Empty Crown ⚜ Klaus Mikaelson

30. 𝙎𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙢 𝙃𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜

Imelda frowned, her eyebrows furrowing together as she peered over the sketchbook she was working in. The rain drizzled, splashing onto the hood of the car, the windshield wipers made a small swish sound, to low for any human to detect.

"You realize the irony in this, right?"

The words left her lips as she glanced to Klaus who was already smirking. From pride of not being caught gazing at her or from the fact she smelled like him thanks to his shirt and jacket, neither really knew.

"Love, life is full of irony." Klaus drawled, focusing on driving down the old and empty black top. "So, you'll have to be a bit more specific."

Imelda rolled her eyes. "Your mom, who is a witch and your brother, who is a vampire, have decided to hide out or at least visit Salem, Massachusetts." She finished shading his wolf form.

"Ah, that sort of irony." Klaus nodded. "If there was one thing my mother loved, it was power. Think of just how powerful the locations surrounding Salem are?"

Out of burning curiosity, Klaus let his eyes drift to her in an attempt to see what she was sketching but like all the times prior, she hid it from his view once again. He stretched his arm across the space between them but only got his hand slapped.

Imelda offered an innocent grin as Klaus glared, shaking his hand before catching her off guard and wrenching his sketchbook from her. "You're driving! Eyes on the road!" She jerked it back and pointed hastily to the hazy windshield. Klaus only laughed.

"We've only got forever to survive a car crash, Love." Klaus teased, watching as she huffed and closed the sketchbook, tucking it into the leather satchel he gave her. "Now, how are things back in Mystic Falls? I've seen you checking your phone."

Imelda slumped into the passenger seat. "Not great. Alaric was going in for an MRI this morning. Apparently the ring that brings him back if a supernatural kills him is driving him insane. It's happened before and that's what Mer found out."

"So you were right, that is something." Klaus pointed out as they reached the town sign welcoming them into Salem. Imelda sat up, watching the sign pass through a blurred haze from the rain drops.

"I always wanted to come here." Imelda muttered. "Iris wanted to go off and live in New York but I wanted to see castles, forgotten villages, battle fields."

Klaus glanced to see her hazel-silver eyes glinted in fondness. "And now? What do you want to do now?" His voice was soft and encouraging, pulling her attention to him.

"I don't know." Imelda whispered, looking from him and dead ahead. "But you know, I don't think that's a bad thing. Iris planned so much of our lives."

"So have no plan." Klaus shrugged, coming to a stop at a red light. "I don't suppose it's rocket science Love, and we both know you're far more clever than to waste time."

Imelda didn't reply. She mulled over his words and the words of Alaric the last time she saw him face to face. It had been shortly after he was released from jail, he had called her prompting her to "borrow" Klaus's car to pick him up and take him to the Gilbert's.

Elena wasn't home and that allowed them to properly talk. They spent nearly three hours talking and at the end of it, Alaric found himself wanting Imelda to go with Klaus, to take him up on the offer of leaving to find Esther and Finn.

"Time doesn't change and before you know it, a thousand years have gone by. So make sure you spend those years doing what makes you happy and the years will fly by." Alaric hugged her tightly before sending her to the side where, despite him not being happy, knew she belonged.