Human
Author's Notes: For the purposes of this fic, Jeremy, Alaric and Kol are live. However, Hayley and Tyler are not in Mystic Falls in this story and will not be part of it
o-o-o-o-o
"I'm going to teach you how live like a human."
Klaus scoffs easily at the idea. Despite his seemingly innate desire to always keep her happy, he's figured through time that honesty has been better most of the time when it comes to Caroline. Most of the time, not always, for she has always preferred the truth uncomfortable, often times painful truth is better than a sugar-coated lie. Besides, hasn't he told her sometime before that he sees no point in being human when he's the most powerful creature on Earth?
"You aren't exactly human anymore, love."
Caroline makes a face at him and as he expects, a sofa cushion is sent flying his way soon after. He dodges it easily. "Jerk."
He holds up his hands in mock defense. "Just pointing out facts, darling. No need for hostility."
"Details, details…" She waves them away. "And besides, I've been a vampire for a year or whatever and you've been you for a thousand years. You probably forgot what it's like to live like a human, without slaughtering any breathing, walking being that heads your way."
That's where she's wrong. When you live for eternity, memories don't fade easily. You easily make new ones, but you don't forget. And though he's been a hybrid far, far longer than he's been human, Klaus hasn't forgotten that short period of time. Not at all.
But he clamps his mouth shut and doesn't tell her any of this. He's going to humor her, give in to what she wants. "Alright, Caroline."
Her eyes light up like lights on a Christmas tree and she gives him that smile he's loved to see on her face ever since he first laid eyes on her.
He still has apprehensions and he's sure she knows.
But then he sees that smile on her face.
He may regret saying yes, but her smile makes it all worth it.
o-o-o-o-o
"A town gathering?"
She rolls her eyes at the purely incredulous look on his way. "One of the things part of being human is to know how to socialize."
Klaus snorts. "I know how to socialize, thank you very much."
"I don't think you've done any socializing without any secret motive." Caroline points out. "So, today you are going to mingle with humans without munching on them, compelling them or terrorizing them in any way, shape or form."
It's his turn to roll his eyes yet he gives her a mock bow for her efforts. "As you wish, milady."
Caroline beams at him and takes his hand, leading the way to the town square. She's organized this picnic event for the past couple of weeks and he's always had the intention of going. He's just never expected this to be the first thing on her how-to-be-human lesson plan. But life's full of surprises and he really, he should've expected.
She's never held his hand in public before and that becomes yet another unexpected occurrence.
The realization causes him to stumble and Caroline stops, worriedly asking if he's alright. He manages to smile and give her a quiet reassurance. He sees the relief flood on her face and, though he's never going to admit it, it makes his undead heart flutter deep inside. They move again yet it only takes a couple of steps before they stop once more. Klaus frowns when he senses her discomfort and follows her line of sight.
Damon, Stefan, Elena, Jeremy, Alaric and Bonnie are all spread out on top of two picnic mats and their eyes are on them. Damon doesn't bother to hide his disgust and Elena, Alaric and Bonnie don't conceal their disappointment either. Only Stefan has the decency to keep his reactions and opinions to himself; his face blank, betraying nothing.
Klaus wants to rub it in their faces so badly. He wants to rub it in their face that no matter how much they think of him as the big bad wolf with fangs, there's a place for him in Caroline life and, if he dares say it, her heart. But he does nothing of that sort because no matter how he believes people like them don't deserve Caroline, she loves them still and though she doesn't say it out loud, she's hurting.
He tries to step aside, to remove his hand from hers, but he stops when Caroline holds onto him tighter. She gives him the best smile that she can and though it doesn't quite reach her eyes, it's enough. They walk again and he makes the effort to tell her that he wants to try a hotdog on a bun. It surprises her but she smiles nonetheless and the smile is much brighter, meant only for him.
Klaus knows she's trying for him, no matter how much how it hurts at times.
And though he once thought of this how to be a human idea of hers as laughable, he tries too, just for her.
o-o-o-o-o
"I'm hungry."
That's an easy request to grant. "What do you want, love? Pesto? Paella? Sushi? Or do you want blood?"
"Instant noodles." A beat passed. "You never told me you know how to make sushi!"
Klaus makes a face. "Instant noodles?"
"You know, those noodles in a cup where you put water and pop it in the microwave…" She trailed off when she noticed the blank look on his face. "You don't know how to use a microwave, do you?"
He scowls. "In my defense, I never had to eat instant noodles because I can cook, love."
"I know, I know. I can cook too. But hey, everyone needs instant noodles once in a while, even hybrids like yourself." She grins before her face turned serious. "I don't want soggy noodles, okay?"
Klaus grumbles under his breath as he moves from the bed, leaving the room to 'cook' the requested instant noodles. Seriously, he can make her any five star, gourmet food she wishes. But instant noodles? He sighs, grudgingly going down the stairs. He should've paid attention when Rebekah learned how to use a microwave for the first time.
He hasn't even been gone for a full five minutes when Caroline hears a small explosion downstairs.
It isn't even really an explosion, more like a really, really, really loud pop.
But it successfully gets her out of the bed and out the room. She regrets asking for those instant noodles now. Caroline zooms down the stairs, coming to a screeching halt by the doorway of the kitchen and finding Rebekah standing there with her face buried in her hands in embarrassment, Kol on the kitchen floor, clutching his stomach in laughter and Elijah battling the burning microwave with a fire extinguisher.
Her eyes fall on Klaus, who's standing off to the side with his lips pressed in a thin line, and she smiles meekly. "I think sushi sounds better."
Klaus grimaces. "I'll try again."
Rebekah looked up. "You blew up the microwave."
Caroline sighs when she sees the disappointment in his eyes. He's never liked failure, whether when it comes to his plans for world domination or when it comes to cooking instant noodles. But Rebekah has a very valid point. So Caroline does the next best option, never disregarding the fact that he's willing to learn how to work the contraption just to make her instant noodles.
She brings him to her house and teaches him how to use the microwave.
Then, they eat the noodles together.
o-o-o-o-o
Klaus stares incredulously at the books, sheets of papers and notebooks scattered on his usually neat bed. "This is the next part of your mission?"
"Yeps." She answers proudly, popping the 'p'. "At some point in their lives, humans have to study."
He nods slowly. "And what are you studying for today?"
"History!" Caroline grins, tugging him onto the vacant space on the bed beside him. "And you're going to help me."
"Now, why do you need those books when…" Klaus shakes his head; a smile on his face. "When I was alive and part of most of the events you have to study?"
"You mean, you were there when the Titanic sunk?" When he gave her a solemn nod, she rolled her eyes. "Let me guess, you were one of the first class passengers."
"No, not quite…" He tries to smile yet she sees the sadness in his eyes. "I was one of the people on the boats… went out to rescue."
Caroline thinks that it's her who is learning this time around because though the deaths of many have been in his hands for years now, she realizes he has killed in order to live and survive that even he, the alpha male, the original hybrid, is also scared of death.
The next day, however, he wakes up earlier than her and quietly sneaks out to the only college he knows she applied for, politely inquiring about any vacant positions in the university's faculty.
o-o-o-o-o
They're lying down in her bed one night and no one is saying anything. She merely stares at the ceiling, all the while very aware of his presence, his every moment, his every breath. Klaus does the same and it ends up feeling kind of nice to be this silent. They've always been surrounded by danger and mayhem and death that really, moments like this is rare. So, he savors it, knowing that tomorrow may not be like this again.
"Do you think about the future?"
"Not in great detail." He answers honestly.
She keeps her eyes on the ceiling. "Why?"
"Eternity is an awfully endless chunk of time to plan, love."
"I miss that about being human." Caroline says with a sigh. "Because life is so short for humans, they plan everything, what they want their lives to be tomorrow, next month, next year, ten years from now."
"But not everything in life goes as planned, does it?" He turns to face her. "Do you have plans?"
"I do." She admits.
Klaus nods. "Would you be inclined so as to share them?"
"Well, I want to go to college." The blonde starts off and Klaus fights to keep the smile off his face. She doesn't know what he's done yet. "I know I'll be going to college many more times in the future but the first one is going to matter most."
"Because it keeps you as human as you can be." He smiles slightly. It's one of the things he's always admired about her, how she's held on to her humanity all this time.
Caroline nods, turning to her side so that she's facing him. "I want to go out and see the world… although that isn't a problem now, right? Since you did say you'd show the world to me."
Klaus smiles and it's one when his dimples appear and he looks like a happy little boy. "Of course, love."
"Do you have plans?" She asks him this time around. "I know you said you don't think about the future much but you must have some plan…"
He doesn't answer and he merely stares at her. She understands right away.
He wants a future with her.
Her cheeks turn red. "That's your plan?"
"Of course." Klaus replies proudly. "Everything else will probably just fall into place."
Caroline smiles and presses her lips to his.
Love
It's the one thing of being human she never has to teach him.
Because despite all his imperfections and sins and darkness, Klaus Mikaelson knows how to love
Passionately
Eternally
Always and forever