Gravity Chapter 33: We'll Never Be Royals, a vampire diaries fanfic

Klaus' heart was g.

He didn't think he had ever been quite as nervous as he was right in that moment. In fact, he couldn't remember the last time he was nervous at anything? It was kind of his thing to be level headed and unfazed.

But apparently his cool-calm-collected persona was shattered by performing – who would have thought?

Certainly not him.

Although, he never thought in a million years he would ever actually do any performing.

Klaus had always been a behind-the-scenes, out-of-the-spotlight kind of person. Don't get him wrong, he loved attention, but only on his terms, and definitely not when he had to sing in front of a thousand or so people.

He felt nervous beads of sweat begin to form on his brow, and a lump rise in his throat.

He couldn't do this? He couldn't do this!

It had honestly never meant to get this far – but he couldn't help himself.

It all started a few months ago, when Klaus transferred from his university in the UK to Whitmore College. He was just strolling around the campus, getting a feel for the place when he had seen her.

Now, he knew he wasn't a stalker, and it was quite the point of pride with him that he didn't chase any of his ladies too hard. But the moment he clapped eyes on her, it was almost as if his entire being had been taken over by some external force.

She had bouncy blonde hair, and twinkling eyes. She seemed to exude a sparkle that Klaus really just wanted to blanket over him at all times.

So he had followed her. And he really had planned on just talking to her, but became far too proud at the thought – pushing against one's own nature for a girl? Preposterous! But he followed her long enough to notice she pinned a poster up.

A poster which he casually sidled up to to read.

Auditions!

The Whitmore Whistlers are looking for Sopranos and Baritones.

When: Thursday, September 5 & Friday, September 6

Where: The Whitmore Auditorium

For an audition pack, send us a Facebook message or email us!

Klaus hadn't really even known what the Whitmore Whistlers were, but he emailed for an audition pack anyway.

Apparently they were an a cappella singing group.

And when he'd shown up for his audition a week later, she had been there.

Caroline.

She gave him the sunniest smile he had even seen, and welcomed him in.

"The choir needs boys more than I do!" she laughed, as she introduced herself, and the rest of the audition panel.

Klaus had nervously, but quite tunefully, sung the set audition piece. And three days later he was an official member of the Whitmore Whistlers.

Fast forward a few months, and here he was, many rehearsals later waiting to sing to a crowd at the regional a cappella championship.

Why on earth had he done this again?

"Hey, you're gonna be great."

A gentle hand rested itself on Klaus' shoulder.

Oh, that's why.

"I'm very nervous," Klaus muttered, keeping his voice low – he was side of stage, after all.

"I can tell," Caroline smiled. "But you don't need to be, your voice is magic, and you've worked really hard to learn your part. You're going to be wonderful."

Klaus looked into her twinkling eyes, and he thought maybe – just maybe – the nerves were worth it.

"Y'all are up!" the stage manager whispered, commandingly. "Chookas!"

Klaus barely had a moment to register the strangeness of the word chookas before he was poked in the back to move out onto the stage.

God, his hands were shaking. Was it worth it? Was she worth this?

Caroline took her place at the very front of the group, her presence engulfing the audience. She gave the crowd a rye smile, raised her microphone to her lips, and nodded the Whistlers in with a bar of four, before she began to sing.

I've never seen a diamond in the flesh

I cut my teeth on wedding rings in the movies

Yes. She was worth it.

And I'm not proud of my address
In the torn-up town, no post code envy

Her voice was so clear, so powerful.

But every song's like gold teeth, Grey Goose, trippin' in the bathroom
Blood stains, ball gowns, trashin' the hotel room

We don't care, we're driving Cadillacs in our dreams

As Klaus' cue to begin singing came, he took a deep breath and concentrated on his own part.

But everybody's like Cristal, Maybach, diamonds on your time piece
Jet planes, islands, tigers on a gold leash
We don't care, we aren't caught up in your love affair

As they built toward the chorus, Klaus let the euphoria of their voices and the music take the place of the nerves.

And we'll never be royals – royals
It don't run in our blood
That kind of lux just ain't for us
We crave a different kind of buzz
Let me be your ruler – ruler
You can call me Queen Bee
And baby I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule, I'll rule
Let me live that fantasy

As the group began stepping to the beat, and the song continued, Klaus had a few moments beyond his body, and he was mildly bemused by his behaviour.

If one of his siblings had done something like this for a love interest, he would never let them hear the end of it.

Perhaps he owed Rebekah an apology.

His mind and body synced back up just in time to enjoy singing the final chorus.

The song drew to a close, and Caroline took one step forward, her commanding gaze somehow boring into every eye in the audience.

Let me live that fantasy.

There was a moment of silence as her voice rang out the final line of the song, before the crowd began their applause. Maybe he was being biased, but he was pretty sure it was the loudest it had been all night.

Caroline took a bow, and led the rest of the group through their bow, before leading them from the stage.

"You did it!" she said excitedly to him, as they made their way back to the greenroom. "Congratulations on your first performance!"

She squeezed his arm, and gave him that dazzling smile of hers.

"I told you, didn't I! I said, Klaus, we'll make a performer of you yet!"

She let out her tinkling laugh, and bounded away, to congratulate and encourage some of the other new members.

And Klaus could help but grin goofily, and think about how warm and/or fuzzy he was feeling.

It was about thirty minutes later when Caroline was trying to convince the group to get after-show drinks.

"Come on guys, the rush of performing is the best chaser to all drinks!"

But between excuses of early morning classes the next day, the fact it was already 10pm, and the Whistlers post-regionals house party was only two days away, there wasn't much interest.

"I'm not averse to a drink," Klaus said, casually.

"Yes!" Caroline cried. "I have one, that's enough! Bye guys! Text me if you decide to join!"

With that, Caroline looped her arm with Klaus', and pulled him away from the rest of the group, beginning a cracking pace.

"Afraid I'll change my mind, love?"

"You wouldn't dare!" Caroline laughed, as she continued her speed. "I'm just freezing out here!"

"Would you like my coat, sweetheart?" Klaus offered, graciously. "I come from a much colder climate than this."

"No, no, it's okay, it's only about a seven-minute walk away, we'll be there soon."

"Where is?"

Caroline just gave him a sly, side-ways smile, but didn't reply, opting instead to happily hum Royals.

"When will we find out results?" Klaus asked, after a minute or so. "Of the championships, I mean."

"Apparently there are too many groups to judge on one night these days, so I think tomorrow night after the second round?" Caroline said, in an unsure tone. "We're meant to send a representative to collect the award in case we win, but I can't be bothered doing it, and neither can the rest of the committee, so we'll just collect the trophy if we win another time, and not waste a precious night if we don't."

"I see," Klaus replied. "What happens if we –"

But he was cut off as Caroline squealed, "We're here!"

Caroline pushed her way through the door of the little place – which looked far more like a café than a bar, in Klaus' humble opinion – and took a seat on a squishy looking couch, immediately picking up a menu to inspect it.

"This place looks… nice… quaint," Klaus mumbled to himself, thinking it wasn't quite what he was expecting, given Caroline's fervour to get there.

"Yeah, it doesn't look impressive, but everything on the menu is so good," Caroline said. "They do the best loaded fries I've ever had, but they stop doing food in like ten minutes, so hurry up and choose!"

Caroline giggled a little to herself, as she resolutely shut her menu, and looked pointedly at him. He fumbled a little with his menu, in his haste to meet Caroline's expectations – and she was right, everything on the menu sounded delicious.

Before a couple minutes were up, their orders of two plates of loaded fries, and a pitcher of mulled wine each, were in, and for the first time that evening it was just the two of them, with nothing to do, and nowhere to be.

Klaus thought that maybe it was the first time ever that it was just the two of them, with nothing to do, and nowhere to be…

"I'm really glad you joined the Whistlers, Klaus," Caroline said, genuinely. "You carry your part really well, and I know you're new to the collegiate a cappella style, but you're a natural."

"Thank you, Caroline," he said, slightly taken aback by just how sincere she was. "Your voice is phenomenal, and you do a spectacular job leading us."

She smiled warmly at him, but forwent a response to pick up the drink that had just been placed in front of her.

They fell into easy conversation after that, and their one glass of mulled wine turned into two, then it was four, and both of them were feeling warm a little buzzed – and were somewhat obnoxiously testing out new harmonies for a song Caroline was arranging for the Whistlers.

"See, I wanted to do this – you sing the melody and I'll sing the harmony," Caroline said, before singing the line they were rehearsing. "But then I actually think I want this."

"We sound much more like the Whitmore Wailers right now, if you ask me," Klaus said, smirking.

"Wash your mouth out!" Caroline said in faux indignation. "I always sound perfect!"

"Repeat that mantra to yourself, if you must, love, but I know the truth."

Her faux indignation, making way for more serious incredulity, Caroline gave him her most petulant pout, and swatted at his chest.

Feeling cocky, Klaus caught her hand with his, and kept it firmly in his grasp, levelling his flirtatious eyes at her.

Caroline's face dropped its melodrama, and she stared into his eyes, her breath hitching a little.

He quirked an eyebrow as her, and carefully manoeuvred his hand so his fingers were laced with hers.

"Your hands are softer than I imagined," she said absent-mindedly.

"You've imagined my hands?"

Caroline blushed, and looked away, but kept her hand tangled with his.

After that, the conversation, while still easy, was a lot more layered and no opportunity for entendre or flirting was missed. And when they left an hour later, in the Uber back to campus, Caroline leaned over to softly kiss him.

It was a gesture he eagerly returned, and soon their kiss was anything but merely soft.

They broke apart for just a moment to climb from the cab, and immediately their lips were attacking each other once again.

Until something seemed to click in the back of Caroline's mind.

"Klaus, wait," she said, pulling away from him, with a little pop.

She was a beautiful shade of flushed, and Klaus couldn't help brushing her hair behind her ears, with both of his hands.

"Gosh, Klaus, I've wanted to do that for weeks but…" she said, before clapping her hand over her mouth, flustered.

"I've wanted to do it too, love," he said, his voice seductively low. "You are so beautiful."

"Thank you," she said, staring up into his eyes.

He placed another kiss to her lips, though this one was far more chaste than the previous ones.

"I really want you to come up," Caroline whispered, nervously chewing her lip.

"But?" he prompted.

"But I don't think you can… my roommate… is Bonnie from the Whistlers. And I love her, but she will not approve – apparently you're not experienced enough to be a Whistler, I actually pulled rank on her to get you in, and she accused me of only wanting you in because I thought you were hot. And if I sleep with you… she'll just assume I let you in to… you know… she's right… even though you definitely deserve your spot."

Klaus nodded curtly, he had got the impression Bonnie didn't like him.

"But maybe…" Caroline said, barely above a whisper. "Maybe, you can take me out next week?"

"Like a date?"

"Yep, like a date," she shrugged a little. "I like you Klaus."

"I like you too, Caroline."

The two smiled at each other, and just held their intimate position for a couple of moments.

"But the real question is, love," Klaus said. "How on earth will I keep my hands off you at the party this weekend?"

Caroline grinned wickedly.

"Maybe we will just have to be really careful."

"Dare I say, we're caught up in a love affair?"

"We'll never be royals, Klaus," Caroline said.

"You know, that's not quite true, part of my family line is English nobility. My eldest brother, Finn, is something like 47th in line to the throne," Klaus said, smugly.

"Oh my god, Klaus, you're supposed to say 'I'll rule you, if you let me, or something!"

"Oh, right you are, love," Klaus said, before clearing his throat theatrically. "I'll rule you, if you let me."

Caroline rolled her eyes, melodramatically, but laughed at his joke. As she turned to go, the promise of the future hopefully between them, she threw over her shoulder –

"I'll let you live that fantasy. Night Klaus!"

"Good night, Caroline."

Hi there lovely people,
This one I wrote for Klaroline Bingo over on Tumblr. I love all the amazing events for the Klaroline fandom. I reckon I got the idea for this in about 2015, and to have it finished and to share it is such a lovely feeling ^_^ hope you enjoy it xxx please let me know what you think of it, reviews are like chocolate!
The song the Whistlers sing is Royals by Lorde - obviously not my song!