a.N.

A short light-hearted take on what i wish their conversation might have been like about him leaving.

FOR YOU, LOVE

Caroline opened her front door and took the last box out to the porch. Closing the door behind her with a soft push, she stared down at the dozen boxes laying haphazardly all around the porch and sighed. Her mom was at work and all of her friends were busy with something or the other, which left Caroline to get bored at her home. She didn't want to go anywhere; and thus was currently cleaning her house of all the things they didn't need any more. "Here we go", she muttered to herself, tying her hair up in a ponytail.

She was on her fourth trip to the garage when she felt the presence behind her. Sighing loudly, she turned around to face him, knowing who it was without even looking.

"Hello, love."

Oh, yes. No doubt about it.

"Klaus", Caroline commented, cocking her head to the side and staring at him in a no-nonsense manner, "I really need to get this thing in the garage so if you'll excuse me..."

She tried to sidestep him and turned her back to him when he didn't move away, hoping he'll get the message. She squeaked on seeing him standing in front of her with his arms folded behind him and that innocent (annoying!) smile dawning his face that made his eyes unnaturally twinkle.

"Really, Caroline, one would've thought that being a vampire you'd be better at the people sneaking on you thing by now."

"Klaus", Caroline exclaimed, her eyes round. "Don't do that! God, you scared me, you jerk." She tried to hit him with one hand but met only cold air when he dodged her aim. He laughed at her pouting figure.

"Stop laughing", Caroline snapped with a scowl, clutching the huge box in her hands tighter. She stomped her foot for added effect. But this only seemed to make him laugh harder, and he clutched his stomach tightly as if all the laughter was paining him. Caroline ignored and stomped away towards the garage, her nose held high. Klaus chuckled lightly and quickly matched his steps with her.

"You know I was only kidding, love", he said with a smile.

"Really? I didn't notice", she replied with a sarcastically cheery voice.

He smiled and replied, "What can I do to acquit myself?"

"Leaving might be a good start", she quipped putting the box in her hand on top of the other. She turned to face Klaus and saw him looking at her with a serious expression. "You want me to leave."

"I must say, Klaus", Caroline said, putting her two hands on her hips, "for a billion-year old all-powerful hybrid you are really slow."

"You really want me to leave?"

She nodded. He took a step closer, causing her smile to drop. She couldn't think properly when they were in close proximity, what was he thinking!

He asked, his voice dropping to a whisper, their noses almost touching (he heard her undead heart speed up and smirked internally at the effect he had on her), "Do you really want me to leave, Caroline? And go far away from this tragic little town? Because I'll do so, Caroline. I'll do it if you ask me."

He tugged a lock of her hair behind her ear, his finger brushing against her creamy soft skin. It was all it took for Caroline to not throw her arms around him and kiss him senseless. She forced her eyes to stay locked on his (her eyes may have glanced at his lips once, not that she would ever admit it) and said, trying to act indifferent, "Yeah, I want you to leave."

Klaus' eyes snapped up to meet hers and the intensity in his eyes made Caroline take a mental double-take. "Fine", he stated simply, masking his emotions so quickly she almost thought she had imagined the whole thing, and started walking away. Caroline stood there, looking after his retreating figure, and knew that this was not what she really wanted. For him to leave.

She ran towards him and said, "Wait, Klaus!"

He turned to face her, his eyes emotionless. "Yes?"

She opened her mouth and closed it again, not sure what to say or how to word it right. Because she knew she had to, She had asked him to wait and he was right there, waiting for her-to say what she had to say, to break his heart again with her words alone and she knew she couldn't do that. Not anymore. He deserved better than that; he deserved her honesty.

"You'll let me know, right?"

He looked puzzled. "Let you know what?"

"If you're really leaving?"

He smirked. "Love, you're the one who decided that."

"Well, then, you'll let me know where you're going, right?"

He looked amused. He started walking towards her and said, am amused smile present on his face, "Now what's the point in that if you really want me to leave? And never have to do anything with me?"

"I never said I don't want anything to do with you", she blabbered out and then turned the shade of beetroot.

His eyebrows raised in amusement and surprise. At least he had the decency to look surprised. "Oh?"

"Um, yeah. I mean, um, you said so yourself. That in a year or even a century, I'd turn up at your door and let you show me what the world has to offer. Now how can I do that if I don't know your address?"

Klaus had the audacity to laugh at that. Caroline folded her arms in front of her chest and scowled at him. He smirked and replied, "Is that so?"

She just glared in reply.

"Why are you vexed at me again?"

"Seriously? Vexed, acquit-why do you talk like you're centuries old... wait. Don't answer that."

"Well then, why are you 'pissed' at me?"

Caroline understood it and tried not to smile at his attempt. She was angry after all. "I don't know. Why do you think?"

"Come on, love. Give me a clue."

Caroline huffed and said, "You laughed at me!"

"That's the reason?"

"You-never mind. Why do I even bother? It's not like you're going to say sorry anyway. I mean, really. You're like a billion years old and you still can't say sorry to a girl."

"I'm not a dinosaur, love. You should really adjust your perception of time."

"Exactly!" Caroline exclaimed. "If you leave who's going to teach me the whole perception of time thing?"

He smiled at her as he walked closer, amusement sparkling in his eyes, "is this your way of asking me not to leave?"

She shrugged and replied, smirking cheekily. "That's as good as it gets, love. Take it or leave it."

"I suppose there's no harm in taking it. Besides I do have to apologize to someone for being so exceedingly rude as to laugh at her. And I happen to show my apologies quite grandly."

She raised her eyebrows. "You do, huh?"

"Why, yes. And I can hardly do that from across the globe."

Caroline grinned at that and said, "Well, in that case you really should stay. I'm sure the person is going to appreciate your efforts."

Klaus smiled at her which she returned willingly.

Caroline shook her head at herself when she remembered about the boxes she had to put in the garage. She gave him a sad smile. "I really need to get back to the boxes, so..."

Klaus nodded and picked up one of the boxes from where they sat near her porch. "Allow me."

She raised an eyebrow and said out loud, "Wow. The great King Klaus doing such menial work-never thought I'd see the day."

Klaus glared jokingly at her to which she raised her hands in a sign of surrender. As Caroline went back to organizing the boxes, Klaus took a moment to pause and look at her. He had come to say goodbye to his beautiful angel but couldn't bring himself to do so. How would she react when she learnt that the possibility of him leaving was much closer that they had imagined? Elijah's message had seemed urgent and while he was hoping it was a matter to be solved in a day or two: years of trusting his instincts made him sure the matter wouldn't be as simple as he hoped. After all, if it made Elijah stoop to texting, it must be a life or death situation. But Caroline...

"Klaus", Caroline called, breaking him out of reverie. "You coming in?"

It didn't take him more than a second to decide. "Yes."

Elijah would understand, he hoped. Wasn't he always going on about love and first choices anyway?

A.N.

So… what do you think? Good? Bad? Meh? Please lemme know. This is my first attempt at writing a one-shot and hopefully not my last. Constructive criticism would be much appreciated.

p.s. Caroline might appear a little OOC if not a LOT. In my defense, I wrote this in the middle of the night so...

p.p.s. originally uploaded in AO3.

Much love,

MissSalvaforbeson