KLAUS' POV
He followed the mysterious woman out onto the balcony, glancing at Caroline's sleeping figure as they passed. He shut the french doors quietly behind them in an effort not to wake her.
He walked forward out into the cool night air, leaning his back against the iron railing.
He caught the lighter Katherine tossed his way and lit his cigarette, taking a long drag.
"So", Katherine began, "How long have you been sleeping with my friend?"
Klaus choked on the smoke in his lungs, coughing and sputtering in surprise.
"Excuse me?"
"Caroline", Katherine emphasized, "You're fucking her are you not?"
Klaus was so shocked by the bluntness of her question that he stood rigid, unsure of how to process her question. When Katherine remained in front of him, arms cross and eyebrow raised, he furrowed his brows in confusion and shook his head.
"I think you have things wrong. There's nothing going on between Caroline and I."
It wasn't exactly true, but Klaus was unsure what Caroline's best friend knew about their kiss, and something told him that he wouldn't want to be the one to reveal it.
"Ah yes, you were just inspecting her hotel room...at 4am."
"She fell and hit her head, I was making sure she got home safe", he assured, taking another drag of his cigarette.
Klaus looked out upon the city, the sun slowly peaking over the horizon. Aside from a few stray cars and the occasional early runner, the city was still and quiet.
Katherine narrowed her eyes at him and he turned away from the heat of her gaze.
"Well you're something", she insisted.
"I'm her friend", he said more clearly this time.
Katherine let out a short bark of a laugh and rolled her eyes.
"What?"
She continued to laugh quietly beneath her breath, tossing her hair over her shoulder.
"What?", he asked more forcefully.
"Trust me, you're not friends."
Klaus reeled slightly at the knowing tone of her voice. Were they not? He assumed he was at least a friend to Caroline, if nothing else.
"And how do you know that?", he said, his tone a bit more biting than he had intended.
"You want to know how I know?", she asked, her tone slightly more intense, "I know, because Caroline doesn't have male friends. Tyler doesn't let her.", she took a pause to puff on her cigarette and run her eyes over his body discerningly. Her tone dripped with venom and loathing. "She's allowed Stefan, because historically, he lived on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. She's allowed Matteo, because try as I might, he play's for a different team. But you, Klaus Mikaelson...tall, attractive, rich, famous, talented...Tyler would never let Caroline get away with you...So I guess, I'm simply wondering, what's going on between you two that my best friend is so ready and willing to risk her relationship."
Klaus almost wanted to laugh at that. Risk her relationship? Hardly. He had tried. He wanted her to feel for him in the same ways he had begun to feel for her, but things weren't that easy.
"I can assure you, Caroline has been nothing but loyal to her boyfriend", he said through gritted teeth, but Katherine didn't seem to notice.
"Please", she scoffed, "You don't chain a dog up and then remark on its loyalty when it can't run away."
They sat in silence for a few more minutes, an odd sense of calm settling between the pair.
"So", she said, breaking up the quiet, "You're not sleeping with my best friend, but you want to be."
Klaus looked at her again, eyes widened. He didn't think he'd ever met anyone with quite so much gall. This woman barely knew him, and yet here she was, questioning his entire life.
She reminded him of Elijah in a sense. Her silent poise, her self-assurance...her ability to see through the bullshit...it was uncanny.
"I'm sorry Miss Pierce but I just told you your best mate has a head injury, I don't quite understand why I am the subject of your current specula-"
She slammed her palm against the railing, stamping her cigarette out in obvious frustration.
"She's in bed dipshit, sleeping. I speculated that she was safe", Katherine cut him off, "Call me Sherlock Fucking Holmes. Now, do you like Caroline or not?"
Klaus pushed himself from the balcony railing he was leaning against and settled into one of the small metal chairs. The answer was obvious but the problem remained unmitigable.
"Why does it matter?", he asked.
"Because. Because I hate Tyler Lockwood. I hate the way she notices him take his phone into the bathroom. I hate watching her give him seconds chances and I hate watching my best friend throw her life away on a little boy who treats her like a toy he can grow bored of. If it takes a hot socialite to get her to realize that? So be it. I'll be your wingman", Katherine said nonchalantly.
"You really hate this guy, don't you?", Klaus asked, gathering his leather jacket around him.
"Just as much as you do, just for different reasons", she clipped.
Did he hate Tyler Lockwood? He hated the way Caroline would flinch at loud voices. He hated the way she seemed to get quiet when he was brought up in conversation, hated the way her defenses of him seemed born out of desperation rather than determination.
Klaus pushed himself to a standing position, raising an eyebrow at her as he stomped his cigarette into the cement.
"And what reasons are those? Since you know me so well?"
He reached for the door handle, intent on leaving the balcony-turned-interrogation room behind him.
"He has what you want."
Klaus let out am audible scoff.
"I need to go."
Katherine shrugged, opening the door for him to pass.
"Fine, but I'm still your wingman."
"Goodbye", he whispered, rolling his eyes and heading towards the room's exit.
"Wingman!", she whisper shouted as he closed the hotel door behind him.
AUTHOR'S NOTE
Quick little update to see you through the week. Someone asked me to make an announcement when I update, aside from my tumblr posts I'm not too sure how to do that! Someone else asked how far into the story we are and I would say just a bit over half way. I'm trying to write more frequently now, and hope that will be reflected in my update schedule. Thank you all for the love and support. Happy reading! xx imaginelndn