In order to avoid turning my current Daroline into a Klaroline, I wrote this little oneshot. I don't really have the talent to convey the Klaroline emotions like the TVD writers or some of my fellow writers on this site, but I tried my best ;o)
Therefore, reviews will be greatly appreciated ! ;o)
Every now and then the stars align
Boy and girl meet by the great design
Could it be that you and me are the lucky ones?
Everybody told me love was blind
Then I saw your face and you blew my mind
Finally, you and me are the lucky ones this time
Lana del Rey
Two days after the Ball, he comes to see her and asks her to leave with him. Just for a while.
She can't believe his nerves.
"Are you insane?"
He gives her that boyish smile that does unwanted yet very pleasant things to her girly parts.
"Maybe. Is it really important? Come on love. It's just a couple of weeks. What have you got to lose?"
"Uh, you mean beside everything?"
But he can see that she is not so adamant in her refusal. So he keeps looking at her, still sporting that damn smile.
She sighs. Her eyes fall on the sketch he made for her.
Obviously, she is the insane one.
"Ok."
They go to New York first, because she wants to see a musical.
"Let's go see Mamma Mia."
"We're not seeing Mamma Mia," he tells her firmly with his best scary glare, jaw clenched and everything.
She just laughs. "Really, that's the best you can do?"
Later that night he catches himself shaking his butt on Dancing Queen.
She receives a lot of calls and angry text messages because she left without telling anyone. Even Damon sends her a text and he actually sounds worried.
"I didn't know they cared that much," she mutters.
"How could they not?" he replies, looking at her with that fascinated look on his face. She finds it both creepy and endearing.
She decides to turn her phone off after a while.
She walks into his hotel bedroom and finds him packing.
"Is it time to go home?" she asks.
He shakes his head. "I said a couple of weeks, it's only been four days. Where do you want to go next?"
She thinks about it and smiles. "Europe."
He grins and hands her two plane tickets for London. "First stop, then wherever you want in Europe," he tells her in that low voice. Her heart flutters.
He makes it too damn easy to forget who he is and what he did.
In London, they stay in a fancy hotel where they each have their own room. Klaus is acting like a perfect gentleman. Life with him, she discovers quickly, is fascinating, lavish and glamorous. He takes her to the West End to see a play and regales her with anecdotes about his time here centuries ago. But she draws the line when he takes her shopping.
"No jewelry or clothes. I accept that you pay for the hotel, but for the rest I'm not for sale."
He looks genuinely appalled. "I never thought that about you for a minute, Caroline."
She can see that she hurt him, and it's a frightening and weird power to have, being able to hurt what is probably the only indestructible person on the planet. She could use this to her advantage...or just give him a chance to show her who he really is.
She nods. "Ok. Just wanted to make sure," she says and gives him one of her bright smile, and he perks up immediately.
He makes a step towards her but seems to change his mind and walks away, leaving her wandering what he was about to say...or do.
The next week they board the Eurostar and he takes her to Brussels. After stopping by their hotel he drags her to the Grand Place. She's impressed by the beauty of it, and once again Klaus has a lot of stories to tell, this time about hanging out with some of the famous Flemish painters.
"Is this how you started to draw?" she asks, curious.
The more she knows him, the more she wants to know about him.
"They were indeed a strong influence," he says, before taking her hand into his, and it doesn't even cross her mind to break that unexpected contact. "Let's go see Manneken Pis."
She laughs. "Who?"
"A statue of a little guy who stands peeing."
"Seriously?"
She laughs out loud when she sees it and he can't take his eyes off of her happy face.
He had offered her this vacation at first because he wanted to get away from Mystic Falls and his family and he didn't want to leave on his own. But she sneaked her way into his heart like no woman before, and he doesn't know what to do about it.
He just can't imagine his life without her right now, and it terrorizes him to think she maybe doesn't feel the same way. He can't believe this tiny baby vampire managed to turn him into a fifteen year old. He loves every minute of it.
He wants to take a picture of her beside the statue, but she insists on him being in the picture too. He hand over the camera to another tourist before joining her, sliding his arm around her waist and she lets him, giving him a shiny look before posing for the picture.
She knocks on his door and finds him packing again.
"Is it time to go home?" and he's pretty sure there's a hint of disappointment in her voice.
"How do you feel about Florence?" he asks, coming to stand before her, his fingers grazing her cheek. She closes her eyes before answering in a breathy voice, "Florence sounds great."
He smiles and go back to his packing, and she's suddenly very aware of his presence, and God help her, she wishes he would touch her again and not stop. And she knows it's wrong.
She's sure there's a hundred of reasons for why it is wrong, but honestly, right now, she can't remember any of them.
When they are in Italy, things starts to change.
He opens up to her, and she listens. He talks about his family, his long life, and she's quick to understand the loneliness and yearning for love acceptance. She understands it all too well. She doesn't try to excuse his past behavior, but she gets him, probably more than anyone has before.
She really doesn't need a reason to fall for him more than she already has.
She also notices he didn't mention a woman. For a guy who lived a thousand years, it is kind of odd.
He smiles when she asks him about it. "There was one before I turned. No one of importance since then...until you."
"Do you really mean it?" she asks, her old insecurities crawling back insidiously.
He takes her hand and put a kiss on it. It's the first time since they left that he makes such a bold gesture. "Stop doubting yourself, Caroline. You are beautiful and kind. There's no other woman in this whole universe that I would rather spend my time with."
And just like that, he finally wins her over.
The next day he takes her to the Offices museum, and when they are done they stop to admire the Arno and the Ponte Vecchio. They stand shoulder to shoulder, breathing in the crisp February air.
He turns to her. "Why did you come with me?" he suddenly asks.
She smiles teasingly. "Because you offered."
He smiles back before asking softly, "Seriously."
She slid her hand in his. "You're not asking the right question, Klaus."
He raises an eyebrow, encouraged by her flirty smile and the look of promises in her eyes.
"The right question is...why did I stay?"
He squeezes her hand and scoots a bit closer. "Ok then, sweetheart...why did you stay?"
Her face turns very serious and she plunges her blue eyes in his. "Because of who you are."
He gives her a bitter laugh. "If anything, this should scare you away, love."
"I mean because of who you are now. The real Klaus. He was buried very deep inside, but you let me have a glimpse of him. And that's why I stayed."
He nodded, not trusting himself to speak at that moment. He has been so evil for so long, what on earth has he done to deserve such a wonderful woman?
"Do you know what day this is, sweet Caroline?" he asks when he regains his ability to speak.
"It's Valentine's day," she answers, and her heart skips a beat when he takes her face in his hands.
"Will you be my Valentine, then?" and she barely has the time to nod before he puts his lips on her, giving her a world shattering kiss like she has never experienced before.
Probably because she's never been so much in love before.
And if this is wrong, then she never wants to be right again.
When she wakes up the next morning, she finds him packing. He smiles and joins her on the bed, kissing the soft spot between her neck and collarbone.
"Is it time to go home?" she asks between two kisses.
He tucks a strand of hair behind her shoulder, looking at her with so much adoration that it touches her soul. "Do you want to go home?"
She pretends to consider it then put her arms around his neck. "No."
One year goes by before they return to Mystic Falls. By then everyone has moved on and nobody really pay attention to them.
Not that they would care anyway. They found each other.
They are simply happy.
The End