I loved seeing your reaction to Caroline's decision to stop taking vervain and to the dream, I'm glad you all seemed to like it, I've had this planned for a while :)

I'm going away for a few days and wanted to post this before I left so I didn't really have time to edit, sorry for any mistakes. I'll try not to make you wait too long for the next one, but since I won't have access to a computer for almost a week and then work is gonna be crazy, I can't make any promises.

As always, big thanks to the reviewers. And to LK (sorry, can't reply to a guest) for the longest review ever lol your analysis is spot-on on most (if not all) points, I'm glad to see that what I'm trying to do seems to make sense :)

Warning: M-rated chapter

Hope you enjoy!

Chapter 20: Tonight

Tonight, tonight oh sweetheart you and I

Tonight, tonight we've got to feel alive

Cos if we ever find a way right out of here

Tonight, tonight we've gotta disappear

But it ain't easy, no it ain't easy

Darling, darling please

I ain't got long

So I need you

To believe in me

Tonight, tonight

"Can I ask you something?"

His pencil freezes on the paper, most likely because despite her best efforts, her voice came out a bit nervous, letting him know that what is coming won't be pleasant. They've been here for five days now, and though she's been making some progress with her own issues – thanks in part to that dream he gave her so that she could get some kind of closure – she hasn't been able to get him to open up. If she has to be perfectly honest with herself, she'll admit that she hasn't been trying that hard. He seems… At peace, and she didn't want to disturb it. But she also knows that it's all a front, and she hasn't been able to rid herself of the feeling that there's something not quite right with him. Not wrong, per say, just off.

Since the weather is not great today, they decided to stay inside and just relax, taking a break from their constant exploration of the area, and what better opportunity to finally start working on this than when they're both relaxed, sitting by the fire, after a meal that left them both pleasantly drowsy?

He resumes his movements after a few seconds, but she can see that his shoulders are now tense. It almost makes her reconsider, but she knows they need to talk at some point, and while it might lead to things neither of them is ready for, the topic she wants to broach today is the least harmful she could think of. They have to start somewhere.

"What is it?" he asks, his expression carefully blank.

With a deep breath, she decides to just rip off the band aid.

"Do you really have your emotions back?"

His head snaps up, drawing entirely forgotten as he focuses all of his attention on her. She swallows hard at the flash of… is that fear? – she sees in his eyes before he manages to mask it.

"Why do you ask?"

"You're kidding, right?" When he doesn't answer her rhetorical question, she sighs and bluntly states, "You haven't been yourself, Klaus."

Again, she's met only with silence, and she doesn't know what else to say to make him see what she means. Honestly, she doesn't think she needs to say anything else. She's pretty sure he knows what she's talking about, he's just trying to avoid it. And so she decides to wait, giving him some time to recover – from the fact that she's noticed and from the fact that she called him out on it.

After what seems like hours, he sets his pencil and sketchpad aside and leans forward, elbows on his knees, hands joined in front of him as he studies her.

"Yet you don't really believe that I'm emotionless."

She notes that he didn't try to refute her assumption. Maybe this conversation is going to go somewhere after all.

"No," she admits. "I know your humanity is on. I've seen it. Your reaction to the vervain thing, and that dream you gave me… I've seen glimpses of you in the past few days. But never you, not fully. Not since you attacked me right after you turned it back on. You're just…" she hesitates before settling on, "going through the motions. You're usually so intense. But lately you're…" Another pause, and a shrug. "Not."

"And why do you think that is?" he asks, seemingly intrigued at her analysis.

She's been mulling it over for a while now, and she has her suspicions.

"Because you want it that way. When Elena got her emotions back, she chose to focus on her rage only. You can't do that because you have no one to take it out on," she says, watching him carefully in case her allusion to Lyam's death and to the fact that they still have no idea who was responsible sets him off. When he doesn't react, she continues, "When my emotions came back, it was like a full-on assault, although I did manage to keep most of the pain at bay at times. I know you don't want that. I think that you're deliberately trying to stay as numb as possible, because you're afraid that once you let yourself go, it will all be too much. And I understand, I really do. There's only one thing I don't get. If you're going to try not to feel anyway, why not just turn it off again? Not that I want you to, but why try and repress those feelings, go through the trouble of controlling them, instead of just getting rid of them?"

He scoffs, and she's so taken aback by the downright scornful sound that she almost snarls at him, but all thoughts of being offended fade away when he speaks, his eyes fixing her with this intensity she hasn't seem from him in too long, his voice soft and resigned.

"You can't honestly tell me that you don't know why."

"For me," she whispers after taking a moment to compose herself.

"You sound surprised."

"I…"

"You're the one who brought me back, Caroline," he says quietly. "You're the only thing anchoring me right now. The only reason why I'm not turning it off again."

She takes a moment to process this. She knew she was playing a big part in this, but she had no idea she was the only… Although maybe it makes sense. She gets that he needs some time away from his siblings, and from his point of view, it's not hard to realize that he doesn't have anyone else.

She frowns abruptly as something occurs to her, something else that made her think he's not being himself.

"But even this, you're not letting yourself feel to its full extent. You're holding back. I can feel it. You don't…" she trails off, knowing that what she's about to say is too revealing, but he seems so open right now that she knows she can't pass up this opportunity to get through to him even if it means opening herself up more than she's ready for. "You don't look at me the way you used to."

It's true. He used to do that thing where he'd look at her and she'd forget her own name, she'd only know that she was the most important person in the world – in his world. She still sees flashes of it, but he always, always catches himself as soon as he notices he's doing it.

What seems like an eternity ago, she would have hated to admit that she misses it, that it hurts not to have that anymore. But she's come a long way.

"You're wondering why I don't take a page out of the doppelganger's book and focus on one thing only – my feelings for you – until I'm able to deal with everything else." At her nod, he averts his eyes for a moment before they come back to rest on her face. "That's because I can't, Caroline."

"Why?"

He sighs, clearly having hoped that she'd get it and he wouldn't have to say it.

"Because every time I surrender to those feelings even for the briefest of moments, they come with guilt. And guilt leads to pain."

"Guilt? But why…"

His pointed look shuts her right up, bringing back too many unwanted images. Hurtful words, fingers gripping her heart, hand wrapped around her throat, cold gaze, brunette girl, dead bodies, threats to her friends, compulsion…

He does have a lot to feel guilty for.

She knew that nothing about this would be easy, but she had hoped that he was past this at least.

"I've forgiven you," she reminds him, holding his gaze.

"I haven't," is his immediate answer.

"You're gonna have to."

He shakes his head, and for the first time since they had that talk in the bayou, she feels hopelessness creeping up on her as she considers the possibility that there might not be a way out of this. That he might never deal, that as hard as he's trying, he might never be able to fully live.

That she might fail him.

A flash of hurt almost makes her bend over in pain at that thought, and she abruptly jumps to her feet, her resolve coming back full force.

No.

Just no.

In a flash, she's in front of him and she's grabbed two handfuls of his Henley, pulling him up to his feet forcefully and pushing him hard until his back hits the wall. Now that's a nice change, being the one to slam him up against something for once. Even if the only reason she was able to do it is that he allowed it.

"You don't get to do this, Klaus. You don't get to hide behind this. This is not yours to forgive or not. I was the one who got hurt. I was the one who almost died. I was the one who cried myself to sleep. And I. Forgive. You. I. Need. You. I. Want. You."

There's more she has to say, but his mouth suddenly crashing down on hers is much more important than anything – including thinking and breathing – and the hands that were fisted in his shirt to keep him pressed up against the wall instinctively change tactics in reaction, pulling him towards her instead. Encouraged by her response, he wraps his arms around her, pulling her flush against him, and she moans in protest as the motion traps her arms between them. Wriggling them free, she slips one hand underneath his Henley and lets it rest at his waist, nails digging into his skin almost punishingly. Her other hand she buries in his hair, and she feels more than hears his strangled groan as she tilts his head to the side to deepen the kiss.

The desire coursing through her veins mixes with a feeling of power and giddiness at the thought that she finally managed to make him snap, that this kiss has as much to do with those feelings she brought back to life – at last – as it does with physical attraction.

At least she hopes it does.

The thought is like a bucket of ice water and she tears her mouth away from his, fingers still firmly entangled in his curls to hold his head back, making sure he can't dive in for another kiss.

At least not right away.

"Are you just trying to distract me?"

The laughter that escapes him at her question is breathless, almost pained, and she feels her doubts retreating. One of his hands travels up from the small of her back, glides over her shoulder and along her arm to end up at her wrist, softly making her release her hold on his hair. She allows it since he doesn't seem to be trying to fight for dominance – of the conversation or of their position – and he brings her hand to his mouth to press a kiss to her knuckles. The gesture should be sweet, but the heated look in his eyes and his tongue darting out to briefly taste her skin before he places her hand on his shoulder turn it into torturous foreplay.

"No. You just make it hard to stay in control when you have me pressed against a wall."

"Oh. Sorry about that," she says, though her smile contradicts her words. She's not the least bit sorry. "I just needed to get my point across."

He sighs, all signs of teasing leaving him in this single exhale.

"Your point is made." At her skeptical look, he insists, "It is. Intellectually at least. Emotionally, however…"

It's her turn to sigh, and she lets her head fall forward, resting her forehead on his shoulder.

"Klaus…"

"I know," he snaps. She jerks her head up to glower at him. His lips tilt upwards at her silent scolding, and he softens his voice to repeat, "I know. I'm not making this easy."

"You're really not," she confirms quietly, letting the hurt at his lack of progress seep into her voice for the first time. She's been really good at being strong and confident those past few days, but there's only so much she can take before she starts reverting back to the neurotic, insecure teenage girl who's afraid she's just not enough. Still, she makes herself smile and look into his eyes. "I get it."

"I'm sorry."

She really hopes he's apologizing for their current situation and not for what he did to her back in New Orleans, because otherwise, she's going to have to punch him. She pushes the thought aside for the time being.

"There's no dim switch, you know. I have to admire your control, but if you don't let it all out, at some point you're going to explode. That's why you had such a strong reaction when you realized I wasn't on vervain, isn't it? You're so intent on keeping your emotions at bay that when one of them manages to break through, it's overwhelming."

He seems to hesitate before he gives her a nod. She can read the apology clear as day in his eyes, how he wishes it weren't so, how he wants to be able to heal, how sorry he is for what he's putting her through, but also how he just doesn't know how else to act.

And she makes a split second decision.

Feeling is too hard, not feeling is not an option, and feeling only a little isn't getting him anywhere… Well, she can take care of that. Make sure that feeling is not that hard. That he starts associating the notion with good things again instead of heartbreak, pain and misery.

Although really, it's also self-serving. They both need the reminder.

Disregarding her previous resolution, she closes the gap between them, capturing his bottom lip between hers and giving a soft tug before leaning back, her intentions more than clear in the way she's looking up at him through half-closed eyes. She feels his body shake with the deep breath he takes then, and he leans down to steal his own quick, sweet kiss before resting his forehead against hers. When he speaks, his voice is so low that she's not sure she could have heard him without her vampire senses.

"I was under the impression that you wanted to avoid this, at least for now."

"I did. I just… I need this. We both do."

"Pity sex?" he asks, leaning back a little, but before she can scold him for the assumption, she sees the glint in his eyes, a flash of genuine humor she hasn't seen in way too long, and she knows he understands exactly what she's trying to do here.

This is why, instead of berating him for immediately jumping to the worst possible conclusion, she corrects quietly, "Comfort sex." At his raised eyebrow, her lips curl up into a small smile and she adds, "And well, just sex sex, because let's be honest, I spent the past few days trying not to jump you, and…"

She squeals when he crushes her to him. Before she can blink, he's reversed their positions, trapping her between the wall and his body, and he's slipped a knee between her legs to nudge them open. Her mouth falls open on a silent 'oh' as the mood shifts from unsure and light to hot and tense in the span of a heartbeat, and her head falls back against the wall when he buries his face in the crook of her neck and presses a single kiss right above her pulse point. The touch is barely more than a ghost of a caress. She whimpers in protest when he pulls back, but he doesn't relent, raising his head to look her in the eye. She sees the question in his gaze and she nods, her hands traveling up to cup his face. She brings her mouth as close to his as possible without actually touching and whispers against his lips.

"Don't think. Just feel."

The growl that escapes him at that is barely human, and it sends a jolt of excitement throughout her body. She barely has time to register it before his mouth covers hers, his tongue begging for entrance at the first contact. She happily grants it, moaning when his grip on her waist tightens and he lifts her up. Taking the hint, she wraps her legs around him, her hands resting on his shoulders as he devours her. His kiss is hot and hard and rough and demanding, and she gives as good as she gets, matching him stroke for stroke, pulling him to her, letting her hands wander all over his back. Still it's not enough and soon she needs to feel his skin against her. Her fingers claw at his back, trying to pull his Henley up. He seems to get the message, because he lets go of her lips just long enough to help her get rid of it. Then his mouth is back on hers, though it's not half as insistent as before, his movements softer and less frenzied, and his hands slip underneath her sweater. To her surprise, they don't travel any higher, he just leaves them at her waist, holding her up. Without breaking the kiss, she grabs one of his wrists and guides his hand to her breast, needing his touch so badly that she doesn't care how desperate it makes her look. She can feel his smile against her lips before he tears himself away from her, murmuring against her ear.

"I'm going to need you to slow down, love."

Slowing down is the furthest thing from her mind right now, especially when he starts trailing butterfly kisses along the column of her neck.

"Why?" she manages to moan more or less coherently in spite of the delicious things his lips and tongue and – fuck – teeth are doing to her.

"Because I seem to remember saying something about worshipping every single inch of you."

"It's not our first time, Klaus," she reminds him with a breathless laugh, remembering their conversation that night in his room.

"Isn't it?" he replies quietly, his voice and eyes serious as he pulls back just enough to look at her.

Her own expression softens and she gives him a smile even as she swallows hard at the emotion there.

"Alright, maybe it kind of is."

He nods at her surrender.

"Then let me."

With that, he disentangles her legs from around him, setting her back on her feet, and he holds out his hand. She takes it without hesitation, still somewhat surprised at the new mood, but willing to let him lead this dance – for now, she thinks with a wicked smirk. He leads them to her bedroom, his pace human instead of the vamp-speed she had expected. Not that she's going to complain when it gives her ample time to ogle his back, the way his muscles ripple with the simple motion of walking doing nothing to quench the need his kisses have awakened.

Once they're standing beside her bed, he motions for her to raise her arms. She does, and he circles her so that he's standing behind her. He slowly peels her sweater away from her, fingers brushing her skin along the way, making goosebumps appear in their wake. She instinctively leans back to seek his warmth, the temptation of his bare skin too hard to resist, but he presses his palm flat between her shoulder blades to keep her in place. It seems he has other plans for her. However, though she's agreed to letting him take his time, it doesn't mean she's going to make this easy on him, not when she craves his touch so much. She reaches behind her and unhooks her bra.

"Minx."

She smiles when he caves and his hand travels down her spine to stop at the small of her back, the other one settling on her shoulder, fingers slipping beneath the strap of her bra and sliding it down her arm. He repeats the motion on the other side, leaving her upper body completely bare. She holds her breath as she waits for his next move, only releasing it when he steps forward, his chest coming in contact with her back as his arms encircle her.

"Klaus," she sighs, letting her head fall back against his shoulder.

Taking that as an invitation, he attaches his lips to her neck and sucks hard, making her gasp in both surprise and pleasure. Her hands find his where they're resting against her stomach, looking for something to hold on to. He holds her closer in answer, and she closes her eyes when she feels him hard and hot behind her.

"God I've missed this."

"I know," he actually chuckles, and she frowns in confusion, not getting the joke, until she remembers how many times she had to fight down her arousal over the past few days and she groans in embarrassment.

"I hate wolf senses."

She feels him smile against her shoulder.

"Nothing to be ashamed of, love. It's quite flattering, although bad for my own control, I'll admit."

His mouth leaves her skin, but before she can protest, he lowers it again, on the other side of her neck this time, and he starts placing open-mouthed kisses everywhere he can reach.

He delicately disentangles their fingers, his closing around her wrists to bring her arms to her sides, leaving her torso bare for his exploration. And he takes full advantage of it, hands wandering across her stomach and chest while carefully avoiding her most sensitive areas. His lips never stop their ministrations, and she hums in approval, desire spreading through every nerve ending in her body.

When she can't take it anymore – being passive is not exactly in her nature – she raises her arm up behind her, buries her fingers in his hair, and tilts her head to the side, begging for a kiss. He obliges, and the moment their lips meet, he slips his hand beneath the waistband of her pants and panties. She bucks against him when warm fingers find her center and tease her already wet folds, and he moans in response, his kiss getting harder and hotter. When his thumb finds her clit, she breaks the kiss, unable to keep concentrating on his lips when his hand is working her so skillfully. He slips two fingers inside her and immediately starts thrusting, his motions fast and rough, a complete opposite of the way he's been treating her since he asked her to slow down. The contrast brings her to the edge in minutes, and she starts panting when his other hand applies more pressure against her stomach so that she can feel his length firmly pressed behind her.

"Oh God, Klaus. Yes. Don't stop."

"Wouldn't dream of it, love," he whispers next to her ear.

And then his teeth nibble on her earlobe just as his fingers pinch her nipple and his thumb presses hard on her clit, and she comes, his name the only word she can form. He works her through her orgasm, his movements getting slower until he can feel her coming down.

Once she's regained her senses, she doesn't give him time to follow through on whatever plans he has for her, turning in his arms and pushing him back until his knees hit the bed. She uses her vampire speed to rid him of his pants and underwear, then she pushes him again so that he has to lie down on the mattress.

"Caroline," he protests half-heartedly when her fingers wrap around him.

His objection is kind of lost to her since he's also bucking into her hand, seeking her touch just like she sought his before.

"Shut up. It's my turn."

"So bossy," he comments with a throaty chuckle.

She would answer, only her mouth is otherwise occupied. She can hear him hiss as she presses a kiss against his cock and she raises her eyes to meet his, having no doubt that he's watching her. She gives him a devilish smile before lowering her head once again and taking him in her mouth, lips closing around him, tongue teasing his tip. His hips give a little jerk in spite of his attempts to control himself and she hums her approval around him.

She doesn't want him in control. That's the whole point.

She takes him in as far as she can, relishing in the low sounds that fall from his lips as his hands clench into fists by his sides. She brings her own hand to the base of his cock, stroking him in time with the motions of her mouth, her head bobbing up and down.

She doesn't want to torture him for too long – not this time – and so her movements quickly go from slow to insistent, her cheeks hollowing as she sucks hard to increase the pressure. A string of barely audible curses escapes him, making her insides clench with need in spite of her recent release. She's noticed he tends to be quite vocal during sex, but it's usually more along the lines of describing everything he wants to do to her and riling her up with promises. His incoherent swearing is unusual and – damn – one hell of a turn-on. Her own moans seem to have the same effect on him, his hand letting go of the sheet to bury itself in her hair. She can feel him trying to resist the temptation of guiding her, his fingers twitching in his efforts not to just start thrusting up into her mouth or to bring her head down on him harder. Her hand finds his and press down hard, encouraging him to apply as much pressure as he wants.

He lets go then, his mumbled "God, Caroline" sounding loudly in her ears as he starts fucking her mouth. It takes her a minute to adjust to the new rhythm, his motions making her throat work hard to keep up with him, but damn if it's not one of the most erotic things she's ever done, seen and heard.

She's always been a giving lover, bringing pleasure to a partner has always made her feel good and proud of herself, but this is so much more. Empowering and arousing and addicting. Knowing that she's doing this to him, that he needs her just as much as she needs him, that her touch can bring him to this state, it's… incredible.

After God knows how long, she feels a shift in his actions. She growls in protest when his fingers stop guiding her and try to get her to raise her head instead.

"Love, stop, I…"

She swats his hand away, making her intentions clear and doing her best to keep up with the rhythm he set for her. She can feel his hesitation, but he ends up surrendering. He leans back, his hand returning to the back of her head, unmoving this time, and she picks up her pace, knowing how close he is. It doesn't take long for his release to hit him, and when it does, she's prepared. She swallows as he thrusts a few more times, the taste of him sending another jolt of excitement between her legs. Once he's completely spend, she lets go of him and lazily gives a few more licks, unwilling to part from him yet. She starts kissing her way up his torso, feeling her face turn as her need starts to overwhelm her. When she reaches his neck, she raises her head to meet his eyes, fangs protruding in spite of her attempts to control herself. She doesn't even get a chance to ask him for permission – no matter what he said while they were emotionless, they now have their humanity back and blood sharing is significant enough that she feels the need to ask for their "first time" – his hand finds the back of her head once more, cradling it so that he can nudge her toward his neck, signaling his approval. She places a kiss there before diving in.

"Caroline," he whispers when she pierces his skin, his voice raw and low as she starts drinking, his blood mixing with the remnants of his orgasm on her tongue.

She feels it then, not just the amazing taste and the satisfaction of a physical need, but the emotional connection she's heard so much about, the intimacy of the act, the link growing stronger between them, the gratitude at his sharing something so personal with her, the need to do the same for him.

His hand is travelling slowly up and down her back while she feeds, fingers both teasing and tender, making her shiver under the gentle touch. She mumbles his name against his skin and he sighs in response, the motion making her smile when her own body, resting on top of his, follows it.

She stops drinking, licking away the few drops that have escaped her, before finally looking at him.

"This is not what I had planned," he comments drily with a glance down his body to make his point.

She grins.

"If past experiences are anything to go by, I have no doubt you'll recover quickly enough to follow through on your plan."

"In the meantime…"

Instead of finishing his sentence, he flips them over and rids her of her pants and underwear in one fluid motion. Before she has a chance to react, his tongue is suddenly slipping between her folds and her back arches off the bed in shock.

"Klaus!"

He hums against her, the vibrations felt throughout her body. It's now her turn to bury her fingers in his hair as he brings her to the edge once more, his mouth working her expertly until she's sure he's purposefully trying to drive her crazy… And succeeding. He doesn't let her fall over, just builds her orgasm up and slows down when he knows she's close, only to attach his lips to her clit once she's come down enough. She's bucking wildly against him, seeking more, her body begging him even when her mouth refuses to. At long last, he takes pity on her, though it doesn't take the form she was expecting. His mouth leaves her and she whimpers when cold air hits her instead, but she doesn't get a chance to get too upset, because Klaus is climbing up her body and suddenly he's buried deep inside her and she gasps in pleasure. She hadn't even noticed he'd grown hard again, but God, is she glad he has!

"Look at me, love."

She opens her eyes – not that she remembers closing them – to meet his and her breath catches at everything she reads there. He gives her a tight smile, more than likely uncomfortable with his own openness, and she feels her heart give a hard thud as she realizes that he's finally letting himself feel.

She doesn't think words would do this moment justice, so she raises her hands to cup his cheeks and pull him down to her, kissing him with all the emotions neither of them is ready to voice yet, trying to pour it all through her lips and tongue and teeth. He replies in kind, his mouth never leaving hers even as he flips them over so that she's on top, him sitting up and keeping her close against him, their chests in close contact. He starts thrusting up into her. She ends up breaking their kiss to lean back, seeking more leverage to meet his hips. His mouth attaches itself to her neck and she waits in anticipation for his fangs to break her skin.

He doesn't do it though, not yet.

She was so close that it only takes a few minutes for her to fall over the edge. She screams his name when her orgasm hits her and she clings to him, legs tightening around his hips and arms encircling his shoulders as the waves of pleasure threaten to drown her. She freezes for a minute but he keeps moving against her, his thrusts now slow and shallow as he helps her ride through it and come down from her high. But after a moment, he seems to snap and his motions get rougher, drawing a surprised groan from her when sparks of pleasure start shooting through her again at his loss of control.

"Fuck, Klaus, wait, I… Again. Can you…"

He instantly stops moving and she almost protests, but then she feels him resting his forehead against her shoulder and taking a few deep, shaky breaths and she realizes that he miraculously understood what she was trying to say and that he's trying to hold back for her. It doesn't take him long to win the fight over his own needs, and when he does, he switches their position again. She finds herself on her back and he raises himself up on his forearms to be able to pound into her – hard. Her hands find his arms to hold onto, her legs still holding him in a vice-like grip, her body instinctively following his as she chases after her third orgasm. Her nails dig into his skin and he bites his lip.

"Caroline, love, I need you to come now."

She nods desperately and releases her hold on one of his biceps, hand travelling down her body and finding her clit. She rubs herself frantically and sees his gaze following her, mesmerized by her motions and the sight of their joined bodies as he keeps thrusting harder and faster and deeper. There's a flash of yellow in his irises that makes her clench around him and he swears, bringing his eyes back to her face only to see her purposefully bite her lip hard enough to draw blood. He growls when the scent hits him and she gives him a wicked smile as his hybrid features emerge.

There's no hesitation before his fangs find her neck, her invitation was clear enough. The pain of his bite barely registers with her, quickly chased away by satisfaction as he starts sucking hard on the wound.

That's when she shatters.

You'd think that she would be sated enough that this last orgasm would be less powerful.

It's not.

Whether it's because of the emotional connection of blood sharing, or the combination of her previous releases, or the feeling of him finally loosing himself in her as he falls apart in her arms, or simply a physical reaction to his touch, when she reaches her peak, there's nothing she can do but hold onto him and hope that she's not just going to pass out from too much pleasure.

She's honestly not sure if she does or not. She regains her senses just in time to feel Klaus collapse on top of her. She welcomes his weight, her arms wrapping around him and her hands running up and down his back, unwilling to let go yet. He hums against her neck, the sound satisfied and grateful as she soothes him, and she feels him press a kiss against the spot he bit, making sure the wound is healed. A smile stretches her lips at the thoughtful gesture, and she in turn kisses his shoulder – the only part of him she can reach, really.

He's the first to find the will to move, pushing himself off of her just enough to stop crushing her but not so far that their bodies aren't touching anymore. He seems to be searching her face for something, but she's not sure what. Regret, maybe?

Just in case, she smiles at him and raises her head to meet his lips, giving him a sweet kiss before letting her head fall back against the pillow.

"Ok, so… Still kind of compatible," she says lightly once she regains her voice. "That's good to know."

A laugh escapes him at that, both surprised and amused, and he shakes his head at her.

"I had forgotten your penchant for understatement," he comments before rolling off of her.

They both wince as he slips out of her, and he immediately gathers her in his arms, legs tangling together, bodies staying as close as possible. She lets one of her hands rest against his chest, feeling his heartbeat gradually returning to normal, in time with her own. He presses a kiss to her forehead, but doesn't say anything. She responds by burrowing deeper into his embrace and he throws the sheet over them, feeling her relax in his arms. She's asleep in minutes.

He wards off sleep for a while, but his exhaustion – both physical and emotional after everything Caroline managed to bring to the surface tonight – ends up winning the fight and he dozes off, deciding that worrying about where they're supposed to go from here can wait until tomorrow.

TBC…