let me be your coffee pot
"There's only one plug in this entire coffee shop and you're sitting right in front of it and you're not even using it, and my laptop is about to die in the middle of this online exam I'm taking, so whatever I don't care how intimidatingly attractive you are I'm sitting down at your table to plug my shit in." AU
Title from 'I Wanna Be Yours' by Arctic Monkeys.
Day one: AU/AH of KlarolineInfinity Week!
Caroline was beyond frustrated.
Sleep-deprived, coffee did nothing to calm her, full bent on getting a good grade. Apparently, Mr. Salvatore, her annoying and inappropriate Communication teacher, had taken a sudden like to technology —that wasn't related at all to the fact that he showed up hungover at the last classes of the year, refusing to teach them anything, sending power points of the contents to them instead— and decided to take the exam through an online platform.
A message appeared on her laptop screen when she was reading a question about engaging people in the media, startling her.
You're now running low on reserve battery power. You need to plug the power adapter into your computer and into a power outlet. If you don't, your computer will go to sleep in a few minutes to preserve its memory contents.
Groaning, she looked around, noticing not even one plug in sight. It didn't surprise her, considering the old vibe of the store, it was a miracle that it had wireless connection to begin with. Hell, she had actually contemplated turning around upon first looking inside ''Original Coffee''. Ancient shelves containing jar of coffee grains instead of a machine, and a counter guy dressed in a Viking costume? Weird.
The shining screen reminded her that she had fifteen minutes and forty seconds left to finish the exam.
She cursed her bad luck. Had she walked under a ladder that day? She really hoped not.
Although it wasn't completely her fault, on second thought, it was Katherine's.
Though, while Enzo had been her only roommate everything seemed fine, she had gathered that living with people wasn't easy from previous experiences.
They had become roommates in her first year of college. She was studying journalism and he public relations; however, they met in a Communication class, where he had been assigned as her partner for a project. Bonding over mutual hatred towards the new teacher, a creepy grinch-looking guy, and their love for both Nolan and Tarantino's films, a friendship was slowly built on trust and support.
She had complained about how exhausting living with girls in the college campus was during one class and how she had been looking fruitlessly for a suitable apartment. He had offered her that, if she wanted, she could be his roommate. It was a tempting offer but she had to think it through. Could their relationship survive cohabitating?
When one of her then roommates started psychoanalyzing her, again, about her tendencies for order and referring to her single status as seeds of ''the deep insecurities carved on her by her parents' split'', while the other roommate looked at them disdainfully, perpetual pout on her lips, Caroline snapped and screamed at the girl that she was single because she wanted to, thank you very much, and it wasn't her fault she was a lazy person who left her ugly clothes everywhere. Packing her possessions and leaving the room, she had called Enzo immediately to accept his offer.
Enzo was accommodating towards her and when she had told him order was needed, he complied, changing his ways and soon everything was organized in their apartment —well, expect his room but she couldn't do miracles— and stayed that way through time. Friday nights watching movie marathons and eating junk food made them bond even more. To her surprise, she found herself caring for him as a brother and delighted upon seeing they managed to live together without major troubles.
She was happy with her single status. In the other hand, Enzo St. John wasn't the serious relationship type, having new flings each week, he had enough class to not bring them to their apartment; it was either on their place or no activity at all. Their comfortable, beautiful and calm was destroyed when he became Rebekah Mikaelson's boyfriend, a beautiful british girl who hated her guts.
With two occupied bedrooms and one to spare, they had always been looking for a new roommate. More than ever, Enzo had prompted her to do so, since she had been a bit lonely now that he spent a lot of time on Rebekah's place (''I know you're an independant woman, gorgeous, but it would really put my mind at ease if you were with someone in here more. I'm feeling quite guilty for leaving you alone this much. What if I give you dog?'').
He suggested Kol, one of the the bajillion of Rebekah's siblings, but she was no way in hell living with him after he spent the whole day they met —and every time they saw each other— throwing lame pick-up lines at her. No one seemed trustworthy enough, until she received a text message from Katerina Petrova, childhood best friend from Mystic Falls, the only one she had never lost contact with. Apparently, one of Kat's parties had gotten out of control and the police came, for the tenth time in two months, and having been warned already, her parents kicked her out. With a too self-righteous sister and nobody else to rely on but Caroline, she was the only one she counted on. She needed a place to live in for a while and, after a talk with Enzo, she acquiesced. Using the money she still had from her trust fund on changing her name to Katherine Pierce, she had finally taken on the scholarship given to her a few months ago and went to live with them. Enzo and Katherine became friends quickly, which Rebekah hadn't liked one bit.
Looking back at it, she damned the day she decided to help her friend.
Elijah, other of Rebekah's brothers, had come to deliver some books to her on a normal Tuesday when Katherine had opened the door. She flirted with him, not an ounce of shame in her body, in front of a disgusted Rebekah, an amused Enzo and a frowning Caroline. He had coughed rather uncomfortably at the moment but Katherine was enchanted by him. Taking her coat, she threw Rebekah's book in a table and dragged him out of there, God-knows-where. They had engaged in a relationship afterwards. Caroline shuddered every time she thought of it.
Present day, in the evening, she had been studying with her laptop, when Katherine entered the place, Elijah MIkaelson trailing behind. She slammed both hands on Caroline's desk, mischievous glint in her eyes.
''Okay, Carebear, listen. This is our fifth month anniversary and after a delicious lunch, I would really like to fuckmy boyfriend on every surface of this apartment.'' Caroline's nose scrunched up. ''So, it's better if you go to another place to finish your things.''
The girl scoffed and stood up. ''No way! This is my apartment, I refuse to be kicked out again! Go do your stuff on this suit-wearing-monster's house instead. No offense, by the way, Elijah.''
He nodded. ''None taken, Miss Forbes.'''
Katherine smirked. ''Then we'll just have to get to business in front of you, don't we, Elijah?''
Face red, he visibly cringed at his girlfriend's manners, but Katherine threw herself on him, kissing him eagerly, and he forgot it.
Caroline angrily took her charger and laptop, putting it on a bag, leaving the room with loud steps.
Before closing the door, Elijah let out, ''I'm sorry, Ms. Forbes,'' trying his best to be polite through his heavy breathing.
She contemplated with disbelief the brown closed door. Hearing moans coming from inside, she yelled ''I hope you both choke!''
In her current predicament, trying to come up with ways to make Katherine pay, a sigh elicited behind her caught her attention, making her turn around.
A guy sat at the table, looking down, frown marring his face, drawing something, very focused, on a paper. Another sigh escaped his lips and he looked up, scratching his neck with one hand, pencil previously used in the other. Stubble decorated his face along with full red lips, blue-ocean-deep eyes and a strong but tensed jaw. When his eyes connected with hers, he seemed to draw a breath and she forgot of the fifteen minutes and counting she had to finish. Their connection broke when, lost in the moment, without thinking, he opened his hand and the pencil dropped. He leaned down to pick it up, attracting Caroline's eyes to his charcoal stained hands. Past them, she noticed a plug-in tampered to the wall... her salvation.
She contemplated going there and sitting quietly, finish her test and run away but dismissed the idea as too weird. However, when her eyes looked at the computer again and a red light indicated it was about to die, she damned Katherine again and, standing up quickly, charger and computer in hands, she moved to his table.
The guy looked at her, astounded at her sudden approach, but gave her a wicked smile. Damn, he had dimples too! ''Anything I can help you with, sweetheart?''
''Is this seat taken?'' He shook his head, confused. ''Okay, so my computer's about to turn off and I'm taking this big test and need to use this plug,'' she explained while putting her computer and plugging the charger, ''if you're a loner who doesn't like company I'm sorry dude, you'll have to get over it for 13 minutes or go, i'm really sorry but blame whoever thought building this place as an ancient coffee shop was a good idea and put only one plug in the entire place. Like, what kind of person could even—?''
He chuckled, interrupting her speech, but her angry gaze made his laughter cease. He coughed. ''I did, actually. This is my shop, love.'' Showing his teeth, he was very amused at her widening eyes.
She damned Katherine again. Her cheeks couldn't get redder at the moment.
''I probably should apologize for talking about you like this but i'm on the clock here, dude. Literally. I've got exactly,'' she looked at the laptop screen, ''twelve minutes and fifty-eight seconds so...''
Eyebrow raised, the guy smiled. ''Then, I guess I'll have to wait for it, love.''
A smile formed on her lips.
Twelve minutes and fifty seconds later, she let out a relieved sigh.
Her screen shined with a new message.
Time's finished. Your test will be on the platform and the grade will be uploaded next Sunday.
After the rather chaotic day she had endured, excitement took over. The scholar year was over. No more essays, exams or projects for Caroline Forbes that year.
She forgot everything until Dimples talked again, pencil scratching paper, ''Finished, I guess, sweetheart?''
Unimpressed, she bit out, ''Too distracted to notice the pet names before but quit it already, okay?.''
He put the pencil down and smiled. ''Yes, ma'am. How should I call you?''
''Caroline,'' she answered, dryly.
''Caroline,'' he repeated, slowly. Caroline felt herself blush. Living with Enzo, enduring Kol's incessant talking and Rebekah's biting words, she had thought herself immune to british accents but he had proved her wrong, it seemed. ''Sweet Caroline,'' he said, singing tone, drawing the 'e' at the end.
''Please, don't. I get called that enough in british accent to have you doing it too,'' she frowned, thinking of Kol.
Nodding, he looked at her, eyebrow raised. ''A lot of british friends, I presume?''
She snorted. ''You have no idea.''
He seemed curious but decided not to question her further. Instead, he smiled at her. ''If you don't mind me intruding, what was the test about?''
''What?''
''You said something about an exam...''
''Oh, it's my final one of the communication classes. I'm a journalism major,'' she seemed thoughtful, looking around the place, ''You run this shop? It's beautiful, even if the old vibe bothers my technology needs,'' she joked
''Oh yes, I run this but it was my little brother's, Henrik, idea to decorate like this. I would have make it more modern but I can't bring myself to deny him things. I'm an art major too, but have to work here because my father removed my trusting funds the day I told him I wanted nothing to do with law.''
She frowned. ''That's awful of him. But I really admire your passion for art.''
''Oh, I really enjoy it. Plus, it pissed father off.'' He looked down at his draw and she could notice, to her surprise, her face on it. Her breath quickened. It was… very detailed and she looked pretty on it, a light coming from the sketch that made her gasp. He noticed it and she could see him fighting down a blush. ''You're beautiful, Caroline. And I like your personality. No one has ever insulted my coffee shop in such a magnificent way,'' he said, seriousness matching his features..
His eyes looked at hers again. When they moved down and focused on her lips, fidgeting, she decided to change the subject, raising her eyebrow to emphasize it. ''Why would you want to bother your dad?''
His playful smiled told her he was about to confide her a secret and she leaned too, smiling gently. He leaned over, elbows placed on the table and softly whispered, ''Because I'm not his real son and he's an arsehole.''
Playful attitude or not, the sadness underneath was evident. Suddenly, a memory flashed through her mind. Kol smiling playfully at her, much like Dimples was doing now, telling her stories about his brothers, Henrik and Nik, a bored Rebekah next to him.
British, brother named Henrik, changed law major for an art major, coffee shop owner, not his father's real son, dimples.
Shifting on her chair, she wondered, ''Wait a minute, Dimples. What's your name?''
He smirked. ''Well, certainly it's not Dimples. I'm Niklaus Mikaelson, though, everyone calls me Klaus except my siblings,'' he said, rolling his eyes.
She gasped and started picking her things up. She had her fill of Mikaelsons, she didn't need more. While doing so, she dropped her latte and it got all over the floor. She bit her lip, there goes her coffee.
He looked worried. ''Did I do something wrong, sweetheart?''
She shook her head and tried to smile at him. ''Not really. I should probably get going.''
He winced and stood up too. ''Is my name too hideous? You can call me Dimples if you would like,'' he told her, hopefully.
She let out a laugh but then she turned serious upon seeing his expression.''It's not you. Just… I don't want more Mikaelsons in my life.'' He seemed taken by surprise. ''No offense, but three's good enough, since one of them is basically the reason my roommate kicked me out today and I almost failed my test. The girl's the reason why I actually had to get a roommate in the first place and the other's just a pest.''
His eyes widened, realization struck him. ''You're the Caroline Forbes? That's why you told me not to call you Sweet Caroline.''
''What?''
He smiled. ''My brothers are enchanted by you. One of them refers to you as a pretty little thing that can't refuse a challenge and the other says you're a very educated admirable person, I suppose you can figure out which is one,'' his statement made her roll her eyes, ''and my sister says she hates you but actually likes you a lot.''
Well, she didn't know that. Her gaze softened considerably.
''I would like to know you as they do. I wasn't lying when I told you how magnificent you are. You have a light on you that actually warms my heart.'' Quirked brow, she still looked rather reluctant, not believing his words. ''Come on. Take a chance, Caroline, I dare you.''
Kol had said one true thing: Caroline couldn't reject a challenge. And his eyes were slowly tearing down her walls.
''I don't know...''
''I will even buy you another coffee.''
She chuckled. ''Okay, but know this, I'm just staying on the promise of more coffee. I haven't actually slept a lot the last couple of days.''
Caroline got revenge on Katherine eventually in her fifth month anniversary with Klaus. She entered the apartment, Kat's eyes looking at them from the couch where she was studying, question on the tip of her tongue, but Caroline only smirked at her and proceeded to pin Klaus to the wall, his lips colliding against hers forcefully, tongues intertwining immediately. He nibbled her bottom lip and she felt something electrifying coursing through her veins. Placing her hands around his neck to pull him closer, she couldn't get enough of him.
The loud slam of the door closing, indicating Katherine was out, got her to finally break the kiss. She felt satisfied at both her revenge and Klaus' heavy breathing against her shoulder.
''I know what you you intended to do, sweetheart.''
No longer scolding him for the pet names, she brought her lips to his again. Unbuttoning his coat quickly, she really hoped none of her roommates would come back soon. Soon as in a day or a week —maybe a month.