It was another rainy day in Sheffield, England. Klaus was racing to get to his new favorite bookstore, Blackwell's Bookshop. He was always an avid reader, most likely thanks to his elder brother, Elijah. Although that was not his only reason for visiting this particular bookshop at this particular time of the morning. It did not matter that it was currently pouring rain outside or that it was eight in the morning on a Saturday. And it certainly did not matter that Blackwell's was on the other side of town from the Mikaelson residence. All Klaus cared about was her. He knew that she would be there, just like she had been every day for the past two weeks, bright and early, occupying the table by the window. And just like everyday for the past two weeks, Klaus was mesmerized.
He quickly grabbed a random book from the nearest shelf and found a seat with a clear view of his blonde angel. Well, not exactly his blonde angel. For that would require that Klaus would have at the very least spoken to the beauty.
When it came to women, Klaus never thought of himself as a Don Juan, but he was also never too scared to introduce himself, until her. As he looked on at the beautiful woman before him he began to recall the past couple of weeks spent watching her. She usually had a novel that she chose from the bookstore's collection. Klaus found himself attentively reading her facial expressions to try and figure out what she was reading. What did she like? What interested her? What made her laugh and what made her cry? He was determined to discover everything there was to know about her and yet he didn't even know her name.
Every morning she arrived at Blackwell's in a simple pair of skinny jeans and boots that she usually paired with a floral top and a cardigan. She always wore minimal makeup and had her hair in big, golden curls. Most of the time she would read, but sometimes she listened to her iPod while drawing in her sketchbook. Every once in a while she would become so entranced in her work that she started to hum to the music. Klaus had yet to get the sound of her melodious voice out of his mind.
As happy and content as he was to just watch her day after day, Klaus could not help but grow increasingly frustrated with the young blonde. They had both been coming here for the past two weeks, fourteen days, and she had yet to even glance in his direction. Klaus even went so far as to drop a pile of books a few days ago in an attempt to get her attention but alas, she was so focused on "Hamlet" to even flinch at the noise he made. But today was the day. It had to be. His sister had organized a party for tomorrow night and his entire family had made it clear that he could not show up to yet another Mikaelson function without a date. But whenever Klaus tried to plan how he would ask the blonde to accompany him, his mind became filled with doubts. Why would she agree to a date with someone she doesn't even know? Why would she agree to a date with him at all? No. Enough is enough, Klaus thought.
Picking up the book he had grabbed on his way in just moments before, Klaus took a seat at her table, directly across from the blonde. She looked even more beautiful up close, and Klaus found his hands beginning to shake. His palms were growing sweaty and his throat went dry. Then she looked up. Holy Shit.
Her crystal blue eyes peered up at him as her glossy pink lips began to form a small smile. Little dimples started to form on her cheeks as a golden ringlet fell from its place tucked behind her ear. Klaus was speechless.
"Good Morning." She said cheerfully.
"Hi." Klaus answered back lamely.
It seemed as though she was waiting for Klaus to say something else, like perhaps why he came to sit with her when there was an entire bookshop filled with tables to choose from. She waited a few moments and when he didn't say anything more she looked back down and continued to work on the sketch she had previously abandoned.
Klaus tried to glance at her sketchpad, but it was covered by her left arm and the bag placed in the middle of the table.
"So have you decided what team your on?" She said with a slight smirk.
Klaus, totally clueless as to what she was talking about answered, "What do you mean sweetheart?"
She glanced up again, giggling this time and pointed at the book lying in front of him on the table. "Are you team Edward or Jacob?"
Of course the day that Klaus chose to finally grow the balls to talk to her, he picks a book that made it look like he didn't have any to begin with.
At his dumbstruck expression she begins to laugh more forcefully. Feeling dejected, Klaus began to gather his things and rise from the chair when she suddenly stopped laughing and grabbed his wrist to stop him from leaving. "Wait! I'm so sorry. That was rude of me. It's not my place to judge what someone else may enjoy." She stated compassionately.
Klaus froze and began to stutter out, "I-I don't like Twilight." At her raised eyebrows he added, "I picked a random book and didn't even look at it."
"Why?" She asked curiously.
"Because I wanted it to look like I come to this bookshop to read books." Klaus answered truthfully.
The Blonde looked confused. "Is that not why you come here?"
"No." Klaus sighed out. "It's not."
Just as she was about to ask another question, he interrupted her with one of his own. "What are you drawing?" he asked trying again to peek at her sketchbook before she closed it. Klaus just waited. She looked hesitant at first but then she slowly handed her book to him. When he opened to the first page he came face to face with a drawing of a young man sitting at a table appearing to be reading a book. Although if you looked closely you could see his eyes spying over the book in his hands and right at the viewer. Only this wasn't a drawing of just any man, it was Klaus.
Looking back at the young woman in front of him, who was trying to look anywhere but back at him, he opened his mouth to speak but no words came out. Taking his silence the wrong way, she hurriedly grabbed her sketchbook from his hands and began to ramble… "Oh My God. I am so sorry! This is so embarrassing! You must think I'm some weird, pscho stalker or something. Right? I promise I'm not! I just noticed you a couple of weeks ago and I haven't been able to stop thinking about you and then I started to draw you…cause you know, I draw what I think about and, ugh I know you don't know me but I-"
Grabbing her shoulders before she could run off, Klaus tried to ease her worries. "Hey, hey, It's fine love. I promise." Well if she thought she was a stalker then what would she think about him?
"I think you are incredibly talented…" Klaus tilted his head, silently asking for her name.
"Caroline." She provided nervously biting her lower lip.
"Well Caroline, I'm Klaus. And if we are being perfectly honest here, the only reason I have come to this bookshop every morning for the past two weeks, is because I can't stop thinking about you either." Klaus answered with a flirtatious smile while rubbing his thumbs in small circles on her shoulders. Suddenly all the nervousness and insecurity Klaus had previously felt vanished. Knowing that Caroline felt even a fraction of the attraction towards him that he felt towards her, made him a hundred times more confident.
Caroline's eyes widened. "Really?" She said, completely surprised.
Klaus couldn't help but give her a soft smile. "Really Caroline. I have been coming here every day just to see you. Ever since that first morning you have been on my mind, its like I have to be near you and when I'm not, I'm counting the minutes until I get to see you again." Klaus felt elated to finally get this off of his chest. "But you are right, we don't know each other."
Caroline's once bright smile started to fade as she turned to look out the window at the rainy streets.
"Which is why I think that you and I should go out tonight."
Caroline's face whipped towards him, and Klaus couldn't help but chuckle at the blatant eagerness he saw on her face.
"I would love that, Klaus." Caroline answered happily.
Klaus couldn't help the butterflies in his stomach that her smile gave him. For it was no longer just his imagination or a dream he had night after night. Her smile was real and it was for him. And Klaus would make sure he did everything in his power to keep that smile on Caroline's face.