Inked & Marked
Chapter 9
Council member William "Bill" Forbes found dead.
Caroline stared at the computer screen for what felt like an eternity but was actually a couple of seconds.
Her father was dead? How?
With shaking hands she clicked on the article and scrolled down.
There was the title of the article and a picture of her father. She stared at it for a second before looking at the writing below it.
Council member William "Bill" Forbes was found dead in his home on Tuesday by his wife, Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes. Sheriff Forbes commented that Bill had "not been his usual self as of late". Official cause of death was said to be a heart attack.
Caroline skimmed over the rest, already feeling the heat raising in her face. Her breath shuddered and tears pricked behind her eyes. There was brief mention of her in the article, saying that she had left town a few months prior for work.
That's what they were spreading.
There will be a wake held in Bill Forbes' honor next Friday evening, the funeral will take place the following Saturday morning. Please keep the Forbes family in your prayers.
By then Caroline could no longer control her tears. They streamed down her face as memories upon memories of her father assaulted her. She balled her hand up into a fist, her nails digging into her palm painfully.
She bit her knuckles, trying her best not to let her sobs grow in volume.
Unfortunately, the sobs that she tried to hold in irritated her throat and she was soon coughing and sobbing and trying to catch her breath.
She doubled over on the couch, wheezing and crying. She felt a hand on her back and the couch cushion sink next to her.
Klaus leaned over next to Caroline and tried to get a better look at her face.
Her neck was red, blood vessels popping out. Klaus ran to the kitchen and poured some water into a glass before running back to Caroline.
"Relax, Caroline. Drink this," he put the glass right next to her hand and she reached out to grab in. She took a couple of straggled breaths before latching onto the cup and chugging half of the water. When she let go she sighed and let out a sob.
"Hey," Klaus said, noticing that Caroline was crying. He cupped her cheeks and did his best to push away the strands of hair that stuck to her face. She was red from overexerting herself and from crying. "What's wrong?"
Her lip puckered and she tried to say something but the words were caught in her throat. She pointed at her laptop screen and Klaus turned to grab it.
His eyes skimmed over the article. First he was slightly confused but then he put the pieces together.
"Was this your father?"
Was.
Caroline sniffled and swallowed back another cry. She nodded.
Klaus looked back at her, looking her up and down. She looked like she was about to explode.
He really had no idea what to do. He remembered a scene from a chick flick Caroline had made him watch the day before and decided to give comforting her a shot.
She had no friends or family here. He never saw her pick up a phone to call someone to talk to. It was literally only him, and he wanted to be there for her.
He took the glass from her hand and placed it on the coffee table along with her laptop.
"Come here," he whispered and scooted over closer to her. He reached up and pushed her hair away from her face again, looking into her eyes before resting his chin on top of her head.
"Let it out, Caroline," he whispered, but he knew she would hear. "You don't have to hide from me."
She was still at first. After a couple of seconds she wrapped her arms around him and buried her face deeper into his neck, her body beginning to shake.
Klaus knew what she was going through.
When he had experienced loss, there really had been no one there to comfort him and that had been horrible. He had held in all his emotion and it had made him bitter.
He didn't want that to happen to Caroline.
He had seen how much she was trying to control herself from crying around him. She had held in her sobs when she found out, for Christ sakes!
He didn't want that either. He wanted her to feel comfortable around him.
Yeah, he didn't want to get too emotionally attached to her or she to him, but he didn't want her keeping her distance and being cold. What a fucking paradox.
He kept his arms wrapped around her shoulders while she cried. He felt her tears on the skin of his neck and on the collar of his t-shirt.
After a couple of minutes Caroline pulled away and he moved his arms away from her shoulders and cupped her face once more. He couldn't stop touching her, didn't want to stop touching her.
Caroline took a deep breath and whipped the tears away from under her eyes. She sniffled a couple of times and Klaus handed her a tissue for her to blow her nose.
"Thanks," she said before blowing her nose loudly.
"What are you going to do Caroline?" Klaus asked when she had finished whipping her nose.
"What do you mean?"
"Well, you're going to the funeral, right?"
Was she? Was she really going to go back to Mystic Falls already?
The thought sent chills down her spine.
She needed to go back because she couldn't miss her own father's funeral. She wouldn't miss her own father's funeral.
But going back would mean having to face everything she left behind that one night, and she still wasn't ready for that.
"I should," she nodded.
"Wait," Klaus started and Caroline looked up at him. "Are you considering not going?"
"No, no," she shook her head. "It's just that…" She trialed off, biting her lip. She couldn't really tell him the reason for her trepidation. "I didn't think I would have to go back so soon."
"Is it really that bad?"
She grimaced and scrunched her nose, looking up at him.
He let out a puff of air and scratched his neck. "And then there's the plane ticket…" he added.
She frowned. "What plane ticket?"
"How are you going to get there?"
"Oh," her face relaxed. "Um, I don't really have to worry about that."
"What do you mean?"
"I'll just drive up."
"Drive up? You can't drive up alone. And besides, rental cars and gas are expensive."
"I don't need to get a rental car," Caroline shrugged. "I have my own car."
"What?" Klaus frowned. "Since when?"
"Since a while ago. I drove down in it."
"How come you never told me?"
"You never asked."
He shut his mouth quickly. "Touché."
Caroline nodded. "I'm not worried about getting there- I have money for gas and it's not that long of a trip," she sighs. "What I'm worried about is when I actually get there."
Klaus tilts his head, waiting for her to go on. She seems uncomfortable.
"I just- I left for a reason, you know? I wasn't planning on going back for a while." Probably never. "But I'm not going to miss my father's funeral."
She thinks of Tyler. Of her mother, Elena, Matt, Bonnie. Everyone.
She's looking off into space, thinking about something. Klaus watches as she bites her lip and frowns. This is actually difficult for her. He didn't know the extent of her reluctance to go back home until now.
He gets an idea. It's totally selfish of him to even bring this up to her but he doesn't care. He's already accepted that he's selfish.
"Would it be better if you had company?"
"What?" She asks. "You want to come with me?"
"Only if you want," Klaus shrugged. He didn't know if she would go for it and he didn't want to seem like he was pushing for the idea. He already felt like he was obsessing over Caroline, no need for her to get the vibe.
"That actually sounds like a good idea," Caroline said. She was looking off at something behind him and nodding.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, it does." She kept nodding.
It was a good idea. With Klaus there, she would have someone to talk to. Of course she would talk to her mom and family members, but she couldn't exactly take comfort in her friends, much less Tyler.
With Klaus there, she wouldn't be alone.
The next few days were a blur for Caroline.
On Monday she had to go to work, still feeling slightly sick, to talk to her boss about getting Friday off. Since it was a fourteen hour drive to Mystic Falls (with good traffic), Klaus and Caroline had decided that they would leave Thursday night to make it in time for the wake.
Grieving over her father and planning a road trip was not easy. Klaus offered to take care of the road trip details but she refused, telling him it was her responsibility. In reality, she just needed to keep busy so that she wouldn't start crying in front of Klaus again.
She had already had two panic attacks in front of him and he had seen her cry at least twice, there was no need to add to that.
Aside from her planning, nothing really changed throughout the week.
Klaus remained on kitchen duty until Wednesday when Caroline demanded her spot back. He handed it over willingly.
On Wednesday, Caroline also went back to sleeping on the couch.
Klaus put up some resistance with that one.
"You've already been sleeping here for a few nights and nothing has happened. I bet you even feel better, and not sore. Seriously that couch was not made for sleeping, love."
He winced inwardly as he argued his point. Something had happened, but nothing Caroline was aware of.
Every night he would wake up with Caroline in his arms, most nights with his face buried in her hair. He could never bring himself to pull away automatically, so he would stay awake for a couple of minutes and just…hold her.
It felt…different holding Caroline. Of course he had held a woman before- some times (very few times) on his own volition, but mostly just accidentally.
Whenever he would sleep with women they would always insist on cuddling and he would find himself with a woman in his arms without even noticing. He would then immediately peal himself away and get the fuck out of dodge.
But he wanted to hold Caroline. It felt good to hold her.
What he wanted more was for her to know he was holding her.
But that would be weird and stepping over a line he was not ready to cross.
"I only slept in your bed because I was sick. Now I'm better, so I'm taking the couch back- and it's not that bad." Lie. "So that's that."
And she ended the conversation. Nothing else was spoken about Caroline's sleeping arrangements.
On Thursday after work, instead of walking to Klaus's apartment, Caroline went to the parking lot where she had left her car. She expected multiple tickets to be placed on her windshield, but there were none.
Extremely relieved, she climbed into her car and head to the nearest gas station to fill up. Then she drove to the tattoo parlor and parked in the back parking lot.
When she went up to the apartment, Klaus was already there eating lunch.
"Sorry I'm late. I was getting my car."
"Yeah," Klaus answered, his left cheek puffed out. He chewed the bite of his sandwich before speaking again. "I saw you come in," he pointed out the window by the breakfast table. "Nice car by the way."
"Thanks," Caroline said, getting out ingredients to make a sandwich for herself. "Do you have a car?"
"No," he shook his head but smirked.
"What's that?" Caroline asked.
"What's what?" Klaus answered, taking another bite of his sandwich.
"That," she pointed at his face. "That smirk."
"What smirk?" He smirked.
"That one!" She said, slapping a slice of cheese on her toast. "That I-know-something-you-don't-know smirk. It's only slightly different than your flirty smirk."
"My flirty smirk?" He had already finished his sandwich so he picked up his plate and walked towards the kitchen to put in the in the sink. That placed him only a few feet away from Caroline. "And when, pray tell, have you seen me use my flirty smirk?"
"Pfff," Caroline said, laughing slightly as she spoke. "All. The. Time! Whenever we go grocery shopping you smirk at the cashier, whenever you have a female client- well, I've only seen you do it twice in that case but I'm pretty sure you do it all the time." She was kidding around but while she spoke she couldn't help but feel a little pang in her chest.
"Are you calling me a trollop, Peaches?"
Caroline busted out laughing. "A-A-A trollop?"
Klaus couldn't help but smile down at her as he leaned against the counter and crossed his arms over his chest.
Caroline laughed for a couple more seconds before wiping the moisture from under her eyes. He was glad that she was laughing. In the past couple of days she hadn't really smiled, and when she had, it looked forced. She had thrown herself into planning their road trip and had barely spoken to him.
He tried to give her space, but he had found that he couldn't stand Caroline being like this- being sad. He wanted her to laugh and smile and he was glad that she finally had.
"Wait," she suddenly said, putting her hands up, palms out. "You're changing the subject."
"No, I'm not."
"Yes, you are."
"Then what were we talking about?"
Her face dropped. She bit her lip as she tried to focus and remember.
Klaus tried his best to hold down his urges. Why did she have to bite her lip?
"I don't remember," she finally said. He grinned.
"Ugh," she groaned at his grin and rolled her eyes, turning back to her sandwich making.
She heard Klaus chuckle and she tried her best to not smile because then he would get all smug. She actually loved it when he smirked and grinned- it was sexy as hell. Even though he wasn't flirt-smirking at her, she didn't mind just watching from the outside.
Bull-shit! A voice in the back of her head sang.
Okay, maybe she did mind that he was flirt-smirking at other girls and not her. But as long as he was flirt-smirking at others and not her, she was safe. They were just friends, who happened to be living together. Adding anything to that would just be messy.
"Alright, I'm heading back down to the parlor. What's the plan for this evening?" Klaus asked.
"We'll eat dinner when you come up later and then we can shower and get on the road."
"We can shower?" Klaus wiggled his eyebrows.
Caroline snorted, willing her cheeks not to turn red. "You know what I meant."
She finished putting her sandwich together and put it to grill, turning her attention to Klaus.
"You've already packed, right?"
"Yes," he rolled his eyes. "You made me pack on Monday, remember?"
"Yeah, 'cuz why pack in a hurry Thursday afternoon when you can pack calmly on Monday?"
"Yes, you're absolutely right."
A scene played out in his head right then. He wanted to cup Caroline's face in his hands and kiss her forehead. She would then reach up and hold on to his wrist, closing her eyes. He would kiss her nose, then leave one last kiss on her supple, soft pink lips.
Instead he tugged at her pony tail and walked out of the kitchen. "See you later, sweetheart."
Caroline watched Klaus go, turning to see him out the door. He threw open the door and winked at her before disappearing down the stairs.
She let herself smile this time.
Just like Caroline had said, when Klaus returned dinner was ready.
She made chicken stir fry and rice. Klaus complemented her heavily and had two servings.
"I made dessert, too, so go easy."
His eyes went wide. "Dessert? I'm going to need to start going to the gym more often."
Caroline laughed and went to get the flan she had made and some ice cream.
"You are going to be the death of me," Klaus said as she cut him a slice and put a scoop of vanilla ice cream on his plate.
He practically inhaled his dessert and then sat, feeling extremely satisfied.
Caroline sat and talked with Klaus for a couple of minutes, feeling slightly full herself.
After doing the dishes and drying them together , Klaus went to shower and Caroline worked on getting last minute details in order.
By ten o'clock they were loading Caroline's car with their suitcases.
"I'll take the first shift."
"No. I'll drive, you should sleep," Klaus argued.
"I already napped while you were at work so ha!" She unlocked the doors and got in through the driver's side looking smug. Klaus chuckled and got in through the passenger side.
Caroline pulled out of the parking lot drove up to Washington Avenue. After a couple of minutes with hardly no traffic, Caroline pulled onto I-95 heading North.
That's when Klaus reached for the radio, fiddling with the buttons for a few seconds and getting his phone connected.
"What are you doing?" Caroline asked, glancing down at him scrolling through his phone which was connected to her car via AUX cable.
"Since you're driving and seem to also have the navigation under control, I'm taking charge of the music."
Caroline was about to begin protesting when music filled the car. She felt herself frown slightly and her lips part into a small smile as Klaus's first song flooded through the speaker.
Klaus fidgeting with his phone for a few more seconds before locking it and placing it in the consol between them, leaning back in his seat and stretching his legs out.
Caroline drove at sixty-five miles per hour, the same look on her face as she listened to the first couple of seconds of the song.
As the song kept progressing, she smiled. Not because she knew the song, but because she liked it.
She looked down at the screen on the dashboard- Feeling Good by Muse.
Towards the end of the chorus, she found herself bobbing her head along to the beat as she changed lanes.
Klaus peered over at Caroline. He placed his elbow on the passenger door and rested his temple against his index finger, watching as Caroline listened.
She bobber her head and bit her lip as she looked at her blind spot and changed lanes.
She looked over at him while the song still played. "What?" She asked.
"Nothing, just enjoying your reaction."
Caroline laughed under her breath. "Yeah, I didn't really expect this kind of music to be the one you listened to. Well, kind of, but not really."
He smirked. "What kind of music did you expect me to like?"
"You know," she shrugged. "Heavy metal or punk or something. That's the music that's always playing in the tattoo parlor. I can hear it through the floor."
Klaus chuckled. "That's more of Kol's taste in music, and some of mine, too. It's mostly just to set the ambiance of the shop. What would it look like if we had Lady Gaga blasting through the speakers all the time?"
Caroline laughed. "Yeah, I see your point."
"But there are a few hardcore rock songs on this playlist, so I won't be disappointing."
Caroline nodded. "Alright, alright. I'm actually excited to listen to your selection now that I know it won't completely kill my eardrums."
Klaus looked at her. He had already been looking at her, but now he really focused on her.
She seemed to be genuinely curious in finding out more about his musical taste. Suddenly, this felt too personal- too intimate. She was listening to his private playlist, the one that he blasted when he needed inspiration for painting.
He felt slightly uncomfortable, but at the same time…excited?
He could only describe the feeling at the pit of his stomach as anticipation.
The first song ended and the next one began. He swallowed and tensed in his seat.
"Whoa," Caroline looked down at the screen. Requiem for a Dream.
"Uh, yeah," he scratched the back of his neck. "Feel free to change at any time."
"No, no," Caroline shook her head. "We're listening to everything."
The track stretched on for well over six minutes. Klaus sat in his seat, slightly tense. Memories of harsh brush strokes and quick wrist movements flashed through his memory.
"That was intense," Caroline said when the track came to an end.
"Mhm," Klaus nodded, looking out the window.
"I liked it though," she commented. "I might as well tell you now, but I actually love listening to movie sound tracks. Mostly the ones composed mostly of orchestra music."
"Really?"
"Yeah, it helps me focus."
"I get what you mean," Klaus nodded.
Next song. Klaus almost groaned out loud.
Caroline looked at him as it started, the soft sounds of a piano and a harp echoing through the car. "Oh my God," she said. "Klaus, you're an old man."
He chuckled at her joke, lowering the volume a bit so that Ave Maria wouldn't damage their hearing. "Yeah. My mother used to say I have an old soul."
Caroline nodded at that, keeping her gaze on the road.
They remained quiet for the next couple of hours. Caroline listened to Klaus's music and he alternated from looking at Caroline to looking out the window.
When the clock on the dashboard read two o'clock, Klaus turned to Caroline. Her eyes were wide but he could see that she was tired, and he felt wide awake.
Being around her for hours had that effect on him.
"Take the next exit," Klaus nodded at a sign signaling that the next exit would come up in a half a mile.
"Why?" Caroline asked. Her voice was a little raw from unused.
"Because I have to use a restroom and you should, too. We'll switch and I'll drive for a couple of hours."
"But I feel fine," Caroline said.
"Well, you don't look fine," Klaus shot back. She really didn't. There were bags under her eyes and she looked like she was about to pass out.
"Wow, thanks."
"You know what I meant, love."
"Yeah, yeah," she said and pulled onto the exit ramp. There was a gas station right on the side of the road so she parked by a pump and killed the engine.
"I'll fill up and then we can switch."
Klaus nodded and opened the door, heading into the concession area. He used the restroom and walked back out towards the car. Caroline was by the car. She pushed off the hood and went into the concession area to use to restroom, dropping the keys in Klaus's hand when she passed by him.
Within five minutes they were back on the road, Klaus driving this time.
Klaus thought Caroline would swap his phone for hers but she kept in on, lowering the music slightly and leaning back in her seat.
"Oh," Klaus said as the next song started to play. "This is one of the metal songs."
Sonne by Rammstein.
Caroline turned her body so that she was facing Klaus and curled up in her seat, bringing her knees up to her chest and kicking off her Chucks.
"What's it say?"
"Rammstein is a German band. Sonne means Sun."
Caroline nodded and stayed quiet, listening to the haunting low voice of the lead singer and enjoying the dark, primal melody.
Klaus drummed his fingers against the steering wheel, muttering the lyrics under his breath as he drove. Caroline watch Klaus's lips move, captivated in the way they pronounced the foreign sounds.
Her eyelids began to feel heavy and she let them close, sinking further into her seat and letting sleep overcome her.
The car jerked, causing Caroline to wake up abruptly from her dreamless sleep. She grabbed onto the passenger door and sat up, looking around and feeling slightly disoriented.
The windshield wipers were sliding over the glass frantically. The rain outside battered against the car furiously and lightning illuminated the sky.
Klaus was gripping the steering wheel, turning the car onto the side of the highway.
"What's going on?" Caroline croaked.
"We got a flat tire."
"Oh," Caroline sat back as the car came to a stop.
"You've got a spare in the back, right?"
"Yeah," Caroline nodded.
"Good," he killed the engine. "Stay here." He threw the driver's door open and got out, slamming it shut behind him.
"What?" Caroline said, watching as Klaus walked around the side of the car and popped open the trunk.
She pulled out the umbrella she had under the passenger seat and got out of the car, opening it as she went.
"I thought I told you to stay in the car."
"And let you get rained on and catch a cold? Trust me- been there, done that, it's not fun."
Klaus shook his head, water dripping from his soaked curls and onto his face. Caroline held the umbrella over them as he turned back to the trunk and lifted up the mat to take out the tire and jack.
Klaus looked out the tire and looked up at Caroline, raising his eyebrows at her.
"What?"
"A real tire?" He said, looking down at the regular sized tire with rims that matched the other tires.
"Yeah, I don't like the small ones."
He shook his head and chuckled, putting the tire down on the asphalt and rolling it over to the side of the car, Caroline following beside him with the umbrella. He walked back to the trunk to get the jack and closed the trunk.
He set up the jack under the car and was about to start cranking it up when Caroline spoke.
"Can I do it?" He looked up at her and she looked down at him expectantly. She shrugged. "I've never changed a tire."
"Have at it," he stood up straight and took the umbrella from her. She stepped up to the lever of the jack and placed her hands on it, pushing down with all her strength.
After the car was up a good amount, Klaus handed Caroline the wrench to loosen the lug nuts on the flat tire. She placed the head of the wrench on one of the sixlug nuts and pushed down on it.
It didn't budge. She tried again and it gave only a fraction of an inch.
"Want me to help?"
"No," she grunted, pushing down again. "I'm good."
After a couple of tries she was able to get the bolt loose and off. It took a good seven minutes for her to take off all of the lug nuts and roll off the flat wheel.
She stood, placing her hands on her hips and letting out an exhausted puff of air.
Klaus looked down at the spare wheel and then back up at Caroline. He wanted to offer to take it from there but he knew she would refuse.
He had already learned that what Caroline set her mind to, she could achieve. And she didn't like people getting in the way.
He liked that about her- the fact the she was focused and determined. And the way she scrunched up her brow and bit her lip as she worked made it enjoyable to watch.
It also made him want her beyond belief, but he tried to push those thoughts aside.
Caroline bent down and rolled the new wheel into place, hoisting it up onto the mount. She placed the lug nuts in their respective slots and began turning them back in.
Putting the wheel back in was much easier than taking it off. Caroline had to use her whole body to tighten the lug nuts, but she had already gotten the hang of it.
Klaus instructed her on how to bring down the jack. She followed his instructions and brought the car back down before pulling the jack out from under it.
Klaus took the jack and Caroline took the wrench and they both went to the trunk to put them away.
"Do you have anything to check the pressure of the tire?"
"Um," Caroline thought for a second, still catching her breath. "Yeah, it's in the glove compartment." She pointed over her shoulder.
She retrieved the pressure checking tool and waited for Klaus to tell her what to do. He instructed her on how to check the pressure of the tire and how much it should be at. When they were certain that the pressure was good, they got back in the car.
Klaus shook out the umbrella and placed it under the passenger seat before shutting the door.
Caroline sat on the passenger side again, leaning her head back on the head rest.
"Good job, Peaches."
Caroline laughed, still a little winded.
They were both wet but not soaked. Klaus turned on the car and turned on the heat, flipping a switch so that the windshield wipers turned on again and pulled onto the highway.
"What time is it? Where are we?" Caroline asked.
It was still slightly dark out but she could tell it wasn't night time anymore.
"It's about five thirty in the morning and we just pasedt Brunswick, Georgia."
Caroline nodded and leaned forward to switch on the heat, keeping it low but enough to keep the car warm.
Klaus was looking at her.
"What?" She asked.
"Nothing," he said, looking forward and out at the road. "I just wanted to do something but you're getting over a cold."
"Do what?"
Klaus shook his head and smirked. "If we are ever in the middle of a rainstorm again and neither of us are sick or getting over a cold, remind me to show you."
Caroline looked at him strangely, turning around slowly. "Oh-kay…but what is it?"
"Uh-uh," Klaus shook his head. "You'll find out if you can remember," he said. After a second of silence, he spoke again. "It's something I used to do with my brother."
Fuck, why had he said that?
Caroline was still looking at him like he was crazy. She narrowed her eyes. "Okay, fine."
They drove in silence for another two hours. Klaus's music was still on, but very low. Caroline recognized one of the songs.
"Is this on loop?"
"Yeah," Klaus nodded. "It's on its fourth loop."
"Do you have any other playlists?" Caroline asked.
"I have a few on there. You can pick any song you want." He picked up his phone from where it had been on a consol and typed in the password, making sure Caroline could see it.
He handed her the phone and placed his hand back on the wheel.
Caroline scrolled through his music for a few seconds before the song changed.
He chuckled. "I should have known."
Use Somebody by Kings of Leon played and Caroline turned up the volume.
She smiled brightly up at him before locking the phone and placing it on the consol again.
She hummed along to the song, singing most of the lyrics and drumming her fingers against her thighs.
When the song came to a close, Klaus heard her stomach growl.
"Are you hungry?" He asked.
"Yeah, I guess so," she nodded, adjusting herself on her seat.
Klaus looked at the road signs and switched lanes so that he could take the next exit. There was a small diner a little ways up the road. Besides a gas station and a small market, that was the only thing on the side of the road for what seemed to be miles.
Klaus parked in front of the diner and killed the engine. It wasn't raining there but the ground was wet so he assumed that the storm had already passed by there.
He disconnected his phone from the AUX cable and checked the time. It was almost eight in the morning. His stomach growled.
He got out of the car. Caroline stood by the passenger side, stretching her arms above her head.
He watched her for a second before shaking himself out of his trance and walking forward to open the door for her.
"Thank you," she smiled and walked in ahead of him.
Caroline surveyed the diner before walking over to a booth by one of the windows. She smiled at the waitress behind the counter and the lady smiled back.
There weren't many people in the diner but there were a few.
Caroline slid into the cushioned seat and Klaus sat in front of her.
Caroline was about to say something when the waitress came over with two menus.
"Good mornin' and welcome to The Roadside Diner. My name is Betsy and I'll be your waitress today. Can I start 'ya off with anything to drink- I just finished brewin' a fresh pot o' coffee." The lady, who must have been in her late 50 smiled and looked from Klaus to Caroline expectantly, her little note pad and pen ready to take down their order.
Caroline looked at Klaus who shrugged and looked down at the menu. Caroline mimicked his shrug and then smiled up at the lady. "We'll take two cups of coffee please, and a little more time to think about what we want."
"Two cups o' coffee, comin' right up, sweetie."
The lady jot something down quickly and promptly turned to get their drinks.
"Wait," Caroline started. Klaus looked up at her. "Don't British people dislike coffee?"
"You've been making me coffee every morning for weeks and now is when you ask this?" Klaus chuckled.
"Well, it crossed my mind once or twice but I always thought you were just being nice and not making me make an extra batch of tea just for you."
"No, I like your coffee," Klaus said, looking down at his menu again. "And I've been living the in states practically my entire life- I've accustomed to the American coffee drinking ways."
Satisfied with his answer and the fact that he had just complimented her coffee making skills, Caroline smiled and returned to reading the menu.
"What are you in the mood for?" Caroline asked, not really knowing what she wanted herself.
Klaus put the menu down on the table in front of him. He rubbed his stubble covered chin as he looked over his options.
"Honestly, I'm in the mood for your chocolate chip pancakes," he looked up at her from under his lashes and smirked. "But since I can't have that right now, I'll settle for the blueberry pancakes they have here."
Caroline nodded approvingly at his choice.
"How about you, sweetheart- what'll you be having?"
She opened her mouth to answer, but again, Betsy appeared with their cups of coffee along with cream and sugar.
"Have you decided what y'all would like to have?"
Klaus nodded and Betsy pulled out her little notepad. "I'd like the blueberry pancakes platter with eggs- sunny side up- and bacon."
"You're in luck today, sweet pea- we have a special on the pancakes," she paused and looked up at Klaus very seriously, still writing down his order. "Their endless."
Klaus smirked. "Fantastic," he said, drawing out the word with his fucking delicious accent. Caroline almost melted into a pile of lust and hormones on the cushioned seat.
"And what about you, pretty lady?" The waitress asked, turning to look at Caroline.
"Um," Caroline cleared her throat. "I'd like the cheesy scrambled eggs with whole wheat toast and ham."
Betsy nodded, writing down everything Caroline said. "That one comes with your choice of a side fruit. We've got strawberries, grapes, blueberries, bananas…" As she listed off each item, she tapped her fingers against her notepad.
"Do you have any peaches?" Caroline asked. Klaus's head whipped over to her, his eyes wide.
What had she said?
"Yes, we do!" Betsy said enthusiastically.
"Wonderful- I'd like a side of peaches," Caroline said, smiling at Betsy as she close the menu and handed it to her. She kept her eyes on Betsy, purposefully not looking at Klaus.
She could feel his eyes burning a hole through her, but all she did was smile at Betsy and then look down at her hands which were clasped on her lap. Betsy said something else that she didn't pick up.
Once Betsy had walked away, Caroline looked up at Klaus from under her lashes, much like he had done to her minutes before.
Klaus stared at her, his mouth open slightly as he took in her pink cheeks and piercing green eyes. Was she allowed to be that beautiful?
Finally he chuckled and shook his head. "You're a cheeky little thing."
Caroline shrugged and giggled, smiling at him.
He could not get over her. He felt ridiculous for fawning over her like such a pussy, but it also felt so good that he couldn't get himself to stop.
He hadn't found interest in a woman in a very long time. Even what he had had with Hayley felt like it was a simple infatuation compared with what he sensed he was beginning to feel for Caroline.
Being near Caroline, seeing her smile, hearing her laugh- it was something he looked forward to every day.
"Look at that," she said, looking somewhere in the part of the diner that was behind him. She absentmindedly poured cream into her coffee and opened her sugar packet.
Klaus watched her for a second before turning to see what she was referring to.
There was a juke box towards the far end of the diner. It was bright, it was lit up, and it caught everyone's attention.
"I've never seen one of those," Caroline said, still multitasking with staring in awe at the machine and fixing her coffee to her preference.
"Really?" Klaus asked. An idea was forming in his head and he tried to hold back a grin so that she wouldn't suspect anything.
"Really," she nodded and then looked at him. Her face went blank for a second as she stared at him. "What?"
"What?" He asked, faking innocence.
Caroline could see the mischievous glint in his eyes although his face was totally blank.
"You tell me what. You're holding back a grin," she pointed her spoon at him and waved it as she talked. "So spill."
Klaus let his face relax and his grin show. He was turning into such a sap for her.
Slowly, he got up from him seat, throwing one last smirk over his shoulder at Caroline before approaching the juke box.
He looked down at the selection he had to choose from before digging through his pocket for a quarter, slipping it in the slot and clicking the button next to his song of choice.
He turned on his heal as the music sounded through the diner.
Some of the other patrons looked his way but he kept his eyes focused on Caroline as he walked back to their booth with his hands in his pockets.
Caroline felt her cheeks heat up and bit her lip to hold back the smile that was threatening to break over her face. He would pick that song, out of all the songs.
I can't get no satisfaction
I can't get no satisfaction
'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can't get no, I can't get no
He sang along with Mick Jagger, his eyes closed and his face scrunched up. With the last to no's he shook his head along to the beat and extended his hand to Caroline. She looked down at his palm, which was splayed for her to take.
Her eyes grew wide as she looked up at him.
He didn't miss a beat, still singing out the next lyrics.
When I'm driving in my car
And the man comes on the radio
He's tellin' me more and more
About some useless information
Supposed to drive my imagination
Caroline looked around the diner. All eyes were now on them, making her face heat up to about one hundred degrees. She looked down at the ground before sliding her hand into his and standing up slowly.
He smiled down at her, still singing, pulling her into his chest before beginning to dance.
I can't get no, oh no, no, no
A hey, hey, hey, that's what I say
He raised his left hand, Caroline's right hand clasped firmly in his grip, before spinning her around. He took forward and Caroline took a step back.
Klaus bent his knees and twisted his hips to the beat, making Caroline throw her head back and laugh at his antics. She followed suit, mimicking his dance steps.
I can't get no satisfaction
I can't get no satisfaction
'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can't get no, I can't get no
When I'm watchin' my TV
And a man comes on and tells me
How white my shirts can be
But he can't be a man 'cause he doesn't smoke
The same cigarrettes as me
I can't get no, oh no, no, no
A hey, hey, hey, that's what I say
I can't get no satisfaction
I can't get no girl reaction
Klaus pulled her back into his arms, wrapping one arm around her waist while she rested one hand on his shoulder. Caroline matched his dance steps as he spun them around and moved them across the floor, effectively weaving around some tables.
He spun her twice before letting go of her, leaving her standing and looking down at him. He had dropped to his knees, his hand placed dramatically over his heart as he sang the next part.
'Cause I try and I try and I try and I try
I can't get no, I can't get no
He got up from his knees and plopped down on a stool next to a man sitting at the counter enjoying his breakfast.
When I'm ridin' round the world
And I'm doin' this and I'm signing that
And I'm tryin' to make some girl
Who tells me baby better come back maybe next week
'Cause you see I'm on losing streak
He gesticulated as he sang, looking like he was telling the man a sad tale of how he couldn't get laid. When he sang about a girl, he pointed over his shoulder at Caroline with a smirk, effectively making her feel like she was about to explode. She couldn't wipe the smile off her face.
I can't get no, oh no, no, no
A hey, hey, hey, that's what I say
He danced back to her and she raised her hands to meet his hands. He pulled her to his chest and took a step to the side and she did the same. Then they stepped away from each other, moving to the other side and pulling each other in again.
I can't get no, I can't get no
I can't get no satisfaction, no satisfaction
No satisfaction, no satisfaction
I can't get no
Klaus pulled her into his chest and dipped her at the last no. She automatically raised her left leg, bending her knee at his waist.
The people in the diner all clapped and cheered and whistled. Klaus helped Caroline get back on her feet and they both stood in each other's arms for a second, trying to catch their breath.
She smiled up at Klaus before stepping away and giving a little wave to everyone applauding them. She turned, making her way over to their booth and sitting down at her seat, Klaus sliding in in front of her a second later.
Betsy came up at the end of their table, a tray with plates full of breakfast food propped up on her shoulder.
"Well, look at you two!" She smiled excitedly as she placed their food down in front of them. "That was quite a show!"
"Why, thank you, Betsy," Klaus beamed up at her and winked. Caroline rolled her eyes but couldn't stop smiling. She liked playful Klaus.
"Oh, sweet pea," she said amicably, patting his cheek.
Caroline chuckled as Klaus looked down at his plate bashfully. She picked up her coffee and went to take a sip to hide her now painful smile.
"So how long have you two love birds been together?"
Caroline's eyes went wide and she gulped down her coffee. She traded a look with Klaus, who had an amused smirk on his lips as he watched her.
She put down her coffee and cleared her throat, looking at Klaus again. He didn't seem like he was going to talk. He sat back in his seat and looked up at Betsy quickly before looking at Caroline, signaling for her to take this one.
Betsy looked at Caroline expectantly.
"We've been together for a little over a year," Caroline replied with a smile. When she looked over at Klaus, he didn't seem to be phased. He still grinned at her as he placed his arm on the table, palm up.
Caroline slipped her hand into his much like she had a few minutes before when he beaconed her to dance. His fingers closed around her hand slowly.
"Well, isn't that the sweetest thing!" Betsy gushed. "Alright, I'll let you two get to your meals. Enjoy!" Betsy disappeared again and Caroline looked after her for a second before looking back at Klaus, then down at their two joined hands.
Klaus felt his smirk widen as Caroline raised her eyebrows at him expectantly. He leaned forward, bringing their joined hands up to his mouth and placing his lips on Caroline's knuckles.
He let go and she slowly took her hand back.
"You are incredibly unpredictable, Ms. Forbes," he said, unrolling his silverware.
"Me?" She scoffed, buttering her toast. "You just sang the Rolling Stones in a diner full of people!" She whisper yelled.
"I would hardly consider this full," he said, pouring syrup on his pancakes. "And don't forget that we danced."
"Trust me I didn't," Caroline chuckled and started eating her scrambled eggs.
"You're a spectacular dancer, by the way," he complimented, shoveling the first fork-full of pancakes into his mouth.
"Thank you," she beamed. "I happen to have been Miss Mystic Falls."
"You were a pageant queen?" Klaus said incredulously before laughing.
"Mhm," Caroline nodded with a smile. "Crown, ball dress, dancing and all."
"Did you have to wave in a parade?"
Caroline sat up straight and composed her features into that of a graceful smile and shining eyes before lifting her hand and waving gently.
Klaus chuckled and looked down, shaking his head.
The rest of their breakfast was fairly silent aside from some small talk they made every few minutes. When they had both cleared their plates, Klaus waved Betsy over for the check.
When she brought it back, Klaus placed his card in the folder, ignoring Caroline's protests.
Soon they were back in the car and on the road again, Klaus behind the wheel.
Caroline checked her phone to see where they were and how they were doing.
"We're about seven hours away," she said.
Klaus looked over at her, her tone of voice seeming off. She was just staring at her phone, her lips pursed.
"What's the matter?" He asked.
Caroline shook her head. "Nothing, just got lost in thought."
He wanted to ask her what she was thinking but decided to drop the topic. He had never been a pushy person and he was not going to start with Caroline. If she wanted to tell him something, she would.
Caroline stared at the scenery passing by at seventy miles per hour.
She was thinking about her father.
He had died and she was on a road trip with her… friend? Roomate?
She didn't know what to call him. The point was that she felt guilty because she had forgotten the reason for the road trip.
She was going to her father's funeral, for Christ sakes. Should she be having this good of a time with Klaus? Should she be mourning? Crying? Something?
She glanced over at Klaus who was working on getting the air conditioning on.
It was easy to forget her problem when he was around. He put her at ease, made her feel like herself again- the happy Caroline she thought had disappeared years ago.
She sighed and leaned back in her seat, her mind swimming with thoughts of Klaus and Mystic Falls.
Hello, lovelies!
Anyways, this chapter has been by far the most musical chapter I've ever written (and probably the most musical chapter I will ever write)! I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it :)
Next chapter: K & C arrive in Mystic Falls!
See y'all next Saturday!
~M
