Decided to post the second part so we see a bit of Klaus ;)
But do let me know if I should continue!
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Caroline's jaw slacked in shock as the semi-naked stranger quietly walked across the creaky hardwood floor of the hallway and into her apartment.
"Em I'm sorry do I know you?" She questioned with shock that he had just sauntered into her apartment uninvited.
The man looked up from inspecting her apartment and smirked, "Forgive me, my name is Klaus." He extended his hand to shake hers, with she accepted with hesitation, 'And I would very much like it if you shut the door before we have a unwelcome problem on our hands."
Caroline scoffed "Our hands? As far as I'm concerned the only unwelcome problem on our hands is you!"
Klaus opened his mouth to respond but quickly shut it as his eyes moved past Caroline and out into the hallway. Caroline followed his eye line and saw a rather disheveled looking brunette leaving the apartment he had just come from. Like Caroline she seemed to be wearing last night's dress with her long legs sitting in a pair of amazing nude heels. The girl looked around the hallway and spotted Caroline and gave her a small sheepish smile before heading towards the elevator.
"It's broken." She couldn't help but call out. She felt bad for the girl, even if she did look like a Victoria's Secret model; this "Klaus" guy had basically just ditched her.
The brunette nodded "Thanks" and began her long descent down the staircase instead.
Caroline turned around and saw that Klaus was nowhere to be seen, "She's gone you know."
The stranger came back into the living room wearing a robe he found in the bathroom.
Caroline couldn't help but laugh. He looked ridiculous in a short pink fluffy robe.
"Something funny love?" He spoke seriously but Caroline could see the glint in his eye.
"You know if you had put on my robe I would have already kicked your ass out of here. Lucky you chose my roommate's instead."
"My my someone's feisty in the morning." He returned.
Caroline smiled with faux sweetness "Try all day."
He began to smile. For the first time since he stepped into the apartment Klaus actually noticed the blonde girl before him. When he was trying to make an escape before his bedfellow woke up, he had basically skipped into the first hiding place. But now as he saw her wonderful blue eyes and billowy golden hair he knew he had picked the right door.
"I'm sorry but I don't think I caught your name."
"That's because I didn't give it." Caroline stated, "I normally don't share personal details with home invaders."
Klaus smirked "I see, I guess II' just have to call you 6B for now then."
Caroline began to glare at him. She couldn't believe she had just aided this British random in sneaking out after a one stand and now he was teasing her? She opened her mouth to give him an earful when her best friend came into the kitchen adjacent to the living room, rubbing sleep from her tired eyes.
"Ugh I need so much coffee after last night. God I'd say you're ten times worse Care." She reached into the refrigerator and took out some orange juice, "The last thing I remember was seeing you dancing on the bar like some girl from Coyote Ugly, oh and did I see you take your-"
"Elena!" Caroline shouted, preventing her friend from finishing. Caroline felt her face go beet red as she looked over at Klaus who was smiling uncontrollably at Elena's story.
"Oh no dear, don't stop now. We were just getting to the good part." He sat down on the couch and gave Caroline's body a once over in her short dress, not even trying to be discreet about it, "Now what precisely did our Caroline take off?"
At the sound of a male voice Elena finally looked up into the living room, "Caroline what's-" Elena looked incredulous for a moment "Is that my robe?!"
At that very moment Elijah walked out of Elena's room and put his arms around her. He looked up to greet Caroline to say hi but saw a familiar looking man sitting on the couch in an obnoxiously pink robe.
"Niklaus?" Elijah's voice broke the silence.
Klaus got up and smiled, "Brother, so good to see you again."
Elijah disengaged himself from Elena's arms and walked over to Klaus, pulling him into a typical man-hug and began laughing as his brother whispered something into his ear.
Elena and Caroline glanced over at each other, both in shock. Partly because the strange man in their apartment turned out to be Elijah's brother but mostly because Elijah had just let a loud bellow, which was a rare occurrence to say the least. Usually he just quietly chuckled or simply smiled if he was amused by something.
Elijah turned back to Elena, a look of adoration for his fiancé was clearly displayed on his face, "Elena this is my brother Niklaus. Nik this is my wonderful fiancée Elena."
The younger Mikaelson moved towards Elena and placed a small kiss on her hand, "A pleasure to meet the beauty that has stolen my brother's heart." Elena couldn't help but blush and Caroline rolled her eyes and began making a gagging noise in her head.
All three heads swiveled towards her. Oh shit maybe it wasn't in my head she thought to herself.
"Sorry." She faked coughed and attempted to make the gagging sound again, "I'm still a bit hung-over." Elena and Elijah nodded sympathetically at her but Klaus just grinned, as if he knew she was lying through her teeth. Caroline wanted to glare at him but she wanted a shower more, "I'm just going to get cleaned up. Nice to meet you Klaus." She gritted out the last part.
"Pleasure was all mine, Caroline."
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Caroline was sprawled out on the circular bed type seat that was sitting in the dressing room of Vera Wang. She flicked through a Cosmo magazine she had picked up at the street vendor when getting a pack of gum on her way here. She could swear she still tasted tequila and Damon Salvatore in her mouth. Ew.
Even though Elena had only got engaged a month ago she was already in full wedding mode, with everything moving at a rapid pace. It was already the start of April and Elena had always dreamed of being a June bride. Caroline saw the stress it had on Elena when the brunette realized she only had about three months to plan her wedding. Caroline had quietly suggested that they could wait and have the wedding in June of the following year but that had earned her a glare so Caroline had quickly piped down. I mean everyone had their Bridezilla moments right?
"You know the truth is Elijah was just being really thoughtless and -" Her friend's voice got cut off as a dress obviously went over head in the private area of the room, "And selfish!" She finished, speaking more loudly than before.
Caroline smiled into her magazine, trying not to giggle as Elena continued, "I mean if he had just thought about the stress it would put me through trying to plan a wedding in mere weeks!"
"I'm sure he didn't know you would have to get married in June!" Caroline called back.
"Everyone gets married in June Caroline!" She exasperated.
Caroline laughed, "If your future husband knew all about the trend of being a June bride, then I think you would have a worse problem on your hands!" She teased.
Caroline heard the sales woman that was helping Elena into the dress laugh, at the same time Elena huffed and walked into Caroline's view, "You know what I mean, Care. I swear if Elijah adds any more names to the guest list I'm going to have to find another venue. We are already way over their capacity. I mean how many siblings does he have alone?"
Caroline's thoughts briefly drifted to latest Mikaelson she had met; there was something about him that both infuriated her and intrigued her at the same time. She quickly shook her head, clearly her mind of the naked British Klaus and focused in on Elena, who looked beyond perfect in a white dress with a fitted bodice and lace detailing.
"Oh wow Lena." Caroline couldn't help but tear up as she thought of all the times they had dressed up as brides and pretended to get married when they were children. And now her best friend was doing it for real.
Elena eyes glistened too, obviously recalling the same memory, "I can't possibly get the first one I try on though. That's like Bride 101."
Caroline shook her head and took a sip of the complimentary champagne, despite the fact she was still sort of hung-over, "Elena when the first dress looks like that, you buy it!"
The saleswoman who stood beside Elena nodded in agreement and Elena smiled, "It seems too easy. All the other planning has been so stressful and difficult. And then I find my dream dress this easily?"
"You were due a break." Caroline smiled, "Now go get back into your less fancy clothes or we're going to be late for cake testing!" She ordered the brunette.
Most people may be offended by Caroline's slightly bossy way but Elena smiled back, "You're the best Maid of Honor ever."
Caroline waved her friend away and got back to her magazine, flicking through the final pages to see if there was anything good left to read.
Her eyes scanned over a new diet plan that people were raving about, "Well I have no job anymore and therefore no money to buy food. Voilà! That's my new diet!" She muttered to herself whilst flipped to the relationship advice section.
She began to read the article entitled "What's your Number?"
Wrinkles began to appear in her forehead as she finished the article. At the same moment Elena exited the changing area, "Okay so I put the order for the dress with my exact measurements in, it should be ready in two weeks. Want to go?" Caroline nodded at her and put the magazine away in her bag as they began their walk out of the shop.
Caroline couldn't get the article out of her head. 10 men? Was that a lot? How many had she been with? Surely not more then ten.
They spent most of the walk talking about wedding plans but as soon as they were seated in the cake shop Caroline knew she couldn't hold it in any longer, "How many guys have you slept with?"
Elena, who had been taking a sip of water nearly choked on the clear liquid. She grabbed the white linen on the table as she coughed loudly. A few women at another cake testing table looked over in disdain at the two jeans-clad 20-something year olds who had rolled into their fancy cake shop.
Elena smiled at them before turning to Caroline, "Is this really something we have to discuss whilst planning my wedding?!"
Caroline sighed, "Albeit the timing isn't fab but I read this article that claimed that women who have slept with less than 10 men are more likely to get married. And the more I think about who I know that is married...well it kind of adds up."
"Huh." Elena's interest had clearly been caught so Caroline leaned in to continue.
"So since you're getting married at the ripe old age of 25," Elena rolled her eyes, "Spill. Cause I've been trying to think of them in my head but you act like such an old married lady already that I can't remember a time that you weren't with Elijah." Caroline mock whispered.
"Hey!" Elena protested about being called boring, and threw a napkin at Caroline as a tray of wedding cake samples arrived.
Caroline took her fork and began happily chewing the chocolate fudge and white icing sample. "Okay then. If I must." Elena took a bite of the lemon cake and chewed thoughtfully as she began to name them and time mark her list, "Okay so Stefan, high-school. George, college. That guy on Spring Break, what was his name-Tanner? Turner?"
"Tag." Caroline grinned around her fork, recalling the memory of a very drunken Elena hooking up with someone who could be described as the anti-Elijah.
Elena grimaced at the memory, "Right, Tad. And then there was Aaron after college, and of course Elijah." Elena smiled as she said his name and took another bite of cake.
Caroline nodded, "So your number is five so far."
Elena glared "That number isn't going to change."
Caroline waved her off, "Relax relax, Mrs. Mikaelson, I was just counting them." Elena couldn't stay mad when she heard her future name so instead she indulged her friend.
"So it seems like your theory works. Or at least whatever the magazine claimed. So what's your number Care?" Elena winked at her.
Caroline let out a sigh, "Okay so there was Matt, high school. That guy I used to hook up with sometimes after detention, Brett. Then college, Chris, Brad and Paul that TA with the great hair. Simon, the southern guy who worked at my old job. That street vendor that one time after Simon and I broke up. Not my finest moment. Then Tyler." Caroline finished with her most recent boyfriend. Of course she was leaving someone off the list, a certain Damon Salvatore that she slept with less than a few hours ago but she didn't really feel like sharing that mistake with Elena right now.
Elena smiled, "See that's only eight! And the magazine said under 10 right? You can still get married!" Elena teased whilst laughing. "Wait so does that mean the next guy you sleep with will be your husband?" She threw her head back, laughing again at Caroline's insane belief in this article.
Caroline frowned and her mind began reeling, Oh my god I've already slept with nine guys! And the article said under 10 or did it say 10 and under? Crap either way I'm screwed. "I'm never going to get married!"
Elena stopped laughing when she saw Caroline's somber face, "Oh Care of course you are! You're only 25 for god sake. Most of our friends aren't even engaged or anything!" She tried to console her.
"But have they basically met their quota of guys?" Caroline questioned her, both knowing the answer but Elena shrugged in response.
"Ugh my life couldn't get any worse right now." Caroline sat back into her seat but not before taking a big bite of the chocolate cake again, attempting to make herself feel better.
"Caroline?" She heard a voice call her name rom behind her.
"Oh crap." Elena muttered as a dark haired man and woman appeared beside them.
"Tyler?!" Caroline said a little too loudly.
"Hey Care, what are you doing here?" He looked at her, and then around the specialty bridal cake shop.
"What are you doing here?" She asked with incredulity.
Elena saved them both and answered, "We're picking my cake. I'm getting married in a few weeks." She smiled at Tyler and the stranger who had yet to be introduced.
Tyler grinned, "No way! Me too, congrats Elena."
Caroline felt her stomach drop, Me too. Me too Me too. The words nearly caused Caroline to fall off her chair.
She tried to muster a smile, "You're getting married Ty?" Elena looked between them, almost ready to jump up incase Caroline lost it and tried to kill him with her cake knife.
Tyler turned to her, "Yeah, sorry this is my fiancée Cara. Cara these are my friends Elena and Caroline.
Friends?! We went out for a year you douchebag! She wanted to scream at him but instead continued with the small talk until they had to leave.
Elena waited until they were out of earshot before leaning in across the table, "Oh my god. How is he engaged? And was he wearing a suit? You could barely get Tyler to go to work some days because he wanted to stay home and play Xbox. Also I thought he didn't believe in marriage?" She asked confused.
"He didn't Elena! That's why we broke up, well amongst other reasons including the ones you so kindly mentioned." Elena mouthed sorry, "We broke up six months ago and he was a man-child then. How is he this actual man now with a fancy suit and a fiancée?"
"Hey maybe losing you made him want to be a better man!" Elena tried to be optimistic as always. "Anyways people change Caroline."
The blonde quirked her head at Elena's words and a smile spread across her face, "You're a genius Elena!"
"Oh no." Elena could see a plan forming in Caroline's mischief blue eyes.
Caroline leaned in, "Think about it. Tyler can't be the only one of my ex's who has gotten better with time. I can stay under the 10 mark and not have to be celibate the rest of my life!"
Elena frowned, "Wait what? Please tell me your not going to do what I think you're going to do. Caroline there is a reason you broke up with these people in the first place."
"You just said people change." Caroline smirked at her and Elena was at a loss for words.
"I think you should get the lemon sponge by the way. Very June-bride." She grinned and took another bite of cake, she couldn't wait to go home and get started.
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