Caroline always decorated for every holiday, big or small. Once her Mystic magazine exploded in popularity, it became necessary to spread her holiday cheer to its brand new offices. The habit became a comfort with each year she wasn't able to make it home to Mystic Falls. Moving to Los Angeles had absolutely been the best decision of her life, but traveling back to Virginia wasn't always in the cards.
Stuck at home for a lonely Thanksgiving, then, she didn't bother stewing in her solitary apartment all weekend. That Friday, she drove herself to the Mystic office with fresh tinsel and twinkle lights in tow. The place was going to be bursting with winter holiday spirit for her staff to enjoy come Monday morning.
Unless they caught her in a compromising position first.
"What are you doing here?"
She had almost finished covering every available surface with twinkle lights when the British lilt of her art director surprised her. Startled, Caroline swayed on the step-ladder she had been using to reach the top of the filing cabinets. "Klaus," she gasped as he helped to steady her balance. Glancing down to where his hand spread against her lower back, she tried to ignore the blush burning her cheeks. "I could ask you the same. It is a holiday."
"That I don't celebrate," he pointed out with a smirk. Noting the storage bucket full of the fake leaves Caroline had cleared out to make way for winter decorations, Klaus pinned her with a curious look. "But you clearly have an affinity for the tradition. I expected you to be celebrating with family."
Stepping down from the ladder, Caroline shrugged. "The airlines weren't making it worth my while," she explained nonchalantly. "I figured I could use the extra time to get this place ready for the next season."
Klaus looked around, his eyes widening at the abundance of fake snow carefully placed around the general workspace. "You certainly have," he said.
At the neutral surprise in his voice, Caroline tried not to wilt in disappointment. Her enthusiasm didn't always jive with people, though her employees had mostly grown used to her over-the-top decorations. Having only been with them for about six months, though, this would be Klaus's first brush with Christmas Caroline - one that even her best friends avoided when the mood struck.
"I know it's a lot." She was a little embarrassed, fidgeting with her braid so she wouldn't have to meet his eyes. Nursing a crush on a coworker was hard enough without adding the boss angle, but Klaus was the first art director to work well with her demanding, perfectionist personality. Mystic thrived because of their working relationship, putting out some amazing issues to skyrocket their recent. Scaring him away - whether with her coming onto him or with copious amounts of glittered decorations - was not an option. "I don't mess with your desks, I promise. Though I do encourage everyone to feel free to decorate as they please, and it kind of turns into a competition each year, then the pranks start where Enzo and Davina try to gift wrap each other's supplies, and Jesse makes the best cookies which makes the whole place smell like cinnamon and-"
"Caroline," Klaus interrupted what surely would be a ten minute explanation of Mystic's office traditions. "Really, the place looks great," he promised. His smile was encouraging, maybe a little indulgent.
Caroline tried not to dwell on what that might mean.
"Well, thanks." Frowning, she realized he had never answered her question. "Wait, what are you doing here? You all don't have to come back in until Monday."
It was Klaus's turn to avoid her gaze. Rubbing his neck, he kept his eyes roving over all the lights in the room. "I was just…"
His obvious search for an acceptable answer had Caroline narrowing her eyes in suspicion. "Klaus, we're going to print on Sunday, the layout is already locked. Right?"
Sighing, the tension in his shoulders released as he finally faced her. "There was a small adjustment I wanted to make, but I didn't want to disrupt your holiday."
"What's wrong with the proof?" she asked, frantically running to her office. Klaus followed at a slower pace, watching her panic as she waited for the computer to boot up. "Seriously, you do not want to mess with my peace of mind before the Holidays Issue is safe to print and distribute."
Her love of holidays easily bled into the December issue of Mystic, quickly becoming the annual peak of the magazine. This year, the pressure was even greater to deliver a truly spectacular publication after the stellar layouts Klaus had produced. For him to be making adjustments this late in the process, and without her knowledge, it understandably made Caroline beyond nervous.
"I was looking over the proof copy again, and I noticed a color bar I had meant to delete, that's all," he tried to reassure her, letting a hand fall onto her shoulder. Klaus gave it the briefest squeeze as she pulled up their design program, only lifting his hand to point at the offending green line along the bottom of the cover. "Delete that, and the issue is perfect."
Caroline wanted to argue, if only to prove a point that he said the issue was perfect before, so how could she really trust him? Once she selected the line and he reached over her to click delete himself, however, she begrudgingly acknowledged that he wasn't entirely wrong. "Fine," she sighed, raising her chin to look up to where he loomed over her shoulder. "But please call me before making changes to a final proof. I like knowing what's going on."
Nodding immediately, Klaus seemed apologetic. "It was such a small change, I figured bothering you on Thanksgiving would be an unnecessary imposition," he explained.
"I don't-" Caroline's ringtone jingled from her cell phone in the other room, cutting off the 'workaholics with control issues prefer the imposition to the surprise' speech she had been about to give Klaus for the millionth time. Standing up from her chair, she realized how close he had been hovering behind her. She held up a finger when he opened his mouth to speak. "We're not done," she threatened before rushing out to catch her call.
Klaus waited patiently, his hands stuck in the pockets of ridiculously well-fitting jeans, a fact Caroline hated noting as she walked back into her office. Glaring at him, she answered her phone on its second call. "Hey, Elena," she greeted, her smile slipping in confusion at the hacking sobs she heard. "Elena, what's wrong?"
Suddenly, Caroline's eyes widened and she darted to her computer. Pulling up her favorite celebrity gossip site, she waved for Klaus to read over her shoulder.
Elena Gilbert trading Salvatores? All is NOT holly jolly in Stelena's Hollywood romance!
"What happened?" Caroline asked, if only to get Elena talking and not crying. "What's this about Damon?"
The trashy gossip site was going on and on about a year-long flirtation between the young Hollywood starlet and her infamous brother-in-law, complete with incriminating pictures and a steamy video making the rounds. "Oh my god, 'Lena," Caroline gasped. "Did Damon really tape you two…?"
Pulling the phone away from her ear, even Klaus could hear the actress' vehement denial. "We haven't slept together, I wouldn't do that to Stefan," Elena cried. "I just… He's always been good to me, Care. Stefan's been on location, and really, he was the one to ask Damon to check in on me. It's been nice having someone around while I'm between projects."
Caroline rolled her eyes, ignoring Klaus's gleam of triumph; he had predicted that something wasn't right in the way Damon doted upon his brother's wife during the photo shoot she and Stefan were doing for Mystic's featured article in the Holidays Issue. Just as she realized that, Caroline whirled around to clasp Klaus's arm in complete alarm.
The magazine's all-important Holidays Issue was centered around the celebrity couple's perfect Christmas anniversary and cozy home. It would be hard to sell Stefan and Elena's 'perfection' in the midst of a nasty scandal. Feeling like a dick, Caroline couldn't help but wonder at the best strategy for Mystic while her dear friend was still falling apart on the phone. She put the call on speaker so she could start marking pages that needed emergency edits.
"Damon took me to one of my charity events," Elena explained tearfully. "There was a moment, and he kissed me. It was just a moment of weakness, and we agreed it couldn't be anything more than that. We didn't know about some creep filming us until TMZ called Stefan for comment."
"Elena, I want to help, I do," Caroline implored, "but we go to print on Sunday. What's the situation with you and Stefan? Do I need to pull the article, cover and all?"
Sniffling, Elena just sounded miserable. "I'm sorry, Care," she cried. "I really wanted it to be a perfect Christmas. I just ruined everything."
Caroline forced herself to get a grip on her professional panic in favor of being a better friend. "What did Stefan say?"
"He left," she answered quietly. "I don't think we're getting past this."
Already jotting down a to-do list on a sticky note, Caroline nodded. She didn't even react when Klaus stole her pen to add his layout checks to the list. "Once I get the magazine squared away, I'll come over with ice cream and booze. You don't have to go through this alone."
"Oh, I've got everything I need," Elena rushed to say. "Um, Damon came over, he's been taking care of me."
"Of course he has," Klaus muttered.
Caroline smacked him, the blow landing on his leg from her seated position. Luckily, Elena didn't seem to hear. "Okay, sweetie, I'll take care of everything here, then. You'll let me know if you need me?"
Her friend gave a broken affirmative before hanging up, and Caroline immediately met Klaus's gaze with a frantic expression. "I've counted twenty pages mentioning Stefan and Elena in some fashion, of which eight need to be entirely redone with a new feature."
"Don't forget the guest letter she wrote for your editorial page," Klaus noted, having grabbed his iPad as Caroline finished her conversation with Elena. He pulled up the Editor's Page for Caroline to see. "It might not mention Stefan-"
"But it still needs to go," Caroline completed his thought. She mournfully took the iPad, reading over the letter Elena had written about their childhood friendship and their big L.A. adventure. Ghosting her finger over the familiar autograph at the bottom, Caroline just sighed. "I liked that this issue had a piece of us in it. Mystic might have been my dream, but Elena was really the one to put us on the map. This feature was supposed to honor that."
It was a familiar story around the office, one Enzo had shared with Klaus over after-work drinks. Much to Caroline's mortification, the cute new guy had no idea who Elena Gilbert even was. Not only did she have to explain that her friend was a rising starlet on a teen soap opera, but she had to defend the television show's bizarre plots and inconsistent mythology out of her own loyalty.
Caroline found that she enjoyed the banter, though; sparring with Klaus was easily the most fun she had in a long while. Once the dubious nature of her friend's celebrity was set aside, he seemed genuinely interested in Mystic's journey from online celebrity fashion blog to a full, print publication with a dedicated following.
She had started the blog even before leaving Mystic Falls, building a presence in L.A. by ingratiating herself with local stylists that seemed to litter the city. After about a year of buying coffee to bribe whatever makeup artist or style consultant she could find, using her employee discount at Starbucks of course, Caroline was pleasantly surprised and infuriatingly jealous when Elena hit her big break.
From a constantly auditioning nobody to a leading actress in a moderately successful genre show, Elena had been suddenly inundated with invitations to events. Wanting to share in her new found glory, she often brought Caroline along as her plus-one. With the incredible access to minor celebrities and their fashion, Mystic took on a whole new tone and credibility within the industry.
And now, the new issue would be ripe fodder for the tabloids if it went to print showcasing Elena's failed relationship with her co-star.
"You can still honor that."
She looked up at Klaus, confused and lost in her own thoughts. "Honor what?"
Smirking, Klaus leaned in close. The slight musk of his cologne nearly distracted her again. As though sensing it, he coughed lightly. "You can still honor Elena's contribution to the magazine, by honoring yours instead."
"I don't understand," Caroline admitted, hesitant.
The thoughts seemed to be whirring through Klaus's mind as he looked for the words to explain. "Love, I've worked on several publications, many of which I did not enjoy."
Caroline turned to face him fully with an arch expression. "You act like I didn't read your resume and vett it thoroughly before hiring you."
Klaus chuckled, his dimples peeking out as he smiled. Many had laughed at her attention to detail and personal research, but few seemed to delight in her more annoying habits like he did. "I have no doubt," he assured her. "My point is that Mystic is something special, and it has very little to do with whatever celebrity status your friend has attained."
"But-"
"Sweetheart," he interrupted, lightly grasping her wrists. "This place is special because of you. I've watched you pour your heart and soul into Mystic, and it's that spirit that speaks to your audience."
Furrowing her brow, Caroline shook her head. "Who is this sap, and what have you done with Klaus Mikaelson?" she asked, playfully fighting his hold on her. "He's about your height, a bit grumpy most days, barely tolerant of people the rest of the time."
"I mean it, Caroline," he said seriously. She sobered at the earnest look on his face. "Maybe it's time to share more of yourself with the magazine. The audience already loves you, they just don't know it."
"Klaus." Her voice was soft, but not nearly as soft as the expression in his eyes. "You're being very sweet, but I'm just not the right feature. I was being selfish, wanting to share my story with Elena. Luckily, she's famous enough to sell magazines anyway."
"You're underestimating yourself," Klaus scoffed, finally releasing her to pace the office. "And you're not grasping how great this could be. Caro-"
He cut himself off, abruptly leaving the room and a confused Caroline behind. Rolling her eyes, she sat back down at her desk to look again at the list of changes they would need to make before going to print. Klaus would rejoin her eventually, too much of a fellow control freak to let her replace a third of the issue by herself. They just needed a new idea.
Idly, she petted the plush reindeer she had put out during her decorating frenzy. Brainstorming could be fun, but the frantic need to fix the problem and Klaus's unexpected suggestion were distracting her too much. Caroline had barely strung together a coherent thought when a shutter click sounded in the doorway. She glanced up, surprised to see Klaus holding a camera to his eye.
Crossing her arms, Caroline shot him an unimpressed glare. Rather than quelling his mischievous smile, however, he just clicked the button again for another photo. Caroline sighed, waiting impatiently for him to explain himself.
"Just like I thought," he said quietly, looking at the camera's digital display. "Your personality comes shining through. At the risk of being a sap, you'd certainly pop off the page, love."
Before she could protest his ridiculous idea, though, Klaus moved closer to show her the image. Sunlight shone through the windows, landing softly on Caroline's back. Her messy braid practically glowed against her dark sweater as she stared dramatically into the distance, her hand gently stroking the toy reindeer. It was pensive, but not stuffy. Beautiful, but personable.
The picture felt real.
Glancing up to her screen where Stefan and Elena were smiling blandly, she wondered if maybe Klaus was onto something.
"Authenticity is rare in this city," he said, having stepped behind her once again. Caroline swallowed, the warmth emanating from him against her back. "What better way to celebrate Mystic's love of holidays than featuring the woman behind that love?"
Caroline stared at the second picture he took, her indulgent irritation with his taking the picture in the first place clear. Despite her indignant expression, however, something about the close focus on her softened the image - like she was something precious. "Sap," she teased. Still, she couldn't shake the thought that maybe she wasn't the only one who harbored more tender feelings than she ought. "Do I at least get to clean up a bit? I can totally see glitter in my hair."
Nodding, Klaus made no apparent effort to hide a wide grin. "I'll set up some shots while you pull out that curling iron you think we don't know you keep in your desk."
She threw some fake snow in his direction as he retreated from her office. Still, Caroline couldn't help the silly grin taking over her face as she pulled open the makeup drawer she kept stocked for emergencies.
"Let's get to work," she muttered to herself. They had an issue to save.
"I swear this isn't the ego talking," Caroline promised, "but these are really good."
It had taken several hours, four rounds of editing, and two arguments, but they finally cobbled together a new feature for the Holidays Issue. She was looking over the photo spread Klaus had compiled of her cheerfully decorating the office, her bright smiles more genuine than any selfie she had ever taken. While Caroline would like to take credit for such a stellar show of personality, she felt Klaus deserved most of the credit. He had followed her around for about thirty minutes, snapping the odd picture at seemingly random moments.
Tracing a finger across a string of garland that read like a string of lights left in her wake, she wondered just how random his timing had been to capture such a compelling image. "I probably shouldn't be surprised that an art designer dabbles in photography, I guess."
Klaus shrugged, more focused on tweaking the final cover with Caroline's face illuminated by colorful fairy lights.
However, Caroline had just agonized over writing a feature article about herself, in her own voice. "Seriously, Klaus, we've been talking about me all day," she whined. "Give me something."
"I like talking about you," he said dismissively, like it was a foregone conclusion. Caroline's eyebrows rose, and only then did Klaus sigh in resignation. "I actually started as a painter, but art school broadened my horizons a fair bit."
"Do you like your job?" Caroline asked, suddenly curious about the man who had somehow become incredibly important to her magazine and to her. "I mean, I know I'm not the easiest person to work with." Her mind automatically went to their dust-up over the color scheme just a bit earlier; Elena's feature had been red and silver, but Klaus insisted on switching to gold for Caroline. It was quite the debacle, considering it meant more accommodations that would have to be made throughout the issue.
When faced with the near final product, though, Caroline might have been willing to concede - just this once.
"It was a spat, love," he answered with a small laugh, apparently well aware why she would be asking. "I'm over it already. I do like working here, and I like working with you."
Caroline's smile went slack; Klaus had always been an active participant in whatever flirting might have occurred between them, but his comments all day were more pointed and obvious than she was used to.
He glanced up from the computer, coughing slightly when it was clear she wasn't going to respond. "Here, I think it's finished. What do you think?"
Having already proofed the rest of the magazine, Klaus's layout of the cover page was the last thing to be approved. It was simple, just her smiling as she clutched one of the pillows she had strewn about the office. They had been taking a break, she remembered, and it wasn't until Klaus snapped the picture that she realized he'd been waiting for a relaxed moment. It apparently worked, because he advocated for only this to be the cover image.
"You were right, this is a good cover," she admitted, though her brow still furrowed.
Seeing her apprehension, Klaus rubbed at his neck. "If you don't like it-"
"It's not that," she rushed to explain. "I just never understood what Elena was talking about when she told me how weird it was to literally sell her face. I think I get it now, though it's probably weirder since I'm not really someone people would know right away."
"They should," Klaus answered easily. "You're smart, successful...beautiful."
Caroline bit her lip, leaning forward to type at Klaus's keyboard. She emailed the proof to the print shop, officially getting it out of her hands. "Looks like we pulled it off," she said softly, though she didn't move away from where Klaus was still sitting. "I don't know about you, but I feel like celebrating."
Smirking, Klaus leaned back in his chair to watch her carefully. "What'd you have in mind, love?"
For months, Caroline had avoided the salacious thoughts his smirk sent through her mind. He worked for her, Mystic had to be the priority, the office was too small to handle the drama if things went wrong - she had arguments for every reason she couldn't pursue a relationship with her art director. Standing just a few inches away from him in the aftermath of their almost catastrophe, though, that inviting smirk bolstered her to take the next step.
She moved slowly, giving him plenty of time to push her away in case she really was reading things wrong. But when she finally landed in his lap, Klaus immediately steadied her by gripping her hips. His touch was warm and sure, which gave her the strength to place a small kiss on his cheek. "I've got a great bottle of Dom in my office," she murmured against his skin, "if you're interested."
Klaus shook his head, grazing his nose lightly against hers as he closed the small distance between them. "I think I'd prefer something else," he said quietly before claiming her lips with his.
While Caroline had imagined their first kiss a number of times, her imagination failed to capture the idea that stubborn, grumpy Klaus Mikaelson could be softly passionate. She had always assumed any sex they might have to be of the hair-pulling, push her against a wall in the heat of the moment kind of tryst.
There was definitely heat in his kiss, but it was far more subtle than she expected.
His lips were lingering, pecking lightly as he took on different techniques to thoroughly melt her brain. Keeping one hand on her hip, the other dragged up her back to land at the nape of her neck; a fingernail traced through the edge of her hair, the slight pressure just enough to make Caroline shiver.
No, the heat came from everywhere else their skin couldn't touch. He was warm beneath her, his jeans rough against her legs as she settled them on either side of him. Her breasts brushed his chest, the slight touches stoking her desire for more contact. All the while, his hand still firm at her hip had taken to rubbing circles into her dress.
Even tearing herself out of the kiss, Klaus merely progressed down Caroline's throat, his lips never ceasing their exploration. Probably emboldened by the impatient way she was pulling at his shirt, he had begun to nip a serious love bite on her shoulder by the time she finally managed to get her hands under the Henley.
"I should have figured you would leave marks," she joked hoarsely, leaning into his rough treatment. "You're so possessive about your pens."
Her sensitive skin tingled at the huff of his laugh. "You hardly have room to talk. I've never met anyone else who could weaponize a label maker."
"Those labels help everyone, and you know it," Caroline countered dangerously. With one hand still occupied by the new territory under his shirt, she let the other grip his hair, pulling his head back to face her. "Do I get to leave marks on you, Klaus?"
With a wicked glint in his expression, Klaus moved her hands away from him. Before she could panic and slide off his lap, though, he quickly removed his shirt and opened his arms. "Have at it, love."
Caroline's hands teased the planes of his torso, delicately gliding across the black ink of a tattoo she didn't know he had. "This is interesting," she said, tracing a finger over the birds flying on his shoulder.
"I think there are more interesting things about me," Klaus flirted. He flicked his tongue against his bottom lip, taking in her careful perusal of his chest. Leaning up, he returned his mouth to her neck. "For instance," he sighed between languorous kisses, "I admit to having a few fantasies about you and this office."
Melting into his attentions, Caroline couldn't help the small gasp of pleasure when he reached a particularly sensitive spot. She ground her hips down in response, happy to hear a similar groan from him. If things were going the way she hoped, then she figured it wouldn't hurt to move things along by being blunt. In that vein, she let her hand drag down to palm his hardened cock through his jeans.
"This is all for me?" she teased with a smile. His mouth paused against her neck, and she felt a rush of confidence that spurred her to stroke him more firmly. "I suppose that is pretty interesting. Just what were these fantasies?"
Rather than answering, Klaus moved his lips up to hers, kissing her roughly as his hips rose into her touch. Caroline was growing hotter with every warm breath passed between them, and she happily rocked her hips along with his as they found a rhythm that worked for both of them. Her own fantasies about Klaus had always been of the rough and dirty variety, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise that he could bring her closer to a satisfying orgasm with just a hot make-out session than her last boyfriend could with all her favorite toys and an instruction video.
Yet, she already felt the telltale tightness of her abdomen as her movements grew less restrained.
If Klaus noticed she was so close to coming, he didn't bother to slow her down; with an arm banded around her back to help her balance on his lap, he seemed perfectly content to let her grind away as long as he could keep kissing her.
When he broke for a rare breath of space, she took the opportunity to try and offer themselves an escape hatch before she completely lost her train of thought. "Klaus," she murmured, holding his shoulders back when he tried to kiss her again. The sentiment was clear, even if their hips had retained a slower grind between them. "We don't have to-"
"Do you want to?" he asked, his gruff voice sending a thrill to her already aroused center. "Because I want you, and I want this. I'll understand if you want me to leave, but don't ask me to pretend it wouldn't be a disappointing end to what turned out to be a fantastic day."
Narrowing her eyes, Caroline wanted to be angry at his interruption. Still, she really did want to, even if he could be an ass. "Ass," she chastised aloud, though its bite was probably overpowered by her diving back into their kiss with renewed fervor.
Klaus reciprocated with a genuine elation, the feel of his smile against her lips filling her with a joy of her own. It was like she had found something special, somewhere she hadn't expected.
Considering her gasp at a twitch of his hips, Caroline could probably chalk up those softer feelings to the orgasm Klaus had been building her to. When she saw his happy grin as she came down from her high, however, she realized there might be more to their tryst than just sex.
Maybe she had found something special after all.
Fake snow littered the ground, covering the plush reindeer that had once held pride of place on her desk. Caroline had accidentally cleared said desk when she was bent over it, Klaus hitting a particular sweet spot that made her lose control in the moment. She tried to avoid looking at the aftermath as she shimmied back into her dress, an awkward silence taking over her office when Klaus retrieved his clothes from the other room.
As much as she enjoyed letting loose with Klaus, Caroline couldn't help but wonder if she had just ruined their working relationship for nothing more than an afternoon delight. Casual sex was nothing to be ashamed of, but Caroline Forbes still held onto the fairy tale of longing for happily ever after. For her to sleep with an employee? It was definitely an uncomfortable clash of her goals. If anything, it could put her career at risk, as well as Mystic's future.
The more she wondered about it, the more she worried. In her panic, Caroline quickly finished redressing so she could straighten up her office.
"Stress cleaning? Here I thought three rounds of excellent sex would be plenty relief."
Turning, she found Klaus watching her from the doorway. His curls were mussed from where her hands had run through it, the disheveled look making her bite her lip in want. Caroline desperately sought for anything to say, if only to distract herself from jumping him again. "Um, I was just-"
"Cleaning," Klaus finished with a careless shrug. He moved closer, narrowing his eyes when she took a step back. "I'd like to think I know some of your habits by now, love."
"Right, because we work together," she said pointedly. "It's been a stressful day, and we're just two coworkers celebrating a successful deadline."
Reaching for her wrist, much like he did earlier, Klaus gently rubbed circles into her skin. "Caroline, this was more than a celebration to me." He chuckled when she seemed surprised by his declaration. "I've wanted this for quite a while, and I'd hate to think we're mere co-workers at this point."
"Really?" Caroline winced at the squeak in her voice, but she was struck by the sincerity in Klaus's. She swayed toward him, his hand loosening from her wrist to intertwine their fingers.
"I want you, Caroline," he answered seriously, a small smile upturning his lips. "I have since the first time you yelled at me for clashing with the annual office picture. You're stubborn and exacting, and I want nothing more than to find out just how demanding you can be in a proper bed."
Caroline bit her lip, leaning up to brush their mouths together. "That sounds like an invitation."
Wrapping his arms around her waist, Klaus kissed her more fully. "A firm request," he corrected huskily. "The invitation is for breakfast tomorrow morning."
"Sap," she accused, stealing her own kiss from him as a warm feeling filled her.
She had definitely found something special.