That was quicker than expected!
Here's another M-rated chapter. I haven't written smut entirely from a guy's POV in a while, I hope it's okay. Thank (or blame) Bryan Adam's If You Wanna Be Bad, Maroon 5's Secret, and Hooverphonic's Mad About You for that scene, they're 3 of my top slow-sexy songs :)
As usual, thanks for reading and reviewing!
We're nearing the end of the story. I'm thinking 4-5 chapters and an epilogue. Which means it's time for you to tell me if there's something you'd like to see before the end. If it doesn't clash with what I have planned, I'll try to sneak it in.
Chapter 27: Wash my hands
Wash my hands, of crimes
Pour the water over, my skin, my spine
Cleanse my soul and ease my mind
I've been fixed on all the damage done
Why do I always forget how far I've come?
I'm done dying for the past
I'm done dying for the past
Say all's forgiven now
Let's call it even, shall we?
Given the crushing hug Stefan gives her as soon as she steps out of the car, she thinks that maybe Klaus' joke about her best friend finding some white oak if they'd waited any longer may not have been a joke after all. Chuckling at his behavior as well as at her own happiness at seeing him, she pulls back after a while to see Rebekah rolling her eyes at them. Ignoring her, she focuses back on Stefan. Noting the concerned look he's wearing and suspecting she knows why it's there, she decides to lighten the mood before they have to dive into the heavy stuff.
"Jeez, Stef, I think you broke a rib or two."
"I know it's only been a few weeks, but I missed you. How was Peru?"
She shares a quick, knowing glance with Klaus before answering.
"It was perfect. But that's not what you want to talk about, is it?"
"No," he sighs.
"Come on," she says, motioning for him to follow her back to her room, where they can have some semblance of privacy.
It won't keep the others from hearing their conversation, but it will shield them from their intrusive glares. Once they're both sitting on her bed, Stefan propped up against the headboard and Caroline facing him with her legs crossed and her hands in her lap, she ventures a guess.
"Elena called you."
"She did. She's not too happy with Klaus. Or you."
"I'm shocked," she deadpans. "What did she tell you?"
"Well, not quite sure I got the whole story between the sobs and the cursing, but it seems your boyfriend compelled Damon to stay away from her."
She scrunches her nose at the word boyfriend. It seems rather immature to describe what she has with Klaus, but now is not the time to point this out, especially given that she has no alternative to offer.
"He did. I tried to change his mind, but…"
"But he's a stubborn bastard."
They both hear Klaus' undignified snort at that, shooting the hope that he might not be listening in to hell, and Caroline giggles.
"Yep."
"So he knows. About you and Damon."
Her lighthearted mood instantly forgotten, Caroline tilts her head to the side.
"Kind of. Not the whole thing. But he will. Soon."
"Do I need to prepare for my brother's funeral?"
"No," she promises. "Just keep Elena calm while Klaus and I figure this out, alright? I don't think she wants to talk to me, does she?" Stefan's wince is all the answer she needs and she sighs. "Things were easier when I hated him."
"Things haven't been easy for a while, then, have they?"
She pokes her tongue out at him in retaliation for his perceptiveness, but he just laughs. The sound startles her. She knows Stefan is always on her side, no matter what, knows it with a certainty she wishes she could apply to every single aspect of her life, but she wasn't expecting him to be so… relaxed about things.
"You're not mad?"
"Not really. I mean, I am, but I get it. It was high time Damon paid."
"Not you too!" she exclaims. "It's in the past, Stefan, you know that."
"Doesn't excuse what he did."
"So you're just… okay with this?" she asks incredulously.
"Of course not. I don't want Elena to get hurt, and she's hurting now. Besides, Klaus may not care about the consequences, but I do."
"Consequences?" she repeats, at a loss.
"How do you think Damon's going to react, Care?" Stefan asks slowly, like he doesn't really want her to have to think about it. "Don't you remember what happened the last time he thought he and Elena were over?"
Oh.
She hadn't considered that.
Well… Fuck.
A few months after graduation, Damon and Elena decided that they were bad for each other and broke things off. Caroline knows that the trail of bodies he left in his wake before they got back together still weighs heavily on Elena's mind. Heavily enough that she apparently mentioned it to Stefan, who wasn't there to witness it at the time.
Klaus may have compelled Damon not to turn off his humanity, but the eldest Salvatore doesn't need to be emotionless to be murderous.
"Damn it!" she mutters, more convinced than ever that she needs to figure out how to change Klaus' mind.
As if Damon and Elena suffering because of her wasn't enough, now she has to deal with innocent people dying while Stefan's brother expresses his pain the only way he knows how?
"Yeah," Stefan nods, and they both lapse into silence, considering their options. When it becomes obvious that no magical solution is going to occur to them today, Stefan decides to change the subject. "So, tell me about Peru."
Caroline's answer is cut short with a firm knock on her door and she rolls her eyes, already knowing who is on the other side. He still waits for her to invite him in before pushing the door open, which kind of surprises her, when it really shouldn't.
"Sorry to cut the reunion short, mate," Klaus tells Stefan, "But I just had an interesting conversation with my brother and I'm going to need Caroline."
The blonde vampire opens her mouth to ask questions, but Stefan just nods and gets up, and she gets the impression that he already knows what this is about. Huh. She should have kept an ear out for what was happening downstairs, she hates not being in the know. Once her friend has left and closed the door behind him, she motions for the hybrid to come sit next to her, but he chooses to stand by the window instead.
"What's going on?"
"It seems my absence had some unwanted consequences. Nothing major, but it needs to be dealt with."
"Unwanted consequences?"
"Rumors of my death have started spreading."
"Oh," is all she says, because really, what else is there to say?
They both know why this is bad – he can't exactly take the city back if people think him weak enough to be defeated by some unknown enemy. Plus the so-called king of New Orleans may start thinking that Elijah and Rebekah are easy targets without their hybrid brother by their side and do some significant damage before they can react.
"Wait," she says after a beat. "Marcel is still alive. Don't they know about the bloodline thing?"
"Most think it's a hoax, a lie we tell to discourage any attempt on our lives."
"You have to admit it is convenient," Caroline notes, seeing where their enemies are coming from.
He concedes her point with a nod.
"Elijah only heard about this yesterday. Had the rumors reached him sooner, he would have asked me to come back earlier than planned, but… Well. I need to go out and show Marcel's vampires that I'm very much alive."
"Okay. What does that have to do with me?"
"I want you to come with me."
"Really?" she asks, her eyes alight with delight at the prospect of being automatically included in his schemes, even if this one is rather minor.
She thought she'd have to fight tooth and nail to get him to let her help and take part in this war that's been brewing for far too long, but it seems he's intent on seeing her as an equal. Knowing that this is a huge step for him, she instantly wonders what else is behind his decision. She knows he doesn't do anything without some sort of double agenda. It seems she doesn't need to voice the question, because he starts explaining as soon as he sees her curious frown.
"I need you to be seen with me. To make sure they know you're under my protection."
Ah. That makes more sense. Or… does it?
"If it's about my protection, wouldn't hiding me be easier than parading me around?" she asks, confused.
Not that she'd want him to do that, she doesn't feel like staying cooped up inside while he deals with whatever is happening in New Orleans on his own, and she suspects he knows that, but still, the fact that he's not putting up a fight – that he's even voluntarily including her – intrigues her.
"It's a calculated risk. Marcel already knows that I care about you, there's no point in hiding it. As for the others, they fear me enough that they'll leave you alone once they've seen you by my side."
"How does he…" she starts, before remembering that when Klaus went on an emotionless rampage, they sort of faked his feelings for her to explain the murders away to Marcel. Plus she implied Klaus cared about her when he kidnapped her to grill her about her daylight ring. "Oh right. I kind of told him." Klaus lets out a sigh and finally joins her on the bed, looking like he's struggling with whether or not to say what's on his mind. Before he can decide not to, she probes, "What is it?"
"It's not all there is to it."
"No?"
"Remember before we left? How I had something to take care of?"
"Yes," she draws the word out to turn it into a question, confused as to why he's talking about this now.
"I bit Cami."
Her mouth falls open in shock before she manages to recover enough to form the beginnings of a question.
"Is she…"
"She's alive," he answers quietly. "I had left a sample of blood with Elijah. I had to give Marcel a warning, but I still needed him to have something to lose. Now he knows how much you mean to me, but he also knows what will happen if he comes after you."
"What about my deal with him?"
"It wouldn't have held up. This is going to be a full-on war, Caroline. Honor and promises won't mean much. Fear for a loved one is much more efficient."
She takes a minute to process this, then she gives him a resolute nod.
"Okay. So what's the plan?"
"There's not much of one yet. We just need to go out and be seen. It will buy us some time. We'll come up with something more elaborate tomorrow."
A smile slowly creeps up her face as she realizes that they're going to be able to kill two birds with one stone.
"I know just where we should go."
When he notices where she's leading him, Klaus shakes his head in both amusement and exasperation. The point is just to be seen, and since it's all that really matters, he saw no objection to letting her chose the venue, even when she made a point of keeping it a secret, but really? She had to settle for this place?
"Seriously?" he voices his thoughts, stopping before they get inside.
Caroline gives him a wry smirk, as if to chastise him for the use of her word, and bites her lip nervously, clearly unsure as to whether he's going to go with it.
"I want to talk to her."
After a short consideration, he just shrugs and holds the door open for her, feeling his face soften when he is rewarded with a small smile. Before she can cross the threshold, he holds her back for a moment and waits for her to look at him to murmur, "Don't get your hopes up, sweetheart."
She nods in understanding but doesn't reply, and he releases her, his hand finding the small of her back to guide her inside.
It's the middle of the afternoon, so the place isn't crowded. While Caroline instantly focuses on the blonde behind the bar, it doesn't take him more than half a second to pick out the three daywalkers that Marcel has assigned to his girlfriend's protection and to know that they will be easily subdued should the need arise. It seems coming here was as good a plan as any. Just enough people to report their visit, but not so many that he feels threatened.
Feeling Caroline tense beside him, he looks back at her and follows her line of sight to see that Cami has seen them and is watching the other blonde with something akin to fear in her eyes. She must feel his gaze on her, because she then shifts her attention to him, and the burgeoning alarm turns to full-blown terror when she recognizes him, her hands shaking even as she grips the countertop hard, no doubt to keep her knees from buckling. Caroline lets out a sigh.
"Are you going to let me talk to her alone?"
"As long as you stay where I can see you."
"Done," she promises before taking off towards the bar.
He chooses a table in the back, making sure that the whole place is visible from his spot and that his back is covered. He shoots the three male vampires warning looks before they can even think about coming to Cami's 'rescue' or calling their boss. Marcel's little plaything is about as safe with Caroline as she'll ever be, he knows exactly why Caroline wants to talk to her and it's certainly not to harm her. Focusing his hearing on the conversation, he smirks a little when Caroline reaches Cami and the latter lets out a breathless "You!" full of accusation and fake confidence, trying to sound like she's not terrified of the woman who – for all intents and purposes – murdered her. Pointless really, since he can smell her fear even from where he sits and he suspects that Caroline knows exactly how she's feeling. After all, she was turned against her will too, to be used as a bargaining chip by someone who looked like her best friend, no less. And she knew nothing of this world when she got thrown into it. It's no wonder she's feeling a sense of kinship with her first descendant, he has to admit the similarities in their stories are eerie.
"Hello, Camille," Caroline says, her tone soothing, and even with her back to him, he can hear the small, reassuring smile she gives the other girl.
"What do you want?"
Cami's tone is blatantly hostile, but that was to be expected, and Caroline doesn't let it deter her.
"To apologize."
This clearly takes the barmaid off guard, and she opens and closes her mouth a few times before coming up with a weak, "What?"
"I'm sorry. For what I did to you. I know it's not a pleasant experience."
This makes her forget her fear for a second and a snort escapes her.
"That's one way of putting it."
Caroline nods, seemingly unfazed in the face of the girl's scorn. Only Klaus knows that she's anything but. She wants to make things right, even in the midst of their conflict with Marcel, and while he thinks this is futile, he can't help but admire her endless optimism, especially after everything she's been through.
"Did Marcel tell you about the humanity switch?"
"Yes," Cami answers hesitantly.
"Okay, well, that's what it was. I want you to know that I would never do something like that under normal circumstances. And I truly am sorry that you got caught in the crossfire. I needed leverage over Marcel."
"Like Klaus did?" Cami spits disdainfully, and even without seeing Caroline's face, he can picture her flinching at the accusation.
This makes him very glad that he decided to tell her about it. He'd hate to see the anger and disappointment on her face had she learned of what he did through this comment instead of hearing it from him. This honesty policy that's developed between them definitely has some merit.
"Yes. That's the other thing I wanted to talk to you about. I assume that you know everything about their history?"
Cami seems to hesitate, and he sees her relax slightly now that it's clear to her that her sire isn't here to harm her.
"I know what Marcel told me," she admits, leaving it open for interpretation.
If he knows Caroline at all, she'll hear exactly what he does beneath those very revealing words. Cami obviously cares for Marcel, but she's not so blinded by her feelings for him that she believes everything he tells her is the whole truth. She's smart enough to know that there are two sides to every story, and while she's siding with his former protégé and probably always will – if only out of spite and retaliation for that bite – she's starting to realize that Caroline may not be her main enemy here.
"I suspect most of what he told you is the truth, and even if it isn't, it doesn't really matter, does it?" Caroline asks rhetorically, proving that she came to the same conclusion he just did. "I just want you to be fully prepared for what comes next."
"Are you?" Cami shoots back.
"I've been living in this world longer than you. Not by much, granted, but enough to know what I'm getting myself into. I also know the lengths Klaus will go to to protect me."
"Is this where you tell me to run before it's too late?"
To Cami's surprise, Caroline shakes her head.
"No. It wouldn't do you any good. If something happens to me at Marcel's hand, or one of his men's, Klaus will track you down and kill you, wherever you are."
Klaus lifts an eyebrow, impressed at how she managed not to make this sound like a threat but like a mere statement of facts. Had she wavered at any point or used a slightly harsher tone, the barmaid would no doubt have reacted badly. As it is, she just calmly crosses her arms in front of her as she considers what she was just told.
"What's the point of this conversation, then?"
Caroline shrugs.
"I'm just making sure you know what's coming and who you're going up against. Klaus is… He just doesn't lose. Believe me, I know from experience. First-hand, painful experience."
From his spot against the wall, Klaus can see that Cami is intrigued by that, but she doesn't ask the questions she's obviously dying to ask – it's clear from the way Caroline phrased things that she wasn't always his ally, and the psychology major in Cami wants to know how she went from suffering at his hands to standing by his side so unwaveringly. Instead of going down that road however, she allows her lips to form a small smile, the first one since they walked into the bar.
"So this is you feeling responsible?" she asks, her tone full of surprise and a hint of appreciation.
Only Caroline could get that kind of reaction out of someone she killed and used for her own gain, he thinks, shaking his head in amazement.
"Yeah."
"You don't have to, you know?" Cami says so softly that Klaus almost doesn't catch it. He sees Caroline straighten up, having clearly not expected this. When she doesn't say anything, the barmaid goes on, "I've had some time to think about it. I would have been caught in the crossfire even without your intervention. That's what this was leading up to ever since I caught Marcel's eye. Klaus would have used me against him eventually. The only difference is that at least I know what's going on, instead of being completely clueless."
Caroline seems shocked for a moment at what sounds a lot like forgiveness, but she quickly finds her voice again to point out, "That, and you're a vampire."
Cami shrugs.
"Would have happened at some point. Either that, or I'd be dead."
"Maybe. But it didn't have to happen this way."
"Is there a good way?" Cami asks, genuinely curious.
"Yes, there…"
She trails off.
Klaus can almost hear the wheels turning as she searches her brain for a good example in her little circle of friends, and he lets out a small chuckle that has Caroline shooting him a quick and (mostly) playful glare. Her own case certainly won't help her make her point. Her father died rather than completing the transition. The Salvatores were shot down after Katherine force-fed them her blood (or didn't force so much as cajole in Damon's case from what he's heard, but still, since he would have rather died than face eternity without her, it counts as a bad transition in Klaus' book). The doppelganger drowned not knowing that she had vampire blood in her system and she never wanted to be a vampire in the first place. Let's not talk about Tyler. As for himself, his father ran him through with a sword and neither he nor any of his siblings really knew what was happening to them.
Yes, as much as she's trying to think of a good way to be turned into a vampire, she can't rightly say that any particular instance comes to mind when she thinks about it.
"I'm sure there is," she ends up settling on, and at that, Cami laughs, a full-on amused, relaxed sound that has Klaus shaking his head once again at the wonder that is Caroline Forbes, managing to make peace with the one person in this city who has every reason to hate her.
"Let me know if you ever figure it out."
Caroline nods, and Klaus somehow knows that she's smiling.
"Good luck, Cami."
"Thank you. For coming over," the younger vampire replies, and even from a distance, Klaus senses that something passes between the two women, some kind of understanding, a silent agreement not to be enemies until they have absolutely no other choice.
They both know that this time will come, there's no question about it, but they're young, and they're both living in the moment, sure that enjoying the good while it lasts instead of worrying over the inevitable is worth it.
As he sees Caroline walk up to him with a bright smile on her face, he wonders if maybe they're right.
Even though he's positive that his presence in New Orleans and his decidedly alive state have already reached Marcel's ears and that Caroline's status is now definitely established, they spend the rest of the afternoon walking around the Quarter. This serves a double purpose, removing any doubt from his enemies' minds, and enjoying the city with Caroline. She knows it pretty well by now, having seen most of it while she was emotionless, but discovering it with her humanity on is a whole new experience, and as he watches her wander the streets and look around and have fun, he's reminded of this voicemail he left her when he came back here after a century away, about wanting to share all this with her.
They eat dinner at a small restaurant where he knows Marcel's men like to go and afterwards, Caroline suggests going to the karaoke bar where she first challenged him, arguing that there's a chance he'll be there and that this is as good an opportunity as any to taunt him and throw him off his game.
Marcel is not there, though, but it doesn't really matter. They've accomplished all they could for today, and after a few drinks and cringing at the bad renditions of way too many 80's songs, they decide to call it a night.
Caroline loops her arm though his as they walk back home, and for a moment, he forgets to survey his surroundings, as he's been doing carefully ever since they set foot outside the mansion. She's a delightful distraction, but a distraction nonetheless. He really needs to take care of the mess this city has become so that he can fully enjoy it without having to worry too much about what will happen if he lets his guard down for even a second.
Thankfully, his inattention doesn't cost them, and they make it back without incident. When they reach his room, Caroline tugs on his arm until he turns to face her.
"Do you know what I'm thinking?"
He lifts an eyebrow at the mirth in her voice.
"Something indecent, if I had to guess."
There's a twinkle in her eyes that tells him he's hit the mark.
"Plane and airports and so much walking around… I need a bath," she says, her arms coming up to wrap around his neck.
His hands automatically find her waist and pull her against him, his body already more than willing to play along a split second before he makes the decision consciously.
"Would you by any chance require some company?"
"Yes please."
He leans down to give her a quick kiss before asking, "You're not drunk, are you, love?"
He doesn't think that's the case, but she did have a few more drinks than him, and this side of her is one he hasn't seen since they decided to take things slow. As much as he wants her and knows that they'll end up there at some point, he doesn't want her to regret this in the morning.
"Nope. Just tipsy enough. Plus I'm feeling really good about, well, everything. You know, this feeling you get when you somehow just know that no matter how bad things get, everything's going to be alright in the end."
"I can't say I'm familiar with the feeling."
His answer puts a frown on her face as she hears the seriousness behind the matter-of-fact statement. She presses herself closer to him and runs her fingers over his forehead and through his hair, softly massaging the base of his skull, the gesture strangely soothing and arousing at the same time.
"Well, that just won't do," she whispers against his lips.
And then she abruptly pushes away from him, giggling at his startled stare. She vamp-speeds out of the room, and it takes him a full second to recover. Only when he hears the water running in the adjoining bathroom does he realize what she's doing. When he joins her, her coat is already on the floor and her fingers are at the hem of her shirt. In a flash, he's standing in front of her once again, and his hands cover hers.
"Allow me."
She nods wordlessly and raises her arms over her head, letting him peel the garment away from her body. He runs a single finger along the valley between her breasts, smirking when her breath hitches even though he's barely touching her. She retaliates by boldly going straight for the growing bulge in his pants, and he bucks into her hand, half in surprise, half in pleasure. When he meets her gaze and sees her challengingly raised brow, his self-control deserts him and he crashes his lips to hers, lifting her up only to deposit her on the countertop next to the sink. Her legs part on cue and he steps in between them, one hand tangling in her hair while the other finds the clasp of her bra and snaps it open. Before he can latch onto one of her nipples with his mouth, she pushes him back just enough that she can push his coat down his arms and take his Henley off, her motions just as desperate as his. Yet when her lips go for his throat, aiming for the spot that she knows can drive him mad with desire, he manages to find the will to hold her back.
"Are you sure?"
She shoots him an annoyed look.
"Really? You're doing this now?"
"This seems like an appropriate time. Before things get out of hand."
"Right. 'Cause it's not like we're already half-naked or anything."
He can't help but chuckle at her tone, marveling at how they can go from devouring each other to bantering together in the blink of an eye.
"Half," he confirms pointedly, and while she rolls her eyes at him, he can see the moment she decides to take his question seriously.
Her voice is softer when she answers.
"I'm sure, Klaus. We're both doing better – much better. And things are as quiet as they're going to get for a while. And more importantly, I. Want. You," she says, punctuating those last three words with light kisses to his chest.
"In that case…"
He steps back and offers her his hand. Understanding instantly, she steps down from the countertop and lets him slowly strip her of the rest of her clothing before doing the same for him. Once they're both naked, he steps over to the bathtub and turns off the tap. Then he lowers himself down in the water, letting out a satisfied sigh when he's almost fully immersed and he notes that she turned it as warm as it could get without actually burning their skin off. He motions for her to join him and she does so without hesitation, settling between his legs and resting her back against his chest.
He's already uncomfortably hard and the feeling of her naked skin against his does nothing to relieve him, especially when she feels him against her backside and moans loudly. Brushing her hair to the side with his left hand so that he can press kisses along the column of her neck, he lets his right hand travel up the front of her body until he finds her breasts, and he gives each of her nipples a quick flick, reveling in the way she presses herself even closer to him, as if trying to crawl under his skin. Then, to his surprise, she covers his hand with hers to halt his movements, and she tilts her head back to give him a hard, fiery kiss.
"Enough foreplay. I need you."
A groan rumbles from deep within his throat at that, and he wastes no time in bringing his hands to her waist to help her lift herself up and lower her down on his length. In one smooth thrust, he's buried deep inside her and he stills for a moment, letting his forehead fall forward on her shoulder.
"You feel more amazing each and every time, love."
"I'd feel even better if you started moving," she replies, her voice coming out breathless despite the cheeky comment.
"Would you?" he questions without moving a muscle, knowing that this will goad her into taking matters into her own hands.
He's eager to see what pace she's going to set. They went from playful to passionate to serious to tender to desperate to teasing in a matter of minutes, and since he's still mostly in control of himself, he wants to let her decide what kind of mood she wants to settle on.
She obligingly takes the bait, using the bathtub edge for leverage and moving up and down his hardness, her motions torturously slow.
He should have guessed.
"Bloody temptress," he murmurs into her ear.
A shiver runs down her spine in spite of the almost scorching water.
"You asked for it," she says, her words strained, most likely with the effort of holding back.
He hums his wordless acknowledgement against her skin and her pace falters at the feelings the simple action stirs in her, but she soon resumes her movements. He lets her lead for a while, until his body starts begging for more and he allows one of his hands to travel along her arm where it's resting on the porcelain edge. Taking her hand in his, he turns hers around so that her palm is facing upward, leaving him free to softly brush his fingertips against the apparent veins on the inside of her wrist. The whimper that falls from her lips as he teases one of her most sensitive zones is downright sinful and there's nothing he can do to keep his hips from bucking up in reaction, the move throwing her off her rhythm for a moment. She recovers in the next breath, but her motions are now slightly faster, and he knows she's starting to lose control. He's not faring much better himself, to be honest, but knowing how much he can affect her with such a light touch is rewarding enough that he doesn't care if he ends up being the desperate one.
"Klaus…"
"Hm?" he mutters absentmindedly against her shoulder, distracted by the softness of her wet skin beneath his lips.
"Touch me."
"Fuck, Caroline," he growls.
Between the words themselves and her low, pleading voice, this has to be one of the sexiest things he's ever heard, and he quickly obliges.
She lets out a grateful moan when his fingers find the bundle of nerves between her legs, and he lets go of any semblance of control. He starts thrusting up in time with her motions, helping her ride him as she throws her head back against his shoulder, exposing her throat to him. He doesn't think twice about letting his fangs drop and sinking them into her flesh. The instant her blood starts flowing into his mouth, he feels her walls clench around him and he lets out a muffled curse as his own orgasm hits him hard. Needing more of her, he brings one arm around her waist and holds her so close he briefly wonders if he's hurting her, but she doesn't protest. In fact, she brings one hand down on his forearm, gripping it hard and pressing against it, her nails digging into his skin, as if trying to hold him there – like he's even contemplating letting go. Even after he stops drinking, his embrace doesn't loosen until he feels Caroline's entire body go slack against him, the aftereffects of her release leaving her boneless in his arms.
"God, we are never, ever, taking things slow again," she swears.
"Agreed," he replies before she's even finished her sentence, and he feels her body shake with quiet laughter. After a few minutes of just relaxing in each other's arms, he nudges her away from him and she whines in protest. "Come on, love. The water is getting cold."
"I don't care."
"I do, so let me get out and you can stay in here all night and freeze if that's what you want."
As expected, her indignation at the fact that he didn't just offer to carry her snaps some energy back into her and she jumps up and away from him, water splashing over the edge and onto the tile floor. She turns to face him while he stands up too, his smirk mischievous. When she realizes that she just gave him the reaction he wanted, she narrows her eyes at him and smacks his arm.
"You're the worst."
He just shrugs and she shakes her head at him, her annoyance so obviously fake that he has to laugh. Holding his hand out, he waits for her to slip hers against his palm before unexpectedly pulling her flush against him, naked bodies colliding. He exposes his neck to her and cradles the back of her head with the hand that isn't resting on the small of her back.
"Drink, love."
"Oh, right."
Even though she can't see him, he rolls his eyes at how flippant she's being, almost forgetting that she needs to heal after he bit her. Then her fangs pierce his skin, and all coherent thoughts flee from his mind as she sucks hard on the puncture marks. He feels himself starting to harden again, and when the sensation registers in her mind, she slowly tears herself away from his neck to glance down at his half erect cock, eyebrows raised in question.
"Impressive," she comments, trying for a nonchalant tone.
But the effect is somewhat muffled by the fact that her eyes are dark when they settle on his mouth, leaving no doubt as to how aroused she's becoming herself – again.
"Let's just get cleaned up for now, sweetheart."
"What's the point? We're just going to get dirty again," she points out with a grin.
"All part of the fun."
She's not usually a light sleeper, but of course the one time he's trying not to wake her, he does. She stirs as soon as he moves against her, the hand that was resting against his stomach travelling up in a lazy, absentminded caress to stop just above the spot where his heart is beating, and he hums in contentment at the innocent touch.
"What time is it?" she mumbles without opening her eyes.
"Early. Go back to sleep, love."
"Where are you going?" she asks when he carefully disentangles himself from her embrace, the words barely audible as she fights against full consciousness.
"I need to talk strategy with Elijah."
"Oh. I should come."
Hearing her reluctance, he presses a kiss to her forehead.
"I'll bring you up to date later. You need to rest."
She grumbles her agreement, and he lets out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief, knowing that her sleepiness is the only thing that allowed him to get away with this. Seeing her snuggle back in the covers, trying to make up for the loss of his warmth, he wants nothing more than to slip right back in next to her, but he has too much to do today.
After one last kiss, he gathers his clothes and leaves the room, choosing to use the shower next to the room she used to occupy instead of his own so that he won't wake her again. Once he's dressed, he goes down to the basement to get what he needs before coming back up to the first floor. He shows little hesitation once he reaches the top of the stairs. He's already decided that he needs to start with Rebekah. As soon as that's taken care of, he flashes to Elijah's room, unsurprised to find him barely awake but instantly ready for him, his stance tense and clearly defensive, knowing what is coming and unwilling to go down without a fight. His smirk mocking – they both know who's going to come out on top – Klaus raises the dagger in front of him in a silent taunt and feels his smirk turn darker at the way it glints dangerously in a solitary ray of light.
"Good morning, brother. Time to go back to sleep."
TBC…
