Author's note: Beta'd by the wonder BeautifullyObsessed (you can find her on AO3).
"Aw, c'mon, Klaus!" Caroline begged, flopping on the couch beside the hybrid. She had been trying to convince him to go caroling all morning.
Klaus rolled his eyes as he set down his cup of coffee, "As I have already stated-"
Caroline sighed, "Yeah, yeah. You don't sing-but it's the holidays!" Insistent, and barely pausing for breath, she continued, "Surely you can suck it up for an hour or two and sing some Christmas carols with me."
Klaus side-eyed her. She scooted closer to him, batted her eyes, and pouted, "Please?"
The hybrid groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Okay, love, if I agree to go caroling with you," Klaus said hesitantly, "you are not to bring this up again in the future. Agreed?"
Caroline grinned, "Fine, party pooper!" She clapped her hands together, "Alright then...so I'm going to figure out the songs we will be singing. I already have like five in mind. I mean, Silent Night, of course," Caroline continued.
Klaus felt a sense of unease as the young vampire began to rattle off a list of Christmas carols. "Love-" he interrupted
Caroline stopped and raised her eyebrows at him.
"We'll only be singing at one house-and only one song," Klaus told her patiently.
Caroline frowned, "Only one house?"
He nodded.
"And only one song?" Caroline asked.
Klaus mhm'd.
Caroline chewed her lip and Klaus could see that she wanted to argue. Caroline protested, "But we're already short a person-"
Klaus warned, "Caroline…"
Caroline huffed and threw her hands up, "Fine! One house and one song." She then stomped out of the room.
Caroline spent two hour deciding between songs. She made a list of her favorite carols and, in Caroline-fashion, methodically wrote pros and cons to each song. By the time she emerged from the kitchen where she had been sipping tea and working on her list, Klaus thought that maybe she had decided against it and he was off the hook. However, when he heard footsteps coming back into the living room and looked up to see Caroline's bright eyes, he knew that he wouldn't be so lucky to get out of caroling.
Caroline spoke, "Alright. I have the perfect song!"
Klaus sighed, "What did you decide on, love?"
Caroline smiled and said, "Deck the Halls!" When Klaus remained silent, Caroline continued, "Do you know that song? Have you guys ever listened to Christmas carols?"
Klaus opened his mouth to answer as Caroline continued asking, "Do we need to practice?"
"I mean you said you don't sing, right?" Caroline questioned, "So we probably should go through this a few-"
"Caroline," Klaus interjected, "I know the song and I don't think practicing will be necessary."
Caroline narrowed her eyes at the hybrid, "Are you sure?"
"Absolutely," Klaus answered.
Caroline, still looked unconvinced, "If you're sure…"
Assuming the matter settled, Klaus stood up from the couch and nodded towards the front door, "Let's head out then."
"Wait!" Caroline exclaimed, "We need coats!"
Klaus turned to face the young vampire and spoke softly, "Love, we aren't going to get cold, so why-"
Caroline was rummaging in the closet and mimicked his British accent, "Because, Love, it's all a part of the experience." She emerged arms were full of coats, scarves, and gloves. She handed Klaus his coat and a scarf. She donned her own coat and wrapped a scarf around her neck then pulled on a knitted hat over her blonde hair. As she slipped on her mittens, she continued, "Also, we need to blend in and at least look like we're human."
Caroline strutted passed him and was gone outside, before he could reply.
Klaus was frowning down at the scarf decorated with dancing snowmen she had handed to him. He clenched his teeth and thought, 'It's just one house, one song this won't be so bad.' He wrapped the festive scarf around his neck and exited the house.
Once they actually left the house, the next step was to find a house in which to go caroling. They shared a small bungalow in a nice little neighborhood. Klaus figured that this was the easy part and had pointed to a next neighbor's house. Caroline quickly vetoed it because she insisted that they 'spread cheer to a totally random house' They had been driving up and down the neighborhood streets for about 45 minutes when Klaus spoke up, "Caroline, we've been past these bloody houses two times already."
"If anything we're probably worrying people who have seen our car pass so many times," Klaus continued.
"I was just narrowing down choices," Caroline sighed," but you're right. No need to creep out the neighbors."
She pointed to a quaint, two-story, red brick house, "Let's go with that one."
Klaus pulled up to the curb and shifted into park. The hybrid and young vampire exited the car and started to walk up the path leading to the house. Caroline turned to Klaus, "Are you ready?"
Klaus gave her a tip-lipped smile, "As ready as I am going to be, love."
Caroline grinned at him and stepped forward to ring the doorbell. Klaus rubbed his suddenly sweaty hands on his jeans as the doorbell rang. A few seconds went by before an elderly woman opened the door and smiled. She looked from Caroline's smiling face to Klaus's frowning one and asked "Can I help you?"
Caroline spoke, "Yes! My husband and I are going caroling and we wanted to sing for you."
The older woman looked hesitant. Caroline continued, "It will only be one short song. Just to share our Christmas spirit."
The older woman looked at Klaus's frown and said, "Alright. If it doesn't take too long."
Caroline stated, "It won't!"
The elderly woman smiled and said, "One moment while I grab my husband."
Caroline smiled brightly and nodded. The older woman turned and went into her house, leaving the door open. Caroline turned to Klaus and sighed, "Can you at least try to seem like you're enjoying yourself?"
Klaus narrowed his eyes at her and smiled tightly, "Better?"
Caroline rolled her eyes and turned back towards the entrance as footsteps got closer. The elderly woman was now accompanied by an older man, whose facial expression matched Klaus's. 'Just great,' Caroline thought morosely. She turned to Klaus again saying, "Ready?"
She began to sing, with Klaus joining in a second later, "Deck the hall with boughs of holly."
Klaus sang while looking around him, suddenly very self-conscious. However, as they continued to sing Caroline began to sway and become more animated. She was now belting out, "Fa-la-la, la-la-la, la-la-la." She then linked her arm with Klaus's and forced him to sway with, her much to his horror. Caroline and Klaus continued to sing with Caroline swaying them and her other arm waving. When they had finished the song, Klaus was beyond mortified. He glanced over to Caroline, who was pink cheeked and beaming at the older couple. The wife clapped her hands while the husband looked as if he had tasted something unpleasant. "Thank you for that," the older woman said, "my husband and I really enjoyed it."
Klaus saw the older woman digging her elbow into her husband's side. The husband flinched and told them grudgingly "Yeah, it was great."
Caroline spoke, "Thank you for listening. We hope you have a Merry Christmas!"
The older woman nodded and stepped back into the house with her husband then shut the door.
Caroline turned and smiled at Klaus as they walked back to their car, "I'd say that was a success!"
Klaus took in her rosy-cheeked smiling face and her excitement-bright eyes. He thought, well at least she seemed to be happy with the outcome and that's all the mattered to him. He pulled his wife close to him, buried his smiling face into her soft hair, and spoke softly into her ear, "Whatever you say, Caroline."
