Saturday Klaus and I not only went ice skating but we also went to dinner afterwards. Right before the waiter brought out our dessert I had gotten up to go to the bathroom and when I was on my way back to the table I saw a woman flirting with him. I didn't realize it until later, but I felt a pang of longing and jealousy shoot through me at the sight. I continued back to the table like what was going on wasn't a big deal, and just as I was a few steps away I heard Klaus say something that confused me. In all the times we had hung out over the years he'd never said this to anyone that I knew of. Klaus said, "I'm on a date with my girl and even if I wasn't you're too forward with me, so please go bother some other guy."

    Immediately after that woman looked up, saw me and glared. "Her? You're on a date with her? A man like you can do so much better than a child like that."

    After glancing over at me with a look I couldn't seem to fully grasp, Klaus replied, "Yes, I'm here with her. She is not a child. My girlfriend is older than the legal drinking age in this country. Just because someone looks young does not mean that they are. Look at you, for example, you said you were twenty-five when you clearly look at least thirty-three and you still look like you buy your clothes from the junior's department, Even if I was looking for a one night stand I wouldn't touch you with a ten-foot pool. So please yet lose before I file a restraining order."

    The woman glared at me one more time, called me a bitch and said that she hopes he cheats on me with my best friend before finally storming off. A few moments after that Klaus came over and gently led me back to my seat. Once he was seated as well, he began to talk, to try to explain what all that was about.

    "I'm sorry about that. Some people just can't seem to grasp something when it's staring them straight in the face."

    "It's fine Klaus. I know I'm short and all, but at least I know how to not look like some sleazy hooker..."

    Klaus let out a big chuckle at that. "You're right; she did look like a sleazy hooker! Why don't we just take our dessert to go and get out of here before anything else embarrassing happens?"

    "Fine by me. We can just eat our cheesecake back at the apartment. Hopefully, Davina's back and we can talk her into taking a break and watching a movie or something."

    And with that, we left the restaurant and headed out to Klaus' car. The ride back to mine and Davina's apartment was filled with a comfortable silence only broken by the music that was softly pumping through the car's speakers.

    Once I unlocked the door, and Klaus and I both checked around the apartment for Davina, we sat down on the couch and started watching a rerun of Girl Meets World. We both made little comments here and there while we sat there eating our cheesecake when Lucas Friar told Riley Matthews that his moment would be his moment.

    "Hayley, about earlier at the restaurant..."

    "What about it Klaus?"

    "How much did you hear?"

    "Just before the woman called me a child, why? What's wrong Klaus?" I asked.

    Klaus ran his fingers through his hair and then asked, "Did you hear me tell her that I was on a date?"

    "Yeah, I figured that since it clearly wasn't going through the woman's thick skull that you weren't interested you just used me to prove it to her. No big deal, it's what friends are for."

    "I meant it."

    "Meant what?"

    "All of it. I meant every word I said to that woman."

    "But you said I was your girl, and that we were on a date..."

    "I chickened out. I wanted today to be a date, but I got scared and asked you out as friends. The feelings I had for you never really went away and ever since you moved in here they just kept getting stronger. And since you and Elijah have been over for quite some time, I thought that maybe now I had a chance. That we had a chance."

    I kept trying to say something but no words would come out. I'd imagine that I looked rather fish-like at the moment.

    "Hayley? Please say something. I thought things had been changing between us these last few months, but did I imagine it? Did I imagine that all those looks and touches meant something that they didn't?"

    I finally managed to shake my head from side to side.

    "No, I imagined it all or no, I didn't?"

    "You didn't." Finally, actual words were coming out of my mouth!

    "If I didn't then where do we go from here? How do you feel about me?"

    "When you kissed me the first time, I felt something. But I wasn't sure what it was or why. Was it because I was going through stuff or did I have actual feelings for you? Whatever feelings I had for you I pushed aside. And then Elijah happened. A part of me thought that since Elijah and I went through so much just to be together that I shouldn't give up what we'd had so easily. Especially for something that I wasn't sure would last. At the time I really felt that Elijah and I would last, that we'd be together forever. But everything changed. Sure Elijah and I got back together, but everything felt different. A part of me felt that I was just with him romantically because he was comfortable with me, that I knew I could survive if he broke my trust and hurt me again. I knew I could trust Davina, Caroline, and Bonnie, but I wasn't sure if I could trust anyone else. Sure I felt like I could trust Stefan and Marcel because the girls did, but I was still somewhat wary. My trust in them wasn't implicit like it is now. Just like there is no doubt in my mind that I can trust you with anything no matter what.

    These last several years have shown me who I can depend on the most. Sure Elijah and I are friendly enough, but that's all we will ever be now, just friends. You weren't wrong Klaus; things been slowly changing between us for years now. Those feelings for you that I thought I'd either forgotten or moved past, started creeping up on me, especially this last year. There were times that I wondered if you had feelings for me, but I would always someone convince myself that you and I would never happen."

    "Well, what about now? Now that you know how I feel about you?"

    "I want to give us a chance. That is if you really want to."

    As Klaus slowly leaned in towards me he said, "I do. If I kiss you now you won't run away will you?"

    "No."

    "Good."

    And with that our lips finally touched. The kiss started out soft and slow but soon grew passionate. As we kissed our hands wandered over arms, backs, necks, and through our hair. But eventually lack of air became an issue and we slowly pulled away from each other.

    "Wow," I breathed.

    "Mhm," Klaus agreed.

    "Why did we wait so long?"

    "I don't know sweetheart. I don't want to waste any more time, Hayley, will you be my girlfriend?"

    Instead of telling him, I chose to show him. I cupped the back of Klaus' neck with one hand, gently tugged his face to mine, and met his lips with mine in a kiss filled with promise.

    As we broke apart once more I said with a smile, "Yes."

    "Well, it's about time you two!"

    "Davina!"

    "Hush Kol! It's about time those two got their act together!"

    At seeing the deer in the headlight's look on our faces, Kol chuckled. "Awkward."

    Breaking out of his shock Klaus asked his brother and his girlfriend just how long the two had been standing there.

    "Long enough to hear you ask Hayley to be your girlfriend," she replied.

    As Klaus took my hand and smiled, Kol asked, "You okay over there Hayley?"

    "I'm fine Kol, just a little shocked that you both walked in on us."

    At that Davina giggled. "I'm just glad you both were fully clothed.

    Simultaneously Kol, Klaus and I groaned. "Davina!"

    "Anyways...I'm happy for you guys, the two of you are perfect for each other," Davina exclaimed with a smile.

    "Are you sure you're okay with us being together?" I asked.

    "I'm sure! I'm just upset I lost the bet."

    Clearly reading the explain-now-or-else looks on our faces, Kol explained, "Davina, Caroline, and Bonnie were so sure that it would be at least after Christmas before you guys got together and Stefan and I thought it would be before. The rules of the bet were that no one could try to push you guys together until after New Year's Day was over. After that everything was fair game."

    I just had to ask. "What happens now that you and Stefan got it right?"

    Davina groaned, "Stefan and Kol get to have each of us do one thing for each of them, run errands, clean, whatever."

    "Time limit on all of that?" Klaus asked.

    Kol smiled and said, "All the tasks must be completed within the same week."

    "That's what you guys get for betting. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm tired and want to go to bed. Klaus, do you want to stay or not?"

    Tucking a piece of hair behind my ear, Klaus replied, "I'll stay."

    "All right then. Night Kol, night Davina!"

    That night, Davina and I slept peacefully in the arms on the men we loved.