K is for Karaoke
Thanks for all the love, guys. I too really like the ones with Hope. I'm not a fan of her existing in canon (dead vampires/hybrids are dead- no take backs,) but she adds an interesting dynamic to their little family in these drabbles. No Hope in this one though.
Disclaimer: Nope, still don't own them.
"Babe," Caroline said as she collapsed into a chair she'd set up in his art studio. She liked to sit in it and read or watch him work where she wasn't in his way, but she was still with him. The room was airy with lots of light and windows. Her chair had a floral pattern that Klaus made faces at, but she liked it. It was her chair.
Klaus set down the wet paintbrush and carefully keeping his paint-spattered arms away from her, he leaned in.
She smiled, loving the look in his eyes, and held his face in her hands to kiss him. It was hot and perked her up after a long day on set. "Hello, gorgeous," she said with one last smiling kiss.
"Hello," he said as he went back to his painting. As she told him about her day, he painted. She was working on a film, her third, and she loved it, but it was exhausting. There was a lot of racing around and then waiting. She only had a few more days of shooting, but she had two days off before then.
Klaus finished the area he was working on as she spoke and cleaned up his brushes and workspace as she wound down. He smiled, laughed, and frowned at her stories.
Caroline sighed. "Tell me what you did," she requested.
He told her what he'd been up to, including negotiating the loan of a painting of his to a local gallery and how he won a bidding war for a lovely little property on the French Riviera. Her eyes lit up. Klaus' real estate work gave them more and more vacation opportunities. Seeing the world with Klaus rocked.
"Did you see Marcel's last Instagram post?" she asked, knowing social media wasn't really his thing still. He only stalked her page after all.
He picked her up and sat down back down, keeping her in his lap. "No."
Caroline showed him the picture on her phone. Marcel was singing on stage. Klaus smirked.
"Caroline, are you trying to say you want to sing to me? Awww," he teased, imitating her which made her giggle. Hope said it all the time too. "You sing every day- when we're in the shower, when we're in the car, when we're everywhere." She smiled at all the times he used the word "we."
"Yes, but this would be my first karaoke appearance as Caroline Mikaelson," she told him and it was his turn for his eyes to light up. The idea certainly appealed much more to him all of a sudden. The wedding and honeymoon had been spectacular. They had been married for two kick ass months. Right when they returned, she started the movie and she was ready to go out. "Maybe my married singing will be better than before. I have more life experience," she told him sagely. Her hands reached up and she whispered against his lips. "Must be all the married fucking, love making, and sex. It's the best."
His lips captured hers and they were lost. It was the best.
It was hours later, after having more married sex, that they returned to the subject of singing and going out. "I'm going to call the fan club and we're going out tomorrow," she announced.
"Yes, we are," he agreed and when he smiled, she attacked him again for some married fucking.
Klaus and Caroline had seen their friends and family since returning from their honeymoon, but not all of them together since the wedding. They all cleared their schedules to attend. Caroline even put on her leather pants despite it being warm out. Klaus teased her about meaning business when she brought them out. She paired the pants with a red tank with a deep v-neck along with one of his necklaces she stole from him. Boots with a sharp stiletto heel boosted her up. She felt like a badass vampire ninja.
Klaus wore black jeans and a navy blue top. Well, he started with that and she replaced it with a black shirt. He rolled his eyes, but he loved how she was looking out for him. "Number 571," he said softly. Her hands fiddled with his hair and he turned that into a make-out session.
"Quit making me love you more than I do," she said with a big smile. Her eyes fell on his ring and it was the best feeling in the world. This man was the one she loved. He made her feel strong and protected and that she had an important place in the world. He told her she did the same for him and it was awesome.
Rushing him out the door so she could sing her feelings for him, they arrived at their favorite dive. The old Irish bar was full of dark wood and had a sticky floor most nights. It wasn't where the tourists ended up. Rather there was a mix of yuppies and blue collar laborers out for after-work drinks on a buzzing Friday night. Klaus gifted the bar with a decent karaoke system. It was a Christmas gift to Caroline two years before and Caroline was thrilled with it, making it their regular spot to karaoke.
Davina and Kol were already there. Davina looked settled and happy, gorgeous too of course. Kol was tipping back a glass of amber liquid into his mouth. "It's the only way I can sing," he teased.
They found another empty table and pulled them together to make space for their group right in front of the area where the singers would be.
"Fan club," Enzo greeted them. Rebekah was at his side and they both looked incredible. Rebekah was sleek in black and Enzo was in deep green. Elijah and Gia were actually babysitting Rebekah and Enzo's new foster children they were in the process of adopting, so it was a night out for the parents. Hope was with her mom and step-dad.
Bonnie arrived next with her handsome date, Michael. He didn't say too much, shy. According to Bonnie they weren't serious, but he sure was hot. Marcel eyed all the ladies in the room as he walked in with Josh. Josh had just gotten dumped by a boyfriend who was moving to Hawaii to find himself. Marcel invited Josh along to cheer him up.
"Sweetheart," Klaus asked when everyone was seated and settled with drinks, "will you perchance be serenading Elijah with songs of your friendship?"
"Ha ha," she said with no laughter in her voice which made Davina laugh. "You guys, don't let me do that again."
"Goldilocks, you can sing a song of friendship to me," Enzo offered as she paged through the song book.
"You've turned into Nik's best friend as much as hers," Rebekah reminded him as she stroked along his shoulders. Enzo winked at Klaus.
"Fine, Klaus can sing to me too," he added with a big smile that made Marcel laugh.
"Get a room," Kol interjected.
"Speaking of beautiful collaborations," Caroline interrupted, looking at Marcel after taking a sip of her bourbon which she'd taken a liking to after all, "Marcel, do you want to sing with your smoking hot step-mother?"
Marcel's grin couldn't be contained. "So hot," he agreed. "Let's do it."
The others cheered as Caroline and Marcel stood up to start the night off. They walked to the karaoke machine and the bartender they befriended turned on the equipment.
"What about Telephone by Lady Gaga and Beyonce? I'll be Gaga," Caroline said.
"Why am I Beyonce? Because I'm black," he asked with a raised brow.
"Nooooo," she said, giving him a sheepish smile, "because Lady Gaga gets to sing more. I'll be Beyonce any other time," she readily agreed. "She's amazing."
Marcel rolled his eyes. "Fine microphone hog, but I pick the next one." He was ready to do his best Beyonce for everyone, he thought with a big smile.
"Deal."
They entered the song number into the machine as the after work crowd and their friends and family watched the entertainment. They sang well together, having fun, both being natural hams and attention seekers. They got a nice round of applause, a handful very impressed with Marcel's moves.
Caroline sang her first solo song next.
"As you all may know, I love to make dedications."
The music started to play and she shot the bartender the evil eye. "Not yet, Keith." She wasn't ready!
She didn't see Kol crack up at the table. He now owed Keith $50 for that, only resisting using compulsion on him at Davina's request. Klaus rolled his eyes when he heard Kol laugh, figuring his brother was involved.
"Shut it, Kol. She's going to tell everyone she loves me," he bit out to the amusement of everyone at the table.
The music stopped and Caroline gave the crowd a big smile, getting back to her dedication. "As I was saying, I'm dedicating this song to someone very special." She held up her left hand where the enormous diamond sparkled under the bar's lights. It blinded Bonnie. "You guys, he put a ring on it. Well two rings. We're married." The sparse crowd cheered for her. "I know, right? You know why? He loves me!"
Rebekah couldn't stop laughing.
Someone walked into the back of the bar.
"Sir," Caroline called to him, everyone looking at the poor guy. "Did you hear me? This guy right here loves me," she said, pointing at Klaus.
The older man yelled out, "Congratulations," and Kol died laughing.
"Do you want to know where we met?" She got that gleam in her eye and Klaus knew something was coming. "You know those sketchy dudes that work in the shoe section of department stories to get close to ladies' feet? He fell in love with these size 7s first. Yes, he was on parole too," she said almost as an aside, "but that's my man," she finished with a huge smile.
Her table howled and Klaus' look promised delicious retribution. A parolee shoe salesman with a foot fetish? The stories she told about him were insane, but he had to laugh.
"Weren't you killed on NCIS:New Orleans last year?" a drunk guy yelled out.
"Yes! Thank you, sir, for noticing. I was. I'm not a Marine in real life, I just played one on tv," she said with a laugh.
Enzo smirked at how long she was taking on stage to sing the song, which hadn't even begun. It would be a long, but fun night.
"Back to my guy, I love him too," Caroline said sweetly. "We got back from our honeymoon a few weeks ago, 5 weeks to be exact. I feel like my singing voice has changed for the better." Her voice then got soft and the crowd couldn't look away, not sure what was going on at all, but drawn in by her personality. She looked as if she was about to tell them a big secret. "We did some things."
"Caroline!" Klaus yelped as the crowd exploded. Enzo, Marcel, and Kol all sat up a little straighter, very curious, as they laughed at her antics. They had all missed this.
"Caroline! No!" Bonnie yelled, standing up and waving her arms as Caroline threw her head back in laughter.
"Anyway, it was great and I can't think of a better song to express my feelings for Klaus, my husband, than this one. Hit it, Keith."
The music began and Caroline performed her heart out like always.
"You're insecure, don't know what for. You're turning heads when you walk through the door. Don't need make-up to cover up, being the way that you are is enough."
Caroline sang "What Makes You Beautiful" by One Direction to Klaus. He grinned and loved the attention even if he thought the lyrics didn't quite, or at all, fit him. Bonnie and Davina sang along at the table, singing to each other and their dates.
Caroline did a bow when she was done to the delight of her fan club and the rest of the bar.
"Sweetheart," Klaus said after he kissed her briefly when she reclaimed her seat. "Only two songs in a row?" he teased. "Only one horrifying story?"
"I can't drink if I'm singing," she teased back, taking his drink.
"I think everyone enjoyed your over-sharing," he said and she nodded. She thought so too. It's not like people didn't know they had sex on their honeymoon, right?
Kol went up next. He sang Kenny Rogers' "The Gambler" which had many of the older guys singing with him. It amused Klaus. Davina thought he was great.
Josh's choice was Jewel's "Foolish Games" and Rebekah wiped away a tear. His heartbreak was palpable and she always liked Josh. Caroline squeezed his arm as he passed by her to return to his seat. Rebekah hugged him. Josh held his arms out afterwards and Enzo hugged him tight.
"He wasn't good enough for you," Enzo advised him kindly into his ear.
Josh sat back down between Davina and Marcel. "He smells so good," he said with a little grin that made them smile as Davina put her head on his shoulder and Marcel put a fresh drink in front of him. He would recover from his heartbreak slowly but surely and having Enzo around gave him a little boost.
Bonnie, Davina, and Caroline sang "I Want It That Way" by the Backstreet Boys. Rebekah didn't know it, having been daggered and all when it came out. She did sing with Marcel though, an oldie from the 1920s that Klaus was kind enough to make sure was in the machine's library. She wasn't as confident a singer as Marcel was, but Enzo encouraged her to do it and he was entranced by all the sides of his love.
Marcel then sang Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On," to Caroline, aka "his mom," which she loved, shimmying and swaying in her seat as Klaus merely sat back with his arms crossed over his chest. Marcel was a natural performer who had hearts fluttering all over the bar. He ventured as far out as any of them had, moving around tables to serenade the ladies and Caroline.
Enzo and Caroline went to the bar to get the next round as some strangers got a chance to sing. Enzo thought Caroline looked great. She was working, spending time with friends, helping raise Hope, and was now a married woman. The sky was the limit and it made him happy to see, especially when his own life was going so well. Loving Rebekah just fit. Their two kids were amazing. He and Rebekah had so much in common, more than any one could have guessed, and their life just worked.
While they waited for the drinks to be poured, Caroline turned to Enzo with bright eyes. She was deliciously buzzed and very happy. "Tell me a freaky sex story."
Enzo grinned and leaned into her ear. He told her one as she slapped his shoulder in reaction to his words, jaw dropping.
He grinned when he was done as the bartender put all their drinks on two trays for them to carry back to their tables.
"That's freaky? Klaus is into that," she told him with a wicked grin of her own.
Enzo laughed as he lifted his tray.
"Caroline," they heard Klaus say as he came up behind her, taking her tray before she could grab it.
"Fine," she whined. "I'm the one who's into that."
Enzo laughed and laughed as he took the tray to the table and Klaus grinned at her.
"I love you."
"I love you."
They brought the trays to the table and sat down while the rest of the night was spent having a blast. Everyone who wanted to sing did. Marcel and Kol sang, "I Got You, Babe," which Caroline totally thought she should have sung to Klaus. They kept the phones from Caroline when she even mentioned Elijah's name which made her hug Bex who was sitting next to her. She asked if there were any songs about arch enemies or not liking your brother in law too much, but they drew a blank. Marcel and Caroline sang "Paradise by the Dashboard Light," where Marcel got the much larger part, although Caroline jumped in front of him, literally, when her parts came on- acting the whole song out.
For her finale, Caroline prepared to sing, "Still Into You," by Paramore to Klaus, having sung "Do Me!" by Bell Biv Devoe to him earlier.
The music started. "Keith!" Caroline barely resisted stomping her foot. "You can't take my freedom! Step away from the machine." She glared hard at him and Klaus did too from the table.
Keith put his hands out with a grin and stepped back. He was going to get $150 from Kol by that point.
When she finished, Klaus took her by the hand and they had a hot make out season outside in the alley where it was private. He told her how much he enjoyed her singing…and her leather pants. She told him how much she enjoyed his reactions to her performance…and his hot body. They returned with Caroline's cheeks even more flushed and Klaus looking smugger than ever.
Caroline stopped to chat with Keith before she returned to the table.
Her eyes were narrowed when she found the group and she took Davina to the side. She cupped her hands over Davina's ear and began to whisper as Kol began to panic.
"Caroline, no, it was a joke. Whatever she's saying Davina, darling, do not listen." Kol stood in front of them, not liking this outcome at all.
Davina and Caroline both crossed their arms and stared at him. Davina did it because watching Kol melt down was fun. He played pranks on her all the time and this was minor payback. Plus, Caroline mostly told her how much she liked Davina's new boots, asked her how she got her hair so shiny, and made plans to get together in a few days.
"It won't happen again, darlings," he promised, arms out.
Caroline merely raised a brow. She took her microphone time very seriously. Klaus came over and began to whisper in her ear. She loved when he did it, but it sent Kol into a bigger tizzy.
"Nik, no! Caroline, ignore him," he asked, pleading, which only encouraged Klaus.
Caroline laughed and Kol couldn't take it.
"I'll help you prank Elijah," he offered and she was interested, unable to help herself.
"Your ideas are intriguing, but I have different ones in mind."
Caroline put her hands behind her back and began to circle Kol, turning Klaus on unbelievably with her imitation of him. "Here's what's going to happen. You're going to help me make a scrapbook of my honeymoon with Klaus. I took 2,000 pictures and I need help putting them together. It will be just you and me. Since you wanted to cut me off, I'm going to talk and talk." She smiled brightly and he hung his head, but he thought he could have fun by blocking Klaus out of every picture.
"And," she said, pointing her finger in the air like her husband, "most importantly, you're going to tell people I'm a vampire ninja."
"Caroline," he whined, as if that was the final straw, as Klaus kissed her on the cheek. Kol took a seat with Davina as she comforted him with a laugh.
Drunk Caroline was awesome to Klaus, although he loved her every way. "Well done, sweetheart."
She preened. "Thanks, babe."
"My ideas were much more wicked." It was a gift, he though, to be deliciously devious.
"I know and I love you for them, but now I finally have someone to sit with and look at those pictures. Everyone else is scared of them."
He laughed and they sat back down.
The party broke up soon afterwards when all the hugs and kisses were given out. It had been an awesome night. Poor Michael, Bonnie's date, had no idea what was going on, but it was fun.
Caroline danced her way home. A thought struck her in the middle of the sidewalk mid-spin. "Babe, sometimes I wish we were still attached by the magical bracelets. Then I remember how annoying it was to tell you every time I had to go to the bathroom." She delighted in his confused expression and she waved her hands. "Anyway, I just realized our rings are like the bracelets. We'll always come back to each other. Awww," she said and he could see she was getting emotional. He loved the soft center mixed with the sexy ninja vampire.
"Our hearts are what will always keep us together, Caroline."
She swooned. "Kiss me, Klaus."
He did. His kiss always brought her back to him and vice versa. They whooshed home together after the best karaoke night ever.