Day 14 - College
Her last week of college before graduation, Caroline felt restless. She had already completed her exams, packed up her apartment to move, and sent in her hiring paperwork for her new job in New York. Her to-do list was finished, and Caroline Forbes had nothing left to do.
Despairing on the lawn chair she had left in her living room after shipping most of her belongings to her new place, Caroline's phone refused to beep with incoming texts. Her friends were all studying, and her draconic tutoring style made her persona non grata in their various cram sessions. She was about to text Rebekah again, but a knock on the door temporarily saved her bestie from dealing with her stir-craziness.
"Please be Bekah," she called playfully before throwing open her door, only to find a different Mikaelson leaning on the threshold.
"Sorry, love," Klaus answered with a smirk. "Will the favorite brother suffice?"
Caroline's mouth opened and shut with a snap, not entirely confident that whatever words tumbling out would have been polite. The shock alone was enough to rattle her, but the fact that Klaus was smirking at her like that chilled her bones in a much different way. Her instinctual habit of rudely dismissing him would have been not only rude, but also counter productive given the massive crush she had been nursing the last four years.
Rebekah had been the best (and worst) roommate she could have asked for her freshman year. Their similarities in personality and fashion sense had pitted them against each other, until they realized they made much better teammates than enemies. This was especially true when it came to boys, and their best friend status was cemented after Rebekah threw her drink in Damon Salvatore's face when he questioned Caroline's presence at his frat's party.
Over the course of their friendship, though, Rebekah had made it very clear that Caroline ought to avoid the Mikaelson brothers. The girls had a good thing going, and neither of them wanted it ruined by lusty feelings gone bad. Kol was easy enough to put on the "no" pile anyway; his penchant for rude innuendo and bad pick up lines made for a good wingman, but a terrible boyfriend. Elijah was the utmost gentleman, the thorough politeness too boring for the snarky Caroline.
Klaus almost became Caroline's exception to the "no Mikaelsons" rule.
Four years older, he worked for some corporate firm in Washington, D.C. He really only made it home to visit his siblings in Richmond, where Caroline and Rebekah attended UVA. His visits were always enjoyable, though, and fraught with flirtatious banter when Caroline was around. She wasn't sure if it started with the intention of pissing off Rebekah (Caroline was not going to question their odd sibling dynamics), but Klaus had always seemed to genuinely care and enjoy her wit, too.
It was never going to go anywhere, but it was nice to think of the "What if?"
Then, the "What if" showed up on her doorstep.
"Klaus," she stammered out a greeting, stepping aside so he could enter the bare apartment. "What are you doing here?"
"Bekah texted, saying that you were completely distracting her in your boredom," he explained, sending her a mock, accusatory stare. "I'm supposed to take you off her hands."
"She sent you," Caroline asked, completely confused. "But why?"
Klaus just shrugged. "I had some time off work, and there are worse ways to spend a week," he answered. "She also sent a gift, apparently to give you something to do when she knew you'd be done with everything."
Rolling her eyes, Caroline took the spiral notebook of index cards from him. "I don't need a babysitter," she said petulantly, a little embarrassed that Klaus was witness to her neurotic tendencies. "What is this?"
"I was under strict instructions not to look at it," he answered, holding up his hands defensively.
Slightly distracted by the Henley shifting as he moved his arms, Caroline tried to focus on the first index card in the roll. "The Caroline Forbes, Get the Hell Off My Back and Find a Life While I Finish Finals, You're Done with College Bucket List," she read aloud, smiling at Rebekah's rambling title. Below, there were numbered instructions.
"One, you must finish these tasks in order (no peeking!) before graduating Friday evening. Two, keep Nik with you. I already dragged him into town but I can't give him my attention, and you'll need the company. And make him pay for everything, he can afford it. New York's expensive, and I need you to save your money. I'm not visiting you in a shoebox apartment. Three, take pictures so I can better visualize when you tell me all about this AFTER FINALS. Four, don't text me, I'll text you. I'm studying."
Klaus laughed, clearly not surprised at his sister's bossiness. "Leave it to Bekah to make you have fun," he said.
Caroline smiled, loving the consideration that her friend had put into this project. She looked up a little sheepishly, though. "You don't have to do this with me," she said. "I'm sure you have better things to do."
"You read the rules, love," Klaus pointed out with a wink. "I'm supposed to keep you honest. Who knows? We may even enjoy ourselves."
Noting the suggestive tone in his voice, Caroline fidgeted uncomfortably. "Look, Klaus," she said slowly. She wanted to make herself clear without also making everything worse. "I'm graduating in five days, then moving to New York for my first, big-girl job. Bekah is likely the best friend I'm ever going to have, which this bucket list will probably prove. I don't want to throw her friendship away for a fling with you."
"I don't want a fling with you either, sweetheart," Klaus promised without hesitation.
Caroline deflated a little at his automatic denial. She meant she wasn't willing to do the casual sex thing for a few days. Not only would she be risking Rebekah's wrath, but she also really liked Klaus. To be reduced to a casual fuckbuddy to him would devastate Caroline. He just confirmed that she wouldn't even get that because he didn't want her at all.
Instead, Caroline hid her slight emotional turmoil and nodded quickly. "Great," she said, fake smile beaming. "Then we've got a bucket list to get through."
"Can't wait, love," Klaus answered, warmth and excitement in his eyes. His apparent joy at tackling this list with her was enough to lift her spirits and turn her fake smile into a smaller, but more genuine one.
10. Go to that seafood restaurant north of town that scared you with all the aquariums full of "fresh fish" to eat. Order the menu item that scares you the most.
"No," Caroline said right as the waiter set her plate in front of her. "I can't."
The waiter was about to apologize and take back the plate, but Klaus waved him off. "She's fine, thank you," he said, looking back at Caroline. "The rules, sweetheart."
Sighing, Caroline nodded to the waiter. "Thank you," she said, dismissing him before looking back to her plate. "They couldn't have disguised it a little better?"
The octopus tentacles were artfully placed and tucked around each other, but it looked no more appetizing to her than the live octopus sitting in the tank next to their table.
"I think that defeats the purpose," Klaus pointed out, ready to dig into his own plate.
"That's easy for you to say," Caroline argued. "You can't even tell you're eating pufferfish, it just looks like fish slices."
Klaus shrugged. "That's the game," he said simply. There was still an evil glint in his eye as he took his first bite.
Caroline winced. "Are you dying? I know you chose it because it's supposed to be poisonous if handled wrong, but seriously, I can't have you dying on my watch, or Bekah will come after me next."
Chewing his bite amusedly, Klaus just smirked. "It's good," he said after swallowing. "And no, not dead. Your turn."
Looking back at her plate, Caroline's pout gave way to stern determination. She sawed her way to spear just a tip of the first tentacle, sticking it into her mouth before she could chicken out.
"And," Klaus asked, prodding her to react with more than the blank expression she wore. She had put up such a fight just to order, he was apparently proud to see her accomplishing her task.
"It's chewy," she answered, looking unsure. "But it didn't taste bad, kind of lemony."
Klaus smiled at her triumphantly, picking up his phone to take a picture of her with her plate. "Smile, love."
9. Nik pissed me off last month when he told Kol about my brief affair with Stefan. Kol still teases me about that wretched Gilbert girl Stefan's dating now, so Nik must be punished. Put together the worst movie marathon you can think of using only his Netflix account. I want his suggested options section RUINED.
Caroline laughed out loud reading it, passing it off for Klaus to read himself. Groaning, Klaus shook his head. "I thought he already knew," he defended. "It was ages ago."
"But Stefan's the one who got away from her," Caroline said understandingly. "Even though she's totally happy with Enzo now, Stefan will always be a bit of a bruise for her." Caroline could relate, her bruise was so fresh, it was standing right next to her. "But I have no comfortable furniture left at my apartment, I'm in a sleeping bag on the floor."
"I have a hotel room," Klaus offered simply, no hint of suggestion there. "Will that be comfortable enough?"
Caroline knew money wasn't a problem for any of the Mikaelsons, but Klaus seemed to be doing especially well for himself. The room he had just for a visit with his siblings was gorgeous, though the king-size bed was all Caroline could focus on.
He had already connected his laptop to the TV, moving to the couch so he could pull up the selections.
"Just find the first ABC family movie and hit play," she said, sitting next to him. "That should fit Bekah's instructions."
Three inane movies later, Caroline was fast asleep against his shoulder. Klaus had known that Rebekah was up to something, but the fact that she had orchestrated this whole thing and led them to this point made him suspicious. They had joked throughout their marathon, learning bits and pieces about each other.
"Someone Like You" had her questioning why relationships can't be as simple as a dating formula. During "My Fake Fiancé," he actually opened up about his own failed engagement. She went easy on him for the last movie, one of her favorites he actually enjoyed. Of course, she had seen "Wet Hot American Summer" so many times that she had no problem falling asleep before the talent show.
Klaus couldn't bring himself to be annoyed, though. Instead, he carefully picked her up to place her in the bed.
"Klaus," she asked groggily. "Is the movie over?"
"Yes, love," he answered with a soft grin. "But get some sleep. We have eight more cards to get through this week."
"Okay," she yawned, immediately rolling over and falling back asleep as he covered her. The sundress she was in ought to be comfortable enough, so Klaus didn't feel bad about not offering her pajamas.
Smiling at the blonde curls splayed everywhere, Klaus turned off the lights and made himself comfortable next her. It was a big bed, he rationalized, and they were just sleeping.
8. Visit the odd ice cream shop downtown and order the strangest flavor they have that day. Switch your cones without telling the other what it is.
"It's nine in the morning," Klaus complained as Caroline dragged him down the sidewalk. "I don't want ice cream, I want breakfast."
"According to your sister, this is breakfast," Caroline pointed out. "And we're already on number eight, and it's only Tuesday. The faster we get through the cards, the sooner I'm out of your hair."
She had been embarrassed to wake up in Klaus's bed, clearly having made herself at home in his hotel room. He didn't seem to mind, but she felt terrible at the imposition.
"This is fun, love," Klaus insisted, resigning himself to an inappropriate breakfast treat. "And I'm glad you didn't have to sleep on your floor last night."
Caroline shrugged, pushing her way into the ice cream shop Rebekah had chosen. "Then, thank you, I guess," she said quickly, not wanting to dwell on the fact she had slept with Klaus last night. The blush overtaking her face was just a result of accidentally brushing by Klaus too closely in the doorway, not the way she had wished the night before might have ended differently. "Now, pick a flavor."
They decided the best way to choose would be to share their assignment with the worker and ignore the ice cream names. She ended up ordering a white ice cream with something crunchy inside and a brown sauce for Klaus. He chose something absurdly green for her. Silently daring each other to go first, they ended up taking their first tastes at the same time.
"Mmm," they both hummed.
"That's delicious," Caroline said happily, taking a small bite of hers. "It's minty, but it reminds me of guacamole."
"It's avocado mint and sour cream," the worker said, glad she enjoyed it. A lot of people were turned off by the sour cream moniker. "And yours is-"
"Bourbon," Klaus answered in a pleasantly surprised voice.
"And cornflakes," the guy added. "I hope you all enjoy."
They took their cones outside, walking as they finished their treats. "See," Caroline crowed, "ice cream for breakfast isn't that bad."
"No," he said, taking her elbow nudge gracefully. "It really isn't."
Tuesday included two more cards. They had to spend the afternoon in the Virginia Museum for the Fine Arts, which Klaus loved as a huge art nerd. However, Rebekah wrote that Caroline had to give a tour without looking at the information at all, and Klaus wasn't allowed to correct her. In fact, he wasn't allowed to talk about art, period. He took the admonishment for his "smug arse artist" personality and mulishly kept quiet throughout Caroline's interpretations of the works.
Their evening entertainment was a go-kart place with an arcade. Rebekah was worried that Caroline would miss driving when she moved to New York, so she wanted to get her crazy driving antics out before she gets there. Klaus kicked her ass at skee-ball, but she had the edge in the basketball shooting game. They had so much fun, Caroline almost forgot why Klaus was stuck with her in the first place.
After accepting his offer to stay with him again (those hotel pillows were comfortable), Caroline woke up ready to face their next challenge. They spent almost the entire day at the Kings Dominion theme park, accomplishing the goals of three cards. They rode the biggest roller coasters, even though Klaus hated them. They took pictures with all the character mascots they could find, with the added trouble of doing specific poses.
"I'm not proposing to Snoopy," Klaus said, drawing his line in the sand for ridiculousness.
Caroline just shrugged and dropped to her knee instead. "Women can propose, too, ass."
Their third card that day took them to the Ferris Wheel, where Rebekah said they couldn't talk, play with their phones, or anything until they reached the top. Then, Caroline had to turn to the penultimate card, which was cramped with Rebekah's loopy cursive.
2. Caroline, don't read this out loud. I know I've thrown fits in the past and given plenty of speeches about your flirtation with Nik. But, I know you, and I'm pretty sure you like him with real feelings, the kind that can scare us. I love you, and I love Nik, and I feel the need to tell you that Klaus likes you, too. He only admitted it to me when I found a sketchbook full of your face, and I've never seen him like this with anyone. And before you freak about New York and long distance, the asshat probably hasn't told you he's been transferred to his firm's New York office. You've done so much, Caroline, and you're set for a whole new adventure. I just wanted you to know that Klaus can be part of that adventure, if you want. My last final is Friday morning, but I have a feeling you won't be able to tear yourself away from my brother until your graduation. Enzo and I will be there to cheer you on and take you out to dinner after. Take this for what you will, but if I'm right about you and Nik, turn the card and let him read the last one without telling him anything (and for the record, I don't need pics of what happens next). I love you, and happy graduation! Bex
Mouth open in surprise, Caroline just looked up at Klaus. He looked expectant, wondering why she hadn't read the card out loud. His dimples were so deep, though, with how wide his smile was.
Caroline took a minute to process. Klaus was moving to New York, and Rebekah somehow thought he liked her.
"I don't want a fling with you either, sweetheart," he had said.
Was that supposed to be a clue? Because she had seriously misread it, if it were.
Taking a deep breath, Caroline turned the card quickly and passed the packet to Klaus. Brows furrowed in confusion, Klaus looked down to read the card. His head snapped up, the expression on his face more intense than anything Caroline had ever seen from him. He immediately moved to her seat and pulled her into an earth-shattering kiss, the effects of which were no less heightened by the rocking of the cart.
By how fast he moved, Caroline had expected the kiss to be rough and a little messy. Instead, his lips moved gently with hers, the kiss deep and slow. They were lost in the moment as fingers explored skin and curls.
She hadn't realized they made it back down to the ground until the attendant opened their gate and coughed. Embarrassed at their intertwined bodies on the seat, Caroline giggled a little hysterically. Klaus just grabbed her hand and the index cards, leading her out to solid ground.
"What did your card even say to cause that," Caroline asked with a breathless smile, wondering what Rebekah could have written to inspire such immediate action.
Wrapping an arm around Caroline's waist, he handed her the cards. He kissed her temple as they walked away, the park warning visitors that it was time to leave. "Read for yourself, love," he answered cheekily, seemingly content to keep her close.
1. Kiss her, you asshat. Don't screw it up.
Caroline giggled as they walked, talking the whole way about how their feelings had developed and why they were so reserved. When they made it back to his hotel, though, Caroline felt much more comfortable spending the night. And all of the next day.
Years later, they still hadn't lived down Rebekah's gloating over finally getting them together. She demanded full credit.