Notes: My original thought process for this one was intro chapter + 1K words per day of the cruise = 15K words total. That's so not happening now. I don't know how I thought I'd be able to keep each day to 1000 words. Have I met me? I hope everyone continues to enjoy the ride. Thanks so much for the reviews/follows/favorites! On with the story!
DAY THREE: AT SEA
Caroline wakes much as she had the day before. Blissfully warm and relaxed. Slightly less comfy, she'd worn a bra to bed, but the scent she's surrounded in is as tantalizing as ever.
She knows, even before she opens her eyes, that she's on Klaus' side of the bed.
She grits her teeth and does her best to remain calm, even if she wants to kick and scream out her frustration. Caroline's fairly certain that Klaus is actually asleep this time, his breathing even and slow against the back of her neck. She really wants him to stay that way. Taking stock of her body she can't decide if this morning's positon is better or worse than yesterday's.
In the better column: Klaus is the one doing the active snuggling, pressed against her back as he is, with one arm thrown over her. Way less mortifying than how she'd woken up previously. Although he, unlike her, hasn't let his hands creep under clothes. Not that it would have been easy thing to do. Caroline had made a trip to the onboard boutique yesterday and bought a new (incredibly overpriced!) set of not so attractive pajamas. The top was pink, modest necked and voluminous. The bottoms: capri length and in a floral print that would have been very at home on tacky upholstery. Klaus had eyed her up and down when she'd emerged from the bathroom last night from his position on the bed, already under the covers. He'd miraculously managed to refrain from making a snarky comment and had merely pressed his lips together and focused back on his book.
In the worse column: she's pretty sure she's drooled on his bicep, where her head is resting. Super embarrassing. And the sizeable erection that's pressing into her is so not something she wants him to know that she knows about. It's not that he's hard for her, she tells herself. It's involuntary. Just nature and biology and totally not something she should be thinking about. Right now. Or ever.
Which is easier said than done when it's resting against her ass. And when she can still very vividly recall how good it had felt, grinding against her, even though he'd still worn his pants and she her underwear. If only she'd been drunk enough for her memories of the incident to be fuzzier. God, what she wouldn't give for the details to be less sharp and easy to recall. It would certainly make the forced cohabitation element of this trip easier to handle.
Caroline needs to get out of this bed, preferably out of this room. Without waking him up.
Maybe if she can just get him to roll over onto his back…
Caroline uses her shoulders and leans back into him. Klaus mumbles something unintelligible, lips brushing lightly against her skin. She snakes her arm under his to ease it off of her. He begins to roll back and Caroline is just breathing a sigh of relief when she feels his body jolt, feels his hands grasping at the air. Suddenly, the warmth of him is gone completely. There's a loud thump followed by several smaller ones.
Shit.
Had she just pushed him off the bed? She'd totally just pushed him off the bed.
Her instinct is to pretend to be asleep but Caroline finds she can't manage it. Klaus says, "What the fuck?" voice hoarse and sleepy and so put out and she can't help but find the situation hilarious. She buries her face in the pillows and tries to control her laughter.
"Caroline," he grumbles.
Caroline bites the inside of her lip and rolls over to face him, "Good morning?" she offers hesitantly before she has to clap a hand over her mouth to attempt to hide her giggles.
Klaus' expression clearly conveys that he is significantly less than amused.
"Sorry?" she tries, once she gets control of herself, though she's still fighting a smile. He looks bleary and confused, his hair sticking up in a mess of curls, as he sits on the floor next to the bed.
Klaus groans and heaves himself up, Caroline shifts over hastily and he flops back onto the bed. He clears his throat and pins her with a measuring look, "Are you sorry for tossing me out of bed? Or for laughing about it?"
Caroline can't help but giggle once more and he looks a little exasperated but she detects the faint beginnings of a smile, "Both. But mostly the first one."
"Of course. You do enjoy mocking me, don't you, sweetheart?"
"Little bit," Caroline confirms, "don't pretend like you don't enjoy teasing me."
"One of my favorite pastimes. One I'd quite like to practice more often," the words are said casually but the way his gaze heats and lingers on her mouth is anything but. He continues before she can decide how to reply, how to brush away the sexual undertones, "And may I ask the reason for my rude awakening? I was having a very pleasant dream."
She resolutely keeps her eyes on his face even as she feels her cheeks heat, "I… your side… arm…" Caroline can't help but stutter a bit. The whole reason he'd ended up on the floor was just so she could avoid this conversation.
Klaus smirks knowingly, "Ah. So in your sleep, your body sought mine, and we ended up entangled? Perhaps your subconscious is trying to send you a message, love."
"I'll have you know," Caroline retorts with a hard glare, "that you were the one doing the tangling this time, buddy. I was just the poor, squished, little spoon. You can't blame me for trying to get away."
Klaus has the nerve to grin at her, "But, had you not, once again, made your way onto my side of this very large bed, no spooning would have occurred now would it?"
"Ugh. I can't control what I do in my sleep!"
"No," Klaus muses, "I don't suppose you can. Hence my comments about your subconscious."
Caroline makes a derisive noise, "Oh, please. Could you be any more full of yourself? It's probably just the bed."
"The bed?" Klaus questions, raising a skeptical eyebrow.
"Yeah, the bed. Maybe your side's just better. Less wear and tear. Or something." Caroline can't help but berate herself internally for just how stupid that sounds out loud. Wear and tear, really?
Klaus lets out a snicker, "Care to test that theory?" he challenges.
"How?" Caroline asks suspiciously.
"Simple, really. We switch sides tonight. If your theory is correct, you'll not accost me in the night, because you'll be on the superior side of the mattress. If your theory is incorrect you'll end up pressed against me because of the desires you won't admit to."
"I don't desire you, Klaus."
"I think you're a liar, Caroline Forbes."
"You wish."
He moves quickly, rolling her under him. He rests on his knees, outside her thighs, and his hands, planted on the bed next to her head, keeping his weight off of her. The press of his body against hers is suggestive, but not constraining, and Caroline freezes not in fear but because she doesn't quite trust herself not to rub against him. "Don't you?" he asks, voice soft and seductive in her ear. She feels his nose graze the skin behind the lobe, then the skim of it down the length of her throat. He pauses at her collarbone, hums appreciatively as he seems to breathe her in, "You did once, for all that you hate when I mention it."
Caroline can't hide the slightly shaky way she inhales, or how weak her denial is, "I was drunk."
"Not in the beginning," Klaus pulls back so they're nearly nose to nose, his darkened blue eyes boring into hers, "You'd had not consumed a single drop of liquor when you asked me to dance with you. I remember coaxing you into that first glass of champagne, promising that no disasters would befall the reception if you celebrated your hard work."
"I…" Caroline turns her head but he nudges her chin back with gentle fingertips.
"I can never decide if I regret that or not, when I think back. Had you not decided that liquid courage was the way to go, would things have ended differently? If I hadn't followed your example, would I have left you at the door to your hotel, with a dinner date secured? Would that date had gone well enough to end with a kiss? I confess that the what if's drive me mad sometimes."
Caroline's mouth feels dry and she swallows nervously, unsure. She didn't think Klaus actually felt much of anything for her, beyond physical attraction, but his wistful words paint a different picture. "Klaus…" she only manages his name before she trails off helplessly.
He presses a single kiss to the skin above her neckline before pushing off of her and sitting up, "Do you accept my challenge, Caroline?"
It takes her a minute to remember what he means, as all she really wants to do is pull him back on top of her. But she can't, she won't. Her brain tries to formulate an answer to the question he'd asked. Oh, right. The bed. She forces herself not to fidget under his steady gaze, curses herself because there's no way she can't accept, given she's the one who brought up the ludicrous idea about the bed in the first place. She nods once.
"Perfect. What would you like for your winnings?" Klaus asks.
Caroline considers demanding that he leave her alone for the duration of the trip but discards that idea quickly. She knows he'll just consider it more proof that she's desperately fighting the raging lady boner he seems to think she has for him. Which she definitely is not.
"For you to sleep on the floor."
She expects him to argue, attempt to barter (she absolutely would), but he surprises her, "Fine. And when I win you'll loosen the reins on your itinerary a bit. Agreed?"
"Agreed," Caroline replies grudgingly, not at all pleased with his use of 'when.' His quick agreement to her terms also tells her that he's very much just humoring her.
"Lovely," Klaus beams, dimples fully employed. He slides off of the bed, and heads to the bathroom, pulling his shirt off as he goes. He turns at the door, catching her ogling the lean muscles of his shoulders. She narrows her eyes, daring him to comment, but he merely smirks, "I'll just grab the first shower, shall I? I'll try to leave you some hot water, though I suspect you won't be using it."
The door closes just before the pillow she hurls at him reaches it.
Caroline had hustled through a shower and getting ready. She'd emerged from the bathroom, fully dressed, wet hair braided and off of her face, telling him that she was going to check out the spa. He'd been seated on the bed, checking his email, and she'd been out of the suite before he'd had time to reply.
It was clever of her, he thought, since the spa was one place he definitely couldn't follow her without it being entirely too obvious. He wasn't really a pedicure sort of man and she'd have taken his head off were he to suggest some sort of couples massage. Might've been worth it, just to see her expression.
It's probably a good idea to give her time to process and it's not like she actually has a hope of winning, and he's quite sure that she knows that too. He's still got days with her to untangle the mess between them. He's determined that they'll step off this boat for the final time as friends, at the very least.
Though he has to admit he hopes for a bit more than that.
Klaus is just about to shut his laptop down, and go amuse himself at the casino for an hour or two, when a Skype notification pops up. It's Rebekah, so he answers it. She's propped up on a pile of fluffy white pillows when she comes onscreen, though Klaus notes she looks kind of tired. She's wearing a t-shirt, and not a speck of makeup, and looks much younger than she usually does.
"Nik!" she greets with a smile, "How are you enjoying the sun and sand?"
"The sun's quite nice. Haven't gotten to the sand. Tomorrow is our first stop."
"San Juan," Rebekah says, a little mournfully. "My days are a bit mixed up, you see. The painkillers the doctor prescribed are very good."
"How are you feeling, Bekah?"
She heaves a sigh, "Tired. Sleeping on my back is uncomfortable. And I'm so bored. Stefan's been hovering. I sent him out for pie and ice cream to get him out of my hair for a bit."
Klaus can't help but smile at that. Rebekah was, and always had been, a truly horrendous patient. She required her caretaker's full attention, but her demands were always exacting and specific and difficult to fulfill to the letter. Which generally led to intense amounts of frustration for both her and the unlucky soul doing her bidding. If Stefan were smart he'd stock up on every kind of pie and ice cream he could get his hands on because Bekah was liable to change her mind.
"I'm sure he feels terribly guilty."
"He does. And he's promised to take me anywhere I want as a makeup vacation. I'm thinking Paris. With most of our time spent shopping. And not a single word of complaint out of him permitted."
Klaus pities Stefan.
"But enough about me. Tell me about you! How's the room? Caroline?" she says it with a smug smirk and all of Klaus' guesses about the origin of the problem with the rooms are confirmed.
"Bekah…" he scolds.
She merely laughs at him, "That scowl won't work on me, Nik. Now, be a good boy and thank your sister for her help."
He scoffs. As if he needed her help! "I am curious about one thing. However did you convince Caroline to let me tag along on this trip in the first place? And don't dodge, Rebekah. Or I'll tell Caroline what you did. It's a miracle she doesn't suspect and you and I both know she won't be pleased."
"I merely set her up on some blind dates that didn't go particularly well. She agreed to let you come if I ceased my attempts at matchmaking. That was all," it's said with an innocent shrug and a calculating glimmer of Rebekah's blue eyes.
Klaus shakes his head, "Little did she know that your most blatant attempt was coming, hmm?"
"And she won't, Nik. Play your cards correctly and I doubt she'll care."
"Why are you pushing this, sister?"
If you didn't know Rebekah you'd miss the softening of her expression. But Klaus catches it easily, "I saw you two together at the reception, before Stefan and I left. I don't know what went wrong. You've never told me and Caroline changes the subject whenever your name comes up. But you were happy, Nik. You and Caroline both. I like it when you're happy." Rebekah pauses, and sits up straighter, "Goodness, that was sappy. Chalk it up to the pain pills."
"Of course," Klaus agrees.
"Now, I'll let you go. But do remember the trouble I've gone to. Don't let my efforts go to waste. Alright?"
"I'll do my best."
"Good. Tell Caroline to Skype us soon."
"Will do. Good bye, Rebekah."
She echoes his send off and with one last wave she's off his screen.
Klaus wonders if he can coax the stories of those blind dates out of Caroline. They'd have to have been disastrous, for her to be willing to spend time with him, something she'd strenuously avoided before. Klaus thinks he'd enjoy the animated retelling of them. Maybe in a few days when, if things go according to plan, she's a bit more charmed by him and willing to open up. To that end, perhaps it would be a good idea to spend some time researching? He'd need a few tricks up his sleeve, places Caroline would like, things she'd enjoy, once he wins their bet.
Caroline settles into the same deck chair she'd occupied yesterday, having stowed her dress and flats in her bag. She's fairly sure Klaus will find her eventually and she'd given serious consideration to making it more difficult for him. Ultimately, she'd decided against it. She was a grown up, damn it, and far too mature for hide and seek.
Then there was the conversation she'd had with Ingrid, the masseuse who'd been appalled at the knots of tension she'd found along Caroline's back. A woman on vacation should not be so stressed, Ingrid had insisted. And then the whole story had come spilling out of Caroline's mouth.
Massage therapists must get that a lot, Caroline thought. Kind of like bartenders.
Stefan and Rebekah's last minute drop out. Having to travel with Klaus. Which had led to questions about exactly who Klaus was to her. And then the floodgates were open and she'd told Ingrid all about Klaus. What a dick he'd been when they first met. How he'd managed to change her mind by being so helpful, not to mention sweet and funny, when she'd been running herself ragged trying to deliver Rebekah's perfect day. She'd mentioned the explosive chemistry that zinged between them once she'd finally let her guard down. Blushingly gave a few details of their intimate encounter.
Then, Caroline had gone quiet. Ingrid had prodded her, refusing to let the story end there. So, haltingly, Caroline recounted the next part, the one that she did her best not to think about. She'd overheard a conversation not meant for her ears between Klaus, a certain ex-boyfriend who shall not be named (whose brother was unfortunately her best friend), and a few of said ex's friends. She'd walked away from her eavesdropping feeling stupid and ashamed and really, really pissed off.
Ingrid had fumed right along with her, thankfully. Bonnie had done the same but it was nice to have Klaus' douchebaggery vindicated by a stranger.
Reliving that moment, though.
It brought those feelings rushing back. But something about it had bothered her, and that's why she'd decided to let Klaus find her, if he was so inclined. Because yes, the awful ex had said some shitty things about her. He'd obviously been imbibing in the mimosas being passed around. The words 'great in the sac' had been in said in that stupid, leering, way he had. Several comments even more repulsive had been sprinkled in. 'Clingy', 'neurotic,' 'be careful, man' all of those words had been used. God, she really should have punched Damon that day, Stefan (and Rebekah's snooty relatives) be damned.
She'd walked away hurt, and raging, not waiting to hear Klaus' reply. She'd always assumed that he'd answer locker room talk with more of the same, that he would have bragged about how desperate she'd been for him, followed it up with high fives for everyone.
But what if he hadn't?
He'd seemed blindsided, by her giving him the cold shoulder, when he'd come up to speak with her shortly after. He had tried several times to talk to her throughout the morning. She'd told herself he'd just been looking for an easy distraction for the few days he had in town before he flew back to London. Klaus had basically used a classy, English, version of Joey Tribbiani's 'How you doin?'' on her the first time they'd met, after all. And she'd been listening to Rebekah complain about her brother Nik's inability to commit for years. Rebekah admitted that she didn't even bother to learn the girlfriend's names anymore. It was a different one every time she went to London to visit, she'd said, so what was the point? It had been easy enough for Caroline to convince herself that Klaus had just been after a one night hook up.
Two years later, with his recent words and actions tumbling through her mind, and Caroline was getting the uncomfortable feeling that she'd maybe jumped to all sorts of the wrong conclusions. That it was possible she had, in an effort to protect herself, lumped him in with her terrible ex. And that maybe hadn't been fair to him.
Caroline cringed just thinking about it, dreaded the apology she might have to make. She was an adult, successful, and most days she loved every bit of her life. It galled her that she could still be brought low, made to feel inferior, by nasty comments made by people that she knew (intellectually at least), weren't even worth a second of her consideration. It reminded her of the many crushing insecurities that had riddled Caroline's teenage years.
A shadow falls over her and she glances up to see that Klaus has arrived, "Why the serious face, love?" he looks genuinely interested, and maybe a little concerned.
Caroline makes an effort to shake off her dark thoughts, manages a small smile, "Just thinking. How was your morning?"
Klaus looks surprised at the question as he settles his sunglasses onto his nose and sits down next to her, "Fine. I won $300 at poker by defeating a group of tourists from Santa Fe."
Caroline snorts, "Klaus Mikaelson, making friends and influencing people."
"I've all the friends I need on this trip, love." He shoots her a look, letting her know that yes, he does mean her.
She rolls her eyes, but there's more humor in it than there would have been mere hours ago, "Yeah, yeah. Sunblock's in the bag if you forgot again. I won't have you getting crispy and then whining about how sore you are once we can finally get off this boat."
Klaus produces a bottle from his pocket, "As a matter of fact I did remember. Care to help me out? I don't like how the spray smells."
He's got a look on his face that dares her, even while it's doubtful. His mouth falls open when she swings her legs over the side of her chair and reaches for the bottle. He starts when she touches his shoulder and sits down behind him. His head falls forward as she spreads the cream on his back, "Perhaps there's something to your bed theory, Caroline," he murmurs, "It certainly seems as though you woke on the right side of it."
Caroline hums noncommittally, allows herself to enjoy touching him, "I guess we'll see, won't we?"
More notes: I hope this answers some questions! Rebekah DID actually hurt herself but she also purposefully cancelled the wrong rooms. I didn't want to drag out the 'mystery' too long since it was very much Caroline jumping to the worst possible conclusions. But hey, it happens. She will feel terrible about it. Thanks for reading and I'd love to hear your thoughts!
