Chapter Text
8 nights passed since niklaus became a werewolf after killing the rouge and activating the curse. When he had woke up, the first word he had said was Caroline, who was next to him, as she had not left his side since he was put in his cot. Before he could even get a word in, she told him she did not care about his curse, that she still loved him and it did not matter if he was a werewolf, that she would support him.
The second thing was for Ansel to be brought to him. He had asked to be alone with him, and while they were hesitant, they knew the man was also a werewolf and was probably their best bet for someone to teach Klaus about his new lifestyle.
When they were alone. He spoke. “What you said before I passed out, that your my father.” Ansel nodded, he knew this would most likely be the first thing he would ask him about. “You told me..that you loved me, and watched me” Ansel leaned against the wall and crossed his arms.
“Esther made me promise to stay away. She didn't want anyone to know the truth. She knew I would not be able to hide how much I care for you, nor the fact that as you grew you continued to look just like me. It would be obvious I was your true father. She did not love me, as I loved her. Not nearly as much.”
Klaus nodded and didn't say anything so he continued. “She was married, and had already given birth to Finn and Elijah. That night, was a accumulation of me loving her, and her loneliness. I want to prefrence that I did infact attempt to disway her, but she was stubborn and sure that she wanted it. A simple night with a close friend.”
He shook his head lightly.
“She made me promise, but I refused to lose out on your life, I have loved you since the moment I knew she was with a babe. I loved you, and I wanted to watch you grow up and in some ways so I did. The times you have ever been in the woods and wondered why you felt eyes on you, despite being ‘alone’? that was me. I wanted to kill Mikael more times. I can count for his treatment of you. Of your siblings. They are not mine, but I still care for them. They are your siblings, and the children of the woman I love, how could I not care for them?”
Klaus watched him as he spoke, once more he could see the emotions in his face as he told him the answers to the questions he had never spoke of but clearly Ansel knew. The fact he wanted to save them from Mikael made a bit of happiness well in his chest but he pushed it down. This man was his father, and cared about him, the fact he also cares about his siblings gave the man some points, but he was unsure if he could fully trust the man yet, he truly did not know anything about him other than he was his mother's lover and that he's a werewolf.
“I don't trust you fully.” Ansel nodded, smart, never a stranger too quickly.
Klaus looked away towards the fire crackling in the hearth, as he felt a small slither of hope in his chest. “But I am willing to try. To have a relationship with you.”
Ansel felt his chest tighten, his own hope surfacing. He had long since given up on the want of having a relationship with his son, yet here the young man was, giving him a chance. He moved closer and took Klaus' shoulders in his hands, the man turning his head to look at him apprehensively.
“Thank you. You do not have to, you have your own right to not trust or want a relationship with me. But I thank you for your chance. I will do my best you ensure I do not let you down.” Klaus nodded and gave him a smile. They were not even close to hugging closeness yet, so they simply shook hands and Ansel had left.
The second through the fourth nights was spent healing, and taking it easy, Klaus complaining thee entire time about being subjected to staying on his cot. Caroline by him the entire time.
On the fifth day Klaus was allowed up and by time the sun was centered in the sky he had already ventured to the fall, as he had earlier asked his mother where the wolf camp was. His mother. That had been something these last few days. The night after his talk with Ansel he had spoke to his mother alone after everyone had gone to sleep.
She told him her side of the story, and he had admittedly been furious over the decisions she had made, but had also understood some of her reasoning. But he had made it clear he was upset with her, and told her that she knew his fear and anger towards Mikael. How he desperately wished he had a father who loved him.
When he had turned 20, she should have told him. That way he would not have been so shocked and unprepared for having the curse. Neither had known about him having it, but simply knowing his biological father that it could have allowed him to prepare just in case. That he could have had a father that loved him.
By the end of the night they had come to a tentive truce, but Klaus could not help but feel a little hurt by her keeping this from him. It had not helped that she had almost immediately told him she did not want him to go talk to the wolves, that she could find another way for him to learn then Ansel. She had told him that ‘she missed Ansel, yes, but Mikael was her husband and’. But that was as far as she got before he growled towards her that Mikael was an abusive dick who cares for no one but himself.
He controlled her, beat and had even a few times cut him, slapped Rebekah once for simply asking a question about the gods, and had grabbed and manhandled Elijah and hit kol everytime he spotted him doing magic.
Every single time he had left for his pathetic battles where far distant villages were fighting each other over petty disputes, nearly the entire village was lighter, happier. Kol could do his magic, the thing that made him whole, it was when he was doing magic that he was happiest.
Rebekah could ask questions and Elijah could stand up for them without fear of being hit as well. He could paint and swordfight without Mikael beating him for not liking violence and calling the battles petty. He could do rebekah's hair, and her his, without Mikael beating him for being “unmanly, you are a man act like it”.
He had never dared to touch henrik, but it didn't mean the 13 winters long boy did not escape the trauma, being forced to watch Mikael yell and scream at and beat his siblings. Yell at his mother. Henrik was terrified and even sometimes had nightmares of Mikael.
Even the entire village was a lighter and happier with him gone, his views on how women should be treated and how men should act was horrible, and even the fucking village leader hated the man. He understood she wanted to be faithful to her vows, despite his very existence showing the truth of that matter, but her actions completely contradicted everything she held dear and claimed to care the most about.
Once he finishes his rant he turned away from her, walking back over to his cot from where they had been near the door. Leaving her before she could form a response. The last time they had talked since was when he asked her where the camp was, in which she quietly told him before he nodded and walked away.
He spent the entire time being introduced to the pack, as ansel’s son, something he admittedly enjoyed. Felt much better then being introduced as Mikaels son. The wolves welcomed him graciously, and the suntime was spent laughing with them as they told embarrassing stories of each other. He told them about his siblings, about Katherine, and Caroline. His hearing was much sharper, a long with his sight, so he was nursing a horrible headache for a good part of the it.
When night had fallen, Ansel led him back and left him by the door, Niklaus promising to visit again soon. On the seventh day, and eighth day, things came to a head.
6 moons, and 14 nights had passed since Mikael had left. 4 moons and 14 nights since Niklaus met Caroline, they received word the distant battles had started to slow, and will be over within the next moon and a half. Mikael would be coming back. They were worried, but also prepared. The girl's, who came along a little over 2 moons after he left, were briefed about him, more than what their respective lovers had been willing to share, and each Mikaelson woman had promptly dragged their men to different parts of the village to comfort them.
Katherine took Elijah to the falls, and spent their time with a small picnic as they rested their feet in the water, while Caroline took Niklaus to their clearing, and spent their time much like they had back when they had been meeting, dancing and chasing, a while splashing one another with water from the small stream, and leaning against the tree they had carved their runic names into after she arrived to the village.
Sage and Finn took Rebekah and Henrik to their home and the boys spent time playing with wooden swords while the girls watched them, stitching up some of Finn and Henrik’s torn tunics.
Kol, as independent as ever, had turned down their offer and had gone into the woods near Ayana's hut. He had spent a bit with her going over grimoires, but had gotten bored so he ventured far into the woods past her home. He was wearing his favorite well worn darkish red tunic, with a leather belt and dark brown breeches. He had his satchel over his chest, with his personal small grimoire. He was walking when he felt a sudden pressure to his mind, but quickly muttered his anti-headache spell.
He looked around, unaffected, but looking for the witch who did the spell. He went further than he was usually allowed, and knew that there was an old cottage around here, he had seen it once before while herb collecting with ayana.
He spotted the witch, badly attempting to hide behind a tree. She was watching him, so he went to his satchel and she raised her hand, thinking he was probably grabbing a dagger or something, but as he pulled out his book, he saw her eyes widen.
“I am a witch too,” he said calmly. “I Mean no harm, I was simply walking through the woods. Got distracted and ended up going further than intended.” The girl stepped out and Kol's initial thought was that she looked so damn innocent. Then next was that she was pretty. She had long dark brown hair, soft blue eyes, and a sleeveless deep green dress over a tan long sleeved undershirt. Her skin was pale-ish with a healthy pink tint to it.
He went closer to her, his hands still showing. When he reached her he took her hand and bent at the waist, his signature grin on his face as he kissed her knuckles. Actually on her knuckles, and not the air above them as he usually does. “Hello m’lady, my name is kol Mikaelson, and what might yours be?” She looked at him, and he grinned even wider at seeing her unimpressed look.
“Davina. Davina claire.”
Ignoring the news of Mikaels impending return, they decided to simply have fun. The next 7 nights were spent having fun and enjoying their time. The more time that passed the closer Niklaus and Ansel got. The man did not judge him at all, and was patient when Klaus' temper got the best of him. The thing that escalated how quickly they got along was when they found out that Niklaus got his love of coloring things from Ansel.
Ansel even took him to his tent in the wolf camp and showed him his wide assortment of berry paste he painted with. With colors Niklaus didn't even know existed, and it very quickly became a bonding exercise between them.
Niklaus practically demanded Ansel stay with them from a bit, which then started to enhance the closeness of Ansel and Esther, and the children for to see how effortlessly they got along, making jokes no one else understood, handing something to the other without either saying a word, just knowing what the other wanted.
Unlike Niklaus, it did not take them more than two times for them to notice kol sneaking out into the woods, a smile on his face. This brought back endless teasing to Niklaus, especially when they had, unknown to kol, watched him do it, and Klaus had asked if he had been that obvious.
Kol met a girl, one that he was actually fond of, as kol was famous for flirting with every girl he came across, and knew that if whomever kol was trying to woo fell for his charms, a few hearts were definitely going to be broken. They definitely were when Caroline came along. Many had already given up on Elijah, the man making it clear he had no want for a relationship, preferring to care for his family instead.
Caroline and Klaus were extremely happy together, and this fact was obvious to all in the village. It was during one of their outings to what was referred to as “their clearing”, that the family gathered. Ansel included. They discussed the two, and everything they had done for them, and how he was finally truly happy after his entire 23 winters, and how Caroline was loving and kind, and seamlessly fit into their family. The Mikaelson family, now including Katherine and even Ansel, agreed as a whole that they wanted to repay them, and what better, then for their very own home?
14 nights later, things changed un-reversibly. The preparations had already began and the village builders were building Caroline and Klaus home, on the edge of the woods, not far from the Mikaelson home. Neither were aware of what was happening, both simply believing another village couple are building their new home.
All of the kids were off doing their own things, so in a rare moment, Esther was alone. So she tidied up, and reflected. 7 moons and 1 senight ago to the day, her third youngest met the love of his life. 3 moons ago, Elijah found and rescued the girl he loved. 1 moon and 1 night ago Ansel came barreling his way right back in her life. She missed him, they had Been friends since they were 16 and 17 winters. And her eldest child was now a bit over 34 winters long.
And as if he could sense that she was thinking of him, he appeared. “How are you doing? I saw kol pestering you earlier” he was leaning against the wall, his arms crossed and Niklaus' grin on his face. She turned to him and smiled back. “Fine, small headache but that is the perk of being a witch. And a problem of being a mother” his canines showed as he laughed.
Henrik, who has been off playing, half-ran into the door, and looked up at Ansel “have you seen my sword? I thought I left it on the shed but I did not” Ansel chuckled “It is on your cot sweet boy” Henrik huffed, “I am 14 winters long, I am not a boy!” Ansel simply grinned as he grabbed his sword and as the boy walked out ruffled his hair “have fun!”
Esther watched with conflicting emotions, a small frown on her face. Ansel was so effortlessly good and nice to the children. As much as it hurt to say, Ansel acted more like their father than Mikael did. He played with Henrik and did the girls hair at dawn, after they broke their fast.
He conversed and even went hunting with Elijah, She has also seen him listening to kol ranting when he found a new spell with a smile on his face, encouraging him to search for and practice his magic.
He never raised his voice at them, and either touched them gently on the shoulder or head, or not at all. Where his temper flared, and his eyes flashed amber, he would excuse himself, so that he would not snap at them.
So lost in her thoughts, she hadn't noticed him come up to her concern in his eyes. “-er, -ther, Esther!” she snapped out of it, and looked at him, he was standing about 2 feet away, the closest they have been near each other in winters. “What is wrong? You have that look on your face” she shook her head and lowered it.
She felt a hand on her chin, and he stopped forward as he raised it, his head tilted down to look at her. “I know you, Es. I know when you are conflicted” He said softly. She met his eyes.
“I am annoyed, how is it, not even 2 moons of being here, you have been more of a father then their own? How can you care for them so easily and clearly yet he can not? I do not understand it!” She ranted. Mikael was harsh, distant and hurtful to the children, yet Ansel did the girls' hair, played with and laughed with the boys.
Ansel shook his head “I simply treat them the way they should be treated, they are young, and to a point, innocent. Mikael is just a miserable man who misses his glory days of being a warrior, and refuses to admit that all that is left are petty disputes. he is no true warrior. He will not be welcomed into the gates of Valhalla because of how he treats not only you but the children.”
They looked at each other, and without meaning to, Ansel could not help but glance down at her lips. Even after all these winters she was still thee most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. He remembers, still, vividly the feel of her lips, every detail of that night still imprinted in his mind.
He took another step, he was so close to her now, that he could feel her breath. His eyes on her, their connection still there, never dimmed even their time apart. He had enjoyed spending time here, with the kids, and her. It felt like a family, and he wanted that.
Esther is the woman he has loved since he was 17 winters long, and has continued to love for over 36 winters. He has seen her through a sad and unworthy marriage, seen her bear 5 children to a man who does not truly love her or them, and has seen her as she grew.
He loved her so deeply, and has never looked at, or taken a woman other than her. He looked at her, and found he had no desire to leave anymore. He wanted this family. He wanted to help hunt, and provide for them. He wanted her. He could no longer deny his desire as he looks apon her lips once more, and without a second thought, he lifted his hand to her face. Before leaning down.
Ansel Aumont than kissed Esther Mikaelson.