Niklaus woke up feeling heavier that usual. His ribs ached when he moved and his vision was blurry on the right side due to his black eye. Niklaus tried getting up and realized there was a dainty arm draped over his waist. He looked over his shoulder and found that Olivia was asleep next to him. Niklaus rolled onto his back, careful not to wake her. He gazed at her face, she seemed peaceful.
(You think we'll ever sleep that peacefully?) Niklaus had forgotten what it felt like to be able to talk to his wolf.
(Some day, I imagine we'll find peace again.) Shade's voice had always been gruff but it seemed worse now that when Niklaus was a kid.
Niklaus watched the fall of her chest, listening to her calm breathing and mild heartbeat.
'How could someone as perfect as her be mates with a mangled, mess like me?'
Niklaus moved his arm under his head, propping his head slightly higher. He looked at the clock on the nightstand behind Olivia.
7:03am
He'd always been one to get up early but it seemed like his internal clock was getting earlier and earlier. Niklaus gently removed Olivia's hand from his waist and got up from the bed. He looked out the window, it was just passed sunrise. The sky still had an orange tint glossed over it.
"You should come back to bed." Olivia spoke lazily, the drowsiness from yesterday's events still effecting her.
"I thought you were sleeping." Niklaus turned from the window.
"I was, but it got cold so I knew you left." Olivia's emerald eyes shimmered in the morning sun.
"I was going to go for a run.." Niklaus sat on the edge of the bed. "Want to join me?"
Olivia sat up, her wavy brunette hair framing her face and shoulders.
"Yeah, a run sounds good." She turned, throwing her legs off the bed. "We could go meet my pack later. If you want."
"I guess it has been awhile since you've been home, huh?" Niklaus rose from the bed and walked over to the closet, grabbing his running clothes.
"Yeah, I think it's probably a good time for you to meet my family too." Olivia crouched by her duffel bag and started shuffling through the contents.
Niklaus emerged from the bathroom, already changed.
"We can go by there. We could even stay for a couple days." Niklaus grabbed his shoes, slipping them on without untying the laces.
Olivia nodded her head. It seemed like she had something on her mind but Niklaus knew how it felt to have people pry, he figured she'd talk about it when she was ready.
When they returned from their run Niklaus and Olivia found Harper scavenging the fridge.
"I was never here." Harper looked like they had caught him hiding a body.
"Okay.." Niklaus furrowed his brow. "Why?"
"Neil wants to go out for breakfast, I'm not supposed to be eating." Harper shuffled past Olivia and Niklaus, trying not to make eye contact.
Niklaus and Olivia exchanged looks and grinned, letting out a chortle.
"Did you want to invite them to come with us?" Olivia sat at the bar top as Niklaus found something to eat.
"No it's fine." Niklaus pulled out the leftovers from yesterday's dinner. "They probably need a break from all of my issues."
Niklaus hadn't thought about what he was saying. He looked at Olivia, he could tell she wanted to ask but he didn't know if he was fully ready to share. Niklaus sighed and finished making their food.
"You don't have to talk about it." Olivia spoke between bites.
"Talk about what?" Niklaus hadn't said anything about his trauma, he wondered if Harper or Neil said something.
"Whatever it is that makes you pretend to be okay."
"I am okay." Niklaus's face scrunched.
"You're not, it's okay." Olivia took another bite. "Everyone has a reason to not be okay."
Niklaus finished his food in silence and washed his plate.
"I've got to go pack my bag if we're staying overnight." Niklaus disappeared up the stairs.
Niklaus finished packing his bag. He walked over to Neil and Harper's room and knocked on the door. Neil answered with a drowsy face and voice.
"I need advice.." Niklaus tried but he couldn't shake the thought that he'd scare Olivia away if he told her everything.
"Alright, come in." Neil pushed the door open and moved out of the doorframe.
"Good, you're both here." Niklaus started pacing as Neil and Harper followed him with their eyes.
"You want to tell us what's wrong?" Harper spoke slowly, trying not to push.
"Right, so.." Niklaus took a deep breathe. "Olivia mentioned something about me not being okay. Did either of you tell her about Blink and that entire situation?"
"No.." Neil and Harper exchanged looks.
"So, it's just me then. Probably from how I speak or act right? I know I should tell her before Blink comes back because he will come back. However, I don't want to scare her away and I don't know how I just tell her about that. I can't just 'Hey, Olivia. I have issues and trauma and I'm covered in scars but that's okay cause you're my mate.'. What do I do? How do I tell her?"
"Okay, first, think about exactly what you want to say. What do you want to tell her and how much." Neil put his hands on Niklaus's shoulders to stop his pacing. "If you have to, blurt it out. Sometimes blurting can make it easier to say."
"Are you crazy? I can't just blurt it out!" The panic rose in Niklaus's voice as he realized he'd also be meeting her family soon. "Oh, god. We're staying at her pack for a couple days, I'm going to meet her family. They're going to hate me, they're going to think I'm not good enough for her, hell I don't think I'm good enough. I'm just a mangled mess of flesh while she's fucking perfect."
"Okay, you know what. Don't say anything." Harper shook his head. "Her family doesn't need to know. She doesn't even need to know, not right now. You're just starting out, it can all be revealed later."
"She doesn't need to know?" The panic was written all over Niklaus's face. "She doesn't need to know, not right now. Right, thank you. I can do this." Niklaus huffed and went back to his room.
***
"I bet he calls by tomorrow." Neil looked at Harper, a faint smile on his lips.
"I give him at least a day." Harper laughed as Neil crawled back into the bed.
***
9:47am
"You ready to go?" Niklaus knocked on the doorframe as Olivia finished zipping her duffle.
"Yeah, did you tell Neil and Harper we're leaving?" Olivia slung her bag over her shoulder and followed Niklaus downstairs.
"Yeah I talked to them earlier but they're at breakfast right now so we'll be gone by the time they get back." Niklaus grabbed his bag and the house key Scarlett had made for him. Scarlett and Atlas had to go to work, even werewolves have a need to make money. Niklaus locked the door and placed his bag in the trunk of Olivia's car before taking her bag too. He closed the trunk and got into the front passenger seat. He didn't have a license so he had to rely on everyone else to drive him around. Olivia buckled her belt and started the engine. The car lurched from the driveway as they started their forty minute drive to the Chie Pack. Niklaus twiddled with his fingers and chewed his lips as the nerves of meeting Olivia's pack took over his mind.