Title – Just The Way You Are

Description – A cute little one shot about Caroline showing insecurities as she prepares for her first date with Klaus.

Disclaimer – I do not own TVD, as if I did Caroline would be in some hot place with Nik waiting on her hand and foot and my baby would be happy and not being second place to Elena.

A/N – I was watching season one when I saw the clip in which Damon didn't like the dress Caroline was wearing and it kind of just spurred this short one shot. Also if any Damon stans read this, I do call him a bit, but imagine you were Caroline and how would you feel. (Also I don't agree with the whole rape thing so please don't eat me). This was going to be around 200 words then this happened.

-x-x-

I don't understand how people do it. How some people can just go to their wardrobe and pick out the perfect dress for a date in seconds. I pulled out an old yellow dress that I had owned for what seemed like eternity, trying to remember if I had worn it to anything big before. I remembered buying it for the founders ball, but the reason why I didn't wear it there escaped my mind.

So I slipped into it, making sure that I looked okay, when it all came flooding back. It was weird, my memories from compulsion didn't come to me at once. They came in pieces when something triggered them, such as this. It was only a tiny thing as I could recall what happened after Damon told me that I couldn't wear the dress. That memory was one that still haunted me to this day. SO I had to stand there and watch myself being told my Damon of all people that I couldn't wear a dress because of jaundice or some shit like that.

I had talked to Elena about the ways that my memories had come back and I just figured it was because of the amount of times that I had suffered the compulsion. It still annoyed me how no one ever called him out for what he did to me. Sure, Stefan told him to back off or something, but no one apart from me resents him for it. What he did was selfish, for his own personal gain, and he was too self righteous to ever apologize for it.

I bet if it had happened to Elena instead of me, the outcome would've been different, but there was nothing that could change it. It was how it was, and nobody seemed too bothered about the fact that it still haunted me to that day.

I couldn't go out like this now. I was shaking slightly from the memory that seemed so lifelike, and I couldn't wear that dress out any more, it just made me feel ill. But I had no idea how I was going to call it off with the 'big bad hybrid'. As if on cue there was a knock at the door. I ran down the stairs before realising that I was still wearing the dress.

Shit. I thought as I saw that Klaus had seen me. I answered it, concealing most of my body behind the door, knowing that it probably wasn't the best hiding place, but it did make the dress less visible.

"Wow, you look beautiful." Klaus muttered, looking at me as best as he could. He seemed a little confused, but I didn't blame him. I wasn't acting exactly normal. But in Mystic Falls what would you even class as normal?

"I can't-" I started, my voice barely louder than a whisper as I tried to figure out what I was going to say. "I just can't do it." I finished, trying my hardest to keep my composure, although I was on the verge of tears.

He placed a hand on my shoulder, so forgiving, despite the fact that I was just blowing him off because of my own insecurities. This was the difference between Klaus and the Damon that had caused this. Damon was selfish, and would put himself before others, whereas Klaus seemed to actually care. I know he has done bad things. But he seems capable of redeeming himself, and apologising, which is why I had to give him this chance, and now I was just ruining it.

"Caroline, what's the matter?" he said, stepping in and shutting the door, so that he had a full view of me. That was the last straw for me, and the tears flowed freely. It was stupid, trust me I know, crying over a stupid dress, but for some reason, I spilled, telling Klaus everything.

"Stop, Caroline, just stop." his hands cupped my face, forcing me to look straight into his eyes, although I wanted to squirm away due to the guilt that he was unintentionally forcing upon me. "You look perfect. I promise you. You could be wearing nothing for all I care." he said, before realising what he had said. "I didn't mean, oh god."

I started laughing uncontrollably. I mean for a billion year old psychotic killer, he came out with the most awkward things. I would've thought that he was an seventeen year old boy who had never dated before in his life. I smiled at him, and I knew that he had changed my mind, just like that.

"Okay, well at least give me half an hour, to do my make up, hair and maybe get a new dress." I told him, turning to go back to my room. At least half an hour was a slight understatement. I knew that it would probably take another hour.

"Caroline, you look perfect just the way you are!" he said, grabbing my arm, and turning me back towards him.

"Okay just my make up then. I have been crying, I cannot go out with blotches." I told him, my bottom lip sticking out petulantly.

"You have ten minutes, any longer and I'll be coming to get you." he grinned, walking into the lounge and sitting down.

"Challenge accepted." I muttered, just loud enough to be heard, before making a mad dash to my makeup case.