Secret Santa

Klaus Mikaelson. Klaus. Freaking. Mikaelson. Of all people in her group of friends she had to be Klaus Mikaelson's Secret Santa. The one person she couldn't stand. That's just her bloody – bloody? Spending too much time around British people, are we? – luck.

She sighed and forced a smile to her best friend, Rebekah, who was holding the bag full of written names in front of her. Maybe it wasn't too late to say she got herself and change it? But as she opened her mouth to say something, Damon (the other person she couldn't stand – what? She was just being dramatic earlier!) grabbed the bag from Rebekah's hand and they started their usual bitter bickering.

Well, crap.

One week later and three days away from the deadline, Caroline still haven't found the perfect gift. Yes, perfect, it's not because she hates him – which she doe

s, very much so – that she'll give a shitty gift. Giving shitty gifts is just simply not in her nature, it goes against everything she is. So yeah, she's still out in town looking for the perfect gift to give Klaus Mikaelson aka the biggest asshole in town. After Damon. No, wait, it's definitely a tie.

She wants to scream, she knows nothing about him besides the fact that likes to draw and treat people like they are all inferior to him. It's kind of ridiculous how she's known him for over ten years and he's basically a stranger to her. But again, that's not her fault, she did try to be nice when they moved to town, but you know, asshole.

What can she give the guy anyway? He's filthy rich! He can have anything any time he wants. So what can Caroline Forbes, an intern on a TV station, give him? She has no idea, she never felt this lost looking for a gift before, gifts are usually her specialty. Ugh, ugh, ugh. Why couldn't she have gotten Rebekah instead? Or Stefan! She would give anything to get Stefan, she's been crushing on him since forever and he's finally single – a fact she feels slightly bad celebrating as his ex-girlfriend is one of her closest friends.

She shakes her head off these thoughts. No time for this drama today, Caroline, you're a woman on a mi– she stops to look at a store window. Interesting. Very, very interesting.

She goes inside.

Three days, lots of wrapping paper and many cups of eggnog later and it's time for the gift exchange! And Caroline feels dizzy – is it just her or is the room slightly spinning? And why is it taking so long for her Secret Santa to reveal him or herself? Damon has just given Bonnie her gift and Bonnie was the one who started, which means the circle is closed. Did Rebekah forget to put her name on the bag?

"What about me?" she asked, a little louder than what was necessary. "Did you forget me, Bekah? How could you? I'm you bestest best friend in the entire Universe! How dare you f–" Rebekah, who was sitting right next to Caroline, cuts her off by putting a ball of wrapping paper in her mouth – gross.

"I didn't forget you, you over dramatic little twit!" she said, in her typically annoyed tone of voice. Rebekah always does sounds like she's one hundred percent done with everyone. "Nik hasn't given his gift yet, which means he has you and you probably have him too."

Oh.

"You drank way too much eggnog, it's making you slower than usual," her best friend – she really should reconsider that title – continued.

Caroline then spit the ball of wrapping paper, that was still on her mouth, on Rebekah's lap, which earned her a death glare from the girl and would probably have earned her a slap too if her brother hadn't interrupted.

God, she's never been happier to hear his voice. His very sexy voice.

Wait... What?

"Ladies," he started, in a patronizing tone. "Are you done?"

She shook her head slightly.

"Yes," is what she says before standing up from her spot on the couch and standing in front of him. "Right, let's do this."

Maybe Bekah was right and she did drink too much eggnog, but he looked really fine tonight. His was wearing a red sweater that contrasted with his pale skin, bringing out his blue eyes and that was oh so tight, she could see the outline of his chest. His hands were behind his back, probably holding her gift and he looked a little... Nervous? No, it can't be, Klaus Mikaelson doesn't do nervous, specially not in front of her.

As he was about to speak, she held up her hand.

"I'll go first," she said while reaching back to get his gift. Grabbing the small package, she holds it up in front of his face. "Here, merry Christmas."

Klaus grabs the gift with one hand and hands her the larger package he had been hiding with the other. "Merry Christmas, Caroline."

They both just stare at each other for a few seconds.

"Aren't you going to open it?" he asked.

"After you, I gave it first."

"Okay then."

He unwraps his gift slowly, Caroline watching his every movement. He smiles when he sees the little necklace inside.

"Do you like it?"

"Yes, I think it suits me," he gives her a small smile and a nod of appreciation before she moves to open the package in her hands.

He observes her just as she observed him and if she didn't know better, she would say he looked a little bit more nervous each time she looked up.

Finally, she got rid of all the wrapping paper and reached a cardboard box. Opening it, Caroline was speechless with what she found inside.

"I was walking through a street the other day," she could hear Klaus saying. "And passed in front of this store, which had that teddy bear and I immediately remembered–"

"My favorite bear that I lost in that camping trip with your family when I was ten," she completed the sentence. He remembered! And not only that, he had gotten her an exact replica of... "Mister Puffy!" she exclaimed while her vision blurred with tears.

"Oh, so that's why you wanted to switch papers with me!" Stefan yelled from his spot on a chair – he drank too much eggnog too.

Klaus glared at his friend and was about to jump him when suddenly he felt something – or better yet, someone – throwing her arms around his neck and squeezing him tight. It was Caroline, it was Caroline Forbes hugging him for the first time.

And it definitely wouldn't be the last.

"Thank you," she whispered. Who knew Klaus Mikaelson could be such a sensitive guy?