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Chapter thirteen: doux et inattendu
The night was a total failure, that's an indisputable fact for Caroline. Her old friends probably hate her more than ever now—she believes, and Rebekah is miserably heartbroken because she didn't get the response she was expecting from Stefan.
She makes her way towards Rebekah's room. The hallway seems somehow narrower than it actually is this night. Her heart is pounding and her breathing hardens, making it hard for her to think straight. She puts her hand over her chest. "Calm down! This is not the right time." Caroline mutters to herself. She knows she is fit the comforting role. Out of everyone else, she's the one who knows how it feels like to be rejected, to be unwanted. She knows how it hurts to be someone's second choice when they mean the world to you. She's been there. All those sleepless lonely nights, and all the moping, trying to figure out where she stood, she went through it all. Yes, it's totally different now that she has Klaus by her side all the time, but still, she understands Rebekah's situation better than anyone.
But wait, on whose side is she? Elena is her friend too! What is she supposed to say to Rebekah? 'Ugh! Just try to buck her up!' her inner voices urge.
With shaky hands, she knocks on the door.
"Go away, Kol." Rebekah yells with a brittle voice through the door.
Taking a deep breath, Caroline opens the door and bursts into the room, "I'm pretty sure I'm not that similar to Kol, or as annoying as him." Caroline jokes, attempting to cheer up the stressful situation.
"Caroline" the blonde vampire gasps, desperately trying to compose herself. She forces a smile over Caroline's joke, but it fades away quickly as she sits upright in her bed.
Caroline sits on the foot of the bed watching her. She stares at the depressed Rebekah for a moment and then takes a deep breath, "when Klaus first told me about you, he went on endlessly about your determination and your stubbornness." Caroline says with a lot of enthusiasm. "He said you'd stop at nothing to get what you want. I admired that about you." She stops and stares at Rebekah—who is brightening a little, and then she crawls on bed and sits cross-legged. "Look, if he's that important to you then you should not give up from the first go! Love is always worth the fight."
'You just got yourself a pat on the back. Keep going Caroline!' Her inner voices suddenly encourage her.
"Do you really believe I've got a chance against… whatever her name is..?" Rebekah inquires, pouting slightly.
"Elena. Her name is Elena." Caroline tucks a stray of her blond hair behind her ear, her eyes are downcast. "I believe you should give it your best shot so that in case things don't turn out the way you wanted, you won't have to regret or blame yourself later."
'There you go! It wasn't that hard was it? Now hold that straight face a bit longer!' Her inner voices
The older blonde keeps silent for a moment, allowing Caroline's suggestion to sink in apparently. And then she lifts her head up, her blue eyes sparkling with a gleam of hope. She smiles at Caroline graciously. Caroline smiles back at her.
"So, did Nik really say all that about me?" Rebekah squirms, raising an eyebrow.
"Ye-ah…" Caroline bites her lip. "But let's not tell him I told you!"
Both girls glance at each other and then burst into laughter.
.:.
"Nik…" Kol hastily breaks into Klaus's room as he usually does. Except this time Klaus is still in bed, with Caroline—covered with nothing but the sheets, in his arms.
What the!
Caroline's face turns scarlet, embarrassed. She pulls away from Klaus's embrace, desperately trying to make sure her entire body isn't on full display in front of Kol.
"Kol, knock!" Klaus shouts, seemingly very annoyed at his younger brother's manners.
What's worse than him crashing on them unexpectedly is the delighted smirk he's plastering on his face. He should be embarrassed, not amused.
The irritated blonde glares at him for a second, 'what on earth is he staring at?', and then she reaches for a pillow next to her. Without hesitation, she throws it at his face. "Get out, lurker!"
"Alright, alright!" Kol grins—a twisted grin, and slowly walks out of the room.
"I see you've grown fond of my brother!" Klaus states absurdly, slightly cocking his head to one side.
Caroline rolls her eyes, and her head swims with rejection. She's about to roll out of bed when Klaus wraps his right arm around her waist and pulls her to him. She shivers at the touch of his fingers smoothing her hair away from her neck. Softly, he presses a kiss to the soft skin on the nape of her neck. The tingling sensation of his breath on her neck wakes the butterflies in her stomach. She smiles to herself. His lips are roaming down her neck to the blade of her right shoulder. She tilts her head to the side, her eyes closed, she moans under the shower of kisses he's trailing on her neck.
"My gratitude for having met you is far beyond imagination, Caroline. Ever since I first saw you in front of the founders' hall, you've carved a place in my heart I never thought it existed."
She turns around with a bright smile that's lightening her beautiful face. His warm words against her skin touch every part of her. She gazes at him, a sparkle lightening her eyes. She tenderly cups his face with her hand, and then she fits her mouth to his…
.:.
Later that day, while Rebekah is having a drink with Kol in the living room, Klaus and Caroline walk in looking all smiles.
"Oh welcome, love birds! Here to join the priceless melancholy?" Kol smiles, a smile that doesn't reach his eyes. He looks annoyed, peeking at Rebekah out of the corner of his eyes.
"Shut up, Kol!" Rebekah snarls at him, throwing a pillow at his face.
He swiftly leans back on the leather couch, dodging the pillow. "What's with the pillow attacks today?" He shakes his head.
Caroline sits on a couch opposite Kol, unable to hide the rejoiced grin over Kol's complaint.
"I'm bored!" Kol states, lifting his feet and placing them on the inside arm of the couch so that he's lying on it completely. "You're all just sitting here pointlessly! I need entertainment!"
Klaus walks towards the shelf to get a drink. "What are you waiting for? Go on, have at it!" he declares, offering Caroline a drink but she shakes her head in refusal so he takes one for himself and sits next to her.
"It's not fun to go alone!" Kol throws his hands in the air in annoyance. "Bekah is in no mood for… anything actually."
Rebekah scowls at him but doesn't give him much of an attention to respond. Instead she stands up and pours herself another drink.
He raises his shoulders sneeringly, and continues "Finn and Elijah are no fun to be around…" he gripes plainly. "No one's left but you, Nik! Join me! It's the least you can do after sticking a dagger in my heart." He pleads with Klaus.
Klaus finally gives him his attention and considers his little brother's request for a moment before eventually agreeing to it. "Okay. Why not? I didn't have nearly enough to drink last night!"
.:.
"I thought we were going alone, Nik!" the undoubtedly disappointed Kol complains to Klaus who is sitting beside him opposite the bar counter with a not-so- low voice.
"Hey! You know it doesn't take a supernatural creature with super hearing ability to hear what you just said, right?" Caroline scoffs at Kol.
Kol leans forward across the counter, plastering a wide smile on his face, "no offence, darling!"
Caroline's mouth twists in a contemptuous sneer in response. In case it's not obvious, she doesn't enjoy his company that much either. She wouldn't even be here if it wasn't for Klaus who dragged her out with them.
He leans back in his seat and takes a sip of his drink. "Honestly though, the last thing I expected was Nik settling for a mortal" he says, twirling the glass in his hand.
Klaus finally puts down his drink and turns to Caroline who is sitting on his right. He looks at her, his eyes sparkling with affection. Their eyes meet fondly. "She's no ordinary human. There's more than meets the eye to her, Kol." He takes her hand and caresses it.
Caroline flushes crimson. Her heart's pounding. Yes, she's used to receiving compliments—mostly about her appearance, but she knows she's more than just a pretty face to Klaus. That's why her heart will never get used to his flattery.
"Oh…" she whimpers all of a sudden after she shyly looks away avoiding his mesmerizing gazes. Color drains out of her face at the sight of Stefan walking in accompanied by Damon, Jeremy, and Elena. Complications! "Shall we go somewhere else now?" she suggests to her companions.
The boys sense something wrong from her strained voice. "What?" Kol inquires, turning his head to where Caroline's eyes are gazing. "Well… Well… Isn't that the guy who turned down our sister?"
She nods, staring at them.
Kol —who's oddly looking excited, drinks the last sip of his drink and places the glass on the counter. "Some pleasure, at last!" he says, getting on his feet.
Oh boy, it can't be good!
He darts towards Stefan and stands in front of him— stepping into his personal space. He studies him for a moment—making him very uncomfortable.
"You've got some nerves, I have to admit. You spurned my beautiful sister. And for what? This" He eyes Elena with a lot of loathing that she slightly confines herself, "mere mortal!"
The young blonde knows it's not the right time but she feels offended—again. What's his problem with 'mortals' anyway?
"Uhm…" Stefan tries to find his voice, looking very calm. "It's none of your business, I think! It's between me and Rebekah!"
Kol grins, a psychopathic serial killer's grin that frightens the hell out of everyone. "Perhaps I should explain how it is my business then!"
In a blink of an eye, Damon's on the floor with Kol's firm grip on his neck and knee on his gut. Stefan tries to interfere but with his free hand Kol pushes him away. "It's none of your business, I think!" He narrows his eyes, grinning again.
It looks as though he's really having fun.
Caroline jumps off her seat, shaking at the turn of events.
The situation takes a sharp turn for the worse when Kol sticks his hand inside Damon's chest aiming for his heart. "Is it your business now?" Kol inquires, his voice is terrifyingly calm.
Watching Damon getting his ass handed to him by his little brother, Klaus grins— amused apparently. Caroline glance at him bemused, her eyes widening in panic. How could he be so at ease—even pleased, seeing his brother go berserk in public?
"You people sure know how to make a one hell of a first impression!" Damon says with a strangled voice under Kol's grasp.
"Kol," out of the blue, Rebekah shows up looking very incensed. "LET HIM GO!" she growls.
.:.
At the Mikaelsons'.
"You ruined everything! That's what you always do, you bloody sabotaging yobbo!" Rebekah shouts.
"And you're the same old pathetic weeper!" Kol says, with an annoying smirk on his face.
Rebekah's eyes widen, "I'm a pathetic weeper?" She gnashes her teeth and looks around for something to throw at him. A wooden chair is what she sets her eyes on. Grabbing it quickly, she throws it at him with all her vampire strength. At that exact moment, Elijah walks into the living room. He nearly gets hit with it. Everyone sort off freeze in place. He takes a quick look around to get the situation. Caroline is terrified to some extent. Klaus, however, is amused.
Elijah draws near Caroline, "I apologize on behalf of my siblings. As you can see it's not always so peaceful in our family!"
A.N.: ok, in the name of God, can anyone explain to me how does someone ship Kol and Bonnie? I'm sorry, but I can't… I just… I don't like it! They're not fit for each other no matter how I look at it. God, I'd ship him with someone like Katherine, but not Bonnie. He deserves some one reckless, carefree. From my perspective, no one is good enough for him, so he's better off single!
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Btw, don't worry I'm not bringing Kai into the plot unfortunately. xD