Forewarning: The Weeknd's Drunk in Love Remix is perfection and is what you should listen to during a *certain* section of this fanfiction. Also, this is set after season 3 in which basically all the same events occur. However, Caroline and Klaus do not really meet until now.
The controlled bedlam of a club always awoke the most ancient parts of him. The modern world had grown too orderly, careful rules regulating each and every interaction. Multitudes of laws and detailed propriety restricted so many of humanity's brutal, base instincts-those that still hummed throughout his immortal veins.
His fingers thrummed against the bar as he brought a drink to his lips. Powerful bass shook the pillars, keeping in time with so many heartbeats. Sweat and arousal flooded the air as the young and restless moved in time to the music.
With a predatory eye, Klaus watched them lose themselves to touch. Hands fluttered across thin fabric and lips hovered over bare skin. They were lost in the ecstasy and that made them the best meal. He enjoyed nights like this more than others, devouring those lost in the rapture of the night and savoring their wild blood on his tongue.
A quiet wind blew by him, carrying a subtle scent of perfume that cut through the thick air. Pulled from the hypnotic watch, he quickly recognized the intruder.
Intriguing.
His lips twisted into a smile. "Hello, Caroline,"
It was difficult to surprise him. Name a trick and he'd seen it. From the ancient Greeks to the imperial English, he bore witness to things he once never dreamed of. He relived transformative history enough times over to recognize the patterns. Dynamics at every level, national and personal, were revisited under different guises. The people and their behavior remained constant against the pale backdrops.
It had been many years, decades perhaps, since someone had dared to approach him alone. His time, his extended life as he humorously considered it, had wrought destruction and violence unto the world of humans and monsters alike. His reputation would always precede him, something that sated his lecherous ego perfectly. Nothing compared to innate fear and respect. However, he did not mind the occasional outlier.
"To what do I owe this pleasure?"
She wore confidence finely under the dim lights. Had he not known better, he could have sworn she was raised by royalty as he watched the ease and grace she displayed as she crossed her legs. "I have a proposition for you."
"Fascinating," He dragged the word out as his gaze took in her appearance.
She was a pretty little girlfriend, indeed. A natural beauty underneath the remnants of a dying town. Blood red lips complimented her inviting, little black dress.
She straightened her hair, the edges sharp like a knife. Dangerous heels followed smooth legs that would drive any mortal man mad.
"Are you just going to ogle me or can I share what I have to say?" Unruffled tenacity was such a rare treat.
"By all means, sell me your proposal," He shifted his chair until he faced her completely. Her lips twitched upward briefly, giving him an appreciative smile. He decided that he would let her say her peace then perhaps she could be his midnight snack. It seemed only logical. Why bother with appetizers when he could skip straight to desert?
Unperturbed by the loud beat, she leaned closer and animation lit her expression. "You've spent almost two years terrorizing a town with a population of 3,000 on a good day. And what have you accomplished?" She raised a manicured hand in a placating manner. "No offense, but nothing. You've spilled some innocent blood, but the hybrid plan ultimately failed."
"Careful, sweetheart," His fingers flexed around the glass in his hand as he exercised god-like restraint over his temper. He never took criticism well. It proved to be a characteristic that always resulted in missing tutors and hundreds of years of independent study. Elijah disapproved, but only after he undaggered him.
Too quick for the normal human to perceive, her bright eyes flickered to his movement then back to his visage. Her resolve didn't falter, but he caught the subtle jump in her pulse rate. A blush slowly bloomed on her bosom, complimenting her outfit perfectly. Had she not begun on a dangerous path, he would have drawn her to him and tasted that sharp tongue of hers then and there. "Now I've done the research and figured there is another way to gain your ultimate power. There are ten major cities just in the United States. If you took them, you'd be in control of the entire nation."
The boiling frustration simmered slightly. She spoke matter-of-factly as if they were discussing a school project. Assuredness steadied every statement and the expression on her face showed that she believed every word she said. That in itself kept his interest piqued and he settled back into his seat. "And who says I'm not already?"
"This town—it's not worth the investment you've placed in it, you know that. Why waste any more of your time here?" She pushed a loose strand back behind her ear. "You've flexed your muscles, proven you're the alpha time and time again." Her eyes flickered to the muscle twitch in his jaw warily. "Why not show the rest of the world?"
The era of conquest faded into dust long ago, but memories of success whispered at the back of his mind. Old wars, on the battlefield or in the halls of palaces, fleshed out the weak until only the strong, the deserving, held the crown. He recalled in bittersweet fashion the satisfaction of undoing a regime and rebuilding an empire in his own image. To return to unparalleled glory—it was a siren's call and doomed to end in dissatisfaction. The world had changed and he highly doubted a cheerleader could offer anything different. He swallowed and his hunger disappeared like a flame, leaving a hollow feeling in his stomach.
Straightening in his seat, he responded, "While I appreciate the grade school analysis, I'm not interested in whatever it is you are trying to bargain."
He almost smirked at the surprised look that overcame her. Rejection did not seem to be at all what she expected to come of their conversation.
"If you had any sense, you would be." The words were defiant and followed by a judgmental glare.
The courageous never did know when to stop.
In a flash, they were away from the bar. He pinned her arms to the side of closest wall. Their superhuman change of location went unnoticed in the heated club. Bystanders jumped, but continued their festivities diligently. She let out a soft gasp as plaster cracked under his strength and his fingers dug into her skin. "There are very few people who dare to speak to me so crassly and those who do never last long."
Seemingly indifferent to the thunderous thumping of her own heart, she puffed up her chest and tilted her head challengingly. "But I'm still breathing."
Curiouser and curiouser. "Perhaps I'm just biding my time till I kill you," He offered her a wolf's grin.
The threat had no effect on her. Her own observation provided some comfort and she relaxed her stance. Considering him with an intense stare, she suggested, "Give me five minutes,"
The urge to break out into laughter was never so strong in his entire immortal life. Here she was, completely aware of who he was and the danger she was in, yet she pressed on undeterred. She was truly relentless, unstoppable. If it weren't so completely idiotic, he would call it breathtaking.
It would be a shame if she died tonight, he decided.
Attempting to be merciful, he told her, "I believe I have wasted enough of my night and you've risked your life for long enough."
His grip was gone in a blink of an eye. He returned to the bar to finish off his drink. It had been many centuries since he exercised restraint like this and he definitely deserved a good drink and a delicious meal for it. Elijah would undoubtedly agree.
Moments later, she appeared before him. Eyebrows raised in exasperation, but unbridled interest underneath the surface, he began, "Love, I warned you..,"
Moving closer, slowly like a viper, she looked at him from under her eyelashes, "What about one dance? "
Again, with control only mimicked by Tibetan monks, he refrained from breaking the glass in his hand out of pure surprise. This, now this, was a rarity.
Biting her lip softly, she promised, "If I don't convince you by the end, I'll leave you alone."
She was playing a dangerous game. "I'm not like your little werewolf boyfriend, love," He told her carefully.
She interrupted him, "Ex-boyfriend,"
He paused at the revelation, before continuing,"You cannot simply change my mind with your…charms," He could not recall a time when he was under the spell of a woman, having left those sad romantic ideals with the rest of his humanity. He simply looked for carnality.
Letting her gaze trail up his body, she answered, "Trust me, I know,"
A world of experiences, but he could die that night saying he had not met anyone like her. Tenacious and persistent, nothing seemed to restrict her. She was pleading for a dance with the devil, little red chasing the wolf with no fear.
Well, she was such a tasty thing. This could prove entertaining. "One dance."
Flashing a victorious look, she was gone as soon as the words had left him. Too fast for the intoxicated youth to notice, she had pushed herself to the
middle of the dance floor. Purple lights flickered across her body as the music began to transition.
I've been mixing/I've been sipping/Since I been 20 on that lean/ baby girl/I've been popping
She curled her finger expectantly at him and, less than a second later, he appeared at her side.
The beat reverberated like a ripple through the crowd. She rested one of her hands lightly on his shoulders while her hips moved slowly along to the song. He matched her rhythm as she began to speak, only audible through his inhuman hearing. "Right now, you're more legend than real."
"Like Achilles," She swayed her lower body to the left, "Like King Arthur," Her hips swung slowly to the right. "Like Adonis,"
He often prided himself on being quite appreciative of the evolution of dance, but never did he feel so appreciative of the disintegration of classic boundaries than at that moment. He placed a hand on her hip, grasping the soft fabric and tugging her closer. "Is that so?"
"No doubt," She ran her free hand through her hair, mussing the perfect golden strands. "If you want to be a real boy," She winked as she turned suddenly in his grip. Her back pressed against his chest, "You need to change your approach. You need—" Letting her body move in a tantalizingly smooth, circular motion, she finished, "A strategy,"
And I woke up in the kitchen saying how the hell did this shit happen oh baby/Drunk in love/We be all night/Last thing I remember is our beautiful bodies grinding up in the club
Following the music expertly, his body grinded in time against hers. The dress exposed the top of her back that pressed softly against his chest while the expensive perfume she wore clouded him in a haze of only her. She certainly could hold a man's attention, "You assume I don't have one?"
She rested her head against the crook of his neck, giving him an unholy view of her curves, ready to spill out from her dress. "Maybe, but, if you do, it's not working,"
He let the jab slide as he nipped at her ear, "Shall I assume you have a ten step program you would like to sell me on total world domination?"
"It's actually twelve steps,"
And if I live forever, probably drop a hundred thousand/Made out of magic/My tongue got superpowers/I woke up in the morning models passed out in the shower
She left his hold, leaving him adrift in a sea of a modern bacchanal. The unfamiliar feeling in his stomach was nothing, he thought to himself. He merely was transfixed in the moment, enjoying a dance with a young woman. A flash of blonde caught his attention and he found her wearing a cheeky grin across the floor.
He let out a low, guttural growl before he closed the distance to return his hands to their proper place.
She faced him now, hair unruly and curling near the edges.
"What is your end of this deal, sweetheart?" His eyes stayed on her face and he ignored how she left a path of electricity as she moved her fingers up his arms with precision.
Her hands went around the back of his neck and dug into his curly tresses, "Other than you finally leaving my friends alone?" She tugged him closer and he allowed her. Their hips brushed together and she stopped until they were less than inch apart. His gaze traveled to her lips, which formed a perfect and devious smile, "I want in."
The statement, so unexpected, shook him back to reality. "Really?" He pulled back as her grip kept him close, chests pressed against one another. "Forgive my skepticism, but here I thought you were rather intelligent yet here you are, looking to make a deal with the big bad monster."
"I have an eternity to live so I might as well make the best of it." The words were refreshingly selfish and tugged on a base desire in him. His gaze turned gold with appreciation.
"Say I take you up on your proposition, what's in it for me? A guarantee of success or my money back?"
"My expertise," Her tongue wrapped around the words.
"Ah, so this deal rests on the belief that you," He struggled to keep his attention on her countenance, instead drifting back to the sensual movements of her body and the rising hem of her dress. "A newborn vampire who knows better than someone who's been around for hundreds of years?"
"You'd be surprised what somebody new can do," Under the light of the dance floor, her blue orbs glistened with the implication of something not so
virtuous
We be all night/Last thing I remember is our beautiful bodies grinding up in the club/Drunk in love
"I'll take you up on your deal, sweetheart," He held her flush against him. She maintained her composure, but he could see the slightest widening of her eyes.
She opened her mouth to reply, but he leaned in closely and pressed his lips to her neck. "I'll give you a year to prove your worth, but when you fail, I am coming back for your juvenile friends and tearing this town a part."
She moved lithely out of his grip and he ignored the shot of admiration that traveled through him at her determined stare. She placed her hands challengingly on her hips, "Don't you mean if?"
A/N: I wasn't sure how this would turn out, but I hope you guys liked it! If not, you at least got to hear about a catchy song. :)