Royals and Rule-breakers

Strawberries and Serenity

"Klaus? Klaus..."

Klaus turned over and opened one eye to see Sunny tugging at the edge of the bedsheets. "What is it Sunny?"

"Sunny? What's wrong?" Y/N asked, Sunny's eyes going wide as the painter sat up beside her brother.

"Klaus!" She gasped, eyes sparkling mischievously, and Klaus groaned. "You finally told Y/N you like her!"

"Shh, Sunny, not a word."

"Mm hm." The little girl pantomimed zipping her lips shut, and Y/N laughed sweetly while Klaus continued to blush and bury his face in his hand.

"Sunny, are you alright?" Y/N asked again, and Sunny's face suddenly went serious as she looked down.

"Did you have a bad dream?" Klaus guessed softly, and his sister nodded.

"Oh, poor baby..." Y/N sighed empathetically as Klaus patted Sunny's head.

"Alright, you're okay..." he assured her, helping her onto the bed. "Do you want some water? Milk? Cookies?"

Sunny shook her head, nestling herself between her brother and Y/N.

"Alright... you just want to sleep, huh." Klaus smiled affectionately, and Y/N cuddled the little girl close to her chest as she nodded.

"Well, we won't let anything get to you." She whispered gently, stroking her hair. "Not even the bad dreams."

Klaus protectively placed his good arm around the two of them, continuing to smile as Sunny exhaled contently and closed her eyes, snuggling closer to Y/N.

"You remind me of mother and father." Sunny murmured sleepily, and Klaus felt a lump form in his throat as his little sister drifted off to sleep.

"You alright?" Y/N whispered, gazing up at him over Sunny's head.

"Yeah... yeah." But Klaus felt a few tears drip down his face as he held Sunny and Y/N tighter, Y/N turning up her eyebrows in concern. "I just don't... I don't want her to have nightmares all the time." He admitted quietly. "Not like..."

"Not like you." Y/N finished, sighing a little as Klaus nodded.

"But she won't." Klaus assured himself firmly. "She will be safe from everything."

Y/N smiled a bit, adding, "Don't forget to let her live a little though. Show her the world for me, remember?"

"Don't worry," Klaus smiled back and nodded, "She'll live the best life, I will be sure of it." He placed a kiss on top of Sunny's head, then on Y/N's before she tucked her head beneath his chin and fell back asleep herself.

Klaus felt another tear trace down his cheek, burying his face into Y/N's hair and smiling wider before closing his own eyes, feeling at peace for a fleeting moment.

But his smile faded as he thought about the fact that in order for Sunny to live the life she wanted, Klaus had no choice but to marry- and not the person he would like to.

***

"Good morning, did you sleep alright?"

Klaus opened his eyes to see Y/N propped up on her elbow, smiling at Sunny, who nodded and hugged her.

"Mm hm, I felt very safe with you." She beamed at the painter, then tuned to see her brother sitting up, and tackled him in a hug as well.

"Woah! Careful there..." Y/N laughed a little as she made sure that Klaus' splinted arm was okay, and Klaus just smiled and gave Sunny a one-armed hug in return as she apologized sheepishly.