Title: In another life
Rating: M
Pairing: Klaus, Caroline
Summary: AU/ AH. By the time he discovered what he truly felt for her, he lost her. He mourned asking for another chance which fate has given him. Still it isn't easy to claim his lost love.
Note: I don't own Klaroline or TVD. No offence to anyone. I'm no good at history. Everything I write is part of my imagination and is for fun. Thanks for your interest and patience =) Please review!
I would not wish any companion in the world but you
- William Shakespeare
0o 2 o0
Caroline didn't like it in castle. Not even a bit. She imagined it would take more time to settle down— but she felt like she didn't belong to this place.
She never thought she would feel so lonely despite she was surrounded by a good number of people and, above all, by her husband.
The King was definitely a busy man, and she didn't expect him to court her days and nights but she didn't even think of him being so detached. He spoke to her but his words held no emotion, he spent time with her but she felt like she was with stranger.
That night Caroline stood in the verandah and stared out at the cloudy sky. Even the night seemed lifeless. No gentle winds traveled and everything was still around her. And this silence almost broke her from inside when the king entered her chamber.
Caroline twirled around to face her swinging husband. He could barely take an individual step. She paced in his direction and stood at some distance when he stopped, leaned against the wall.
Niklaus cocked his head to right and stared at her with hooded eyes. That look almost made her to tremble in fear.
"People are thinking that I have gone mad." He spoke after what it seemed like a while. His tone like always held no emotion. "They think you don't deserve my attention." He let out a snort. Caroline gulped a little as her gaze landed on the floor. "All of them are fools, aren't they Caroline?"
Instead of responding to him Caroline supported throughout the way to bed, and made him to settle down while she successfully avoided his burning gaze.
"Have I not asked you something, dear one?" he purred lying on his back.
Caroline covered him with warm duvet on her bed before she replied. "Probably not, my lord. I do not deserve someone like you, I do not deserve any of the facilities you are providing." Sadness in her voice was evident. Her eyes were dry by the time she met his intense look. "They are absolutely true, my king. My life is at your disposal." Her bottom lip shook in distress.
The King watched his wife for a moment before he stated. "They never said that." He reached out for her hand and nudged silently told her to climb on the bed. When she did, Niklaus leaned on his palm while with other hand he cupped her face. "Something is bothering you."
"I am alright, my king." Her reply came faster than expected. She didn't sound rude, though. Caroline knew it was better to keep quiet than to provoke a drunk King.
"You know, you are a terrible liar." He said calmly and made her to look upon his face. "Something is bothering you." He repeated sternly. "Your words tell something while your eyes speak something irrelevant. Whatever I do, at the end I cannot make you happy, can I?" His lips found her temple when he asked. "Tell me, what are you expecting this time love?"
She replied still in a polite tone. "You have done more than I could ask. I am grateful for what you did to my parents, to me." Slowly quivering her head Caroline looked at him again. "I would be a fool to expect more from you."
"Our relation is nothing based on pact between kingdoms, love." He murmured before he had a look of her face. "I believe I do not want it to work in this way: You give your body, I give you riches. You are no whore, Caroline, but you are my wife." Caroline looked up at him genuinely surprised with his words. He didn't mean it in that way, but it was almost going on like that. "I have married you—" he paused and frowned down at her, "— not for physical needs Caroline."
"But I can see it in only that way, my king." She blurted out and gasped later, thinking what really came out of her mouth. What feared her most was his eyes which clouded with a layer of coldness.
And that night she didn't moan out in pleasure, definitely not. He turned into a different person. Entirely different.
Not even on their first night was he that much ruthless. He was so angry with her, and she could derive it from his actions. Never had Caroline seen such darkness in his eyes. He seemed very upset and she gradually understood that her words had some kind of impact on him.
When she was worn out, he still gazed at her in a mysterious way.
He didn't speak a word, he didn't touch her after that. All he did was to stare at her before he closed eyes and drifted into deep slumber.
0o Present o0
Caroline was fuming by the time she was marching towards her cabin. As soon as she opened the door, she half-yelled. "I told you Klaus!" She registered his figure at small bar in the cabin. Her outburst didn't get much reaction, except that he sighed like he had been guessing it. That smirk, once again, made her to lose her temper. "Why did you come back?" she asked rather rudely.
Klaus on other hand didn't pay attention to what she asked. Inspecting her from head to toe his face distorted. "You see, love, I really disapprove what you are wearing today."
Caroline tilted her head and closed her eyes in irritation. "What you think has nothing do to with me."
Klaus simply smirked. "Care to join me a drink?"
"Don't divert this topic." She warned closing the door behind her.
He finished his drink and placed the empty glass on table before he grumbled. "Ah, yes. I hate the way you dress Caroline. Those clothes are very revealing and tempting every man to—"
"Klaus!" she half-yelled just to shut him up. At that point Klaus stopped and almost rolled his eyes. Daggers between them didn't cease for almost a minute or two.
"Get out before—"
"I really want to put leash on your pretty mouth, Caroline." He warned taking a threatening step towards her. Caroline huffed, didn't seem to be afraid of his warning.
"And you think I'll simply sit and watch?" she challenged raising a brow.
Klaus squinted at her slightly before he asked callously. "Are you sure about taking me down, Caroline?" he made it to the sofa and settled. "If I want, I can simply oppress your career." He leaned back stretching his arm on top of sofa as he scrutinized her body.
Caroline gulped at the way he said— a bit scary.
"Just like that." He snapped his fingers easily, fixing his sharp gaze on her face.
A shiver crept down her spine. He would do it without any concern and it was pretty obvious. For a minute there Caroline stood in fear thinking of her future. She had to go back to that wretched life? So, what? It's better than him.
Then she found her courage, she found her voice.
"Do it." She declared. "And I would hate for you for the rest of my life." Klaus looked down for a moment before she moved towards him. "I'm not scared of that life, Klaus." He glanced up at her. His gaze was unemotional, yet he was listening to her carefully. "I was there once—fighting along with my mother. If it is what I have to do, I will."
After a moment of silence he said quietly. "Give me that lap dance."
...
She didn't feel like seeing his face after that and successfully avoided his eyes for almost ten minutes.
"Why are you not looking at me?" his question made her to glance at him.
Caroline wanted to snort at that, but suppressing her urge to yell she replied sharply. "I'm doing what I'm paid for."
"You need extra to see me?" He retorted with tease. At that point she glared at him. Klaus took her hand and pulled, made her to sit beside him. Caroline leaned back when he stretched his arm along the length of couch. "Take a break, love."
"My name is Venus."
Klaus passed his glass to her. "Sure. Whatever you say, Caroline." He said callously. "Now you're cool?"
"This doesn't change anything, Klaus." She reminded him coldly before she took the glass from him.
"Why so much hate sweetheart?" Klaus asked quietly and her gaze softened quickly.
"I don't hate you." She blurted out gazing into his hopeful eyes. Then she sighed helpless. "You don't understand, Klaus I simply am against this relation with my customer. This is not appropriate. And yeah, you can't walk into my life and dictate like you wish."
"—I love you."
"—Right." Caroline stretched her hands and nodded at him. "Do you have a bit of idea how fucked up it look?" she questioned trying to be patient. "Put yourself in my shoes, Klaus. Your customer stalked you for months before he admitted he likes you. How will you react, hmm?"
Klaus slightly frowned at her and that look on his face told her that he became distant all of sudden. "I want to look after you, Caroline."
As much as she wanted to smile at the way he said those words, Caroline didn't.
She was perplexed actually. She found him intimidating at one point of time and the following moment—see, he would act as if his whole life depended on her.
Can a person have instant feelings for someone? The way he said those words—she really wanted to jump and show him to the world. She didn't care if he truly mean it or not; he said that he wanted to look after her. Plainly, he said and that was something, wasn't it?
For a magical moment there, everything seemed like it froze. She wanted to believe him for one moment but in the next moment she couldn't distinguish between right and wrong.
She was never so torn between things she wanted in life.
Once again Caroline sided with her mind. It would not happen. This affection, this sweet talk— Come back to reality, Caroline. She commanded herself.
She got away from him. "Time is up."
Klaus glanced at the clock on wall, and sighed out in exhaustion. "What you decided about my offer?"
"I thought I was clear." She muttered sardonically. "Anyway, I will do it for you once again. Find someone else to kiss your ass." Crossing her arms Caroline declared it.
Despite the fact his gaze was darkening again she still remained calm and stubborn.
"Why?" he raised a brow. "Is it because you like doing this—" he pointed at her dress, "—with every man who visit the club?"
Caroline's smirk faded slowly and she gaped at him as if she had gotten a slap from him.
"Is it the only reason Caroline, for you to turn down my offer?" He stood up and closed the space with two lengthy steps. "Repeatedly."
Caroline looked delicate, yeah, only because of his words. He changed within a moment—like the caring person she knew had disappeared soon.
It hurt.
She gazed at the floor for a minute processing what he meant. Biting her lip she looked up, her eyes clouded with coldness at that instant.
"Maybe." She replied deadpanned. "And I don't think I need to explain it to you."
Klaus wasn't stupid to ignore the fact he had hurt her. There was repentance in his eyes briefly before he opened his mouth. Caroline didn't let him speak, and she raised her index finger warningly.
"Before you say anything about love and care, Klaus, I just want to be clear on something." Grinding her teeth, she rumbled. "You just proved that you are like others, assuming things you see from outside. Keep this in mind: I'm not desperate to get you or your so-called feelings, and I swear if you come anywhere close to me again—I'll kill you!" Just after she finished growling at him, a tear slipped from her eyes.
She turned around quickly not wanting him to see her crying.
How stupid of her to believe he actually cared for her. And she was not willing to take shit from someone who unleashed his anger. She was not a toy.
Wiping her tears she turned around when she found his hands on her shoulders. He seemed calm and pale.
"Get away from me Klaus." She whispered coldly. "I'm repeating for you again, I don't need anyone to take care of me. I will be fine on my own."
Klaus dropped his arms and looked somewhere for a minute or two as if he was zoned out.
"You're hurt. Your mind is unclear. We shall speak about this later." He said quietly making her to scowl at him.
"No. This will be the last time." Caroline shook her head and was stern of her decision. "Klaus, I do not need you and I bet you will not need me, once you stopped coming to this place."
"Don't you need me Caroline?" he questioned distantly.
Caroline let out another huff before she walked out of her cabin.
...
That night Caroline decided to give another performance before she took off from her job, and she had two reasons for that. One, she needed distraction from Klaus. Two, she re-filled her colleague's position.
But entire time Caroline didn't feel it right.
And just to worsen the condition she spotted Klaus in his place, who didn't look pleased. Caroline was super pissed off even, and there was nothing to blame her. Right?
Right.
Well.
She didn't know.
Focus, Caroline. She mentally slapped herself before she found one heavily drunk gang of people surrounding her on the stage. Did they pay extra? She hated it.
Of course, one took an advance step and began to touch her. Caroline stopped, looking more annoyed than ever. She crossed her arms and passed silent daggers to them.
"Come on, baby doll. What you're waiting for?" the guy asked wiggling dollars at her.
"Fuck off." She grumbled and shoved one of them. He was heavenly drunk and yep, just little nudge from Caroline made him to lose balance and he fell down.
The other lunged at her. Everything happen to move in blur around. They took that course of action personally—indeed very personal, and before the situations seemed to slip out of her hands, the guards arrived.
Caroline didn't miss to glance at Klaus, and nope definitely not the matter to think right then.
If looks could kill, each one of them would have vanished ages ago.
He glared till the guards took them out of the place before his deathly gaze fixed on her. Caroline felt like it was a warning—a warning about something which she knew. Klaus didn't peel away his eyes as he took out his phone and made call to someone.
Damon, then, stood beside her. "You fine?" he asked checking out her before he placed a robe around her. And then— he pulled her away from the stage.
"I am." She assured. "Are they going to be fine?"
Damon shrugged lightly. "Just removed. And yeah, a warning in my style." He glanced at her before he declared. "Let me drop you."
...
"Sure you will be fine?" Damon asked again as he pulled at the beginning of street.
After Caroline changed into her clothes, Damon dropped her near the lane. That was nice gesture from him, though she knew Damon as always being good to her.
"Yep, sire." Caroline smiled at him before she opened the door. "Good night!"
"Night." He muttered as he turned on engine. "You will come to work tomorrow?"
Caroline replied with a plain nod and confirmed. "I am not injured, Damon."
Damon stiffened a smile as he drove off from there leaving Caroline alone.
That was biggest mistake though. She didn't know that until she walked in the direction of her house. That bunch of guys was turned out as freaks. She didn't believe her eyes when she saw them waiting in front of her house.
She thought Damon warned them. How was it even possible for them to find out about her location?
First of all, she needed to run out from here as soon as possible before they noticed her presence. Maybe she could make a call to police then?
And when she turned around she bumped into a dark figure.
Klaus.
Needless to say his presence relieved her, but then she gasped. He pressed his index finger to her lips and silenced her instantly. He looked at the porch of her house and sighed at her to follow him quietly.
Great.
A bunch of lunatics or him?
0o 2 o0
