Title: sanctuary in a lion's mouth
Author: carolinesboobs
Rating: T (what counts as M? Sex wise I mean,because I'll need to know that soon.)
Spoilers: Nope, it's AU/AH
Words: 708
Pairing: Caroline/Klaus
Disclaimer: I don't own anything TVD, at all, and that really saddens me. What I do own are the mistakes in this fic. I have no beta so please ignore said mistakes.
Summary: A damaged girl and the boy who unknowingly fixes her when all he wants to do is corrupt her.
Caroline's hand shook as she lit the cigarette in her mouth. She could hear her friends talking through the Grill's open door. Someone was laughing. It was as if they didn't remember that they were short two people tonight, three if she counted herself. Frustrated and mad she threw the stupid lighter at the wall of the Mystic Grill and dropped the unlit cigarette to the ground. She gave a quick glance to her surroundings before covering her mouth and letting out a muffled scream. Her shoulder shook, but her eyes remained dry. When she stopped screaming her shoulders slumped as if relieved of a heavy weight. Caroline waited to see if she had the urge scream again before dropping her hands and clearing her throat. She crossed the alley and picked up the discarded lighter. With steady hands she pulled out another cigarette from the pack in her coat pocket and lit it successfully. Taking in a deep drag she held the smoke in before exhaling it through the side of her mouth. Caroline felt her mind empty of all thoughts except for two words.
Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.
Blissful emptiness.
No one was surreptitiously watching her.
No one was whispering about her.
No one was talking to her.
She felt invisible. She didn't exist.
Bliss.
That's when she felt a tap on her shoulder. Her shoulders slumped from the heaviness of reality as sounds and smells came rushing back in. She turned expecting, hoping, it was Matt. It wasn't. Caroline's body froze as she faced Klaus Mikaelson. All small towns had a resident bad boy and Klaus Mikaelson was Mystic Falls very own devil incarnate. Or at least he had been, before he left three year ago.
"May I have one?" he motioned to her cigarette.
Caroline shook her head to clear it but handed him her pack.
He shook one out, and took a lighter out of his jeans' pocket. He paused as he noticed that she was no longer smoking hers, just looking at it.
"Everything alright?"
"I never finish one by myself, my fr-," she shook her head again "someone else always finishes it for me."
Klaus tucked his unlit cigarette behind his ear and plucked hers from her hand. "I'll finish yours then."
It seemed off to Caroline, to see him suck on the same cancer stick that had been in her mouth. It wasn't a germ thing, it just seemed more intimate than she was comfortable with. She crossed her arms and tucked her hands underneath them in order to resist the urge to smack the cigarette from his mouth. She watched him as he leaned against the opposing building and silently breathed in the smoke.
"What?" he asked gruffly.
Caroline's head cocked to the side as she spoke in a quiet tone. "I don't know you."
He snorted and gave her a mocking smirk. "Sure you do, I'm Niklaus Mikaelson. Everyone in this goddamn town knows who I am."
She shook her head softly. "I know your name, but I don't know your favorite color."
Klaus gave her an odd look. When he didn't look away from her eyes after the appropriate time frame Caroline turned her face. She didn't like the way he looked at her.
The light from the inside of the grill was blocked momentarily as Stefan Salvatore came outside.
He nodded to Caroline who responded with a soft "Hey."
Stefan turned to Klaus and punched him in the arm "Come inside and meet my girl already, jackass."
"Alright, alright, I'm coming."
He inhaled one more time before flicking the cigarette off to the side. Stefan gave her a slight smile before turning back inside. Klaus didn't look back at her or say anything as he followed his friend. Good. His stupid knowing eyes were annoying her.
Caroline walked towards the cigarette on the ground that was still lightly lit. She stepped on it and ground it into the road. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath before opening them once again. Expelling the air slowly she took one last glance around the alley before walking back inside. She fisted her hands. They were shaking again.
AN: There is a small almost unnoticeable detail that I'll use in a later chapter. (Probably the third one.) I didn't notice it until I re-read this, but I'm wondering if any of you do. Any guesses? Also I hope Klaus didn't come off too cocky with that whole "everyone knows who I am" thing. He was meant to come off as sarcastic and taunting. And last but not least, be aware that the rating might, probably will, change to M.