Welcome Home (You Shouldn't Have Come)
His first hour back in town after two years was not supposed to go like this and Tyler is completely dumbfounded; shocked and appalled at the sensual and horrible vision before him. This is not the warm welcome he was expecting (to be fair, she had no idea he was coming).
The only parts of Caroline's body touching the bed are her shoulder blades and the back of her head. She is completely naked, her body writhing in pleasure, sweat shining on her pale skin, hair splayed out in golden waves across the bed (it's longer than the last time he saw her, or maybe that's just the angle). He finds himself wondering for a second if her hair even grows anymore, now that she's dead, before he remembers that it really isn't the most important thing just now.
Her mouth is open in a silent scream, one hand is twisted in the white sheets beside her face and the other is buried in the darker, dirtier golden curls of the male head snuggled between her long legs. For one horrifying moment Tyler thinks it's his best friend. He knows Matt is still in love with her (how could he not be?), but it still makes his fists clench even as Caroline's thighs do the same.
The man pulls back slightly and lets her toned and tense legs slide from his shoulders and Tyler's vision blurs in anger and resentment because the betrayal is so much deeper than he'd imagined. He wishes now that it had been Matt there. Instead the man who ruined all of their lives is rising to his knees between Caroline's thighs and running his hands up over her body (he tries to ignore the catlike mewl this pulls from the girl he loved - loves). And Tyler knows now that at least part of this is for show because Klaus knew he was here the minute he stepped back into town and can feel him standing in the doorway now. His anger flashes again at the thought that Klaus is using Caroline in his latest sick and twisted power-play.
The hand she'd had fisted in Klaus' hair falls and on it's way down Caroline's fingers caress their supposed enemy's face. The movement is tender and Tyler's heart twists because this isn't just a plot. He knows that touch; she used to touch him that way. Klaus brings his hand back down her length, his fingers cupping her bent knee, and his head tilts and turns lazily toward the door to his lover's bedroom.
The half-smiling, smugly victorious smirk that graces the original's lips has anger swelling in Tyler's gut. And hopelessness too, because he knows there's nothing he can do. Klaus will win any fight Tyler attempts to start and getting himself killed won't fix a damn thing. Still, he can't help but choke out Caroline's name anymore than he can hide the pain on his face.
Her eyes snap open and toward him and he takes a step back. She's surprised (yeah, he is too), but under that he also sees intense regret. Her mouth is open again with no sound coming out; at least this time it isn't because she's at the height of an obviously explosive orgasm.
That regret is still present in her eyes when she finally sputters out his name, after she has scurried back on the bed, far enough away from Klaus to pull the sheets up to cover herself (he tries to ignore the flash of hurt that crosses the original hybrid's face when she pulls away). It's a pointless effort. Even if he hadn't seen it all before the image of her in the throes with his sire will never not be burned into the back of his eyelids.
She tries again, but he holds up a hand to silence her. The words "Don't bother." leave his lips layered, equal parts disgust, sadness, defeat and forgiveness (he won't say it's okay, it isn't and they both know it).
He walks away because he knows her and he can tell just by looking at her face how she feels. Her regret doesn't touch Klaus.
He walks away because she's truly sorry that she is hurting him, but she can't be sorry for the relationship that is causing his pain. He knows it is an actual relationship because with Caroline Forbes, a touch that soft only comes with established affection.
He walks away because even in his rage, he can't bring himself to do anything that will hurt her. He still only wants her to be happy. And she is.