25 Days of Klaroline. Day 13- Celebrities. Inspiration.
AH. Caroline is a musician.
The song I think of for this story is "Can't be loved" by Elle King if anyone is interested. You'll have to look it up on YouTube to listen though. The eTown webisode number 297 is the best version. I am super bummed that I can't buy it on ITunes.
Thank you for all the lovely reviews and thoughts! I promise I will be answering them back just as soon as I can! For those who review as a guest please know that if you review signed into your account I will reply to you as well! =D
Happy Reading.
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An ear piercing glass shattering scream echoed through the corridors of the Mikaelson Estate. Klaus closed his eyes in silent prayer that the loud and pounding clack of heels would turn in the opposite direction of his room.
He groaned in despair, thinking this was why he had wanted to stay at a hotel while the work was being done on the outdated kitchen in his loft, no self-respecting twenty-five year old man should have to deal with this, when his screaming seventeen year old sister came bursting through his door letting it slam open with a bang that nearly shook the walls.
"Nik! Nik! You'll never believe it!" Rebekah squealed as she threw herself on his bed thrusting a piece of paper and an envelope beneath his nose.
Klaus moved to slap the paper away only to have her yank it back with an appalled look on her face as she screeched angrily, "Nik! Do you have any idea what you could have done?!"
"By the ear bleeding screech and the repulsed look on your face I'd say something that would at least get you out of my room and have you not speak to me for at least the next week." Klaus rolled his eyes with a huff.
"Try ever again! This," She waved the items towards him, "Means more to me than anything! Guess what it is!"
Klaus had barely had time to utter a sound before she squealed again, bouncing in excitement.
"I'll tell you. I won! Can you believe it?!"
"Won what?" Klaus gritted his teeth as he placed his sketchpad on the table next to his bed.
"The backstage VIP passes to Caroline's concert! Right here! In New Orleans!" A look of confusion crossed her face as her excitement stemmed a little, "It's strange really, I didn't even enter. I mean I did of course but my blasted computer froze and by the time I was able to get it started again the window for signing up had closed."
Klaus shrugged his shoulders, "Well maybe it went through and you just got lucky. Regardless you won so I am sure you are pleased."
"Pleased? Try over the moon Nik! I have been dying to see her in concert for over three years now but since her shows were too far away for Mother or Father to allow me to go. This is the first time she is coming to New Orleans." Rebekah rambled on, "Well that's not entirely true. Did you know she actually moved here three years ago and performed in this little backwater bar right before getting signed?"
Klaus opened his mouth to reply only to be cut off by her once again.
"Technically she was signed and then went through about eight months of legal issues with the company before finally getting out of that horrid contract that had her singing that god awful music and then she landed with a new company that gave her more artistic license."
Klaus patted her leg with a grin, "Well I am happy for you little sister." He pulled his hand back when he noticed her puppy dog eyes come out to play, "What do you want Bekah?"
She set the papers gently on the bed before twisting her fingers together, "Well Mother was there when I opened the envelope and she told me that the only way I could go is if I could talk one of you into taking me." She rushed on quickly, "Please Nik! You have to take me! Kol is too much of an embarrassment and I am quite sure Mother would never allow that anyways. Elijah is too stuffy to go with and Finn is too busy with Saga and the baby. Look I know you don't really care for her music but please! I'll help out at your apartment or work for you with no pay just please Nik!"
He wanted to toy with her but the sight of the tears in her eyes caused his own to roll as he huffed, "Alright fine. I'll take you."
Rebekah shouted as she threw her arms around his neck, "Thank you! Thank you!" Before she was bouncing off his bed and running through his doorway yelling, "Mother Nik said yes!" then muttered in horror, "Oh my God what am I going to wear?"
Klaus heard her heels clack rapidly across the wood floor before she slammed her door.
He sighed and stood up to close his door, somethings never changed she was always barging in and then flying out again without closing it.
Once the door was closed and he knew he was safe from prying eyes Klaus let a pleased smirk grow over his lips. Little did his sister or anyone for that matter know, he actually enjoyed Caroline's music, listening to it in secret only when he was alone. He had signed Rebekah up for the chance to win on every electronic device he could get his hands on, deleting the history after of course, just to increase her odds of winning. He had known their parents, who were overly strict on Rebekah in his opinion, would never let her go without one of their siblings taking her. He had known she would come to him for the same reasons she had used to get him to take her. No one ever had to know that he wanted to go. No one had to know the crush he had harbored for Caroline for three years now.
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"Isn't this exciting Nik?" Rebekah exclaimed in awe as her eyes raced around the backstage area rapidly trying to take everything in all at once.
"You're Rebekah right?" A man asked form beside them. "I'm sorry but Caroline asked me to pass on her deepest regrets, she won't be able to meet with you before the concert as planned. She had an incident."
"Is everything alright?" Rebekah was deflated but tried to show her concern.
"Yeah, it's all fixed now but the incident," The man cleared his throat, "ah…took longer to solve than she would have liked." He noticed the look of irritation on the man's face and the shear disappointment on Rebekah's. He pulled a folded piece of paper out of his pocket, "Here, she asked me to give you this."
Rebekah took the note from him, noticing in her excitement to read it that he stood with his hands in his pockets as she looked it over with Klaus glancing over the note from beside her.
Rebekah,
I am so so sorry that things didn't work out before the show like we had planned. If you're anything like me it is driving you crazy, I hate when plans fall through. But I was wondering if you and your guest would like to maybe meet me after the show was over? I am always too pumped after a show to fall asleep right away and like to hit the town for some greasy bar food and drinks. If you two aren't busy I'd love it if you joined me. Totally up to you, either way I've told the staff to make sure that you and your guest's drinks during the show are on the house! I also had them place all the VIP merchandise you would have received backstage if this time crunch hadn't happened at your VIP booth.
Hope you enjoy the show! I look forward to meeting you backstage after!
Caroline.
Rebekah squealed in delight clutching the letter to her chest. "Yes! Yes! Tell her we accept!"
The stagehand smiled back to her, "Great. Caroline will be happy to hear that." The lights backstage began to flicker drawing their attention, "Well if you will follow me I'll take you to your seats. Those lights mean we have T minus fifteen minutes to show time."
The crowed was roaring and shouting as they stamped their feet hoping to draw Caroline back out for one last song before the end of the night. Rebekah clapped enthusiastically, with Klaus smiling on as Caroline walked back on stage, settling herself on the stool with nothing but an acoustic guitar slung over her shoulders and a microphone in front of her.
"So, I'm going to slow things down for my last number. Many of you might not know it but I actually got my big break right here in New Orleans," She smiled shyly as the crowd screamed and clapped, "Well this next song was never recorded, in fact you'll have to look it up on YouTube to even listen to it. This song means so many things to me and being back here has made me nostalgic. Anywho, here you go."
Rebekah's eyes were glued to the stage singing along with Caroline to the song she had heard many times before.
Klaus watched her with relaxed and peaceful eyes, feeling a bit of nostalgia himself as he heard the familiar song being sung by her angelic voice with her skillful strumming of the guitar. This song had touched him at a time when he felt alone in his own dark thoughts. Just after he had found his girl was also seeing his brother and disgustingly enough wanted to carry on with them both. He had shut himself down and had begun his trek through every and any woman he could find. He had felt lost and couldn't find hope, feeling that no one understood just what he was going through, the battle he carried inside himself. That is, until he heard Caroline singing this song.
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Rebekah and Klaus were escorted through the back halls of the stadium both finding it oddly quieter here than that imagined it would be, what with all the still shouting fans just beginning to file their way from their seats to purchase tour merchandise or head out to the parking lots. They were stopped in front of a white door with nothing but the number three emblazoned upon it. A quick rap on the door by their guide was met with a muffled feminine voice calling, "Come on in!"
Klaus stood off to the side after he and his sister walked in, knowing just how important this moment was for his baby sister, their guide closing the door behind them before his footsteps could be heard echoing down the hall.
Caroline turned in her chair with a beaming smile, "Hey! Give me a second to finish this." She faced the mirror once again adding on the last of her everyday makeup, "I swear it took me fifteen minutes to wipe all the stage makeup off so I can look like a normal person again."
"Sure. No problem." Rebekah mumbled with shaking hands.
Klaus grinned in amusement at his sisters out of character nervousness, she was always so strong and self-assured, to which she stuck her tongue out at him with a huff but he was proud to see that it was just what she needed to let her nerves flee her.
"The show was spectacular tonight by the way." She told Caroline with her confidence returning.
"Thanks." Caroline smiled sincerely through the mirror before spinning and gracefully standing from her chair with her hand out. "It's really great to meet you Rebekah."
Rebekah giggled quietly as she shook her hand, "Likewise." Seeing the look of expectation from Caroline she waved her hand, "This is my brother Niklaus."
Klaus covertly wiped his sweaty palm on the inside of his jean pockets before grasping hers delicately, "Charmed," He bowed slightly with his eyes locked on her as he kissed her knuckle gaining a slight smirk as he heard her quiet gasp, "You may call me Klaus."
Caroline withdrew her hand from his with a curved eyebrow, "So Klaus, how did you like the show?"
"Oh, he will pretend not to like it. I swear he is always ranting when I have your music on repeat but I found him mouthing along with the words and even swaying to the beat more than once this evening." Rebekah smirked back at her brother, delighting in his faint blush.
"So," Caroline folded her arms over her chest, "Not a big fan of my music huh?" She giggled waving him off before he could sputter a response, "I'm kidding. Really. It's no big deal. Did you enjoy yourself at least?"
Klaus quickly regained his composure, "You preform marvelously Sweetheart. I assure you despite my sister's love for embarrassing me; I did in fact enjoy myself immensely."
Caroline licked her lips, feeling a blush rise on her cheeks at his husky accent and the intense look in his almost grey eyes. "Good. I mean I'm glad. Thank you." She held back an eye roll at herself, God! It was like she had never been in a room with an insanely attractive guy before.
Rebekah felt a smugness overtake her as she watch her favorite singer and her favorite brother covertly flirt with each other before clearing her throat, "So we've decided to join you after all."
Caroline turned to face Rebekah shaking her head slightly as she tried to pull herself out of the daze being caught in Klaus's eyes had caused, "I'm sorry what was that?" She heard Klaus chuckle quietly; picking up very quickly that he had an ego the size of this stadium.
Rebekah smiled in what looked like sympathy, telling Caroline that this must be a common occurrence when it came to her brother here. The thought made Caroline harden herself just a little, one could never be too careful and she had no desire to become some macho notch in his belt.
"You offered us to join you out on the town." Rebekah reminded her, "If you don't mind me asking what happened before the show?"
"Bekah." Klaus astonished, "It's rude to ask such personal questions."
"Oh it's fine. Really." Caroline brushed it off with a laugh when she seen the younger girls blush, "I'm always asking and saying things without thinking. And really I don't mind at all."
Klaus gave Caroline a smile of thanks, knowing that his seventeen year old sister tended to speak without thinking most of the time, to which Caroline just grinned with a twinkle in her blue eyes that made him crave of a brush and a set of his paints to capture it on canvas. It was so much more vivid in person than it was on TV or in photographs. She was utterly enchanting.
"Well you know how sports players have their superstitions?" Caroline paused as Rebekah nodded her head, "Well like you heard tonight, I caught my big break here. It was actually this little bar called Muckin' Drunkin'. Tacky I know." She rolled her eyes before looking at the two of them as they started chuckling, "What's so funny? What is it?"
"My brother owns that bar!" Rebekah beamed.
Caroline's eyes widened comically.
"Fear not sweetheart," Klaus chuckled at her face, "I said the same thing about the place a few years back."
"Well I hope you at least changed the name. Maybe even did a few updates? The place was a dirty hole in the wall." Caroline giggled though she looked at him expectantly.
"While it did have its charms, I agree." Klaus snickered, "I did do quiet the overhaul on the establishment as well as renamed it The Original's."
"I like that." Caroline smiled as she twisted her leg back and forth.
"Please overhaul my ass Nik!" Rebekah exclaimed, "You had us all being your little minions to fix that dump up. It's amazing Caroline you'll love it! He even restored the old building connected to it."
"Great!" Caroline clapped her hands. "That's actually where I was hoping to go, just for old time's sake and it leads into just why I wasn't able to meet with you before the show, which again I am really sorry about."
"Please," Rebekah waved her off, "I get to go to school on Monday and tell everyone how I hung out with The Caroline!"
"Honey," Caroline cocked her hip out, "you'll get to show them pictures!" She was instantly met with an armful of the younger girl.
Once the squealing calmed and Rebekah dislodged herself from Caroline's body, Klaus interjected, "I believe you were telling us what happened before your performance to cause you so much strife?"
The fact that he genuinely seemed interested brought a shot of warmth through her, "Right so, It was my last night at the place as a server, not that I knew that of course, the place was nearly empty and we had another girl on staff and I thought," She shrugged her shoulders, "well why not take advantage on the stage?"
She watched as Rebekah listened on enthralled while Klaus seemed to blush with a small knowing smile, "Little did I know that one of the patrons was a record producer, he approached me at the end of my shift and offered me a job. I quiet there on the spot, which I learned later was stupid but anyways I'm getting side tracked," she waved her hands animatedly though the air. "I went in the next day to pick up my tips from the night before. The other waitress, Cami, she was kind enough to hold them behind the bar for me since I left after a not so pleasant discussion with the owner. She ended up handing me two envelopes instead of the normal one. Inside was this amazing drawing of me on stage. It wasn't signed with a name or anything but it had this note that inspired me and I always have it packed away in between shows and displayed in my dressing room." Caroline scoffed, "The new girl, Hayley I think her name is, she freaking lost it! I mean how do you lose something that is in a frame? In my personal stuff no less!"
Klaus felt his insides clench as he listened to her story, his palms pooling with sweat as he cleared his throat carefully asking, "So this drawing means that much to you?"
"Yeah. Whoever did it is extremely talented. And they made me look so beautiful and that message? It just…" She seemed to become over run with emotions, "I just can't go on stage without it. I've carried it with me these past three years everywhere I go. It's like," Caroline waved her hand around in a circle, searching for a way to describe it, "It's like if I could inspire that much creativity, that strange type of connection with a complete stranger than I felt like I had to live up to his expectations." Caroline shrugged her shoulders, "That and it gave me hope. Do you want to see it?" She asked excitedly.
"Yes please!"
"We really should be on our way."
Both Rebekah and Klaus answered at the same time.
Rebekah scoffed, "Please Nik, it's not like the bar is going to close, you are the owner after all."
Caroline took Rebekah over to the framed drawing while Klaus licked his lips nervously; praying to every being out there that Rebekah would keep her trap shut. Who was he kidding; she was never going to let him live this down. Not after all the times he's teased and provoked her over the years, not after blatantly denying even wanting to come to this concert.
Still a part of him couldn't help but rejoice over the fact that she had liked his drawing, that it had meant to much to her that she carried around with her everywhere that she couldn't even preform without its presence. He still remembered clearly what he had written.
You have a raw and beautiful talent and a voice filled with a deep and meaningful honesty. Thank you for sharing your gift. I wish you all the luck in the world as you discover your dreams.
He remembered that night vividly, she had caught his eye as she flitted about the dingy bar but once she took that stage and began to sing the same song she had ended her show with tonight, he was entranced. He had quickly pulled his sketchpad out of his bag and begun the rewarding task of creating her on paper. He had overheard the chat between her and the record producer. And while he was happy for her, he had felt deflated that he would not be able to have a chance with her but had decided in the end with the way she had touched him with her voice and talent he would leave her something along with the tip money.
Klaus was pulled out of his reverie when the two women cleared their throats in front of him.
"Are you ready brother dear?" Rebekah asked with her lashes fluttering.
Oh yes, he was royally screwed.
The trio got out of the cab stepping onto the sidewalk a short while later.
Caroline glanced up at the bar with a whistle, "You weren't kidding. If you did all this on the outside I can't wait to see the inside."
"Caroline wait," Rebekah smirked, "You should see how he fixed up the other building first. You know when you walk into that bar people will see recognize you so your chances of taking a look later will be slim to none."
Oh yes, hell to pay indeed, "I'm sure Caroline has no interest in seeing that building when she came for the bar Rebekah." Klaus sneered towards his sister.
"Of course I do! I always love seeing old building turned into something beautiful again." Caroline chirped as she skipped over to the large window, cupping her hands to look in.
"I'll be inside the bar Nik." Rebekah whispered with a grin before walking away.
Klaus sighed, straightening his back and placed his hands in his pockets before trudging over to Caroline.
Caroline's eyes squinted as she took in the art gallery through the window with the soft lighting left on casting a glow in the place. She couldn't help but feel drawn to some of the artwork hanging about the room. It wasn't until she caught a simple yet elegant charcoal sketch on the table directly against the wall off to the side that her breath caught, "Oh my God!" She pulled back to look at Klaus in awe and shock. "This is your gallery?"
Klaus nodded his head.
Caroline's eyes lit up, "So you know the artist of that sketch over there?" She pointed excitedly.
"Yes, I know him. Why do you ask?" He stated plainly.
"I'd know those lines anywhere! That's the artist that made my drawing. Do you think you could introduce us? I've always held this hope that someday I'd get a chance to meet him, to thank him."
Klaus inhaled sharply, holding it in for a moment as he made a decision, before exhaling with a bashful chuckle, "You've already met him Caroline."
Her face pinched adorably in confusion, "Huh? What do you mean?"
Klaus lowered his head slightly, staring at her with his deep meaningful eyes, "I think you can figure it out Sweetheart."
It took only seconds for it to click and Klaus knew the instant that it did when her mouth dropped open with a quiet shocked gasp and her beautiful blue eyes widened slightly.
"You? It was you?"
"Guilty as charged Sweetheart." Klaus smiled watching what looked to be embarrassment cover her beautiful face, wanting nothing more in that moment than to reassure her. "I have to admit, I find it utterly enchanting that you carry with you wherever you go. That the moment you inspired me, I was able to do the same for you." Klaus cocked his head to the side, "Is this what you feel through your fans and music? This strange feeling of…" Klaus trailed off as he couldn't quite put a word to the emotion he felt.
"Humbling." Caroline said softly drawing his eyes back to hers, "I think what you are looking for is humbling. That entire indescribable feeling of a connection to others that leaves you completely breathless. It's very humbling isn't Klaus?"
The soft way she spoke his name and the tender look of understanding in her eyes made his heart pick up its pace within his chest. "Yeah. It is." Staring into her eyes he felt like he could fall in them forever, much like he did three years ago when he missed his chance but she was able to take hers and follow her dreams.
He wasn't missing this chance again.
Klaus offered his arm to her with a sly smile and a twinkle in his eyes, "How about we get you that drink, along with that food you wanted."
Caroline's breath caught at his smile and the confidence bleeding off of him. She had waited for this moment for years. She had fantasized about just who her secret artist and how they would meet. But in none of them did any of their chance meetings turn out like this.
Caroline smiled sweetly at him, taking his arm before they started walking back towards the bar, "I hope you at least kept the chili cheese fries on the menu. Those were to die for!"
"While I did add more shall we say refined items to the menu there is one thing I thought prudent." Klaus smirked as he reached forward to open the door.
"Oh, and what's that?" Caroline asked him flirtatiously.
"Never let go of a good thing."
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Ta-Da! Hope you enjoyed it.
