"Get up."

Pulling the covers over her head, Caroline groaned. "Let me wallow in peace, Elena." Her tear-soaked pillow wasn't the most comfortable, but it had to be better than facing her best friend. She and Tyler had officially pulled the plug on their long-distance relationship, and the last thing Caroline needed was a front-row ticket to Elena's Damon drama.

Her pathetic demand was clearly ignored by the body dropping onto her bed. "Wrong doppelganger, sweet pea," the familiar voice said.

Caroline shot up, realizing it was Katherine Pierce interrupting her pity party. "What do you want," the blonde asked, until she noticed bags under her sire's eyes. "You're looking rough."

"Amazing what a cure for vampirism will do to a five-hundred-year-old body," Katherine snarked, yanking the covers back fully. "Since you're all devastated and useless around here, I figured you might want to tag along on a research trip. You know, give you a problem you can actually solve?"

"I've got school," Caroline pointed out, annoyed. "And I'm not useless."

"Really?" Katherine's expression, even surprised, always had that evil tinge to it. "I've been watching for a while, hon, and no one's called. No one's worried about you or asking your opinion. It's time to cut the cord, and I'm very generously offering to help."

Narrowing her eyes in suspicion, Caroline scoffed. "And what do you get out of it?"

Katherine huffed, moving to pack some of the blonde's clothes into a suitcase she apparently brought with her. "I'm human now," she snapped. "Katerina Petrova is a name that gets attention, and I would feel better having a vampire around that doesn't actually want to kill me."

"I wouldn't bet on that," Caroline muttered, standing to rip a dress from the human's hands.

"If you wanted to kill me, you would have already," she answered with a coy smile. "And I have a feeling you'll love Greece too much to care that I'm the one taking you."

Caroline perked up at that. "Greece?"

With a saccharine smile, Katherine continued packing the suitcase. "Qetsiyah created the cure for Silas thousands of years ago," she explained. "Might as well start my search for a cure to the cure at the source. What do you say, Barbie? Are you up for an adventure?"

Biting her lip, Caroline really looked at her life and her choices. She was single, young, and immortal; college would be there in a few years, and probably without the supernatural extra-curriculars. Traveling the world had to be better than watching Damon and Elena suck face in her dorm room, and Katherine wouldn't be the worst companion. "Fine," Caroline snapped, jerking the suitcase away from the triumphant brunette. "But I'm picking my own clothes. Unless we're going clubbing every night, I'm going to need more than little black dresses."

"Hey, Bonnie," Caroline said, squeezing the phone to her ear with her shoulder as she rifled through her bag. "Long story short, I'm headed to Greece with Katherine. I promise I'm fine, Elena has already read me the riot act. I hope you're having fun with your mom, but in case you're looking for another getaway from school, come find me. We've earned some beach time."

Caroline hung up, unsatisfied with the short voicemail she had to leave yet again.

"Another call, another friend who doesn't actually care," Katherine sighed from the seat next to her. She was idly flipping through a magazine someone had left in the first class lounge. "Even Saint Elena was just offended you chose the cute one over her."

"Oh, yeah, real cute," Caroline muttered, finally finding the travel book she had bought in the gift shop. It was geared toward Mediterranean states, but there was a whole chapter dedicated to Greece. "Do you have an actual idea of what to do when we land, or are you just expecting to seduce your way into information?"

Katherine smirked, but she didn't look up. "If it ain't broke," she teased, trailing off. "You could learn a lot from me, you know. I mean, you've done pretty well for yourself already."

"What do you mean," Caroline asked, focused on dog-earing pages in her book.

"Got any Original hybrids wrapped around your finger?"

Turning an unimpressed glare onto the doppelganger, Caroline refused to rise to the bait. "Information," she stressed. "How do you plan to start finding any about this cure?"

"I've got a friend," Katherine answered with a shrug.

"An actual friend," Caroline asked mockingly, "or a fuckbuddy turned frenemy you can't trust to face without a baby vampire protecting you?"

Smiling, Katherine put down her magazine to face the blonde. "Look at that," she marveled. "Care Bear has claws. I'm almost proud to have sired you."

Caroline groaned in disgust. "You killed me," she corrected. "It was Damon's blood that did the siring, as gross as it is to think about."

"Pity," Katherine sighed, picking her magazine back up. "Still, you make a surprisingly good addition to the bloodline."

"Whatever," Caroline said, shaking her head. "Where are we meeting this friend?"

Apparently, Katherine's friend owned the premier vampire nightclub in Athens. It was difficult for Caroline to breathe as the scent of blood permeated the air, sex pheromones practically hazing the dance floor in front of them. "Should you be in here," she asked worriedly, turning to see the brunette take a body shot off a woman's stomach.

Katherine hummed in pleasure as she pulled a lime wedge from the stranger's lips. "I'd be more worried about you, baby," she teased, throwing Caroline a flirty glance. "I wouldn't bring the monster out to play unless you're sure you're ready."

Throwing a hand to her face, Caroline was mortified to find her veins puffy with hunger. Her fangs had remained hidden, thankfully, but losing control was so not on her bucket list for this trip.

"Oh, stop clutching your pearls, southern belle," Katherine drawled. Once divested of her lime wedge, the other woman had taken to kissing along the doppelganger's neck; Katherine finally pushed her aside to move close to Caroline. "It's perfectly natural to give into your urges, it just takes a bit of practice to build your confidence."

Caroline rolled her eyes, feeling the blood rush seep away in her annoyance. "Your little game doesn't work on me," she reminded Katherine, who had sidled up very close to dance with the blonde. "Let's just find your friend."

"How do you think I get the friend's attention, Care Bear," she teased, running her nose along Caroline's cheek. Placing her hands on the blonde's hips, Katherine pulled her forward into direct contact and swayed them to the pulsing beat. "Best to play along, or Delia will get suspicious."

Tipping her head back, Caroline allowed Katherine to lead their overtly sexy show. "Suspicious of Katherine Pierce, I'm shocked," she deadpanned. Still, her arms raised to wind around Katherine's neck as the music grew louder. A dance would hardly be the worst thing in the world. Feeling eyes on her, Caroline nodded behind her. "I don't know how much of your vamp awareness you've kept, but there's someone watching us."

She had expected Katherine to smile with sultry sabotage, but instead, the disgruntled human froze in fear. "We're going to go," she said quietly, slowly ending their dance and pulling Caroline back toward the exit. "When we're out the door, flash us back to the hotel."

"What-"

Caroline had turned to see what had Katherine so spooked, only to be yanked through the crowd by her wrist. "Kat," she groaned, doubly so when she ran into the doppelganger, who had abruptly stopped at the sight of Elijah Mikaelson at the exit.

Realizing that Elijah had been loitering by the door for a while, Caroline whipped around to see who caught Katherine's attention in the first place. Emotions roiled in her blood as Klaus strode toward her, dark and dangerous in the club lights. "Hello, love."

She glanced to Katherine, who was still in a staring match with the elder Mikaelson. "I thought you were caught up in all the culture of New Orleans," Caroline sneered, turning back to find the big bad smirking at her.

"Funny thing," Klaus said, leaving her just a foot of personal space. "Tyler showed up, ready to take on the werewolves and lead them against me." Rather than looking angry, Klaus almost seemed giddy. "I heard you two broke up."

"Seriously," Caroline yelled, elbowing him a bit further away from her. "You don't get to gloat. What are you even doing here?"

His expression turned hard. "I could ask you the same, sweetheart," he answered lowly, stalking back toward her. "My offers of Rome and Paris weren't enough to tempt you away from Mystic Falls, so imagine my surprise when I find you in Athens, canoodling with Katerina among vampires reveling in everything you seem to hate."

"She doesn't hate the bloodlust," Katherine chimed in, though she hadn't taken her eyes from Elijah. "Care Bear hates losing control, and she was doing just fine. I thought the witches had more in store for you down in the Big Easy?"

If Caroline didn't know better, she would assume Klaus was embarrassed at the mention. He shuffled a bit on his feet before narrowing his eyes defensively.

"Your intel was half-cocked at best," he accused, pointing at the unamused doppelganger over Caroline's shoulder. "They thought to chain me to that city with a false pregnancy."

Letting out a burst of laughter, Caroline tried her best to prevent any unattractive snorts. "You're a thousand years old," she chortled. "Any swimmers you had drowned long ago."

Katherine's mouth ticked upward, though her levity was dampened by Elijah's dark stare still boring into her. "It was a lead, and I bought my freedom," she answered. "Fair and square."

"And yet, you've decided to bring Caroline with you," Klaus said, ignoring the blonde's indignant huffs.

"Wait," Caroline interrupted. "Is that why you're here? You're following me now?"

"Now, sweetheart-"

Before the two could start a screaming match, Elijah coughed delicately. "Shall we move this to a quieter location?"

"You go," Caroline spat, hands on her hips. "I'm fine right here."

Elijah's jaw locked, offense clear on his face. He stepped forward, and Katherine knew the situation needed to be defused before her frenemy ended up dead and her - Elijah - was caught in Klaus's crossfire. "Come on," she said, moving past the Original and out the door, knowing he would follow. She continued to walk down the street. "They'll be fine." She waved behind her carelessly to the standoff Caroline was waging with Klaus. "She'll yell, he'll grovel, and they'll end up having sex in the alley. About damn time, too."

"You sound very sure of that," Elijah replied carefully, easily keeping up with her stride. "I've never heard of this girl outside her connection to Miss Gilbert, which begs the question of why you believe Klaus will grovel at her feet, or why you travel with her."

Biting her lip, Katherine refused to peek at him. "I'm human," she admitted softly, hating that he brought out this side of her. "It happened after you left. Your precious Miss Gilbert shoved the cure down my throat."

His breath caught in his throat, so audible even Katherine could hear it. "I had no idea," he said, reaching for her hand. She stopped, but she did not face him. "Katerina, please."

"What," she snapped, her curls whipping around heavily as she turned. "You walked away from me, and I expect nothing from you. You deserve none of my attention."

"Perhaps," he said quietly. "But I'm quite perturbed that you didn't think to contact me immediately."

"You're kidding, right?" Katherine's mouth twisted like she tasted something sour. "You never choose to believe the worst in Elena, but it was all too easy for you to accept that I would never be good enough for you. Why should I have begged for your help when you proved I wasn't worth your time?"

Running a hand through his hair, Elijah looked uncharacteristically ragged at her accusations. Knowing he could not refute them, however, he chose to focus on what he could do. "May I be of any assistance now," he asked quietly, detached. "Freely offered, without expectations of reciprocation."

"No," Katherine answered, turning on her heel.

Forlornly, Elijah watched her weave through the people walking down the busy street.

"I can't believe you're spying on me," Caroline spat, her arms crossed so tightly she might crack a rib. If she didn't contain herself, though, she would have launched herself at the smug hybrid.

His smirk only deepened at her display of anger. "Surely not," he teased, holding his own hands behind his back. Klaus knew better than to taunt an irate Caroline Forbes by playing with the blonde curl hanging just out of place. "Mystic Falls attracts too much danger, like a certain vampire with the most unfortunate helper syndrome."

Unable to hold herself back anymore, Caroline stabbed a perfectly manicured finger in his chest. "You are the last person who should be complaining about my willingness to help people," she pointed out.

"No, that would be Katerina," Klaus corrected, gaze darkening. "I thought the Gilbert girl was telling a bad joke, that you would never willingly leave your home for a selfish, murderous wench."

Caroline's eyebrows rose at that familiar description. "Are you sure you're talking about Katherine," she asked with an evil smirk of her own, "or yourself?"

Stepping closer, Klaus finally invaded her space as he nuzzled her ear with his nose. "Careful, love," he warned softly, his warm breath casting across her skin. "Methinks you protest too much."

She attempted to hide an involuntary shudder.

"Ugh," she groaned, shoving him away. "You're so old."

There were some gasps from vampires around them, probably some who recognized Klaus and his big bad reputation and expected him to go for her heart. Surprising everyone, including Caroline, he chuckled happily. The genuine smile on his face did soften her stance, though. "Not quite so old as this city," he pointed out. "I doubt Katerina has given you a quality introduction to Athens, but perhaps you will allow me to try."

His uncertainty was subtle, but Caroline could read it clearly in the quirk of his eyebrows over an exaggerated puppy dog look. Damn, if that didn't work on her, though.

Loosening her arms entirely, Caroline sighed heavily with forced annoyance. "Well, she totally skipped the sightseeing," the blonde admitted, ignoring just how Klaus hung on her every word. "I have a whole list of temples and theaters I want to check out, and I'm still mad she's not letting us go near a beach until she doesn't need to worry about proper sunscreen application. Like seriously, it's not that hard, or pack an umbrella or something."

Klaus laughed, unable to keep from smiling. "I've missed you, sweetheart," he admitted quietly. Holding out his arm, he seemed brighter when she rolled her eyes and tucked her arm into his elbow. "Come, the Parthenon is beautiful at night."

"It better be," she muttered mulishly, leaning into him as they left the humid club for the cool, Athens night.

Caroline twirled in the street, smile bright as she took in the ancient sites surrounding her. The sky had barely lightened, the sunrise imminent. Klaus had taken her through the city, patiently explaining the historical significance of each corner that caught her interest. "This place is amazing," she sighed, turning to find Klaus watching her. "What?"

"I told you," he said, shrugging. "Small town life would never be enough for you."

She scoffed lightly, though she didn't pull away when he tangled his hand with hers. "You're lucky I'm still on a traveler's high," she said. "It's obviously Greece's fault you seem so much more charming than usual."

Klaus smiled, though it dimmed when they reached her hotel. Squeezing her hand, he pulled Caroline into a loose embrace. Even just a few hours in her company made him greedy for more. "Might I have the opportunity to be charming tomorrow as well?"

Swaying forward, Caroline bit her lip. She moved to his ear, her voice husky and low. "Do those lines really work?"

He looked down, dimples cut deeply into his cheeks as his stubble grazed her face. "Take a chance, maybe you'll find out," he dared.

Caroline pulled back, exaggerating a look of consideration. "I guess I could be persuaded," she finally decided.

"Blame the international travel," he joked. Klaus felt proud when she giggled. "Good night, sweetheart."

"Good night," she whispered, not daring to move with the way his eyes were locked on her. It reminded her of graduation, when a similar moment just meant he was summoning his courage to kiss her cheek.

"Good night," he repeated, not caring how foolish he seemed. Her eyes were glinting with humor and anticipation; Klaus did not want to disappoint. Like months earlier, his throat bobbed with a swallow before swooping in to place a soft kiss. This time, his lips pressed against her temple, lingering at the scent of the sea in her hair. Dragging his nose down, his lips landed at her ear. "You should go, love, while I can still let you."

She giggled again, winking as she danced out of his arms. Rolling her eyes at his triumphant expression, Caroline shook her head. "Greece," she sighed, turning to enter the hotel.

Klaus watched her go, feeling lighter than he ever had in a thousand years.

Giddy, Caroline made her way to the massive suite Katherine had her compel for them. She was shocked to find a massive bouquet of peonies set outside their door. She had just left Klaus; even he wasn't that good. Picking up the crystal vase, Caroline opened the door none too quietly. "Katherine," she called out.

She had expected an irritated response, but nothing stirred in the suite. Caroline set the flowers aside to check the doppelganger's room. Sure enough, the human was passed out asleep. Caroline could make out streaks of mascara and tears down Katherine's face.

Ducking out of the room, Caroline's brow furrowed in confusion. The Katherine Pierce she knew did not cry herself to sleep, and the blonde hated that she worried for her murderer's emotional state. It was that concern that fueled a massive room service order for a breakfast feast, as the sun had finally risen over the horizon. The servers delivered the last tray just as Katherine emerged from her bedroom.

Caroline tried not to think about how comfortable Katherine must have felt to present herself in rumpled pajamas and a sloppy ponytail. "Good morning," she chirped, smiling when Katherine only managed to grumble petulantly. "I hope you're hungry."

"You're in a good mood," Katherine accused, immediately reaching for coffee. "I wasn't sure you were going to come back. Did you finally bang it out with the hybrid?"

"If I did," Caroline answered archly, "then I'd be pretty annoyed you were the only one to get flowers." She nodded to the peonies still set aside. "They were sitting outside the suite. I snooped. They're from Elijah. Are you two still a thing, or what?"

"No," Katherine snapped. "He could leave a hundred flowers, and that's all he's good for. Leaving." She noisily munched on a piece of toast to end the conversation.

Caroline, however, was already on her third mimosa and feeling a good buzz. She was not content to leave the discussion at that, her nosy nature would not allow it. "I don't know, he doesn't strike me as the empty gesture type."

"The only gestures he makes are empty," Katherine answered, more quiet than her brash personality would portend. "You're the only one trying to find a happily ever after with a Mikaelson, god knows why."

"It was one night," Caroline said, defensive. Sensing the need for a change of topic, though, she finally relented. "This is a research trip, right? What's the plan for today?"

Katherine sighed. "Delia won't play if the Originals are lurking around, she's too obedient under pain of death," she explained. "Your boyfriend is annoyingly effective at interference with political maneuvers."

"Not my boyfriend," Caroline corrected, taking a bite of her pancakes. "What's Plan B then?"

A knock on the door interrupted whatever Katherine had planned to say, and Caroline smiled to herself when she heard a distinctly slow heartbeat outside of the suite. Vampire.

Just accepting that she was excited to see Klaus, she tried to swallow her disappointment when it was the wrong Mikaelson brother at the door. "Kat," she called out, not looking behind her. "It's for you."

Sheepish was not a good look for Elijah Mikaelson. His suit was wrinkled, his eyes looked tired, and the ratty grimoire he held was definitely emitting a smell. If Katherine seemed just a bit too gleeful when she joined the group, Caroline would certainly let her have this one.

"What are you doing here," Katherine asked, munching on a peach as she took in the ragged Original.

"I have many connections in the area," Elijah answered, decidedly uncomfortable in the face of Katherine's derision and Caroline's scrutiny. "It took some digging, but I believe there is a coven who might have some answers."

Katherine shrugged. "Okay, where can I find them?"

Elijah shuffled his weight between feet. "If I may, I would prefer to escort you myself," he said.

"You may not," she replied, matter of fact. She would have slammed the door in his face had he already given her the name of the coven.

"Katherine," Caroline said, nudging her in the side. "This looks like the opposite of an empty gesture to me."

"You're twelve, you know nothing," Katherine scoffed. Turning back to Elijah, it took everything in her not to attack him in her more vulnerable state. "In case you don't realize, I'd trust your brother to be of more help to me."

Bowing his head, Elijah looked defeated. "I know," she said simply. He handed her the grimoire, careful not to touch her skin. "The Travelers have a unique brand of magic, tied to Silas and his cure."

Katherine stiffened. "Travelers?" Her voice was faint, and Elijah was quick to catch her as her legs buckled beneath her.

He found her reading a dusty grimoire on the beach, blonde curls tied in a top-knot and oversized sunglasses blocking most of her face. "I figured you for the magazine and murder mystery type, love," Klaus said, sitting next to her in the sand. His hands itched to explore the bare skin of her back as he noticed the discarded bikini top beside her. "Catching up on your summer reading?"

"Your brother all but kidnapped Katherine on a fact-finding mission about her long-lost witchy lineage," Caroline blithely explained without looking up. "Apparently, her father was a Traveler, and they're too dangerous for even her to let me tag along." She couldn't hold back a snort at the thought.

"Something funny?"

"Uh, yeah," Caroline answered, narrowing her eyes. "Katherine Pierce trying to protect me is the funniest thing in the world."

"I don't follow, sweetheart."

Caroline froze; Klaus didn't know how she was turned. Oddly enough, she didn't want him to hurt Katherine, which meant he couldn't find out when she was nearby and still human. "Never mind," she replied, turning back to the grimoire. "They left this behind, and I figured studying up in the sun couldn't hurt."

Klaus hummed, finally allowing a finger to run along her exposed back. "Indeed," he said, smiling at her pointed look of annoyance.

"You seem pretty calm for a guy whose brother is actively working to earn his way back into the she-devil's life," Caroline pointed out. "Five hundred years is a long time to hate someone, only for Elijah to bring her into the family."

Snorting, Klaus moved to start massaging Caroline's back. He quickly grew addicted to the warmth of her skin, kneading her muscles until she moaned with the release of tension. "Family to us means always and forever," he said softly. "Unfortunate as it is, that kind of devotion does not die easily. It is a lesson Elijah has had to learn time and again, even more than once with Katerina."

Caroline sighed as he continued to work along her muscles. Bad guy or not, he knew what he was doing. It took her a moment to refocus on the conversation at hand. "So," she said, "you think they're in it for the long haul."

Klaus raised an eyebrow at Caroline's lack of a question. "As long as he keeps her away from me, I suppose I shouldn't complain," he said grumpily.

Craning her neck to see him, Caroline took off her sunglasses to squint into his face. "Is that personal growth I'm hearing?"

He laughed, unexpectedly moving to tickle her sides at the sass in her tone.

With a giggle, Caroline squirmed in Klaus's hold. She turned to wrestle him, only for him to fall completely onto her body. The Henley and jeans he wore looked odd on the beach, but they felt good against her mostly naked skin.

Wait, naked.

Her hand groped for her bikini top, eyes wide as she took in Klaus's possessive expression. He was covering her body with his, she realized. "Excuse you," she breathed, looking for any moral outrage at his behavior. Betrayed by her own hormones, though, she found nothing but pleasure at his weight on hers.

"Caroline," he whispered, voice broken and hoarse. He was holding himself back, she could tell. His whole body was tense, coiled tight like wire.

She dragged a hand up his back until it rested on the nape of his neck. Her fingertips toyed with the curls there, the slight downward pressure enough to snap Klaus's resistance. Instantly, his lips landed on hers as his hands ran up her sides.

Tracing the edge of his jaw with her thumb, Caroline wanted the moment to last forever. The kiss was heavy with promises and relief, a chance for their connection to flourish more than it already had despite her best efforts otherwise. She tried to feel guilty, but something about being with Klaus felt more right than she could explain.

It was like coming home, yet also like something new.

Smiling into the kiss, Caroline flipped them over. Her breasts were crushed into his chest, but she didn't feel the slightest discomfort. Instead, she pressed closer, moving her kisses all over his face as the Grecian sun burned above them.

Emotionally exhausted from the day, Katherine put up only the barest resistance to Elijah following her up to the suite she shared with Caroline. She simply didn't have the energy to fight his doting after dealing with the Travelers.

Her father, terrible man that he was, did have enough magic to carry the Traveler name. He never taught his wild daughter anything but to fear him, but the doppelganger myth might have been a good story to know.

The Travelers had told Elijah the cure was to be protected at all costs; once ingested, her blood would become the cure. Essentially, she would live an immortal life without the perks of vampirism as long as the cure remained in her veins. When the coven caught sight of her in their camp, however, they no longer cared to share about the effects of the cure or how to reverse it. They instantly banded together for some creepy spell, and Katherine was left unable to move.

Elijah was unaffected, thankfully. He killed the entire camp before flashing Katherine back to the hotel. She had yet to say a word.

"Katerina-"

"I don't want to talk about it," she said, fiddling with her keycard. "Right now, all I want is a bubble bath and junk food and to be far away from you."

"Please," Elijah said, his voice hard as he gripped the door handle. "I am sorry for the hurt that I've caused you, the pain I can see in your eyes when you actually look at me." She had paused, apparently listening, and it gave him hope enough to continue. "Asking for your forgiveness is a trite action, but I ask it anyway. Earning your trust will take time and effort, but I will try anyway. Loving you has always come too easily for me, but I refuse to believe that is a bad thing, especially since my judgment has been proved incorrect."

She turned, carefully examining his face for any sign of manipulation or untruth. Seeing none, she fought the tears welling in her eyes. "I'm not afraid to leave, you know," she warned. "The minute the tide of your goodwill turns against me-"

"And I would deserve that," Elijah admitted, nodding. "But these mistakes I have made, the failings you have come to expect of me, they were not made in vain. I would like to think I have learned my lesson, especially since leaving you broke my heart so fully the last time. I certainly hope I am not stupid enough to do so again."

Katherine snorted, dry humor finally lightening her expression. "I wouldn't bet on it," she muttered, finally getting the door open. She only got her head inside before she let it slam behind her without going in. "Um, okay. I need food, and you just promised me a lot of groveling. Take me to lunch." Calling out behind her through the door, she added, "A long lunch!"

Confused, Elijah let Katherine lead him back to the elevator. She seemed both horrified and elated. "Care to explain?"

She let out her first full laugh since the cure turned her human. With Elijah's hand in hers, it felt nice.

"That was mortifying."

Klaus chuckled, pulling Caroline's hands away from her face as she tucked herself deep into the recesses of the couch Katherine had caught them having sex on. "She's five hundred years old, I doubt she's easily shocked."

"Excuse me for having qualms about public sex," Caroline snapped, though not unamused. "You're the one with super hybrid hearing, this is your fault for not noticing her just outside."

"Don't blame me, love, your thighs were blocking my ears," he quipped, laughing when she shrieked and attempted to wrestle him back onto the couch.