A/N: First VD fic, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. It's got flaws that I only just noticed (let's face it, Bonnie would never let Klaus/Tyler out of her sight. She would feel compelled to wield her moral sword, and possibly her group text button in case he started getting up to mishief.), but once an idea gets in my head, it refuses to leave until it's written. Please review!
Playing Pretend
Niklaus Mikaelson considered himself to be, among many other things, a gentleman.
So when fate would have it that he was walking around in the body of a hybrid who was dating the object of his affections, Niklaus had no plans to exploit it.
He wanted to.
Of course he did.
The temptation of playing pretend for just a little while was enormous.
But when Caroline found out – and she inevitably would – he wanted to minimize the damage by not having taken advantage of the situation.
Ah, Caroline.
The girl with a talent for shaking up his world like a snow globe, leaving him dazed and offended and more attracted to her than ever.
The girl whose biting sarcasm and unimpressed expressions somehow made him want to try even harder.
To make her feel something, anything, for him other than contempt and disdain.
So Niklaus had come to the decision that he would not take advantage of this.
Of her.
He contemplated how he would tell her the truth as he wandered down the street towards her house, wearing her boyfriend's body. He ran through the words in his head, trying to find the ones that would result in the least dramatic reaction, but he was struggling. He couldn't tell. He never could with Caroline.
Making his way up the stairs, he wondered if this was a bad idea. If he should have left it to the witch and stayed far, far away. Standing on the porch, he knew it was a bad idea; that he should leave. And he was going to. Really. He even shifted his weight, ready to turn and go. But that all fell tragically apart the moment she opened the door.
Caroline was dressed in jeans and a pale top, covered by a blue apron with CHEF written on it - Niklaus still didn't understand modern society's love of pointing out the blindingly obvious. Her fair hair was scraped back into a ponytail, and there was a smudge of flour on her left cheek. When the little blond vampire's eyes found his, they lit up, the warmth spreading to her entire face as she beamed at him.
It was this look that caught Niklaus so off-guard; the open adoration in her smile, the genuine joy at his presence. He couldn't remember the last time anyone had looked at him like that. Rebekah hadn't been pleased the see him for nearly a century, and even then she wore an expression nothing like Caroline's. The latter threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly to her, and Niklaus breathed in the floral scent of her shampoo as his arms locked around her just as fiercely.
"I still can't believe you're okay," she whispered, and all his previous intentions came crashing down around his feet.
He wanted this.
More than anything.
He wanted her hand in his as she led him into the kitchen, chattering animatedly about the cupcakes she was making for a picnic that afternoon.
He wanted the playful smile when she handed him a bowl of mixture and ordered him to stir.
He wanted the way she let him brush the flour off her cheek.
He wanted the gentle kiss she planted on his lips before she knocked over the packet of cupcake wrappers with a hand coming up to touch his face.
He wanted to be here, helping her as she began trying to repack the wrappers with a startled squeak.
He wanted the affection in her eyes when he offered the little pile of wrappers he had collected.
Watching her so comfortable, so at ease, all traces of defence and sarcasm gone, still looking at him with that same affectionate expression, Niklaus wanted it all.
And he could have it, for just a little while.
He could.
It wouldn't be too terrible a deed, surely, to let himself revel in these simple pleasures for a few more hours before he told her and she pushed him away again.
He could play pretend for just a little while...right?
A/N: So what do you think? I'm paranoid that Klaus is coming off as a total dog instead of an affection-deprived, slightly flawed and fractured kid whose innocent craving for company got the better of him... Reviews, please?