“Let me see your hand,” Morticia demanded and tried to reach for Klaus’s hand, but he dodged her hold.
“No need, I’m fine,” he mumbled.
“Bring your hand now, Klaus,” she insisted, coldly this time. Without a word, Klaus offered his wounded hand to her.
He watched her apply ointment, his gaze intent, still finding it hard to believe she was actually here with him and that he had cried in her arms.
Her expression serious as she dressed his wound. “Can you stop hurting yourself whenever you’re upset? And stop breaking things too; you gave your friend a lot of work.”
Klaus pressed his lips together, accepting her scolding.
After a while, he asked, “Is she awake?” His voice was low, barely audible.
“No… but the doctor said she’ll wake up soon,” Morticia replied, her voice steady. She stood. “Please stay; I’ll go get something to eat.”
As the door shut, Klaus’s gaze landed on the smashed pieces of glass. He got up and cleaned the mess.
After a while, Morticia entered the small room with a huge box of pizza. She dropped it onto a stool before Klaus.
Klaus looked up at her.
“I’m not hungry,” Klaus mumbled.
“Eat or I’ll leave,” she warned, moving toward the small kitchen.
Klaus sighed. Wasn’t she the one who said she’d stay no matter what? Now she was the one threatening to leave. He didn’t want her to go-not at all.
He was finally getting himself together, thanks to her.
Morticia returned after washing her hands. She took a slice of pizza and gestured it toward his mouth.
“I’m not a baby,” he grumbled.
“Then you shouldn’t hurt your hands. Only babies throw fits whenever they’re angry. Now open up… ahh,” she insisted. Reluctantly, Klaus opened his mouth, somewhat amused that she had called him a baby.
Morticia managed to make him eat two slices before eating hers too. “Do you wish to go outside?”
“No.”
Morticia swallowed. “D… do you want to talk about it?” He looked at her without a word and then averted his gaze.
The room stayed silent for a long while, making Morticia think he wasn’t going to talk, but he did.
“Hold me close,” he said. They lay on the bed, Klaus’s head resting in her embrace. They covered themselves with the duvet while she played with his hair.
The room was dim, and Morticia swore she could stay like this forever, as long as he was with her.
“He hit her that night,” he said, his voice low, and Morticia’s eyes widened. Mr. Finn hit Josephine. “My mother was so mad I had to witness the scene of him sleeping with her sister. She overheard when my father told me, ‘It’s fine to take as many women as you please.’
My mom got riled up and struck my dad on the face, yelling and cursing at him. My father lost himself in anger. He took her by the hair and hit her… over and over.” He paused, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down. Morticia didn’t realize the tears that fell from her face.
“She had bruises all over, and I tried to stop him, but I was just eight-young and fragile. I pleaded with Evie to help her, but she just ran out. I charged toward my father and was shoved away. Finally, he came to his senses. My mother was struggling on the floor, and then I saw blood… dripping down her legs and soaking her clothes…
She was rushed to the hospital. The doctor announced she had lost her baby. It turned out she was pregnant before my father hit her. That’s when I hated him-with every fiber in me. Even though he managed to reconcile with my mother, I still wanted to make him pay. I wanted to make him restless… however, I did too much, and it became an addiction.”
*Stop acting like your father, Klaus!*
He sighed. “Those words haunt me… everywhere, even in my sleep. She hated me… and she just proved it…”
“No, she doesn’t hate you,” Morticia interrupted.
“Then why didn’t she tell me? Even my dumbass father knew, and I didn’t,” his voice broke cold.
“She didn’t want you to get hurt or worried…”
“This hurts more than that. To think I’ve been acting all cold because of what she said…” He sighed, his eyes tearing up again. “I once yelled at her that I never wanted to see her. I’m a bad person, Bunnie… a bad son who belongs in the goddamn trash… I don’t even think she would…”
“You’re seeing the wrong side, Klaus. Josephine didn’t mean anything she said that day. She just didn’t want you to go down the wrong path,” she held his face. “I don’t want to see you go down the wrong path, Klaus. I want you to forget all those bad memories and focus on what is to come.” She entwined her hands with his. “Especially now that you have me. I’ll help you, Klaus.”
Klaus’s lips curled up into a small smile, feeling overwhelmed by her words.
“I love you,” he said, and she stiffened. He looked up at her; she was so shocked, her eyes looked like they might pop out of their sockets.
“I love you, Bunnie,” he whispered, raising himself up to meet her gaze firmly. A tear dropped from the corner of her eye, and he wiped it away with his thumb.
“D… do you mean that?” she croaked. She had been waiting seven years to hear those words.
“I do. I love you, Morticia Addams,” he confessed, using her full name, then leaned down to kiss her.
It was light, gentle, yet it sparked the fire between them.
“I love you, Klaus… I love you so much,” she whispered. He let out a light chuckle, and their lips met again, slowly growing more passionate as his hands roamed around her body.
She moaned, entangling her fingers in his hair, then trailing them down to his muscular arm. She held it firm and guided it between her legs.
“Klaus,” she whispered, pulling away from the kiss. Breath still mingling, she demanded, “Take me.”
Klaus’s eyes squinted. Though he knew what she meant, he was just shocked she’d demand such a thing here and right now.
“Bunnie…”
“I want you,” desire swirling in her gaze. When he didn’t say anything, she pressed, “You don’t… you don’t want to?”
“I do… hell, I fucking do, more than anything, Bunnie. I just…” He took a deep breath, calming his demons at their peak. “I just want you to be sure.”
She nodded.
Klaus continued. “There’s no going back.”
“I know,” she whispered.
“Fine, just stop me when it hurts too much… okay?” He whispered and slammed his lips on hers.