xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
A/N: My longest chapter so far. I personally think my writing style has changed for the better since the first chapter. It was a steep learning curve since this is my first attempt at writing in forever. Please let me know what you think. I'd really appreciate it.
What to expect: Daytrip in Nashville Part 1
Warning: making out & discussion of Damon's abuse
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge is a walking bridge which linked the Nissan football stadium with downtown Nashville, that's what Stefan told her at least. In these early morning hours, the bridge was buzzing with people and cyclists. The lack of cars made her happy, Caroline had seen enough cars this morning, thank you very much.
From the bridge, the tall blonde could see the city in all of its glory. It had been a bit of a climb coming up here, but the views were worth it. Caroline looked at the flowing river and the pretty skyline and decided that she had made the right choice in picking Nashville. In fact, she would love to come up here later and admire the view at night, when the city lights were bright and the sky was dark.
Most people here took the time to stop for a moment to admire the view, and a lot of them took pictures too. Caroline was tempted to do the same, but she resisted because it felt strange to enjoy herself when her friends at home were probably worried sick.
Earlier, Caroline had been the first to walk up this bridge. Her enthusiasm had gotten the better of her. Klaus and Stefan had lingered behind her, taking their sweet time walking up the stairs. But now they had made it too.
'I remember standing here a long time ago,' Klaus mused, as he moved in her proximity. Caroline turned her head to look at him. Klaus had one hand on the railing of the bridge as he admired the view.
She felt herself positively lusting over him. Klaus looked like he was a model waiting to be photographed right here on this bridge. The stubble on his face highlighted his sharp features. His short darkish blonde hair was wild from the wind. And god, she wanted to run her hands through it. Not to mention his pink lips, those were lips, she believed could do sinful things. And last but not least, his eyes. He had eyes that made her feel like the only girl in the room.
One question kept bugging her, though. Were his eyes green or blue? Perhaps the answer to that question was the same as the answer to the question of whether she likes him or hates him: Maybe a bit of both.
All in all, Caroline concluded one thing. He and his nicely fitting henleys, necklaces, and confidence did not belong in small towns like hers. Klaus looked, felt, and tasted like more.
It was as if he read her mind because at that moment Klaus looked at her, eyes twinkling. Caroline felt herself blush and broke eye contact with him. Instead, she took care to look at the beautiful view again.
With the silence, the tension grew between her and Klaus. Probably wanting to nope out of being the third wheel, Stefan said he would meet them downtown.
As she stood there, Caroline noticed something was bothering her. So, once Stefan was out of eyeshot, Caroline broke the silence between her and Klaus.
'Is it always going to be like this?' Caroline asked Klaus vaguely, catching his eyes again. Klaus' posture seemed to tense up at her words.
'Ah. I'm not sure I understand, sweetheart,' Klaus said slowly, trying to read her.
'Every place we go, you have likely already visited. There are no firsts for you,' Caroline elaborated. She wasn't sure if her words were a statement or a question.
A dimpled smile appeared on Klaus' face. 'Interesting use of we,' he commented. 'Does this mean you want to visit more places with me, Caroline?' Klaus asked teasingly, inching closer to her.
Caroline sputtered, 'Well... Wait no, I didn't say that,' Her arms were moving dramatically in explanation, 'Or maybe I did,' she admitted, dropping her arms. She closed her eyes in embarrassment.
When she opened them again, she noticed Klaus' eyes had darkened. Caroline wanted to say something to explain. But Klaus preemptively shut her up by kissing her. He skillfully pressed her against the railing of the bridge with his body. His lips started dancing with her lips, teasing her. Caroline let her hand wander to his neck to pull him close. The feeling of the leather necklaces underneath her fingers was hot and she was tempted to pull at them. In the meanwhile, her other hand was exploring his back muscles. His body was not overly muscly, but still strong and hard, just how she liked it. Klaus was kissing her passionately now and she could feel his hands on her waist, pulling her to him. He tasted like peppermint. Her hand slid into his soft hair, fully lost in the moment, living out her fantasies.
Caroline only started thinking about how inappropriate this must look when she heard a friendly Southern voice exclaim congratulations. Her eyes widened and she pulled away from Klaus then, trying to identify who had spoken to them.
'Did he propose?' an old lady asked her excitedly. The woman was small, had grey hair, and was wearing a sunhat. 'You are a lovely couple. Don't worry, I have also been young.' She winked knowingly.
Caroline blushed, opening her mouth to correct her. But Klaus was quicker in his response.'Yes, I proposed, she said yes,' Klaus said, his eyes twinkling with mirth.
Ah, that's the game he wanted to play. Well, she could play it, too.
'Yup, I did not expect it all, but it was magical,' Caroline said looking lovingly at Klaus while holding his hand for effect.
'I have been crossing this bridge for years and years now. A great many proposals take place here,' the old lady enlightened them happily. 'It always brightens my day to see a young happy couple.'
The old lady's gaze started wandering and widened upon seeing her ring. 'Oh my, what a gorgeous ring. A blue stone suits you,' the lady said to Caroline.
'Thank you,' Caroline said genuinely. She really liked her daylight ring too.
Finally, the old lady looked up to Klaus with her kind eyes, 'Well done, young man. I will leave you two now. I only wanted to wish you a blessed life together.'
Internally, Caroline counted down till the old lady was a bit further away. The blonde was trying hard to contain her laughter. When the old lady was finally gone, she could breathe again. 'Well done, young man,' She teased Klaus, pressing a finger to his chest.
But then Caroline started actually thinking about Klaus' age, which resulted in a little rambling session. 'Oh my, do I have daddy issues?' Caroline asked aloud, her eyes widening. 'Making out with someone that is ancient?' Caroline shook her head, trying to make an argument. 'You are hot, though, so surely that changes things...' She paused for a second, before admitting finally, 'Ugh, no I am in denial. I do have daddy issues. He ran off,'
Klaus chuckled and said, 'Well, if it makes you feel any better, love. I have daddy issues too.'
Caroline laughed in amusement at that. Daddy issues are a funny thing to have in common with an ancient vampire slash werewolf. But then again, family's have been a pain since the beginning of time, so it's not that crazy.
The blonde sobered up when she remembered that Stefan was waiting for them, downtown. 'We should probably make a move,' Caroline said, pulling him along, 'Stefan is waiting.' As they started walking in the direction of Stefan, downtown grew bigger in front of them.
'Poor Stefan,' Klaus joked, letting himself be pulled along by her. 'Missing out on our lovely company.'
Caroline groaned. 'Ugh, I feel so bad for him,' she said, 'Why is Stefan always stuck in triangles. Damon is after Elena. The thing with Katherine. And now it's like he is stuck in the elevator with us,' she said in frustration.
'What exactly are we, love?' Klaus said, smirking.
'A hot mess,' Caroline said, glancing at him, 'I should get you out of my system. It would make life easier for Stefan. You reckon we should spend the night?' The blonde was only half-joking.
'I am sorry, love, I don't mean to sound cocky, but one night wouldn't be enough for you,' Klaus said confidently. She felt him squeeze her hand. 'In fact, a taste will make you want me more than you already do.'
They started walking down the stairs, and she felt a familiar feeling between her legs. Caroline rolled her eyes at his overconfidence, but she didn't trust herself to reply to that statement. The man was probably right, but he didn't need to know that. His ego is big enough as it is.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Caroline felt small between all the big buildings, she did not often feel this way, being as tall as she was. The blonde was texting Stefan as she and Klaus walked on the unfamiliar streets.
Where will we meet? she texted Stefan.
A moment later she received a text back. Let's meet at the goo goo shop.
Caroline's brows furrowed in confusion as she read Stefan's message. She came to a stop in the middle of the sidewalk. 'A goo goo shop? What the heck is a goo goo shop?' she muttered aloud. The blonde looked up from her phone, Klaus was standing with his hands behind his back, laughing to himself. Caroline shot him a warning glance, before looking down at her phone again and texting, Okidoki, see you there. She would find him, google maps is her friend too, after all.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Google maps had decided to take her to Broadway. Funny, Caroline didn't realise there was a Broadway in Nashville too, she only associated that name with New York. A comfortable silence emerged between her and Klaus as they strolled through Broadway.
Her eyes widened when she hit the jackpot. Caroline spotted Stefan and his broody face across the street. 'Hey, you. Are you going to enlighten me what a goo goo shop is?' Caroline asked Stefan, a smile playing on her lips. She didn't have to shout, him being a vampire and all that. The younger Salvatore brother was reading the information sign of the Johnny Cash museum. He was wearing a black t-shirt and looked like trouble. It wouldn't surprise her if he was hit on at least three times while waiting here.
Stefan turned around to face them, raising his eyebrows at the sight of them. 'Why don't you find out for yourself,' he replied gesturing to the shop across from him.
Caroline followed his gaze, 'Ahh…,' it was a traditional local candy shop, she realised. The candy bar Goo Goo Cluster has apparently been around since 1912. Caroline raised her eyebrow at Stefan, surprised at his choice of location.
Stefan made his way over to her and Klaus. 'A sugar high to start your day in high spirits,' he said casually, before adding. 'Lexi liked them.' She noted the emotion on his face as he mentioned his friend.
Caroline nodded in understanding, smiling warmly at Stefan. He probably missed her a lot.
She noticed Klaus shift next to her then. 'Lexi,' Klaus inquired tilting his head in curiosity. Annoyed, Caroline gave him a slight jab in the ribs to stop him from talking more. Lexi was none of his business. No way that their relationship had reached the level yet that Stefan would talk about his dead friend with him. Klaus gave her a murderous glance but didn't say anything.
Stefan looked at their dynamic with interest. 'You have him wrapped around your little finger, don't you Caroline?'
Klaus' eyes narrowed. Wanting to prevent escalation, Caroline took a deep breath and said, 'Let's just go in okay.'
She pulled Stefan along, who happily complied. Caroline could feel Klaus' stare on her back as they made their way into the candy shop. Klaus followed right behind them.
They were helped by a bubbly redhead called Sue who seemed to be in her mid-twenties. She started telling them all about the history of this candy bar. The store had a cosy decor, but you were reminded of the history by the old machinery and other original artifacts that were on display. 'You will love it, hun, trust me,' Sue said smiling brightly at her. 'It's caramel, nougat, fresh roasted peanuts, and chocolate, after all. Can't go wrong there.' Sue had freckles all over her face that suited her well. Caroline felt warm inside, Southern hospitality was a real thing it seemed. It was easy to feel at home when people were so friendly.
In the end, Caroline chose the authentic, original Goo Goo Cluster, and so did Stefan. Klaus, however, chose the peanut butter edition. Interesting.
'Thanks so much, Sue. I'm looking forward to trying it while strolling around Broadway,' Caroline said making conversation while they were standing at the till waiting to pay. 'This area looks like a blast.'
'Oh absolutely, sweetie. You will have a grand time here. Y'all coming back tonight?' Sue asked, 'Because that is when Broadway really comes alive.'
'Ah, we are certainly planning on it,' Klaus said, stepping forward with a charming smile, 'These two are big on karaoke.'
Sue laughed, 'Oh, y'all will have plenty of bars to choose from, for that.'
'I am glad,' Klaus said, before compelling Sue to consider their goo goo's paid for.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Stefan had noticed the change in her mood the moment they walked out and conveniently mentioned that he was going to the Johnny Cash museum across the street. That meant it was just her and Klaus. Stefan seemed to trust Caroline to hold her own against Klaus apparently.
They decided to walk back to the riverfront to sit on one of the benches. The bench Klaus and she sat down on was facing the water, and the sun was high up. Caroline sighed, this should have been perfect, but it wasn't.
'Well, that ruined my appetite,' Caroline said staring sadly at her goo goo. 'I feel bad stealing from Sue, she was nice...' Klaus was sitting next to her, but thankfully not too close. He didn't seem to be in the best mood either.
'You are not stealing from Sue, sweetheart. You are stealing from a company. I know I have a reputation as 'the bad guy', but companies are worse believe me,' Klaus said, dismissively.
His tone made her glare at him. 'I know they are bad, which is why I am worried. What if they find out about the inconsistencies and Sue gets into trouble,' Caroline countered, worry present in her voice, 'Actions have consequences, you know.'
'That would be a fair argument, love if it weren't for the fact that you are a hypocrite. You can't judge me for omitting to pay when you fail to offer to pay yourself,' Klaus said sharply, his jaw tight.
'Seriously?!' Caroline looked at him disbelievingly, 'That is so different. You have accumulated wealth.'
But Klaus had a fire to match hers and didn't back down. 'You can't go making up moral rules as you go along, Caroline,' Klaus said looking at her intently. 'The truth is that you walked into that shop expecting me or Stefan to cover for you. Which I did. You are only complaining right now because you didn't like the way I did it. You are not innocent and you know it.'
It was like he slapped her in the face. Without a word she stood up, walking closer to the river before finally coming to a stop. Her feet were touching the barrier between her and the water. As she stood still, Caroline stared at the flowing water trying to calm down.
Caroline felt his chest against her back as he wrapped his arms around her waist. 'I am sorry Caroline, I was harsh,' he whispered in her ear.
Trigger warning: discussion of Damon's abuse - start
Caroline closed her eyes and she let out a deep sigh. 'I think it hits me especially hard when girls like me are being compelled. It takes me back.'
Caroline felt Klaus' body tense up then. 'Back to what?' Klaus asked with tightness in his voice, looking at her intently from the side.
Caroline couldn't look at him as she spoke, she couldn't face him. 'Damon used to do the same to me when I was human,' she said quietly, her voice breaking ever so slightly. 'He used me as a blood bag and for sex, and I had no say in any of it... But no one ever mentions it. It's like it didn't happen. But it did…' Tears started to fill up her eyes. All the emotions she had locked away for so long were overwhelming her now, making her tremble.
'He deserves to suffer for what he did,' Klaus said darkly, his voice sounding rough in her ear. Then he moved smoothly in front of her and pulled her into a hug. Her body was still shaking, but he held her tightly against him, hands resting on her back, softly comforting her. Her face fell into his chest, she wanted to hide there forever. 'I will kill him slowly,' he promised her solemnly. Caroline was breathing heavily in between sobs, letting it all out. He peppered soft kisses all over her cheeks and neck. 'It's okay, love… I am with you, just breathe…'
Trigger warning: discussion of Damon's abuse - end
Slowly, very slowly, she started to feel better. 'Thank you, Klaus,' Caroline said against his chest, her voice was slightly muffled because of the fabric of his henley.
'Nik,' He said, 'Call me Nik.'
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Well, wow… What did you think of this? I have to admit, I have a slight idea where I want to go in each chapter, but I never really expect what happens in the end.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
