She had no other choice. If someone was to ask her why she'd landed up there then that's what she would say. And it's not like she was bluffing. It was true, it was a last resort sort of a thing—so it was true. And she had no other choice.
She looked out at the city lights of the complex yet proud New Orleans skyline. In all her travels throughout the years, she'd visited numerous cities and towns. She'd literally seen every corner of the world, as many places as super-humanly possible. From climbing Mount Everest to attending the moon cake Festival in the heart of China. She'd done it all, seen it all, allowing for the exception of New Orleans. It was the one place she had avoided, making sure her travels never lead to that godforsaken place where the Big Bad had acclaimed his home. Caroline had imagined the city to be in chaos and ruins.
What more would she expect from him, anyway?
However, surprisingly enough, the city was just as extraordinary as she'd seen in the postcards. It buzzed with life, the streets filled with tourists and parades, music blaring from every direction, it was...unique. Caroline had seen so much already that she'd doubted that she would ever be able to be overwhelmed by anything again. She'd travelled so much that the cities and landscapes seemed to all blur into one. Who knew I could get bored with immortality? She thought to herself. New Orleans, however, took her breath away; she couldn't believe she'd ever avoided such an exciting city all in the hopes of dodging him.
Come on Caroline, finding him in such a huge place? It would be like looking for a needle in a haystack! Granted, a big, very influential, slightly smug needle...
Point is, she knew better than that, she'd find Klaus if he wanted to be found. Her ego had gotten the best of her. She didn't want to prove him right. She'd tried her best to avoid this confrontation. In spite of the fact that she'd thought about meeting him almost every day since he'd left. She'd go on coaxing herself for days at a time.
Do not think about the blood-sucking fiend! Think about anything but the blood-sucking fiend.She remembered what he'd told her back at the Decade Dance all those years ago, which was funny. Because there wasn't much she wanted to remember from those days.
"Small town boy, small town life; it won't be enough for you. Mark my words." She hated to admit it, but he had been right all along. He'd even cheekily added,
"And one day, maybe in a year, or even in a century. You'll show up at my door. And let me show you what the world has to offer." She'd shrugged his little speech off with a scoff back then, but those were the kind of words one didn't just forget...they were etched into her memory from that night.
The impact it had created on her was very much evident. In fact, those words were the reason she was the person she was today. She'd come a long way from that reputation of being a neurotic, materialistic, control freak. She'd left that girl behind completely now.
Caroline had had her own share of flings over the years that had all ended in gloom and doom. And although she hadn't seen the smug Original after he'd promised to walk away and never return, she could never forget the best sex she'd ever had in her life—which was saying a lot (she'd had lots of sex before she turned, and being undead didn't help repress any urges).
He really was a man of his word; they hadn't crossed paths once since their little indiscretion in the forest that day.
(Indiscretion? Do you mean that beautiful, passionate act of lust? A voice from the stupid side of her head murmured. Oh, shut up!)
He hadn't even bothered contacting her, by any means; she couldn't help but want to give herself a little scolding for being sort of disappointed about that. It sucked, really. What did it take to get Count Dracula off her mind? It was stupid, she'd tried and tried to forget him, to forget that day when for once... she had felt, well, alive and, free. He probably didn't even remember who she was; she was probably just another one of his many conquests.
You know better than that. The stupid voice prompted. Please, so he acted like I was the only girl in the world. He drew me a pony. But that doesn't mean he's still fawning over me. It's been years for god's sake!
Her smarter voice won the argument, at least, momentarily. The thoughts made her sick to her stomach, she knew this was beyond wrong. He was against everything she believed in. Even back in the day when they'd had that one sexcapade in those woods, her friends had instantly gone all Jersey Shore on her. They'd been judgemental and mean about it, constantly taunting her for her decision. Mocking her and reminding her that she'd done a terrible thing...Well, everyone but Stefan, who seemed to be the only one considerate enough to respect her privacy. Caroline didn't resent her friends for their reactions, their intentions were pure, and they'd all thought they were helping her. To such an extent that, Caroline had felt pathetic about it for weeks; she'd felt horrible that it had felt so amazing. Finally, she'd decided to give it a rest and stop feeling guilty about it. The truth was, it didn't matter in the end.
What was done was done. And now you're going back, to do him all over again. Ugh! The voices in her head bickered on. And now, she didn't even have her friends to worry about. She could walk in and see him, and put off all the consequences that came with—at least, for now. Klaus was the Devil, he was all the things that were wrong with the world...But he'd been the only one who'd understood her. He'd understood her intellect before she even had.
It was like he had a free pass into the inner workings of her mind. And boy, did that piss her off. And now...well, she had no choice. Elena and Stefan were married now, they'd settled down in a quiet little town in Central Europe. Damon Salvatore finally made peace with both his brother and his former lover, Elena, he now spent most of his time picking up girls and running a bar for the Supernatural in Las Vegas along with his old friend, Enzo. Bonnie and Jeremy had long since passed away; they'd literally grown old together.
Their deaths had been hard on them all...Especially on Elena, who had been heartbroken, but was finally satisfied when assured that he had led a full, happy life, and that it was what he had wanted. Matt had moved to New Orleans shortly after Rebekah's visit along with Klaus that same day in the woods. He still checked in on Caroline and her friends from time to time, now living the vampire version of the American Dream with his Original lover. Unfortunately, they'd moved to London which left Caroline alone to face the wrath of His Most Sexy-Yet Evilness. Two nights ago, Caroline's lonely, monotonous life had reached its lowest point and she'd been overcome by the depression. She'd almost killed herself, however, her attempt had been futile, and there was one more thing she had to do. She had to see him, so not long after that, she'd found herself here, in the city itself. It really wasn't her choice. She'd tried, but she was the only one of her friends who hadn't found the love of her life. That epic, special, movie kind of love was something she'd dreamed off since she was a little girl.
She wasn't going to Klaus to ask him to be her one true love, of course, nor was she going there for a booty call. She just...she had to see him one last time. Soon enough, she stood out in front of the address Rebekah had given her; she stared at the building that loomed over her. To say the mansion was incredible was an understatement. Never in her life had she seen grass so green or a house as tall. A thigh high, stone fence surrounded the perimeter of the house where it ended, there was a small gate. Once she'd walked through the gate, she could see more of the extravagant house. A small pond wrapped around a weeping willow, whose branches dipped lightly into the water's surface. Flowers covered the grass and several vines and rose bushes lined the house's exterior. It looked of royal calibre, with detailed rustic designs carved into its sides. The doors were shiny and the walls looked strangely welcoming. The mansion really seemed proud of itself, there was also a garden of blue lilacs embedded in the soil leading up to the house, and two black horses...ironically just like the ones she'd noticed back at the Mikaelson ball all those years ago, grazed by it.
Mary Poppins could've lived here.
It was a little hard to believe the Original Hybrid chose this home. He always did have good taste. She took a deep breath, her body defying every part of the logical side of her brain. Here goes nothing...
Caroline knocked twice, before quickly retorting back two steps and cussing to herself. "Damn it! Damn it! Shouldn't have come, shouldn't have come!" She muttered so silently that she doubted even the Hybrid's heightened senses could catch her words...which was, probably just wishful thinking on her part. The door flung open, and Caroline had to bawl her palms into fists and dig her fingernails into them to keep her jaw from dropping to the floor. Klaus wasn't the one who had opened the door, it was another girl...she was beautiful, even Caroline couldn't deny that. She had pale skin, blue eyes, and wavy red hair, she was wearing a red dress that seemed to try a little too hard to flaunt off her cleavage. "Um, May I help you?" She asked, crossing her arms across her chest. Caroline bit her lip, taking another step back and turning away as swiftly as she could, a lump began to form in her throat. Stupid! It was stupid of her to think that she'd stand a chance, what was she thinking? Showing up at the door of a guy who she'd had a brief...encounter with years and years ago?
"Nah, wrong address. My bad! Sorry for the bother." Caroline mused, her voice a little too enthusiastic. The redhead didn't look convinced, but before she could say anything else, she felt it—him. His strong presence automatically making her stop dead in her tracks. She could feel his eyes boring onto her back, and that's when she heard it. That rich, beautiful, accented voice she hadn't heard in decades, "Caroline..."
Oh, and the way her name rolled off his tongue, so elegantly! He always said her name carefully, like he was taking every syllable in, savouring every letter before he reached the end of it. She took another deep breath, glad that she didn't have a pulse at this point. She had to act cool. She turned on her heel, and saw him standing behind the girl, his expression was unreadable...unexplainable. He looked utterly astonished that she was here. His face made no effort to veil his shock; she felt a rush of mixed emotions flash through his eyes—Pain, disbelief, relief, delight and desperation, all in the space of a single heartbeat. She felt like choking up at his expression, almost feeling bad for coming to see him in the first place. She'd been wrong, he clearly hadn't forgotten about her, and if he had, he did a very good job at hiding it. She felt like looking at her gave him a moment of raw emotion, like all these bottled up feelings had just resurfaced. That made two of them. However, Klaus was quick to recover, as always. He regained his stance, looking regal and super hot—he wore a grey Henley that did his built all the justice. She couldn't help but notice how well it fit him, the way the t-shirt clung to his chest, and black pants to go with. His shoes and messy blond hair made him look almost normal. His eyes though, they remained the same, the beautiful green-blue that had always mesmerized her. His voice broke her out of her fantasy bubble, he cleared his throat.
"Genevieve, I'd like to have a word."
The red-haired girl looked at her up and down before turning back to glare at Klaus. Even though the tone of her voice remained calm, her resentment towards Caroline was crystal clear. "Have a sentence, even."
She walked into the room with him, leaving Caroline standing at his doorstep, waiting on him, awkwardly. She stomped her foot, this was beyond ridiculous! He was making her wait, at his freaking doorstep; this was like a slap in the face, the universe's ironic way of mocking her. Thankfully, their 'word' didn't last long and soon enough, the redhead was grabbing her purse and making her way out of the mansion. She gave Caroline one last dirty look before stalking off into the night.
Klaus walked over to her and arched an eyebrow.
"Were you going to come in and say hello to me, or did you just come here for the view?"
Caroline nodded no and walked right past him and into the house. Klaus smiled before shutting the door behind him. "Had to think twice before walking into Evil Incorporated, you know. I guess I finally showed up at your doorstep. Victory is certainly yours."
Klaus gazed at her, a teasing smile reaching his lips,
"Is this the part where I get to say 'I told you so?'"
He remembers. A small voice in her head mused.
Caroline smirked slightly, "You could, but then I might have to kill you."
Klaus laughed shortly, it was a genuine laugh—one that she hadn't quite heard in a while.
"So, where'd you pick up the skank? Tramps'R'Us?" She muttered, taking a seat on one of his surprisingly comfy red leather couches. His mansion was gigantic; applause-worthy, really. The living room was huge, with carefully placed antics from around the world on display in different corners of it. The walls were covered in various artworks that looked like they were from a museum. She'd never seen paintings more abstract or capturing before. The wooden floor was spotless and looked like no one had ever walked onto it. To her right there was a small closet door that was so neatly organized she could barely believe it. Doors went off at both sides of the hall. It reminded her of one of those hallways that look like they don't ever end. Caroline took another deep breath, it was really hard to ponder the fact that this was the house of a murderous serial killer vampire and his family of murderous serial killer vampires. Klaus smirked at the comment, looking pleased.
"Gen is an old friend and an ally of mine, which is as far as our relationship goes. Nothing to worry about, love." He made his way towards her and picked up a bottle of wine. And poured it into two glasses; the liquid was dark and had a strange resemblance to soy sauce.
"Worried? I'm not worrying! No worrying here! Why would I worry?" She shrugged, cussing herself in her mind, ugh, that was overkill. Her word vomit had zero effect. Klaus didn't look up from his wine, the cocky half-smile now almost permanently plastered on his face.
"What is it? Stop smiling so much. You look like you've got Botox."
His smile didn't waver,
"I know you, Caroline. And I am fairly sure I know women, you're jealous. You saw me chatting up another bird and it struck a nerve, didn't it?" He said, taking a sip of his fancy wine, Caroline grit her teeth.
"Don't flatter yourself." Klaus responded by handing her the glass of the wine he'd just poured for them,
"Go ahead, taste it."
Caroline took the glass from him, smelling it for caution of putting anything that the snarky Klaus Mikaelson offered her inside her mouth. However, the smell was divine. It smelt of berries, spices and leather. The aroma was rich and penetrating without being too profound. She took a small sip, it hinted at the taste of soy sauce, flowers and licorice. Klaus read her expression rather keenly, taking a seat on the couch next to hers.
"The Romane Conti is a rare wine that has carved a niche for itself along the years. At over fifteen hundred dollars a bottle, it no longer has anything to prove. I acquired it years ago at a dinner-"
Caroline immediately cut him off, not wanting to hear any more. "I know what you're doing. And you better stop it, right now."
His facial features grew perplexed.
"What are you gonna do next, offer to show me your wine collection? You think you can flash those godforsaken dimples at m. Be all British and charming by showing off your extent of knowledge on wines and then get me just the right amount of tipsy until I give in to my dark, pent up desires for you? Seen that move a billion times; Hello, I'm the rom-com queen. You'd be surprised at the amount of times I've watched The Notebook, trust me. Point is, it's a tale as old as time, and it's not gonna work."
Klaus was actually taken aback by this, looking slightly hurt, but he did a good job at covering it up.
"I was simply sharing a fascinating story and some fine wine with you, Caroline. If I wanted to impress you, or make a pass at you, I can very much assure you that you would be swooning and basking in the glory of my arms this very second." He said it confidently, like it was meant to be a threat. To her, though, it wasn't. Klaus was being absolutely genuine. This was just in his nature; to be blunt, literal and a total jack-ass overall.
There had to be the obligatory standoff between the two of them before they got to the bonding part.
"You've got a superiority complex, you know that?" She managed, trying to suppress the smile tugging at her.
"Is that so? That is highly astonishing coming from the most powerful being on the face of this planet!" He growled sarcastically, Caroline held back a laugh, taking another sip of the wine that indeed tasted like the liquid of the gods. "May I show you something, love? As long as you promise not to accuse me of trying to...ah, 'get in your pants' as the modern put it."
Caroline could feel his eyes on her, his leer hadn't wavered. It was just as gentle and observant as it had been back in the day; Klaus was still just as obnoxious as ever. But his voice still made her shiver; his look still made her want to die. Every time he looked at her, it was like her whole world stopped. He'd study her like she was a work of art, extraordinary, detailed and amusing. He gazed at her like she was the most beautiful piece of work he'd seen in his entire existence. This was saying a lot, considering he'd probably been alive to see the Industrial Revolution.
"You are tactless, and absolutely unable to take a hint, do you know that?" She mumbled, his gaze shifted uncomfortably, "Show me." She added swiftly. He smiled again, with triumph, this time, "Come," he said, taking her hand as she finished the last sip of her wine.
She followed him to the top floor of his mansion. It was a garden combined with a library combined with a balcony, or at least, that's what it looked like. As they entered the room up the staircase, she noticed they stood in a library. It was huge, there must've been books on everything here, from The World War to Romeo and Juliet.
"Literature, art, fantasy. Name your genre and you've got it. Quite fascinating, isn't it?"
Klaus muttered, he was standing right besides her, but he started to walk in front of her, admiring his own masterpiece of a library. She didn't read a lot, but she had to say, it was quite astonishing a collection.
Caroline nodded,
"Why need Wikipedia when you've got a room full of dusty, old books that are probably older than you are?"
She was just playing with him, though. The library gave her that enriching, fairytale feel. It was strange and honestly a little hard to describe.
Klaus didn't chuckle, but that chauvinistic smile appeared on his face again, "There is a lot more to it, sweetheart."
He kept walking, signalling her to follow him with his fingers. The library led them to an open-aired balcony, and it was beautiful, to say the least. It was covered in flowers; fresh-smelling roses and pretty blue bloomers that Caroline hadn't ever seen before.
"They're called Moon Lace, they only bloom at night. It makes them special, don't you think?"
Caroline was awestruck at Klaus's behaviour, she'd always known he was unique in certain ways. But it wasn't very often that you would see an Alpha-Male, serial killing vampire talking about flowers, of all things.
She bent down to pick one of the Moon Lace flowers that the balcony was laced with. The one that looked the bluest, its name certainly suit it, as the moonlight that cast on the flowers made them look as if they were glowing.
It was alluring.
"God, they're stunning. I love them." She started to pick one of the flowers out when Klaus walked over to her and touched her hand gently, stopping her.
"Osho once said, if you love a flower, don't pick it up, because if you pick it up it dies and it ceases to be what you love. So if you love a flower, let it be. Love is not about possession. Love is about appreciation." Okay, she wanted to take it back, this left her awestruck. Klaus, the man who had brought men to their knees, was asking her not to pick a flower, in danger of killing it? The irony was plausible. "Alright," Caroline said, standing up straight, and letting her arms fall back to her sides.
She tucked a golden strand of hair behind her ear, trying not to gape at Klaus. Since the balcony was full of these glowing blue flowers, it cast a faint but evident blue light on his face. He looked beautiful (for the lack of any other word crossing her mind at the time). His eyes complimented the illumination a bit too well.
"Who are you and what have you done with Klaus Mikaelson? A.K.A the Original Hybrid, the Different Kind of Monster, the Alpha-Male, Almighty Jackass Feared By All of Mankind! And who makes his brother, Elijah, look like the Easter Bunny in comparison!" She added a mockingly dramatic edge to her last few words, waving her hands around for no apparent reason. This earned her full-fledged laughter. "How did I go so many decades without you, Caroline?" He said it with a chuckle, but his question seemed genuine.
It softened her up a little bit.
He tilted his head all of a sudden,
"Make my brother look like the Easter Bunny? Did you come up with that?"
Caroline laughed, "Actually, Rose did."
"Ah, Rose. I have a newfound appreciation for the girl."
Caroline snorted, "You are just insensitive."
He walked over to the edge of the balcony, leaning against the railing and just staring out at the city lights. Caroline walked over to him, standing next to him to admire the setting that was in front of her. She had to admit; it was ravishing. The full-moon stood proud and there wasn't a cloud in the sky, it bathed the entire city below them in that glow that she noticed with the flowers.
The city buzzed with life and light, she could hear the distant sound of people, and cars honking, and parades and marching bands. If she focused enough with her vampire senses, she could even catch the exact beat of the songs they were parading to. Out across in the distance were mountains that you had to squint to see properly since they blended in with the night sky so well, but Caroline could catch the entire mountains and even the shape of some of the trees on them with her vampire eyesight. There was a gentle wind that breezed at them, teasing her hair, which blew back due to the force—and lifting her senses. She took a deep breath,
"I feel like I'm on top of the world."
She could feel Klaus beside her, she was super aware of their proximity. He wasn't standing too close, or too far away even. Just close enough to touch. But she could feel some kind of crazy cosmic electricity, a spark, even. She'd never felt this kind of absurd warmth in her life, not even with Tyler, who'd been her first real love.
"This doesn't even come close. Of course, there's a certain serenity to it, but it couldn't compare to the top of the world. No, I could show you places so extravagant they would leave you mind-boggled, views so picturesque you'd want to cease the moment forever in time. Gazing at it, bathing in it, I could take you atop the Himalayas. I ensure that you would've never seen that much pearl white snow in your time on earth. Snow that would literally make you tremble and wonder if you were caught up in heaven. Every nook and corner of The Louvre—the most glorious parties in New York City, full of lights, champagne and dancing people..."
"Dreaming big, are we?" She muttered under her breath.
Caroline was gaping at him by the end of his sentence,
she'd experienced so much in her life. She'd seen the world, she'd thought she'd seen every bit of it, but she got the sense that compared to Klaus she'd seen nothing. She took a deep breath before averting her gaze; she'd been staring at him for so long it was making its way into creepy territory. "I, uh, got a little carried away, love. I didn't mean-"
She cut him off, still looking at the beautiful landscape in front of her, "I don't know why I came here."
Klaus looked flustered, he tilted his head to the side,
"I just wanted to be away from everything, and somehow...ended up here." She continued, turning to look at him again. His facial expression was unreadable.
"I always feel so...empty, and—and numb, you know? I've been alive, for what, decades, now? And nothing. Everybody went ahead moved on; found the love of their life, or their purpose in it. Or went on to become famous or make a life-altering discovery about cancer, or...something. And then there's me, hundreds of years on the planet and I'm still the same old, boring, Caroline. I guess I'm coming full circle now." She took a deep breath, Klaus still had that expression that she couldn't quite read, he just kept looking at her, she shook her head.
"I guess I wanted that—the sense of belonging, to feel like I matter, you know? I've seen the world, done it all, and yet...I feel like I'm only starting out. Whatever I did, I was all alone—even when I was around people. I just... I want to feel something, Klaus."
She didn't know why she was telling him all of this, but it just came rushing out, all the pent up emotion. She couldn't really control it; Klaus put a hand on her shoulder, steadying her. "You can never truly see the world and do it all, love. I'm the oldest creature on the planet and yet I am certainly positive I haven't seen it all, either. The world is constantly changing—evolving, I think it is impossible, both humanly and inhumanly, to ever truly see everything and do everything. And that's the beauty of our world." Caroline arched an eyebrow.
"Okay, here I am, pouring my heart out to you and then you go ahead and give me a corny speech about the beauty of the world? Really? I deserve better!"
Klaus chuckled again, that genuine laughter she loved so much sent Goosebumps trotting up and down her spine. There were butterflies throwing a party in her stomach—and everyone was invited. She took another deep breath before going on, "I mean, even a silly little pat on the back. Or a few of your famous, encouraging "You're full of light" speeches would do." Klaus's face turned serious,
all the humour vanishing almost immediately,
"You remember that?"
"Well, yeah. A girl doesn't forget something like that."
"Is that so?"
She shrugged. "Don't get too excited. But not a lot of guys say stuff like that, so when someone does, it kinda sticks with you." Klaus smiled again, but didn't reply. He just kept staring out into the night, Caroline sighed again.
"Your little speech got me thinking about what else is out there. The things I haven't done, or seen yet. I'm...Not sure I even want to, anymore."
Klaus shook his head, "You haven't seen the world until you have seen it with me, love. There is much more to it. You do not give the world the credit that is much deserved." Caroline turned to look at him again,
"I don't know about that. I've seen lots of good, sure. But the bad, it outweighs the good sometimes—it's scary, war, disease, crime, all of it. Although, I probably shouldn't be going on about stuff like that in front of the Menace himself."
His smile faded almost instantly, replaced with an arrogant scowl. He didn't look back at her, in fact, he didn't meet her eyes once.
"Touchy spot?" She added quickly. Her butterflies were pissed off that he was pissed off. They were declaring war on her insides. Her stomach lurched, but she didn't care this time. She had to get it out of her system.
"'Cause that's just plain unfair, don't you think? You've—you've tortured and killed and done god knows what else...I can pretend to forget everything bad that you've ever done but that doesn't make it non-existent, does it? It's still there, I'm just avoiding, which is what I've always tried to do in your case. You know, you do a great job of making me comfortable around you, with the perfectly delivered lines and the smiles. It's all sunshine and bunnies for a little bit. But...Every time I see you, Klaus. I remember why I didn't give you a chance in the first place." She almost bit back her words at the look on his face, his eyes burned with rage; he had that killer swag look working. It would've probably driven anyone else away. That was his death stare, the type of look that had been the last thing some men saw before their tragic deaths; the type of outstare that he used before he killed someone. She knew she was supposed to be running in fear now, but despite of all the bad things she knew Klaus was capable of. Despite the fact that he had hurt her before, she wasn't afraid—not one bit. And that was what actually scared her out of her mind. She had a connection with the Hybrid; it was unexplainable, spooky, even. But no matter how unsettling, she couldn't deny the fact that it was very much there.
He turned to glare at her, leaning in closer, something he always did when he was trying to prove a point. "I am aware of what I am, Caroline. I have to come to terms with it every bloody night, I do not need you to show up every once and a while to remind me of that. If this is what you came for, you should leave right this second because I have had enough of it." He leaned in even closer; she could smell the blood he'd probably had for dinner at this proximity. His warm breath hitting her face like a gush of wind—his voice foreboding, challenging.
"People...all of them, every quivering soul—have good and bad inside of them. They are all capable of what I have done; they'd just rather not face their demons because it is more convenient to go on, lying to themselves every day; resisting the urge of doing the wrong thing. Taking that one step too far, falling into that void that threatens to swallow them whole. I, on the other hand, have accepted what I am, I am too far gone. And I am a monster; I could tell you that I am a better man now, Caroline. I could feed you a pot full of lies for my own contentment, but I'd rather embrace my true nature than hide away from it like a coward! You want to know what hell is, love. It is this very world you live in, if people were meant to be good, they wouldn't be people at all. They would be bloody angels. And that is the harsh truth."
Caroline groaned, pushing him back and getting into his face for a change.
"You had the chance! It's not about good or bad—it's about having the power to make a choice! The chance of trying to change, and you didn't! There are only a few things that we can control, and this is one of them. I know we've all done bad things, Stefan was the Ripper, I've killed, too—and I don't even want to start talking about all the crap Elena and Damon have done, but...they tried, they changed. It's not an easy transition, but it's possible. You won't be forgiven of your sins; true. But you'll be free of them—at least for a little while. There's still hope for you yet..." Her last sentence seemed to catch him as off guard as it did her. And then it irked her, she did mean the words that were coming out of her mouth.
Klaus softened up after this, he pulled back, leaning back onto the railing and finally falling back onto the floor. Caroline sat there next to him,
"While I appreciate the notion, I must admit something, I can never be a good man, Caroline. Not in the slightest, while your little group of misfits may have had that shot at redemption, I do not have that luxury. Centuries and centuries of torment, pain and suffering, of being a killer. I have come to redefine the meaning of those words. No matter how much good I try to do now, I am hell bound, and I have come to accept my fate—as should you. Perks of being an Original Immortal being, no, it's not all moonbeams and pennywhistles, love. It's about self-loathing." Caroline cringed at his words, he was being so...honest, it shocked her. The oldest, most feared creature on the planet was opening up to her in a way that nobody ever had before. She finally had a glimpse of his humanity. He was telling her that he hated himself for the things he'd done, but he couldn't change who he was. After all the centuries of being a killer, it was kind of in his bones at this point, while she did not in any way support or agree with his reasoning. She understood it—on a psychological level, anyway. Caroline knew the logical thing to do was to walk away—pretend like this never happened, but it had happened. She'd felt lost and cold for decades, and now, with him, she finally felt something. A connection...a bond, she'd almost forgotten what it was like to just be there for someone. Sit and connect, even if that someone happened to be the Damned Original Hybrid.
She took a deep breath, knowing she would regret this later. She reached out to him, putting a hand on his shoulder, mirroring his earlier action. He looked astonished by her gesture of sympathy, his eyes darting back and forth from where her fingers rest on his shoulder to her face. The butterflies seemed to calm down.
"This Pity Party needs more of that expensive wine of yours. Don't you think?"
"What are you doing?" Caroline asked, they'd been down quite a few bottles of wine by now (it's not easy getting drunk when you're a vampire). And they were sprawled out in Klaus' grand library. He'd stood up and was going through one of his book-shelves, looking for god-knows what. Finally, after what seemed like eons, he brought out a giant brown book and walked over to her.
"Are we going to trade fairytales now?" She joked, keeping her eyes focused on him; his expression, his every goddamn movement, to try and understand what he was up to. Usually, well—back in the day, it had been easier for Caroline to interpret exactly what Klaus was up to. But now, it was pointless. Absolutely pointless, his face gave nothing away. Klaus retorted with that sly half-smile of his, which he obviously thought was enticing—it was, of course, but he didn't need to know that.
"You say that you have seen every place there is to see in the world?" He asked, taking a seat next to her and placing the book down, "I think so." She replied bitterly, still curious of what he was going to do next.
He was always surprising her, it was one of the things she found captivating about him.
"The hundred best places to visit in the world. Close your eyes and draw a random page, the spot you land on will be your next destination." Caroline arched an eyebrow, placing him with a cynical look.
Klaus was unfazed by this, "Come on," he urged,
"Loosen up a little."
Caroline tried not to dwell on the irony in the fact that Klaus Mikaelson, probably the Mayor of Broodland was asking her to 'loosen up'.
She rolled her eyes skyward, and rubbed her hands together as if getting ready for a challenge.
"Alright, let's do this." She didn't wait to see his majestic smile, she closed her eyes. The darkness didn't make it better, though; she could still see his smug grinning face in her mind. She shook it off as quickly as it came and tried to focus, she let her fingers run across the cool, wrinkly paper of the book. Suddenly, she felt like a jolt of electricity had hit her, his finger had met hers, it was the briefest touch, and she still felt like she was gonna explode.
The butterflies were making an appearance again for the sequel. They were all fired up. She tried not to think about how good his touch felt and ignored the stupid butterflies.
His finger guided hers to the correct page and she flipped it to another just before opening her eyes and grinning,
"Venice, Italy," she murmured softly, "Been there, done that."
Klaus smirked,
"Don't look so smug, this was only the first try."
"It's your turn." She chastised, he nodded in agreement, closing his eyes and flipping the pages, he stopped and opened his eyes, "Kashmir, India."
"It's a magnificent place, great food, people are nice."
Klaus shook his head, "You go."
After a few other rounds, she opened her eyes to see a place she hadn't visited under her fingers,
"Denmark, the Norwegian Sea Islands. Hmph."
Klaus smiled at her, "Have you ever had the pleasure of experiencing an Aurora Borealis?"
Caroline was pretty sure she was blushing. She tried to hide her flustered features, looking away from him.
"I've tried loads of times. But, no."
Klaus looked incredulous. "You dare say you have seen the world when you have not experienced the Aurora lights?" Caroline turned back to face him, grinning.
"I am now obliged to take you to the Sea Islands. North of Scotland, you will come across the Faroe Island archipelago. The weather is a bit stormy, but we will be able to see the iridescent lights." He added, smirking at her. "I win."
"You so totally do not!"
"You haven't seen every part of the world. And I am a man of my word, Caroline. I must show it to you, I must keep my oath."
"All I hear is blah, blah, blah."
"Denial's not just a river in Egypt."
"God, you're absolutely unbelievable!"
Their little battle of words didn't continue for too long after that, because Caroline finally caved.
"Alright, fine. But I want a first class ticket and I want the best view of the Northern Lights recorded in time."
She used her cute-voice on him. Uncountable airheads of the male species had fallen prey to her cute-voice. She always got her way when she used that voice.
Wait a second! Her rational voice exclaimed. Why are you using your cute-voice on HIM? You do that when you're flirting. Stupid voice retorted almost instantly. I DO NOT!
YOU DO TOO, AND YOU KNOW IT. Are you flirting with Klaus Mikaelson? Are you the one initiating contact? Since when, Caroline? I thought we agreed before coming here that this was certainly NOT a booty call.Rational voice was pissed and it had the right to be. What was she doing? Flirting with him? But then again, it was just a little harmless teasing. No big, right?
"Don't be dainty, now, love." Was Klaus's witty (not) retort. He didn't seem fazed like the rest of the guys she'd been with by this. He had an easy smile across his face and his expression showed anything but horniness.
Klaus studied her expression, "How long do you plan to stay?" She looked up at him; grateful that he had momentarily shut down her mulling thoughts. And then she registered his words. It was an excellent question. Just how long did she plan to stay? What did she expect to achieve from this little trip to his world, anyway?
"I don't know. I'm sure you have better things to do."
Klaus looked aghast; like he was unable to believe she would even ask such a question.
"You are joking, right?"
When she reciprocated with a blank look, Klaus's eyes grew exceptionally wide and he broke in to rant.
"Caroline, I've played this reunion with you in my head a hundred times over. I wanted to get rid of the thought of you—Believe me, I did; more than anything in the world. But alas, all my attempts were futile. I have come to realize no matter what I do, no matter how much I wish it away. It's not going to go away and that is my punishment. So, help me, Caroline. It's still all about you."
Later on, she could blame her actions on nerves or instinct and play the rationality card. But for now, she was done lying to herself, she was done feeding herself the same bullshit that she'd tried to come to terms with every single day after their rendezvous in the woods all that time ago. For once, she said, hell with rationality. She threw caution away and gave it everything she had. In that moment, nothing mattered except their desire for each other. The pent up lust that she so very much needed to focus on all came hurtling out of her in one basic gesture. She leaned in to him swiftly; it took Klaus a second to process what was happening. But he took the hint. His eyes went from astonishment, to happiness, to pure blind lust. She puckered her lips, and without a moment's hesitation, they were met with his. Caroline couldn't be certain, but it sure as hell felt like the world was spinning around her. Everything was immediately reduced to a distant blur.
The balcony, the flowers, the city lights—everything.
He kissed her back with a hungry force, and she returned just as much. It was magic, the way his lips connected with hers. It was right, and somehow, among all of the dizziness and the clinging to him like a life line, something inside her changed, never to be reversed. This new feeling could be dwelled upon later, because, for now, she was content to feel his breath come and go with hers. The kiss reminded her of the time their lips had first met; it had been electric, it had been amazing. That time, too, she had been the one to commence the kiss. Their first kiss had been overwhelming, but it was nothing compared to this one. Now here they were, they had years and years of experience, confined lust and a newfound respect for one another and it was...immense, inordinate...shattering. The butterflies in her stomach were doing cartwheels and splits. And every nerve in her body tingled. She was charged with fire.
Everything else just seemed idle and disregarded. Nothing mattered expect the two of them. As her arms wrapped around his neck and tugged at his golden hair, he smiled against her lips. She thought about stopping, but there was something almost magnetic about his embrace and she couldn't build up the strength to do it. She could feel his cold fingers on the small of her back, and a tremor shook her body.
They moved as one; in a perfect rhythm.
As one of her hands ran down his back, she could feel him take a deep breath. Their kissing grew more intense; more hungry and violent. If that was even possible; the raw passion was enough to drive a person with normal sexual calibre insane. She pushed him against the cold floor and was soon on top of him, the kissing continued. Growing more heated by the second; her tongue moved with his lips in a perfect sync. She could feel herself sweat, and Klaus decided to help her with that. His hands worked fast, pulling her jacket off of her and throwing it aside. He didn't stop there; while she passionately traced wet circles down his neck, he started to pull up her tank top in hopes of ripping it off completely—To be rid of any hurdle that came his way.
Suddenly, she realized what was happening.
You have Klaus lips! Lips of Klaus! And soon you will be back in contact with your old friends—other parts of Klaus! Get off the cuckoo train while you can!
But it felt so good... Still, she almost forced herself off his lips. After a sharp intake of breath, she peeled her lips off of his and brought her head up. She was panting, and so was he. She could feel his torso rising and falling rapidly under her as he gazed up at her. His leer soon replaced by a smug and satisfied grin. "I was wondering how far I could keep this going before your moral code kicked in."
He muttered, shamelessly. She looked daggers at him, her perky blonde curls falling over her face as she frowned down at him. She immediately discerned that she was still on top of him and half of her tank top was still pulled up. Klaus spotted it too, nodding approvingly at her mid section. She scoffed, shaking her head violently as she managed to get off of him, and pulled her tank top down.
"Nothing I haven't seen before, love." He remarked.
"Seriously, Klaus?" She groaned.
"This is not the time for your stupid quips."
She was still flustered; she hugged her arms around herself, trying to avoid his salient rapt.
Look at what you almost did. A tactful voice scolded. Hey! It's nothing I haven't done before. Plus, there's been a drought down there. It's been collecting dust like freaking Charlotte's web since the last two months and it deserves some action for god's sake.Stupid voice was an expert at enticing; even her Rational voice seemed to consider this. But she pushed the thoughts away to the back of the garbage dump of her mind. No. She was not going to do this. Not again. She raised her head to meet his piercing gaze, finally deciding that there was no escaping this.
"So that is what we are going to do now. Is it?" He grumbled, standing up and brushing off his sage Henley.
"What do you mean?" She mumbled. Of course she knew what he meant but she didn't want to acknowledge it anymore. She wanted to pretend like it never happened—even though all she truly wanted to do is kiss him again...and do more than kiss, actually. She was starting to form lavish, very vivid thoughts about a certain vampire. And it was started to bug her. So naturally, she played clueless and dumbstruck.
Unfortunately, it was like he could read her mind.
"Oh, don't get all prim and proper with me. You want to pretend like it never happened, and go on your way then. Well, it happened, Caroline! How much longer are you going to deny our connection? A few hundred more years? Are you guilt trippin' again? Because that sure as hell didn't stop you last time!" Klaus was clearly pissed off. He usually held his tongue, but she knew when she'd struck a chord—and this was a big, nasty one.
When she didn't respond, he shook his head in utter frustration. Trying to calm his nerves, luckily, it worked. He now spoke at a much softer level, but his voice was laced with hurt.
"Caroline, I can't keep doing this with you. It is just too painful. I know I'm a monster, but you make me feel like a man. However, if this is how it's always going to go, I would very much prefer not having you at all. Now, I am going to give you two choices. Either you leave and never show your face here again...Or, stay here. Stay with me tonight. Let me live up to the promise we talked about. Let me be there for you, and vice versa." He took a deep breath, his voice almost cracking—his expression grim.
"The decision is yours. The outcome is your hands."
Caroline gaped at him; but soon came to realize just how hard this was for him. His love for her was real and it was very much there, she couldn't just shake it away. Caroline had learnt over the years how not to be inconsiderate, and she wasn't going to be that way, even with him. She could tell that it was hardly infatuation. This was love in its rawest and scariest form, yes. But it was love, nonetheless.
And she was playing him, pulling his strings. It was wrong. That moment, she had to make a decision. Never see Klaus again, or see him for the rest of her life. She wished she could take a night just to dwell over this and come to a prudent conclusion. But by the look on his face, they were running on borrowed time. He wasn't going to give her much more of it, he wanted her to make a choice right now. And then, whatever she chose, she was guaranteed he strictly wanted her to live up to it.
She took a shaky breath, "Klaus, I..." Her words hung in the wind, she lost track of them.
Klaus arched an eyebrow, not looking too happy with her response. He crossed his arms over his chest,
"What was that?"
"Klaus, I tried and tried to keep this moment from ever happening. But the truth is, I've been thinking of you ever since you left me that day in the woods. I couldn't stop thinking about you, either. So, I distracted myself and it worked great for a while...But there's no point denying it anymore. It's just going to end up making us both feel miserable. I—I guess there's no escaping this so...My final decision is that I'll stay." She paused for dramatic effect before continuing,
"I'll stay with you because we've already been over the former alternative and it didn't work. I still ended up at your door, depressed, lonely—And you are the only one who helped me forget how miserable I actually was for a while. So, you aren't the ideal boyfriend and I guess I'm not the Poster Child for sanity either. But we'll work it out. Because we work well together. We...We can help each other, support each other. And that's what matters."
Klaus looked astounded by her response, but that was soon replaced with a wonderful smile.
"Après Moi Le Deluge, right? I'm going to give this a chance—"He didn't let her finish, he literally swept her off her feet and crushed his mouth to hers. She responded well, wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him back with double the force. She was done holding back, done thinking about what other people would think and done trying to be the picture of rationality that she sure as hell wasn't.
It was time she took a risk and did something to be happy for once. All her life, she'd played the supporting role. She had been everyone's back up, and now...she was with someone who truly chose her first. She was his first choice in every sense of the word. And when their skin touched, well, she felt complete. He dropped her on his bed; he'd carried her to his bedroom. This time, she didn't hesitate. He started to tug at her tank top again, and she helped him pull it off. She moaned softly as he kissed her neck and chest. His wet, supple lips leaving glistening circles on her skin; he kept on going. He made his way to her stomach, licking her deep belly-button and finally tugged at the helm of her jeans with his teeth. She took deep breaths, the pleasure leaving no room for any train of thought to persist. His eyes only briefly met hers before she gave him a small nod of acknowledgement. He opened the button of her jeans with his mouth and pulled her pants off right after. He unhooked her bra and slid off her black lace panties just as quickly. He came to a sudden stop, admiring her for a moment.
"I will never get used to this." He whispered hoarsely.
He still took a couple of moments; he seemed to be savouring what he saw. Instead of feeling vulnerable or exposed, she felt strong, beautiful and regal.
"My turn." Was her only response; her breath hitched.
She pulled him back to her and closed her lips over his. His mouth opened instantly, his tongue meeting hers in a sensual, slow dance. Klaus's lips should've been illegal. With a low moan, she started to undo the annoying buttons of his shirt, taking the time to run her fingers over his newly exposed skin. Klaus seemed to enjoy her touch, coercing her on. He closed his eyes briefly; basking in the sensation. She ran her hands back up his chest and shoulders before discarding the shirt altogether. He let out a guttural moan, and she smiled. At least she wasn't being a total klutz! She managed to yank his trousers down; he assisted her by stepping out of them. He didn't go too slow, or try to make a show about it. He didn't try to pull off his trousers in a dramatic manner. No, this was a natural act of a man at complete ease with his body. She needed his skin on hers; immediately. She pulled his stone chest to hers. His eyes widened as her soft breasts touched his chest, but said nothing. His skin on hers felt enticing. She could barely describe it. Every part of her body was on fire, his skin felt like pure velvet. Every minute of their love making should've been frozen in time. She had never had sex this...sensual, passionate or erotic. She had thought that was just in movies. She had thought movies glorified sex. But this was real. He was real. She pulled him closer, inhaling deeply as he was still on top of her; she ran her hands up and down his back. Her heart fluttered as she felt her nipples harden against his chest. Every electrifying kiss sent yet another jolt through her body. His head was buried in her hair, and their torsos rose and fell as one. Her hands ran again down his chest and across his abs, she heard his sharp intake of breath as he prepared for what came next. She struggled with the waistband of his boxers before slipping them off. He gracefully stepped out of them as if on cue. He did nothing to veil his arousal, she swallowed hard. He looked at her again, it was a gentle look. But she could read into it quite well. You sure, love?
She nodded, "I've never been more certain about anything in my entire life." She said softly, it was amazing how considerate he was. The last time they had had sex, he'd seemed to be pleased. But he still had a lot more experience than her, and she wanted to satisfy him just as much as he did her. He suddenly flashed her a reassuring look. "You are good enough, Caroline."
That was the last of her doubts. She looked away from his face and drank in the man in front of her. She took in his glorious body, and her breath caught at the thought that he belonged to her from tonight onwards.
He was lean, chiselled and cut in all the right places. He was fully erect, his massive cock was perfect. Gosh, doesn't he need a licence for that thing? A playful voice in her head mused. He gasped, unable to take the delay apparently, and he yanked her close, spinning her around so that her back came to rest against him. He was rock hard at her backside, her head dropped against his shoulder and she moaned as if in a trance.
His hands made quick work, caressing her breasts, cupping them, teasing them. Her moans grew louder. His right palm brushed her nipple, and his other hand gave her other breast the much needed attention. She revelled in the feeling. His hands were all over her body, touching and teasing. Her back arched as he sped it up, but only very slightly. While their first time together had been hungry, aggressive and rushed, this time was just...different. He was slow, careful, and sublime. But it was powerful, and she hadn't felt this relaxed or aroused in a very long time. Without a warning, his lips were on her neck, nibbling and tracing it with his wet snake of a tongue. While his hands continued the sweet torture to her breasts and abdomen, Caroline whimpered. She was losing her mind under his masterful onslaught. His lips let go of their torture on her neck and he started to finger her waist and belly-button. Soon after, his fingers started to exert pressure on her hipbones. She let out yet another groan. He gave attention to every part of her body, her earlobes, her neck, her heaving chest and her fingers, too. He didn't miss a spot. Every kiss, every action was so skilful and passionate that she felt like she was on the brink of insanity. For a few moments, they laced their fingers together, just drinking in each other. He was practically glowing; and she was pretty sure she looked the same. Finally, his hand slid down from her hip. Then one long finger brushed her clit and moved over the entire length of a core in one graceful motion. She bucked and cried out, praying to the Powers that Be that she wouldn't collapse. "Klaus, just...take me!"
"Patience, love." He rasped, right before spinning her around once more. He cupped her face and kissed her again, violently this time, all self control lost in the wind.
They both moaned into the kiss, devouring each other. Caroline was grateful they didn't swallow each other then and there. Klaus finally pulled away as he panted and slid his hands down her throat, her chest, her belly. Her ragged breathing turning him on even more. And she could tell. He slipped his finger into the depths of her clit, and she groaned at the overwhelming sensation. She was soaking wet, trying to pull him deeper inside with every second. He began pumping her slowly but tactfully, his touches driving her crazy. She was almost there when he withdrew his fingers for good, still pulling moans, sighs and shivers. "Not yet, sweetheart." He coaxed.
She cried with outrage, her senses bursting.
His hands caressed her legs, making their way up from her ankles, torturously slow as he placed soft, wet kisses on the inside of her thigh. Klaus kept licking the sensitive flesh, finally giving her what she needed and making his way to her throbbing clit. "Klaus, please!" She begged, until he finally gave in. He pulled her towards him now, and wickedly stuck his tongue in and out of her with skill that caught her completely off guard. His tongue moved inside every inch of her soaked core and she lost herself in the pleasure. Caroline's hands knotted in his hair, pulling his head closer. He let his tongue slide languidly over the length of her sex, and she could feel how he was enjoying this. Then he began to slowly circle her clit hard. Finally, his mouth closed over her sensitive bud and she let out a cry so loud it probably rang throughout New Orleans. Every devilish move was going to eventually kill her at this rate. His face was buried in her, his hands roamed over her butt, her legs, and every inch of her body. He moaned sensually against her core. Finally, her orgasm hit her like a tornado and it exploded inside her, spreading throughout her entire body in shockwaves. She came so violently she was almost embarrassed. She screamed his name, pressed his head against her and stammered incoherent words. He continued devouring her like there was no tomorrow.
Their passionate love making carried on for what seemed like hours, Caroline wasn't quite sure. It was hands down one of the best nights of her life. With no distractions, no sounds except for their breathless panting growing more and more erratic, when none of them could take anymore, they finally caved. Caroline was snuggled against his chest, with one arm wrapped around his waist and one leg wrapped around him. Naked cuddling was one of life's simple yet undeniable pleasures that she would cherish forever. Klaus had been amazing; he was gentle for a few moments, and harsh on others. Sex with him was intoxicating; she felt like she was in another world altogether. A realm of love, erotica, and him...It was perfect. And now he's your man forever. The thought sent chills racing down her spine. It was crazy, just a few hours ago she never would've thought her little visit would've changed her life. Here she was, in bed with Klaus Mikaelson, years and years after his departure in those woods that had left a hole in her heart and now it felt...surreal and right.
Being with him was powerful; beautiful, radiant. She wanted this man next to her. She realised that he'd been that epic love she was searching for all along. She sighed into his chest, feeling him breathe and listening to his heartbeat. As he held her ever so close, she gazed at him with admiration. So Klaus had a lot of problems; but they would face them together from now on. She would help this lost man find his way, no matter what it took, because whether he saw it or not, he had a pure heart. She had seen the good in him a long time ago, and she was glad that she wasn't wrong. His eyes were closed, but he still had a small smile on his lips. He pulled her closer and whispered ever so softly,
"What are you thinking about, love?"
"Just planning our trip to the Sea Islands. You still owe me the Northern Lights, remember?"