"Tag! You're it!" The squeaky but delightfully sweet tone hit him before the impact of her body did. He buckled under her weight and sank to the floor - not because she was heavy, in fact he could probably lift her with one hand, but because her behaviour had been completely unexpected. "Careful love." The young boy murmured as he shot his hand out to rest behind her head - another brain injury avoided. That girl had no regard for her personal safety. It was infuriating.
The two children had landed in a very awkward position. Klaus was sure his hand was somewhere underneath her body and he could feel the heel of her shoe digging into the small of her back. There was a loud 'hmmph' in his ear as Caroline disentangled herself and sprung lithely to her feet. How she was that agile at nine years old, Klaus had no idea. Some times, he could look at her and she would seem so much older. Older than his twelve measly years. Older than his mother. She seemed as old as the world, and twice as wise.
"Don't call me love! What are you, like 90 or something? Ugh, I'll never understand you English people. It's stooooooooooooooopid." And just like that, she had gone from this otherworldly creature to the nine year old girl that had painted his nails pink last week.
"Don't attack me then!" Klaus answered, his voice raising a few octaves in surprise at her outburst. Not that he minded. He knew he was an oddity in the sleepy town of Mystic Falls. Everyone's parents and grandparents had known each other - Klaus was an outsider, having moved from Chicago when he was three. "You're gonna have to pay for that, I think you broke my little finger when you landed on me." The boy raised his right hand with his notorious smirk and pretended to contort it until Caroline squealed in disgust.
"You're such a gross boy, Niklaus!" The petite blonde shoved him lightly, a giggly grin on her rosy cheeks. She knew she had done it now. Klaus hated his full name as his mother only used it to tell him off.
Klaus grabbed her arm before she could pull away from him, a glint of mischief in his eyes. "You're gonna get it now, Forbes." His fingers drifted over her skin - tickling her until she begged him to stop.
The afternoon grew darker as the pair continued their playful albeit rough game of tag. The smiles never left their faces until Caroline was called to go in.