Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries. CW does.

So, although I LOVE to read Klaroline fics, I've never really gotten to the point where I'd try to write something about them. I'm not sure why, but somehow I always feel like I don't do them justice. But I particularly like this piece and if you guys like it, then maybe I'll turn it into a story? Or keep it as a one-shot? IDK you guys tell me when you review! (AND please review, this is my first time writing for this pairing and I want to know that I didn't just completely butcher them). Enjoy! A/N: Klaus never inhabited Tyler's body. Alaric never staked Klaus but he's still out there trying to find him.

"I can't."

If there was one single profound phrase that Caroline hated then it would be "I can't."

She was tired of Elena using it when it dealt with the impending decision of Stefan vs. Damon. For Bonnie, it meant going against her morals- what was just and made the world keep its balance or some crap like that.

...For Caroline? It meant going against everything she knew. It was the temptation to give into the devil himself. She knew it wasn't right- he'd done so much evil and caused so much pain. Hell, he'd ordered Tyler to fucking bite her!

So why had she felt guilty for celebrating the fact that they'd finally desiccated him? Why had she, despite loving Tyler, cried the second she found out he'd been staked?

Because he saw something in you that nobody else did- beauty. Strength. Light.

Caroline slammed her Calculus book shut in anger and frustration.

Damn him!

Her head fell onto her pillow and she muffled a scream.

Why? Why? I was perfectly happy with what I had... Why did he just barge in and question everything I knew?

Caroline let out another angry sigh. She faintly recalled her words the night Stefan, Stefan for crying out loud, had turned her down.

"I mean- she's always the one. When am I ever going to get picked first, Bonnie?"

Bonnie tucked back her long raven hair, sighing in sympathy for her friend. "Hey, you'll find someone, Caroline."

Caroline snorted. In her slightly tipsy state, she didn't want to hear it because frankly, she didn't give a rats ass.

"It'll happen in the right or wrong time. It'll be so frustrating, believe me. But you'll find something special- a once in a lifetime kind of special."

Caroline waved her hand. "Shush. Enough with the heavy. Are you paying or am I?"

Bonnie smiled. "I'll go pay the bill."

Caroline snorted. Well, you got your wish even if it's in the form of a psychopathic murdering Original Hybrid.

Why, out of everyone else he could have chosen, chose to set his eyes on you.

Her own eyes drifted to her nightstand where she'd carefully hidden his drawings. After Tyler had found it, she didn't dare leave it out in the open.

Shifting her body slightly, she stretched out her arm until coming in contact with the drawer. With a nudge, it opened and Caroline gently picked out the paper.

Klaus was one of the strangest men she'd ever known. One moment he wanted to sacrifice her and the next he'd start to fancy her.

Wow, bipolar much?

But that was the argument, wasn't it?

Klaus wasn't a boy. Caroline had long dealt with stupid, immature, and naive boys all her life. But a man? A true man? Someone, who'd lived through a murderous father and a disapproving mother... Never. This was brand new territory.

Caroline Forbes was afraid.

Strong act aside, it tore her apart how she'd died and became a vampire. Died. If it hadn't been for Damon's blood then Caroline would cease to exist. But it had happened and although she kept a healthy diet of blood, the instinct to kill was still there. Taunting her. Well, at least she wasn't a bloodaholic like Stefan.

Did that really mean anything?

Not really. Caroline was afraid of admitting to herself that she'd fallen for him. That, despite constant banter and rough pretenses, she'd fallen head over heels for Klaus. Sexy grin and evil demeanor. If anything, that made her want him more. Sexy but a bad boy, who, under her comfort, still showed signs of his own humanity. Something he'd sworn he'd gotten rid of.

"Love is a vampire's greatest weakness."

Oh yes, it certainly was. Caroline thought grimly. Here's what I get for praying I get something worth living for.

Her small dainty hands pressed the paper to her chest. Caroline shut her eyes, burying her reasoning to remember the night of the ball where he'd actually been decent. One of the few nights he'd actually seemed... Normal. Caring. Sweet. Charming.

Human.

"Caroline," his accent made her name sound as if it were special. Which of course everybody knew it so wasn't.

Her back stiffened slightly. "What?" she said sharply.

Klaus didn't look phased, instead, he merely placed his hands behind his back. "Come on now, love. At least let me treat you to a pleasant evening."

"Why?" she asked.

His blue eyes bore into hers. "I like you, Caroline."

She scoffed.

"You're different. Striking. Elegant. Complex."

"Okay," she began. "I'm none of those things- you're just trying to woo me with fancy words."

"I'm not making anything up, Caroline." he edged close enough to where their respective clothing were skimming each other. "We both know I'm not the type to go around throwing compliments but-"

"What?" she whisper- screeched. She felt his hand gently take her arm.

"It's you. Your allure is intoxicating. I look at you and my whole world just shifts."

Pause.

"You don't mean any of that," Caroline said.

Klaus raised his eyebrows. "But I do, love."

She tried not to smile. Failing under his obvious charm, her soft blue eyes met his intense ones. "Fine. But under one condition."

He gave her a waiting look.

"Stop calling me that."

"What, love?"

"That. Stop adding 'love' to everything you say, it's weird."

He smiled softly. "Anything for you, Caroline."

The only interruption to their little bubble was tapping against a glass and Esther's sharp voice. "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. Waiters are coming around with champagne. I invite you all to join me in raising a glass."

Klaus gingerly took the drink she'd had in her hand and switched it for the champagne. It looked really, really expensive.

He waited for her to take the glass. She decided there was nothing wrong in common courtesy, took his offering with a smile.

Klaus seemed to enjoy her reaction and his own mouth turned upwards slightly. If Caroline didn't know any better, she would say it was a nice look on him.

Well, it was better than his freaky hybrid transformation.

"It provides me with no greater joy than to see my family back together as one. I'd like to thank you all for being a part of this spectacular evening. Cheers."

The mansion echoed with the same greeting. Klaus' hand seemed to snake its way to her waist and although half of her wanted to object, the other half liked the way his gesture made her heart race slightly. It was as if he knew what he did to her because as he took his drink, he gave her an amused look.

Caroline's face blushed involuntarily. Dammit. She removed the glass from her lips and looked around as the crowd began to scatter once more. Her eyes drifted to Klaus who was still staring at her. "So... Now what?"

There was a split second of silence before he spoke. "I've been wanting to show you something all night, would you mind accompanying me?" he outstretched his free hand to her and Caroline stared at it like he'd just offered her a goose head.

Cautiously, her petite hand fell onto his and she momentarily thanked the stars she was wearing gloves. If his words made her blush, there was no telling what actual skin to skin contact would do.

"Fantastic, Forbes." she grumbled once more. "You've got to stop thinking about him. He's a sociopath. That's all there is to it."

Then why does you heart race every time you look at him?

Fear, maybe.

No, that's the start of something epic.

Would Caroline do it? Would she be capable of betraying her friends if she returned Klaus' advances?

What the hell are you afraid of, Caroline? Of loving and being genuinely loved back?

She hadn't the slightest clue.

If Klaus had known that everyone, and he literally meant everyone, would betray him and desiccate him, he would've flipped shit.

Yeah, that's right.

But like any of the other meek Salvatore plans, it had failed. Although Klaus had indeed been desiccated for what seemed like an eternity, he was glad someone had enough sense to bring him back to the living- er, undead.

He should've chosen the latter of the choices.

He hadn't done much while immobilized except to think. And think hard. It was useless when he attempted to steer his thoughts away from the pretty blonde vampire that had rejected all his advances and practically spit in his face.

Caroline.

God, even her name radiated warmth and though he wasn't the type to just faun over a crush, he had to admit that in her company, his icy core seemed nonexistent.

Why in the world did he fancy her?

He supposed it was the way she didn't give a rats ass about who he was or what he was capable of. It was her beauty to persevere and determination to help her friends that made an impression on him.

Hell, if she'd give him a chance, he knew there could be something greater than the both of them.

So here he was, eyes open as he felt the veins receding and his fingers slowly regain their respective sense of touch.

Above him, the casket was open wide, his view of the ceiling blocked by a halo of soft blonde curls. She looked like an angel despite the fury in her eyes.

"I really hope this isn't a mistake," she grumbled, shaking her head.

He responded with a low grunt and watched her cautious expression. To say the least, he was confused as to why she was doing this. After what seemed like forever, Klaus managed to sit up right in the coffin, his eyes seemingly groggy from being immobilized for quite some time.

"Why?" he asked.

Her eyes looked away, avoiding the fact that if she looked at him she would crack. "I did it because I felt guilty. What happened... We shouldn't have done that."

"And why not, love?"

"Because all you wanted was to settle down with your family and keep them safe. But being the assholes we are in Mystic Falls, we tend not to like change very well, especially a vengeful Stefan."

"I don't blame you for the Salvatore's incompetence, Caroline." he responded gently. His throat felt dry from hunger but he cleared it away in worry that he would ruin their talk. She must've noticed either way because she picked up her bag and withdrew a blood bag. She tossed it to him gingerly, watching as he gave her a silent 'thank you' before sucking the crimson liquid through the straw.

"Either way, what we did to you was wrong. We should've left you be and continued on with our stupid lives."

He huffed. "Well, maybe I shouldn't have attempted to drain Elena dry of her blood. That was my own fault."

"Yeah, it was. But it's understandable. We provoked you and you retaliated."

He finished the blood bag and in a flash he was out of the coffin and standing right in front of her. He couldn't tell if this was some kind of trap. Klaus still had trouble reading Caroline's motives, maybe that's why she was always the one to distract him whenever Stefan planned another attack against him.

"Now why are you here, darling? Why would you help me when it was your group of friends getting rid of me?"

She blinked twice. "I don't have anything against you, that's why."

Klaus' lips twitched in humor. "Sure, sure. I'm suppose to believe that even after I turned your boyfriend into a hybrid? After I sired him only to have him stab me behind the back?" he watched as fury sparked in her eyes and the next thing he knew his head was turned sideways and there was a faint sting on his cheek. The room echoed from the contact her hand made to his skin. Smirking, he rubbed it.

"Seems I've hit a bit of a nerve, haven't I?"

She growled lightly and he shook his head, tired of the funny banter.

"Answer me one thing, Caroline. What's in it for you to wake me up? Hmm? Because last time we talked, you certainly weren't that excited to see me."

Caroline stayed silent. She couldn't answer him but it wasn't because she had no answer, it was because despite knowing right from wrong, her heart ached just thinking about all the possibilities he offered for her. She wanted it. Oh, she wanted to escape the hive that was Mystic Falls and... Live. She wanted adventure and something worth living an eternity for.

But she loved Tyler, didn't she? She owed it to him, the small town jock and son of the mayor, to stay there and build some kind of fantasy life. Right?

Oh, fuck. Who was she kidding? That Caroline was gone. It was the human side of her that wanted to stay with Tyler. Having human tendencies and having a humanity were two completely different things for a vampire.

You are a vampire now, Caroline. You died and came back to life. You're reborn. So why are you still holding on to the insecure human side of yourself? Where's that confident and headstrong vampire?

"I care." she answered at last. It was barely above a whisper but she could tell that it knocked Klaus backward a bit. It was kind of funny watching at the oh so mighty Original Hybrid being affected by somebody admitting they cared. After all, isn't that why he'd done what he did? Because he felt alone and like nobody cared about him?

"What did you just say?" he rasped, stricken.

She shook her head. "I shouldn't care but I do. I'm sorry if I care about you but you've just gotten under my skin and no matter what I do, I just can't shake you," she explained, looking at him directly in the eyes. His own eyes were a bit wide from the shock that after pursuing her for so long, he'd finally gotten through her shield.

"Caroline..."

"Just don't say anything, please. I don't know what this," she motioned between the two of them. "Is, but I can't deny that I don't feel a pull between us. It's like, no matter how hard I try to forget those sweet words you said to me that night at the ball, I keep coming right back to you. Tell me, Klaus. Why is that so?"

He didn't say anything. There wasn't a need for words as his hands firmly grasped her arms and he leaned forward, pressing his forehead against her own. Her eyes closed and she noticed he was panting. Good, she wasn't the only one freaking out right now.

"Caroline," he whispered again. "When will you understand that my feelings for you are genuine?"

There was a pause as he waited for her response. Knowing the weight of her next words, she contemplated on whether or not she should say them. She didn't want to back down now. She couldn't. "When you prove it." she stated softly, so low it was barely audible. But as she felt him stop breathing, she knew he'd heard it.

Caroline felt his one of his hands hold the back of her neck and the other caress her cheek. Her breathing became shallow as she felt his lips skim hers. Then, without further hesitation, Klaus pressed his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. It wasn't sloppy, nobody deepened it and he didn't try to stick his tongue down her throat.

Her heart soared.

Something in that kiss seemed to click. It felt... Complete. Passionate and memorable without having to prompt anything further. So when he pulled away, her lips followed until their mouths reconnected in another mind-blowing kiss. Klaus' hand moved to grip her waist and pull her body against his, letting her warmth and light radiate and melt the cold from his own body.

This was right. This was meant to be. He pulled away slowly once more, his eyes connecting with her dazed ones. "Caroline, can you find it in you to give me a chance to show you what the world has to offer? What I can offer you?"

Caroline looked at him with complete trust. It didn't matter that she'd just kissed the almighty Original Hybrid or that she'd practically just gone against all of her friends and Tyler. What mattered was the fact that she was finally getting to choose her life.

"Yes, I can."

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*Klaroline feels*

-Fanatic4Fiction :D