#* . ⊹ 𝕃.ℝ. › ft. hope

[hellonexrth]

004. laurie & hope @hntershunted

Stepping onto the streets of Rome with his beautiful girlfriend in tow was all the nearly ancient vampire could have asked for. This seemed an impossible moment they were living in together, halfway across the globe while New Orleans struggled. But they were together, and that was the only thing that ever mattered for the pair anymore. And Laurie, well, he couldn't find it in himself to care about New Orleans, hometown or not, home was with the girl before him. And he knew, more than anything else, that she deserved a vacation. Lawrence Rutherford was in the business of giving her what she wanted and deserved. For the rest of his immortal existence.

So, after receiving the keys from a lockbox just outside the property, he guided Hope toward the front door of their rented apartment for the next few days. A luxurious space spitting distance from the Trevi Fountain, with views he couldn't believe. Upon opening the door to the apartment, they were greeted with a room that could have been pulled straight from a museum. Statuesque columns, dark romantic colors, and masterpieces in gilded frames.

Tempted to pick her up and carry her across the threshold, he steeled himself—hopefully saving that for later in the trip. Instead, he set their luggage down in the entry way and wrapped his arms around her midsection from behind, taking in the sight along side her, pressing a kiss to her cheek. "So, what do you think?" he said, eyes on her despite the sight before them. Before she could respond, he unwound himself from her and grabbed her hand, leading her deeper into the apartment as the listing had called it, though it was more like their own personal castle for the next few days.

[hellishmuse]

001. laurie & hope @tribridcrsed

Since waking up nearly two years ago, life had been a whirlwind for the vampire who now stood inside an empty bar with a glass in his hand. Falling in love a second time had never been on his bingo card, and letting her slip through his fingers after a devastating incident certainly wasn't either. With the glass in his hand, he flipped through a folder of records with the other. All the places they'd been, the people they'd killed. He should have stopped keeping track months ago, but he couldn't. There had to be someone keeping tabs, someone checking in on them. Things were already well past alright, but keeping tabs was all he was capable of by this point.

He'd tried, god had he tried, to reel her back in from the beginning. He'd tried to be there for her when her family died, tried to be supportive when she turned her humanity off. For months he tried and tried, doing everything he could think of to bring her back down to earth. Despite her killing his one friend, he couldn't not try.

Even as his thoughts told him maybe it was time to give up, he just white-knuckled the glass of bourbon and closed the case files, dragging his hand through his hair before downing the rest of the glass. This nightmare had gone on for far too long. He'd thought by now, after a year that she'd find her way home, find a way to turn her humanity back on. But still, he stood alone, hope dwindling. Turning off his own humanity certainly would have solved the problem a lot sooner, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. He'd been lost in that world for far longer than Hope, and he could still remember the guilt that came with turning it back on. He couldn't go through it again, but he could stand by and wait for her, wait to help her through it. Because despite her absence, everything he did was still for her.

He lifted his head, eyes finding hers immediately, barely recognizing them. They felt so different. Cold. He cleared his throat, looked away. "Missed stealing your old friend's liquor, huh?"

[cxrsedmuse]

closed — @tribidscrsed location: french quarter

Worrying about Hope hadn't been on his bucket list of the day. He'd gotten it in his head that she was smart and independent, and didn't need someone like Laurie to worry about her. Now, as he sat in his own apartment, waiting for her to show up, something ticked in his brain. The worry set in and he began to stress. What if someone hurt her, what if she needed him and hadn't been able to reach out because he had a fucking beeper instead of a phone?

His feet took him over to the French Quarter before he could stop himself. About to turn the corner onto the street where one set of her parents lived, he heard a loud crash and the panic set in even deeper. You're not there, you're not there and she's in trouble and you're not there. Sweat dripped from his brow, not from exertion from anxiety.

At the look on her face, when he was close enough to see it, he pushed himself even further. He grabbed her shoulders, unafraid of being hurt by her. "Hope," he said, looking into her eyes. "Hope, look at me."

[hellonexrth]

feat. laurie & hope continued from [x] @hntershunted

There was nothing more exhausting than trying to get Hope to see the value her life held. Laurie pinched the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. How could he make her see that hurting herself would never be worth it, that there would always be consequences to these types of outbursts? How could he make her see how much he feared for her life, especially when she played everything so fast and loose. He could see the writing on the wall, knew that he would lose her one of these days, if things kept moving in this direction, and he couldn't stand the thought of having to live without her. Besides, what would she say if he'd done the same thing? If he'd stabbed himself in the heart? If he'd died for vengeance? He hoped she'd be angry, not just upset.

"I don't care that you're fine, Hope," he said, finally, throwing his hands out to the side in a show of dramatics. He reached out and took both of her hands, gripping them tight and pulling her close. He found her eyes and didn't look away. "You can't keep hurting yourself—not for their enjoyment." Because he knew they would enjoy it, seeing her be the monster they thought she was.

The anger in his chest was violent and untamable, but he wasn't even sure who he was angry at. Was it his wife, for being so careless with her life, or was it himself, for not being there to prevent it? Was it the girl he'd met on the street that said Kaya would kill him? Was it that everything seemed so out of his control, that no matter how hard to tried to grab onto the people around him, they were always slipping away? How long would it be until it happened to her, too? "No one is unkillable. Not even you," he said, voice lowered into a whisper. "You could at least pretend your enemies have found a way." He released her hands then, still looking down into her eyes with a sadness he couldn't quite explain. "I don't want to spend my life finding you half dead on the ground."

[cxrsedmuse]

closed — @tribidscrsed event 001: masquerade, enchanted evening

Laurie, normally a picture of stoicism, was a bundle nerves. Not only had it been ages since he'd put on a suit on gone to a dance, but it had been even longer since he'd had a crush, if one could even call it that. Did people really give crushes expensive earrings? Not that he'd paid for them exactly, but that was beside the point.

Of course, Laurie strolled in fashionably late. Many were coupled up in the center of the room, dancing. He spotted her immediately, and felt frozen in place at first. He'd never seen anyone as stunning, as angelic. He cleared his throat, summoned his courage and moved in her direction.

He tapped her dance partner on the shoulder and said, "Mind if I cut in?" The other man stepped away and Laurie took his place, looking down at Hope. He noticed the earrings immediately and a small smile graced his features. Laurie took one of her hands in his, and placed his other on her waist. He leaned in slightly as they started to move. "I see you got my note."

[cxrsedmuse]

Her knee connected with his groin and the wind was knocked out of him. He keeled over for a moment, but recovered quickly. "Now that wasn't very nice, but I do appreciate the gusto." He ran a hand through his hair, trying to put himself together again. Being a step away from her offered him a clarity that he'd not had only seconds ago. He didn't let his eyes find hers again and remained distant. The ripper looked over at the woman's body on the ground, feeling no remorse.

"It was lovely to meet you, witch. I'm certain we'll see each other again. And thanks, for cleaning up my little mess. Really good of you." He tossed the word back in her face and was gone in a flash.

HER INTEREST WAS PEAKED, the challenge of a worthy opponent was exhilarating in a way that hope couldn't wrap her mind around all combined with a profound CONTEMPT for the vampire currently tangled around her. " it doesn't count if the ' some ' in this scenario, are all DUST. and seeing as the last person you had person you had ' contact ' with put you in the ground... " her voice trailed, her breath was still caught in her throat, making her stumble her words. " i call bullshit. " there was a sneer in her tone, challenge was laced in her tone, one of her legs coming to press up against him, as her eyes lingered on the bit of his chest that she could see. " a coherent thought shocking... " tone was sardonic but fire dripped out of every word she spoke, his fingers still held between her own in a tight grip, only to have her other hand trail up his chest, before she leaned her heat in, only to take that same tangled leg that had pressed itself against him, to his groin in a hard ' kneeing action. " allow me to help you find another.. " and with that the distance between them existed again, the feel of it allowed her to exhale... despite the thrill reflected in blue eyes the young tribid did what she could to remain as stoic as ever.

[cxrsedmuse]

The kiss washed away all the grief, if only for the few seconds that her lips touched his. Who needed to talk about their feelings, who needed to process their grief, when they could just do this instead. When he pulled away, he reached a hand up and wiped her tears away with his thumb. Just then, he decided that seeing her cry was his least favorite thing. That he'd hurt anyone who prompted those tears. And at the same time, the guilt seeped in further. He should have done SOMETHING. He couldn't let the thought go.

Hope, he knew down to his bones, that she had done nothing wrong. Sure, she hadn't mastered resurrection, but who had? Laurie had failed, plain and simple. If there was one person in that moment responsible for keeping Damon Salvatore alive and breathing, it was him. And he couldn't do it. Even when faced with a, in the grand scheme of things, very minimal threat. It killed him multiple times over. We've got to stop meeting like this. Those words would be forever ingrained in his brain.

He realized he'd spaced out for a moment and offered Hope a faint smile. In regards to ruining his life, he said, "I'd love for you to try," then kissed her once more. When she tucked her head into his chest again, he let out a long sigh and with it, a few tears fell down his cheeks. At her next words he let out a soft laugh. "Dinner and perhaps a show?" He rose an eyebrow. "And by a show, I of course mean: finding hunters and torturing them to death. If... you would be into something like that. But, no. You're right, maybe just dinner."

THERE WAS SO MUCH comfort in his presence and despite the sheer misery and rage she felt ⸺ she also felt peace, the kind that she'd never really managed to find and she could feel her heart skip a beat, in that ridiculous way that only happened when you had a ' crush ' on somebody but somehow it felt deeper than that, maybe she should have more questions, perhaps there should be more to fight and resist but all she could really do was allow the feeling to pull her towards him and for once her instinct to run away turned into her running straight towards something, him. life surely had a strange way of making things happen, but it was in the mutual grief that they both felt in this very moment, the fact that both of them could understand rage so well and how it was HE that managed to quell hers, it overwhelmed. pulling him for a kiss, her hands rested on his cheeks, tear filled blue eyes locked directly with his dark gaze as she pulled away. " you've no idea... " her voice faltered, as tears fell down her cheeks, settling into her chest, she laced a hand with his, bringing it up to her lips she pressed a kiss against it. " i'm going to ruin your life. " in the best way possible or so she'd hope ( pun intended ) he'd already done quite a number on her it was only fair that she returned the favor right? she sure thought so. a heavy sigh slipped her lips, sadness still lingered in the air between them, both of them still dressed in blood stained formal attire, which neither of them had done much to change, no instead she allowed her eyes to close for a second, listening to his heart beat against it. it made her feel relief, which brought it's own brand of guilt but she really couldn't IMAGINE what mourning him would be like, not when they'd just met. " hell of a first date... " she mumbled against his chest, a sad chuckle slipping past her lips as she shook her head. " let's try dinner next time. "

[hellonexrth]

The interruption was definitely an unwelcome one. As Hope pulled the phone out of his pocket and Theodore began talking, he pinched the bridge of his nose. The whole day they'd gone completely uninterrupted, but now this moment? Damn technology, he should have thrown his phone out of the airplane like his now wife had suggested.

"Use your head, Theodore. Please. You went to school for so long, that has to be good for something," he quipped, standing behind Hope to look at the kid back home, likely in his house, hopefully not messing anything up. He was still shocked the place hadn't burst into flames already. He motioned to Hope's white dress with the hand that now held a wedding ring. "I'll give you a moment to process. I suggest you take it, use that big ol' brain of yours, and put the pieces together. You'll get there, I promise."

END (CONT'D. IN TUPPER).

HER HANDS TANGLED IN his hair as she melted into the kiss, feet kicking slightly as he picked her up. a smile was drowned out with his lips on hers and she returned the same passion ⸺ deciding right then and there that nothing would ever feel like this, the amount of love he inspired in her she was sure could never be quantified. he was by all means her reason for EVERYTHING, for simply being.

and this was the start of the life that she promised herself they would have. fighting for HIM was simple, and she had no questions about it, he was the love to define them all and now that bond was official, celebrated in the most meaningful way they could both think of. a giggle slipped past her lips as he spoke, wife.. she’d never get tired of it. nuzzling her nose against his she nodded. “ i love you more, husband. “ she muses with a light pull of his lips with hers. “ and you clean up well. “ her forehead rested against his, a happy hum slipping past her lips.

now all she could think of was getting him out of that jacket, she wanted nothing more than to get lost in him, their first night as husband and wife.. but then she heard it.. the faint but grating ‘ hello ? ‘ the sound making her pull away because there couldn’t be a possible way that and sure enough the tribrid began to laugh. “ um honey.. “ she reached towards his pocket to pull out the phone, the screen displaying ONE particular nuisance, both she and laurie were unfortunately fond of. “ what’s with the CHURCH? “ the vampire on the screen questioned. “ i know two of you are dramatic but this is a little much no? the jesus ship has sailed.. maybe send him a few heads. “ he rambled on and hope rolled her eyes. “ you’re an idiot theodore. “ she finished with a look of disbelief. “ a true and complete idiot. “

[hellonexrth]

The ring on his finger was heavy, and reminded him of her, meaning it was absolutely perfect. He'd slid the wedding band onto her finger, as well. Admiring the set together and the beautiful woman who now wore them. And when she started speaking, he felt as if he couldn't breathe—not that he needed to. But his heart, his chest, it ached so much, overflowing with love. Even if he did not deserve it, he would take it, accept it, return it.

He'd spoked to Hayley briefly about the concept of epic love, and he'd known in that moment that Hope was his. No question about it. Elspeth had been his love, that much was true. But Hope made him feel like a new man. She made him better, made him feel worthy of life, of her love. A half grin half smirk melted into her kiss as she pulled him in. His hands found her waist instinctively, clutching her to him so tight that he lifted her just off the ground. "God, I love you. My wife," he said as he broke away for just a second before finding her lips again. There was a fierce passion in the kiss, their first kiss as husband and wife, and he didn't care that the holy spirit was watching, he would kiss his wife like he meant it. If the priest objected to use of tongue, he certainly didn't make those thoughts known.

He dropped his forehead against hers, breathing heavily as he looked at her, wanting to take her back to their hotel and kiss every square inch of her skin, of his wife's body. "My witch, my wife," he said, eyes boring into hers, hand threading into her perfectly done hair. "Did I mention that you look indescribably beautiful?" he said, voice low, permanent grin on his lips.

AND THEN CAME HER TURN, ' i do's ' exchanged, she'd reached into her dress pocket and pulled out the wedding band she;d chosen for him, yellow gold, with a firmly set ruby in the middle ⸺ to match the one on her mother's engagement ring. slipping it onto his finger, she then let her fingers laced through his. a tight hold was around them, as the tears she'd been holding back finally began to fall. " laurie.. " she began, inhaling for a moment as she thought back to the few things she'd written in between getting her hair done and the many dress try on's. " i've always heard that there was ONE feeling in the entire world that could spare us the weight that is pain in life, and it's LOVE. i come from a long line of people who do exactly that, love fiercely, sometimes maybe even a little too much ⸺ my mom always talked about ' epic ' love, a concept i always thought out of reach, maybe even something i made fun of... i'd made my PEACE with never having it, because life had other plans for me and then you appeared... " more tears fell from her eyes as she lost her ability to speak for a moment. " and just like that my world was FOREVER changed, and it was because of you, that i BELIEVE in wanting something for myself, you are my best friend, my partner, my equal but most importantly, my love and i've found a stillness with you, and a bravery that evaded me my whole life. you make me BRAVE, and i can't wait to spend my life with you, i will love you till the end of time and if something comes after that ⸺ i'll love you then as well. " and that was a promise, it would take more than DEATH to pull them apart that was decided here and now. slipping the ring on his finger, she looked up at him as the words ' and i now pronounce you husband and wife, you may kiss your bride ' were uttered, the tribrid wasted no TIME, pulling him by his suit collar into a passionate kiss. only pulling away for a second, their foreheads touching. " my husband. " she whispered over his lips, before melting into another kiss.

[hellonexrth]

"I do," he said, though not even death could part them. He'd crawl through hell to get her back, if for some reason she slipped out his grasp on earth. After her I do, the priest prompted them to share the vows they'd written. Of which Lawrence had scribbled a few thoughts onto a shred of paper in his pocket. But he didn't reach for it. Didn't bother. Everything he thought, everything he wanted to say, it came naturally, came without needing notes, only needing to look into her yes.

A soft smile crossed his lips as he took her in. "Never in a million years could I imagine this moment before meeting you." He gripped her hands tight, already feeling the emotional well up behind his eyes. How had he gotten so lucky? How did he at all deserve this moment, this woman? After all he'd done, it didn't seem right or fair, but he certainly wasn't going to question it. "You came into my life in at a time I'm not proud of, and you were a light in the darkness. You took a monster and reminded him what it was like to love. You showed him, me, so much. About caring for people, about what it's like to have a family. About being stubborn and powerful. I will love you for all of this life and longer, and I will do my best to make sure no one ever hurts you. I love you so much, Hope." Tears stung at his eyes, but he didn't stop looking at her. She truly had become everything that mattered to him in such a short amount of time, and he would do absolutely nothing to change that.

PULLING THE SMALL VELVET box out of her pearl shaped purse, before trading it off for the bouquet of white roses, the tribrid slipped it into the small dress pocket, as the familiar tune began to play ⸺ her eyes focused on him, and him alone as she took graceful steps towards the altar.

doing her best to get there without having ruined her make up, but the tears that formed in the corner of her eyes were happy for a change, happier than she could ever remember feeling. which had to be some kind of record somewhere, whoever kept score surely had to be writing this one down. the melody played up until she found her place in front of her ‘ husband to be ‘ nodding as her eyes met his, as the priest ( odd, all things considered ) began to speak. and then it came, “ lawerence rutherford you take, hope andrea mikaelson as your lawful wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and cherish until death do you part? “

[hellonexrth]

It felt as if everything that had happened in his entire life had only been leading up to this moment. The pair of them, far away from home, with only each other, stepping into a church he hadn't seen before a few hours ago in a town he'd never been to with the woman he'd put his life on the line for.

As they stepped inside, he pressed a soft kiss to her knuckles and said, "See you on the other side, Miss Mikaelson." Then, he stepped away from her, letting go of her hand ever so gently. Because everyone who stood in the church in that moment had already been compelled, in a blur of speed he stood on the alter, smoothing out his suit and looking down the aisle. He nodded toward the organist, who began to play the wedding march on his cue. He intertwined his hands, holding them in front of his body, as his eyes followed Hope up the aisle.

A FEW HOURS TO PLAN and have a wedding shouldn’t be remotely enough time at least for anyone who’s idea of a celebration was inviting everyone including your dog’s dentist that is. hope despite her ‘ appearances ‘ where her family was involved had never really craved the attention that came with such things. in fact despite being able to CHARM a room, the tribrid had to admit that she often felt uncomfortable.

in other words this moment being for just the TWO of them? it made sense, just like everything that concerned him, that she wanted to keep for herself, she had never been that girl ⸺ she’d never wanted something solely for herself but that had all changed when she met him. because everything she had ever felt for anyone paled in comparison in fact it couldn’t even be compared. her blue gaze focused on him as he pulled her close, eyes watery and an adoring smile on her features as a hand settled on his chest.

she nodded, part of her thinking she’d been ready for this the day they met. this was completely crazy and the sort of story one read in cheesy romance books.. but she couldn’t think of a better way to make the promise of FOREVER official. “ absolutely. “ she confirmed, with a quick press of her lips to his, there would be so much time for that later. lacing her arm through his she nodded once again, taking their first few steps into the now empty church. her breath hitching as she took in the view, everything from the flowers to the candles that lit up the space was… “ perfect. “ she heard herself say as she turned her attention to him. he was by all means the embodiment of that word, to her at least.

[hellonexrth]

Three hours suddenly didn't seem like enough time to accomplish everything he wished. First and foremost, he made his way to the church he'd marked on the map and with a little charm and a lot of compulsion, he made sure that it was free from tourists and ready for a ceremony at the agreed upon time. After securing the venue, he spoke with a florist (or three). Instead of compelling the florists directly, he instead compelled rich looking customers into spending their money on his wedding ceremony. A very thoughtful gift from the people of Rome, it was. After cleaning out the florists of all their arrangements, of various colors and types, he went in search of a suit.

While dresswear wouldn't make or break the wedding, he wanted to look his best for his beautiful bride-to-be. His style had always been somewhat strange, as Theo may have put it once or twice, but Hope had never had any complaints. So, he chose a brown suit with a soft patterned shirt and a heavy, velvet jacket that he slung casually over his shoulders. Finishing off the look with some gold jewelry, he only had one more stop to make before he could return to the church and his future.

Thankfully, he was able to find the perfect wedding band to compliment Hope's engagement ring in a little under an hour. He'd scoured a few shops, and when he saw the delicate band lined with sparkling diamonds, he knew it was perfect. Tucking yet another ring box into his suit jacket, he was finally ready.

He made it back to the chapel before the meeting time, checking inside to ensure that everything had been done up to his specifications. Bouqets and arrangements of flowers in various colors surrounded the small, already ornate space. And every candle in the vicinity had been lit. It couldn't have been more romantic. For such short notice, he was proud. A tear almost came to his eye, but he held back, waiting to shed tears at the sight of his bride, instead. Which he nearly did, when he spotted her approaching in a white dress. His grin turned into a laugh at her tease, and he didn't bother to stop himself from looping an arm around her waist and pulling her in right then. When he pulled away, keeping her close, he said, "Are you ready?"

THEIR AGREEMENT HAD BEEN three hours and while the whole entire idea seemed absolutely crazy, she couldn’t bring herself to think anything outside of it being oddly fitting to who they were. the thrill that had been present from the moment they met was something that filtered throughout their relationship ⸺ regardless of how much both of them knew each other. and they did, by now they could each read the other like a book, he was by all means her own HEART personified.

and she was excited, nervous all the things she imagined a ‘ bride to be ‘ would be, her attention had faltered down to the deep red ruby now settled on her finger, about every turn and all she could think of was not letting a single second go by where he wasn’t her HUSBAND. not that they weren’t completely committed to each other before, they were and that would stand true no matter what label they gave to their relationship but even as she looked at different dress options, settling on the one, compelling her way into someone doing something with her hair and the now secured velvet box of her own ( the ring she’d picked for him ) she couldn’t help but think to the future, they had one in front of them and that’s all that mattered.

she’d given every single sales associate and stylist a proper thank you ⸺ what good was thousands of years of investments and money if you didn’t use any of it? even if she didn’t need to, she’s chosen a short gown, covered in lace and her hair was styled in a soft half up do, a look she knew lizzie would approve of, if she could see. her breath was caught in her throat as she rounded the agreed upon corner, the tiny box sung inside of the small pearl beaded purse she carried. her heeled shoe tapping on the ground, as her line of sight finally fell onto the vampire’s warm dark one.

she felt heat moving to her cheeks, as nothing short of an adoring smile formed on her features. she could feel her eyes begin to sting but she at least wanted to make it inside before the waterworks began. stepping towards him, she reached for one of his hands and laced it with hers. and then her attention was on the gorgeous chapel he’d picked out, the image of his paper map coming to mind and it made her snort. “happy to see we can still TRUST paper. “ she teased with a smitten reflection in her eyes, before she nodded in wordless agreement, she truly couldn’t wait another second to marry him.

[hellonexrth]

Detaching from her lips, like always, was one hell of a fight. Kissing her cleared his brain, and he could get lost with his hands on her body. But there would be time for that and more later. Walking across the room, he pulled a map of the city out of his bag—he still hadn't figured out Google maps, and probably wouldn't for another hundred years. At which point, there would be some new, stressful technology for him to struggle with.

With a pen, he circled a nearby church, certainly that had someone they could compel to marry them. Because if they were going to do this now, they were going to do it right. And while some rushed weddings took place in tacky chapels, theirs would be just as Hope said, one hell of a story to tell. "Here's the plan," he said, looking at her with a grin. "Let's meet here in three hours." He needed time to make sure everything was ready to go, and perhaps to find something to wear, too. None of the clothes he'd brought along seemed to be fit for a wedding to the love of his life.

His hands reached for her again, disregarding the map and the plan for a second. Because while he felt the need to marry her as soon as he possibly can, not being able to stand the idea of not being her husband, he had the time to sweep her into his arms once more. For that, he could always find time. "And you're going to be my wife." He was going to have a wife. Truly something he'd never once imagined. "I love you," he said, brushing his fingers through her hair, then paused, thinking that maybe his plan was just short of insanity. "We don't have to do this today, you know." His eyes found hers fast, like magnets. "We can go home, do the big wedding thing. Suffer all the planning, invite all our loves ones. Enjoy being engaged for a few months. If that's what you want." But he looked at the map again, with a wild smile. "But if you want to be my wife today, I can make that happen."

A HAPPY STRING OF giggles slipped her lips as he picked her up, holding him to her tightly, she could feel her heart beating in chest. the sight of her mother’s ring on her finger brought more tears to her eyes, but for the first in what felt too long there was nothing behind but JOY. she was wrapped up in the arms of not just the love of her life but a for the ‘ epic history books ‘ if such a thing existed of course.

this was the sort of story she’s grown up hearing, surrounded by a string of loves so great, that she never thought she was meant to have of her own. and yet even in that he just had to prove her wrong. when his lips met hers, she kissed back, hands tangling in his hair as she pressed herself into this. she was meant to be here, with HIM ⸺ nothing else mattered, nothing could ruin the happiness she felt now.

she was a fiancée, the word leaving him made a blush rush to her cheeks which turned a bright shade of red, her line of sight on him and all she could do was smile. “ fiancé, mine..” she cooed, lips moving over lips as he kept on speaking her brow quirked upwards, her attention now back to where they were and he was absolutely right, the historic sights of the city would be a perfect backdrop to make the commitment they already had official. “and one hell of a story to tell… “ she agreed with a nod, her lips pressing to his again. it would be just the two of them, exactly how life should always be ⸺ no time could be better. “you’re going to be my husband… i love you. “

[hellonexrth]

Yes, a million times yes. A smile broke out across his face, filled with a joy he hadn't felt in ages. He never once considered, before meeting her, that he'd want anyone to be his wife. But with Hope, things were different. They completed each other, were two halves of a whole. And his love for her, his dedication, and his willingness to fight for her, it deserved to be captured with a bond. He wanted nothing more that to be bound to her for the rest of his life, however long it may be. Months or eternity, all he wanted was time with her.

He took the ring out of the box, his hand shaking with joy and a release of the nerves he'd been feeling the entire trip, as he slid the engagement ring onto her finger, squeezing her hand for a moment before standing up to sweep her up in a hug. Hands came up to cup her cheeks and he kissed her again, mouth moving slowly against hers, wanting to cherish this moment, store it away and remember it, replace old memories that haunted him. That, perhaps, was the solution to his problems. All these memories that overtook his brain simply needed replacing.

"I love you so much, my stubborn and beautiful fiancé," he whispered against her lips, barely breaking away from them, wanting to kiss her and kiss her and kiss her for the rest of their time together. He didn't even want to begin to think about having to return to New Orleans, to deal with all of the things that were going on there. Not to mention, having to plan a wedding amidst all the madness? He hadn't really thought that one through. He finally broke away from her, his hands settling on her waist, his head tilted slightly to the side with a sly grin. "No where more beautiful to get married than Rome," he said, a slight wiggle of one of his brows.

HER FOREHEAD RESTED AGAINST his, her attention completely focused on him, thumbs gently drawing circles on his cheeks. she nodded, it was hard to let go of the PAST ⸺ she understood that, maybe not in the same way but as someone who’s family’s ‘ affronts against humanity ‘ usually came back to bite her, specifically being free of preconceived notions of being doomed among other things, wasn’t an easy task.

and while she struggled with seeing the future as something she could choose, she wanted to work to build that world they both imagined for each other. one where all they would need is to love each other, where being TOGETHER and in peace was all they had to look forward to. “ excellent news for us and terrible for everyone else. “ she attempted to joke with a small smile. “ and i’ll always, fight for you. “ no questions asked, he was her very reason for being, nothing would hurt him again not if she had any say in it.

her head tilted slightly at his revelation of having something for her, nose scrunched as she watched him reach for something she couldn’t see but her mind was curious, maybe even a little impatient, but then he began to speak and tears welled up in her eyes. fully falling as her line of sight fell to her mother’s ring the dark set ruby blinding and then it came, ‘ will you be my wife ‘ if bursting from happiness was possible, she would do so in this very moment.

wiping at her eyes with her stained sleeve, she nodded fervently, doing everything to gather her thoughts and put them into words. “ out of all the men in the world.. you are quite possibly the most INFURIATING and the only one who’d propose covered in blood ⸺ but you are also exciting and unpredictable and you see me in a way i don’t think i’ll EVER understand, by far the most incredible person i’ve ever met and it would be the thrill of a lifetime, to spend the rest of eternity with you. “

she was still nodding, her gaze locked on his, a sniffle slipping past her lips as she reached for him to pull him up for a passionate kiss. “ yes, a million times yes, i would love to be your wife. “ she spoke over his lips, because she’d chosen him and she would actively choose him every single day FOREVER. he was going to be husband, she of all people with a husband, who would have guessed? “ certainly not her.

[hellonexrth]

With their hands laced and his forehead against hers, there was no where else in the world that he'd rather be. Being with her was comfort, peace, love, everything he'd ever wanted. It was passion, and romance, and there was no one like her in the entire world. He was lucky, the luckiest man alive, because it was n honor to stand by her side.

"I know," he said, a mere whisper. "God, I know it's in the past. But I can't control it, this bloodlust that comes back whenever I feed. I've never been good at control, and I think everything just got mixed up together when Elspeth died." He couldn't feed from thein vein without getting locked in those feelings, and maybe that was just how things were always going to be. But maybe, with Hope, he'd be able to move past that stress, that hardship. Maybe eventually, he wouldn't lash out when the blood hit his lips, wouldn't fear for her death every moment his mind took over. "It is a good thing you're basically indestructible, hm?" he asked, even just those words making him feel better. Elspeth had been a vampire, just like him. But a wooden stake couldn't take down Hope Mikaelson. Klaus and Elijah's deaths had been specific, sacrifices. He wouldn't lose her. He wouldn't. He'd just have to keep telling himself that. And if she wanted to live, too, that would make things all the better.

"But indestructible or not, I will always fight for you." When she spoke about forever, he broke apart from her for one moment, after a long kiss that nearly kept him rooted in his spot. He loved her and wanted her, in every way possible. Because nothing could separate them, nothing would. But finally, he crossed the room, stood in front of the side table for a moment, unable to take his eyes off of her. "I got you something. I had this whole thing planned, but I think now's as good a time as any, speaking about forever," he said, slipping his hand into the drawer and pulling out a small velvet box which he kept concealed as best he could as he slid it into his pocket and walked back over to her.

His hands captured her face for another kiss, pulling away to meet her eyes. "I am reckless, and dramatic, and I'll never fully learn how to use a cell phone, but you love me anyways. And you," he tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "You are the most caring, most stubborn, most aggressive woman I have ever met in my entire life. And there is no one in the entire world I would rather watch old movies with, travel the world with, rip the heads off of hunters with, tell my problems to, kiss in front of our friends and make them uncomfortable, and spent eternity with. You are the love of my life, Hope Mikaelson."

Lawrence looked down at his blood covered shirt for a moment and let out a soft laugh. "And maybe I shouldn't have done this covered in blood, but I guess that's kind of fitting in it's own way." Then, he slowly dropped onto one knee, pulling the velvet box out of his pocket. Before he opened it, he looked up at her once more. "I know it's old fashioned of me, but I may have asked your mom for permission. And after she passed, Elijah gave me this." He opened the small box to reveal Hayley's engagement ring. "Hope, would you be my wife?"

HER EYES FLUTTERED SHUT for a moment, her face leaning into his hand as his fingers trailed across it. the safety of it truly just being the TWO of them, there really wasn't an emotion to compare it to. but it was in the moments where they stood still that she could fully appreciate just how lucky she was to have that, he she'd realized was PEACE personified, hers to be exact. and for someone who the feeling had evaded their entire life, because despite having grown up in a HAPPY family, her entire existence seemed to circle around one trauma after the other trauma, life always took from her ⸺ never giving anything back, and then he appeared and all that loss, the unfair responsibility she shouldered, the weight of the WORLD on top of her it all felt so small in comparison to what she felt for him. and something told her that it always would. her arms were wrapped around his neck and she inched closer to him, ocean colored eyes never leaving his warm brown ones as she did what he'd done so many times before, LISTENED ⸺ to every word he spoke, a sigh slipping past her lips, as she reached for his hands and laced them with hers. squeezing tight, she took a moment to gather her thoughts. " it's okay to talk about her laurie, she is an IMPORTANT part of you and no amount of you honoring that is going to change anything between us. " he'd been alive far longer than her own existence. " it's exactly that past, that makes you the man i LOVE today. " she leaned her forehead against his, hands once again coming to cup his face. her eyes fluttered shut for a moment, as his plea for her to FIGHT sunk in. it wasn't like she wanted to actually ' die ' it was simply that life kept finding new and creative ways to try and get her to that made her think that perhaps it was meant to happen eventually. and she? she was simply stubborn, that fight she harbored inside of herself for so LONG, that fire that had once burned bright it felt dim now, but it was his words that made it so simple for her to decide right then and there that she'd do EVERYTHING to get it back. " but the past, it's just that ⸺ the past. " did that help any no? not entirely. " it's not going to repeat itself. " it was practically impossible to kill her after all. " i'm quite good at defying every odd, some might even say i excel at it ⸺ much to their dismay. from the womb and onwards, was what she'd heard so many before her say. her father's daughter trough and through. " i once told you that we'd have forever, i intend to keep that promise. " and with that she pulled him in for a kiss, because actions could say much more than her words did. a silent promise to NEVER part. they were going to be together until the end of time and if something existed after then, well then too. " i love you, and i have absolutely no plans of going anywhere you can't follow. " it was the two of them always, if there was no other reason to fight than to claw her way back to him regardless of where she was, then so be it. she'd gladly let the world burn to the ground because so long as she had him, nothing mattered. " you're my peace, and i'm not giving that up ⸺ not with out one hell of a fight. " selfish for the first time in her life, but he was worth it, keeping him was exactly what she needed to inspire. " come what may, i'm with you always. "

[hellonexrth]

Once they were back in the hotel room, he felt a heavy weight off his chest. The crushing feeling of bloodlust had since melted away, and the visions that swam in his head when everything was cloudy with the desire to kill, those had disappeared too, leaving him feeling relieved, yet hollow. The emptiness that came after the storm, the feeling of depression, of shame and guilt, of having shown the girl he loved a side of him that even he disliked.

But her soft kiss kept him grounded, and held her still, her words from the restaurant ringing in his ears, you can talk to me. He knew. He knew more than anything that she was there if he needed her. But he didn't want to be a burden, especially with everything she'd been going through. He wanted to be the rock, the one there for her. But it could go both ways, she was right. She was always right, not that he would ever tell her that—or at least not in that moment. He had a feeling she already knew, anyways.

He reached out for her, caressing the back of his hand against her cheek, his thumb tracing her jawline, his eyes gazing into her so softly as they stood in the center of the room in silence and the sounds of the city in the distance. "I should have told you," he said, voice soft, feeling nothing like the man he was when they met over a year ago. The confidence he'd had then, the way he'd spoken to her. So much gusto that seemed out of reach now. Instead, he was just vulnerable, open, himself. Or at least, it seemed that way. He was still figuring out who he really was, after all. Spending two hundreds years succumbed to bloodlust could do that to a person, and after another hundred years rest, he'd lost a lot of his sense of self. And admitting that, even to himself, was scary.

Tilting his head to the side, just to look at her with even more adoration, he began, "The way Elspeth died... trying to save me," he shook his head. "I love you, Hope. And that will never not be true. You are the greatest love of my love." His finger hooked under her chin, and he smiled so gently. "But I loved Elspeth, too. She was everything to me, for a time. My sire, my partner. And they... hunters, they took her from me. And I don't think I've been the same, since. I don't think I'll ever be the same again." His other hand trailed down his arm, eyes following the movements of his fingers as they gently brushed against her skin.

"I thought I was lost." He swallowed, thick, the words hard to say, formulating slowly in his head, things he'd thought for years, but never said to another person out loud. "But you found me. And you have always been this light." His lids flickered shut for a moment, just thinking about her. "But I—" the vampire paused, getting distracted by the blood on his fingers wrapped around her upper arm. "The blood, it's like it transports me back in time, and I'm there losing her, all over again. Except it's you. And there is nothing that makes me want to hurt and kill more than the thought of them taking you away from me, from everyone."

Because she wasn't just his light, she was everything to everyone all of the time, to Ingrid, Caroline, Josie, even Kaya and Theo. "These hunters, The Collective," he said their name with so much vitriol in his words, pure spite and malice. "I think they might be descendants of the ones who killed Elspeth all those years ago." He dropped his other hand onto her other arm, holding her there so she couldn't float away, and finding her eyes with a glance that was perhaps too intense, but still romantic. "But I am sorry. Everything I do, it's for you. Okay? And I just need you to fight, because I won't lose you, my witch."

HER HOLD ON HIM was tight, a protective rush of feelings overwhelmed her ⸺ feeling her heart constrict in her chest as his own arms found their way around her. she rested her chin on his shoulder and she pressed a kiss to it, before their eyes met. the blue of her own eyes instantly found that dreamy and breath taking brown, with a hold so gentle she studied him for a moment and then she shook her head.

“ you don’t apologize, not to me. “ because that went both ways, she could watch him destroy everything around them and she would still think of him as nothing short of the love of her life. TOGETHER had both been a promise she’d made lightly, anything he did or could do, would be something they did. that had long ago been decided. “ i love you. “ she whispered again, wanting him to hear it, to BELIEVE it. because she did, he inspired so in her and she felt it so deeply it overwhelmed.

still, there was concern written in her features and as her hands wiped the last few tears that fell from his eyes, she nodded but she hadn’t moved yet. “ you can talk to me, you know… “ she reminded him with nod, vacation be damned if he needed a moment he could have thousands of them and she would be right by his side through all of them. “ that works BOTH ways. “ if he needed her to hold him up this time she’d do it, the STRENGTH to do so would be something she found, because for him? she’d do anything, even fight like hell to stay around ⸺ because nothing sounded better than actually getting to spend FOREVER together. pulling back she let her hands lace through his, squeezing tightly as her fingers rested between his own, the tribrid nodded, and she pulled him out of there, blood stained clothes and all, the smell still lingered between them but she could hardly find it in herself to care, no they just needed to get back ⸺ back to that bubble they carefully placed around themselves when everything that surrounded them grew to be too much.

which was what she felt the second they made it back to the luxurious room that would be their safe haven for a few days. not missing a beat, the tribrid once again turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck, this time her lips met his in the SOFTEST way, before her eyes looked at him for a moment and then their foreheads touched again ⸺ it was her turn to be his ROCK, and she would be no matter what.