save my soul : k.m.

you're burning up, finn! - chapter 22

'Don't make me talk about it, Nik.'

Astrid didn't look at him as he walked into their bedroom. You could barely see her from inside her wardrobe, she threw her shirt on the bed and kept her mind busy - knowing that now wasn't the time to start a fight.

'I know you're mad at me but I done what I had too.'

'Yeah.' She turned around to face him as she changed into baggier trousers, 'You always do what you have to do huh.' Her bitter sarcastic words made Nik feel horrible as she walked back downstairs to check on Rebekah. The cold concrete seemed to wake her up as she stepped out of her room bare footed and paced to the ground floor where Kol stood over his sister in her coffin. 'We'll contact Miss Barker in the morning.' He looked up and smiled solemnly at his sister in law.

Kol noticed how tense Astrid was and sighed, 'I don't feel the need to prove myself to my brother in this moment.' Kol spoke again and Astrid looked up from the other side of Rebekah and he finished his sentence, 'But it's always been you who had faith in me and I've noticed a particular lack of that since I returned.'

'You can tell huh?' Astrid laughed sadly and Kol laughed too before handing over the white oak stake, 'I gave you my word didn't I?' The shock on Astrid's face was evident but she took it anyway.

...

Astrid ended up falling asleep downstairs on the leather sofa next to Rebekah's coffin. Technically she hadn't argued with Klaus the way they usually would so he was at a loss on what to do. He secretly hoped that the century apart didn't change him as much but in Astrid's eyes it had.

She was his person to come home too.

He tossed and turned with a hand subconsciously outstretched to her side of the bed, not being able to sleep. Nik pushed himself up and slipped on some trousers. When he reached the balcony, his pace grew when he saw how close she was to falling off and vamp sped over to her, scooping her up in his arms which made her stir.

'Nik?' She grumbled and tried to open her eyes but they were too heavy, her face screwed up instead. 'I've got you, love. I've got you it's only me.' He whispered and she leant into him, her head falling onto his collarbone.

'I'm sorry.' She mumbled as he ascended the stairs with a firm grip on her and he smiled softly, 'You've got nothing to be sorry for, sweetheart.'

...

'Astrid! What do I owe the pleasure?' Kol opened the door to his new bedroom to see the hybrid there munching on an apple. Astrid smiled with a mouth full and Klaus appeared behind her with an equally as happy smile, 'Settling into your new accommodations?'

'Well, I would have preferred my old room. Seeing as it's filled with a dusty nursery and a hybrid, I thought it best not to complain.' Kol explained and Astrid grinned, 'Very wrong yes. I'm sure this room will do this nicely.'

Kol looked inquisitively at his sister in law, 'You are way to chipper at this time of the morning.'

She grinned even wider, if that was possible, 'All in the spirit of reconciliation.'

The younger brother looked between the two confused before Klaus spoke up, 'I brought you something in honor of your return to the fold. I believe it's your favorite, or, at least, it used to be. La Fille de Vert.'

'Ding dong... the witch is dead! Or undead.' Kol's pun about Esther made Astrid and Klaus snigger. The "insurance" he referenced last night was indeeed Rebekah planting vampire blood in Esther's wine, making the original witch a new baby vampire and Kol finished, 'Whichever. Cheers!'

The bottle shattered in Kol's grip and everyone looked up alarmed to see Finn standing there. Something had changed about the oldest Mikaelson since he last came into contact with his family. His eyes were vacant, a vast expanse of shadow and his top lip lifted in a grimace. 'Where is she?' Astrid read Finn as he spoke and she smiled.

He was unravelling.

'Finn! Please, join us. My, my, you look peaky' Nik kept the same demeanour as Astrid and turned to her and Kol, 'Doesn't he look peaky?' Kol put on an act and smirked to annoy his brother, 'He does look peaky.'

'You feeling alright?' Klaus asked feigning concern and Astrid walked up to her brother in law, placing a hand on his forehead and squinting, 'You're burning up, Finn! I should get you some water!'

Nik shook his head sniggering and Kol loved the feeling of people being on his side. Finn swatted her hand away and looked at her, 'Don't make me ask again.'

'Well, I assume you're referring to our mother.'' Klaus sat back down and allowed Astrid to talk, 'She's perfectly safe, Finn. She's tucked away from prying eyes though I'll tell you that.'

'You think you've won, huh Astrid? Let's see how long that arrogance lasts.' Finn held his arms behind his back and walked out slowly. 'He never talks clearly.' Kol commented, trying to shake off the sudden alarm that he felt and Nik nodded at Astrid to come over when he noticed the concern tied into her brow like a corset. Since Kol's return to the fold, Deryn and Elysium had been staying at her old apartment as they didn't feel exactly comfortable around him even though they were aware Finn was the main perpetrator. Now Finn seems to have flipped a switch and her sister and new friend remained unprotected.

Nik wrapped an arm around her as she leant onto his chest and his hand reached her hair as they shared an uncharacteristically public moment in front of Kol and he looked up as Nik placed his head on top of hers and the brothers made eye contact. Kol's face relaxed for a moment and his jaw dropped slightly at the sight until it developed into a grin and Nik's face turned red as he smirked.

'Christ this is worse then the time I walked in on you doing it!' Kol cracked up and Astrid turned around with a red face and bright smile, 'Fuck off Kol' Astrid went to walk out and Nik asked where she was going in such a hurry.

'I'm going to check on my wayward brother in law. You may want to brush off what he said but I don't. He's bloody snapped.'