"Care, we shouldn't." his voice was soft and low as his breath tickled her ear. Moaning Caroline had leaned up for a second kiss, his taste driving the faint traces of tequila from her lips. His hands were keeping her pressed against him as they stood in the entryway of their apartment. He groaned softly and took her bottom lip between his teeth.
"My room's closer," Caroline said, once he'd let go of her lip and suddenly he tensed before slowly pulling away her skin suddenly colder where his hands had been.
"I want to do this right. I can't-not like this," he said, pulling away as he ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head. "You need to go to bed."
Caroline watched him walk away her heart in her throat and she could feel tears forming. She'd dashed into her room and slammed the door embarrassment and shame flooding over her. She fell onto her bed after kicking off her heels and willed herself not to cry. Sleep came quick and welcome.
Caroline sat up quickly glancing around to see if she was in her own bed, breathing a sigh of relief she leaned back on her pillows and looked around the room. Her purple accent wall stared back at her. Caroline covered her face and tried not to groan out loud. This never would have happened if Katherine hadn't insisted on pre-graduation drinks last night. She held her breath listening for sounds that her roommate, and man most definitely on her 'do not fuck list', Klaus was up yet.
Not hearing anything she grabbed a hoodie and sweatpants and slowly opened her door and glanced around the common area of their shared apartment. Not seeing him she tiptoed over to her bag and pulled out her phone. Scrolling through the texts she had sent she breathed a sigh of relief, maybe that kiss and those hands had all been a dream.
She had texted him. She'd insisted he come out to the bar and dance with her. Biting her lip she walked over to the coffee machine and started to get it set up. Taking a deep breath she slipped her phone into her pocket and waited for an acceptable amount of coffee to fill the pot before pouring herself a much needed cup. Walking into their joint bathroom she slipped into the room and locked the door.
Placing the mug down on the ledge she got into the shower, standing under the hot water she ran through the events of last night over and over again in her head. Honestly she blamed Kat for all of it.
"Care, you're twenty-three. You are graduating college with your bachelors and masters two years ahead of schedule and you have a job just up town so you don't have to move," Katherine said, through Caroline's bluetooth as she walked home from her last final and thesis presentation.
"I just, I need to get a good night's sleep, I am so anxious about graduating. Caroline said, softly as she weaved and bobbed through the typical Thursday traffic of Manhattan around her.
"You need to come out for drinks with me and Bonnie," Kat argued her voice steal even over airwaves.
"One drink," Caroline relented, as she slipped into her apartment building and up the stairs to her apartment on the fourth floor.
"Awesome we'll see you at Jimmy's at 9," Kat sang, before hanging up.
Four hours later found Caroline, Kat, Bonnie and Rebekah dancing at a club after drinking tequila shots at Jimmy's. Rebekah had mentioned finding an amazing club and with the alcohol clearly in the driver's seat for all of them, they'd quickly agreed.
Caroline had moved over to their table and was taking a sip from her water bottle when Kat joined her. "You aren't going home already?"
"Kitty-Kat, I said one drink and that was hours ago," she groaned, pulling her phone out to let her roommate and other best friend know that she was coming home.
"Care! Is that Nik?" Bek's voice interrupted them as the other blonde came bounding over, drunk and over excited.
"Yea, I'm going home," Care said, grinning at her roommates little sister.
"Boo you whore," Bek's pouted, and Caroline felt herself caving, "Youcould ask him to join us?"
Kat made a face of disinterest, Bekah was clapping excitedly and Bonnie just shrugged having joined late in the conversation. Caroline switched gears, Bekah's excitement contagious as she texted Nik to join them for drinks and dancing.
An hour later they'd cheered as Nik approached, the added alcohol of the passed hour lifting their spirits as they danced. Dressed in a black button down and his typical black jeans he had smiled at their excitement.
He and Caroline had danced tight and close for the rest of the night, their hips grinding and their hands around necks or on hips. By the time they'd gone home Caroline had convinced herself to go for it. What was the worst that could happen.
Klaus was mortified, he'd been coerced out to the club and the rest of the night had been a whirlwind and a dream he'd found himself dancing with Caroline in his arms, something he'd only allowed himself to dream about. He didn't want to ever make her feel like he'd only been her friend because he wanted to sleep with her. If he was honest it had been the exact opposite reason.
He'd been dating a redhead named Aurora and she'd been with that fratbro Tyler, their freshman year when they'd met. Fast forward three years and they were roommates and best friends. They'd had different relationships with other people and never been single at the same time. This past year had been the first time they'd both been single at once. He'd only realized that he was in love with her when he'd started to go on dates with blonde girls who were pale imitations of her.
Laying in bed he waited till he heard the shower start, to sneak out into the kitchen and get a cup of coffee. Leaning against the counter he sipped it slowly and sighed as the caffeine chased away the small hangover he had. Groaning he rubbed his face and looked around their apartment. They had without realizing it completely intertwined their lives, it was hard to see in the shared space where she stopped or he started. It was simply theirs. Now he'd fucked it up.
As he started back to his room to change, the bathroom door flew open with a burst of steam and Caroline walked out in a towel. Jumping back so as not to get hit by the door he barely stopped a groan as she looked so lovely just in a towel as she stood there. Her hair faintly starting to curl and her lips full, just waiting for him to kiss her. Shaking his head he stepped around and ducked into his room, not saying a word.
Caroline blinked and looked at the closed door her heart beating a mile a minute. He'd been shirtless, and in the sweatpants that tended to slip off his left hip. She hadn't heard him over the sound of the running water and had hoped he was still asleep. Caroline was a little hurt that he'd been too disgusted to even pause and talk to her. Slipping off to her room she grabbed a fresh set of panties, tank top and her favorite lounge pants. No sense in wearing a bra if she was just lounging around the house.
Once dressed she walked out into their living room and laid on the couch while she sifted through her social media and texts from everyone from the night before. Two hours later and he still hadn't come out of his room and Caroline was starting to feel hurt. Was she really that unattractive that he'd rather avoid her than talk about what happened.
Nik and her had met in their intro to communication a prereq for both their majors and become fast friends. Soon they were studying and just hanging out together when they weren't with their respective partners. Klaus had been with that insipid bitch Aurora, and she'd been dating Tyler. Somehow while their romantic relationships hadn't continued, their friendship had. They'd gotten an apartment off campus sophomore year and spent the last three years making it their home.
Caroline had realized she was falling in love with him when she'd gotten the flu last year and he'd canceled everything to take care of her. Something not even Bonnie was willing to do. Caroline was a terrible patient. Yet, Klaus hadn't even blinked, he'd taken all her bitching, crabbiness and illness in stride.
Now she'd ruined everything by thinking that he felt the same way. He couldn't even look at her without bolting. Pulling a pillow over her face she groaned out loud cursing the stars and gods for her bad luck. Sitting up she took a deep breath. She was Caroline Marie Forbes, she could fix this.
Walking over to his door she pulled it open and walked in closing the door behind her. Klaus glanced up, his eyes wide and he cleared his throat before shoving his sketchbook behind him.
"Why don't you want me?" she asked her arms crossed glaring at her supposed best friend. "Am I not attractive enough for you?"
Klaus blinked caught off guard and confused before her words made sense and he opened and closed his mouth like a guppie. "Excuse me luv."
"Why won't you sleep with me?" she asked her glare sharpening at him as she started to feel her lower lip tremble. "Why is Cami good enough for you, but I'm not?"
Klaus was off the bed and taking her arms to lead her to the side of the bed and sitting her down next to him on his comforter. "Luv, I am head over heels in love with you, I have been for the last two years. I didn't want to take advantage of you last night." He ran a hand over her shoulder and wiped a few stray tears away from her eyes. "Also Cami and I never slept together."
"She told the entire debate team that you two had sex over parents weekend," Caroline sniffled, feeling mortified for having fallen for such a stupid rumor. Still she allowed Klaus to hold her and she felt better.
"She wanted too, but I couldn't bring myself to touch her like that. Not when I was thinking of you the whole time," he said, softly looking down at his best friend. Smoothing her hair back he offered her a small smile, "I didn't want our first time to be when you were drunk."
Caroline brightened at that and wrapped her arms around his neck. "So you've thought of a first time with us?"
Klaus chuckled wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her onto his lap. "Oh sweetheart, I've dreamed of being your last for a long time."
Caroline squeaked when he picked her up like she weighed nothing and allowed herself to be pulled onto his lap. Looking into his eyes she bit her lip and looked around his bedroom. "Well what if we have our first time now?"
Laughing Klaus rolled over so she was between the bed and him and placed kisses all over her face starting on her forehead and working his way to her lips. "Luv I thought you'd never ask.