The disco lights orbited around the tackily decorated gymnasium as Caroline and Elena strode into the center of the reunion where the mascot lay painted into the floor.
The blonde looked around the darkened room pursing her lips, "I need a drink," she concluded as she gripped her clutch to her stomach walking past her friend.
"Caroline, don't leave me here alone," Elena called as Caroline pushed through the crowded area her nose scrunching at the music.
She noted that they declined to use any of the tips she had emailed a few weeks back when they had asked, with a roll of her eyes she turned to look back.
"I'll be right back," she assured her friend waving her off as she walked swiftly to the other end where the bar was set up.
"Get me a-" Elena shouted from behind the blonde following slowly behind her as she gripped the skirt of her dress recognizing a few faces in the crowd.
"I know, two seconds," she exclaimed to Elena as she bopped in order to miss one of the waiter's serving trays coming straight at her forehead.
"Holy Oprah there's Bonnie," Elena said waving as Caroline turned her head spotting their old friend smiling back at them from far away.
"Ugh," Caroline groaned as soon as she turned away looking back at the bar where she spotted him barely withholding an eye roll she plastered on her best Miss Mystic smile and marched.
She scooted to the end of the bar hoping to get one of the bartender's attention quickly as Elena disappeared satisfied with the fact that Caroline knew what to get her.
Just as she had placed her order she was spotted by the lesser evil, "Aren't you adorable," he complimented her as he slid into the empty spot on her right.
Caroline made a curtain of her curls as she nodded, "Hmm," she sighed not agreeing of disagreeing with his remark as she tapped her foot waiting for her drink.
She swore she might name her first born after the bartender as he came closer with her order and set them on the bar before he could go on.
She lifted the plastic cups up and swirled away, "Not to your liking Darling?" he called as she was about four feet from him, "How about my brother?"
She squeezed her eyes shut hoping he didn't mean, "Kol don't embarrass yourself," she stilled at hearing his voice again suave and collected. "And you are?"
From his tone she could tell he was looking her over, assessing if he liked what he say, it almost made her cheeks pink as she placed her drink to her lips and sipped.
She turned her head to look at him her heart skipping as she saw him, "No one you'd remember," she replied polishing off her drink soon after.
He watched her bemused as she shakily placed her empty glass and Elena's on the next server tray that passed hearing Elena somewhere in the back of her pout.
She crossed her arms turning to look at him directly a fixed look on her face as he approached her, "Would you like to have a drink with me?" he offered huskily.
"I'd rather die of thirst first, but thanks," she responded snippily as she jutted her hip and turned back around with a way of her hips to walk away.
His calloused hand touched hers as she moved, "You look awfully familiar Love," he murmured his lips brushing her cheek making Caroline swallow hard.
"Still have that habit of using pet names instead of people's actual names?" she rebutted taking her hand from his grasp.
He smirked, "Now you really sound familiar," he remarked as he walked in step with her reusing her refusal until she placed a hand on his chest stopping him.
She gasped feeling her skin heat at the electricity that burned her palm, "You really don't recognize me do you?" she asked him with a soft shake of her head.
"Not particularly, no." Klaus admitted to her as she dropped her hand with a scoff in his direction before she strutted away.
"Have a nice night," she called behind her as she did before making it back to her mousey little friend on the other end of the room.
Caroline rubbed her face careful not to run her eyeliner as she made her way back to Elena half surprised when the brunette grabbed her arms excitedly, "What did Klaus have to say?"
"Nothing," she replied fluffing her hair in a show to prove to herself that it didn't bother her one bit, nope, not one bit that he didn't recognize her.
"What do you mean?" Elena squealed, "You're arch rival had nothing to say? 'No you filled out nicely,' or 'hey wanna make out?'"
She huffed defensively, "Really Elena? You filled out nicely?" she almost screeched, "Why would you go there first?" she asked her as Elena loosened her hold on her.
"You know what nevermind," Caroline said brushing her off just as she had Klaus, "He didn't have anything to say because he didn't recognize me."
Elena's eyes nearly fell from their sockets at her answer, "Holy cow," she cried as she held onto Caroline's shoulders almost jumping.
"I know," Caroline pouted biting her nail before realizing what she was doing and mentally slapping herself for being unhygienic and almost messing up her manicure.
Elena's jaw dropped, "Are you mad about this?" she gasped a grin forming over her pretty features as she looked from her to him behind her.
"No!" Caroline clarified, "Miffed maybe," she said with a shrug because how could he not recognize her sure a lot of time had passed but still.
Elena turned her halfway, "You should go talk to him," she urged her friend making Caroline's head spin at the idea.
"No," she cried, "Are you insane?" she asked her friend as she turned herself back around and moved Elena further towards the door.
"What?" Elena asked, "He's the one who can't keep his eyes off of you since you walked away," she enlightened her with a smug look.
"What? No. Shut up," Caroline said resisting the urge to look back at him, "Seriously?" she asked more herself than Elena.
"It's true," the brunette said nodding her head profusely, "He's got sex eyes, it looks like he just mentality ripped off the zipper of your dress and is about to take you over the bar."
Caroline gaped at her use of words, "Elena did you have a few shots of Damon's flask?" she asked incredulously sniffing her friends breath.
"Two, I needed okay?" Elena said as her face changed and Caroline immediately knew what was up looking around and finding the problem.
"Because Stefan's here?" she asked seeing her friend flinch at the sound of his name making Caroline wince for causing that reaction.
Elena nodded fixing the straps of her dress, "Yeah but I'll deal with it as it comes," she said maturely as they heard Elena's cousin Kat laugh.
She groaned coming to a quick decision, "Should we just go?" Caroline asked wanting to brush off the eyes burning in her back and help out a friend in need.
"No," she yelped, "Sex eyes is making his way over," she exclaimed as she pushed Caroline away from her a good foot or two away.
Caroline was lost bumping into a hard chest, "Shit-" she cursed as she shut her eyes taking a breath bas her hands flattened on said hard thing.
"Would you like to dance with me?" hard thing asked making Caroline look up at the familiar voice, Klaus, of course making her curse her luck.
Elena stepped in shyly speaking for her, "She would," she said as Caroline fumed her eyes promising with one look that Elena would most certainly pay.
"Elena," she bit out as Klaus's hand set itself over hers, sliding it to his back as his other hand pushed hers up to his shoulder.
"It's your favorite song anyways," Elena muttered as she finally got her drink and sat down at a table nearby her hand coming up moving back and forth asking Caroline to go on.
Caroline looked up into his penetrating stare, "Come on, I won't bite," he promised like he would if she said she'd like him to, the idea sending shivers through her.
"Fine," the blonde said giving in as his hand rubbed tender circles into her back putting her at ease rather reluctantly the longer she looked into his eyes.
They sway left to right in time with the beat as he eyes her, their eyes locked as he searches his mind for those eyes, how he recalls those eyes.
Why her skin makes him hot, his palms sweat and that smile of hers that makes his lips twitch to replicate it, "Did you rally graduate at the same time as me?" he blurts.
She laughs nodding, "I did, I remember you're salutatorian speech well," she compliments with a seriously genuine look.
Klaus smiles as he spins her, "I thought it was rather good," he says once she's back in his firm hold a little closer than before.
She shrugs playfully forgetting herself, "I liked the valedictorians better," she adds as her thumb brushed the scruff of his neck where his collar ends.
"Caroline Forbes," he gets it, his whole face lights up as her name pours from his pink lips, lips she thought about making her own more than once over the years.
"Bingo," is her only reply as the song ends as she pulls back creating some space between them as she looks up at him through hooded lashes.
"You look incredible Love," he compliments as their fingers tangle after she trails her hand down his arm making him bit the corner of his lip.
"Thank you," she returns, "You're a sight yourself," she tells him looking him up and down like cat on the prowl a satisfied sound leaving her smiling lips.
"I can't believe I didn't recognize you," he continues amazed a look of concentration crossing his features as he berates himself for not knowing her.
She blushes this time she's sure of it because of the heat forming in her neck and belly and that look in his eye that says he's noticed too.
"Well, a lot's changed," she sighs thinking about the days she spent in this room practicing with her squad as he watched with the pretense of waiting for Rebekah when she looks back at him.
She smiles, "What's that look about?" the blonde asks him making him grin his dimples cutting through his cheeks making her heart sputter and start again.
"I think my crush on you came back is all," he admits in earnest as the heat in both their faces enflames tenfold making her throat dry.
"Seriously?" she croaks, "You did not have a crush on me," she laughs as she feels her ego grow just the tiniest bit from the compliment he's just paid her.
"I did," Klaus nods, "I fancied you quite a bit from time to time when you weren't yelling or obliterating my hard work," he affirms his face growing nearer.
"Fancied?" she parrots softly lifting her chin up, "You?" she dares to believe him the party lights disappearing until it is just them.
"Dance with me again," he asks unable to let her go his nose brushing hers affectionately their eyes wanting, teasing, their breaths mixing.
"You haven't let me go," she reminds him squeezing his hand in hers as their legs mesh his pant leg brushing her bare leg pushing her back in step with the music.
"I don't plan to," he told her as he kissed the corner of her mouth smiling at the look of disappointment when he didn't kiss her fully instead.
There would be time for that later he promised her with every movement that evening.