"A rush at the beginning,
I get caught up just for a minute
But lover, you're the one to blame, all that you're doing
Can you hear the violence?"

The Louvre - Lorde


One year later

The feel of his hands on her skin was driving her crazy.

He dragged his palms up her abdomen as if he could afford taking all the time in the world just to touch her, to tease her. It was the sweetest kind of torture – even if he was never kind, even if he had her begging long before he gave her any release.

His eyes darkened when she let out a breathy moan as he finally reached her breasts, squeezing them in a possessive grip. His thumb flicked over one of her nipples, pebbled and sensitive and aching for some attention. He smirked as her eyelids fluttered.

"Tell me what you want, love," he said and leaned in to press a soft, almost tender, kiss to her jaw. "Let me know how to pleasure you."

He loved to have her talking, loved coaxing every single fantasy that'd ever crossed her mind from her pretty lips. The promise of being rewarded if she shared her sinful thoughts lingered in the air, but that would only mean giving him ammunition – he'd end up using her confessions against her sooner or later, so she'd resist for as long as she could.

His lips curved in amusement as she remained quiet. He liked her stubbornness, liked that little battle playing between them. It only made his victory all the more satisfying.

"Come on, Caroline," he probed, letting his fingers trail down the side of her body teasingly, sprawling his hand across her thigh when he reached it. "Don't be shy."

She felt her skin burning beneath his touch, yearning for more as her cells were set ablaze, but she couldn't give in just yet. Even if she knew that she wouldn't last long when his attack gained strength. Her defences had always been weak when it came to him. A mistake, no doubt, but she couldn't think about it now. Not when she was naked underneath him, her mind becoming hazy because of his scent, his voice, his hands.

He pinched one of her nipples at the same time he urged her to spread her legs for him, to give him access to where she wanted him most. Her pussy was aching and dripping for him and he knew it, knew that he could use her need for him as a way to get what he wanted.

"Why do you always have to be so stubborn, sweetheart?" he asked, faking annoyance even when his eyes told her he was delighted, especially when his fingers found the wetness coating her inner thighs, following its trail to tease her folds. "I will give you anything you want… But first I need to know what you want. Tell me all the filthy scenarios you've thought of in your pretty mind, tell me what you've been dreaming I would do to you."

She nearly smiled at the opening he gave her, even if she whimpered when his thumb brushed against her clit. He was always good at not giving her any room to exploit his weaknesses when they were in bed, but she knew that now she could play with him just like he did with her – "Who said I dream about you?"

These words had the effect she'd expected: Klaus growled, his eyes flashing yellow for just a second before his lips were crashing against hers in a demanding kiss at the same time he slipped two fingers inside her without warning, making her gasp against his mouth, punishing her with his rough rhythm.

"Is that so?" he asked, breaking away from her mouth only for his lips to attack her neck. "Do you dream of other men in your bed, little witch? Do you think they'd be able to please you the way that I do?"

She didn't answer. His thumb had found her clit again, rubbing against it, and she was so close to coming… His fingers were curling inside her, brushing against her walls, making everything feel so sensitive and perfect that she felt like she was going to burst…

Then he stopped moving. Her hips immediately bucked in protest, but he stilled them with his free hand. He pulled back to look into her eyes and said, "I think you're lying."

"Am I?" she challenged.

His eyes turned yellow again as he bared his teeth to her. "Don't play with me, Caroline," he warned.

So possessive, she thought, her lips curving even as she tried to keep a straight face. "Then show me why I shouldn't want anyone else in my bed."

He hesitated for a second and she was almost sure that he'd go back to his original plan of having her beg when his fingers began to move inside of her, not as roughly as it had just moments ago, but still fast and perfect, his thumb circling her clit more teasingly as his lips closed around her nipple, sucking at the sensitive bud, teasing her with his teeth.

She closed her eyes, her hand gripping his hair as she urged him not to stop what he was doing. This was what victory felt like.

Her hips were meeting each thrust of his fingers and she couldn't help but moan for him, whisper his name as she felt her muscles begin to tighten. She was so close, just needing another flick of his thumb against her clit and-

Her alarm clock blasted through her ears, causing her to jolt awake.

Caroline looked around, confused for a moment as to where was Klaus and why wasn't he making her come in that exact second. But her alarm clock kept sounding and she glanced at it with annoyance as she realized it'd been nothing but a dream.

She turned the damn thing off, slumping against her pillows feeling completely frustrated.

Her muscles were still tight and her skin feverish, her sweat making her hair stick to her face, her tank top and boy shorts leaving her uncomfortably hot.

Caroline bit her lower lip, looking at the clock again. 7am… Klaus would be there soon and she knew he wouldn't object to taking care of her needs. It was tempting, letting him have her. Especially when she wanted to test the theory her subconscious had come up with: would playing with his possessive tendencies let her actually win for once? She wanted to know.

But she couldn't. Not when the price to pay was too dire, not when she'd already let him take more of her than she should have.

She sighed, rolling in bed to reach her bedside table drawer, getting her vibrator inside it. It would be a poor substitute, but it was better than still being wound up when he got there.

Caroline quickly got rid of her boy shorts, letting her fingers trail up her inner thighs as she teased herself. She was still wet, still yearning for release, but she thrust her fingers inside her a few times, stretching her walls before she put her toy inside of her. She gasped as it filled her, her eyes rolling to back of her head as a wave of pleasure crashed over her. She was still so close.

She yanked down her tank top to expose her breasts, palming and squeezing them. Her soft hands didn't feel nearly as good as he calloused palms would, but she would take what she could get.

She closed her eyes, imagining what it would be like if he walked in just know, if he saw her fucking herself with a toy, wishing it was his cock. She could picture the look on his face, how his eyes would darken as he watched her, could picture him coming closer to her, whispering such sinful things in her ears.

"You look so beautiful, sweetheart," she imagined him saying, his voice making a shiver run down her spine. "Just desperately fucking yourself with that toy. Are you imagining that it's my cock instead? Do you wish that it was me fucking you like that?" he'd ask, and she'd nod unashamedly, wanting him to keep talking. "You make such lovely noises for me… I want to see your face when you fall apart. Come for me, Caroline."

She did. Her orgasm crashing through her fast, electrifying her body as it relaxed all of her muscles at once, her breathing became shallow, but she still found it in her to whisper his name to her empty room. (in her mind, he was looking extremely pleased as he watched her climax, smirking when he heard his name fall from her lips.)

Caroline lay there, waiting for her breathing return to normal, trying not to feel too disappointed that he hadn't showed up in time to see her like that.

Shaking off those thoughts, she decided to take a shower.


Klaus was there when she emerged from the bathroom, lying on her bed with his hands behind his head like he owned it. "Hello, love," he greeted with a smirk on his face as he looked at her up and down, enjoying how her body was only covered by a towel. "It seems like you've had quite the busy morning already. It's a pity I didn't get here in time."

She scoffed, mentally cursing herself for not having had the time to change the sheets before he arrived, knowing that he'd most likely picked on the scent of her release still lingering on it.

"Well, you wouldn't have been invited to join me anyway," she lied, turning around to pick some clothes and asking before he had the chance to reply, "Are we going anywhere today?"

"Yes. I have business to attend in Seattle."

Caroline nodded, walking towards her bedside table to get her phone (doing her best to ignore the way he was looking at her as she approached and the effects it had on her), quickly opening the weather app to check how Seattle would be that day. She sighed as she found out that, unsurprisingly, it would be raining.

Klaus looked at her amusedly, and said as if he could read her thoughts, "I can always take you somewhere warmer later if you'd like."

"At what price?" she asked, raising her brows at him.

He smiled. She was smart and he enjoyed that a little too much. "I'm sure we could come up with something."

"Sorry, buddy. I don't plan on making any deals with the devil today."

The demon chuckled at her words, but still gave her a suggestive look as he said, "It's a pity. I'm sure we could have found something that was… entertaining for the both of us."

Caroline simply rolled her eyes, not dignifying what he'd said with an answer. She turned on her heels and went to get her clothes, disappearing into the bathroom a moment later.

She got dressed as quickly as she could, knowing that Klaus was not a patient man and she'd like to at least drink coffee before they went on their merry way. Most likely to torture or murder someone who had failed to meet their end of a bargain with him.

Her mother had always warned her to stay away from his kind. Caroline briefly wondered what Liz Forbes would think of her now, what she would say if she knew her daughter was choosing to wear those tight jeans just because she enjoyed the way the demon would look at her, the way his eyes would glaze.

It was hard having him near all the time and constantly having to fight down the urges that threatened to overcome her whenever he was around.

Klaus wasn't just a regular demon, but an incubus. Everything about him was made to tempt her – from the aura of energy that came from him to the curl of his lips and his mischievous eyes – and the only things that kept her from him were two very feeble things: her self-control and trusting that he wouldn't seduce her.

On most days, it felt like they were walking on a tightrope with very precarious balance. Caroline figured she should probably be more scared of falling.

She sighed, bracing herself for what was no doubt going to be another day of playing dangerous game, and she finally allowed herself to leave the bathroom.

He wasn't laying on her bed any longer, a small blessing, so she walked towards the kitchen, her phone in hand to text Bonnie some lie about what she'd be doing for the day and why she'd be unreachable. Her friend didn't have to know the price Caroline had paid for her freedom.

She found him sitting on a chair, his feet crossed at the ankle and resting on top of her table. Klaus had this tendency of thinking he owned everything and everyone that she found highly annoying, so, with a twist of her hand, she moved the table just a few inches to the left, making his feet go plummeting towards the ground, though he managed to recompose himself far too quickly for her to truly enjoy. The irritation in his gaze would be her only source of entertainment.

"One would think that you'd be in a better mood after your activities this morning. Unless, of course, your toys aren't quite doing it for you anymore, sweetheart. In that case, I'd be more than willing to help."

Caroline rolled her eyes. He liked to push her, to see what words would make her blush for him. But she'd spent far too long in his company to be embarrassed of talking about sex, so she simply shrugged. "Or perhaps I am annoyed because there's a demon in my house. A demon that will take me to the other side of the country when I was hoping for a quiet day… I have classes tomorrow!"

She had turned her back to him to prepare her coffee, but she didn't have to see him to know that he was smiling. "That has never stopped you before."

It truly hadn't.

When they'd figured out the consequences of being bound and spending too long apart, she'd started going away with him on his "business trips". It had taken awhile to grow used to his methods when his clients weren't keeping their end of the deal, but she'd immediately fallen in love with how they could be at any place in the world in a matter of seconds, her wanderlust finally being satisfied.

"You know, after a year, I figured you'd have learned that annoying pre-coffee me isn't a great idea. In fact, talking to pre-coffee me is a very bad plan."

Klaus chuckled, "Very well, love. I'll wait silently. But we are leaving in five minutes, whether you've finished your coffee or not."

Caroline huffed in way of acknowledging his words, keeping her back to him as she waited for her coffee to be ready, but sitting across from him when she finally had her mug in hands.

"Won't you offer coffee to your guest? Where are your manners?" he teased, assuming that since she'd started sipping from her coffee, then he was already allowed to talk.

She glared at him. "You're not a guest, Klaus. You're basically an intruder."

"Hardly," he protested. "You did very forcibly invite me into your life, didn't you?"

"Yes," she relented, "but if everything goes according to plan, soon you will be uninvited. And we can part ways for good."

Caroline knew she was most likely wrong, but she could swear that she saw a flash of hurt across his face, though it was gone as quickly as it came. The energy in the room grew tenser as he gave her a bitter smile.

"Ah, yes. How is the plan to unbinding us? I haven't heard much from it in a while." His voice was colder than it'd been just moments ago.

She wasn't unused to his mood swings, but this felt different. More loaded. She knew she should tread carefully. "I've been stuck for a while, I know, but I think I'm getting somewhere… I just need more time."

It wasn't entirely true. She had a few leads, but something was holding her back. She was never truly focused on her research and didn't apply herself as much as she should, always lying to herself and saying that she had other things to do.

Klaus only nodded, but he squinted his eyes, looking at her as if he could see that she wasn't trying her hardest. Then he smiled and got up to his feet.

"Your five minutes are up. We need to go."

Caroline looked at her still half-full mug and then back at him. She wasn't caffeinated enough to deal with his moods.


"So, this is it," Caroline said a bit nervously, pulling at her long sleeves as she avoided looking directly at him.

However, his gaze was solely fixed on her. She couldn't help but wonder if he wasn't worried about her after everything that'd happened.

"This is it," he confirmed. "You say the words and set me free."

She nodded, but didn't start chanting as he'd expected. Instead, she said, "There's something I need to talk to you first, I think."

Klaus raised his brows, slightly surprised. "And what would that be, sweetheart?"

"Well, I, uh, need to have guarantees," she explained. Her eyes finally met his for the first time that day as she forced herself to stand a little taller, her chin raised. "I need to know that you won't harm me or my friends after I free you."

He was taken aback by that, she could tell. And she knew why. She didn't really think that he would hurt her, not after how he'd reacted when she'd been harmed. Not after everything they'd done. But everyone always told her not to trust a demon and she couldn't take any chances now.

"I will not hurt you, Caroline. You have my word."

Somehow, that was enough for her. They'd spent nearly two months together. He'd helped her and he'd made her laugh and he'd made her believe in herself when she thought all was lost. In some weird way, she knew that she could trust him when he gave her his word. She was absolutely certain that he'd never do anything to cause her harm, that he'd even take measures to protect her – she still hadn't had the heart to ask what he'd done with the Salvatores and she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

But his word shouldn't be enough, so she pressed, "I want to make a bargain."

His eyes lit with interest at her words, even if she suspected he'd been offended by how she didn't believe in him. "A bargain?"

"Yes. You will not harm me or my friends after I free you and in return… I'll give you something you want."

Caroline grimaced at the position she put herself in. She'd prefer having something to offer him instead of giving him the chance to ask for anything he wanted, but she hadn't been able to think of something that would entice him enough to take the deal.

Klaus smiled. There were so many ways he could twist this so that he'd get the better end of that bargain. Especially considering that he truly had no intentions of hurting her and he didn't care enough about her friends to harm them either.

"Dangerous words, Caroline," he taunted.

She huffed, "Just tell me something you want."

He was tempted to say 'you', to say that he wanted her naked underneath him again, his name on her lips like the softest prayer. He wanted to feel again that little piece of her soul feeding him, giving him its energy, its power. He wanted to eat her whole, until all of her belonged to him.

But she'd say no to that. So he opted for something else. Something simple, but that would help him confirm his suspicions… Then he would plan his attack.

"I want to see the spell you used to bind me to you."

It was her time to be surprised. He'd asked her many times to see the spell, but she'd denied, figuring he was only trying to find more about it so that he could break it. She didn't think he'd be interested in it anymore.

Caroline nodded easily. "I'll get the grimoire for you. So we have a deal?"

"Yes. I will not harm you or your friends, unless provoked, and you will allow me to see the spell you used on me."

"Unless attacked," she corrected him. 'Provoked' was too loose a term to be used with Klaus… He was known to lose his temper for the smallest of crimes.

He smiled. That was his Caroline.

"Unless attacked," he agreed. "It's a deal."

They both felt the magic behind his words, sealing their little contract.

She went to her bookcase, grabbing a seemingly random book before she passed her hand across the cover, then it became just like an old grimoire. Effective, he thought as she handed it to him.

Klaus carefully kept his face void of emotions as he read the spell, even if he felt like grinning at her. He wasn't willing to let Caroline Forbes go just yet and now he knew he wasn't going anywhere. Not when she'd used that spell specially crafted by his mother.

He didn't say a thing as he gave her back the grimoire, didn't interrupt her when she started chanting the words she believed would free him. He would leave his ingenious girl figure this one out by herself. In the meantime, he'd crawl under her skin and take up residence there, without her thinking that he was with her because of an obligation.

"So I guess we're done," she said awkwardly when the spell had ended, the flames of the candles around them dying down.

He didn't agree, so he simply took a step closer to her so that he could take her hand in his, bringing it to his lips so that he could kiss her knuckles. "I'll see you around, Caroline."

By her sharp intake of breath and glint of hope in her eyes, Klaus suspected that she wasn't ready to let him go either.


There was always a certain thrill to their little missions and she'd be lying if she said she didn't enjoy them.

Perhaps it was the adrenaline that ran through her veins, that made her heart beat faster as she tried to anticipate any possible danger. Perhaps it was the look on Klaus's clients when they saw that he'd found them, the terror that took over their faces before they started pleading for him to be merciful.

And perhaps it was Klaus himself. The villainous mask he wore, how he became the cold calculating demon with no trace of the man she'd come to know… It was interesting to watch him like that. And there was the matter of how he'd react if anyone dared threaten her, if his clients even looked at her the wrong way.

She'd never wanted or needed a knight-in-shining-armour. She was by no means a damsel in distress, and he was well aware that she could handle herself. However, there was something about how protective he was, how it seemed like he would do anything to keep her out of harm's way… Caroline enjoyed feeling wanted, feeling safe with him. She enjoyed how it felt like he cared.

And this time, it was no different.

They appeared in dark alley. His arms were wrapped around her waist from how he had secured her during their trip, her head was buried in his chest and her hands gripping tightly onto his shoulders as she fought off the nausea that always accompanied portal travelling. Annoying, but a small price to pay, in her opinion.

Klaus allowed her to stay like that for a while, caressing her hair as he waited for her dizziness to stop. He didn't think he'd ever grow tired of having her pressed against him, of inhaling the scent of her hair as she took comfort from him.

Caroline felt her discomfort slip away as she became more aware of how close they were, of his thumb drawing circles on her back through her blouse and of how good he smelled. The thin drizzle was making her shiver and she moved closer to him, enjoy his heat as his arm tightened its grip around her. If she tilted her head up just slightly, her lips would be touching his neck… She could kiss him there, scrape her teeth across his skin before she bit him. She could lick her way up the hollow of his throat, kiss his jaw and then find his lips. He would let her. He would want her to. But she couldn't.

"I'm good," she said after a few moments and he forced himself to unwrap his arms from around her, taking a step back to give her some space. His eyes told her that he hadn't wanted to let her go. Her eyes told him that she wanted him to fuck her against that wall. None of them moved.

Caroline had never dwelled well with awkward silences, so she forced a cheerful grin to her face. "So, what horrible crime has your client committed?"

"He asked me to get rid of someone for him and, in return, all I asked for was that he gave me an artifact that happened to be in his possession. Instead, he chose to hide away and hope that I wouldn't find him," he explained.

"So he must have taken some anti-demons precautions."

He nodded, "I didn't bring you here for the amazing company."

She rolled her eyes. "Please, you love my company. You wouldn't have brought me if you didn't."

He didn't really need her. Whatever spells his client had used to keep demons away, Klaus was powerful enough that he'd be able to get past them. She'd just speed the process a little since a witch could easily break them.

"I think it has more to do with the fact that you made it impossible for us to spend more than three days apart, sweetheart, and we've been pushing it since you've been busy with your education. I needed to solve this as quickly as possible and I needed not to be in excruciating pain… So here we are."

Caroline shook her head. "No, I'm pretty sure it's just because of my incredible personality. And because you've missed me terribly these past few days."

He didn't respond as he urged her to start walking. She figured it was because she was right and grinned all the way to the house where his client was hiding.

The curtains were all close, no car in the garage and the lawn in the front yard had grown too much. It felt like the place had been abandoned, but she could feel the energy of spells there.

Klaus motioned for her to go on and she approached the front door, placing her hands on it as she began to focus. They'd been right. There was a spell that wouldn't allow a demon to get in, but it hadn't been made to fight a witch's power. It took her less than a minute to break it.

She waited for the guilt of betraying her kind in favour of a demon to settle in her stomach, but it never did.

"Thank you, sweetheart," Klaus said quietly before opening the door and walking inside first.

All the lights were off like in a creepy horror movie and everything was quiet… She tried to stay alert, ready to defend them from any possible attack. This was always the worst part, knowing that something was about to happen, but not knowing when or where or how.

Their steps were silent as they ventured into the house, trying to keep their presence a secret for a little longer. Klaus gestured for her to follow him. He wasn't very fond of letting her go on a separate way, even if they'd cover more ground.

The house was dark even during the day, the clouded sky not offering much sunlight to battle the curtains at the windows, but Caroline could see that the place was rather dirty and uncared for. And the more they ventured inside, the more she could sense magic everywhere, no doubt from the artifacts Klaus was interested in.

Klaus stopped in front of a staircase, glancing back at her with a smile before he took the first step. It meant he'd sensed someone's presence upstairs, but it didn't make her relax and when she felt something brush against her leg, she let out a loud yelp.

The demon looked at her, clearly concerned before he saw what had afflicted her. It was only a rat.

"Who's there?" a frightened voice came from upstairs and Klaus gave her an annoyed look. He'd hoped to surprise his old client and end this quickly without any form of resistance.

Caroline heard the steps of the stairs creak as a man began to come down. He was maybe forty, hair beginning to thin and he looked absolutely terrified. "No!"

Klaus's acid laugh made a shiver run down her spine. That was the cruel laughter he had used when Elena had refused to come with them, defending the Salvatore brothers despite everything they'd done, despite the fact that Bonnie still had nightmares about her days as their prisoner, despite the price Caroline had paid.

She remembered how it'd made her angry with him and it had the same effects on that man. But anger and fear didn't mix well together, and he impulsively attacked; he threw something in their direction and sped upstairs. Klaus followed him.

He didn't aim well, and Caroline easily dodged what seemed to be a small bottle. She heard glass breaking behind her and she looked back to see mist coming from the where the shards of glass laid on the floor. Without thinking, she reached out to it.

A small sound of pain escaped from her lips when the mist touched her fingers. She pulled back to see her hand covered in blisters, her skin turning unnaturally red. She ran upstairs before whatever that was came to touch with more of her skin, ignoring the pain and the tears in her eyes as she listened closely to find Klaus and his former client.

"Please," the man was saying. "We'll make another deal! You spare my life and I'll give you whatever you want! Please!"

The demon looked extremely satisfied and she instantly knew that had been the outcome he'd been seeking all along.

He turned his back to the frightened man, probably to leave the poor guy wondering if he would leave that place with his life… Klaus always enjoyed playing with his victims.

It was then that his eyes met hers, that he saw the tears and pained expression. He quickly scanned her from injuries, his gaze stopping on her hand.

All satisfaction slipped from his face until there was only anger left.

Klaus walked closer to her, gently taking her hand on his. She did her best not to wince at the contact, but he seemed to notice her discomfort anyway, his eyes turning yellow.

"Please. I'll do anything!" the man repeated, clearly not realising that he should've kept his mouth shut. Caroline almost felt bad for him when she heard his neck break, his lifeless body hitting the ground a second later.

He had never paid his debt. His soul now belonged to Klaus and she was well aware that he wasn't going to be merciful to the man.

But his eyes were still focused on her injury and she felt her body suddenly begin to heat, the warmth coming from the place he was touching her. Then the blisters began to disappear, her skin became pale again.

"Thanks," she said softly, flexing her fingers as if to test them.

He didn't reply, his face still guarded and his shoulders tense as he pulled her to him, creating a portal to take her home.

She didn't feel nauseous this time, since his magic was still working on her, but he held her close regardless. "I shouldn't have taken you," he said, and she knew that this was he trying to apologize.

"I'm fine," Caroline assured him, trying to pull back to look at him.

Klaus reluctantly gave her a bit of space, though his arms were still tightly wrapped around her, their heads still far too close. She could feel his breathing caressing her lips, their noses almost touching… But not even the close distance helped her read all the emotions that she could see in his eyes.

He took advantage of how she wasn't able to gauge his reaction and kissed her.

She kissed him back.

And if she could, she'd stay forever just like that, frozen in that moment when everything felt perfect and not even her lungs were protesting for air as his soft lips moved against hers. But a kiss was just a prologue, and the story that followed it would have a dreadful ending.

"The deal," she reminded him, taking a step back, but he followed her until she was pressed against the wall, his hands landing on her hips as she placed hers on his chest. She wasn't sure she wanted to push him away.

"I don't care," he whispered against her lips, claiming her mouth again, needing to taste her. Needing to have her.

She could lose herself in this, could lose herself in him. But she wouldn't.

"You promised," Caroline tried again. This time the words seemed to affect him and he pulled back. She saw the irritation and confusion in his eyes.

His promise… The deal.

It was their little rule. Their only rule. It was simple: he would never be the one to initiate sex with her, but he would not bring himself to stop her if she started it.

"Ah, yes. My promise," he said bitterly, taking a step back. She immediately missed his body covering hers. "Very well, I'll leave, then."

"Klaus, I-"

He didn't stay to listen to what she had to say.

It was only later she realized he hadn't asked for anything in return for healing her.


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