of a wave which he returns with a small smile, before she turns and starts to walk down the street]

Stiles: [watches then smiles] Does she know why you do it?

Klaus: She is a very astute woman. I have no doubt that she knows exactly why. She is simply kind enough not to call attention to it.

Stiles: And why don't you want her to?

Klaus: [he watches her retreating form for a moment, before looking down again] Because she and I are both not ones for futile gestures. She is not ready for this world, and I am not inclined to force her hand on the issue.

Stiles: So she doesn't know about werewolves?

Klaus: She is ... peripherally aware. [he pulls away from the balcony to have a seat at the table with the scotch] Her uncle is one of our human allies.

Stiles: Ah. Well, she’ll probably take it a lot easier then when you hit that point you want to tell her.

Klaus: [he sighs softly] We would never be able to be together, not truly. She is quite happy with her humanity, and I do not wish to change that.

Stiles: That's not stopping Cora and I. Why should it stop you two?

Klaus: [a deep breath] Do you know what it's like for wolf to be unable to fully be with their mate? It's a restlessness, a ... frustration. If you can't claim your mate, it becomes a compulsion, a driving need until you can't help yourself. [he places his empty glass down and goes to refill it, before gesturing to his jaw] I cannot claim her without changing her. And she doesn't wish to be changed.

Stiles: And so you just completely stay away and hope that's better?

Klaus: It's not better. But it would be better than her hating me for doing this against her will should the unthinkable occur.

Stiles: [goes to sit] maybe you could find someone to take the alphaness away for like 24 hours or something to be able to do it?

Klaus: [he snorts a bit] Maybe when the Quarter is less vulnerable, but for now things are too tenuous. It is best she keeps her distance.

Stiles: Well, I know what it's like to not be able to be with the one you love, so you have my sympathies. It sucks.

Klaus: It certainly does. But it is not all terrible. I can wait for my own happiness if it means my brother gets to have his.

Stiles: Just don't go do anything stupid like try to find happiness with another person.

Klaus: Oh, I wouldn't dream of it. Other women, while entertaining for a moment, lack her particular ... tenacity.

Stiles: [smirks] You like determined girls then?

Klaus: [smirks back] They're the only ones worth knowing, in my opinion.

Stiles: I dunno, I tend to have a liking for the stubborn ones myself.

Klaus: I'm enough stubborn for the both of us, really.

Stiles: Yeah, well you've never seen Cora and I being stubborn at each other. It’s enough stubborn to power Los Angeles for a week.

Klaus: [he laughs] She is a tough one, that is for sure. You must truly love her to put up with that kind of firepower.

Stiles: I do. More than I can ever explain.

Klaus: It's good. She deserves some of her own happiness after trying to make sure everyone else got theirs.

Stiles: [looks down at his hands] Yeah, she does.

Klaus: [his head tips to the side a bit] I take it there's more to the story I'm not aware of?

Stiles: Not sure I actually know how much of the story you know, to be honest.

Klaus: [he gives a bit of a shrug] Fairly little. Cora didn't speak of it much and most of our conversations revolved around sabotaging a political wedding that neither party wanted.

Stiles: [nods] She and I started dating when we were sixteen. [he motioned towards the bourbon] Think I can have some of that?

Klaus: [nods, kicking his feet up on the empty chair next to him] By all means.

Stiles: [goes to pour himself a drink] I knew she was the one for me soon after that. We were this really hard and fast relationship, and everyone thought we'd be like that forever. But as we started college, she started to pull away.

Klaus: Intense relationships can be hard at that age, especially for a wolf. Instinct and loyalty conflict with hormones and societal expectations and pressures. My brother Finn felt that with his mate when he was that age - his running off with Sage was probably the most impulsive and controversial thing he's ever done.

Stiles: Well, she broke up with me instead, and went to Boston. And I didn't know what to do with myself after that. So I made some really, really bad choices.

Klaus: I take it these bad choices amounted to more than a few drunken, regretful mistakes.

Stiles: I actually got married. Because I wanted to have some kind of happiness, and then found out she was pregnant. [sips the bourbon] And spent three years living in my own personal hell afterward.

Klaus: I'm sorry to hear it. It was the fate I was hoping to avoid for Andrea when I recruited your mate to my cause.

Stiles: Well, everything with Andrea, Elijah and Tyler all worked out in the end.

Klaus: It did. And it seemed to work out on yours as well.

Stiles: Well, now at least. A few months ago... well, let's just say that it took the entire Hale pack and company to fight to keep me alive.

Klaus: They're very good at that from what I've heard.

Stiles: Too bad the Vegas mafia didn't get the memo when they came to kill me.

Klaus: [chuckles softly] I suppose they'll know better next time.

Stiles: I'm going on about six months with no problems. I'm hoping there will be no next time.

Klaus: Fingers crossed, then.

Stiles: [nods] But it's hard, you know. Knowing what you want, and not being able to have it. So you try to move on, and you think you are, and it ends up just destroying you.

Klaus: Only if you allow it to. Our inner demons are just that. We can either conquer them or let them rule us. I, personally, chose to conquer mine.

Stiles: I'm not talking about inner demons. I'm talking about the physically and psychologically abusive woman that I thought I could learn to love.

Klaus: I'm talking about my abusive alpha of a father who I killed and took control of his pack.

Stiles: [nods] Alright, you do get what I'm talking about. [nods and sips his drink]

Klaus: Better than most. [takes a sip of his own] Mikael was and always will be a monster. I was saving myself and my siblings. Not everyone agrees with me for my choice but considering I'm starting to rebuild everything he destroyed, they're starting to come around.

Stiles: Sounds like a good choice to me, to be honest. But I'm the guy who stayed in because I wasn't going to leave my daughter behind.

Klaus: Having met the girl in question, I can't fault you there.

Stiles: [chuckles] Yeah, my little girl is a stealer of hearts. I'm going to be in a lot of trouble in a few years.

Klaus: Oh, I'm sure you will. Just get those werewolf uncles to stare down the boyfriends and I'm sure you'll be in good shape.

Stiles: I knew Scott would be good for something.

Klaus: There you go. [smirks a bit] I fear for any daughters Elijah may have. Four werewolf uncles in addition to all the other male members of this pack and any boyfriends may find themselves fleeing the compound in horror. Never mind the girl's actual father.

Stiles: Then we shall pray that all of their children will be masculine ones. [chuckles and goes to refill his glass]

Klaus: I'm sure Andrea will have something to say about that.

Stiles: Well, no technically the sex is all determined by the guy and how fast his swimmers are.

Klaus: Simple biology will not stop her from having something to say.

Stiles: If she can figure out how to alter biology with the power of her mind, she may just blow up the scientific community.

Klaus: She is certainly determined enough to try.

Stiles: I'll be looking forward to seeing the clinical trials on that.

Klaus: You and I both.

Stiles: [sits back] At least you'll eventually have some nephews and nieces to distract you.

Klaus: [he nods] At least there's that.

Stiles: [sips his drink] I was an only child until my dad remarried. Luckily my best friend is now literally my step brother.

Klaus: That does sound rather fortunate. I can't imagine what being an only child is like.

Stiles: Pretty lonely. But when Scott's dad left town, his mom and my mom were friends and my mom basically watched him until we got to be school aged. So I don't really remember a point in my life without Scott being around.

Klaus: That sounds like me and friend Marcel. He would have been my second if not for Elijah. I turned him myself.

Stiles: Yeah, Scott got turned by another alpha and then left to fend for himself. That's how I found out about all this werewolf stuff.

Klaus: The wolf didn't want him in their pack?

Stiles: No. It was trying to get at Talia. You ever hear of a guy called Deucalion?

Klaus: [smirks as his tone gets a bit mocking] The alpha of alphas?

Stiles: That’s the one.

Klaus: Well, it's lucky that Talia was able to take him in.

Stiles: It was. I mean, if that hadn't happened, I don't know what life for any of us would look like.

Klaus: I've found there's not much stock in the what ifs.

Stiles: I'm starting to learn that.

Klaus: How is that working for you?

Stiles: Depends on the day, issue, and how sober I am.

Klaus: Now?

Stiles: Today is a good day. So it's easy not to think back over all your choices.

Klaus: And if it were a bad day?

Stiles: [looking out over the city] You don't want to see me on a bad day.

Klaus: I believe we all have them. It's simply a matter of how much damage we can keep ourselves from doing.

Stiles: Well, I haven't lost Cora yet, or let my daughter see me in one of them. Cora gets it though.

Klaus: I suppose that's where that stubborn comes in handy.

Stiles: Yeah. And love. It's one of the ways I know she loves me is that she's willing to help me work through those days.

Klaus: You're lucky to have her.

Stiles: I know. Trust me, I know.

Klaus: Good.

Stiles: I'm just glad she realized that she needed me too.

Klaus: [nods] I'm sure she is too.

Stiles: So she never told you about me at all?

Klaus: I never really asked. When we spoke it was mostly with undermining Tyler's father. I did hear about you after your relationship was rekindled, however. Enough to know that you mean a great deal to her.

Stiles: She means the world to me. But I can talk about her forever and you probably don't want to hear about that at all.

Klaus: [he laughs at that] I can't say I mind. There's nothing more endearing than the devotion of someone truly in love.

Stiles: Yeah, well I've loved her a long time. Even when I couldn't have her, I still loved her.

Klaus: That's the way it goes with mates. Even when they aren't there, the feelings don't fade.

Stiles: We weren't mated back then.

Klaus: You don't need to be mated to be mates, mate.

Stiles: Yeah, so I've learned. I just... there was a long time I wasn't with her and I thought she didn't want me anymore.

Klaus: [he nods] I'm sorry you went through that.

Stiles: Thought she was actually with Tyler for a while. Almost broke my fist on his face. [holds up the casted hand] I obviously didn't learn my lesson.

Klaus: [he laughs a bit at that] Considering as soon as I announced that his wedding was off, he ran right into Caroline's arms, I would say your estimation on that was quite wrong.

Stiles: Yeah, no one filled me in on that whole part of the story until after I threw the punch. Of course, it was the first time I'd even seen the guy since Scott's wedding when he was Cora's date. And I wasn't in the best place mentally then. [snorts] It's taken a lot of therapy to make me a contributing part of society.

Klaus: [he chuckles] I'm sure that's true for most. Hopefully we'll be able to return you to her soon.

Stiles: I hope so. Not for the obvious, but because that also means that her brother is safe too.

Klaus: [nods] Nogitsune are tricky creatures. But from what I've heard progress has been made.

Stiles: Yeah. Now if my brother will just keep his ass out of the line of fire, I won't have to console his wife.

Klaus: [he chuckles] I have a feeling it's his wife's wrath he'll have to worry about more than anything else.

Stiles: Oh yeah. That will be amusing, but I will be distracted enough that I probably will miss most of the fireworks.

Klaus: A worthwhile distraction.

Stiles: Oh yeah. [smirks]

Klaus: [he laughs] Indeed.

Stiles: And I don't know if it's the mate thing or what, but honestly, she's really the best I’ve ever had. In that department.

Klaus: [eyebrows] And that's information I did not need to know. [he reaches to pull the bottle back towards him] Perhaps I should be cutting you off.

Stiles: That's probably a good plan. [buuuuut he's going to down that glass he is still holding before pushing the empty at him]

Klaus: [smirks as he finishes his own before glancing down to the now empty street again] In fact, I think it's time for both of us to get some sleep.

Stiles: Also a good plan. [stands up, swaying a bit]

Klaus: [gets up with him, reaching over to steady his shoulders] Come on, mate. Let's get you to bed.

Stiles: [nods] You know, you're a lot nicer than the rumors make you out to be.

Klaus: [turns and guides him back towards his room] I get that a lot. Don't tell anyone, I have a reputation to protect.

Stiles: Won't hear it from me. Course, you're not my type, so no helping me get into bed.

Klaus: [he laughs] Just want to make sure you don't fall and break your other hand on the way there.

Stiles: Yup, you're a good guy.

Klaus: [and with that, he'll get him back to his room with a nod] Sleep well, Stiles.

Stiles: You too. [and he's just going to end up faceplanting in his bed for the most part]

Klaus: [good man. Klaus is just going to head to bed himself]