Anonymous asked: NikMik: relationships are ups & downs. you have to put work into your relationship. can you write a human klaroline going through a rough patch in their relationship/marriage?
The flight had been particularly rough with some incoming storm, and Caroline felt relieved as the plane taxied into the gate. Turning on her phone, though, the lone text waiting for her left her stomach dropping even further.
Klaus: Caught up in a student consult, Elijah will pick you up instead.
No apology, no sign of affection. Just a simple, to-the-point 'I don't have time for you.' It's exactly what she was afraid of when he'd been offered the teaching position all the way back home in New Orleans; the long distance was proving harder for her to maintain, not that he seemed to even bother. Transitioning from his own art career to become a professor at his alma mater didn't leave much time for girlfriends, apparently.
At least, not the one he left behind in New York.
Refusing to let her brain follow that train of thought, Caroline focused on the airport map to find the exit and Klaus's brother. Over the last year, they'd met on the visits she managed to make south, and she'd never gotten the impression he liked her much. That made the pitying smile he gave when she found him less than reassuring.
Still, she bucked up with a cheerful grin and let him bundle her into the chauffeur's car that screamed of old, Mikaelson money and their influence in the city. She understood why Klaus wanted to come home, why he loved being here. With each increasingly distant phone call and fewer visits, though, her own search for opportunities down south had lessened. It all seemed to lead to the same conclusion, and she dreaded the conversation she'd probably have to force this weekend.
She loved him, but she didn't love the person she was becoming in their relationship. And god, didn't that hurt to realize.
As though to punctuate their disconnect, Klaus still wasn't home by the time they pulled up to the compound. Making her own way up to his bedroom, she wouldn't let herself unpack like she usually would. She hung up the two dresses she'd wear, but she suddenly understood why she'd left so much empty room in her carry-on. With a methodical pace, she collected the few things of hers that had migrated from New York and gently tucked them into the suitcase. A sweater, a jewelry box she'd left on her last visit, some of the hair things she kept in his bathroom. Tears felt close as she tried to remove rather impersonal effects; actually talking things through would likely leave her a blubbering mess, and she tried desperately to rein in her emotional response.
Of course, she wasn't able to catch a sob before Klaus walked in, his bright smile falling immediately into a concerned frown. "Sweetheart?" he breathed, reaching out for the stupid socks she'd been clutching as she cried. He wrapped her in a hug, and she couldn't help but lean into him. "What's wrong?"
Caroline struggled to find her voice, which forced him to look around the room for a reason - where he found the suspiciously full suitcase. "Sweetheart," he said again, this time with a new tenor of fear. "You just got here."
Swallowing, she tried to keep her tone even and clear. "I'm not leaving. Yet. But-"
He pulled back, confused and scared and more than a little hurt. "I don't understand. I thought we were okay."
Exhaustion weighed on her, and she gently pulled him to sit on the bed with her, their knees just touching as she took some much needed space to clear her mind. "I love you, but the distance… I feel like I'm not a priority for you, which is fine," she tried to insist like it wasn't breaking her heart to say so. The flight had given her nothing but time to think, however, and she couldn't ignore the truth of their situation. "But that's not enough for me. Maybe it's selfish, and it's definitely unfair to expect when you're building this new career. Here."
"I'm coming home," he promised, his voice something fierce.
Her head shook automatically, not allowing her a chance to believe it. "New Orleans is your home. You love it here."
"I love you. And I love teaching." Klaus held her face, his eyes a bit frantic as he tried to make her understand. "It's not a path I thought I was working toward, but it felt right to take this job, just as right as it felt holding your hand on our first date."
Caroline bit her lip as a fresh wave of tears threatened when he slid a hand down to lace with hers. "I won't make you choose. I can't do that to you, not when you're so happy." Not when she loved him and he couldn't make the time to put her first - but she couldn't bear to say it.
"It's not a choice," he insisted, standing abruptly to leave the room. Floored, Caroline felt frozen as she waited for him to return from the study, where she heard him rooting around. He came back with a folder in his hands, thrusting it into hers. "I found a job back in New York, they made an offer earlier this week. I've been waiting to surprise you, but I should have been more open about it."
Blinking, she didn't bother to look at the paper, unable to tear her eyes from his earnest expression. "You're coming home? Been planning to this whole time?"
His whole body sagged with relief. "Of course, love. I'm sorry to have been distant, I was focused on making the most of this opportunity to find a better one. To be closer to you. Because you're my home, Caroline," he swore, pulling her back into his arms.
She started to cry again, though her lips turned up as she pressed her face to his neck. Soon, a laugh built up in her chest until she was shaking. When Klaus pulled back, she wiped her eyes and smiled through happier tears. "Hi," she finally said, their greeting usurped by emotional turmoil. "I missed you."
"I've missed you," Klaus grinned back, helping her clean up. "How was your flight?"
"Horrible," she admitted. She reached for his hands and squeezed tightly. "But at least I'm here with you."
Bringing their hands to his lips, he kissed the back of hers with reverence. "That's all I want."