notes: for klayley week on tumblr (day 1: family).

setting: au future fic

you smiled like the sun

"you can put some joy up on my face,
oh sunshine in an empty place,
take me too, turn to and I'll make you stay."

― Of The Night, Bastille

She pushes her father out of the room, just as he takes his first few steps in to his study.

"No daddy, you can't come in!" Hope Mikaelson, in all her five years, has never been more assertive about her orders.

Klaus offers her a confused look, stopping the door with his foot. "Why not sweetheart?" He asks, head tilting to one side, offering his daughter a doe-eyed look, ocean blue eyes feigned with innocence.

"Because…" Hope looks back at her mother. Hayley is calmly sitting on the floor, mechanical pencil in hand. "Momma, you're supposed to be helping." Hope whispers.

Hayley nods, getting to her feet and walking towards Klaus. "We're using this room now, you can come back later."

Klaus would fight her on this, had his daughter not been there. So instead, he just rolls his eyes at her. "Fine," Klaus grits his teeth, turning around and leaving both girls behind.

; ;

The next few people to push him away are actually Elijah and Rebekah.

"Nik," his sister sounds nervous, as she stands before him, gathering a few flashy pieces of papers and stuffing them in to a drawer. "What are you doing here?" She asks, sounding almost offended.

Klaus raises a suspicious brow as he catches Elijah, on all fours, struggling to push a few colorful bags under the bed. "This is my bed room sister dear, in case you've forgotten," Klaus reminds her.

Elijah dusts off his suit, gets to his feet and makes his way towards his brother. "Niklaus," he calls him, "Rebekah and I are a little occupied at the moment," he doesn't know how else to shoo him away.

"Occupied?" Klaus mimics, looking a little peeved. "With what?"

Elijah looks to his sister. Rebekah mouths the words.

"Why don't you go see what Marcellus is up to? I'm quite certain that he will have plenty of time to spare."

And the door slams shut for the second time today.

; ;

Unfortunately for Klaus, Marcel is just as awkwardly nervous, and nervously awkward as everyone else.

"Klaus," he says, as the hybrid claims to show up at the bar, simply by coincidence. Not because he had been rejected by just about everyone in his home. "Do you need something?" Marcel asks.

"Thought I would get myself a drink," he simply says, as he shots a look at Cami, who also seems to be avoiding his gaze.

Marcel turns his head. "Oh," he says, taking a swig of beer. "Are you gunna be long?"

Klaus almost chuckles. "You seem anxious." He remarks.

Marcel shakes his head as Cami finally wonders their way, pen and paper in hand.

"So, what will you boys have?"

; ;

Much later, back at the Mikaelson mansion, Rebekah is throwing quite the tantrum.

"This is a disaster!" She shouts, as she's covered in confetti. "The cake tastes horrible, Hope keeps eating all the cookies, and Marcel refuses to pick up my calls!"

Hayley tries to calm her down, hands rubbing her back as the blonde vampire struggles to breathe right.

Elijah observes them, a small smile pulling at his lips.

"Auntie Bekah's sure worried about daddy's surprise birthday party, isn't she Uncle 'Lijah?" Hope asks, cheeks covered in chocolate cookie crumbs.

Elijah reaches over the rub the crumbs off her face. "Well," he says, as his niece's cheeks continue to be stain with melted chocolate chips. "It has been a while since we celebrated your father's birthday, it would be very disappointing if this party doesn't go well."

Hope furrows her brows. "Daddy told me he loved birthdays."

"He does," Elijah tells her, thinking of Niklaus's tenth birthday and Rebekah's face, all covered with cake batter.

Then suddenly, there is a knock at the door.

"Quickly everyone, hide!"

; ;

Klaus walks in to his home, greeted by practically no one as he's a little drunk and a little angry at just about the entire world (but what else is new?).

Of course, just as he's about to collapse on the sofa and distract himself, his five year old jumps out from behind the couch.

"Surprise daddy! Happy birthday!" She shouts, while Rebekah falls out of the closet, Elijah crawls out from underneath the table, and Hayley walks out of the kitchen, birthday cake in hand.

She smiles timidly, lashes fluttering and doe eyes looking up at Klaus, from a short distance.

For a moment, Klaus loses his breath over the entire matter. He's touched, he really is. Though he tries his best to calm himself. He leans down, in order to be at eye level with his daughter. "I'm guessing that this was your idea, sweetheart."

Hope smiles and nods her head.

Klaus ruffles her hair, placing a soft kiss on her forehead as she grabs him by the hand and pulls him away.

"Just wait 'til you see your present, daddy! It's the best!"

notes: If you've read this far, I'd sincerely appreciate a review! Thanks!