Part 2
April 2016, Peru
"Klaus, it looks gross, don't make me!"
He chuckled. "Trust me, you're going to enjoy it."
"It looks like something the chef scraped off the bottom of his shoe," she grumbled with a wrinkled nose, only adding to Klaus' amusement.
"How about this," he proposed, attempting a straight face, "you eat it and if I'm right and you like it, I get to spend the night."
Caroline pulled the sheet up closer around their bodies, nuzzling into his neck.
"I thought I'm not supposed to get something I want if I lose."
July 2015, Paraguay
"Seriously, it's too early for the Christmas movies," Caroline complained.
Klaus pulled her closer and readjusted the blanket over them.
"You're the one who wanted to stay in and watch TV, love," he reminded gently as he changed the channel. "Besides, you don't particularly strike me as the Scrooge type."
She sighed. "I'm not, I love Christmas. I just hate it when it all starts so early; it takes away from the actual day, you know?"
He didn't reply and she popped her head off his chest to look at him, an elbow propped up on the backrest.
"What do you do for Christmas?"
He shrugged. "Dig out my best bottle of scotch and ignore my sister's texts."
She giggled. "So no different than any other day, then?"
He smiled lightly at her quip, brushing a thumb over her bottom lip.
"What about you?"
She grinned. "Stefan and I bought this mountain cabin just outside Mystic Falls and we all go up there a few days before Christmas and spend it together, just cooking and relaxing and catching up."
Klaus listened interestedly before he frowned, clearly mentally taking inventory of those involved.
"And you all make it out alive?"
"Yes," she laughed. "Barely so, but yeah."
"Sounds lovely," he noted sarcastically.
She rolled her eyes. "Actually it is. And seriously entertaining – Matt's married now and Jeremy brings someone new around every year so the new blood is always fun."
Klaus smirked. "I'm sure you give them a good dose of antagonism."
She grinned with a deceivably innocent little shrug. "Just doing my part."
Klaus put the remote down and circled her waist with one hand as the other moved up into her neck and he pointedly scooted closer.
"Perhaps we should forget about the TV."
December 2017
Caroline bit her lip at the memories flitting through her mind as if on a vengeance.
Especially the thing she thought about every time she thought about Klaus these days - their most recent encounter.
"Bet I can guess what's going through that pretty blond head."
Caroline's head snapped up, her gaze immediately darting toward the man in the doorway, watching her with a smirk and teasing grey eyes.
"What is it, Damon?"
He shrugged, entering the kitchen. "Everyone's waiting for you so we can eat."
"Oh," she replied inelegantly, feeling guilty. "Sorry, I'll be in in a minute."
But he didn't leave, approaching her behind the kitchen counter.
"So how's about that guess?"
Caroline sighed then folded her arms to turn and glare at him where he stood.
"Seriously?"
He only looked amused and she threw up her hands with a huff.
"Fine. Guess."
He took a few steps closer, picking up a wedge of cucumber from a platter nearby and popping it into his mouth.
"A certain Original hybrid."
Her breath caught and her eyes widened.
Damon smirked and she quickly sputtered in an attempt to cover her initial reaction.
"Why on earth would I be thinking about him?"
He looked even more amused as he shrugged dramatically. "Maybe it's all the meetings in uber romantic locations that's messing with your head; who knows."
Her jaw dropped and two things occurred to her: that acting like she had no idea what he was on about had just flown right out the window and that Damon knew much more than she'd thought.
"Have you been having me followed?"
He shrugged again. "Every now and then, to make sure you're safe."
"Aw Damon, I didn't know you cared."
He scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself, Barbie. If I don't know whether you're alive or not then I won't know if I have to get you something for Christmas; it's just practical."
She smiled disbelievingly. "Uh-huh."
He rolled his eyes. "And, you know, Elena actually likes you for some reason."
"Just admit that you care about me, Damon," she giggled.
He glared for a second then shook his head and grabbed another wedge of cucumber.
"For your information I have the Original Ass followed too."
"Wait, you worry about Klaus' safety too? That's really sweet, Damon."
His brow arched and he glared at her, annoyed. "No, my own."
She smiled at her own joke and his reaction before shaking her head.
"You don't need to worry about Klaus, seriously. Unless you start trouble with him he doesn't wanna do anything but leave you guys alone."
Damon seemed to absorb this before smirking. "He tell you that on one of your dates?"
She sighed, folding her arms. "They aren't dates. We just... run into each other sometimes."
"Right," he nodded sombrely. "And do you happen to be naked when you run into each other?"
She gasped. "Oh my god, Damon!"
He laughed, genuinely amused by her reaction.
Then his face straightened out and he took a thoughtful step forward.
"You know, your mom brought these little caramelised onion and apple tarts which look pretty gross but taste delicious."
Caroline frowned, wondering where on earth this line of conversation had come from and where it was going. Still, she humoured him.
"She's taking an exotic cooking class."
Damon nodded, accepting the information, before finally letting on to its relevance: "Tell you what - you give me one of your tarts and your Original rendezvous stay private."
Caroline wanted to giggle at the childishness of the offer – it was so Damon.
She bit on the inside of her lip before confidently stepping forward.
"Counter-offer."
He frowned. "I'm listening."
"You can have all my tarts if you tell everyone once I'm gone."
A slow grin started on Damon's face and she couldn't help a similar one starting on her own as the gravity of what she'd just done rushed through her veins.
"Deal."
February 2017, France
"God, this is so beautiful," Caroline sighed for about the millionth time. "There aren't any words for how beautiful this is."
Klaus wasn't looking at the view but at her, watching the way she marvelled at what lay outside the window with wide eyes and cheeks flushed with excitement. There were truly no words for how absolutely breathtakingly beautiful she looked tonight.
"I understand the dilemma," he replied.
She hardly seemed to hear and a few minutes later she eventually managed to pull her gaze away from Paris stretched out below them.
She pulled a face. "Sorry, I'm ignoring you."
He smiled gently. "No matter, love. It's the Eiffel Tower, one would be amiss not to gaze out at length."
She smiled and Klaus was awestruck by the way the lights from the city below danced in her eyes, adding to the brilliance of her innate radiance.
"That's true but you did book out the entire restaurant," she said, turning to gesture at the huge empty room - tables set but with no diners besides them, who had the best view in the house, "so I think you deserve some attention."
"Some?" he smirked.
She flipped her hair over her shoulder.
"Yeah, I've got five minutes now and I can squeeze you in for ten after dinner."
He smiled, amused, but there was something much more in his eyes and she ducked her head beneath the intensity of the mysterious gaze.
A few minutes had passed before Caroline's blush cleared.
"So, question," she said, looking back up.
Klaus was still staring at her with that mystical gaze and a tiny smile he didn't even seem aware of.
"What?"
"Did you come today for a reason or don't one thousand year old vampires take note of Valentine's Day?"
He smirked. "Valentine's Day is tomorrow."
"Right. So are we just avoiding traffic or are you waiting for my Valentine to show up?"
He looked amused. "Which do you think?"
She shrugged. "The former. You can spy on my visitors from a distance."
He chuckled. "Neither, actually. I came today because you were in Paris, love."
Instinctively she knew that was the truth. Paris was their thing. And she'd be lying if she said she hadn't been hoping for him to show up from the second she'd stepped foot off the airplane.
Her blush returned lightly. "It took me a while."
She'd kept postponing the trip here, resulting in years of other traveling before she'd finally ended up in the city of lights.
"Monaco's lovely," he offered.
She smiled, deciding not even to address the whole having her stalked issue.
Not only did he mean well but it was also what allowed them these visits. Her location often factored into the timing of them almost as much as how long he could manage to keep himself away.
She nodded at his observation. Monaco had been great. A bit too lively sometimes, but she'd had the time of her life and seen some of the most amazing things.
Still.
"I love Paris," she smiled a little wistfully, sneaking anther glance outside.
"I'm –" she began, turning back to face him, but cut herself off when she could see she'd interrupted a thought. "What?"
He shook his head hastily. "Nothing. What were you going to say?"
She hesitated then shook off the feeling. If he wanted to tell her something he would. And he couldn't have wanted to tell her she had spinach stuck in her teeth because they hadn't had dinner yet.
She smiled elatedly. "I was going to say that I'm glad I waited. I'm glad I got to see it with you."
He looked affected but still managed a smirk. "You mean you aren't regretting your Valentine's absence?"
She grinned, rolling her eyes as she shook her head.
"I wouldn't wanna be here with anyone else."