Title: Die another day

Pairing: Caroline, Klaus

Rating: T

Summary: AU/ AH. "It's not about lifespan. It's about how we spend our life, how we live. Even it is for single day. And I only care that part." Caroline knows she'll die soon, and she will be prepared. But falling for her new boss—nah, she hasn't been expecting that. Slowly she will learn that her life is bagful of surprises.

Note:I don't know how a fashion designing company would work in general, but I'm imagining some stuff to write this story. All mistakes are mine. No offence to anyone.


0o 7 o0

"Ready?" Klaus asked tapping his fingers on steering and Caroline chuckled, nodded. He added brightly. "Fasten your seat belts passengers because we are not going to land for a while now."

Caroline pressed lips into thin line as she observed him from the corner of her eye. Her friends were not given complete information about her plans for the rest of night. Well, Caroline did not want to because the whole situation was unfamiliar and weird. But she prepared to explore and take decisions on some matters before they would turn out as disaster.

Bonnie was suspicious with Caroline's statement and Damon—he was so wasted to even care about it.

"So, before we are going to start our night I want to say: What happens between us is going to stay between us." Klaus declared in casual tone of voice. Though, she must say he sounded like he meant it. Of course, he did not want to show people his true nature—kind of secretive. "Favorite color? Cuisine?" Caroline laughed. "Holiday spot?"

"I am still uncomfortable with this arrangement, sir." She admitted.

"Fine." Klaus huffed out impatiently. "In that case, we are strangers."

"Oh?" Caroline smirked. "What am I doing here with stranger?" she teased.

"To get to know me." He signaled using one of his hands. "And if things work-out probably we might—"

Caroline obstructed him by coughing. "I prefer coffee over tea." She said something very irrelevant.

"I prefer blondes over brunettes." He shot back and earned a glare from her side. Klaus sighed out awkwardly and then shrugged his shoulders. "Sorry, kind of—" he trailed off in not so apologetic tone which had Caroline slightly annoyed. "Um, full moons. I spend full-moon days alone." He changed topic soon enough to remove irritation in her.

Caroline nodded as she looked up, thinking what she had to say. "World tour." She blurted out the first thing that came into her mind and regretted after watching an amused glint in his eyes. "That's a fantasy." She mumbled avoiding his gaze.

"Nothing is impossible for a willing heart." She heard him quoting which made her to glance in his way. He smirked at her. "Probably you never aimed for it."

"I did not." She accepted truth but zoned out thinking why she never searched for a way to visit places. Her mother, her studies, her job—there were too many things in her life that consumed her strength. "I just did not."

"Wine and beach." His words snapped her out from her world. "I like that combination."

"Rock music," she said right after that, "and Indie will get my attention sooner than other genres." She added observing unfamiliar roads. "Where are we going?"

"Well, since you did not tell me specific point, let us hover for some time before we think of something else." He replied and hit breaks when there was red signal. "Your eyes are very attractive, Caroline." Klaus turned to her and smiled lightly. "Did anyone tell you that before?"

For sure, her heart began to pace at higher rate than usual. Her cheeks turned into light pink when did not shift his gaze.

"I don't like flirts." She managed to say with a smirk. "Did I tell you that before?"

Klaus let out a titter before he glanced back at signal. It turned green and he started to drive again. "Noted ma'am." He saluted. "Though, I am telling you something I feel it." Caroline contained her smile by pressing her lips into thin line as she looked away from him. "What if you are not a designer?"

She was thoughtful for a moment before she buzzed. "Hmm, an archaeologist." It sounded more like a question to self. After a second she grinned at him and confirmed. "Archaeologist, yeah!" When he smiled back without any comment, she found herself asking him. His eyes dazzled as every vehicle passed them. He seemed "What were you doing at California when we met?"

The smile on his face faded soon after she posed that question. What, she said something offensive? All of sudden he seemed like he was thrown into separate world. His brows knitted slightly as he glued his eyes to the way. Caroline understood it was no-go-area for him. She was about to change the topic but he ended silence by replying: "I was in rehab for a while."

That—Caroline was shocked to hear. He was quiet for some reasons and she was unsure what was bothering him from inside.

Bringing a smile to her face, she teased to snap him out of it. "Good thing, you cropped your hair. You look better now." Klaus blinked at her, letting her words to sink in. A corner of his mouth bent into smile.


"—I thought I was running faster!" Caroline laughed along with Klaus as they entered an antique shop. "But when the competition ended I understood I was second last." She snorted. "Trust me, when I say I had no idea back then."

Klaus shook his head slowly as he finally got hold on his laughter. "Did you cry?" he asked and scanned the room.

Caroline pinched the bridge of her nose. "I was annoyed actually." Watching his forehead crease, she sighed. "There was this girl, who came second in running, but started to cry. And I thought then: If I were you girl, then I would have danced like I never did." The way she narrated her super flop participation during fifth grade had him chortling for almost five minutes.

"I never laughed this hard in a while, Caroline." He claimed as moved his head to sides.

"Yeah? Sadist, you are. Taking pleasure from my pain." She faked anger, moved to the thing that had her attention. Set of pistols, it was. They were all pinned to a board on wall. She gaped at every single one of antiques which belong to different centuries.

"I have almost all of them." Klaus spoke from her behind making her to look back.

"You know how to use revolver?" Caroline asked, surprised.

Klaus looked as if she said something very stupid. "It is no rocket science. And yes, I can shoot without missing my target. That hobby of mine provoked me to collect these historical things." She made face while newly learning his interest. "Hey!" he exclaimed pointing at one of pistols from the top most line. She had to squint at that way. "I don't have that one in my collection."

Needless to say, she was actually impressed with him. Literally he recognized the missing one among the group of pistols soon where Caroline could not differentiate between two. "Are you going to buy it?"

"Definitely."

Caroline saw as he walked to the owner soon after his declaration. She turned in other side and walked around only to come across vintage clocks, tableware, wrist watches—and she ended up near women's accessories. Crossing her arms she watched every item—hair pieces, rings and particularly one thing—a diamond bracelet was lying in the box.

Probably that was only one remained. She did not notice smile on her face as she observed that chained thing and was about to touch it. Klaus interrupted her by calling her name. Caroline quickly paced out without giving second glance at it.


"A park?" she raised brows.

"—I heard there are horses." Klaus replied before he locked the car and got down. When Caroline gaped at him, he chuckled. "Just kidding. No horses." She sighed out in relief. "What, you don't wish to ride a horse? It will be fun, sweetheart."

"Thanks but I don't appreciate walking with third leg." She muttered following him. There were very less in number as it was cold and—when Caroline looked up at the sky she cussed inwardly—cloudy too. After five minute walk that went in absolute silence she grew tired. "What are we doing here exactly?" she asked with curiosity in her voice. But she got reply in another way.

The suspension bridge.

Her body trembled watching it suddenly among tress. The outer frame was highlighted with the help of lights and road seemed busy with traffic. Klaus faced her and sighed at her to follow him to the bench on the bank of lake.

The view had her speechless.

She sat beside him while continued to gape at the orange-gold reflections on water under bridge, the strings with lights and land on both sides. So the management of park arranged this special view. If she had known about this, she would have visited long back.

"Look at those reflections on water." Klaus spoke after long pause. She smiled with a nod. "When you look from here you can see that every light has managed to create reflection separately." His lips widened raising finger at them. "Isn't wonderful?"

She couldn't agree less. "It is pleasant here." She whispered leaning back as she pulled her jacket close enough to warm her up. Klaus mimicked her actions and in addition he spread his arm on top of it. The positions they were in was a little intimate and Caroline felt some kind of tension building around them. When she turned to look at him, she found herself under his gaze. Because of the lighting, she got a glimpse of half of his face. He seemed calm and relaxed as light smile graced his features. And then he tucked her hair back to her ear.

Though she wanted to get lost in that moment, a part of her mind started to talk some sense into her.

She was getting too close to him. One painful fact she wished to avoid, it was.

Not good, not at all.

Breathless, she was when his fingers brushed against the skin of her cheek. Her lips began to shiver which caused by cold night—or something else. She failed to analyze that part as she was too absorbed into his compelling gaze.

Then a thunder roared in the sky, made Caroline to jerk. Klaus wheezed showing his impatience or distaste. Forcedly, he dragged his eyes toward cloudy, lightening and thundering sky. "I think we have to leave—"

He barely finished his sentence by the time it started to rain heavily. Caroline shrieked jumping to her feet and paced back to Klaus's car, followed by him.


The journey was everything but normal. Due to the reason that both of them were in their own worlds, it filled with pin-drop silence.

Caroline's head was on the window beside her as she stared in front of her blankly. Despite the wetness due to rain, she was quiet. There were other matters troubling her at that moment. She thought she crossed boundaries she set. But had she? Confused like never. Her head became war-zone. It was clumsy inside and she felt she needed to—

She yawned before her eye lids were closed.


A startled Caroline opened her eyes and it caused Klaus to raise his brows in surprise. "Hey, you ok?" he asked showing his concern.

She blinked at her surroundings trying to come out of haze. "Where are we?" She sounded groggy.

"At my place." His firm reply made her to glance at him.

"Oh? I have to get back to my house."

Klaus, who was about to get down halted his actions to glare at her. "You are kidding, aren't you?" Caroline frowned as she sensed anger and mockery. "Look at you. So ready to catch flu."

"—but I want to go to my house."

"Shut up and get down first." Klaus hissed before he crawled out of car. Caroline scowled at his back and did not move from her seat. Not even one inch. Klaus stood out right next to her door and opened it for her. "What, you want me to carry you all the way?" he ducked to her level. She did not look at him, though. Instead she crossed her arms and clenched her jaws. "Really now?" She heard his groan and yet she did not stir to the slightest. "Fine. Have at it." He grumbled and the next thing she knew was—

Klaus grabbed her elbow and forced her out. Caroline, who was in shock because of his steel grip and enormous strength did juggle to balance herself.

"Klaus!" she gritted her teeth and glowered at his smirking face.

"I warned you." He purred, freeing her hand.

She was ready with comeback but—

Sneeze.

Another sneeze.

And another one.

When Caroline opened her eyes and rubbed her nose, Klaus repeated flatly. "I warned you."


It was a pretty simple duplex apartment, which was on fifth floor, considering his turn-over. Spacious, it was and surprisingly neat unlike his office. Caroline was a little confused because she found nothing interesting. Except there was a cupboard full of books. There was no collection of antiques like she imagined.

Klaus brought towel to her while she settled in sofa, waited for him to return from inside. While giving it to her, he scrutinized her face and questioned. "What's wrong?"

Shaking her head, Caroline smiled and noticed he changed into pajamas. "I just am looking for the antique collection that you spoke about."

"They are not here." He replied stiffening his smile and turned on his heel. Once again he disappeared.

Caroline gazed at the path he left, for a minute and then she started to wipe her hair with that towel. She started to have this feeling—that Klaus was hiding a few things from her. Well, neither was she open with him. So, she believed strongly that she had no right.

Slowly she stood up and walked in the way he left, found him in kitchen making—

"Your coffee will be ready in a few, ma'am." He said turning to her with a bright smile.

"That's fine. You don't have to—"

Sneeze.

"Right." He chuckled and shook his head. Even the kitchen seemed large and organized. He leaned against island by pressing palms on either side of his body.

"Don't you have servants to do this for you?" she asked sounding inconvenient but curious.

"Except for cleaning this apartment, I do rest of my work." Klaus shrugged his shoulders and wrinkled his nose, displayed his disgust. "I enjoy doing work by myself but I hate to clean."

Caroline gave him toothy smile. "I am aware of it." She stated placing towel on her shoulder.

"Really?" he frowned, amused at the same time.

"One look at your office tells everything about you." She laughed walking to him and slowly remembered who he was. Reality hit her hard, and made her to stop dead in tracks and gulp a quick swell formed in her throat.

Klaus frowned at her, unaware of what's going on in her mind. He poured coffee into mug and gave it to her. "Is it really that hard for you to let your guard down?" he seemed a bit upset.

"If it is your boss, then it sounds like chaos to me." She replied calmly. When his expressions changed, she sighed. "I truly had good time today and I am not denying it."

"But?" he was composed, casual like he was in the last few hours. Without replying, she glanced at her milk coffee and chewed her lower lip from inside. Her mind was too confused to give him reasons. After a moment, he sighed, gave up. "Fine, tell me when you want to."

She looked up at him when he closed the distance between them and leaned in to plant a kiss on her cheek. Her heart, for a second there, skipped a beat and then began to pace abnormally because of that unexpected closeness. "I am happy you came out tonight with me." Looking around he whirled index finger and informed with smile. "Make yourself at home and—" he paused caressing her cheek, his scanned her wet body, "—come with me." He ended suddenly before taking her hand and leading to one of the rooms. "This is my room," he pointed at the door. "Find something comfortable in my closet."

Caroline gazed between his face and the mug of coffee. Her lips widened but did not form into smile.

"Go on." Klaus encouraged her. "Have your coffee and sleep."

"—are you tired?" she found herself asking him.

"—I believe you need some rest." He said leaning against the wall beside door.

"I don't." Caroline mumbled before she sipped the coffee.

Klaus chuckled, patted her upper arm. "Change your dress, sweetheart. I will be waiting in living room." He told and left her alone. Taking another sip, she smiled at the floor. And then she suddenly remembered something: She did not get migraine during the time she spent with him. Not even once.

0o 7 o0


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