happiness is a butterfly

part 2

"So, Declan, how long have you known Hayley?"

The other man laughed and held Hayley's hand.

"It's been what? 8 years now since I met you, honey?"

She placed her other hand on top of his, ignoring the way Klaus clenched his jaw at the motion.

"And three years since we started dating," she said with a smile.

"Oh, it really took you years to get over that ex of yours!"

Hayley tensed at the mention of Elijah and glanced over at Klaus, who seemed fixated on the plate he still hadn't touched.

The rest of the night was a tad bit awkward, as expected. The two men casually threw subtle insults, and Hayley interfered whenever she felt like Klaus was getting too close to going after Declan's throat.

"When's Hope coming over? I'm pretty sure she'd love to finally see her dad since... he never seemed to spare the time to even answer a simple phone call."

"Declan... please."

"I don't think my relationship with my family is any of your concerns, Declan."

The other man raised an eyebrow.

"Really? Because as I recall, while you were off doing god knows what, I was a phone call away from helping your supposed family whenever they needed me."

The hybrid quickly stood, ready to spill blood, when Hayley got between him and Declan. Her hand grabbing his arm managed to calm him down.

"Not here, not tonight."

Her voice was firm, so he simply glared at the man and left the house, shutting the door with a crash.

"Klaus, wait!"

She went after him when Declan appeared in front of her.

"Honey, I'm—"

"Declan, can you just please leave? I'll call you tomorrow."

With a nod, he kissed her and exited the house.

She spent the rest of the night trying to get him to answer her calls, but to no avail. He came back around three in the morning when he found her in the living room with a drink in hand. He sat next to her before she broke the silence.

"I was going to give you hell for not picking up the phone, but I figured you have a real talent for that."

He laughed; he knew she was going to explode soon.

"I was wondering when you're going to bring it up."

"And I was wondering when you're going to grow a pair and talk to your daughter."

He got up to fix himself a drink, and she immediately followed him.

"Do you know how many times I wrote you? Or did you not keep count of all the letters you returned unopened?"

"Hayley—"

"No, I'll be doing all the talking. I had this speech memorized for when I finally see you, and because I'm an idiot, I couldn't say anything today because I was just glad to get you back. God! You didn't even apologize! You acted as if nothing happened and you proceeded to almost kill Declan."

That's when he threw the bottle at the wall and moved to face her.

"You're the only reason your vexing excuse for a boyfriend left unscathed. Maybe try and appreciate that."

He grew impatient as she let out a laugh.

"You never change, do you? Instead of finally owning up to your mistakes, you stand here acting like you're doing me a favor by not killing someone I care about? Someone who was there for your family when your ass was nowhere to be found."

In a moment, her back hit the wall so hard she thought she broke her spine. His hand was tight around her throat.

"I did everything for you and Hope! I—"

She couldn't push him as she struggled to breathe.

"Do you think I was out there chasing a good time, Hayley? I was gutted to leave. Every day I spent away from her was a living hell."

Her body hit the ground when he finally released her.

"You promised me that we'll be a team, remember? You said we'll work together as partners for her, but then you abandoned us."

She failed to fight back the tears, and he felt his heart sink at the sight. All he ever wanted for her and Hope was happiness, which is part of the reason he stayed away. But feeling like he's the reason for her pain weighed heavily on him.

"I just wanted to feel like you still cared, like we didn't lose you. Hope needed her dad, and I needed you more than ever. I tried so hard to involve you in her life as much as I can. You know I did."

"I know, love, I know."

He moved to wipe her tears before pulling her into a tight hug. More tears soaked his shirt, and again he did not care, not while he had her in his arms, not while she's finally with him.

"I'm sorry for what I said. I just hated to see you leave again."

He pushed her hair behind her ear to get a better look at the face he missed greatly.

"You needn't apologize, sweetheart, and I'm never leaving again."

They were a hairbreadth apart, and he leaned even closer when his phone rang.

He cursed under his breath before answering it, and Hayley stepped back awkwardly.

"That was Caroline's voice. Why did she call you at three am?"

"Because I was supposed to sleep at her house."

She was quiet for twenty seconds before giving an "Oh."

"I figured I'm not exactly your favorite person right now, and I happen to value my life."

He added with a smile, but the truth is, he didn't think he could handle her justified disappointment in him.

"You once told me that despite the hardships this family comes with, I'll always have a home with you. Now I know how I made it sound earlier, but that hasn't changed."

A more genuine smile lit up his face before he cupped her face with one hand and wished her good night.