Caroline Forbes wasn't sure exactly how many times she'd been in this exact situation before, hands in Klaus Mikaelson's hair, legs wrapped around his waist, and sweet nothings being whispered into her ear. She was pretty sure her lip stain needed to be reapplied, and that she'd left marks in his necks from her nails. She didn't know the total tally but she knew how many times that day, fourteen going on fifteen. Unless you counted the times where they'd been interrupted before things could develop anything more than a few heated kisses. Then you'd probably have to make that number a bit higher.
"CUT," a loud and shrieking voice called out, and Caroline had to give him props. They'd been working for almost six hours on the same scene and his voice didn't seem to diminish. She untangled her legs from her co-star and then ran a hand over her hair to make sure it hadn't gotten to messy. She didn't want to add yet another take to the many ones just because her curls weren't spot on. She wasn't complaining about it though, she learned her lesson years ago when she lashed out at the director for telling her that her faking crying looked unrealistic, and making her redo the scene over and over. She remembered the absolute hell she'd been given by her publicist, and wasn't going to relive that again.
Not that she'd lash out at the current director coming over to her. Lashing out at him would be like lashing out at her baby brother for trying to get his school project right when she was the one messing it up.
"What's my fault this time, Stefan?" Caroline asked teasingly, as her long time friend and current director appeared just before Klaus and her. Stefan Salvatore gave her a smile in return, but he didn't tease back. It was late and everyone was tired, so she got it. She'd be sick of watching her make out with Klaus if she were in any of the crewmember's shoes.
She was sure Stefan wasn't thrilled he was witnessing it as well. Of all episodes he was asked to direct, he got the one of the more graphic scenes. They became friends in elementary school when Stefan's older brother Damon, who was in junior high at the time, decided having his kid brother hanging around wasn't cool. Since that fateful day in Mrs. Steven's class the two were inseparable. It was only fitting that many years later the two of them would want to pursue careers in the same city, where they paths were sure to cross more than once.
"We just need a little bit more emotion from the two of you," he told them, and Caroline could see how tired he was. She could also see it wasn't just from the shoot. She also doubted that she didn't need her extensive knowledge of everything Stefan Salvatore to know that something was wrong. Hell, she was pretty sure the extras from earlier that day could tell. "James almost died," he informed her, and then he turned to Klaus, reminding him of Caroline's character Norah's recent predicament. Then, raising his voice so everyone could hear he added, "Just a few more good takes and then it'll be a wrap."
He said the same thing five takes before, but she didn't point that out. Stefan was given the opportunity to direct for the penultimate episode for the fourth season of Paranormal, and as someone somewhat inexperienced in his line of work it was a pretty big deal. He'd worked on the show several times before, and he always aimed for perfection, even though the ones he'd directed before weren't as important.
So just Caroline nodded and gave Stefan a reassuring smile. It was a make out scene; she wasn't going to get her feathers ruffled over not being perfect while smashing her lips against another pair of lips. She snuck a glance at Klaus, the owner of said other lips, to see he'd have a reaction, but he just nodded. Unlike her, Klaus had a tendency to get his ruffle his feathers over anything and everything. In the few months since Klaus had joined the cast of the show Paranormal he'd gotten in more fights with the crew, as well as cast, than anyone other actor on the show since it started.
Not that anyone really called him out on it. He was practically Hollywood royalty. Esther Mikaelson and the late Mikael Mikaelson were both famous in their own respect, and their children had gained their fame at birth. As they grew older, and made a name for themselves, the limelight followed.
Klaus, according to most sources, Caroline included, was a bit of an asshole. And as a quick web search would confirm he'd been like back when he went by his full name, Niklaus. Although brat would probably have been a better way to phrase it back then. She'd never been on the other side of one of his rants, but they shared so many scenes that she'd had a front row seat for more than a few.
Despite his many failing he was a great actor though, and that combined with his heritage, and the fans of his that were slotted to start watching the show for him, made it very hard to call him out whenever he started his petty fights.
"Just some more passion, and then I think we'll have it," Stefan told the pair, and he went back behind the camera. Caroline turned toward Klaus, told herself to look alive, and then went back to what she'd been doing for a good portion of the day. Hands in her co-star's hair and her tank top's straps falling from her shoulders.
The following morning when Caroline woke up she was greeted by a long email from her publicist, Katherine Pierce. During filming Caroline's mornings were never very eventful, she got up and ate something quickly, threw on something comfortable, and then went to work. The one thing she was expected to do was reply to all of Katherine's emails, and the answer was never no. It was always, without a question, yes.
The latest one consisted of just a portion of the many things she'd be doing during one of the major promotion for Paranormal's season four. She saw the ever present full and partial cast appearances, and her single interviews, but there were a slew of different set ups that took her back.
Caroline opened up her messages and scrolled down to a recent conversation with Katherine, sending her a short message, phrased as a question. The blonde waited for her phone to ring, bringing up a photo of Katherine from previous Halloween along with the options to accept to decline. As the thought left her mind the familiar face illuminated on her phone. She had been a vampire, although her costume was more slimming black clothing than blood and horror.
"Why do you even bother to text me questions? You know how I feel as miscommunication," the sharp voice, belonging to her publicist, asked. There was nothing quite like the bitterness of her voice that was able to wake a girl up so well.
"Because one day I figure you'll be too busy to converse me with little old me," Caroline replied swinging out from her bed and forcing herself to wake up.
"It's six in the morning, what should I be so busy with?" she asked, and Caroline hummed in reply. "I'm intimate with many things, but my work remains my true love," she added.
"I was implying a situation more related to sacrificing kittens to get your new clients jobs," her client who happily considered herself old added. Katherine was one of the best, and if she hadn't seen potential within the small town blonde, then Caroline probably would probably be back in that small town.
"I'm offended you think I sacrifice defenseless animals to deities," Katherine replied. Caroline grinned, fishing a pair of shorts out from her closet along with a well-loved sweatshirt emblazoned with her old high school logo. Normally she would make an attempt to look at least somewhat cute, but it was one of those days. She set her phone to speaker and placed it on her dresser as she threw on her lackluster choices. Not that it mattered, she'd change when she got to the set anyway.
"I never said anything about deities," she retorted a small laugh escaping from her.
"It was implied." Caroline heard a rustling of papers within the pause of silence that the woman offered, and she then that their short-lived banter had died out. It was time for work, which the publicist was apparently had a love affair with. "Anyway," Katherine replied, "in response to what I assume was a passive aggressive text… yes, Klaus as in Mikaelson."
"I get that, but why? I never had this many interviews with-," Caroline took a pause for herself, still not wanting to say his name. "I never had this many interviews with Norah's old love interest," she restated, picking up her phone and carrying it with her as she went into the kitchen.
"All I know is that the show was adamant we got you play up the romance in the next season. Something about the mourning period is over, and it's been a season since Norah got any… stuff like that," she tried explained, although she very much doubted it the people in charge of promoting the show used the phrase, 'it's been a since Norah got any.'
"So they're shoving the new romance down people's throats?" Caroline asked, not sure if that was the best strategy.
"I never say it was a good idea, I simply am telling you what I've been told," her ever supportive friend added. "They want to show you have chemistry I think."
"I've barely talked to the guy out of rehearsals and filming, I doubt our supposed chemistry is going to make anyone want to see more. I'm not very certain it exists," Caroline admitted.
"Well make an effort, I'm talking to Caroline Forbes aren't I? The first thing you said to me was something along the lines of 'Hi, I'm Caroline Forbes and I'm going to make you rich'. You're not exactly shy," she said. Caroline almost cringed at the memory. She wouldn't deny that she was outgoing, but she also regretted those specific words. Even if they had helped her get to where she wanted to be.
"And that applies to this situation because?" she asked, grabbing her keys from the little bowl she kept them in.
"Just talk to him, so the joint interviews won't be to awkward," Katherine told her, "you got great ratings last season but nothings certain. I don't care if you hate the guy just be amicable for the sake of your job. You have that wrap party next week just get him to buy you drink or-"
"The drinks are free actually," Caroline corrected.
Katherine made sure she heard her sigh before she continued. "Then get him to order you the damn drink and have a conversation. Talk about the weather if you want. Just do something to make sure the new romance in the fourth season of Paranormal will be amazing and ten times what Norah and Cameron had. Promise me you'll try?" She asked, although there wasn't really any question about whether Caroline would be doing it or not. The two had become what they both considered friends, but that didn't change the fact that Katherine liked things to go her way. Caroline was similar in that she liked to see things through, but she trusted her publicist in matters such as things like dealing with Klaus. It was business, and that was what she dealt with best.
Caroline gave thought to the reason she'd never struck up a conversation with the man, but she couldn't come up with many reasons. He'd never seemed keen in starting one, and something about him just told Caroline to stay away. Although she knew not to judge a book by it's cover, and what the cover of magazines said about the book, she got a cold feeling from him.
"Cross my heart," the actress promised, and she could practically hear the smile make its way onto her friend's face. Her eyes drifted up to the clock that rested on her counter, and reminded chided herself for not keeping track. She'd had a bit of late start due to adding a few extra minutes of sleep after their late shoot the night before. "Have fun with those animal sacrifices," Caroline quickly added, hanging up on her.
As she moved to move her phone into her purse, stationed next to her key bowl for efficiency, she saw her phone light up with a message for Katherine. It was short and not so sweet, not that she expected much more. She was the one to hang up, liking to have the last word in things as simple as a conversation about interviews.
The thought lingered in her mind, her task to strike up a conversation with Klaus Mikaelson. She wasn't sure if talking about LA's weather was going to do the trick.
Author's Note - Firstly I want to say thank you for trying out this little story I've decided to write. As you could probably tell it's my first TVD fanfic, so I'm still getting the characterization right (although the au setting helps). I also apologize for any spelling/grammar hiccups I made, I live a beta free life at the moment. And one let apology before I start rethinking posting this at all, I'm sorry for how short this chapter was, but I'm afraid m outline for this story doesn't allow for another scene and I didn't want to go overboard fleshing out what I'd already written. But I do promise the other chapters will be better in terms of length, consider this an introduction.
If you happened to like this little story let me know, and who knows, I may even get to finishing the next chapter sooner. If you like you could always tell me on my Tumblr [meaghanraths], I'm on there quite a bit.
xoxo Luce