Till Death Do Us Part... (Private. Natsu. Mature)

Nicolaus smiled and pet Thor. "My pleasure. I wanted to show that even with my rank, I'm really not a bad guy. Looks like we're done here, so let's go." He said, picking her up and carrying her to the car, kissing her cheek twice along the way. He set her down, opened the door for her, then sat in the driver's seat. He was glad that he managed to take driver's classes when he was younger. He kept his focus on the road, listening for Claire in case she wanted to talk to him along the ride. He inserted the gate code, and drove into the driveway.

"Ah, Luka, there you are. Help me out." Nicolaus said to his butler, a man in a formal shirt, tie and a lab coat. Nicolaus stepped out of the limo and opened the door, watching Luka's confused look as he pulled things out of the car. "Pet..supplies?" He asked, and Nicolaus pointed to Thor. "Congratulations, Master. And you must be the bride I've heard about. I am Luka, the butler and licensed doctor to Master Nicolaus and his companions. I was busy earlier, but it's an honor to meet Master's wife, even if she shares my position. May I ask of Miss Layla's location?" He asked. "She ditched, and I sent the driver away. Put the kennel up when you have time. Thor should have the chance to get used to his home while some of us put his things in there." Nicolaus said. He, Luka, Mei and Ava picked up items and carried them in the house.

Claire  glanced over at Layla wondering where she was going to go but she watched her leave wondering what exactly what she wanted to be treated like. She brushed it off as she turned her attention to the driver and listened to what Nicolaus had to say, she did not even think that his mother could get mad but she did not want to see it either. She was a bit surprised that Nicolaus let the driver go just like that with a new route to follow, she wondered what the driver would achieve in his new path. “Nicolaus” she said softly, really not wanting to piss him off in any way as she picked up the puppy and held him close before standing up and making herself comfortable in her husband’s lap when she had sure nothing was there. She nuzzled against him and placed a gentle kiss upon one of his cheeks “Thank you for everything today my darling” she whispered to him, she wondered what she could possibly do in return as a thanks tonight but she would not bother thinking about it too much till they got back to the house and settled down after putting the puppy’s supplies away.

Layla was quiet for a while as she wrote on the notepad, then set it on the table, slipping some dollar bills underneath. "I think I'll end my visit here and go to my next destination instead of going home, so there's money for him to go back. Mei's brothers just moved to Ottawa, Canada, so I'll go make sure they're not still trying to find her. You're not treating me the way I want, so I'll do something more interesting." Layla said before she left to find a nearby bus stop.

"She has that plan, with her ego, and she thinks I'm the idiot." Nicolaus said. "Does that mean I'm free?" The driver asked nervously. "That's not her intention, but it could. Depends on what you and your colleague want to do with $500, and I know she didn't consider both of you. Go to the Seattle company location and ask for the owner. Show my card, and ask my cousin for a job as a personal assistant or something. Don't worry, Layla has a reputation in my family. If you tell some of them about her trip, I won't be the only one wondering when I'll be hearing from the Mounties. With our training, we can't fully handle the world. I'll drive us home and handle your colleague. My mother will be pissed about it, so I can't do this again." Nicolaus ripped out the page meant for him, then gave the driver the notepad and the money, along with his business card. The man stood up, bowed and left with the items.

Claire listened to them but she did not bother to speak up. She was a bit confused when Layla mentioned that if she was not going to listen and obey then to send her over Layla’s way. She wondered if she had done anything to be disobedient but she could not come up with anything which made her question herself as to if she would ever be disobedient towards her husband. Am I really lucky? To be considered a servant and a wife? To bend at every word Nicolaus has to say? No.. I don’t consider myself lucky but I’ll find that balance and peace between the two roles to try and make Nicolaus happy. Though I do consider myself cautious…and scared.. her thoughts went on for a while till she noticed a hand petting Thor, she glanced over at her husband but did not say a word as she studied him for a few seconds. Trying to figure out where his mind was but she could not figure it out which she really did not mind all that much but still, something bugged her slightly. Claire looked back at Thor to see him rolling over for a belly rub which made her giggle a bit.

"She's not paying attention to you." Nicolaus noted. "Oh well, her loss then. She's lucky she's not at my house. She's more of a wife than a servant. I got a special room where we can change that." Layla suggested. "I want her to be able to function normally in the outside world, like Dad does." Nicolaus said. "I'm surprised no one noticed him. Follow the contract, I won't be the good sister forever. Learn to be a Master. If she's so disobedient that you can't handle her, then send her to me. I would not have allowed what happened today. She has no idea how lucky she is compared to you and the others." Layla said. "Stop complaining and make up your mind about whether to stay. It sounds like you're leaving. If your servant here has a notepad, write down some tips for me. I won't guarantee I'll follow them, but it's better than you being a bother later." Nicolaus said, and Layla groaned. Nicolaus sighed as he pet Thor, trying to ignore his sister. The driver gave Layla his notepad and pen. "I humbly thank you for this, sir. This is very rare for me." He said, and Nicolaus nodded.

Claire followed them outside and sat down in a seat, allowing Thor to rest on her lap as she sip away quietly on her chocolate shake. She listened to Nicolaus and Layla exchange words and have a conversation that she was not really comfortable or interested in getting into so she just sat there and focused on something else. She stared up at the sky and watched as the clouds rolled by, making strange and sometimes really cool designs that she could easily make out. When she finished the chocolate shake, she placed the empty cup on the table for right now and ran her fingers through her hair. She did not know what Layla did in her spare time, but she was honestly scared to even think about visiting her; though at the same time it did make her curious but as they say… curiosity killed the cat. And if Claire was any animal, she would clearly be a cat and she did not want to be a dead cat. Her cheeks went a dark red as she closed her eyes for a few seconds and when she reopened them, she turned her attention to Thor who was shifting around to get in a different sleeping position.

"Yeah, that's what I figured. Oh, the butler's a doctor, so maybe he can do the first checkup. I don't know how much he counts, since he's not a vet." Nicolaus said as they went to sit under the outdoor canopy. At the table of four chairs, Nicolaus sat between the driver and Claire. "You need me to stay any longer after this. I think I saved you two earlier. You owe me, Nico. She's new to the family, so she doesn't owe me shit. You need to show him and the other servants how it's done again." Layla smiled. "He was there before?" Nicolaus asked, and Layla laughed. "You were so out of it, you didn't notice? Still react the same way under it, huh?" Layla asked. "I can't help it when you give me orders. It's second nature, just like with the others. I need help with training. You know you're failing when you're drugged by your own servant." He muttered. "Which one?" "Ava. I could hear Mei yell, then my mind blocked them out until Claire mentioned them." Nicolaus recalled. "I'll order my car servant on her. Simple. Oh, my car servant stays in the car and pleasures me when I travel. It's trained differently than most of the others, due to it's specialty. That's why we couldn't take my car, you're not used to seeing that." Layla shrugged.

Claire was glad that Thor now had a collar on him with the tag there, she would hate to lose him on the first day without that on him. She placed a small kiss on Thor’s head  before she stepped into the car and took her seat, carefully still holding the puppy not wanting to put him down right now as it was not needed. She wondered what Nicolaus was like when he was impatient but she guessed that she did not want to, she brushed that off of her mind and focused more on her rings quietly. When they got to their destination, she stepped out of the car with the puppy and then began to follow her sister in law and husband into the store for a treat. Claire just ordered a chocolate shake as she was not really in the mood for much more, and she thanked her husband quietly with a kiss to the cheek. She noticed the puppy starting to wake up as she stayed close to Nicolaus “After this, will we be going home to set up Thor’s stuff?” she asked quietly wondering where they were going to put the cage, and the dog house and where the supplies would be placed.

As the driver was busy, Nicolaus carefully secured the collar onto Thor, making sure it wasn't too tight. When the driver was done, Layla went in the car, and Nicolaus described the store he wanted. "Do you know a place like that in this area?" He asked. "Yes, sir. It may take about five to ten minutes. I apologize." He said. "I know you're Layla's, but I'm not that impatient anymore. I do remember how it feels." Nicolaus assured. The driver bowed his head and returned to the front seat as Nicolaus let Claire into the limo first.

They arrived at the ice cream shop sooner than expected. The place had a fancy exterior with a canopy to block the sun and outdoor tables. Nicolaus got out of the car first, and as he held the door open, he leaned over and knocked on the window. The driver stepped out and approached him. "You're coming too. You don't mind a snack, do you?" Nicolaus asked. "No, sir. May I ask why you've done that every time?" He asked. "I did your job before any of you came along, so old habits die hard, I guess." Nicolaus said, and the driver followed him inside as Layla convinced the store employee to let Thor in while they ordered. Nicolaus got Layla to pay for herself and her driver's unexpectedly large order, while he paid for himself and Claire. Layla and the driver ordered first, then Nicolaus waited for Claire before he ordered a large ice cream cone with multiple scoops of a flavor that was mixed white and milk chocolate.

Her nerves settled down soon when she heard that he would consider it, she was glad that he would think about it before giving her the final decision as she did not want the decision made on impulse and then taken back later. Claire sighed softly as she relaxed and watched the machine do it’s magic to engrave everything  that her husband had typed in, it was interesting to say the least but she soon snapped out of it when Nicolaus grabbed the tag. She stood there for a second before following Nicolaus over to the register where they would check out with the items and such. She heard the words that were exchanged between Nicolaus and Layla but she was too busy staring at her engagement and wedding ring. Claire then followed Nicolaus and Layla out of the store with the supplies and over to the car, she blinked as she stepped into the car and carefully picked up Thor; not wanting to wake him up on purpose. Then she stepped out of the car and stood close to Nicolaus but not so close as she wanted to give him his personal space as much as possible.

Nicolaus chose the heart design, then typed in 'Thor' on one side and 'If found call' above Nicolaus' cell phone number on the other. "In case you haven't noticed, I don't plan much in advance. I'll consider it though." He said as he kept changing the color of the tag until he gold metal, thinking it would last longer. He paid for the tag, waited for it to come out of the machine, then grabbed it and pushed the cart to a short register line. Soon it was his turn, and Layla brought the kennel and doghouse. "You're being unusually helpful today. Are you trying to look reliable to Claire? At the rate you're going, it might work as long as she doesn't visit your house. She seemed to think I was trouble when you first arrived." Nicolaus said, and Layla laughed. "I really hoped you wouldn't turn out to be so mild compared to me. Did you decide to lessen your behavior when you got engaged?" Layla asked. "When I realized I wanted to be, yeah. It wasn't easy. Sometimes girls can't take a hint." He said as he paid for the items, then brought them to the car. The driver stepped out to carefully load the dog supplies into the car while avoiding Thor.

Claire was a bit shocked to hear that but she did not let it show as she followed him over to the next aisle. “That sounds good, I’m more of a shake person anyways” she whispered as she looked over the treats slowly wondering what was good for puppies and what weren’t. She wished that she had a book or something to read from so she could collect this knowledge. “I’m sure Thor would be happy to be outside with us, instead of stuck in the car” she said softly as she gracefully made her way over to where the engraving was. She tilted her head slightly as she looked over the designed that Nicolaus liked but she then pointed at the heart shaped design “I think that one would be best” she said softly knowing that it had a bit more room to put information on just in case the puppy ran off from the yard somehow. “So I was thinking for next week…I could possibly go out for some drinks and dancing” she muttered wondering what Nicolaus thought about that but she had a good reason to go out clubbing. “Would that be okay?” she asked softly as she wanted to avoid eye contact with him, feeling nervous but she forced herself to study him. Wondering what made him tick, she was trying to read his next move but she was still having issues with reading him.

"Huh. Never really had a guardian like that before." Nicolaus said with a slight frown. Some childhood memories appeared in his mind, but he quickly dismissed them as he looked at the collars, picking a blue adjustable one to match the color of the leash, and grabbed a blue harness, placing them both into the cart. As he grabbed trash bags for picking up after dogs and walked to the dog treat aisle, he thought about Claire's question. "I don't think we have any more shopping to do, and we're filling up the car at this rate anyway, so we can go for ice cream. Somewhere where you can get a shake or a smoothie if you're not into ice cream. It may be weird to hear, but I've met a couple people like that. Oh, and where they have a covered area to eat outside, so the dog can join us. It's not too hot out, and I'd feel bad leaving him in the car again if he's awake then." Nicolaus said, taking bags of mini treats with different flavors, then pushed the cart to the front of the store, where the collar ID tag engraving was. "Let's see. First we pick the design. I think the bone and the heart look good. What do you think?" Nicolaus asked.

“It is nice, it’s like having a guardian to watch over you” Claire muttered as she had seen it many times before, and even had it herself when she was a young kid. Her older brother Zack would take care of her when she was being picked on, and she did the same for her younger brother Seth. She was glad that she had two brothers but she quickly dismissed the thought knowing that if she thought about her family for too long then that would cause her to become upset. She followed him to the next aisle and glanced over the different colours of leashes wondering which one would be the best to get but she picked up a dark blue colour retractable leash and pulled the string out to see how far it went and when she was happy with it she made sure that the string and such went back to the mechanism. Then she put the retractable leash into the cart and looked over the collars but she would let Nicolaus pick out what he liked to see on their puppy. “So, what are we going to be doing after we’re all done here? Another store?” she asked wondering where they were gonna go after they were finished here.

"To protect her, huh? That sounds nice. That's not something I've seen before, but it sounds exciting." Nicolaus said as he bounced a tennis ball and lightly tossed a container of them into the cart, then grabbed some Frisbees and added them as well. He looked at the stuffed animals, made some of them squeak, then took some, setting them on top of the bed. Layla returned with brushes. "The employee said we can bring up the kennel when we're at the register. You want a dog house?" She asked. "Yeah. Let's go look at collars and leashes." Nicolaus said as Layla added the brushes to the other items and Nicolaus pushed the cart to the next aisle. "Retractable leashes! That's perfect! That way he can run around and we can still keep an eye on him when he's outside with us." Nicolaus said.

Claire followed him as she was very curious about him, she yearn for the knowledge behind him. She wondered how long it would take the puppy to pick up on commands but she ran her fingers through her hair carefully as she looked over each toy. “Yes I was liked getting a boy, but if I could choose the gender of a baby I would. Male first, then female so the male could protect the female… but, as long as the children are healthy then that’s all that matters to me “ she said softly as she blinked when she heard the odd question. She glanced at her husband as she picked up a tug-a-war toy and placed it carefully into the cart “I think the laser pointers are just for cats, but I suppose you could try to get Thor to chase after the red dot. Not sure if dogs take to that” she said softly as she then shrugged.

Nicolaus put the white bowl down, then picked up the one Claire mentioned before placing it in the cart and headed to the toy aisle. "What? How would I know? If you're asking what I'd want, I'd be fine either way, but it'd be interesting to get a male dog and a female child, but you seemed to really like getting a boy. Am I right?" He asked, laughing at the recent memory and that she caught him off guard. He pushed the cart into the toy aisle and stared at the selection. "I don't know what to do. Should we get one of everything just in case? And is the interest in laser pointers just a cat thing?" He asked, touching the softer toys and unsure if Thor's mouth was big enough to handle a tennis ball yet.

Claire stayed quiet as her eyes searched the place and her feet kept her moving so she was pretty close to her husband. She found quite the interest in how some of the dog food and water bowls were designed but she was not sure on which one they should get for Thor. “What about the silver with white Nicolaus? “ she asked him as she picked the bowls up and showed him what they looked like. “From the material that they made it out of, it’ll keep the water cold enough for him even if does get warm outside or inside.” She said softly as wondered what kind of toys that the store had to choose from, but she was more curious as to which toys Thor would react well with. “Nicolaus?” she said softly as a smile slowly formed on her face. She had so many questions, and yet all the time in the world to get her answers but she was so looking forward to getting some answers. Claire soon got the idea to play a little game with her husband later, wanting and longing for a good connection between them before they would start a family. “When we started having kids.. do you think we’ll have a boy or girl first?” she asked and giggled a bit, knowing it was a silly question but she wanted to know his thoughts.

Nicolaus nodded at her comment. Claire's order seemed logical enough to him, so he mostly followed it, and he figured it was his turn to decide things. He found the dog food aisle, studied the ingredients and nutrients of different bags, and picked one that he liked. He placed the bag at the bottom of the cart, and smiled at Claire as he pushed the cart to the dog beds. He pushed on the beds to test them, then picked one that the puppy could easily climb onto, then he headed to the dog bowls, which is where Layla caught up with them. "Aww, they're not customizable like I've seen before, you know, with the name on the side. I was thinking orange, but now it's looks too bright." He frowned, picking up a white bowl with baby blue patterns on it. "Why not the black one?" Layla asked. "In case it's in the heat. I don't know if everything black burns, but I don't want to risk it. Layla, go get a cage for him, not black, and some brushes, and meet us in the toy aisle." He said, and she left.

Claire could not help but to smirk at Layla’s comment, thinking that it was kind of funny as she followed them out of the store. She was a bit surprised though when Nicolaus asked Layla to take all the bags and go put them in the car, she thanked Layla before she left and glanced at her husband when she heard his words. It was nice of him to think of her, so she smiled and just quickly followed him into the pet supply store to go look around and grab the things that they would need for their puppy. “I think the name Thor would suit him really well” she said softly as she stayed close to him not wanting to go too far anyways. “I really think that we should get the puppy food first considering it’s going to be in a bag and might be heavy so that should be at the bottom. Then we should head for dishes for him to eat and drink out of, we don’t want to use bowls from your house you know? Getting them dirty and stuff, and after I think toys and treats would be a good spot to check out. Rewarding him after he’s obeyed would be the best for anyone in training” she suggested to him wondering if he was going to go with that order or not but she thought it would be an okay order to go in.

As the employee rang up the clothes and put them in a bag, Nicolaus hugged Claire with one arm and kissed her cheek. He was a bit stunned by the name she suggested. "Thor? That's a really strong sounding name. Very interesting. I like it." He said. "Because Loki sounds too silly?" Layla asked, half joking as they left the store. "Loki's been portrayed as a villain recently. It's too strange to me to have someone that'll be trained to be our kid's hero to be named after a villain. Thor's acceptable to me, though. Layla, quietly put the bags in the car, then rejoin us in the pet supply store, okay?" Nicolaus asked, and Layla reluctantly agreed, taking all the bags and leaving. "I figured you didn't want to carry those all over the store." He told Claire.

The couple went to the pet supply store, and Nicolaus found a cart and pushed it around. He had an urge to suggest Claire to ride in it, but quickly dismissed the idea. "We'll pick things out in any order you want, but we'd just have to reorganize things in the cart as we go, and we can do the name engraving last before we leave the store." Nicolaus said.

Claire was glad that Nicolaus took an interest in what she had picked out but maybe she would surprise him down the road with more revealing clothing to his likings but right now she was happy with the choices that she had made and perhaps she would get more comfortable getting shorter stuff in a bit. She glanced over at Layla before following Nicolaus to the register knowing that the employee there had to scan all the clothing and put them in a bag for them. Her eyes studied him closely as she nuzzled up into him to show some affection and let the employee take care of her items for her. She looked up at him when the employee put everything in a bag and handed it over to her which she carefully took a hold of and kept close. Reaching up on her tippy toes, she planted a small and yet soft kiss on his lips “Thanks darling” she whispered when she got back to her normal height wondering where they were going to go next. “Hey, I think I’ve come up with a name for the puppy… what do you think about the name Thor?” she asked him wondering what his thoughts were on a god’s name.

Nicolaus smirked when he saw Claire's outfits. The clothes looked like it would cover more skin than he was used to. He lightly lifted the skirt she held. "I'm used to miniskirts, so I guess this length will have to grow on me. That sounded weird. The other ones look pretty nice too. Girls' clothes aren't my area of expertise. I'm a bit perverted in that area, thanks to somebody." He said, taking a quick glance at Layla before returning his attention to Claire. "I bought enough socks and women's underwear for all of you, so don't worry about that." Nicolaus said. "You have enough beach umbrellas, Nico?" Layla asked. "Yeah, I bought five a while ago. I bought them for the family, but you guys haven't visited all together in a while. If you're happy with the choices, Claire, I'm more than happy to buy them for you." Nicolaus said as he approached the register with money in his hand.

Claire blinked when she was complimented but she quietly thanked him as she did not really expect that. When she saw her husband pay for the dresses that she picked out, she carried her own bags not feeling right about Nicolaus carrying them. She quietly followed them to the next store which seemed to be more laid back with the casual clothes. Her eyes flickered around as she moved around the store, picking out six out fits that complimented her body very well, she stayed out of the conversation that Nicolaus and Layla were having feeling that it was none of her business but she lightly poked her husband’s shoulder and showed him the clothes that she picked out, she liked getting his opinion as she thought that it was an important part of their relationship now. Some of the items were ranging from skirts to shorts, and from tank tops to strapless shirts that had nice patterns or colours on them.

"They're lovely. I bet they'd look wonderful on you." Nicolaus said as he looked at the dresses one by one. He paid for them, then they went to the more casual clothing store. The siblings picked things for Mei, which Layla paid for this this time, then it was Claire's turn to pick for herself. As they walked through the store, Layla saw a shirt with the UK flag on it and joked that they should get it for Mei. "That's mean, especially from you and considering how you got her." Nicolaus said, then saw Layla shrugged, seeing no issue with how Mei was taken. "This place sure has lots of stuff, from towels to summer dresses. Impressive." Layla said, trying to change the subject.